alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

Yes, I hope so Thomas. By the way to set the record straight I'm not a Man. City supporter. My team is Huddersfield Town (blue and white stripes) and just recently relegated from the Premier League although I don't get to see them these days. Some would say for the best!

David... where's your memory??  Some time ago we realized we had the same taste in music.  I'm not talking about football.  😎😅

[David Nicholson]

YES! I've got it now. The Blues! And there was I thinking that you had seen a picture I recently posted of my Corydalis 'Spinners'  the flower of which I described as  being 'Manchester City blue'.

[t00lie]

Sorry for the late answer... Dave... and thank you very much.
The one you identified in # 471 as Celmisia angustifolia is also in flower. But all existing flowers never open...just like Celmisia allanii.
Nevertheless I am overjoyed about these two species. 😎

Cheers
Thomas

I'm late as well Thomas 

Celmisia angustifolia is flowering here currently as well  . Just about there yesterday it opened up fully this afternoon.




 

[t00lie]

It was with great pleasure that I noticed a few days ago that a specimen of Gentianella corymbifera (sown on 10.03.17) awakened to new life. Yay

Another success Thomas 

Last summer I saw hundreds of G. corymbifera near the Lake Tekapo township in dry tussock grassland and while the majority had white flowers a few showed a purple variation including this yummy specimen so if your seedling is from wild collect seed it will be interesting to see what eventuates.   



Cheers Dave.

[Leucogenes]

Two fantastic pictures... Dave.

Especially the purple Gentianella corymbifera.  My little plant does not come from wild seeds...  but from a botanical garden in France.  I think the flowers were white.  Never mind...  even without flowers every native NZ gives me pleasure. 

[t00lie]

Thomas, I think you're going to be very proud of me   Here is my Leucogenes grandiceps a little plant I obtained earlier this year from Aberconwy Nursery. The mystery is "will it still be here next year?"

(Attachment Link)

Very nice David . I have a 'winter hat' ,(clear poly carbonate), over mine at the moment as that seems to help in our conditions. 

Cheers Dave.

[t00lie]

Two fantastic pictures... Dave.

Especially the purple Gentianella corymbifera.  My little plant does not come from wild seeds...  but from a botanical garden in France.  I think the flowers were white.  Never mind...  even without flowers every native NZ gives me pleasure. 

 

[Leucogenes]

Carmichaelia corrugata 2019 

[Lesley Cox]

Thomas I have to admit that my eyesight is not perfect these days but I think I can see perhaps 6 buds about to develop on your Leucogenes grandiceps so it will be a worthy rival to David's and FAR better than mine, which died.

Also thank you for the photo of Carmichaelia corrugata. I bought one about 15 months ago from our one remaining alpine nursery (Hokonui Alpines) and it is doing well and I hope will flower this coming summer. (Coming a long way off as we are just entering winter, but we've had some really hot periods over recent months so flowering should be encouraged.) I am very fond of the tiny carmichaelias too such as enysii and monroi.

And a quick note to both of you. Just as well you were talking about music rather than football while discussing NZ plants. You must both know we are a Rugby nation and while football is quite popular among some people it will never oust the national game. But for music I'm entirely for the German team; Bach, Beethoven, Brahms et al.

Best wishes to you both.

[David Nicholson]

Bach, Beethoven, Brahms et al.

That's not a bad 'three across the back' formation Lesley

[Leucogenes]

Thomas I have to admit that my eyesight is not perfect these days but I think I can see perhaps 6 buds about to develop on your Leucogenes grandiceps so it will be a worthy rival to David's and FAR better than mine, which died.

Also thank you for the photo of Carmichaelia corrugata. I bought one about 15 months ago from our one remaining alpine nursery (Hokonui Alpines) and it is doing well and I hope will flower this coming summer. (Coming a long way off as we are just entering winter, but we've had some really hot periods over recent months so flowering should be encouraged.) I am very fond of the tiny carmichaelias too such as enysii and monroi.

And a quick note to both of you. Just as well you were talking about music rather than football while discussing NZ plants. You must both know we are a Rugby nation and while football is quite popular among some people it will never oust the national game. But for music I'm entirely for the German team; Bach, Beethoven, Brahms et al.

Best wishes to you both.

Lesley... even my eyes aren't the best anymore. I haven't counted the flower set on my larger specimen of Leucogenes grandiceps...but every single flower is a small success. I have other much smaller clones...but they didn't form any flowers. No problem...because I am fascinated by the whole appearance of most plants.

I hope that you will also have flowers with Carmichaelia corrugata in the coming season. Carmichaelia enysii and monroi are even more beautiful for me...but unfortunately they belong to the countless unattainable "Must Have" plants. I remember some beautiful pictures of David Lyttle (who unfortunately has no more time for us here) from the past.

One more remark about sports and music. With us in Germany (and certainly in the UK) football is number one. Rugby in NZ is the number one and the current world ranking also shows it. Especially important is probably that you are 10 points ahead of Australia. 😃
But also here in Europe there are excellent rugby nations...but since my infection with the "plant virus" I am no longer very interested in sports in general.
It looks completely different with music...one of the most important and beautiful things for me. With classical music, Germany has a clear advantage...but then it stops. When it comes to popular music, GB/Ireland and North America have always been the absolute world class. Fortunately nothing will change about that...I bow to so much creativity.

Best regards from the musical developing country...😂
Thomas

[t00lie]

David Lyttle is about Thomas  He traveled down to speak to our alpine garden group last Friday and gave a wonderful presentation on 'Mountains Of The Rain Shadow' and stayed with us overnight.

After a quick tour around our garden Saturday morning we picked up Brian Rance who is a local Dept. of Conservation botanist and headed down to Bluff to walk the coastal track. I had forgotten that the famous Bluff Oyster Festival was on this weekend and as we drove through the township there were long lines of folk waiting outside the venue for the doors to open.

David with pack and Brian.You will see the margins of track have been sprayed ...more on that later.




On the edge of the track Myosotis pygmaea easily overlooked because of its size with a healthy population of seedlings.

 

Nearby a few Gentianella saxosa were in flower.





Plenty of colour from Nertera depressa.

[t00lie]

Further on the vegetation changes from coastal forest to shrub allowing a view in the sun across to Stewart Island.



On a previous visit I came across a Myosotis rakiura in flower growing on the edge of the track however it appears weed spraying had resulted in its demise. Luckily Brian knew of a sizable population and we followed him down the steep slopes.

Myosotis rakiura and Brian.





More colour this time from Lobelia angulata.

[t00lie]

David in his most natural pose  with Brian looking up towards the growths of Olearia angustifolia.



A most attractive plant even when out of flower.





An enjoyable outing which again reminded me on how little I know ......

Cheers Dave -still learning.

[Carolyn]

Dave,
Amazing seedheads on Lobelia angulata. I think it's one I have seen in flower in your summer, but I didn't realise it had such colourful seedheads later on. Thanks for showing!