Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: fermi de Sousa on January 11, 2024, 10:35:23 AM

Title: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 11, 2024, 10:35:23 AM
Happy new year!
It's been a strange start to the year with a deluge affecting Central Victoria and the rivers flooding some towns.
We're going to lose our "Mediterranean" ranking if we keep getting summer rain!
Here's a summer flower which does well in pots in our garden - Talinum calycinum (syn Phemeranthus calycinus)
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on January 11, 2024, 03:46:46 PM
We know what it's like to have unexpected rain, fermi!  It's beginning to feel like the West coast - shock horror!!
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: ashley on January 11, 2024, 04:08:38 PM
We know what it's like to have unexpected rain, fermi!  It's beginning to feel like the West coast - shock horror!!

Unexpected rain.  Now there's a novel concept ;) ;D
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 13, 2024, 12:55:12 PM
Unexpected rain.  Now there's a novel concept ;) ;D
Well, it was unexpected in terms of the volume, 117mm fell overnight here and elsewhere the totals were even higher, causing flooding, damaging roads and bridges - my drive to work has had to be changed because the volume of water lifted the entire bitumen sheet off the bridge over Mosquito Creek https://www.facebook.com/MozzieCreekCFA/ (https://www.facebook.com/MozzieCreekCFA/)
We're expected to now have a fairly even spread of fine and sunny days with no substantial rain forecast for the near future.
There have been a few plants in flower here:
1) Habranthus tubispathus
2) Habranthus hybrid
3) Habranthus tubispathus "Rosea"
4 & 5) An Aussie native "Monkey flower", Mimulus (syn Thyridia) repens grows permanently in a water tub. Apparently it also occurs in NZ,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: MarcR on January 14, 2024, 02:42:14 AM
Maggi and Ashley,

Summer rain in a Mediterranean climate is by definition unexpected. A lot of summer rain in a Mediterranean climate is and should be very unexpected.

In the 23 years I have lived in Oregon I have seen rain between June & September twice; and both times it was unexpected.

Zone 8b is very cool for a Mediterranean climate; but, what we have still is one.
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Jeffnz on January 14, 2024, 06:57:48 PM
Here it maybe unexpected but is always very welcome.
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: ashley on January 14, 2024, 11:47:40 PM
Thanks all. In responding to Maggi's comment I was referring to oceanic NW Europe (not relevant on this SH thread admittedly).
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: MarcR on January 15, 2024, 02:31:58 AM
Here it maybe unexpected but is always very welcome.

Jeff,

When you grow many South African, Chilean, and Tasmanian plants that expect a dry summer dormancy; it can be very unwelcome and do great harm.
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Jeffnz on January 15, 2024, 04:04:39 AM
I acknowledge that each garden has specific requirements, mine needs summer water.
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 20, 2024, 01:10:56 PM
This is a South African Helichrysum which Ken and Lesley Gillanders collected many years ago. I must ask him if it was ever identified - I think at the time they simply sold it as "Helichrysum ex South Africa".
Does anyone recognise it?
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 20, 2024, 02:25:19 PM
Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' made quite an impression when it first appeared over here, having come from Blackthorn Nursery in the UK. It's disadvantage is growing too vigorously and then "falling apart" - probably from being too well fed! Ours is on a lean diet and is keeping itself to a modest size,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Diane Whitehead on January 20, 2024, 04:50:12 PM
Fermi,

I'm surprised that a plant was imported into Australia from the U.K.  Was that a long time ago before regulations restricting seeds went into effect?
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 21, 2024, 04:25:21 AM
Hi Diane,
Plants are regularly imported but the expense is so enormous and the risk of not surviving fumigation means only the "big" importers can afford to do it. Marcus Harvey used to have a quarantine house but it was heavily subsidised as he was a small business, when the government dropped its subsidies (around 20 years ago) he couldn't afford to keep it. Since then the fumigation regime has been increased - many bulbs from overseas will flower the first season then collapse which I suspect is because of the chemicals used,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 21, 2024, 05:02:11 AM
Quite a few years ago Mark McDonogh made selections of Allium flavum ssp tauricum in various colours. He distributed them to others and Louise Parsons donated seed to the NARGS Seedex in 2010 and back then we were allowed to bring allium seed into the country without fumigation. I've grown a few different shades of this variety since then, here are a few,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 21, 2024, 05:05:35 AM
A few more of the Allium flavum ssp tauricum forms,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 27, 2024, 06:55:04 AM
Lycoris incarnata is one of the "Surprise Lilies" - in the USA it's referred to as the Peppermint Surprise Lily!
It was a surprise to see a couple of stems pop up last weekend (pics 1 & 2).
Today I found that a few more stems had come up but the original two are already fading,
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: MarcR on January 27, 2024, 08:30:43 AM
Lycoris incarnata is one of the "Surprise Lilies" - in the USA it's referred to as the Peppermint Surprise Lily!
It was a surprise to see a couple of stems pop up last weekend (pics 1 & 2).
Today I found that a few more stems had come up but the original two are already fading,
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

I'm surprised that your Lycoris incarnata is blooming in early Summer.  Mine blooms in early Autumn.
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 27, 2024, 10:19:49 PM
Fermi,

I'm surprised that your Lycoris incarnata is blooming in early Summer.  Mine blooms in early Autumn.
Hi Marc,
I think the recent deluge has confused them!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on January 27, 2024, 10:23:58 PM
The typical form of Amaryllis belladonna has been flowering in our area for the past week or so.
Ours are mostly hybrids and the first ones usually are the right cerise ones, however this year another type (I think seedlings from a white "Multiflora"),
cheers
fermi
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