August (still winter) in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

Still the middle of winter here but spring is around the corner!
And I don't have any new daffodil pics to show!Hopefully over the weekend I'll get a chance to get some more pics in daylight.
Here's a pic of a seedpot of Delphinium luteum.

There was a discussion last year on the Forum about this species. Someone in the USA couldn't receive seed of it because it is a protected plant!
I posted a pic of the parent plant in flower as I wasn't sure if it was true to name and soemone replied that it was. I thought it looked a bit pale and wondered if it was a hybrid. I grew it from NZAGS Seedex seed originally.
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Well that's a bit silly. If it was protected then you'd think they'd want all they could get of it.

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
It makes as much sense as Customs authorities destroying CITES plants if they don't have the proper authorization papers! The systems were set up to protect the plants but in the end just end up protecting the bureaucracy!
I think the system in the US is if a plant is under a particular protection order (endangered or threathened) then no one can trade or propagate it legally, except some institutions such as Botanic Gardens or Universities. I remember talking to Norman Singer about this in regard to a rare penstemon he and Geoffrey Charlesworth grew. Because they got it before it attained its protected status they were allowed to continue growing it, but they couldn't sell or even give away any of it! Believe me I would've tried if I could, but they would've been prosecuted if it became known that I got my plant from them! It sounds crazy, but maybe I have it all wrong; perhaps one of our US Forumists could shed some light on the situation?
cheers
fermi
cheers
fermi

[Joakim B]

Strict laws is to make it easy for the ones who uphold the law.
Even if You have a plant in the garden and grow plant from that how can You prove that You did not just dig up the plants. Or the reverse (stealing from the forest and claiming home grown) so no trading= no digging is the idea. I can see some logic in it but there are other sides to it that make it less logic.
Hopefully there might be others that know the rules that can make it clearer for us.

Kind regards
Joakim

[galahad]

Hi all

Well, as Lesley has mentioned, it has been extremely wet here in New Zealand.  After 2 weeks of solid rain and flooding, it looks as if the worst has passed.

Just some hellebores, reticulata irises, Crocus and Hepatica in flower at the moment.

[art600]

The Hellebores are nice, but where are the pictures of Crocus, Reticulate Iris and Hepatica?

We could do with some of your rain - it is promises, promises, promises.

[galahad]

Unfortunately, today's rain prevented pics of the others

[galahad]

Well since it's nearing the end of the Oxalis season for me, thought I would post some pics.

[galahad]

And a couple more

[Maggi Young]

Ross, do you keep your Oxalis under cover?

[galahad]

No.  They get whatever comes thier way.  They can get a little dry in winter when they are growing/flowering so I have to water fairly frequently, especially since the bilbs are crammed in there.

[Maggi Young]

I think most bulbs like to be crammed in, though, don't they? Ian ( the Bulb Despot) Young even uses polstyrene/styrofoam pellets as surrogate bulbs to create the effect of a crowded pot for those bulbs he has only a few of

Good to see you have got your photo attached to your profile, Ross..... you are winning the prize for best-dressed forumists' pic so far!

[galahad]

LOL.  I stay away from the front end of cameras generally, but had to have my photo taken for a publication

[Paddy Tobin]

Yes, very nattily dressed. You get my vote also.

Paddy

[David Nicholson]

Nice pictures of some nice plants Ross, I don't grow any Oxalis but I must put that right soon.

Arthur, if you need rain you can have some of mine, I have lots to spare. We are only a small Island but a couple of hundred miles East in England can make an awful lot of difference as far as rainfall goes.