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General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: fermi de Sousa on April 01, 2009, 11:17:01 PM

Title: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 01, 2009, 11:17:01 PM
I know the previous topic was "autumn in the SH" but I think April deserves her own thread ;D
Taken in the garden yesterday,
A nice view of some autumn bulbs flowering close to each other,
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The ever increasing mound of Salvia chamedryoides recovered quickly from the drought,
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And the first flowers of Zephyranthes candida
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The Lycoris aurea is still looking fresh,
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I posted this pic of Daphne alpina elsewhere, but it's strange that these shrubs have decided to flower both spring and autumn!
[attachthumb=4]

cheers
fermi

Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ezeiza on April 01, 2009, 11:33:09 PM
Hi Fermi:

            Zephyranthes candida flowers in flooded ground. Display depends on the ground being soaking wet.


Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 02, 2009, 03:00:21 AM
Hi Fermi:

            Zephyranthes candida flowers in flooded ground. Display depends on the ground being soaking wet.
Hi Alberto,
We've watered this bed but it hasn't been flooded which may account for the paucity of bloom. I'll try a heavier watering when I can.
Has the change of name to Argyryopsis or whatever was suggested in the Rix and Phillips "Bulbs" book ever been accepted?
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 02, 2009, 03:17:32 AM
Alberto,

Apparently not necessary here either.  I don't have much luck with mine, but I have recently seen a bed of them that is regularly watered (but on a slope, so definitely not flooded) that had hundreds of flowers out at the one time.  Beautiful!!  I am hoping to get some of the bulbs to find out whether it is a different clone to my recalcitrant one that barely flowers.  I also knew someone years ago that grew hers in her chicken pen, and got the most amazing flowering.  Also most definitely not in a flooded situation.

Great pics Fermi. 8)
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 03, 2009, 01:17:42 AM
Some flowerings in the first couple of days of April....

One of the later Amaryllis belladonna, an Aussie native Crowea exalata growing in my garden (with bee, as seen in the wildlife topic), the white version of Habranthus estensis (as shown in the "autumn" topic), a shorter form of Moraea polystachya that will now flower for months, and lastly a tropic stellata type waterlily that is growing in one of the white buckets featured in my 'Evolution of a Crocus Garden" topic last year.  ;)

Enjoy.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 03, 2009, 02:50:13 AM
Some flowerings in the first couple of days of April....
a shorter form of Moraea polystachya that will now flower for months,
Paul,
you are well ahead of us with the Moraea as there are only leaves showing here so far.
I came home yesterday evening to find a few new flowers out:
Pelargonium quinquelobatum, which I thought I'd lost but has re-appeared as a voluntary seedling in another pot!
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The first flowering on a seedling Cyclamen graecum from NARGS Sdx2005 (donated by Ellen Hornig); this one germinated in 2006,
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and again this morning,
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Merendera montana, now Colchicum montanum, trying to get through the remains of a Minuartia mat!
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As the Sternbergia sicula was grown from seed (Rannweig Wallis 1997?) there is a bit of variability,
this clone has starry flowers with thin petals,
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While this one has wider petals,
[attachthumb=6]

But each is as welcome as the other when they light up the garden.
cheers
fermi

Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Lvandelft on April 03, 2009, 06:20:11 AM
Lovely pictures all together.
Strange though, to see your "autumn" flowering, while the temps. for the first time this year raised above 15 C. here.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 03, 2009, 07:20:23 AM
Luit,

Seeing everyone else's Fritillarias, Tulips etc is just as strange for us.  ;D ;D

Very cool though.  8)
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on April 03, 2009, 08:45:46 AM
Wonderful pix everyone !
Love your clump of Sternbergia sicula Fermi !!!
It would almost make us long for Autumn...  ::) ... well not really !  ;D ;D
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: maggiepie on April 03, 2009, 11:36:51 AM
Fermi,I really like the Salvia chamedryoides and glad to see you found a volunteer of Pelargonium quinquelobatum, it is way cute.

Paul, I love your Crowea exalata , it reminds me of boronia, does it have a scent?
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 03, 2009, 12:08:11 PM
Helen,

Yes, it is closely related to Boronia, but no it doesn't have a scent that I have noticed.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ezeiza on April 03, 2009, 04:44:42 PM
Hi Fermi:


"We've watered this bed but it hasn't been flooded which may account for the paucity of bloom. I'll try a heavier watering when I can.
Has the change of name to Argyryopsis or whatever was suggested in the Rix and Phillips "Bulbs" book ever been accepted?"


Z. candida grows all year in flooded ground, except for the summer when it gets quite dry for the month of February, approx. Foliage is eergreen, in all cases. Then with the first rains of March, the plants flower in incredible profusion. They favor clayey soils. Some populations are only exposed to sunshine during winter and even so flower in autumn in deep shade, when the trees retain all their leaves.

The trend to split the genus has been replaced for a number of years for another in which Argyropsis, Cooperia, Haylockia are all regarded as species of Zephyranthes. Someone is even merging Habranthus into Zephyranthes but this is too far fetched for the time, and will make us change all our labels!


Best
Alberto

Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 06, 2009, 05:35:52 AM
Otto has asked if I would post some of his pics for him taken in his garden.
click the pix to enlarge them....
Lilium primulinum, the last species to flower in his garden.
[attachthumb=1]

And some stunning sternbergias, starting with the greenish shaded S. clusiana
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S. sicula
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And S. greuteriana,
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A very floriferous Cyclamen africanum,
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Now for some colchicums,
A C. speciosum with a large white centre,
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C. polyphyllum,
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C. lusitanicum,
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And lastly one he got as C. troodii (=C. decaisnei) JJA Seed 2002, col. HATAY, Turkey.
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But which Otto thinks is definately not C. decaisnei as it has very long stigmas and a pale line down the centre of each tepal - is it C. cilicicum? I'll also post this to the ID section.
cheers
fermi on behalf of Otto.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 06, 2009, 07:05:21 AM
Thanks Fermi.  Great plants Otto.  That Lilium is amazing, and so late a flowering!!  :o
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Armin on April 06, 2009, 09:42:27 PM
Super pictures from everybody.

Paul,
like the color of the waterlily. Very nice. 8)

Fermi,
excellent collection you have 8)
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ray on April 10, 2009, 01:29:51 PM
Just a few pics from the South,don't know why the lily and poppy are flowering at this moment but I don't mind.bye Ray

Colchicum lusitanicum algeriense
 Colchicum micranthum
 Gladiolus sp.
 IMG_0651
 Oriental Poppy
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 11, 2009, 04:03:35 AM
Nice, Ray.  Do you know which Poppy that is?  Nice strong pink to it by the look of it?

Here's a couple of things flowering now here as well.... 

Habranthus tubispathus var rosea
Nerine humilis



Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 12, 2009, 04:44:42 AM
Howdy All,

A couple of today's flowering things.....

Colchicum cupanii, or should I put this in the Colchicum topic?

Ipheion hirtellum, this one came to me from Fermi.  I posted a pic last month I think of another that I was trying to identify.  it is definitely different in markings at the very least to this one from Fermi.  Fermi's has much stronger markings on the outside, and as the bud emerges from the spathe it is all dark, whereas the other one emerges looking yellow.  If they ARE the same thing then they are different colour forms at the least. 
Previous post here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3135.msg83987#msg83987

 
And lastly ..... Nerine filifolia, another of the little species in flower for me at the moment.  There are also buds on numerous of the bigger hybrids, plus on N. pudica, undulata and flexuosa alba at the very least.  Flowers are still out on N. rosea and N. humilis is still opening more and more flowers each day.

Enjoy.  8)
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Armin on April 12, 2009, 11:23:46 PM
Paul,
wow :o! Fine Habranthus tubispathus var rosea. 8)

Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 12, 2009, 11:27:34 PM
Armin,

Best flowering it has ever done for me, by a LOOOONG way.  6 inch pot that they're growing in has close to 20 flowers up.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 12, 2009, 11:30:44 PM
Thanks for the link Maggi.  Looking at them between pages you can really see the differences in proportions of the stamens/flowers and the different petal shape.  Does anyone know whether these ARE just different variants of the same species, or do I have two different things?  Fermi's I got under the name hirtellum, the other was given to me and as far as she could remember they were hirtellum.  They are rather different, so I really am not sure.  Flowering time is close enough to not be a problem, so they could just be different forms?
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 13, 2009, 12:13:49 PM
A couple of flowers in my garden at the moment.....

This pink Kohleria is MUCH deeper and brighter in person.  It glows a deep pink.  Such a cool and fuzzy flower though.  I just love the Gesneriad family. ;D

And this Sternbergia greuteriana appeared in the mail last week and appears to have settled in quite happily in it's new home.  This flower opened over the weekend, and it appears that the previous flower that was out while in the mail has already set seed.  Not a bad thing I think.  Thanks Otto!!  8)
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 15, 2009, 12:58:28 AM
First flowers on Cyclamen mirabile from AGS Seedex 2005, first germination 29-06-2007,
[attachthumb=1]

[attachthumb=2]
And a nerine hybrid which is possibly the one called "Ariel" but that might be apocryphal ;D as the label is lost.
[attachthumb=3]
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 19, 2009, 12:34:15 PM
Howdy All,

A couple of things in flower here at the moment.....

[attachthumb=1]
Evolvulus 'Blue Daze, something I had never heard of before buying this.  Superficially a bit like a Convulvulus but different.  Beautiful blue flowers.

[attachthumb=2]
Oxalis carnosa

[attachthumb=3]
Oxalis furcillata

[attachthumb=4]
Stenoglottis longifolia, a terrestrial orchid.  While you may think at first that I have over-sharpened the image and pixillated it a bit... all those little bumps and lines and dots etc are in the texture of the flower.  It is quite stunning up close.

[attachthumb=5]
And lastly, a few of my Lithops are flowering at the moment, somewhat later than they really should be.  Nice to have some flowers on them, even if it is late.

Enjoy.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: David Nicholson on April 19, 2009, 05:08:51 PM
Autumn's looking very colourful for you folks, lovely.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 20, 2009, 04:17:13 AM
Just noticed the first flowers on a rather tall spikey Hakea at our front door - H. sauvolens,
[attachthumb=1]

[attachthumb=2]
Another seedling raised Cyclamen graecum has come into bloom
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Another Cyclamen mirabile from the same patch of seed as the one in reply #22, comparing it in size to that one,
[attachthumb=4]
cheers
fermi
Title: A visit to Mt Macedon
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 20, 2009, 06:22:56 AM
On Sunday we went to visit a friend, Cathy Newing, who lives near Mt Macedon;her garden is a lot greener than ours!
A water tub is filled with interesting foliage shapes,
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including this Ranunculus
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with dissected foliage,
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A potful of Vallota lily, Cyrtanthus elatus,
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A Loropetalum chinensis, perhaps "China Pink"?
[attachthumb=7]

[attachthumb=8]
And in her gravel bed a patch of Crocus specious "Oxonian" is spreading out,
[attachthumb=5]

[attachthumb=6]
Later some pics from the Mount.
cheers
fermi
Title: A visit to Mt Macedon
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 20, 2009, 06:58:59 AM
We went up to Mt Macedon to a private garden called "Sefton" where the annual "Artanica" sculpture display was being held.
Here are some highlights!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 20, 2009, 07:27:02 AM
Fermi,

Glorious colour on that orange maple, and I rather like the look of that Myrtus at the end.  Interesting flowers!!

Does your Cyclamen mirabile have two plants in it, because it looks like two different leaf forms in there?  Nice pink on the more silvery one.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on April 21, 2009, 01:46:31 AM
Fermi,
Glorious colour on that orange maple, and I rather like the look of that Myrtus at the end.  Interesting flowers!!
Hi Paul,
here's a closer look at the flowers,
[attachthumb=1]
Does your Cyclamen mirabile have two plants in it, because it looks like two different leaf forms in there?  Nice pink on the more silvery one.
Well spotted, Paul, I repotted the 4 smallest tubers in a single pot and the nice pink leaf is on a non-flowering one.
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 21, 2009, 05:48:39 AM
Nice, Fermi.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ray on April 24, 2009, 09:28:17 AM
A few more flowering now bye Ray
 Canarina canariensis
 Colchicum speciosum album
 Gladiolus stefaniae
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on April 24, 2009, 11:08:46 AM
Ray,

Interesting to see the Canarina.  I have a bud coming on mine that I grew from seed a number of years ago.  I am somewhat looking forward to it, as it is a challenge that I didn't really expect to succeed with (and I was the only one that managed to get any germination from that lot of seed as far as I know).  Great to see yours flowering, thanks.
Title: Re: April 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ray on April 24, 2009, 11:53:38 AM
Hi Paul,I didn't grow mine from seed,I took the easy way out and bought it from Stephen R. last year and it is doing well.bye Ray
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