January 2008 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Below is a superb little Salvia, from the microphylla group but whether that itself or not, I'm not sure. It's been in a hypertufa trough for about 7 years and has split the trough down every corner so that in effect, it's held up by 4 separate slabs of hypertufa. I'm sure the roots will be well down into the ground by now though.

The flowers are not my favourite colour and don't go well with our red brick house but the plant is so good that I'm living with that. Bumble and honey bees adore it and the small foliage is scented rather nicely of a meat paste I used to have on my toast sometimes, as a child.

After flowering, I cut it as hard back as possible (to about 15 cms, as it has very hard woodly stems under the hairdo) and it soon regenerates and flowers all over again. There is a little seed each year if anyone would like some.

[Gerdk]

Lesley Cox A case in point is this below. If anyone can suggest an ID I'd be very pleased. The seed was sown in 2003 I think or perhaps 04 but has just germinated this past autumn/winter. I've looked right back though the records of all my seed sowings and the only thing it could possibly be is either Disporum cantonensis or a couple of Alstroemerias. But in each case I sowed only 4, 3 and 5 seeds respectively and I've potted up 12 of whatever these are. The seeds still attached to the seedlings looked like Lathyrus species but surely no pea would have taken up to 4 years to germinate and anyway, I've no record of having sown a pea except the ones I do each year, such as LL. laxiflorus and nervosa.

Lesley,
Looks like an Alstroemeria (or Bomarea- same family).

Gerd

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Gerd, from the bottom of my heart. At last (with help) the penny drops! I remember that Marjorie Smith in Tasmania sent me some seeds maybe at the end of 2003 or a few months later, of a Bomarea species (can't remember which, but that will come too, eventually). There were round about a dozen, and since then I've occasionally thought, what a waste that was because nothing germinated. So that's what they must be. The lesson learned - use the bread tags in the bottom of the pot and record EVERYTHING in my seed book.

[t00lie]

Bomarea kalbreyeri ? Lesley

[Paul T]

Glad you enjoyed the pics everyone.  The colour of the Commelina is such a pure blue I adore it.

Fermi, my 4N Black Beauty is still a ways off flowering as yet, and unfortunately due ot an accident with a hedge trimmer my normal BB won't be gracing me with flowers this year!! <sigh>

Luit,

Dark stems, but not really black.  The buds look almost black, but open to this deep blue-purple with a paler stripe.  Overall it looks darker than Purple Cloud, although that isn't reflected in teh pictures.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Dave, but no, it's Bomarea caldassii, from RK in Tasmania. I've already put a label on it. Ain't the Forum a wonderful thing?

[Paddy Tobin]

Fabulous Salvia, Lesley. Obviously being cultivated just as it requires as its thriving. Great plant. Pity the colour doesn't entirely suit you.

Paddy

[t00lie]

Any ideas on the name of this small Clematis--about 60 cm in height with stiff stems that require support.
Ta .

Cheers Dave. 

[mark smyth]

that's a great colour combination. Is it actually so blue?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Don't know what it is but it sure is a nice one Dave !

[t00lie]

Thanks Luc.

Mark
That's an interesting question.

It's just on dusk here so i went outside and picked a flower.
Viewing it under artificial light it appears my shots haven't picked up the true colour .The shade is more towards purple as shown near the end of the petal tips in the first pic.
 
I'll take a few more pics tomorrow.
 
Cheers dave.
(Forecast to be warm and dry again tomorrow --mid to late 20s C--what a summer !.).

[Paul T]

Dave,

It looks a lot like C. viorna, although the colour is darker than I can find in any of my reference books (where they say it ranges from a dull purple to pink).  Whatever it is it is VERY pretty, and well worth growing even without a name.

[rob krejzl]

Might be addisonii
Clematis addisonii

[Lvandelft]

David, when it's not C. viorna then it could possibly be C. pitcheri.
Though C. viorna comes first, but maybe a named cultivar.
There are several cvs. grown in Holland by J. van Zoest.
greetings

[Paul T]

Paddy,

Given your favouring of Lilium henryi earlier, here's the yellow version L. henryi citrinum (Thanks again Rob, it's delightful!!)

Also for everyone's enjoyment there's a shaggy double Shasta daisy that I have just been given a piece of.  Not that into the Shastas, but this one is rather pretty.