September 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere

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More from FCHS:
Dishes of Hellebores
Otto won a blue ribbon for his trough of saxifrage
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Camellia bench
Rex's Blue Ribbon Cyclamen rohlfsianum foliage
Rex's posy
Maisie's posy
Otto's posy

more to come (and check out some on the South African Thread)
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Don't worry, Maggi, I haven't forgotten you!
I've posted the Rhodo pics on the appropriate thread!

Maisie's Trillium rivale
Hélène's Dracophyllum secundum x 2
Otto's Crocus....
Ficaria verna 'Brazen Hussey'
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Andrew's Cyclamen pseudibericum
Cyclamen persicum
Inge's Primula bhutanica hybrid
Otto's primula vulgaris 'Striped Victorian'
Narcissus 'Beryl'

cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Some very impressive exhibits there from the Southern Folks 

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Yes, it's been a good season so far!
Here are some more:
Hippeastrum x 2
Daffodils
Div 5s
Sue Thompson's Blue Ribbon,

cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Thanks for posting those fermi, you made me consider going to the royal Adelaide show for the horticultural pavilion, but alas it's an absolute madhouse, $23 admission and I have zero interest in side show alley. Maybe I'll brave it next year.

I love Otto's trough of saxifrage. I'm inspired to make my own.

[Tim Ingram]

I have a sad feeling of déjà vu after Maggi's comment above - I've just mentioned the fight for the Franklin River back in the 1980's in my AGS Diary, and it's hard to believe such a similar situation is arising again. There is something about a landscape like this picture by Peter Dombrovskis in 'Wild Rivers'. The economic benefit of the Tasmanian Wilderness in terms of tourism and recreation must be huge - it is a completely unique environment. Presumably it is also possible to have long term planning for sustainable timber planting and felling, or is there a big demand for natural stands of climax forest?

[Hillview croconut]

Beautiful photo Tim. I bet you are pleased you took them.  Such enduring memories.

It's probably not a good idea to get into the politics of this here. Jon has provided a glimps into the other side of the debate. Suffice to say is a highly complex situation made more so by the usual political machinations and domination of the Forest Agreement process by too few vested interests. The result: a backlash from the conservative side of politics who declare things  things went too far and claim a mandate to pull it back. The problems in forestry have their origins further back in time when Gunns were handed a virtual monopoly and it was profitable to clear fell and flog the whole forest as woodchips. Bad practice set in and a weak bureaucracy,  who were dependent on royalties, stood by meekly.  Even in the face of falling world demand for woodchips and the looming need to meet world forest certification standards they did nothing!

Anyway hope this might provide some context.

Cheers,  Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

Fermi, make sure that Kiwi gets home in good condition.

Here is a saxifraga, new to me, that Otto may like to add to his trough sometime. I'm putting up two images, the same photo, because the first shows the true colour of the foliage, grey/green rosettes while the second, adjusted slightly shows the ABSOLUTELY TRUE colour of the flower, its very first.

The picture was taken yesterday. Today it is the same but speckled heavily with yellow pollen from the local pine trees as is everything else. Strong wind last night.

The third picture is of an NZ raised form of Iris unguicularis, called 'Purple Trinity.' This one was given to me last year by sometime Forumist Bill Dijk. He has my warmest thanks.

[Hillview croconut]

PS Sorry Tim I see now that this is a Dombroskis picture. What a genius that guy was.  Alas died too young. Have you been down the Franklin?

[rob krejzl]

Same response as Marcus,

This business is less a considered economic response and more a political one - shoring up votes by being 'tough'. It has to be read alongside the state government's new anti-protest laws (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-27/anti-protest-laws-pass-tasmania27s-lower-house/5554064). Remember the absolutely farcical attempt to delist the recently approved World Heritage forest here - rejected in just 10 minutes at Doha. Unless one believes that the Coalition government is completely incompetent (tempting), it seems likely that this attempt was for purely domestic political reasons. So it is for the state government; re-opening this argument appeals to all those who believe that 'Greens are Liars' as I saw on a neighbour's bumper sticker. Economically it's a non-starter, since anything harvested will have to be sold overseas and will run into the same reluctance (one assumes) that brought the timber industry to the negotiating table in the first place.

[Jupiter]

We had a lovely weekend here and even found time to take some photographs.


Frit. acmopetala




Tropaeolum tricolor in full swing now




My first ever Pleione, this one called "Hekla" (thank you Otto).




Common old Ranunculus (cv. asiatica? asiaticus), Rebecca grows them for cutting.




Trop. pentaphyllum just getting started




Frit. graeca f. graeca

[Hillview croconut]

Absolutely stunning pics Jamus! I wish I could use your Fritillaria acmopetala in my catalogue I'm sure I could sell a swag of bulbs on the basis of that photo alone.

Very well put Rob. I couldn't agree more with your analysis. We need a certification program big time then maybe we can have a sensible debate about what to do with these ancient forests. I am personally not opposed to selected logging or specialty timber harvesting and maybe even some redrawing of the boundaries (I know that will sound like revisionist blasphemy). But I don't know enough. And I won't know enough until this blustering government is prepared to listen and consult and not continue to play the strong man.

Anyway as Rob and I are Taswegians we could probably carry on this discussion "until the cows come home" but for the sake of the true nature of the thread I will leave it at that.

Cheers, Marcus

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi, make sure that Kiwi gets home in good condition.

Here is a saxifraga, new to me, that Otto may like to add to his trough sometime.

Hi Lesley,
she's in fine condition and sorry she couldn't meet you for lunch on Saturday!
Here you can see she was getting her just desserts or was she just getting desserts?

Here's a pic of another of Otto's saxy troughs; your one would fit in nicely here
cheers
fermi