Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: fermi de Sousa on October 08, 2007, 12:33:20 AM
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It's definitely NOT early spring anymore (the first snakes have been seen!), so I figure it's time for a new topic.
To start it off here's Allium crispum.
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cheers
fermi
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Here's a leucocoryne in flower in the Rock garden, not sure if it's a hybrid.
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And a first flowering on Dichelostemma capitatum grown from NARGS Seedex seed, 2004, I think.
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And another look at Dianthus "Whatfield Wisp" which is looking very floriferous this year!
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cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
Nice Dianthus. Rather delicate flowers to it by the look of it, and as you say it is looking very floriferous. Nice one I haven't come across before (then again that applies to a LOT of Dianthus!! ;D)
Do you propagate your Dianthus regularly? I'm finding here that we have a definite use-by date on some of the Dianthus and they drop dead eventually in our climate. I am making efforts to create "backups" of the majority of mine after losing a couple last year like 'Highland Fraser' which I really liked. D. 'Becky Robinson' is doing fantastically this year and should be in flower within a couple of weeks. Lots of buds on lots of them at the moment.
Leucocoryne are starting into flower here as well. The only Dichelostemma I grow is ida-maia (or however it is spelt) and despite it being reputed to be difficult it grows well and tends to flower most years. Nice to see your capitata flowering for you, particularly as a first time from seed which is always a thrill. ;D
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I have a very nice seedling from `Whatfield Wisp.' It's just starting so I'll do a pic in a week or so.
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Tropaeolum azureum. This one is for Paul. I took 17 images before getting one that is in any way usable. The angle and the surrounding leaves put everything out of focus and I couldn't move the pot as the Tropaeolum has twined itself around everything around it. It's quite a bit darker than some I've seen, as you can see by the deep shade of the buds. This is the 3rd year it's flowered and there are 2 from seed, in the pot. No seed so far.
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Fritillaria recurva. I don't find this difficult in a pot so I might plant the bigger ones in the garden come the summer time.
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I like that Frit recurva, Lesley; I've yet to get it past the seedling stage myself.
Here's the very lovely Narcissus "Flo May" which did much better last year with some double headed scapes, but this year, "just the one" and only one flowering scape!
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but at least you can see the pale pink colouring of the cup better than in the pic I posted last year.
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Also in bloom, the lovely Ranunculus gramineus,
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and the first flowers on the tiny Dianthus echidiformis which apparently was an invalid name once used for D. anatolicus. Shown here growing in a crevice, having been put in as cuttings 2 years ago! The two plants have grown into each other which is why it looks a bit "bumpy"!
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Lesley,
Thank you for the Trop. Lovely!! That Frit recurva is darn impressive as well. Like Fermi mine are still not to flowering size as yet, but at least they're still alive and on their way!! ;D
Fermi,
The dianthus is a cutie isn't it? Not seen it before (this seems to be a standard thing now for me to say whenever you post). Is the Narcissus a biflorus selection or hybrid? Knowing that biflorus is so late and your commenting that it has twin flowered heads last year, I figured it might be. I think I saw some buds on my biflorus the other day, which is the only reason I thought of it.
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Hi Paul,
"Flo May" is an Alec Gray hybrid jonquil. And in the books is only noted to have solitary flowers but last year must've been exceptional!
Here's the pic I posted last year, you can just see that each scape has a second flower bud yet to open.
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They were also a couple of weeks earlier!
The dianthus is a favourite and one I got from Woodbank Nursery when Ken and Lesley Gillanders were still selling plants. It was listed as D. echidiformis which I could not find on any lists but last year Anthony Darby guessed rightly (I think) that it's a form of D. anatolicus. This year when I was at Kew I mentioned it to Tony Hall and he seemed to recollect that D. echidiformis was a name given to a collection from Turkey which seems to explain it all.
cheers
fermi
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The 'Flo May' is really quite special. Very nice. I checked and my N. biflorus has it's only bud open today, although somewhat snail eaten (the other buds are completely gone due to the snails! <sigh>)
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Fermi, does the little Dianthus produce seed? and if so would you like to swap some for the true D. erinaceus? I have a nice red form, a seedling from my original plant grown from seed of the ACW 1966 Turkish expedition so a grandchild of the one in the wild.
D. anatolicus is on our bio list OK
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These two irises could go on the bearded iris pages but here will do as well.
The first is a Standard Dwarf Bearded with a lovely clear colour enhanced by a neat white beard. It is labelled but the plant has grown over it so I won't remember until I divide it at Christmas time.
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Then this tiny one is `April Frost' but read October for southern hemisphere gardens.
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I am thrilled by this beautiful fritillaria, the first of what will be hundreds from seed bought from (and given by) Marcus Harvey, in 2003, so about 3 and a half years from germination. It is Fritillaria pyrenaica in what Marcus calls a honey-brown form. The inside is especially delicately patterned. Happily there about 20 more to flower, hopefully next year.
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Paul,
remind me when it's time to dig them and we can trade.
Lesley,
I have a pink flowering D. erinaceus, so seed of your red one would be great! I still have a bit of viable seed to sort from the chaff (sent some off to AGS Seedex and will send some to NARGS this week). Late nights sorting seeds on the kitchen bench makes for bleary eyes in the morning!
Here's a little pale red tulip which I got as T. maximowicii,
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And something which may not appear very exciting to anyone else but is to me: Genista lydia ssp lydia (ex Turkey) grown from Rocky Mountain Rare Plants seed, sown just 2 years ago, with its first (few) blooms.
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Lesley,
your April frost is adorable (even if it's October ;D) - beautiful shade of blue. That Frit pyrenaeca also is very delicate !
Fermi,
That Tulipa maximowicii is a real cracker ! An explosion of red !
Thanks for sharing
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Lesley, I too love your Frit. recurva, I'm not very successful with it, maybe I should give it a cooler ,slightly moister position over summer? so far I,ve been treating F. recurva like my Rhinopetalum Section species.However a close relative F. gentneri is doing well, in flower just now. Can you please put me on the waiting list for seed of F.pyrenaica ,the honeycolored form-very desirable.Also got F. kotschyana & k.ssp. grandiflora in flower.
Tim will be flying to N.Z. on friday for the Trillium Conference ,sorry I can't be with you ,enjoy the weekend without me.
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Otto I'll certainly let you have seed if the light pyrenaica as soon as there is some. Maybe not this year as there's just the one flower but there should be more to bloom next year. I have around 20 seedlings from Marcus's seed. Recurva doesn't really dry out here. More because I've not thought about it much. If I had, I'd probably have dried it off thoroughly and perhaps lost it. These are from an Archibald collection but 2 others from Ratko are also both coming along nicely. But another small group given me locally as ricegrains, are still ricegrains - but more of them - after 4 years. Archibald's recurva flowered less than 3 years from germination, about 2 years and 10-11 months.
Can you do a picture of the F. kotschyana ssp grandiflora please? I have some seed of that from Frit Group of AGS. inspected and released by MAF even though kotschyana isn't on THE LIST.
I've had to tell Tim to bring his woolly hat as the weather forecast isn't good, cold and wet. Last year he had a very fetching model of merino and possum fur if I remember rightly. We'll have a lovely weekend without you :D (you know what I mean).
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Here are a few more offerings from our garden.
A Bergenia cultivar which I think is "Beethoven"
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And a Phlox subulata which goes by the name "Brittonii Rosea"
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The strangely sombre flowers of Salvia africana-lutea. Why anyone would think this is yellow (lutea) is beyond me! Unless it was a botanist working off a dried specimen who presumed it had dried to that colour from a yellow bloom when fresh! Maybe?
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cheers
fermi
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Fermi, I don't think Phlox brittonii rosea is a form of P. subulata, but a different species altogether. P. brittonii, in fact.
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Lesley, I don't know where I heard otherwise about that phlox!
Last Friday I stopped on the way home at Langley and got some pics along the roadside.
First, a local riceflower or Pimelea, possibly P. glauca.
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Then a brilliant patch of pinkbells, Tetratheca ciliata,
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Then a few feral freesias!
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I'll post the sad glad to the South African Bulb thread!
cheers
fermi
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I assume the top two are natives Fermi? They're very nice. Is the Pimelea scented like ours?
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Hi Lesley,
yes they are a couple of Aussie natives but I didn't sniff the pimelea to see if it's scented.
Here's a pic of a raised bed with Aussie natives looking quite stunning with the matting Dampiera diversifolia in front, the Philotheca to right of centre and the Homoranthus at the back about to burst into flower and the yellow fringe flower just starting on the left.
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Another flower spotted by the roadside was an "Early Nancy", a wurumbea species.
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The Daphne alpina which came into flower in Autumn has flowered again, just 6 months later!
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Flowering for the first time (and much too tall for the rock garden, but strangely not out of place!) is an Albuca we got as A. junceum or juncifolium, but it's possibly A. maxima from its appearance and Paul T's pic on PBSwiki! Are these really now Ornithogalums?
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cheers
fermi
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Howdy All,
There area few different white Albucas Fermi, but not so many with as much green. How tall does yours grow to? I can't even recall A. maxima now, so it must have been a while since it flowered for me (or it is no longer alive! ::)) Love that Wurmbea. Must try to source some of those one of these years. They are rather cute.
Sorry for not taking part here much in the last few days. Found out over the weekend that I have a food allergy I didn't know about (I have others that I do know about, but never had a physical reaction like this before, just nose and sleep problems caused by the allergies) when my mouth got sore and my face puffed up etc. Skin on my face still incredibly sensitive. Only just starting to feel a bit more human again now. Been reading the site regularly, but just haven't felt up to posting. Sorry for deserting you all. :(
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Much as I enjoy your garden photos, Fermi, (and I believe you have a really great garden) I am getting lots of fun from seeing your roadside wildflowers.... super! Thank you!
Paul, so sorry to hear you are having this bother, all best wishes from Aberdeen for a speedy improvment. :-*
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Thanks Maggi. Was a bit of shock of wake up Monday morning feeling like I had really bad sunburn on my face, then when I went and looked in the mirror I found I had a swollen face and was barely recognisable. I had to wake up poor Yvonne and get her to have a look and make sure i wasn't imagining it! ;D A 24 hour anti-allergy tablet helped it settle down a little, but now, 2 1/2 days later I still have a burning sensation on my cheeks and the skin around my eyes. If it isn't better we're heading to a Doctor tomorrow, just to make sure. As it is, we know the apple pie caused it, but we don't yet know which of the ingredients it was.
And all this unfortunately on top of a week where it appears my darn Chronic Fatigue looks like it is reasserting itself. NOT fun.
So that is why I haven't had the oomph to post pics in a couple of weeks, and why I've been silent the last few days. I'll stop telling you all my life history now!! ::) ;D
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I guess it is at times like these when we should be grateful your avatar is of Eflinraer, Paul ::)
Sorry, no laughing matter, I know. So, it was the apple pie.... so, I suppose you won't be wanting the recipe for spicy apple packets that Ian has just prepared for this coming week's Beechgrove Potting Shed radio programme on Sunday? ??? They ARE tasty!
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Keep your chin up Paul...... (we can't see the bloating then)!
Take care buddy....your Forum needs you!
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By the way Paul....did Yvonne think it was an improvement?
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Cliff,
Thanks for your undying support. (Not!!) ;D If you're not careful I'll post a pic of my puffy face!! :o
Maggi,
I've always maintained that that Elf is far prettier than me, even at my best times. So did you have to go and look up her name, or did you actually remember it from previous postings. If so, well done. Not a name you'd have come across before as I made it up when we got her. Her shorter name of Elf definitely fits her, that is for sure.
to the allergy.... I normally no problems with apple pie, but this was from a different bakery to usual. They probably have a different preservative in one of their ingredients, so we're still trying to track down exactly what is in them. They're being really helpful with giving me information, but we have to wait until the next time they get a particular bagged pastry thickener in to find out exactly what is in it. Then I probably have to start carefully testing things. The other possibility is that I've developed an allergy to Cinnamon. I guess we'll find out. <sigh>
So..... I'll happily take that recipe thank you!! ;D
Sorry to others that this had gone a bit (well OK, a LOT) off topic.
Flowering in my garden now (to be at least a bit on topic)..... assorted Wisterias, Dogwoods, Vibernums, Poppies, Stocks, Alpine Phlox, Aubretias, Cerinth major, last of the Camellias, Pleiones, Spiloxene, Narcissus bulbocodiums (late varieties), Leucocoryne, Tulbaghia comminsii, Azaleas of all types, Rhododendrons, first of the roses, Grevilleas, Irises, Dianthus, Bletilla striata, Clematis, Epimediums, Moraeas, Albucas, last few Magnolia flowers, Beaugainvillea, Pandorea pandorana, Leucothe, Calycantha, Anemone species, Ranunculus, Ixias, last of the Helleborus, Abutilons, Arenaria, Amorhophallus konjac (a first ever for me), Snapdragons, Corydalis, Dicentra, Tropaeolum tricolor, Trilliums, Salvias, Syringas, Clivias ...... and probably quite a few more things as well. The above are all I can think of while I am sitting here at my computer mentally "walking through" my garden. Garden is currently looking the best it ever has, thanks mainly to a big cleanup before I opened it for the Horticulture Society a month ago. The cleanup and mulching have helped everything do well, particularly as we are so warm so early. Forecasting nearly 30'C here over the weekend, which is extremely warm for this time of year. Will push things over very quickly.
All the best everyone.
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My list is CONSIDERABLY shorter Paul......Cyclamen, various!
Take care.
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Cliff,
Well it IS spring here!! ;D Added to teh list once I've thought about it a bit more.... Hesperus, Scilla peruviana, Serapias lingua (ground orchid), Prunus 'Cheales', Aponogeton (water plant), Pulmonarias, Fritillaria, Primulas, and of course Cyclamen (hadn't thought of those, thanks for the reminder Cliff!). I'm sure that there are still more things I've forgotten, but I can think of worse things. nice to have enough in flower to forget things easily!!
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Hi Paul !
considering the state of your obviously newly sharpened pen, I guess you're feeling better than the past few days.... ;D
Keep it up mate 8)
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Forgive a short plug here but Paul's problem highlights the benefits of shopping at a Farmers' Market. Ingredients are local, fresh and IDENTIFIABLE.
In NZ, all the phone books (produced by Telecom) have on their covers a local picture, from a painting by a local artist, often from the schools. A competition is run in each area. The winners are published in today's papers and our Dunedin book is to have a picture of the Dn railway staion building in background with Otago Farmers' Market in front, very bright and exciting. We're famous! I'll take a pic later when the new book is distributed.
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considering the state of your obviously newly sharpened pen, I guess you're feeling better than the past few days.... ;D
Luc,
What, you mean Cliff's newly sharpened pen..... that he's using to stab me at teh first opportunity!! ;D
Yes, feeling a bit better, hence my postings. Thanks.
Lesley,
If it is Cinnamon that I have become allergic to I would have had the same problem at a farmers market as I would anywhere else. Interestingly enough I actually bought the apple pie AT a farmer's market. One of the local bakeries has a stall out there. ::)
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Hi paul,
sorry that you've been under the weather - hope you're feeling better. Here's a few more pics to cheer you up!
First a rock hugging Genista, which I think is G. pilosa.
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And a herbaceus Moltkia.
cheers
fermi
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Here are a few of the late spring bulbs,
Calochortus superbus, creamy white with red markings (I've donated seed from these to NARGS Seedex this year)
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Then another of the subdued Dichelostemmas, this one is D. congestum.
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And a superb "new" (at least to me) Leucocoryne which I think is L. coquimbensis.
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cheers
fermi
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For the non-bulb-aholics, we have had a few other nice flowers!
This is a dwarf Centaurea I got from Otto; is it C. simplicicaulis?
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The dianthus and other flowers are coming into full bloom
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And the Dianthus echidformis/anatolicus is picking up its pace!
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Then a couple of "Unsure what they are" fringed white flowers, the first I think is D. petraeus ssp noeanus,
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And another onewhich came as seed labelled "D. brevicaulis" which doesn't seem right, but maybe someone else on the Forum is more familiar with it?
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And the Saponaria ocymoides was attracting butterflies this morning!
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Meanwhile, the fleeting blooms of Paeonia caucasica were brightly lit by the morning sun!
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cheers
fermi
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Very pretty pictures Fermi!
Nice plants!
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More great shots Fermi !
How tall is your magnificent Calochortus ?
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Beautiful images Fermi.
Lesley,
The Pumas were truly MAGNIFICENT!
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Unfortunately I caught just the last 5 mins of the game Cliff (at the market at 6am this morning but came home earlier than usual) but Roger said it was an excellent match. I'm pleased for Argentina. I have a bottle - no, Roger has a bottle, of Glenfiddich Special Reserve ready for tomorrow's game (at 7 in the morning :o) so we can celebrate no matter who wins. For you, I hope the English but all the same we'd like to cup to come to the SH again.
Fermi I'm sure your dianthus isn't brevicauls but what a little beauty. Seed?
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Hi Luc,
The Calochortus superbus stands between about 12 and 16 inches (30 to 40 cm) and doesn't tend to flop over as it's growing in full sun. I was hoping to post a pic of C. splendens soon but the b***** echidna broke off the only flowering stem a couple of days ago! I've put it in a vase (the flower-stem, not the echidna) so it may eventually open.
However a flowering stem of C. albus ssp albus didn't suffer the same fate as it was in another part of the garden and I almost didn't see it as it was half hidden by a mass of California Poppy foliage!
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Another of the C. superbus opened today, it has a slightly darker pink staining to the exterior of the petals.
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Lesley,
you obviously mozzed those English players they didn't seem to know what they were doing. We only watched a few minutes of the game yesterday as a "newsbreak" during the ads mentioned "England's disappointing loss" which really let the cat out of the bag! Actually it was in the afternoon and we only flicked onto the game while having lunch! I preferred to do a bit of gardening.
Yes, it is a nice dianthus even if it isn't as named; I'll see if I still have seed of it from last season otherwise I'll collect some this season when it ripens - hopefully before I get to NZ in January for the NZAGS Study weekend.
Here's another dwarf dianthus, D. haematacalyx ssp. pindicola.
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cheers
fermi
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Now for a little mystery. I got a few seedlings up from a packet labelled "Delphinium luteum" from NZAGS (?2003) which flowered last year for the first time, but the flowers opened yellow and matured a creamy white!
Is it true or a possible hybrid? Here's the first pics of it this year.
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It stands about 12 in (30cm) high and I keep it in a pot to provide it with a better watering regime. It dies away to nothing in the late summer.
cheers
fermi
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Other plants in the rock garden include this airy Arenaria (or is it Minuartia) circassica.
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ANd a dwarf achillea which came labelled "A. lewisii" which it isn't!
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And in the native section, the yellow verticordia has started to flower.
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cheers
fermi
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how far does your garden stretch, Fermi?
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It's slowly growing! We're on an acre block which we bought 7 years ago and consisted of a quarter acre "house and garden" with an adjacent paddock. The paddock has now been civilised with a new driveway and carport and 5 years ago we started constructing the "New Rock Garden" (the old one is now called "The Rock garden Bed") which is where most of these pics were taken. It's not a big garden in comparision to a lot of the neighbours, but is a lot more than I've been used to previously!
cheers
fermi
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Some more pics from the NRG.
Genista lydia just starting into bloom.
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And some sun-lovers: Helianthemun "Ben Vane"(?), Aethionema pulchellum, around a Yucca filimentosa.
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Then some seedlings of Dianthus "Pike's Pink", the parent plant is in the foreground and is not yet in flower
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I particularly like the semi-double with a picotee edge.
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And the tiny double "Pink Jewel", which I also adore, so I'll post a few of it!
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cheers
fermi
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Very impressed with your beautiful rock garden, Fermi.
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Thanks, Anne,
we're happy with it but still extending it!
Here are a couple of pics taken this morning.
King's Spear, Asphodeline lutea
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and the bracts on Euphorbia rigida after the seed has "popped"
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cheers
fermi
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And a superb "new" (at least to me) Leucocoryne which I think is L. coquimbensis.
Hello Fermi,
I'm not an expert, but isn't your Leucocoryne species closer to L. vitata than it is to L. coquimbensis? I'm very new to the Leucocoryne game, but find them exquisite and easy to grow.
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Rogan,
I think you may be right.
I didn't think I had L. vittata but either it's there under the L. coquimbensis label or it's spread from it's own spot! I see on the PBS site that someone else submitted a pic of it under the name L. coquimbensis so it may be a common mistake!
I like that Tritonia pallida you posted to the South African Bulbs thread - and it's on our "allowed" list for importing seed!
cheers
fermi
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Now for a little mystery. I got a few seedlings up from a packet labelled "Delphinium luteum" from NZAGS (?2003) which flowered last year for the first time, but the flowers opened yellow and matured a creamy white!
Is it true or a possible hybrid? Here's the first pics of it this year.
It stands about 12 in (30cm) high and I keep it in a pot to provide it with a better watering regime. It dies away to nothing in the late summer.
cheers
fermi
Hi Fermi
I've grown this is the past as well but don't now - it is lovely. I've found out it is a californian native http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Delphinium+luteum (http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Delphinium+luteum) which I didn't know - will be on the look out for it again.
Sue
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Howdy All,
Finally uploaded some pics to show you all. Already posted a bunch in the iris area, and will post more here tomorrow. 11pm now so will just put up a couple of aroid pics for your enjoyment tonight (well it's night MY time!! ;D)
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Despite the flower being only a few inches tall, Arum dioscoridis packs a punch and stinks like a dead possum. The burgundy and yellow markings are very cool and worth a bit of a smell, to me at least. We had 31'C over the weekend so the spathe aged within hours and the yellow area has predominantly shrivelled in the pic.
The following is a first flowering for me, after a number of years of waiting.....
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This is Amorphophallus konjac and is another of the stinky brethren. The tuber has been theoretically large enough for a few years now but hasn't bloomed for me, so I was most chuffed to find the bud a couple of weeks ago. The flower emerges before any leaves are present, so it looks even more cool!! ;D
And finally for tonight I think, a shot of a part of my front garden....
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The Echium in combination with the various colours of the maples works quite well I think. Thought you might enjoy seeing it.
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It's not often I'm GLAD we don't have a scent function on the forum, but with these aroids, it is a distinct advantage. They are such sculpted and textured flowers, irrisistible.
Loving your front garden Paul, that's a nice view for the neighbours and passers-by. Looks very much like an Aussie version of ours, that's probably why I like it so much ::) 8)
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Yes beautiful aroids, Paul (although I'm also happy to admire them from a distance 8) )
Is that Echium fastuosum? Echiums are great for the way they attract insects.
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Maggi,
You've just reminded me... I was going to send you a tuber of Typhonium brownii as I recall. That's a good stinker too!! ;D
The view in the pic iis within my front garden, and can't be viewed like that by passers by. The Echium is planted against the front of the house, and that pic is looking parallel to the front wall. Road-goers would be off to the right of the pic, so they look at a different setup, plus they can't see the sunken waterbowl and pouring jug etc. I can take some pics from the road if you want, although that my just burst your romantic ideas of liking my garden when you see what it is REALLY like!! :o
Ashley,
Don't know which Echium it is, but I "think" that fastuosum is the one with the real cobalt flowers isn't it? This one is paler, and the flowers aren't as tightly packed, although this year the heads are much better quality than previous years so maybe it has just matured enough to flower better. Definitely not as dark a blue as the good ones I've seen elsewhere, but it also isn't as big as the majority of Echiums I've seen, so it is manageable in my garden. Any bigger and I'd have to remove it. As it is I will have to cut it down very hard at the end of the flowering to bring it back to a better size. There's actually a set of stepping stones running through between the Echium and the maple! ::)
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I think there's some variability in size & colour Paul but don't know for sure. What IS for sure is that it's not nice to brush against!
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What IS for sure is that it's not nice to brush against!
Which makes it a great plant for "directing" the route of the paberboy, who thinks any means of passage across your garden is fair game!
Yes, Paul, you were going to send a Typhonium... I had hoped you'd forgotten! :P ;)
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Which makes it a great plant for "directing" the route of the paberboy
... through the yuccas and agaves.
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through the yuccas and agaves.
and passing VERY close to the Aciphyllas!
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passing VERY close to the Aciphyllas
Good point Maggi
At this rate Paul will wake to a much edgier garden ::)
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I do not think he will get the newspaper with that plantation :)
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Gee guys, if we're going for lethality in the garden..... who can forget some nice Berberis, and of course Pyracantha (nickname of firethorn for a good reason) and of course Chaenomeles japonica (ornamental quince). ;D I do have a few of the ornamental quince, but they're in pots to stop them suckering.
This particular Echium isn't bad on the skin for reference..... I used to grow another one there and removed it for exactly that reason (plus it was attempting a somewhat larger encroachment on the maples). This one has better flowers too, so smaller size, no bristles and better flowers definitely adds up to a better plant.
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Howdy again All,
OK, time to post some more pics I think. Hopefully these won't offend anyone's sensibilities in either smell or unusual-ness. All pics taken in the last couple of days.
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A little-un but a cutie.... Fritillaria camschatcensis. Beautiful colour to it, although you have to watch carefully or you may miss it amongst everything else.
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South american I think, so I have added it here rather than the south african thread.... Herbertia lahue ssp caerulea has short lived flowers but lots of them over time. Sets seed each year if I let it and is a great colour. I love the little iridaceous guys.
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Something slightly larger than the above...... Paeonia officionalis rubra plena just glows in real life. Can never get the colour correct in a picture, but this gives you the idea.
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This is a rose that was released for the Sydney olympics. Called Olympic Gold it is a fantastic rose, which I've photographed a bit from the side to show the colour difference between the inner and outer petals. Each flower lasts probably 3 weeks, holds up to wind, rain and even hail. A REALLY worthwhile rose I think, and I'm very glad I bought it. Great strength in colour to it.
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Back to smaller things... Trillium erectum is such a nice shape and colour. Always comes into flower as the sessile types near it are going over.
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Leucocoryne vittata looks really impressive in pics, although the flowers are way smaller than they look. Up close they're beautiful, but you can glance past them as they're only an inch or so wide. The hybrids and purpurea are much larger flowers and stand out better, but this one is more interesting in many ways.
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Hello,
Nice pic's, but the Trillium looks like sulcatum. Both have an equivalent scent and overall similar look so a good key will need to be used to be sure.
Aaron Floden
Knoxville, TN
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Aaron,
Could easily be, as just a bought plant. If superficially similar, what makes you think sulcatum? I'd be happy to have it named correctly, although a realise that with so many of these IDs are difficult, and crosses happen. ::)
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Here's an Aussie native that has been flowering for quite a while now....
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Brachysema melanopetalum syn. Gastrolobium melanopetalum
[iBrachysaema nigrans[/i] (unsure species name is correct as can't find native book to check at the moment) is a little shrub with wonderful black flowers. I've attached a closeup of the flowers, as well as a more distance shot to show how they're amongst the leaves and stems etc. A lot of people don't notice it is in flower until I point it out. Being a lover of black flowers it is particularly appealing to me. ;D I grow it in a tall pot to bring it up in height a bit, but I would imagine if left to grow by itself it would sprawl about a bit as it grew taller. Instead, I trim it back each year to keep it dense and compact. I think by now it has rooted down from the pot into the ground, which doesn't worry me in the slightest where it is positioned. As long as it is growing happily is what matters.
I'll leave the pic posting there for now I think (actually, maybe one more water iris in the iris section) as you've probably seen enough for the moment. I have lots of photos from the past few weeks if you're interested in seeing more, plus some from later on in last month that I can post in the September thread if anyone would like to see them. Let me know.
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Super stuff Paul...keep on posting pretty please!
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Buda is a historic garden and house in Castlemaine in Central Victoria.
Here are a few pics I took today,
Double Red Poppies
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Gladiolus communis ssp byzantinus
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The following are more general shots. I may get a chance to get some more tomorrow.
cheers
fermi
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Nice pics Fermi. Looks like a nice place. A bit ahead of us..... the Glads are only just starting here and the communis are a way off as yet (actually, I need to go out and check them now to see whether they're in bud or not. I haven't looked in that area! LOL). Can you tell me how big the flowers on communis byzantinus are? I have one bought as illyricus which is apparently asimilar flower but a different species. I've never worked out whether what I have is byzantinus or is illyricus. Apparently there is also a third very similar species that complicates things even more! :)
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Paul,
Would these Glady's be hardy in a somewhat colder climate than yours ??? ???
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Here are some things out here at present. Starting with bulbs.
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Bad pic but nice variety, Narcissus `Fairy Chimes.' Much like `Mary Plumstead,' `Hawera' and others.
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The first out of hundreds from seed. It is said that N. triandrus ssp triandrus (syn. t. albus) is short-lived but my main clump is at least 10 years old, getting better every year and now giving many pots of seedlings which take 2 and a half years to flower.
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Narcissus bulbocodium obesus also does well though this is the first year it has flowered without yellow tips to the leaves. Not sure why but maybe it's been too dry previously. Looks good now anyway.
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Just two flowers on this potted plant of Trillium grandiflorum. Must get it into the ground.
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Fritillaria rhodokanakis seems to like a raised bed and this year 3 are flowering from seed (bud at bottom of pic). I hope the bud opens before the others go off for best pollinating.
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It's a good yellow inside, less of the reddish shading. Sorry about the dirty fingers, I'd been weeding.
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Not the most spectacular of frits but nice to have F. frankiorum as it's relatively rare and recently described. It's likely that the first plants come into NZ many years ago as F. assyriaca.
I put on the wrong pic of F. rhodokanakis (last year's). Here's the right one.
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How did I manage to do that(below)? and how do I fix it? Edit by Maggi: you added the last pic twice and there was no attach message in your text, so it was added at the end. It's gone now! I just went to 'modify' clicked to show your attachments and lopped off the extra one. M
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For a couple of weeks I watched 6 buds slowly develop on Jeffersonia diphylla, then I went to Methven and when I came home, they were over so I missed them altogether! But there are 6 seed pods instead.
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I did a potful of cuttings back in February, of Leucanthemum hosmariense, then forgot about them. They've taken over a corner of my tunnel and have come through to the sun, outside.
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Phlox diffusa is very small and neat with palest pink flowers which darken as they age. The foliage is a little softer than on the similar douglasii forms and it is earlier.
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One of very few seedlings of Gentiana angustifolia alba which has not the slightest hint of blue in the flower (though it seems to be there in the pic), only the green markings in the throat.
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In the same raised bed, Haberlea rhodopensis `Virginalis' and
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Houstonia caerulea alba.
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Two more whites
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My precious Rubus x Tridel `Benendon' and
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Primula reidii. I used to have 100s in my nursery and gradually lost the lot. Was able to buy 3 small plants at Methven from the sales tables.
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This is Phacelia sericea and will likely die after it flowers. The longest I've had it is for two years with two flowerings. But it sets good seed and is worth the effort of re-growing.
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But while taking the phacelia pics, I backed into this, Erinacea anthyllis. The old name of pungens is more appropriate. I'm still hurting :'(
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First flowers on Meconopsis punicea for this year and below, almost ready to pollinate.
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That's all for now.
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Lesley,
Great pics. The recent 31'c days took out the last of the Narcissus, except for tenuifolius which is still rattily flowering. I just love that silver and purple combination on the Phacelia sericea. Gotta love anything with leaves like that, but the purple flowers atop them are even better.
Great Stuff!! ;D
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Wow, Lesley! Fascinating plants and fantastic pictures - thanks a lot :)
Fermi, I enjoyed your beautiful Gladiolus communis byzantinus - something we never see in these parts, I suppose that's because we have so many species of our own. I'll have to try some from seed someday.
I always know when summer has come to these parts - as my little Disa uniflora puts up its first blooms of the season. The poor little thing is not at its happiest in my warm, summer rainfall clime, but she still manages to produce a few flowers and a quantity of seed every year, here she is:
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Paul,
I'm presuming that the glad is as named as it wasn't labelled - I just presume it's G.c.ssp.b!
Rogan
I have trouble growing this glad myself but am trying again this year. I think it requires a fdifferent watering regime to most Cape Gladdies!
Back to Buda today (for a training course) so got a few more pics!
This was apparently a tennis court which was converted into a garden area with pool, while retaining the tennis pavillion as a summerhouse!
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The rest are self explanatory (I hope!)
cheers
fermi
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Lesley,
I'm impressed that the narcissus are still so fresh as ours are all gone and most are already going dormant! The Frits are of course wonderful.
The last few pics from Buda; maybe next year I'll visit earlier in the spring!
I noticed a clump of scilla in the garden but couldn't get too close. I think they are S. hyacinthoides.
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Mark asked to see Aussie finches but this is the best I can do at this stage! And, yes, the European Goldfinch is a naturalised species here!
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and where they are housed:
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cheers
fermi
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Paul, black flowers are fascinating aren't they, and your little shrub is absolutely magnificent. I have a little indigenous shrub called Tinnia rhodesiana (from the northern parts of SA and elsewhere), which also covers itself in pendant, blackish (although not nearly as dark as yours) flowers and inflated seed pods. The photo is not very good as it is not in full bloom yet, but does give some idea of the unusual flowers:
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What an extraordinary, place, Fermi. The style of the building is most odd... I like it! The gardens look very natural, which is unusual in such a place. makes a nice change.
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Fermi,
looks like a lovely place to visit. Great pics!!
Rogan,
That Tinnia looks great. How big is the actual plant, and how big are the inflated seedpods? Might be something worth looking out for with those flowers.... love that colour!! ;D
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TOday was also our Flower Show- as I was a judge for the Rockgarden Section,i could only stage a noncompetitive exhibit, including a pot of Cypripedium formosanum , Calanthe striata ssp. sieboldii,Iris acutiloba etc. Fermi who lives over 2 hours away from here also attended the showand took photos to post on this forum in the next few days. Although I take reasonable photos with my new camera ,I'm ashamed to admit I still have not mastered to send photos by email- i must learn.
Thank you Paul,also Fermi ,Lesley and everyone for keeping us constantly informed ,entertained and sometimes amused,
Ciao Otto.
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Sounds like a pleasant day at the Show, Otto. We'll look forward to Fermi's photos when he gets a chance to post them. Though, of course, YES, you must learn how to do it!! :)
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Forgot to send the more important information Paul: your native plant with almost black flowers is fascinating- another almost black flower is the black Kangaroo Paw. I consulted the marvellous Horticultural Library of The Ferny Creek Horticultural Soc. today and now have the correct name for your plant: Brachysema sericeum ,black form-but the latest research refers it to B. melanopetalum
F. Mueller- it belongs to Fabiaceae and hails from Western Australia. There are different forms, from prostrate to 1 meter tall. I bought the prostrate form today to plant in my Rockgarden. The Library of the Hort. Soc.[only 5 minutes from my home]is very comprehensive - a large room, 4walls stacked from floor to ceiling with Periodicals and books for loan and reference, constantly added to.
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My thanks for this information, also, Otto. How fortunate you are to have such a great resource so close to your home 8)
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Edit by Maggi: you added the last pic twice and there was no attach message in your text, so it was added at the end. It's gone now! I just went to 'modify' clicked to show your attachments and lopped off the extra one. M[/color]
A likely story!
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Otto,
Thank you kindly for looking it up for me. That definitely isn't the name I got it under.... it was something like nigrans, nigricans or nigrescens .... maybe it is a "var nigrans" of sericeum in somebodies eyes and they just shortened it. I have seen a dark red form as well in tube stock at a nursery at one point..... even buying it to grow near my black one for comparison. It never did well and died unfortunately, while my black one has now been in it's pot (and likely the ground underneath as well) for something like 4 or 5 years now. I've never noted seed on mine unfortunately, and haven't worked out the machanics of trying to pollinate pea flowers as yet. ;D
As to your noncompetitive exhibits...... Cypripediums and Iris acutiloba..... WOW. I've fallen in love with Iris acutiloba after buying "Bulbs of Turkey and Iran" from Gil at Florilegium book shop when he was up here a week ago for a garden expo. He recommended I have a look at it (Thanks Gil!), knowing I'd be suckered in immediately. :o No regrets at all as the book is just amazing to wander through. The pictures are fascinating. Until then I'd never seen Iris acutiloba, but having seen it there your posting meant a lot more.
The Weldenia candida is back from dormancy..... and a huge sigh of relief was uttered when I discovered the shoot. Paranoia was reigning until then..... now I just have to work out how much sun I should be giving it? Should it be in full sun, morning sun, high shade? hasn't been through a summer here yet so I am not sure what to do. I'm creating shortly (hopefully) and Iris reticulata, Crocus and mini Narcissus bed out in the full sun, and I am wondering whether this might be a good place for it (but worried about too much sun). I thought that the other bulb's use of water while the Weldenia is dormant would help keep it drier (I'd obviously cover above it so it got no direct water) and then the Weldenia's use of water during summer whilte they're dormant would help keep THEM drier. But I'm thinking that the Weldenia would be too water sensitive while dormant, and probably would like full sun at the height of summer? Any experiences from yourself, Lesley, Andrew or anyone else that grows it would be greatly appreciated. I'm much happier now I've got it through it's first winter though!! ;D And once again... Thank You!!
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The 'later' Trilliums are out.
Last autumn i moved most of my erectums ,sulcatums and flexipes from various parts of the garden to a newly prepared bed to allow the pollinaters ,whatever they are ,(as i have never seen a bee visit Trilliums here),to do 'their stuff 'in the hope i'd end up in a few years time with some nice colour forms similar to the pics that Susan Band posted earlier on another thread months ago.
The following are the 'parent plants' in the new bed.
Paul --the first pic is of what i know as T.erectum ,followed by T erectum album ,( however i'm no authority!!).These pics might give you an idea on whether your earlier pic is T erectum or T.sulcatum as Aaron has mentioned.
The third pic is of a very large flower --possibly T .sulcatum ? or a hybrid between T erectum and T flexipes.?.
Another large flowering plant.This time white.
The last pic --again i'm unsure--maybe T. erectum hybrid.
Sorry for the uncertainty--obviously i need to study my bible ,(Cases Trillium book), in more detail --- although i do note his comments that identification of some certain species of the pedicellate subgroup is difficult because of their frequency to hybridise and backcross in the wild where species overlap.
Cheers Dave.
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Paul just a quick comment on the Weldenia before i head to bed.
They are just through the soil now. I find it very adaptable --Grows here uncovered throughout the year and handles our 1100 mm pa rainfall with no problems.
Can't comment on how it grows in a full sun situation --( we don't have any--smile),but flowers well in various positions in the garden even where one plant only receives morning sunlight at this time of the year.
Cheers Dave.
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Beautiful trilliums, Dave.
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Paul your Weldenia should take plenty sun and all of mine are in full sun tho' I know we don't get the temps that you do so maybe part shade so long as the drainage is good. Your winters should be no problem at all. You'll be able to divide it soon so you can try it in different places. Where did yours come from?
I don't think it's particularly water sensitive. I've never given it any rain protection in winter and it was very wet this year - and cold - and frosty - and snowy. By the time the bulbs are needing water the Weldenia is starting into growth anyway.
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Otto lent me his memory card to post some pics but I'll start a new thread as there's so much to show!
For now here are a few more pics from our garden in Central Victoria!
Firstly, the Calochortus splendens, now in a vase (bottle!) in the Shadehouse, I'll have to check the description in the new Calochortus Book as this is its first flowering from seed.
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Next, another first flowering, Campanula alpestris from AGS Seedex'05, first seedling Sept'06!
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Genista lydia is now in full flight!
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Another yellow, this is a close-up and I hope a better pic than I posted earlier of the yellow verticordia or fringe-flower.
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And a semi-double dwarf dianthus bought as "Pluto"
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Finally a close-up of the brown Dutch Iris "Thunderbolt" which I posted last week to the Iris thread.
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cheers
fermi
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Here's the link to the new thread with Otto's pics from Ferny Creek Hort. Soc. Show:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=939.0
cheers
fermi
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Nice Campanula Fermi! Is it an annual?
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Hi Mike
the campanula isn't an annual but it may be short lived or monocarpic. I'm hoping it's true to name and it looks to be to me.
Here are a few pics I took yesterday, two of which are new acquisitions so I can take no credit for them getting to the flowering stage!
Firstly, an Australian native irid, Patersonia fragilis. The flower looks huge but it's only 1inch (2.5cm) across.
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And a flamboyant clematis "Westerplatte"
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Finally, Oenothera acaulis, which I've posted before but this clump had a few open at once!
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cheers
fermi
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My only attempt at a Patersonia was short-lived i.e. the Patersonia was short-lived i.e. it quickly died on me. I remember they were lovely in the bush around the home of a Blue Mountains friend, back in 2003.
Fermi I wonder if your Campanula alpestris was from the same batch of seed as my present one? It too was from one of the seedlists in summer of 2005/6. It hasn't flowered yet. From previous experience, it is quite perennial IF HAPPY! by which I mean that it HATES to be in a pot and didn't even like a large trough much. It loves to wander and where it was last year may be quite empty this, but it will show up almost a metre away. If you let it go where it wants, it will be OK. It's never aproblem, doesn't run like that, just likes to do its own thing.
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Fermi,
Is that Clematis one of the Alamedah plants? I bought one last year under 'Westerplatte' and I have strong suspicions that it is actually ruutel (I'll check the spelling of that. There are accents above both the u's) as Westerplatte in every description I can find is red, whereas my plant (like yours looks) is red with a strong irridescent pink overlay to it. I was at a friend's today as it happens (she's now set up to come and visit us here at the SRGC site, registered and everything!! Hi Darien!!!!! ;D) and she has 'Ruutel' in flower and it looks the same as my 'Westerplatte'. If they ARE different then there isn't much of a difference. I wonder if anyone reading con confirm the difference between these two if they know it?
I notice in the local nurseries at the moment they have 8 inch pots of Pattersonia occidentalis in flower. Very tempting, as I grew up with it out on our farm an hour East of here. Those and the fringe flowers (Thysanotis) grew in various places on our property, along with so many native terrestrial orchids. If ONLY I knew now what I did then and could lift and grow some of them. So hard to get hold of them without selling your grandmother for the privilege!! ;D That being said, I have bought a number of them from South Australia and am more than happy with the quality and success I have with growing them.... just much nicer if I could have collected them from my own property!! ::)
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Paul, good to hear that the Weldenia I sent you last year has reapeared-as you read from all the comments it is rather an easy plant to please .I grow mine at the front of some shrubs in leafy soil ,our vulcanic soil is naturally well drained.It is shaded from the hot afternoon sun.
More on Oncocyclus Irises :Marcus Harvey in Hobart rang me to boast about a pot of Iris afghanica ,[actually a Regelia Iris] with 8 flowers ! What a sight! Wish Marcus would post it on the Forum.
I grew that gorgeus Iris some 40 years ago, received it from Admiral Paul Furse, who collected it in Afghanistan in the sixties.
Ciao Otto.
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Otto,
Others might find it easy, but I'm still a tad nervous about it!! ;D Can't help it. Anything on your "holy grail" list is always something you're nervous to grow until you've had a chance to get comfortable with it. I think by the sound of it my Iris/Crocus bed in the full sun should be ideal, and I'll place the Weldenia up against a rock to give it a little more temperature insulation. I mentally have just the spot, where I'll see it come into flower after the last of the Crocus have finished and are heading for dormancy. It'll really light up the garden at that point, even if it is fairly diminutive. ;)
Iris afghanica is one I recall from books or pics I have seen before. Another very nice one. One I got from Marcus a couple of years ago was Iris ibirica ssp elegantissima (my iris "holy grail") and I lost it!!!!!!! It was a sad, sad day when I discovered it rotting and it was already too far gone to save. The Arils types aren't something that does very well for me unfortunately as i have difficulties not watering them in summer but still keeping them from dessicating. I seem to get it wrong in one way or the other. Still learning, and will be until I'm kicking up daisies I hope. ;D
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So your Weldenia came from Otto Paul? That's great. From me to Don, Don to Otto and Essie, Otto to Paul and... where next? That's what gardening is all about surely. Sharing what we have and love. I'm pleased to know this lovely thing travels so well.
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Lesley,
Yep, it came from Otto. The next step from me when I have enough to spare some is to my Lyn here in Canberra. She first saw it in the UK and fell in love with it there. Hopefully mine will grow and multiply enough to be able to take a piece off for her or take cuttings etc. Keep your fingers crossed. I've checked and I have buds in the crown of mine.... so I get to see it flowering. Yeah!!!!!
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That Tinnia looks great. How big is the actual plant, and how big are the inflated seedpods? Might be something worth looking out for with those flowers.... love that colour!! ;D
The bush gets to about 1 - 1.5 meters tall and the inflated pods are approx. 1 - 2 cm in dia. they dry to a papery shell before splitting. I collected seed last season and could send you some it you'd like to try it - what should I label it as?
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Just a few more pics before the onslaught of summer - the surrounding paddocks are already drying off!
Here'sthe Banksia cone that I showed a few weeks ago now opening:
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And a favourite Genista (then again, they all are to me!) G. sagittalis:
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And a double pink helianthemum
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And the Dichelostemma congestum is elongating a bit more so I'll give you another view of it.
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cheers
fermi
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I've another campanula grown from seed (NARGS'04;sown 29-02-04;1st sdg:07-08-04) and flowering for the first time: Campanula aucheri.
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Astoundingly we can actually grow an Himalayan Androsace in the open in our rock garden, albeit one of the easiest ones: Androsace lanuginosa.
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cheers
fermi
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A jolly good plant though Fermi and I like the white form even better. This pinkish form seeded for me last year and there are a dozen or so young ones in one of my raised beds. First seedlings in 30 something years!
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The 'later' Trilliums are out.
The third pic is of a very large flower --possibly T .sulcatum ? or a hybrid between T erectum and T flexipes.?.
I'm by no means an expert on Trilliums. This from a rare plants supplier,
'The purple-grey pollen of sulcatum will confirm the identity (yellow pollen in erectum).'
Any help ?
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A jolly good plant though Fermi and I like the white form even better. This pinkish form seeded for me last year and there are a dozen or so young ones in one of my raised beds. First seedlings in 30 something years!
Lesley,
I presume you mean the Androsace, or do you have a source of white Campanula aucheri???
The androsace grows ina couple of places in our Rock gardens and survives with a minimum of water despite our hot, dry summers - this amazes me since it comes from the Himalaya! Although I believe that there are parts of the Mountains that are dry during the summer, so maybe that's where it comes from?
cheers
fermi
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Yes, the Androsace, A. lanuginosa v. leichtlinii.
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I thought you folks prided youreselves on being always ahead of us here in the Northern Hemisphere? Isn't it time you began your November pages?? ;)
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Maggi The Southeners might still be ahead of us since there was no pics of November here only talks about old pics so they are saving it all for us to enjoy in November. They know how desperate we are getting soon for pics that will take us away from the darknes that are about to come over us.
Kind regrds from Sunny!!!! 8) (atleast know) Sweden
Joakim
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Joakim,
No need to wait any more.... I've just posted a couple. Tomorrow morning I'll hopefully add some to the Iris thread, plus a Pleione and some Rhododendrons in their respective threads. ;D
Off to bed now as nearing 11pm and have to be up before 6am to take my wife to a friends place so she can go with her to a big craft show up in Sydney. This way I get to have the car all day instead of it being parked and the friend's place and me being stuck at home. ::)
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Paul going up at 6am is small price to pay to keep tthe mrs happy and still have the car :). The bed waits for You at home after or You have an early start to take even more pics.
The ones You talk about already made me happy :))
Joakim
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Paul going up at 6am is small price to pay to keep tthe mrs happy
Very true my friend, very true!! ;D
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Well, got my wires crossed a little..... we're leaving here at 6am, not getting up then. :o So got up at 5:15am rather than 6. ::) I shall post some more pics when I get back. By then I should be awake enough to do so. ;D Not at all liking this 5:55am that it currently is here...... just unnatural!! 8)
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Howdy again All,
A couple of pics from mid to late October....
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Miniature Achillea species only 6 or 8 inches tall. Still haven;t been game to plant it in the ground due to how invasive some of the other species are. No idea what species this one actually is.
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This is a pic of one view of my side garden in late October.
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Barely recognisable as one, this is Rhododendron lineariifolium. Flowers from Autumn until Spring I find here, although main flowering is spring.
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Wow - quite spectacular view of your garden Paul - all looks healthy and lush - I would have expected it to be less "green" considering your climate.
What's the white tree flowering on the right ? That's a real eye catcher ! :D
Would love to see some more general views of your and the other Southerners' gardens... any chance ???
8)
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Luc,
I can post some more general pics of my garden for you, as you asked so nicely!! ;D My garden this year looks the best it ever has, mainly due to a major cleanup and mulching a couple of months ago when I agreed to open my garden for the local Horticulture Society at rather short notice (3 weeks. Never again on that short a time frame, I was pooped!! :o). It was a lot of work but the garden will handle this summer much better than it would have otherwise. AS a result I have taken a bunch more "general" pics of the garden than I would normally do. It is actually quite a small corner block, but some of the pics make it look quite large. ;D
Oh yeah, and the white "tree" is actually a standardised Wisteria floribunda. I have 4 Wisterias that have all been standardised onto rose wheels. They're grown to about 5 feet tall as a single trunk wrapped around the pole, then allowed to branch out. It does give a tree effect. I have a pic of the Wisteria floribunda 'Carnea' in full flower which will show you what it actually looks like as a specimen. It is the most established of the lot of them. There's 3 different floribundas, one sinensis and then there are two Wisteria longissima and a Wisteria floribunda 'Nishiki' (strong white variegation, with purple flowers) associated with the pergola near the fernery. As well as the Wisterias there are around a dozen different Magnolia, a dozen or so Acers, assorted Azaleas and Rhododendrons and a couple of Prunus. Those all together, along with the various Roses are the main backbones to the garden. Most of the larger shrubs have Clematis growing on them as well as a bunch of obelisks and arches. That covers the main larger items other than a couple of large gum trees and a rather large Photinia that we've cut the bottom 6 feet out of so that we can have gardens under it.
So there's a basic description, but I'll find a few reasonable pics to post as well. Unless the powers that be would like to shift this all into a general southern hemisphere "gardens" thread that sits outside of the montly "flowering now" tag?
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Whatever "the powers that be " decide Paul, I'll be looking forward to the pix !
Thanks for your explanation - and I should have recognised the Wisteria if only I had looked a little closer :-[
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Luc,
Here's a few more general pics of my garden...
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Front garden around sunken water bowl.
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Same pic (approximately) 2 weeks later as things progress
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View of side garden, different angle to the pic posted earlier where you asked about the "white tree".
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This is the Wisteria floribunda 'Carnea', although it looks rather bleached in the pic. I find it always looks paler in pics than in real life, although it is a pale pink anyway.
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And a few more pics....
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View along the wall of the house near my side garden. This is just to the left of the side garden pic in my previous post. The flower in front is Rhododendron 'Kallista'
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Same area of garden as the last pic, but from the other angle. There's a pond in the background of it, and I took a clear pic of that today which I haven't got off my camera as yet. Plenty of water irises in flower now, that weren't there when I took this picture.
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Not a good pic, but it's my front garden.
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Almost out to the road in my front garden. This is just to the right of the previous pic. The clump of grass (actually a Dierama to the bottom left, is to the bottom right in the previous pic.
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View from behind the sunken waterbowl garden.
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Booaahh Paul :o I love this cultivated wildness in your garden, it looks really wonderful!!!
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Thanks Thomas. I'm assuming that "Booaahh" is a good thing? I like the term "cultivated wildness". ;D Sort of makes it all sound deliberate!! It comes from trying to fit twice as much into the garden as really should fit there. Would be much easier if I collected less different families..... there are just too many things I want to grow. What I need really is acreage, and a permanent water supply to go with it. I reckon a nice 4 or 5 acre block, with spring-fed dam or permanent creek would do me nicely. There is unfortunately the small matter of having the money to buy such a place of course!! ::)
The big thing with my garden is that it has been engineered to flower at all times of year. There are always SOME flowers in teh garden, even at the quietest seasons. There are major flushes of flowers and foliage a few times during spring, then in summer and again in autumn.... then the little things come through like Galanthus and Hellebores and stuff, not as eye catching as the big flowering things, but so much fun to notice as they appear. I really don't know what I'd do without my garden.
As well as the pictures I have shown I also have a fernery area and a back yard full of a couple of thousand pots (also a good few hundred in front of my garage as well, part of which is the area where I intend to put the Crocus and Iris reticulata etc garden. I'm only trying to show you the better views, although some of hte pictures make my garden look huge, when it definitely isn't. By framing the pictures just right I can cut out all the nasty bits around them!! ;D
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Lovely garden Paul, I enjoyed the pictures.
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From Google Earth I've learnt, that indeed your garden isn't huge, but you will also
know that I also have a small one. Even the smallest garden can look great!
So please don't stop showing such photos!
PS: Booaah IS a good thing ;)
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Great stuff Paul !
Thanks for showing us around.
I find it so interesting to see some general views of peoples gardens, as well as the (very interesting) "plant pictures" that are generally shown ! And when it's a garden from "Down under" it's even more special for us ! Your Wisteria is the star of the show for me - so glad I don't have to clean up the fallen off flowers in a couple of days or weeks.... ;)
Like Thomas, I'm impressed with your "organised wildness" ;D and it's comforting to learn that I'm not the only one lacking space ;D
We all seem to aim for the same (difficult) goal : special interest throughout the year
I hope your example will be followed by some of your fellow "Southern Hemispherians" and that we'll get to see even more garden pictures.
Thanks again
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I like your rhodos, Paul but I do think your wisteria is lovely in that shape. Makes a real feature of it and extra sculptural effect, too. It's a lovely garden, thanks for sharing... we'll expect a "through the year" report!
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Lovely pictures and at last a rhodo I'd like to grow (sorry Maggi, but they just don't do it for me at all) with it's spidery flowers and foliage - it's gone onto the (rather too) lengthy list I have!
Sue
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I fully agree with you about rhodies, Sue, and this one looks delicate indeed!
Does it require very acidic soil? How about the scent?
Except dwarf R. 'Cilpinense', the only Rhodies that found their way to my heart are the north-american, dormant species...Their flowers are so delicate! They look like lonicera, and their perfume is heavenly!
I only managed to get hold of a young R. arborescens, which puts out its lovely pink flowers in end spring/early summer, and have been looking for 3 years for its smaller, much earlier (march) cousin, R. atlanticum..I still have requests pending in some continental nurseries..
But even those which list it, have, so far, regularly answered that they "didn't have any spare for the time being"...during the last 3 years...grrrr..... >:(
Here are 2 pics of the only specimen I know of R. atlanticum, in a public Garden in Paris:
(http://www.zimagez.com/miniature/rhododendronatlanticum010.jpg) (http://www.zimagez.com/zimage/rhododendronatlanticum010.php).(http://www.zimagez.com/miniature/rhododendronatlanticum03.jpg) (http://www.zimagez.com/zimage/rhododendronatlanticum03.php)
(I wish I could post the scent too! :o)
Wouldn't you like that one too, Sue? ;)
Zephirine
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Thanks All. Glad you liked the garden pics.
Sue, the Rhododendron has massive flowers (mine aren't full size this year) but in a species arrangement with only 4 or 5 per head. Instead of being a "trumpet" shape they are more of a chalice shape, sort of a bell with a flared tip. Lovely lemon perfume to them as well. The new shoots are slightly fuzzy, and those hairs are pink, so the newly emerging shoots are quite a strong pink. I think I have pics of these features if you'd like me to post them here (or in the Rhodo area?).
Luc,
Who collects teh flowers of the Wisteria after they fall? They just dry off and act as mulch, no need to rake them or anything. That's the advantage to having them in the middle of a garden instead of a courtyard or something. Some of the paths end up carpeted with old flowers, but I just leave them or else rake them onto the garden at the end. The sculptural effect of the Wisterias works really well, and keeps them under control and out of the way of everything else. I was due to give them a very hard cut this year (I have to every few years or they get too big) which would have meant no flowers next year, or at least very few, but I didn't get a chance to do it straight afterwards. I'll give them a moderate prune shortly or they'll just be too huge. I have the 4 of them trained like this as I mentioned, plus 4 others associated with pergola or fences or the like. I'm looking forward to the variegated one getting large enough to flower as the combination of purple flowers with the white leaves should be stunning!