Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Lesley Cox on July 31, 2009, 08:42:26 PM
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Colder today than yesterday (when it was still winter :)) but the days are lengthening a little and many of the quintessential spring flowers are showing now. Here are a few to start the new season.
The first Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin.'
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Some crocuses. Their colours are washed out because the sun was at a bad angle.
Crocus baytopiorum
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Crocus sieberi 'Hubert Edelsten'
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and again
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Crocus biflorus ssp alexandri. It is bluer than this
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Crocus biflorus ssp. melantherus
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and again
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Crocus abantensis
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This one with better colour is from last year.
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Crocus alatavicus from yesterday and from 2005. The two pictures say it all really. I have up to about 8 corms but I rarely get more than a single decent bloom in any year. Most just don't open at all and quite a lot seem to fail to emerge from poor and deformed or stunted foliage, often yellowish. Maybe a virus or some kind or a fungus? They've been in a pot then in a trough and now in a raised bed, but no change of position has so far helped. It's probably not warm enough for them in the open either.
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A crocus seedling. This monster (6cms across) is a seedling from C. sieberi ssp sublimis f. tricolor.
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Galanthus elwesii 'Hughes' Emerald.' These pictures don't do it justice either for size or for pristine whiteness and strength of green.
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And Galanthus 'Dionysus,' a fine double. The single bulb I bought back in the autumn has turned out to be a clump, with 3 flowering stems and 4 young attachments. Very good value (Hokonui Alpines).
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Note to New Readers : left click on the photos to enlarge them, Folks!
Good to find you out with your camera again, Lesley..... and finding some sunshine and spring flowers to capture.
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Lesley - That Hubert Edelsten is fantastic!
johnw
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Pretty crocus images from you, Lesley :o 8)
Like your C. chrysanthus ssp. alexandri in particular.
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Good on you Lesley,
Good to have you out and about again, camera in hand and typing fingers in good condition etc.
Iris 'Katharine Hodgkins' is one of my special favourites in spring and it seems so out of season to see it here on the forum - despite the regularity with which we view flowers posted here out of season occasionally one flicks a switch in the brain and turns on my amazement. This was one such moment.
Delighted to see G. 'Hughes Emerald', a lovely snowdrop indeed. Also. G. 'Dionysius' and I note a little green marking on the tips of the outer petals, something which attracted some comment when I posted photographs of the same last spring. It's a good grower, bulks up well and makes a good clump quite quickly. big bulbs.
As for the crocus - ah, sure, they're OK but not much in comparison with the snowdrops.
Paddy
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'Katharine Hodgkins' is one of my special favourites in spring and it seems so out of season to see it here on the forum - despite the regularity with which we view flowers posted here out of season occasionally one flicks a switch in the brain and turns on my amazement. This was one such moment.
And what company she keeps - Soldanella and Rhododendron forrestii!
Pipe down on the Crocus Mr Tobin, you'll come round. ;)
johnw
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Lesley,
Great pics. Wonderful to see the Hubert Edelsten.... lost mine over summer I was mortified to fine. Glorious markings on it, aren't they!! 8)
Out of interest, do you have Galanthus 'Ophelia' as well? If so, what is the difference to your Dionysus?
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Hi Lesley,
Yous Crocus biflorus ssp. melantherus is little gem, great to see crocus again!
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Lesley,
I meant to ask.... does your ssp melantherus always flower this late? Mine is much more of an autumn flowerer, than late winter. Flowered weeks ago here.
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Lesley , beautyful , quality photos of your Crocus and snowdrops - did you upgrade your
camera ? I find Cr. alatavicus a difficult species to grow -usually loose it after a few seasons.
Paul , for me Cr. biflorus ssp. melantherus also flowers in autumn and Gal. 'Ophelia' as I
grow it here has green tips to the outer 3 petals , a vigouros cultivar .
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Lovely pics Lesley. They really made me look forward to our spring, anything to get rid of this lousy summer (again!) we experiencing in the UK
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Otto,
Nice to know I'm not imagining the autumn flowering of that ssp crocus. Lesley's pics had me wondering. if you look closely I think Lesley's has the green striping on the ends of the main petals too, but it bleaches out in the outer pic. You can see the stripings on the petals in the lower pic looking inside. My 'Ophelia' usually has those green markings on the tips too. Those green markings, along with the strong green outer mark on the inner petals are why I was wondering what the difference to 'Ophelia' Lesley's one was. If I saw that one in my garden I would have thought it was 'Ophelia', which is why I asked.
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Colder today than yesterday (when it was still winter :)) but the days are lengthening a little and many of the quintessential spring flowers are showing now. Here are a few to start the new season.
what a nice short winter you have!! great to see these flowers at any time, some really nice crocuses in particular!
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Thank you everyone for kindly comments. Paul - C. b. melantherus has been flowering since April. Every couple of weeks it puts up a new batch. The corms seem very prolific.
'Hubert Edelsten' has always done well for me. I think these are the original corms - I mean I've never had to replace them - that I've had since the 70s.
Yes, 'Katharine' does keep good company, but the company won't behave itself and really acts more nowadays as a cool mulch for the irises. There are some winogradowii there too and 'Sheila Ann Germaney' as well. Rh. forrestii repens usually flowers quite well in the autumn then has nothing in the spring while Soldanella pindicola hasn't produced a flower in 5 years even though the mat is 60cms across now. I keep meaning to dig most up and give it a good fright.
Apparently Galanthus 'Hughes' Emerald' is similar (according to Dave T) to 'Selbourne Green Tips.' I don't know that one and haven't met it ever, especially in NZ. I'm planning to go with my current name as the bulbs did come from the Hughes family's Blue Mountain Nursery, an hour or so south of my home. I believe (from discussion a year ago), that the same bulb may be in the UK as 'Emerald Hughes.' Then apparently there is also one called, simply, 'Emerald.' I don't intend to get mixed up in all this, valuing my sanity too highly.
I once had 'Ophelia' briefly, bought from a well-known local gardener, and in the event, already containing a well developed narcissus fly grub, so I can't compare it with 'Dionysus,' sorry. Whatever we have in NZ tends to be mixed up. We have 'Jacquenetta' which most still determinedly label as 'Hill Poe.'
Otto, I have the same camera, the only difference with it that it is now somewhat chewed by a certain small dog.
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Just 4 pics here, the first is my annual Narcissus romieuxii 'Atlas Gold.' I'll have about 200 flowers this spring, on various pots and clumps. some of the flowers are 5 cms across, so a good year for this favourite of mine. The 2 bigger pots are packed with dozens of buds.
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I'm very fond of the yellow/white form of Polygala chamaebuxus, more usually seen in NZ in the yellow/purple form, grandiflora. I took a picture of the whole plant but the sun washed it to a patch of messy yellow foliage so...
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And I'm not at ALL fond of modern camellias but do love this and other small-flowered species. This is a new plant of C. transnokoensis and in the full, is a beautiful thing.
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And a final picture for Otto, so he knows I'm doing the RIGHT THING :)
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Galanthus[/i] 'Hughes' Emerald' is similar (according to Dave T) to 'Selbourne Green Tips.' I don't know that one and haven't met it ever, especially in NZ.
Lesley that old comment i made was incorrect.
Following my written thoughts of last year, Mark ,(i think), showed pics of the two confirming they are not similar .
Dave.
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Lesley - That is one black Phormium behind the Camellia. Is it a named one?
johnw - +22c at 10:23 pm.
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Thanks for remembering us what Spring looks like Lesley !
C. Hubert Edelsten is a real stunner isn't it ?? :D
Still one I'm looking for though.. I haven't seen it offered recently .. :'(
Nice of you to have ventured outside for us !
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Lovely to see the spring pics Lesley. I saw the polygala in flower in the alps just a few weeks ago!
Otto grows Fritillaria davidii too does he? ;) (I recognised it before zooming in on the label.)
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Lesley, so pleased you are out enjoying new arrivals and 'sending' us these wonderful spring flowers from your garden - Narcissus romieuxii 'Atlas Gold' is just gorgeous and later it would be great to see them develop.
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John, the Phormium is a relatively new cultivar called 'Black Rage.' A couple of months ago I had one of my sillier ideas and decided I would plant a small black garden. The whole thing sprang into being fully formed in my mind, as soon as I saw the phormium when I was looking for something else in a garden centre. I shouldn'r be let out on my own. I've already bought most of the plants or picked them from what is already here waiting to be planted, but as yet have no clue where the garden will be situated. The other things also in waiting are some black black violas, 2 very black heucheras, a couple of black Lophomyrtus, a Corokia, Geranium sessiliflorum 'Thunder Cloud' and 3 black Ophiopogons with leaves of different sizes and widths. One is almost needle-like. Then I thought I may enclose the whole thing is a little hedge of Convolvulus cneorum. Of course it may never happen, in which case all those above will have to find other homes.
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John, the Phormium is a relatively new cultivar called 'Black Rage.' A couple of months ago I had one of my sillier ideas and decided I would plant a small black garden. The whole thing sprang into being fully formed in my mind, as soon as I saw the phormium when I was looking for something else in a garden centre. I shouldn'r be let out on my own. I've already bought most of the plants or picked them from what is already here waiting to be planted, but as yet have no clue where the garden will be situated. The other things also in waiting are some black black violas, 2 very black heucheras, a couple of black Lophomyrtus, a Corokia, Geranium sessiliflorum 'Thunder Cloud' and 3 black Ophiopogons with leaves of different sizes and widths. One is almost needle-like. Then I thought I may enclose the whole thing is a little hedge of Convolvulus cneorum. Of course it may never happen, in which case all those above will have to find other homes.
sounds like a great bunch of plants--i do love non-green foliage... let us know what becomes of them...
(also prone to buying/collecting things i dont actually have anywhere to plant!)
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Brilliant idea with the Convolvulus cneorum Lesley. Maybe an Astelia or two for contrast? Lets hope the black garden comes to fruition and we get to see the results. You have so many things to work with, most impossible here in the ground. No reason we couldn't do a tub or two though.
Love the new Phormium and your other plant ideas.
I've been cutting down canes of Fargesia nitida which flowered this spring and is just now dropping seeds. 27 fell out of my hair at the computer and John Finch will tell you I have little hair. Friends' eyes glaze over when I get excited about the seed crop; only one chance since 1886 so I reckon I had better collect and distribute as many as I can. We have new generation plants from the few seeds produced stingely last year here and the complete flowering 2 years ago of an Edinburgh clone. It will be interesting to see what variation there is. Dark canes but not quite black enough for your plan.
johnw
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Lesley, which Lophomyrtus have you got. Is it the x ralphii one that may be called Black Dragon. I am looking to make a small hedge with that or 'Liliput', but it going to be rather expensive for the number I need.
Susan
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Yes Susan, my Lophomyrtus is 'Black Dragon.' It would make a super hedge. How about getting 2 or 3 and doing cuttings. They're easy to root and would grow on quickly.
These dreadful pictures are this morning's batch. There are new crocuses, cvijicii, olivieri and candidus but no sun so they haven't opened yet.
3 seedlings from Alan McMurtrie's seed, sown in 2003 and this is the 3rd time of flowering, 1 the first year. 2 last and 3 now with another bud to come. There are also a few seedlings from the first flower so quite prolific. They are very short so will need to be for pot or trough and the bluer ones are nicely fragrant, but not the violet.
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This one for Robin, Narc rom 'Atlas Gold' again. I counted 74 buds and flowers in this pot this morning but if AG has a fault, it is that there is so much strong foliage very early in the flowering. If it would hold off for a week or so, it would make a finer potful.
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More restrained, Narcissus hedraeanthus. There are 3 flowers in the pot but far enough apart to make picturing more than one at a time impossible. I like this form which has just a cm of stem and that quite prostrate.
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And what is the nearest to red that I have of Corydalis solida, a seedling from a Swedish source flowering for the first time. In fact it is quite a bit deeper red than shown and I'm very happy with it.
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Lesley - Do you reckon your winter is over? ??? That would mean 5 weeks after your shortest day of the year you are already having Spring. In the north that would be about 3 February - we'd still be in winter's firm grip here. Amazing. You really don't have a winter and that's difficult for a Canadian to fathom. :o
johnw
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Well, saying winter is over is a geeing up exercise really, the triumph of hope over experience. But certainly the worst is over, July always the coldest month. We may well get some more snow - usually the weather goes foul around lambing time - but once the days draw out a little it's really hard to remain miserable and we will get some beautiful and warm days from now on. But our weather is always unpredictable, at best.
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This one for Robin, Narc rom 'Atlas Gold' again. I counted 74 buds and flowers in this pot this morning but if AG has a fault, it is that there is so much strong foliage very early in the flowering. If it would hold off for a week or so, it would make a finer potful.
Lesley, thanks so much for this - 74 buds in one potful is incredible! I do love the shape of the trumpet and the frilly edge with a feeling of teased out crepe paper....altogether a glorious sunny sight :D
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;D
Hi Lesley
A pot with a few N. romieuxii if flower and a photo of a new tiny split cup seedling bred from our N. jacetanus split cup.
Kind regards
Graham
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So you have a few too Graham. ;D They really seem to love our SH climate. As for the split cup.....I'm sure someone will love it.
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Marcus Harvey has asked me to post a few of his crocus pic for all you "crocophiles"!
Crocus bornmuelleri
Crocus danfordiae (white)
Crocus olivieri ssp balansae "Chocolate Soldier"
cheers
fermi
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What an unusual petal colour combination in the photo of Crocus olivieri ssp balansae "Chocolate Soldier" - I really like it :)
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I like the chocolate soldier too !! ;)
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mmmm, 'Chocolate Soldier'
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Fermi,
stunning crocus pictures :o; 8) 8). My compliments to Markus Harvey.
Crocus olivieri ssp balansae "Chocolate Soldier" is very nice.
Regetable I lost my C. olivieri ssp balansae last winter due strong frost:'(
I never heared yet about this beauty "Chocolate Soldier".
Any background info available about the breeder name and a possible source?
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Thrilled to see 'Chocolate Soldier' BECAUSE I HAVE ONE, from Marcus. Not in flower yet. I believe it is a selection from E A Bowles so quite old. Somewhere I have a note about it in an email from Marcus but I can't find it right now. I think it hasn't been seen around too much recently. I think it may have been Alan Edwards who sent it to Marcus but no doubt he can confirm this or correct me.
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Don't let Maggi get her hands on it. She'd have it chomped in no time. ;D
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We returned last Saturday from a few weeks in Queensland - I had access to the Forum for the first 2 weeks but none the last week so there is a bit to catch up on!
July is a good time to leave the garden as it's cool to cold and plants aren't likely to die from lack of water. However we did miss out on seeing Sternbergia candida flower - the first time it has deigned to do so in 3 years!
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This was the only pic I got of it the day we left!
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However the galanthus and the early narcissus are in flower
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And we got to visit our favourite Aussie native plants nursery, Goldfields Revegetation http://www.goldfieldsrevegetation.com.au/ (http://www.goldfieldsrevegetation.com.au/)
and got a couple of pics: Hakea myrtoides
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and Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell,
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cheers
fermi
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and Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell,
fermi
Fermi - That Pimelea is one of the most fantastic plants I've ever seen. Bravo.
johnw
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and Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell,
fermi
Fermi - That Pimelea is one of the most fantastic plants I've ever seen. Bravo.
johnw
I will remind you that I took the pic at the nursery! The one we bought has just one bell on it and we'll wait to see see if it lives up to the pic of its sibling!
cheers
fermi
PS Marcus has e-mailed me the following:"Hi Fermi - just a couple of words about Crocus o. ssp balansae "Choco Soldier". This was a selection made by EA Bowles years ago and thought to have long gone. But it was rediscovered in Primrose Warburg's garden when she died, some 7 years ago. Alan Edwards was given the bulk of the corms and he sent me one a few years ago now. "
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Fermi,
I never heared yet about this beauty "Chocolate Soldier".
Any background info available about the breeder name and a possible source?
What a wonderful Crocus, Fermi. I've never seen a photo of this plant,
but I read it was a selection of Bowles, then got lost in cultivation. It was
re-discovered in the garden of Primrose Warburg years ago.
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Wow! Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell ........ never saw that before...... I LOVE it! We have one or two Pimeleas but I had no idea that there was this fabulous cutie lurking in the family!
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So 8) A great photo of Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell, Fermi - it looks quite delicate, presumably it dies down in winter? - would like to more about it so will search the web...where does the Qualup name come from I wonder... ::)
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Wow! Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell ........ never saw that before......
Yes you have Maggi, on this very Forum, among some I posted after my Aussie holiday in Sept last year. It was at a native nursery Otto, Paul and Yvonne, Tim and I went to. At the time, I think no-one believed it was a Pimelea.
Robin, I don't think it dies down in winter. Like all the Pimeleas (related to Daphne) it will be an evergreen shrub, I believe of some difficulty of cultivation. Good luck with yours Fermi.
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Just had a look at my 'Chocolate Soldier.' Alas, not going to flower but the single corm has come up as two, so hopefully it will increase nicely.
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After David Lyttle's ,(a.ka.mountain goat),flying visit here this morning i managed to take a few pics of crocus in bloom.
The first shot shows a clump pushing up through a native Celmisia.
Unfortunately the plants in the third pic are a bit elongated--i should have moved the pot to a sunnier spot earlier.
Finally Cyclamen coum .
Cheers dave.
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My goodness , Lelsey, yes... you did show it, though not with the species name.... here:
Re: Some Australian Natives
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2008, 05:49:11 AM »
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2532.msg57608#msg57608
.... I hadn't put two and two together!
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A couple of plants flowering atm here
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Maggi, David mentioned the name of the pimelea on page 2 of that thread. I should have known it right from the start because on that same day, I bought some very beautiful cards at the nursery and one was the pimelea, correctly named.
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Dave, I'm not sure about your blue crocus but I think the two yellows are CC. chrys, 'Fusco-tinctus' and chrys. `Zwanenburg Bronze' respectively.
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We had a spectacular sunrise this morning, not boding well for sailors or shepherds or gardeners. The temperature outside at 11.30am is still just 2C and when I went to Mosgiel at 9am for a haircut, cars on the side of the road had thick ice on their windows.
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The following pics were taken yesterday when it was distinctly warmer. I seem to have lost the knack of taking halfway decent pics lately. Most are a bit blurry and I'm wary of lying across a raised bed to get a better angle, still being a bit tender in the tummy.
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Iris 'Sheila Ann Germaney' is one of my favourites but I'm a little worried about some darker marks on the standards. I dread the V word.
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'Harmony' is an old faithful, always performing well and seemingly fully reliable.
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This little tommie is unlike any other I have. It appeared, like Topsy, in the raised bed where I have cool things like dwarf rhodos, small primulas etc.
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A better pic than the last, of Crocus biflorus alexandri, more out
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Ray,
some nice stuff there - the South Africans are nicely suited to Southern Australia. That Romulea sabulosa is huge!
That Frit seems very early; you are well ahead of us here in Central Vic.
We've had a few crocus flower recently - this is one I was able to photograph before the slugs got to it! Crocus sieberi ssp sieberi (from Marcus Harvey)
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Yesterday we visited some neighbours who do much better with hellebores than we do. Here's some pics from their place - first a patch which they brought with them when they moved 12 months ago,
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Except for this yellow which they got recently
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Along with this lot,
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H. x ballardii
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A nice white,
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And a double pink.
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Most of these were brought from Peter Leigh's "Post Office Farm Nursery"
cheers
fermi
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Some more crocuses.
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C. cvijicii
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C. candidus
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C. olivieri
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C. angustifolius. I think this was the first crocus I ever knew, as my mother had it in her garden as far back as I can remember. She had it as C. susianus and I still have to adjust the name in my mind whenever I see it.
These two pots of Narcissus are from my Tasmanian friend MH, this last summer. The first was supposed to be 6 bulbs of N. cantabricus ssp cantabricus. They are different shapes, sizes and colours, even the palest not being white, to my mind, so I'll have to try that one again.
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This one is something of a mystery too as it came as N. bulbocodium nivalis, which should be bright yellow. I'd welcome any comments please. The texture is very thick and waxy and the colour almost white.
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Some more crocuses.
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C. cvijicii
some lovely crocuses, but i'm even more curious to know whats growing beside the first---the tiny rosettes?
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Spring definitely seems to be getting on it's way in the SH !
Lovely pix everybody !
Lesley, N. cantabricus somehow doesn't want to be white for you does it... ;D ;)
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You're right Luc, this is the umpteenth time I've tried this plant and never yet..... :'(
Cohan, the little rosettes are yet-to-flower plants of the monocarpic Sedum pilosum. I planted one there maybe 10 years ago and it flowered, seeded and I've never needed to replant. The seed is fine as dust so they come up here and there, in paths etc. I usually weed out a hundred or so and leave some to carry on. It is a lovely thing I'd not want to be without.
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Hi Lesley,
it's a lovely little sedum and one I've been trying to get up from seed since seeing it at the Aberdeen SRGC Show a few years ago.
A few more flowers from the garden this morning:
Bulbinella cauda-felis, just starting
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Retic Iris hybrid "Harmony"
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And some daffodils,
Narcissus bulbocodium v citrina
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One of the GBF "Detective Series", probably "Smarple"
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And Narcissus "Topolino" (ignore the weeds please!)
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cheers
fermi
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You're right Luc, this is the umpteenth time I've tried this plant and never yet..... :'(
Cohan, the little rosettes are yet-to-flower plants of the monocarpic Sedum pilosum. I planted one there maybe 10 years ago and it flowered, seeded and I've never needed to replant. The seed is fine as dust so they come up here and there, in paths etc. I usually weed out a hundred or so and leave some to carry on. It is a lovely thing I'd not want to be without.
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oh wow--glad i asked, its a delight! thanks..
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a few more Crocus flowering in my garden at the moment : 2 Tommies, and other species ,
surely C. biflorus 'Sulphur' ex Ray Cobb must have chrysanthus blood in it -does anyone know it?
and the last pic is a 25 year old slide of C. gargaricus ssp . herbertii , seed received many
years ago from Martyn Rix ,under EMR 1209 .It grew very well and spread fast by stolons '
but unfortunately has now dwindled away to a few corms - it must have been -in it's heyday-a square meter across .
003 C. tomm. 'Pictus'
007 " white
004 C. paschei
019 'Mida's Touch'
024 biflorus 'Sulphur' ex Ray Cobb
021 pestozzae col . Camlica, tky
004[15] gargaricus ssp. herbertii EMR 1209
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Ray , you are lucky to grow and flower Frit . euboeica , a species that has eluded me .
Did you raise it from seed ? or would a bulb be available somewhere in Australia ?
I would be grateful to know of a source .
Otto.
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Wonderful Crocus Otto !!
C. gargaricus herbertii looks fabulous !! :o Too bad it's loosing it's vigour :(
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Hi Otto,pretty sure that this Frit came from MH,but will check my lists and get back to you if I am wrong. bye Ray
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Gosh there are so many lovely bulbs that it is hard to keep up with them all - well even a few of them. I noticed today that Iris willmottianna is coming up - it wasn't there last week I am sure. That is if it is correct.
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Nice picks everybody, love those Crocus Otto.
Lesley nice Sedum, never seen anything like it.
This Eranthis is such a rich yellow and surprising scented like honey.
cheers
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Fantastic pics, everyone. Stunning stuff!! Otto, that C. tommasinianus 'Pictus' is amazing! :o What a colour!!!!! And such a wonderful clump. And the glorious Crocus varieties from Marcus..... I must ask about 'Chocolate Soldier' and the one before it when I order next year. Both are just so beautiful. Fermi, I love the B. cauda-felis..... I think it was just finishing last year when we were visiting. Is it earlier than the normal yellow species? Mine of the yellow are not obviously going to flower as yet, but there could be buds coming I guess as I haven't actually checked it to see. Your cauda-felis is so much more substantial a flower spike though. And some wonderful pics from Ray, Lesley (glorious Crocus, Lesley!! :o), Stephen and Graham (my fellow Canberran).
Thanks for the excellent pics. Thoroughly enjoying them all after 10 days away from the forum. 8)
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Glad you're back Paul, missed your posting and humour - I agree there are some wonderful crocus photos from the SH - how is your raised bed evolving?
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Stephen , love the deep yellow Eranthis cilicica -and the clump of Leucojum vernum var.
carpathicum . Is it from the bulbs I gave you years ago ? Can't understand why it is not more freely grown here in gardens ,as it is so easy in woodland and moist conditions .
Peter Leigh will be selling his glorious Hellebores onthe last Sunday of August here in the
hall of the Ferny Creek Hort. Soc. - he is setting up on the saturday afternoon, and I'm
allowed to pick out the ones I fancy : as at my age I do not buy any more seedlings ,
which may turn out to be mediocre .He will also give us an illustrated talk on his trip
to Ashwood and other nurseries in England and Europe this last February, which gave
him the opportunity to buy some really choice ones ,which are now being acclimaticed
in a Quarantine Station .
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Otto, that sounds like a fun event on 30th August for your Ferny Creek Hort. Soc. Hellebore Happening :D Wish I could see that!
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Otto, that sounds like a fun event on 30th August for your Ferny Creek Hort. Soc. Hellebore Happening :D Wish I could see that!
What's keeping you Maggi ?? ;D ;)
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Otto, that sounds like a fun event on 30th August for your Ferny Creek Hort. Soc. Hellebore Happening :D Wish I could see that!
What's keeping you Maggi ?? ;D ;)
I'm just not that strong a swimmer, Luc! :-X
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I should have plenty seed of the sedum later in the summer. I'll put a note here.
These three are from yesterday, Narcissus 'Pirouette' is from Marcus this summer. I expect that it may reflex some?
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Another selection from E A Bowles, Crocus biflorus 'Myddelton Cream.' The outside is lightly washed with grey. Is this like yours from Ray Cobb, Otto?
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And what I have as Erythronium caucasicum, which is usually in flower by late July. It was from a local friend at least 10 years ago and she had it as seed from a Russian source some years before that. Each year I try to work out whether the anthers are the same length or different lengths, the defining thing, according to Ruksans, between caucasicum and sibiricum. Sometimes they're one, sometimes the other. :-\ It's quite slow to increase and has set no seed.
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Lesley, BD has just passed on his way to bed..... nice E. caucasicum, says he..... 8)
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Otto,
wunderful clumps of Pictus, "white" tommies and C. paschei :D
Lesley,
your sedum and clump of C. biflorus ssp. alexantri are superb! 8)
I just received corms of similar cultivar "Eye-catcher" and hope for enjoyable flowers next spring.
Stephen,
nice clump of Leucojum vernum var. carpathicum :o
Otto, I would be happy if I could say it is a easy... :-\ I lost L.vernum 3 times in my moist loamy soil - now I've 2 tiny clumps in my sand bed which seem to please them much better - just need to take care to hold off the cats to use my sand bed as toilet ::))
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Otto,
What an opportunity!!!!! :o :o I'd be like a kid in a candy store..... I need a nice apricot, double yellow, double black, good strong single yellow, nice picotee.... I doubt he'd have any left to sell to anyone else by the time I'd finished going through them. ;) ;) ;D ;D
Hopefully you'll show us pictures of some of the treasures you pick up there? I wish I could get down to it.... and to visit yourself, Tim and Fermi. 8)
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Well, Paul,
you'd have two chances (not B & N ;D) as Peter has his sale on Aug 30 and then returns the following week to give his talk and if he has any leftovers he'll be able to sell them then! I posted some pics of some of Peter's hybrids in reply #52 above.
This morning I found the first bloom on Retic iris "Springtime", which is just slightly different to "Clairette"
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Narcissus "Slip'ry" is yet another GBF hybrid, in Div 6 this time.
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cheers
fermi
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Maggi & Paul ,here are a few pages from Peter Leigh's latest Hellebore Catalogue .
He brought a lot of superior plants from Ashwood -still the Top Nursery I imagine-back with him in February to aid his breeding program .
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Otto,
Thanks for showing us the catalogue. Being able to choose them in flower to know what you're getting means so much less hassle when they aren't what you expected as a seedling. The double yellow, double picotee and the apricot-peach are the ones that attract my attention immediately. Also the double niger, which I hadn't heard of before. Some of the x sternii leaf types are really beautiful too. It would become a very expensive visit for me I think. ::)
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Mouthwatering catalogue, Otto!
The hellebores from Ashwood are superb, so introducing those bloodlines can only be a good move.
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Now that Helleborus are in full swing in the south maybe someone or even a Canberrian can tell me what happened to Ian Collier?
bye Ray.
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Ray,
The last I heard is that he had a lot of losses a couple of summers ago, but nothing other than that. Water restrictions here and high heat that summer were not a fun combination!! I do not know whether he will be selling again, the only information I have regarding him is second hand. I think I recall something about him selling seeds overseas, but I have not been able to confirm or deny that (not that I have actively tried either, I must admit). Sorry I don't have anything concrete to provide. :'(
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Hi Paul,thanks for the info,many years ago I got some seed from Ian,he then stopped sending out a seed list here and was selling most of his seed to the Japanese and getting a much better price apparently. the plants I got from his seed were good,pity he didn't offer his seed to his oz customers even at the higher price. bey Ray
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Ray,
I have a few different plants from him from over the years. Some lovely doubles and anemone centres, a few different species etc. What sort of plants did you get from your seed from him?
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Hi Paul and Otto,
Have a look on Hellebores 2009, last pages where I posted some picks of Peters doubles which I bought last weeknds sales day here at Parkers nursery.Peter says he is still improving the double yellow strain and will be better next year.
And yes he does have some really nice Hellebores and to see them in flower and beter still watch the buyers run wild over them in a buying frenzy.
And yes the H x sternii Aswoods strain is really nice with silver patterns and red viens on the leaves .Peter has also used this in his H x ericsmithii.
cheers
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Stephen,
That is a cracker of a leaf combination. I'd love to grow that colour combination myself, but haven't ever seen it.
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Ray , you are lucky to grow and flower Frit . euboeica , a species that has eluded me .
Did you raise it from seed ? or would a bulb be available somewhere in Australia ?
I would be grateful to know of a source .
Otto.
Hello Otto,have checked out both MH &GBF lists and could not find this Frit on their lists.
The only thing that I can think of is that I have bought a Frit off one of them and it has flowered
and not being what I order have put a label with what I thought was.
There is another frit in the same pot of similar size and leaf and the flower is not going to be yellow,so when does flower I may be able to ID it and then know were I got it.bye Ray
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More things in flower this morning, after a light frost,
Iris "George"
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And the first bloom on Iris reichenbachii, which I'd got as I. schactii but other Forumists set me straight about it last year!
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Scilla greilhuberi
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Tulipa cretica is in bud,
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A few more Narcissus are out,
N. cordubensis, a self sown seedling from a clump a metre away!
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N. "Cyclades" which is a touch tall for the Rock garden,
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This came from Doug Bryce as "Tatiana x N.cyclamenius" but I wonder if it's actually "Titania x N. cyclamenius"?
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Another one of Doug's: "Snowski"
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And GBF's "Orcleuse"
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cheers
fermi
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A few things flowering now,bye Ray
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Fermi,
Now we're back into some of the things that were still flowering when we were down there visiting last year. Good to see. ;D
Here's a couple of things flowering here in the last couple of weeks, but I've added (or will be adding in the next couple of hours) all sorts of pics in Crocus, Iris reticulatas, Galanthus, Helleborus, Amaryllidaceae, South African, South American, A plant for ID and probably a couple of others I have forgotten. ::)
Below are....
Asarum splendens
Colchicum luteum
Hamemalis 'Diane'
And the first of the Poppies for the season.
Please click on the pic for a larger version. If pics are too large, please let me know.
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Wow, that Colchicum luteum is just gorgeous, Paul, such lovely things in youor garden now and I really like the Hamemalis 'Diane' - sweet scented?
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Thanks Robin. They Hamemalis doesn't have a great deal of scent to me, nor does the other one I have called 'Ruby Port'. I am still hoping to get a good yellow flowered variety as well, but never know which one to get. ::) Not that there are many offered here unfortunately.
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Here's a few more things, taken within the last couple of days....
Tropaeolum brachyceras
Tropaeolum tricolor
Primula vulgaris - the first flowers on the true primrose for this year!! :D
Leucojum tingitanum
Anemone blanda seedling.... the first of the season. Seed came a couple of years ago from Thomas Huber. Thanks Thomas!!
Please click on the pic for a larger version. If pics are too large, please let me know.
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Paul, here we find that Hamemelis do not scent much if the weather is too warm. That seems odd when most plants need a bit of warmth to get the fragrance spreading but our Hamemelis don't follow that line! :-\
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hi Paul,
you are way ahead of us with your trops - T. tricolor is just in bud. But Acis tingitana (no longer a leucoum!) is finishing here.
Here's the first flower on Leucojum vernum ssp carpathicum (from Otto)
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Retic iris "Clairette,
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Iris "George"
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Iris "Pauline"
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However the first flower on iris "Alida" is only 2/3 what it should be!
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Crocus "Prinz Claus"
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and Tulipa cretica is now open
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And just for Lesley, here's Narcissus "Rip Van Winkle"!
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cheers
fermi
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hi Paul,
you are way ahead of us with your trops - T. tricolor is just in bud. But Acis tingitana (no longer a leucoum!) is finishing here.
Here's the first flower on Leucojum vernum ssp carpathicum (from Otto)
(Attachment Link)
Retic iris "Clairette,
(Attachment Link)
Iris "George"
(Attachment Link)
Iris "Pauline"
(Attachment Link)
However the first flower on iris "Alida" is only 2/3 what it should be!
(Attachment Link)
Crocus "Prinz Claus"
(Attachment Link)
and Tulipa cretica is now open
(Attachment Link)
And just for Lesley, here's Narcissus "Rip Van Winkle"!
(Attachment Link)
cheers
fermi
the retics are among my faves--they were one of the earliest things in toronto, when they were most needed! really like the T cretica too!
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Paul , your Colch. luteum is just superb , flowering without leaves (almost like a Sternbergia clusiana )- mine (when I had it ) always flowered with leaves and therefor not as attrative in my oppinion .
I'm very fond of my 40 year old small tree of Hamamelis mollis - yes the common one -
not the most brilliant of autumn colours , butteryellow , but a delicious sweet scent on
a warm day.
Had terrific storms over the weekend up here in the hills -130 km /hour , many enormous
trees down (luckily not in my garden) and with it the powerlines , so no electricity for
50 hours and as my house is all electric , a cold house and cold food , was just reconnected
\
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Sounds frightening Otto - good to hear that you didn't have any dammage yourself !! :D
Great show Fermi ! Autumn is in the air here - although quite a warm week is forecasted... so good that you bring us some Spring !!
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Ray , maybe your yellow Fit. is not euboeica - the flowershape is similar to conica - but then
the foliage of conica is a bright green and not glaucus . It just may turn out to be the yellow form of
F. rhodokanakis , in which case you have a rare jewel .
Otto.
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Thank you, Luc,
there's more to come in the next few weeks!
Otto,
good to know you are safe - no more large trees smashing up your garden either!
cheers
fermi
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Hermodactylus tuberosus
Iris pseudopumila - two forms planted beside each other
Bulbinella with the river and cliff in the background
And the purple oxalis with an Artemesia
And Acanthus mollis with the bicolor wallflower which has spread nicely
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Draba sp and the first of my Asarum flowers for the season.
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If the Tropaeolum brachyceras and Tropaeolum tricolor set seed I hope there is some available through the seedlist
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Pat,
If you're meaning my Trops.... I've never had seed off mine. :(
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A pic today of my Prunus campanulata, in full flower right now. The Red Wattlebirds (a large honeyeater) absolutely adore it, constantly going through it and the Camellias in my garden (and the Correas, Grevilleas etc). This has such a gloriously strong colour to it, particularly when standing out against the clear blue winter/spring sky. 8)
Please click on the pic for a larger version. If pics are too large, please let me know.
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A pic today of my Prunus campanulata, in full flower right now. The Red Wattlebirds (a large honeyeater) absolutely adore it, constantly going through it and the Camellias in my garden (and the Correas, Grevilleas etc). This has such a gloriously strong colour to it, particularly when standing out against the clear blue winter/spring sky. 8)
Please click on the pic for a larger version. If pics are too large, please let me know.
nice spring view, paul... just wondering, when does your rain come, mainly? (assuming it comes at all ;)
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It's lovely to see your all your spring colour folks makes ours much nearer. Paul, have we ever had any general views of your garden it really must be a cracker.
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Fermi, I'm sure you're wanting a little bite, regarding 'Rip van Winkle' but funnily enough, I've always had a sneaking affection for that double, probably because it's been around so long and is obviously not the product of modern breeders. In fact, isn't it a natural aberration?
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Otto, I'm pretty sure Ray's frit isn't rhodokanakis. All I've seen, including my yellow, have quite shiny leaves, not glaucous. The flower shape isn't right either. It looks very like what I thought was euboica too, except that the BD was sure mine was carica, and that seems to me what Ray's may be. Euboica has a pair of quite broad basal leaves which sit right at ground (pot) level.
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Cohan,
Technically on averages, we apparently have fairly standard rain spread out each month over the year, but I think that is long term averages and doesn't take into account the climate change over the last 10 to 20 years. Until the last couple of years I would have said that we have most of our rain in autumn and spring, or at least it feels that way. Unfortunately the last couple of years we have had almost total failure of the autumn rains too.... like 1mm in April last year instead of the average of 60mm or so. Our yearly rainfall the last few years has been well below the long term averages as well. This year we head reasonable late autumn and early winter rains, then dry again. At the rate we're going at the moment we will be on stricter water restrictions this summer than we've ever been before..... no outside watering using mains water I would imagine. I'll be able to keep some things going with the tank water I have, but I if we get to those restrictions I will end up losing a lot of my collection unfortunately. ::) Not a fun prospect, let me tell you. Hopefully we will get some good spring rain, despite the predictions.
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Some more pics taken the last two days.
Cyclamen coum
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More lemon hoops, most likely "Smarple" or "Kholmes"
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The Geissorhiza corrugata is about to bloom (see "spiral foliage" thread)
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And buds on Crocus sieberi ssp sublimis f. Tricolor are showing promise!
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And also very promising are these seedlings of Trop. beuthii from SRGC seed!
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cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
Congrats on the Trop seedlings!! 8) Narcissus 'Kholmes' is yet another one I haven't heard of. I guess I must do some research into the little detective series and try to find the rest of them. ::)
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Cohan,
Technically on averages, we apparently have fairly standard rain spread out each month over the year, but I think that is long term averages and doesn't take into account the climate change over the last 10 to 20 years. Until the last couple of years I would have said that we have most of our rain in autumn and spring, or at least it feels that way. Unfortunately the last couple of years we have had almost total failure of the autumn rains too.... like 1mm in April last year instead of the average of 60mm or so. Our yearly rainfall the last few years has been well below the long term averages as well. This year we head reasonable late autumn and early winter rains, then dry again. At the rate we're going at the moment we will be on stricter water restrictions this summer than we've ever been before..... no outside watering using mains water I would imagine. I'll be able to keep some things going with the tank water I have, but I if we get to those restrictions I will end up losing a lot of my collection unfortunately. ::) Not a fun prospect, let me tell you. Hopefully we will get some good spring rain, despite the predictions.
sorry to hear :( i've heard of drought in areas of oz... hopefully you get some rain..
canada has been having opposite extremes this summer, but both bad for agriculture: so soggy in parts of centre and east that crops couldnt be got in, and so dry in parts of alberta that nothing grew! most places a cool summer, except b.c. where they have been hot and dry sparking a lot of fires--apparently the amount of smoke can spoil the flavour of wine grapes!!
we had a dry spring, but not too bad overall, but no heat, so ripening some crops will depend on how early the frost are...
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Funny that the Aussie C. sieberi sublimis tricolor are so much later than mine here, which are just about over now. Yet my minimus haven't yet started - a bit of bud colour just yesterday. But my two white minimus have decided to flower after all and are out now. I had a better than ever performance of alatavicus too, with 2 late blooms, a total of 3!
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A coupla things in flower from these parts:
Polystachya pubescens, a little epiphyte from the warm forests of Natal - in flower for much of the year, but best in spring.
My pot of Moraea tricolor never fails to impress!
A collection of Cyrtanthus mackenii hybrids in a friend's garden - why don't we see more of these around?
The surreal flowers of Pelargonium lobatum - much magnified!
Enjoy ;D
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Rogan,
Any chance of you collecting some seed from your friend's Cyrtanthus collection? Even maybe doing a bit of hybridising of them as well and then collecting seed? I would love to get more colours, but finding them is rather hard. They really just aren't available much. ::)
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Rogan,
I received seed of a plant that grew to be like Pelargonium lobatum when I ordered Pelargonium triste - or are they similar in flower shape? It is many years since I had this plant.
I have a small clump in the garden of Cyrtanthus mackenii hybrids which I grew from seed - the keep flowering every year without fail. Touch wood!
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What sort of colours in the Cyrtanthus hybrids did you end up with, Pat?
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Rogan,
that Moraea tricolor is certainly :o :o :o
Pat,
I got a plant of Pelargonium triste which has flowers like the P. lobatum but the foliage is much more dissected and ferny.
Here are some things form the Rock Garden,
Narcissus "Itzim"
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Narciss "Bezzababe"
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Yesterday, the first flower on Retic Iris "Pixie" opened,
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And today I was seeing double!
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Not a good shot, but the first blooms on Babiana odorata (yes, Lesley, it is scented!)
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cheers
fermi
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Nice, Fermi. I have 'Itzim' in bud I think, but must go looking for 'Pixie', as I haven't seen flowers this year as yet. Nice Bab.
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Planning to take some Narcissus into town tomorrow for Kees and came across this pot of seedlings from 'Gambus.' There is a little N. cyclamineus influence in the two on the right and maybe some fasciation in the remaining one though no sign of a thickened stem. The little one is very tiny, the corona being just 1.5cms in length. If it stays that size for a couple of years, it must fall into the micro-mini class and will be perfect for a trough. The big one has 9 sepals (?tepals) instead of the usual 6. It's a bit weather beaten. I think I like it.
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Planning to take some Narcissus into town tomorrow for Kees and came across this pot of seedlings from 'Gambus.' There is a little N. cyclamineus influence in the two on the right and maybe some fasciation in the remaining one though no sign of a thickened stem. The little one is very tiny, the corona being just 1.5cms in length. If it stays that size for a couple of years, it must fall into the micro-mini class and will be perfect for a trough. The big one has 9 sepals (?tepals) instead of the usual 6. It's a bit weather beaten. I think I like it.
It could almost qualify as a split cup ;D
cheers
fermi
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the first blooms on Babiana odorata (yes, Lesley, it is scented!)
Co-incidentally, we have here the first blooms on Babiana odorata..... and a very pretty little thing it is, too... looking like a small freesia, with rather more "puffed" shaped flowers..... and NO, Lesley and Fermi.... HERE it has no scent at all!
I am, frankly, furious ! >:(
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And today I was seeing double!
(Attachment Link)
Nice series Fermi, but perhaps you need your eyes checked. ;D
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Split cup????? Wash your mouth out Fermi. :o Actually there's no splitting at all though the weather has had a go at it so it looks somewhat dishevelled. I took the pot to the Market this morning to show to Kees when he came by and a dozen or more people wanted to buy the pot. Sorry. :)
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And today I was seeing double!
(Attachment Link)
Nice series Fermi, but perhaps you need your eyes checked. ;D
It's a sad thing about getting older - I now need to wear glasses when checking labels and even to check the seed-pots (to distinguish between "green shoots" and moss!) :(
As a former Prime Minister of Oz once said "Life wasn't meant to be easy"! ;D
cheers
fermi
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Co-incidentally, we have here the first blooms on Babiana odorata..... and a very pretty little thing it is, too... looking like a small freesia, with rather more "puffed" shaped flowers..... and NO, Lesley and Fermi.... HERE it has no scent at all!
I am, frankly, furious ! >:(
Maggi,
that is disappointing - perhaps because it is blooming out of season? Does it look the same as mine? ( Was it from seed I sent? :-[) If ours sets seed this year I'll re-send - maybe it crossed with B. pygmaea which flowers at the same time? Can you post a pic?
cheers
fermi
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Fermi, it was from Betty Clark in NZ. There's a close-up shot at the end of this week's Bulb Log
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2009Aug191250690323BULB_LOG__3309.pdf
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There's a close-up shot at the end of this week's Bulb Log
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2009Aug191250690323BULB_LOG__3309.pdf
Hi Maggi
that doesn't look anything like what I'd expect - more like B. villosa - but a stunning white!
Here's a clearer pic of our Babiana odorata, which smells a bit like daphne, I think.
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cheers
fermi
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That's very nice Fermi. I like the greeny/yellow tips. Seed maybe later?
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A few things flowering here today.bye Ray
Moraea vegeta
Narcissus rupicola subs watieri
Bulbinella cauda-felis
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Ray,
I think your last one is Lachenalia, isn't it? Bulbinella cauda-fellis is a very different beastie. I couldn't tell you which Lachenalia it is though, as there are so many different ones and I just don't have the knowledge. ::) I just love that Narcissus. 8)
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That's very nice Fermi. I like the greeny/yellow tips. Seed maybe later?
You're in line behind Maggi ;D so I hope it sets a lot this year!
As you can see in this pic it looks like the first spikes were frosted off :(
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At least I think that's what's happened.
Here's the open flowers on the Geissorhiza corrugata
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And the first of the Tulip greigii blooms
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And a flower open on Moraea tripetala,
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I've also posted some daff pics to the Narcissus thread.
cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
Love the Geissorhiza. Such large flowers for such tiny leaves. :o
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Ray, Fermi, super Moraeas, I love the yellow in that vegeta!
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Ray,
Looks like that Bulbinella pic you just posted didn't work right? It doesn't load for me, and has a size of 0 bytes.
Bulbinella cauda-felis should be a bit like a fluffy white Kniphofia, or a short Eremurus. Lots of white flowers fairly densely packed on a stem. The usual Bulbinellas we get here are Bulbinella nutans from memory (or is it robusta?), a lovely strong yellow thing that looks a bit like a small yellow Kniphofia at first glance (I've had people ask if that was what it was when it's in flower here).
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Some things flowering here at the moment....
Acacia 'Scarlet Blaze'
Anemone blanda seedlings from seed from Thomas H. So far there are 27 buds emerging, and 17 of them have opened so far and all the same shade of blue. Beautiful, but I am hoping that somewhere in there might be some other colours as well. Thanks Thomas. ;D I've always wanted a mass of Anemone blanda, so now I really do have the chance. Excellent!!
Chasmanthe bicolor
Chasmanthe floribunda var ducketii, so very different from C. bicolor with it's wings and flares etc. A friend I was talking to on the phone last night a couple of hours north of here (with far more rainfall) has them flowering at about head height at the moment. I didn't realise they could get that big. Mine are only about 1m or so tall, perhaps a little more.
The first flowers are starting to open on the first of our Magnolias here.
Scilla monophyllus has surprised me with a flower spike. I didn't even realise it was in bud. 8)
I'm also going to post some pics in the Arty topic, Narcissus, Iris, and Orchid sections.
Enjoy. 8)
Please click on the pic for a larger version. If pics are too large, please let me know.
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Hi, Fermi, looking at your new pic, it seems that the Babiana we have is rather different... will check out B. villosa details later....
the flowers on our, non-scented version, are of a more rounded shape, like crocus-goblets, really. Leaves are narrower, too.
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Maggi, is your Babiana very early, I thought it was a winter grower?
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David it was sent from New Zealand.... it doesn't know what time it is, poor thing!
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Ohhhhhhh, poor dear ;D
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I do like the Geissorhiza, with its curly leaves. Seems there are many such bulbous plants.
Yesterday I finally de-potted my biggest Weldenia, in preparation for its international travels. It fell apart nicely into 16 pieces, most with 2 noses. I should have photographed it but too late now, most are wrapped and addressed.
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Lesley,
I have scrabbled down and checked on mine and they're all multi-nosed as well. Very happy by the look of it, which is brilliant!! I'm looking forward to a broader planting in a pot and getting more of a larger display like you have shown us in the past. 8) So nice to have something like that thrive, particularly after the first year where I was so damn paranoid about losing it. ::)
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Having another go at sending a pic of Bulbinella cauda-felis.bye Ray
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Ray,
If you look at the pics on the Net, there is quite a bit of variability in the species by the look of it. The flowers I think look about right for a Bulbinella, but yours are definitely not as packed together as Fermi's. That could also have a lot to do with where you're growing it and the maturity of the plant. Fermi's are outside in full sun, so they are more likely to be dense rather than etiolating in shade or something like that. Yours in pots may not be as established a clump as Fermi's, or they just may be a slightly different form. I don't think I would necessarily be assuming that one of yours was correct and the other incorrect.
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Having another go at sending a pic of Bulbinella cauda-felis.bye Ray
Hi Ray,
yours looks more like the pic in "The Colour Encyclopaedia of Cape Bulbs" which makes me think mine are another species.
Perhaps we can do a trade sometime.
cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
Looking at the Net there are everything from yours to Ray's illustrated under that name, so maybe you're just at either ends of the species scales (or there are a lot of mislabelled Bulbinella out there! ;D). I quite like both of yours, for their differences. I adore my normal yellow one that I grow here as it is so tough, but the sheer fluffy thickness in the pics of your variety is very striking (and of course, not yellow which is a big bonus). ;D
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First time flowing for my Edgeworthia chrysantha and Ornithogalum sintenisii.
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Hi Fermi,no worries one of mine for one of yours.bye Ray
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The Edgeworthia is nice Doug. Not often seen around nowadays.
My single flower on Fritillaria pudica is hard to photograph for some reason. Of 8 pictures, only this one is usable, the others all badly unfocused. This isn't too good either. There should be half a dozen more flowering stems, they're mature enough, but I get just one each year.
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This is the first seedling to flower of F. stenanthera, from a small batch of seed from Fritillaria Group NZ, sown in 2005. Pleased to replace this as my original died a couple of years ago.
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The white Olsynium douglasii gets better each year. I lost my rosy one but have some seedlings up from Ron Ratko (via Tim O).
From the front
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and from the back
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This is one of a mixed bunch of seedlings from a local grower. I've thought it was coarse and not very nice for the last couple of years but it's growing on me. It is certainly very chunky considering it's just about 10cms in height overall. It should be good as a potful and it is increasing a little bit now.
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Lesley,
The Olsynium douglasii.... :o :o :o :o :o :o :o Wow! Amazing looking flowers.
Love the Frit stenanthera as well. How big actually are the flowers? I've only ever seen pics of it, and it is hard to tell. ???
Thanks for the pics.
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Superb Olsynium douglasii Lesley.
johnw
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Yes, nice Olsynium Lesley. I've never seen one before. How long do the flowers last for?
cheers
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Stephen the individuals last 2 or 3 days probably, depends on the weather. They don't like wind very much. You know it used to be Sisyrinchium douglasii (album).
Paul, abut 2.5cms across, or about 1" in old money. I used to get up to nine flowers on my first one, also from seed which took 10 years to flower. So quite happy with 3 flowers on a first stem after 4 years. There are 6 more to flower but not this year.
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Lesley,
The Olsynium douglasii.... :o :o :o :o :o :o :o Wow! Amazing looking flowers.
I agree with Paul on this one Lesley !
What an amazing clump ! Simple and very beautiful !
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lots of great stuff, everyone!
really love that Ornithogalum sintenisii!
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Lesley,
That was a Sysirinchium? ??? Never would have thought that. Has so many wonderful "snowdrop" qualities about it. Do you know if it is here in Aus? I think that will have to be a "must have" plant if I can get it. ;D
Thanks for the Frit info. it really is a beauty. That's one I haven't even tried from seed myself, but have admired in books regularly.
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I don't know if the Olsynium is in Australia Paul. Otto will know I'm sure. The seed from Ratko earlier this year has germinated really well but I think will be very slow growing to flowering size. Two years ago I had a single pod on the white and the two which came up are still, in their second year, not much bigger than single hairs. I don't know if the white will come true. If there's seed this year I can send it along. The rosy purple form is even lovlier.
Incidentally, I got 14 lots of seed from Ron Ratko and almost everything has germinated very well indeded. A couple of things still to come. The quality of his seed is excellent and I highly recommend it. Lewisia rediviva like hairs on a dog's back. :)
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I love these crocuses with strong and sometimes contrasting colours. C. minimus Bavella Form varies, apparently in the width of edging to the outer petals but otherwise, the solid colour is very clean and a nice variation from the "ordinary" minimus. Then I have a seedling with almost total colour cover. It appeared among my minimus before I had the Bavella Form so is not connected to that at all. (It hasn't flowered this spring and I have a nasty, sneaking suspicion that I may have given it away accidentally. :'()
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I said earlier that my 'Chocolate Soldier' wasn't going to flower but though late, it has put up a bud with another to come. Three pics to show the wonderful contrast between deep mahogany and bright orange.
Warm thanks to Marcus Harvey for this little gem, Crocus olivieri ssp balansae 'Chocolate Soldier.'
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A couple of pallid irises, first I. magnifica alba. My junos haven't done much this year and it hasn't helped that Teddy has dug a large hole and half buried a decent patch of I. x Sindpers. The weeds in many pots are indicative of my gardening activities recently, or rather, the lack of them.
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and I. reticulata 'Natascha.'
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Lesley,
I already commented on the Crocus pics down in that section, but have to comment on the Irises here..... beautiful!! 8) I have 'Natascha' flowering for the first time for me this year (Thanks Otto!! ;D).... certainly looks happy for you, that is for sure. Given it is supposed to be a bit touchy for a lot of people, yours are obviously thriving!!
Excellent pics, all of them. :)
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Lesley,
Your pictures made me already longing for my autumn crocuses and other bulb to show there colours.Got a nice collection from Latvia,and from a friend in Belgium,keep You posting on time ;) for the moment Colch X Jarovslavna is making progress,last Year it was flowering to no end,looks if it increased nicely already.
I know what You mean by indicative Gardening :-\
I must agree with Ron Ratco,Highly recommended.
Cheers,
Guy :)
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A couple of things in flower at the moment here....
Asarum maxima, with it's really cool flowers. 8)
This Daphne genkwa sort of took me by surprise when I found it in flower..... then found my second one in the back yard in flower too, when I hadn't even realised they were in bud. ::)
Hamemalis 'Ruby Glow'
And lastly for now... one of the first to open properly (plenty have opened since this pic was taken a couple of days ago).... Magnolia 'Star Wars'.
Enjoy.
Please click on the pic for a larger version.
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A few photos from todays Hellebore sale in the hall of the Ferny Creek Horticulteral Soc.,
many hundreds of good plants there , most of them were snapped up in the first hour .
so many people milling around the sales tables - one had to be quick to grab your chosen ones .I had it all to myself as Peter Leigh was setting up his display.
It was good to meet another Forumist this morning : Ray who introduced himself during the sale . He had brought along 2 pots of Fritillarias ,which I was able to identify for him .
Paul , sorry you had to cancel your trip to Olinda , you would have enjoyed the company .
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I know I would have, Otto. <sigh> :'(
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As you have read I was at the Hellebore sale at Olinda,and it was great to meet Otto for the first time,and also to be able to put a face to a name.As you can see in Otto's photos there were heaps of hellebores for sale and probably half of them were gone in the first hour.
Otto has made a new rock garden at Olinda and here is a pic of him and the rock garden.bye Ray
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Sorry I didn't get to FCHS to meet you, Ray - we're having some drama in the family at the moment! ::)
More spring flowers springing up here
this is the first flower I've had on a retic iris I received a few years ago from a friend in Croydon,
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She called it "Hercules" and I wonder if it's the same as "Hercule" which someone posted to the Retic thread awhile ago (NH spring)
Here are a few jonquilla hybrids in the rock garden.
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And a re-flowering on this Hymenoxis argentea which I showed last year with just the one bloom.
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cheers
fermi
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There is one called 'Hercules' Fermi and to my mind it is very similar indeed to 'J S Dijt.' I read somewhere that 'Hercules' is no longer grown in the UK because it seldom opens completely, the northern sun not being strong enough early in the year, to develop it properly. It always opened here when I had it, but I haven't seen it available for many years.
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Sorry I didn't get to FCHS to meet you, Ray - we're having some drama in the family at the moment! ::)
More spring flowers springing up here
And a re-flowering on this Hymenoxis argentea which I showed last year with just the one bloom.
cheers
fermi
hope the drama ends with applause!
like the hymenoxis..
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A really splendid Hymenoxis Fermi !!
Did you grow it from seed ??
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I think this is Trillium maculatum. I forgot I had it until I saw the flowers among the general weed cover this morning.
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Each year I get a single flower of Frit. aurea, except that this year I have a second single flower in a pot from seed from the Frit group. It's still a week or so away. We've had a week of very cold winds, today is just about a gale and bitterly chilling, hence, I suppose, the very short stem and reluctance to send its head up.
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This odd frit is, according to the label, the first seedling to flower of my own seed from F. michailovskyi, in which case, it MUST be a hybrid. The only possible parent would be F. mutabilis.
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Lesley,
Beautiful Trillium. Lovely dark leaves, particularly with the flowers already open. Very nice!! So are you saving pollen from this F. aurea for the other one that is a week away?
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A really splendid Hymenoxis Fermi !!
Did you grow it from seed ??
Hi Birthday Boy,
Yes, I grew this from SRGC Seedex (2007?) and it had its first flower last year.
cheers
fermi
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I wish I'd taken a pic of this daff, "Dovekie" before the cockatoos got to it! >:(
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For Paul (and Graham): first flowering on a KB Triandrus hybrid,
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And a jonquilla type, "Sighing"
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A GBF Div 6 "Glenbrook Belle"
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Another Cyclamenius Hybrid, "Treena" (or is it "Trena"?)
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A little cluster of Tulipa cretica blooms,
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And a Correa called "Marion's Marvel"
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cheers
fermi
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Hadn't thought about saving the pollen Paul but I suppose it would be the sensible thing to do.
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A lovely and floriferous Viola which I bought as 'Dancing Geisha'. Colour is a bit washed out with the flash. Seeds prolifically
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Looks like Viola chaerophylloides or V. eizanensis. Funnily enough, a Google reference says it doesn't set seed.
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Please note: other September posts split off to new "September" in Southern Hemisphere thread 8)