Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: fermi de Sousa on January 01, 2017, 02:08:10 AM
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A hot summer's day here in the south!
Here are a couple of things in flower which we got at our plant swap ("The Bunfight") last month, both from Viv Condon:
Cynoglossum amabile.f.rosea;
Isotoma axillaris (syn Laurentia).
Happy New Year!
cheers
fermi
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I love the isotoma. I had it many years ago but it was frost as I remember that did for it. does yours set seed Fermi?
A visit to Maple Glen nursery/garden today with friends and in rain, hail, sleet and SNOW, thunder and lightening so a bit stressful. Bought some ensata (Japanese) irises but on the way, we went to Hokonui Alpines and I overstretched my bank account somewhat there, as I always do, as well as taking mental notes of what will be ready in the spring.
Louise also showed me the microscopic seedlings of shortias and Jankaea that were germinating from the seed Jiri P in Prague gave to me in September. Mine is coming through now too. I had given some to Louise as an insurance. Two chances to establish them are better than one.
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We have just returned from a few days away camping with the kids, in the South East, Limestone coast region of our state. Otto asked me to post a few pictures of the clifftop flora we saw there. The tops of the cliff are natural rock gardens with many plants dwarfed by the exposure to wind and salt.
The Limonium is one I grow in my rock garden but it forms the most gorgeous tight cushions on the clifftops, equal to any alpine cushion plant! I've seen this species called many names, bellidifolium; companyonis; hyblaeum. I think Limonium hyblaeum may be the correct ID.
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Some native species from the coastal cliffs.
Leucophyta brownii
Unknown, a friend said possibly Pimelea serpyllifolia, but I think it looks like a Myrtaceae, Melaleuca sp.
Kunzea pomifera forms a tight low ground cover, one plant can cover several square meters. The fruit are edible and delicious.
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I love the isotoma. I had it many years ago but it was frost as I remember that did for it. does yours set seed Fermi?
Hi Lesley,
I've grown this isotoma on and off for ages and it usually sets seed and I've even donated seed of it to the Seedexes; however I've never found a self-sown seedling and the parent plant is usually short lived so I've had to re-introduce it whenever it died out. I'll have to remember to keep some this time - but I'm sure there will be some spare ;)
The Limonium is one I grow in my rock garden but it forms the most gorgeous tight cushions on the clifftops, equal to any alpine cushion plant! I've seen this species called many names, bellidifolium; companyonis; hyblaeum. I think Limonium hyblaeum may be the correct ID.
We also grow this limonium - the original came from a friend who dug it up from the roadside at Robe - and it does seed around gently though a few articles suggest otherwise!
https://invasives.org.au/blog/dangerous-new-weeds-sold-nurseries/ (https://invasives.org.au/blog/dangerous-new-weeds-sold-nurseries/)
http://www.australisbiological.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Limonium-presentation-Philip-Island-12-September-2012.pdf (http://www.australisbiological.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Limonium-presentation-Philip-Island-12-September-2012.pdf)
I must write an article extolling its virtues for our local community newsletter - I've already been maligned for promoting the growing of ornamental oxalis by a (purportedly) retired botanist who lives around here. The editor asked me if I wanted to write a reply to his "letter to the editor" but I said I wouldn't waste my breath!
cheers
fermi
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Fermi, the Limonium self seeds in my rock garden but I find it easy to pull out the seedlings and it isn't a problem. I make sure I cut the flower spikes off soon after flowering to minimise the volunteers. I've had the same attacks from native plant purists here, one person in particular is always banging on about all the weeds I grow. I sent him this, quoted from Stephen Jay Gould. "The argument that native plants “belong” in a particular place is equally fallacious because it assumes that the plants are there because they are best suited to conditions in that location. In fact, plants are “products of a history laced with chaos, contingency, and genuine randomness.” Plants have been moved—and continue to be moved—about the planet by weather, by birds and animals, including humans. “’Natives’, in short, are the species that happened to find their way…not the best conceivable for a spot.”
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Some native species from the coastal cliffs.
Leucophyta brownii
Unknown, a friend said possibly Pimelea serpyllifolia, but I think it looks like a Myrtaceae, Melaleuca sp.
Kunzea pomifera forms a tight low ground cover, one plant can cover several square meters. The fruit are edible and delicious.
Hello Jamus,
Nice to see the pictures of your native flora from your coastal cliffs. We see Leucophyta brownii here in our garden shops but Kunzea pomifera is new to me. It looks to be an intriguing plant with its fleshy fruit. Our Kunzea species (used to be one now there are about 10) are shrubs and small trees with dry woody capsules for fruit. Our local one Kunzea robusta is putting on a great show of flowers at the moment.
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Here is the Limonium hyblaeum in our garden this morning:
1) in a raised bed;
2 &3) at ground level growing through a mat of Dymondia margaretae;
4) at the base of a boulder;
cheers
fermi
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Love the untamed look of all the photos so far this month. Wildflower season.
Jamus you must have been half way to Melbourne. Very scenic route.
The message from all of you seems to be that the weather is all over the place.
Indeed today i was driven inside at 10:30 by the 37 deg heat and high UV.
Yet not so many days since we had floods strong enough to move the edges of my paths onto the garden beds. My friend at the bottom of the hill had water swirling about her living room floor.
1. Taken through my kitchen window during the rainstorm.
2. The following day, showing the bridal veil effect of the japanese maple 'sango-kaku'.
Managed to replace my defunct camera with a new point-and-shoot. Next three show it seems to take a nice photograph, despite operator clumsiness.
3. Cyrtanthus mackenii 'cream beauty' from Rod Barwick
4. Same again
5. I thought the Arisaema candidissimum had rotted in its pot - seemed far too late - but it has popped up last 2 days - with an enormous landslide going on in the centre of the pot so more to come i think.
jacqui.
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The Limonium is a lovely wee plant, and also growing well here from seed that I was gifted. They're not forming those lovely tight cushions Jamus found on the clifftops, but they do seem to be standing up to our weather ok and no problem with seeding around...yet.
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Commelina elegans has started to flower in a raised bed - it grew too large last year and I moved it to a lower level where it has room to expand. There are already seedlings popping up from last year so I'll definitely have to watch it carefully,
cheers
fermi
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Zauschneria cana (Epilobium canum) is also starting to flower,
cheers
fermi
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Hi Fermi,
Quite taken with the commelina - pretty blue.
it doesn't look thuggish but always hard to guess until it's in the ground.
Jacqui.
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Rather a thrill this morning to find first bloom (well, second - it appears i missed the first) of Geranium sinensis from Bjornar's seed. It proved worthy of the long wait.
While only one plant survived my inexpert ministrations, its a very healthy specimen ready to be planted out in autumn.
Teardrops of pitch that are blacker than any G. phaem I have seen and has occasional claret splashes on the foliage.
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Parsla, (Jacquie?) I find Arisaema candidissimum very weather dependant. This year when we've had copious rain from spring onwards and are still getting a downpour most days here in the south of the country, this arisaema was in flower mid December and still continues whereas some years when it has been very dry it doesn't come through the ground/pot until much later. One year it didn't show until February as I hadn't been watering it but it did eventually come though the flowers were small and miserable.
Jamus I assume your Kunzea fruit are yet to ripen and will change colour? Or are they like kiwifruit and remain green? :) They don't look very edible in your photo.
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Hi Lesley,
Thank you that was very helpful - i hadn't realised the arisaema was so variable - I was very pleased to see the leaves looking so healthy.
Fermi this may be a question for you and your south african bulb expertise.
The 4 photos are of a large unidentified critter I dug up from a friend's property in mid October. Couldn't resist. Photos show the bulb, leaves, and then two taken today of a lone flower bud spike. It is planted at home now but no idea what it is. The spike looks a bit Kniphofia-like but I had thought those flowered along with the leaves.
I know I should wait for the flower to open but all the same would appreciate some informed advice.
Many thanks, Jacqui.
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Jacqui:
Kniphofia's that I have grow and observed usually send up a flower spike with leaves in the green.
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Jacqui, Veltheimia bracteata ? Fermi will know, I'm only guessing.
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Hi Jamus,
I think you might be right. The leaves look close - guess it depends if they come up with the flower. Anyhow thank you - that is something I hadn't heard of.
Let's see if fermi agrees.
Jacqui.
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Hi Jacqui,
It seems a bit early for Drimia (Urginea) maritima but the foliage looks right and so does the flower-spike.
If the flowers open as little white stars that'll be the decider ;D
It's a Mediterranean bulb,
cheers
fermi
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Hi Jacqui,
It seems a bit early for Drimia (Urginea) maritima but the foliage looks right and so does the flower-spike.
If the flowers open as little white stars that'll be the decider ;D
It's a Mediterranean bulb,
cheers
fermi
I'd second Drimia maritima.
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Thank you kindly Arnold, Jamus, Fermi and Matt.
Yes it does look quite like the Drimia.
It's quite fun to have a mystery bulb.
Isn't the only one either
Can't wait to see the bud open
Jacqui.
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I don't grow either, although Trevor Nottle is always trying to palm off his unwanted Drimia to me... I politely decline every time. :)
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Lesley, sorry I missed your question about the Kunzea. There is a lot of variation between plants even in the same patch. Some berries are purplish red, some stay green like these. Interestingly I've found the green ones often have the best flavour, although not always. The taste is very like apple, but a bit more resinous and astringent. The ones in the picture are not quite ripe but not far from it. I agree not very visually appealing but I can honestly say they are the most worthwhile of all the "bush tucker" plants here.
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Reminds me of Merwilla plumbea.
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On Facebook this morning there was notice by someone (can't remember his name) and a picture of beautiful bright blue seeds or capsules, that he was going to produce a book of edible plants. I gathered there would be all kinds of unusual and unexpected things. I wonder has he caught up with the Kunzea?
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Anyone writing a book on edible plants will have to work hard to beat our own Stephen Barstow, who has already written a superb book ...." Around The World in 80 Plants: An Edible Perennial Vegetable Adventure For Temperate Climates"
read about it here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=248.msg322403#msg322403 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=248.msg322403#msg322403)
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Reminds me of Merwilla plumbea.
Hi Anthony,
Yes that would be pretty. I can see the similarity there as well.
A bit of garden intrigue
;)
Jacqui.
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Rather a thrill this morning to find first bloom (well, second - it appears i missed the first) of Geranium sinensis from Bjornar's seed. It proved worthy of the long wait.
While only one plant survived my inexpert ministrations, its a very healthy specimen ready to be planted out in autumn.
Teardrops of pitch that are blacker than any G. phaem I have seen and has occasional claret splashes on the foliage.
Jacqui,
That geranium is a delight!
We are enjoying a quiet respite from the heat with a few mm of rain falling during the day.
1) Gloriosa superba is in flower;
2) Allium carinatum ssp. pulchellum f. album;
3) White Delosperma in rock pocket;
cheers
fermi
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The SRGC President is in New Zealand - Dave Toole ( t00lie) shared this post on Facebook
" Managed to get out in the field today with SRGC president David Rankin and his wife Stella.Bitterly cold winds earlier on with the weather warming up after lunch.Shared a few laughs and saw some yummy plants especially cushions."
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Yesterday's project. Still room for a few more bulbs! Now I can't wait for winter.
(https://goo.gl/photos/UvJq6f65d1dBwWXx9)
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I have an announcement.. I have a gentian flower!! ;D It's Gentiana verna of course, not acaulis like I told you on the phone Otto... acaulis is one that I killed previously.
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There's nothing as striking as a gentian blue!
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There's nothing as striking as a gentian blue!
And so much less clinical then "gentian violet" ;D
Great achievement, Jamus,
how will you protect it from today's heat?
cheers
fermi
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Thanks Fermi, well I have made up these small arches of stiff wire mesh with light coloured shade-cloth on them. Like mini igloos. The gentian is only exposed to the sun for a few hours in the middle of the day. It has morning and afternoon protection from trees... It survived up to now so fingers crossed one more day won't be the death of it (and the others).
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Some tropical plants loving the hot humid conditions were having.
Curcuma longa (Turmeric), two cultivars
Kaempferia rotunda
Amorphophallus konjac
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So you DID have a gentian Jamus. Beautiful blue
I love the ginger family. Very forgiving, even if one crisps them in the sun.
As one does :-\
And fermi thanks for noticing the geranium. Its quite beautiful but, sadly, the flowers shy away from view.
Just a few photos.
1. The first is of my treasured oak - the whole gardening effort started by trying to bring it back from the brink of death after 'discovering' the tree amongst the overgrown block. A 10-year drought and varmint possums had left the top dead and a doughnut shaped canopy. About 7 years on a very healthy tree, albeit with a naturally contorted spreading form - marked tendency to grow downward an into the ground. A mutation i should think. The seedlings don't do it. About 20 hours of pruning and dead-wooding all up over the last two weekends. Glad its over.
2. the lopsided florets of viburnum 'summer snowflake'
3. agapanthus 'queen mum' is a giant variety with unusual colouration close up
4. a white thalictrum
5. the new bronze foliage is still coming on emmenopterys henry - i thought i'd have trouble with it but in its 3rd season it has taken off like a rocket.
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Jacqui, your oak tree is beautiful. I have a special love for oaks, there have been a couple of significant ones in my life too (sounds like reminiscing about past lovers doesn't it!?). My Grandfather had an amazing old oak which he planted in his garden. I remember climbing it and especially that some of the branches fused with other branches making it like a living ladder. Does yours suffer from powdery mildew?
Horrible 40°C day here yesterday but much cooler today thankfully.
I'm enjoying the foliage of this Acanthus sennii, from David Glenn. It still needs a spot in the garden.. I walked around last night with the pot in my hand and then put it back in the nursery. Indecisive.
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Hi Jamus,
I recognise the pot in hand thing very well. Can take a few wanders... It looks to have nice strong interesting foliage.
Oaks are beautiful, easy to love, and come with their own woodland :)
Yes, it has at least one large fusion I was admiring on the weekend.
Lot of powdery mildew this year with all the rain. Last couple not so much. I keep lifting the canopy to let light and air through and this time introduced a little transparency for dappled, rather than deep, shade (so bulbs will do well).
Jacqui.
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Hi Jamus,
just for you.... an oak branch fusion snapped this morning...
:)
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just a few more...
1. i planted the Huonville crab for its purple toned foliage, but the fruit are the most wonderful claret
2. Dianthus carthusianorum
3. Coreopsis moonbeam - slightly washed out in the dusk.
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I have an announcement.. I have a gentian flower!! ;D It's Gentiana verna of course, not acaulis like I told you on the phone Otto... acaulis is one that I killed previously.
An odd time to have a flower on Gentiana verna Jamus. But I guess you are happy to have it regardless of the timing.
Do you need seed of Gent. acaulis? I have masses at present and could easily send some.
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Lovely cool day here.
Thought I would post a few garden pictures before things get overheated again tomorrow
1. Another Thalictrum delavayi - this time pink and weaving through lemon verbena
2. Nepeta govaniana is a primrose-coloured catmint
3. The tiny flowerbuds of Aralia racemosa
4. A clump of Lysimachia clethroides I cull every year - an overly good doer in the summer garden
5. The seeded of an ornamental shade grass, Phaenosperma globosa
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" Nepeta govaniana is a primrose-coloured catmint" - such is my ignorance on such plants that I had no idea that a yellow one like this existed. It's rather pretty.
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Hi Maggi,
You know more about plants than I shall ever know - but yes, the primrose nepeta isn't widely used for whatever reason. I suspect because it's way less hardy than the others - in terms of preferring dappled shade and a little moisture - or do it seems.
I wish I had more alpines and bulbs to show but mid way through an atypical Summer and mostly foliage. Erratic rainstorms and the powdery mildew that comes with them. A garden full of orb spiders growing bigger by the day such that in the morning if I don't take precautions I walk through very strong webs all over the place. Ugghhh.
Saw a magpie demolishing one this morning - lots of shaking its beak and rubbing it in the dirt. Quite interesting to watch it's intelligent work.
Even the Hydrangeas are nearly finished, albeit some serratifolia and paniculata are showing.
I'm completely envious of all the galanthus sales and fuss in your hemisphere. They are how I first met Marcus, enquiring about his list, but so few available here, relatively speaking and I have at most a dozen types - through the generosity of Otto and Marcus.
Jacqui.
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I can't see "our" Maggi demolishing an Orb spider or her web ;D
Here are a couple of "rock gardeny subjects" in flower now:
1 & 2) Origanum 'Kent Beauty' from the Plant Swap last month, so still in pots!
3) Ceratostigma 'Forrest Blue'
4 & 5) Monsonia emarginata
cheers
fermi
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I think I would be avoiding all spiders in Oz as best I could, fermi. Too many legs.
Jacqui was tempting me with the soft yellow Nepeta and now fermi shows Monsonia emarginata - another one I don't know. I love the things I learn from this forum!
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a few lilies flowering in my garden just now . The dark L. martagon is late this year as it usually flowers in December and L. leichtlinii is very vigorous . From 3 bulbs planted 4 years ago there are now 3 clumps with about a dozen stems each .
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and a few more
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Gorgeous photos Otto! Beautiful plants. It is a very late season everywhere this year. I'm really enjoying the milder summer but something tells me we shouldn't get too used to it.
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Otto, what a treat to see these summer beauties from you when our weather is so dull and damp. Gives hope!
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Jamus, would you please send me your postal address, preferably in a PM of this Forum. The G. acaulis seed is ready to go. Would you like some Cyc. cilicium as well? I have lots this year and fresher the better. :)
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Otto, your Lilium nepalense is well supplied in flowers. It seems in a pot? Perhaps the photo gives that effect?
Your Paris pollyphylla are well loaded in berries. This promises a good harvest of seeds.
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Otto you have such green fingers. It's a real challenge in this climate.
The liliums are beautiful, especially amidst the lush foliage.
A picture of abundance and grace
Thank you for showing them.
Jacqui.
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And the size of the Paris polyphylla!
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. i planted the Huonville crab for its purple toned foliage, but the fruit are the most wonderful claret
Hi Jacqui,
we planted one last year but no fruit yet. You might just be able to make it out through the dwarf agapanthus!
cheers
fermi
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About as far from an alpine as you can get, but too pretty not to share. Nelumbo nucifera has 5 buds this year and the first one opened today.
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About as far from an alpine as you can get, but too pretty not to share. Nelumbo nucifera has 5 buds this year and the first one opened today.
Oh my word, how lovely. Does it need a large pond, deep water, Jamus?
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About as far from an alpine as you can get, but too pretty not to share. Nelumbo nucifera has 5 buds this year and the first one opened today.
I don't think anyone will complain! That is gorgeous. Love the pepper pot centre.
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I hope that my Siberian lotus seedlings (Nelumbo nucifera var komarovii) finally bloom this year. the drought we had last year came just as one of the plants was forming a bud. The plants didn't like it when the water level dropped by almost 1.5 meters due to lack of inflow, and evaporation.
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re" Nelumbo
A friend's flowered here in 2003. The warm summer that year helped to raise the water temp enough for it to flower. He said cold water in summer is apparently an issue with deep water ponds like his.
john
4c
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Very nice John. We had a white one with green a tinge to them but we weren't keen on it and I gave it away. I wish I hadn't now.
Maggi ours is in a very big pot full of water (half water, half sludgy mud) and it seems to like it. Here's a pic from spring with the lotus dormant.
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Jamus - That white with green sounds delicious!
john
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Dark and moody.
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The Mimulus repens is in flower again! Growing in a small pot on top of another pot in a water pot so that it stays moist!
cheers
fermi
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Very nice John. We had a white one with green a tinge to them but we weren't keen on it and I gave it away. I wish I hadn't now.
Maggi ours is in a very big pot full of water (half water, half sludgy mud) and it seems to like it. Here's a pic from spring with the lotus dormant.
Jamus - Does the water go off in that pot? I ask as I grew my seedlings in pots sunk in a large garbage can. Within a few weeks I had to get an aquarium aerator to keep the water acceptable.
john
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John it fluctuates from foul to crystal clear, but it really doesn't matter to the lotus. They are quite happy living in stinking anaerobic mud. We have a couple of gold fish living in there which help keep mosquitoes down. Sometimes a lot of algae grows, then it all dies and sinks and the water is clear. We leave it alone.
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From Lesley Cox: "On Sunday night I watched on TV, a programme called "Wild New Zealand." We had previously seen "Wild Japan" which was excellent. So the more recent programme is proving to be.
I mention this because near the end was footage of the stunning alpine plant called Ranunculus acraeus. I thought it was R. haastii for a moment but that grows solitary while R. acraeus makes magnificent mats and large clumps. Cliff Booker could perhaps have a cardiac event watching it - but what a way to go!"Link to see the programmes :
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/ondemand/wild-about-new-zealand (https://www.tvnz.co.nz/ondemand/wild-about-new-zealand)
Many SRGC members will be familiar with the story of the naming of Ranunculus acraeus from other posts in the forum over the years. - so these programmes may have an even greater interest.
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