Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Lesley Cox on November 01, 2012, 08:29:14 PM
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I am thrilled at last to have the true Hylomeon again and it has a number of buds. Together with Trond's seeds I hope to get seed of my own at some stage.
I bought two plants of Anemone obtusiloba patula at Larnach Castle, to replace others I have lost over the years. Although it sets copious seeds the only time I had a few germinate was immediately before the parent died. It must have known it needed to replace, but the seedlings eventually withered away too. My gardens have always been too sunny and dry for such things. (I can't resist a larger picture as well, the flowers are so beautiful. And my blue camera problem does seem to be fixed. :)
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I should have brushed off that spot of compost on a petal. The two plants have a total of 14 flowers at present and many more buds coming.
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Good to see you with flowering Hylomecon again, Lesley. Ours have been languishing rather over the last couple of years, getting a bit overshadowed by bigger plants and their flowering has been pretty poor.
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I am thrilled at last to have the true Hylomeon again and it has a number of buds. Together with Trond's seeds I hope to get seed of my own at some stage.
I bought two plants of Anemone obtusiloba patula at Larnach Castle, to replace others I have lost over the years. Although it sets copious seeds the only time I had a few germinate was immediately before the parent died. It must have known it needed to replace, but the seedlings eventually withered away too. My gardens have always been too sunny and dry for such things. (I can't resist a larger picture as well, the flowers are so beautiful. And my blue camera problem does seem to be fixed. :)
Lesley i have never been able to germinate Anemone obtusiloba,seed from 2 different sources nothing.
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Isn't that odd Davey? Other people must germinate at least some as plants appear for sale from time to time from both nurseries and small, private sources. The two I bought were definitely seedlings, albeit very well developed. I wouldn't want to attempt to divide it. If mine produce some seed and I fully expect they will, I'll certainly sow (maybe let self-sow) some and I'll send some off to you too, damp packed.
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A few of the latest flowers in the rock gardens
white Dianthus "la bourboule"
2 Dichelostemma - D. capitatum and D. congestum - which is which?
cheers
fermi
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From the flowers Fermi, they look like the same plant? I mean the same species.
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Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens in the Blue Mountains, celebrating 25 years anniversary. Some close up of the flower arrangements.
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and the full arrangement from above in a '25'
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Well done Mt Tomah. Isn't it an offshoot of the Sydney Botanic Gardens?
I really like the Edmondia. Had it once when it was still called Helichrysum but I doubt if we still have it here in NZ alas.
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Stephen,
Great floral arrangement. 8)
Is that a white flowered sarracenia? I don't think I've ever seen one with a white flower before? Are they commercially available, or is that something special that the gardens have?
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A neighbour gave me this tall bearded iris years ago. It's hard to say whether it's blue or purple (depends on the light). Does anyone know the name of this iris?
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There's a very fine blue called 'Shipshape' but there are hundreds of very fine blues. So can't make even a guess I'm afraid. The orange on the inner part of the beard may be a clue.
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Hi Lesley and Paul, here's another pic of the white form of rubra. These can be seen in the bog garden flowering away and yes the 'Growing Friends' a volunteer group that help raise funds do sell them here at Mount Tomah garden.
Yes Lesley, Mount Tomah is the cool climate annex garden to Sydney. We specialize in southern hemisphere plants with some northern plants as well. The Edmondia is a very hardy and drought tolerant and seems to prefer periods of dryness.
Pic: Sarracenia rubra subsp. alabamensis
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Hi Everyone,
How long has Mt Tomah been in the Botanical Garden's hands Stephen? Was it a hill station garden or nursery before that or was the present garden carved out of the native bushland?
Does it have a large native section?
I have a few allium out but not too many this season its probably just a little too humid - lots of raggedy leaves though.
Allium peninsulare - one of my favourites but hard to photograph. Makes nice drifts quickly from seed.
Allium uniflorum "Chris' Dwarf" - one of Janis' geven to him by Chris Brickell, I believe, hence the name. Too easy.
Allium nevskianum - choice spikey drumstick which keeps on keeping on.
Cheers, Marcus
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As I have mentioned elsewhere, I have just returned from a trip to the southern Cape. It is late in the season (for flowering bulbs) but some plants were still in flower or just going off:
#1 is Gladiolus liliaceus, the roadside verge was full of bloom after abundant rain;
#2 is the more-or-less typical form of Watsonia laccata;
#3 I was extremely fortunate to find this albino-flowered form nearby (yes, it is still there... ::) );
#4 a putative hybrid between this species and W. aletroides, colonies of which grow nearby.
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Hi Marcus,
The land was owned by the Brunette family in the 1930s as a cut flower farm to supply the Sydney market. He grew lots of bulbs, lilacs and rhododendrons in between cherry laurel windbreaks. The brunettes also had a collection of trees which gives the garden a mature look with very grand stands of conifers, fagus, oak, redwoods, dogwoods and Porthaea. The Brunettes donated the garden to the Sydney bot garden in the 1970s and major landscape works commenced. The garden was carved into the mountain and yes there are large native sections of cool temperate and we are hoping for a new alpine house to be built that will display Australian and new Zealand Alpine's, it may become a big draw card for enthusiast to come and see in one place especially with climate change pressures.
..and Marcus keep on posting those bulb picks, very nice collection :)
Cheers
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As I have mentioned elsewhere, I have just returned from a trip to the southern Cape. It is late in the season (for flowering bulbs) but some plants were still in flower or just going off:
#1 is Gladiolus liliaceus, the roadside verge was full of bloom after abundant rain;
#2 is the more-or-less typical form of Watsonia laccata;
#3 I was extremely fortunate to find this albino-flowered form nearby (yes, it is still there... ::) );
#4 a putative hybrid between this species and W. aletroides, colonies of which grow nearby.
Thank for posting Rogan lovely stuff!!! 8)
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Yes indeed. Wonderful to see these southern beauties Rogan 8)
(looks like a Namibian penguin to me ;) ;D)
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Great to see wild plants in their native homes and haunts. Makes a change from our captive specimens.
Stephen, thanks for filling in with the history of Mt Tomah, fascinating how many of the major gardens in Victoria and New South Wales began as cut flower farms.
A few more flowers from Hill View:
Euphorbia seguieriana ssp niciciana - a great garden plant and one of my favourites. Must be one of the parents of E. "Compton Ash"
Allium fimbriatum var. purdyi - From Ron Ratko seed collection, a quietly attractive little onion.
Campanula tridentata or C. aucheri - Do know which and not expert enough to call it. Longtime resident from Pavelka seed, I think.
Achillea ageratifolia - reliable and incredibly floriferous dryland species.
Cheers, Marcus
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Nice pics, everyone,
I especially like those alliums, Marcus.
I have the first flowering of a rare Turkish Convolvulus nitidus!
And the Scutellaria alpina is in flower again.
cheers
fermi
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Great stuff Fermi!! Its great to see these more difficult species being grown Down Under.
I have some nice plants of C. compactus and C. assyricus but they rarely grace me with their flowers :(
Cheers, Marcus
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As the bulbs start to disappear the rockgarden now comes into its own.
Pardon this indulgence - a few shots from Hill View:
Part of the lower border to the upper rockgarden (2 pics)
Part of the seed raing area for bulbs starting to fall into dormancy (and considerable unkemptness)
Cheers, Marcus
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Smelly plants, one inherently so and the others when crushed.
Arum dioscoridis - I like it - reminds me of my kindergarten romance with Little Dot comics
Allium schubertii - a seriously wonderful architectural colosus but hard to photograph (too much clear air)
Allium bodeanum - from Harry Hay seed - Large spheres of gorgeous metallic stars and strappy leaves
Allium acuminatum - Ron Ratko seed - easy little American - reliable, cheery flowers
Cheers, Marcus
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We need a bigger picture of the rockgarden etc, Marcus. Can't see all the treasures in there from a distance. ;D
To add another quick aroid to your Arum dioscoridis....... here's Dracunculus canariensis, flowering for me at the moment. A shame the flower is timed to the leaves dying off. ::)
Click on the pic for a larger version.
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Fermi, I bet you're happy with the Convolvulus nitidus. It looks beautiful.
Marcus - It looks like you certainly have your hands full with all those boxes of seeds.
Good to see you're doing your bit for the environment by putting the polystyrene boxes to good use for your bulb seeds! I asked for some spare polystyrene boxes from my local green grocer last week and was told they had all been broken up and put in the rubbish. It's such a waste.
Paul, that Dracunculus canariensis looks quite majestic. Is it tall and does it have a fragrance (albeit one that repels neighbours)?
Below is Geissorhiza aspera. I found it hard to photograph because in most of the photos I had taken it looked paler than it really is. I think it's time to upgrade my camera...
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John,
Blues and digital cameras tends to be a common trend of difficulty. Mine suffers as well (although mine really is getting to the stage of needing and upgrade).
The Dracunculus canariensis is about 70cm tall I think, not as majestic as D. vulgaris, and has a fruity sort of smell. The flower in the picture is less than 2m from my front door, and as yet I have had not a whiff of scent of any description from it, but I haven't actually stuck my nose into it to check this year. In past years it has been fruity. It doesn't have the spotty markings on the leaves etc of the D. vulgaris, and is altogether much more elegant. Otherwise, very similar to it's kin. Multiplying happily as well, although as yet I have still only ever had one flower each year. :-\
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Hi Everyone,
Paul, I think you, Lesley, Otto and me have the same camera?? I can't afford to upgrade right now though this little unit has been very servicable.
John, the good old polystyrene box has been the back bone of my seed raising efforts but can be a problem when they break when in midstride! Have you tried getting in closer with your camera or can't you find a focus point up close?
I love that dracunculus - it reminds me of a tall white chocolate latte. Anita, she occasionally of the Forum, sent me two lots of seed of it but I don't find it long-lived. How old is yours Paul? My poor old Dracunculus vulgaris are languishing down at my partner's place. No flowers, and looking very drawn and forlorn. Didn't realize how much they need very high light levels.
Cheers, Marcus
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Marcus,
If you want a corm or two of the Dracunculus canariensis just let me know. I've had mine for something like 6 or 7 years, given to me as a corm originally rather than seed grown. It's multiplying slowly, so I think fairly happy. It gets plenty of sunshine, but is in a slightly protected area as it is suppsoed to be a bit more cold sensitive than vulgaris? My vulgaris haven't done well the last couple of years with out different weather recently. I expect them to be back to normal next year as this summer is forecast to be back to our normal heat etc.
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I've always used polystyrene boxes because they are so very light and even full of plants are quite carriable for a rapidly aging female. I suppose better for the environment but the mushroom boxes we used to get are now replaced with cardboard but I was fortunate recently when one of my market vendors retired - he and his wife were both in their early 80s so I suppose that was fair enough - and wasn't able to sell his market garden as a going concern so he sold me 124 polys for $1 each, all brand new and in perfect condition and boy, have I needed them, so many of my older ones showing their age. My son, now aged 40, when really mad at me for some reason, used as a small boy to go out and kick a few, reducing my supply but in those days we could buy them from the supermarkets for 20c or else just take them away for free.
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I have a stash of them in various stage of decay or damage. I used to collect them from a fruit and veg wholesaler every year but find I have enough now to recycle, with a few repares, usually with that very useful material, corflute. BTW while I am talking about nuts and bolts things - do any of you use seramis or appulgate clay-based kitty litter to grow seeds or plants into?
A few things from the rock garden, not rare stuff but things that survive neglect on a dry stoney slope.
Rhodanthemum African Eyes - I love this plant! Rarely out of flower in the spring and summer.
Rhodanthemum ? - I don't know what it is - got it from my Mum.
Centaurea ? bella - I forgotten, but a beauty from Otto
Achillea clavennae - another little beauty
Dianthus seedling - stunning colour is a standout. From Otto "The Man" Fauser
Cheers, Marcus
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Marcus,
The smelly theme prompts me to say that somehow I thought your rockery would spell out Curry, an answer you'd have to be horticulturally Keen to appreciate. My own D. vulgaris seem to be able to flower with only about half a days sun, though still a few weeks away from blooming.
Paul,
You never told me where the D. canariensis you gave me, which is flourishing, came from. Was it a commercial source?
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Rob,
It came from a friend who used to live in Canberra but is now interstate and have more or less lost contact with. I have no idea where she would have got it from originally. It could have been traded with someone, or received from some obscure commercial source? I really don't know.
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Marcus,
Re seramis or appulgate clay-based kitty litter.... not me. Never tried either of them.
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A CURRY-shaped rockgarden? Now that would spice it up! Though I'm not sure I am keen to cook up something as crazy as that. But it's something we could theoRICE about.
Have you been tempted to try these Paul? What about you Lesley? Or anyone? What about the onco and aril growers?
Paul, I have a box full of baby D. canariensis but if yours sets seed I would appreciate it (or some of it)
Rob, I can give you a few of those if you want? Send me a PM. BTW your seed of Corydalis malkensis has germinated ;D
Cheers, Marcus
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Sorry Paul have you been tempted by seramis or appulgate clay-based kitty litter? Not the curry and rice :P
Cheers, Marcus
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Rob, your comment on Curry and Keen will slip past all the otherwise "pun-loving" forumists. Marcus, post a picture from your front window so they understand!!
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Marcus , the dwarf Centaurea is simplicaulis from Armenia ,
Your Campanula tridentata is very freeflowering , my aucheri/ tridentata does not flower so freely for me .
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John,
I'll have to go down the road to get that picture but its raining right now! Sorry to be very local and parochial - but do any of you think BOM are a little bit over the top with their current extreme weather warning?? Earthquakes in Italy, floods in Queensland, .... litigation jitters perhaps?
Cheers, Marcus
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Marcus, the problem with my current camera is that even in macro mode it doesn't always focus on the flower I'm photographing in the foreground. At other times it looks focused on the screen on the back of the camera, but when I look at it on my computer screen it's not in focus at all. The screen on the back of the camera obviously doesn't have a high enough resolution. There's no manual focus on my camera.
I have been shown a really nice new camera at my local camera store which is a mix between a compact camera and digital SLR. It does brilliant macro photography and you can even select a point that you want the camera to focus on (such as flower) and then move the camera around to set the shot up nicely and the camera will track the focus point that you've selected. The screen on the back has a high resolution so it's easy to see what's in focus. It is, however, the most expensive compact camera in the store. :-\
I don't want to get a digital SLR because I don't know enough about photography to understand all the settings.
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Marcus,
No, not tempted as yet. I'm guessing it is for drainage? I doubt my Drac will set seed, as only a single clone. Hasn't set seed in the past, but you never know.
Jon,
Which is the new camera you've been looking at?
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John,
Marcus doesn't have to venture outside to satisfy anyone's idle curiousity. The wind rain and hail should keep anyone sensible inside today, BOM warnings about downed power lines or not. Instead, sensation seekers merely need go to his profile page and crank up the magnification. Myself, I say NO CABLE CAR.
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I enjoy the many pictures of the nice and interesting plants shown in this thread very much while we have during this time of year a majority of only grey days here.
The pictures of the styropor boxes gave me some nostalgic memories of our nursery in the 1970s. We were in the 60s and 70s probably the first perennial plant nursery in Europe which started to grow our square pots in boxes. First in styropor boxes, but later in stronger plastic crates.
I found some scanned dias and hopefully you don't mind I show some here too?
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Fascinating, Luit . What a lot of work is represented there!
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4 Sax. Harder Zwerg
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some more
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The man on picture 9 is young Christian Kress, now owner of Sarastro Nursery in Austria,
who did a practical year at our nursery after finishing his learning period in Switzerland
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We had more than 25 years Hovawart dogs at the nursery. These are originally German
estate guard dogs and lovely family dogs.
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Fascinating, Luit . What a lot of work is represented there!
And we enjoyed the work very much :)
By the way, we let the glasshouses completely demolish during the last week :-\ :-X, which means only gardening outside in the future :).
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Luit:
Is that because of Global warming?
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Now that's polystyrene box city! I thought I had a few but this effort is ridiculous.
Great to see what other people do.
Thanks. Marcus
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Paul - The camera I'm looking at is the Nikon P7700.
Luit - I love all the old photos of the nursery. What great memories.
I have an alstroemeria that has either self sown, reverted to original stock or created a sport (if that's at all possible). You can see the original red / pink in the background and the new yellow flower in front. I've had the clump growing for about 20 years and last year was the first time the yellow flower appeared in the middle of the clump. It's the only alstroemeria I have and I haven't seen any growing in my neighbour's gardens. I like it whatever it is. I like the soft blush of pink on the inner petals and the more vibrant red / pink on the outside.
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Luit,
Absolutey fascinating!!
Jon,
It could be a sport or perhaps you had some seed set and one of those has flowered. A seedling could easily be a totally different colour to the parent. Nice flower.
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Marcus,
A friend uses half potting mix to half Coles brand non clumping kitty litter for rose cuttings in summer which are placed in big ziplock bags with drainage holes and placed in good light out of the sun. She has great success. I did hear of someone else recently who used only kitty litter and had success.
Poly box city here too - yes I hate it when you are using a very old one and it breaks. 12 pots fit into the size that I like to use as the box then fits nicely into a watering tub to absorb water from below.
Luit what a huge nursery you had. Now I know why you have so many different and unusual bulbs.
Marcus I will need to visit Hobart to hand over to the next HRIA National Executive Membership Secretary role in early January. I am thinking around the 15th, 16th,17th at this stage. Will you be around somewhere then?
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Good Lord Luit! Poly boxes stretching to the far horizons. Were these originally fish boxes or were they used in the first place for something else, or even made specially for plants?
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Hi all, I’m very glad you liked my memory pictures :D We don’t have so many pictures, because we were to busy with the plants and didn’t have the time even to think about making pictures ::)
Luit:
Is that because of Global warming?
Arnold, it’s more for economic reasons. Breaking down the glass houses will save me money, while Global warming only will cost more, one way or another ;D ;D
Lesley, you will remember that clay pots always had to been dug into the ground.
When we first started with plastic pots in the mid 60s, we could save a lot of time because we only had to put them on the soil, but water them more. The advantage was that we could deliver the pots with less weight to customers like garden centers who could keep them easier alive and sell them.
When visiting once a huge nursery where they grew masses of ground carpeters like Berberis and Cotoneaster in plastic pots on black plastic sheets, we saw some plants standing in some wooden fish boxes which were looking more compact but very healthy.
Back home we kept thinking and found out that cucumbers were exported in poly boxes with HOLLAND prints on the sides. During the production of these boxes there were always a lot of misprints and we could acquire them very cheap because the Plant was not too far away from us. I still remember that many nurserymen laughed about our silly plant production in these boxes, but we kept some open days and after 5 years most nurseries did grow plant like we did ::) ::) :P
Here a picture from an old journal of one of the first German potting machines we used in the 60s.
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Here are a few things in flower now, as you see, everything is in "packing-up-to-move" mode, in pots and boxes. Still lots to do and even the trays that are ready to go are now needing weeding so I'll have to put a few days aside for that. I don't want weeds to seed into the pots as the problem is just transferred to the new place.
I'm endlessly intrigued each year as I do a new batch of seedlings, from Saponaria pumila (which I've had as pumilio.) The true plant is first then a seedling from the same batch. Another, yet to open fully, has much deeper, almost red flowers.
I've always struggled with Meconopsis quintuplinervia in my dry garden but two plants I bought at last year's Frit and Small Bulb Grp meeting have flourished in this year's wet spring.
Aurinia saxatilis 'Dudley Neville' has biscuit-coloured flowers and goes well with apricot and orangey things. Maybe still better known as Alyssum. I lost my DN but retrieved some seed from the dying plant. This has fortunately come exactly true to colour, though it's not shown well here.
Rupicapnos africana is doing surprisingly well considering the wet but it was always best in a sandy/gritty mix, on the top of a drystone wall in a previous garden. I hope for some seeds as it's not long-lived.
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I'll try for the other 4 pics but twice I've had an error message that my file is too big, the maximum attachment allowed being 500KB. Under the area to write the post, it says max of 10 at max of 500 each, and also says max of 500KB in total. Surely there's an extra 0 missing in there?
I've tried to post just 5 pics and all are less than 300KB each.
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Now I have a message that there's a server error and to try again later.
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I'll try for the other 4 pics but twice I've had an error message that my file is too big, the maximum attachment allowed being 500KB. Under the area to write the post, it says max of 10 at max of 500 each, and also says max of 500KB in total. Surely there's an extra 0 missing in there?
I've tried to post just 5 pics and all are less than 300KB each.
Sorry Lesley, we had been making some additions and did miss a 0 when we reset the upload limit. We have sorted it now so it is back to how it was before 10 files of 500kb per post.
Cheers
Ian
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Thanks Ian. Inevitably I tried to use the system just at the wrong moment. ::) In a hurry with some papers to sign at solicitor's office but will have another go later.
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A few of my dianthus (pinks) seedlings are showing promise.There are 200 seedlings to flower this year from selected crosses.The seed used was over 5 years old that I have kept from crosses done when living in Tasmania. :)
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Some lovely flowers there Paul. Have you considered thrying to get them into commerce?
Cheers, Marcus
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Yes please Paul I will be interested in buying some of your crosses or seeds of them. One of my loves.
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They're excellent Paul. Great form and brilliant colours. I'd be interested too.
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Put me on your mailing list too.
John
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I've always had a fondness for the stripey ones. The rich red is very good too - well so are the others. :)
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Here we go again, hopefully.
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Thanks for the interest re my dianthus seedlings.There will also be a range of border carnations and some standards bred from the old Australian Fairweather and Avonmore stock.I'll propagate some of the better ones and will be in touch with those who have shown interest.
Marcus--quite some time back I was approached by a company wanting to market them via micro-propagation, but I wasn't particularly interested.I had some beauties then, including some very fine laced pinks and border picotees. The laced stock is gone, but I am waiting on a grand total of 16 border picotees to flower this year, both y/g and w/g.The clove scent is superb, well do I remember a blue/grey that I had and intended to market named Beyond Blue, proceeds going to the organisation of that name.
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Hi Paul R,
I was wondering what sort of growth habit your pinks have - are they suitable for a rock garden or more for the border?
'Beyond Blue' sounds a great thing.
cheers
fermi
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Paul R,
You pinks seedlings are beautiful. They're tough little plants! I had one in my garden (grown from seed) that flowered until the tree canopy put it in almost full shade. It survived (without flowering) for about 8 years until I finally moved it to full sun and it's flowering again. It survived the drought with no supplementary watering.
Please let me know when they're released. ;)
Lesley,
I hope those beautiful flowers travel well.
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Paul - do you still have your Beyond Blue plant?
I think Pinks have a special place in Australia and yours would do well commercially if they look good in a pot. That seems to be the micropropagator's measure these days.
You weren't tempted to get yours "out there" to a wider public? (And make some money?) Its the way of the future I'm afraid and why not jump on board.
Anyway I look forward to seeing some more postings.
Cheers, Marcus
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DBI Wanganui Gem which flowered for me in September is now flowering again! I'm glad I obtained this little beauty from Fermi.
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'Wanganui Gem' is a great little plant, bred by the late Jean Stevens of Wanganui in the North Island. She bred other fine plants too, including the first true pink tall bearded var. From that one, all the modern pinks have come by circuitous routes. The advantage about WG is that reblooming quality as it also blooms in autumn most years. It should be used, maybe is, to introduce the remontant (reblooming) characteristic into little bearded irises.
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Having another try.
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Some bulbs/corms
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And again
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Like little sunshines those Lewisias :) . I am expecting to see my yellow ones to flower next summer for the first time.
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Hi everyone, well just about settled back into reality after a wonderful trip to NZ. Dad and the mower didn't get on at all (in fact he's killed it) so imagine 21 days of no mowing :o That and heaps of weeding, oh the joys of coming home!
We did see some fantastic gardens while we were over there and met some great people. Thank you so much for the kind comments Lesley after our meeting at the botanical gardens. I really enjoyed it, and Amarlie took some great photos. I have attached one of us in the Clive Lister garden.
I also saw that you were talking about Larnach Castle in the previous month and were having fun with your camera so attached a couple of photos from there as well.
We are still sorting out the photos, approx 7500 all up ;D
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We are still sorting out the photos, approx 7500
Yup, that sounds like a good trip! ;) 8)
The gardens look terrific..... and even Ian the Christie Kind would be pleased with that huge blue poppy!
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Glad you are safely home Lesley. Your super book will be on the way on Monday. Lots of oohs and aahs over it. :D
The yellow Lewisias are really lovely Virpi. I bought this one from a local nursery (Hokonui Alpines) who had a stand at the International Daffodil Show in Dunedin, in September. Needless to say it was not the only plant I bought! The yellow fades as it ages then goes apricot as the flower dies, but still is pretty and will make a nice combo with the Alyssum and the bright orange Erysimum 'Orange Flame' which I like a lot but is not the easiest plant to place.
The Watsonia is possibly not correctly named as I have it from two sources and tho' they look similar, the one pictured here is about 40cms high while the other grows to just 15cms. I'm not too bothered either way. The Gladiolus is one of those plants whose origin I don't know. It was just there one day. I never bought it, never was given it, didn't grow it from seed so who knows, but it's a lovely thing. No perfume. The double Narc. poeticus I really do love in spite of generally. NOT liking doubles and the split cups etc. This was a favourite of my late mother's who knew of it from her reading. Apparently it grows on the Orkney Islands but as a naturalized, not native plant, and is not known in the wild elsewhere - or so she told me. The perfume is wonderful and of course it is precious because it flowers so late, later than any other daff.
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The little viola grows to a very tight matlet and flowers freely but is NOT V. albanica, under which name it is sold here. It had the cornuta horn at the back and I believe it may be a hybrid. Gerd Knoche is not sure so if has doubts, I'm certainly not going to be certain. It has not set seed for me in the past and is listed by a nursery as sterile but this year it has at least a dozen little fat pods so far. The job will be to collect the seed before it pings away.
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Lathyrus nervosus is another favourite with me, known as Lord Anson's Blue Pea. My originals were from seed given to me by a Canterbury artist and photographer, Heather Hill who had the seed from Graham Stuart Thomas with whom she corresponded. It flourished in my previous garden, seeding into the gravel driveway and as we had a layby at our gate where stock trucks, milk tankers and such stopped to have their lunch, we had a succession of big, brawny men coming to the door asking what was that marvellous plant spilling out through the fence? Many took plants away with them.
Oddly, it has struggled in this garden and was eventually overtaken by a blackberry patch about 6 or 8 years ago. Then just a year ago I found a small seedling in new soil which had been bought in a couple of years ago. There was no way the seed could have been in that soil, so yet another little mystery but I'm so pleased to have it again. no seed as yet though.
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We all know about the hoonish tendencies of males when they congregate and here we have proof!
[attach=1]
Here we see 4 otherwise sensible forumists lounging around a "hoon-mobile" known as "GD" - gardener's delight!
[left to right: Fermi, John Grimshaw, Otto, Paul T]
cheers
fermi
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Nice to see that bunch of hoons though. ;D
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"hoon" ?
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I recognise those wheels. 8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoon)
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"hoon" ?
A former Defence Minister who later attempted to sell his services to the highest bidder (allegedly).
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A former Defence Minister who later attempted to sell his services to the highest bidder (allegedly).
;D ;D ;D par for the course these days!
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Crumbs! Lesley showing a double daffodil!!! :o That one is an exception though, isn't it? Smelly too?
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My Watsonias flowered months ago.
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For those of us a little slow on the uptake Fermi please name the hoons from left to right.
You know I have only met Otto out of that bunch doing the council worker lounge. ::)
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Pat,
Left to right.....Fermi, John Grimshaw (currently over from the UK for a speaking engagement), the venerable Otto, and lastly, the idiot from Canberra. 8)
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"Hoon" in the NZ context anyway and probably Australian as well, usually refers to young men (say teenagers to 30) who are full of testosterone but sadly lacking in common sense or any concept of responsibility especially when behind the steering wheel of a car. Boy racers would be as good example.
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Yes Anne, deliciously scented. I planned a while back to show some superb examples of "favourite" daffodils, taken at the International Daff show here in Dunedin in September. In the finish I couldn't bring myself to do it because I doubted if I could restrain myself from comment and as a friend at the show pointed out, they were someone's precious prize entries and I mustn't say those things. But I'll show them here now, without comment. You can imagine what I MAY have said at the time.
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So my only comment is "No comment!"
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And finally -
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Much nicer, perhaps someone could identify this Rhododendron for me please. A pure, rich pink with a little light spotting, the truss is roughly globular and about 18cms top to bottom or side to side.
And I really love the remains of Mec quintuplinervia, after the petals have fallen. No wind or rain have messed it up.
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And finally -
Wau!
Beautiful!
Thank's Lesley!
Best Regards! zvone
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"Hoon" in the NZ context anyway and probably Australian as well, usually refers to young men (say teenagers to 30) who are full of testosterone but sadly lacking in common sense or any concept of responsibility especially when behind the steering wheel of a car. Boy racers would be as good example.
Thanks Lesley. I didn't detect over much testosterone in the picture! :P
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My Watsonias flowered months ago.
My Watsonias flowered years ago. :'(
johnw
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Thanks Lesley. I didn't detect over much testosterone in the picture! :P
Mmm, I agree David. Hoons usually get into the vehicle and drive off like so many maniacs. They don't usually just dangle negligently over the side. ;D I think that lot are past the hooning stage.
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Mmm, I agree David. Hoons usually get into the vehicle and drive off like so many maniacs. They don't usually just dangle negligently over the side. ;D I think that lot are past the hooning stage.
:o :o :o
I had to get my eye-glasses - thank goodness - to find that Lesley had said "past the hooning stage"! I thought she'd gone all Scottish on us! [but probably still correct]
;D ;D ;D
cheers
fermi
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Hope you were never at that stage Fermi. ;D
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Arr, I get it now!
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I don't. :-\ Then again, it's late and I'm tired. Just got back from Victoria. Only about 800km or so today. ;D Still got to unpack the car..... the whole ute is full, including a nearly 7 foot tall standardised weeping laburnum that I managed to get in there with a bit of effort. Let us not discuss at any time how much I spent on plants this week...... never mention it again. :o
First time I have ever filled up the camera card... I haven't checked but there must be more than 700 pics I've taken in the last 6 days. I will post some when I get the chance..... I promise, Otto.
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I meant to add to the previous pics, one of a PC Iris hybrid, a seedling from the good batch of seed Brian Ellis sent to me not so long ago. Here it is now. Of about 40 seedlings just 4 have flowered so far but all have been quite different, within the general "Rose" colouring of the original label and different shapes too.. This one was almost black in bud before the petals started to spread. The pale patches are not rain damage but actual rain, shining in the sun and dried to be the right colour next day. One was a soft lilac/pink with wide, arching falls and very upright standards, one a pretty mug-of-milky-cocoa colour and one mid pink with deep red veining. Although not in flower or even bud, I took 20 to the daff show where the OAGG had a stall and all sold very quickly. Now I'm wishing I'd kept the lot until they'd all flowered.
The sub-text here is very obvious I suppose. If you are reading this Brian, may I have some more seed please when some is available? Pretty please? :-*
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Excellent Lesley, I shall certainly tickle it's fancy again next year for you. ;D
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Great colour, Lesley.
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Thank you Brian, I knew I could count on you. ;D
Yes Paul, the colours of the whole 4 were great and different, all worth growing on. They'll look very good in established clumps. It seems already that the arching falled one and the cocoa one may be setting seed so they seem to be very fertile.
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I think this is what I eventually got as Yucca brevifolia - in folwer for the first time and the spike wasn't even evident 10 days ago!
cheers
fermi
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What a beauty Fermi! 8)
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A real stunner Fermi. Your dry climate has some definite advantages. :D
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Excellent Lesley, I shall certainly tickle it's fancy again next year for you. ;D
Brian are they from Broadleigh Rose?
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Yes they are Davey, well spotted.
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Fermi,
Excellent yucca. I love the pink edging. Beautiful.
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Fermi,
Excellent yucca. I love the pink edging. Beautiful.
Yes, I'm impressed by it but unfortunately it's probably not Y. brevifolia ???
Some other Americans in the garden:
Calochortus splendens
Thalictrum tuberosum - first flower from seed sown in 2005!
Penstemon buckleyi
Allium abramsii - first flower from seed sown 2009 from NARGS Seedex
cheers
fermi
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Interesting Allium, Fermi. I rather like that one.
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These are out just now though like me, thoroughly sick of cold weather, a second day today of 12C and rain.
Clematis gentianoides, the only one from a packet of many seeds sent a few years ago by RK in Tasmania. It is still in its seed pot which is still in the trough the seed pots were in. Removed the others and filled the trough with compost and have planted some other mainly greyish things. The Clematis roots fill the trough so it will have to be moved in situ. It has set no seed in several years of good bloom.
Iris barbatula is ever reliable and with the bumble bee visiting every flower as I watch, I'm hopeful of more seed. This is one of several plants which I feel should be sown in the pots in which they will mature, rather than pricking out or separating for potting on. It's at that stage I seem to lose them, or in the first winter. If sown, germinated then left to grow on, they may do better. Iris decora and Gentiana verna are two others, a tiny pinch of G. verna seed in each pot, spread over.
Antirrhinum 'Black Prince' I love for it's stunning colour, both the dark red foliage and flowers which in reality, are much deeper red than shown here. It's that camera thing again. I am planning an all red garden and this will be one of the inhabitants.
Silene hookeri, the Ingramii Group. My few plants set enough seed each year to keep it going as a new batch of seedlings the following year. Then these too seed and generally die off in winter so I always have it but not much and individually, not for long.
Finally, JW in Nova Scotia sent me some seed of Lilium mackliniae from Fin Haugli but originally I think, from Glendoick. This was sown in Nov 2008 and is flowering in 4 years exactly. It was going to bloom last year but was too dry at the wrong time. The colour is again deeper pink than the pictures show.
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Lesley - You always seem to be dropping horticultural bombshells. So that L. macklinae seed, flowering it in 4 years eh, as I still wait for a seed to sprout. :o Wait a minute it's worse than that, you've got your dates wrong - you got that seed in November 2009 so it would have sprouted in 2010 - now I am truly disgusted.
I present the blurry evidence.
Nice colour.
johnw
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Clematis gentianoides..... It has set no seed in several years of good bloom.
Dioecious.
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Well that's odd John as I have Nov 2008 written on the label. Are you sure you didn't send some the year before 2009? The others germinated too, Nom. pardanthina was one and a couple of others, would have to go and check the labels and it's dark now, 10 pm and off to bed as an early start with the market. I'll have a look tomorrow when I'm home again.
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Dioecious.
Damn!
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Well that's odd John as I have Nov 2008 written on the label. Are you sure you didn't send some the year before 2009?
:-[ Indeed he sent some of the seeds the year before too and I see the email where I mailed them to you on the 20 Oct 2008. I sent Bill some from the second lot the next year.
johnw
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I had a visit from Bill Dijk yesterday. He was well and it was great to catch up over coffee and cakes. 8)
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That's good to hear that my mind hadn't gone completely and I was trying to pretend it wasn't as late as I realize it is - if you see what I mean.
The others are all fine though need bigger pots for now and haven't budded yet. There's Lil. ox. insigne, Nom. pardanthina, N. aperta, a good form according to the label, N. x Findlayorum, all germinated well and are growing well at this time. More flowers next year I should think.
Will take a pic this morning of another rhodo which could be one of the Lem's hybs though not Lem's Monarch which I see I have in my new garden but not a good plant, two spindly, slanting stems which look as if they've grown away from a broken base. Both are in full bloom now but maybe the whole thing needs to be cut off and started over. Can't do that until late Feb though.