Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: fermi de Sousa on March 01, 2011, 07:57:46 AM

Title: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on March 01, 2011, 07:57:46 AM
The start of another month and a repeat of sorts for the first post!
Lycoris elsae peaking out from under the foliage of a Rugosa which had invaded the bed so I didn't notice the Lycoris till it flowered!
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cheers
fermi
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on March 01, 2011, 08:01:32 AM
This nerine came as N. laticoma but having seen Heinie's pics I assume mine is mis-named :(
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Anyone care to suggest what it really is?
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ezeiza on March 01, 2011, 03:40:02 PM
Fermi, leaves of laticoma can not be confused with others. Resemble Valotta leaves.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: majallison on March 01, 2011, 08:44:39 PM
Fermi, the plant has something of the look of Nerine platypetala
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on March 03, 2011, 03:22:41 AM
Thank you, Alberto and Malcolm.

A couple of Colchicums,
the first came from a friend and he thinks it might be Colchicum corsicum,
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The second was grown from SRGC Seedex 2004 as Colchicum sibthorpii
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cheers
fermi
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Lesley Cox on March 03, 2011, 03:36:40 AM
May be wrong but I'm pretty sure C. corsicum flowers with its leaves.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on March 03, 2011, 11:20:42 AM
Fermi,

My Lycoris elsae is flowering at present too.  Here's a pic of the 2 flower stems, plus a closeup of one of the flowers in the shade to show some of the colour detail.

Then there's one of the Amaryllis belladonna that are in flower at the moment.  This one is a multiflora hybrid that can produce up to 25 flowers in a full circle on the head.

And lastly, a Tigridia pavonia seedling that is flowering for me for the first time.  David N is the proud parent that sent me the seed..... this is the first one of them to flower for me.  The flower is just gorgeous, and given I have lost the orange/red I used to have, I am extremely pleased to have this wonderful flower in my garden again.... and hopefully hardier than the others as it was grown from seed here.  Thanks David.  8)
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: arillady on March 04, 2011, 09:54:25 AM
Travelling along a nearby road yesterday I saw a flash of pink below the road on the verge.
Well there were a few patches like this one. Calostemma purpureum in abundance.
Sparaxis have also made a home nearby but of course not flowering now but still in this abundance too.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on March 04, 2011, 11:08:25 AM
Wow, Pat.  That's an amazing amount of them.  :o
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on March 04, 2011, 11:19:00 AM
What a superb stand, Pat..... "locally plentiful", I guess!

Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: arillady on March 04, 2011, 10:09:51 PM
I know when I found that Calostemma purpureum bulbs being offered in the UK on the web for 15 pounds - think of a cartoon dog with dollar signs in his eyes and jumping up and down. ;D ;D
I will not be doing this of course but it would be easy to collect some of the seeds which are fleshy round and when the seed heads get too heavy the stems fall over and that is where they germinate. I should imagine they would have to be collected and sent and posted fairly quickly.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on March 05, 2011, 12:12:46 PM
When I first saw those huge stands of Calostemma my thought was... would there be a market for these as cut flowers?
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: arillady on March 05, 2011, 10:30:57 PM
I haven't picked any to see how long they last. But yes at the right time they would be good I think.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on March 07, 2011, 01:43:57 AM
Pat,
that is an amazing sight! Enough to rival some of the Western Australian spring flower fields! A paddock of the yellow one would be even more impressive (only because I've never seen one!)

In our garden another native doing well is a suckering form of Wahlenbergia stricta
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cheers
fermi
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on March 08, 2011, 06:36:39 PM
Travelling along a nearby road yesterday I saw a flash of pink below the road on the verge.
Well there were a few patches like this one. Calostemma purpureum in abundance.
Sparaxis have also made a home nearby but of course not flowering now but still in this abundance too.

Wonderful stand! I was wondering if this was a native or invader, but I think I can infer from Fermi's comments that it's a native?
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on March 08, 2011, 08:35:45 PM
Cohan,

Yes, Calostemma are one of our native bulbs.  8)
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: arillady on March 08, 2011, 09:41:24 PM
Yes Cohan a native bulb.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: cohan on March 12, 2011, 06:39:13 PM
Nice to have such a lovely native en masse! Glad its not an oversuccessful garden escape  ;D
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on March 15, 2011, 07:33:43 AM
Autumn's here!
Oxalis lobata/perdicaria
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at least the foliage is in focus!

I've started a thread for Lycoris 2011 but can't resist showing these again ;D
Lycoris elsae, finally making a show!
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The one we grow as Lycoris radiata
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Colchicum cilicium
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A form of Colchicum atropurpureum - it gets darker as it ages
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cheers
fermi
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Otto Fauser on March 27, 2011, 07:01:16 AM
Fermi hopes to be back on the workcomputer to be active again on the Forum on Wednesday. He spent some time in Hospital ( was discharged today ) to be treated for pneumonia .He will be well again on the 5th. April when 8 of us will depart Melbourne for the Pre Conference tour and conference in Nottingham .
 We are all looking forward to meet as many as possible AGS and SRGC members .

                        Otto.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: arillady on March 27, 2011, 08:54:40 AM
All the very best for a speedy recovery so that you are fit and well for the trip ahead. What great times you will all have.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on March 27, 2011, 09:02:01 AM
Fermi hopes to be back on the workcomputer to be active again on the Forum on Wednesday. He spent some time in Hospital ( was discharged today ) to be treated for pneumonia .He will be well again on the 5th. April when 8 of us will depart Melbourne for the Pre Conference tour and conference in Nottingham .
 We are all looking forward to meet as many as possible AGS and SRGC members .

                        Otto.

Oh! My goodness, this is a real shock.... poor Fermi.  At least it is good to hear he is out of hospital and will be fit to travel... we will need to be very gentle with him!
Look after yourselves, Friends, and travel safe... we're looking forward very much to seeing you all.
M x
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Ezeiza on March 27, 2011, 03:21:06 PM
Take care, Fermi, and a prompt recovery. We need you,
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Lesley Cox on March 28, 2011, 04:45:46 AM
Best wishes Fermi. Do take good care of yourself. Pneumonia is not to be taken lightly and you KNOW the UK will be cooler than home. I hope you and all southerners have a marvellous trip and that you will enjoy every minute. No doubt the rest of us will see pictures and hear stories after the event. Arrive there, and home again safely.

Lesley
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Maggi Young on March 28, 2011, 11:24:05 AM
Fermi was on the phone to Ian this morning.... I was fast asleep, having a long lie!!
Ian says Fermi sounded fine and that he is detemined to enjoy his European jaunt! That's the spirit Fermi!
It was great to hear that he is making good progress.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: David Nicholson on March 28, 2011, 05:11:43 PM
Glad you're feeling a bit better Fermi, look after yourself.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Lesley Cox on March 28, 2011, 11:01:23 PM
I remember being very impressed a while ago by Gerry Webster's Sternbergia candida and yesterday went to have a look at the planter bag that mine has lived in since summer last year. The single flower was stunning - and fragrant!. It's been sitting on gravel over the summer and not getting much water under gum trees but was covered in a thick layer of slowly rotting gum leaves so I hoped it was still alive. Was surprised, therefore to find an enormous root like the contractile roots of crocus, a cm thick and about 8 cms long, white and succulent, had dug the bag into the gravel. I used scissors on the bag and have planted the bulb in the garden where I hope it will increase nicely over time to come.
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fermi de Sousa on March 31, 2011, 03:33:12 AM
Thank you all for your good wishes. It was a bit of a wrench not being able to get onto the Forum but I guess that's when I reralised I must be getting better as I hadn't been able to even think about gardening or the 'puter until then.
I've dragged myself into the office so that I can catch up on e-mails finish off my paperwork before going on leave ;D
I was finally able to download some pics from before the last weekend and so here's a start!
A clump of a colchicum I got as Colchicum "Atropurpureum" - which is possibly a form of C. cilicicum.
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The first flowers are starting on Moraea polystachya
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And Crossyne flava has burst into bloom
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cheers
fermi
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: fleurbleue on March 31, 2011, 10:56:24 AM
Hi Fermi, glad to hear you are better  :D
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paddy Tobin on March 31, 2011, 06:22:00 PM
Fermi,

Good to hear you are on the mend and, especially, that you will be well enough to travel to the U.K. Have a good time.

Paddy
Title: Re: March 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere
Post by: Paul T on March 31, 2011, 11:37:02 PM
Fermi,

Sorry to hear that you've been unwell.  Glad you're improved!!  8)
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