Flowering now May 2007

[mark smyth]

mentioning killing things yesterday I managed to kill a nice plump Narcissus fly. A little squeeze revealed some eggs

[Armin]

what a great colour to paint a house and show off the roses so well! We wouldnt get away with that in the dull UK

Mark, thank you. It was my wifes great idea to have the house painted in sky blue colour.
With the Roses in contrast it's indeed an eye catcher. We like it.

Our house is visible from the main street and we receipt lots of compliments from visitors returning and stop in front of our house. Some house builders copied and it looks we set a local trend...

[David Nicholson]

Armin, I enjoyed looking at your Roses.

[David Nicholson]

Susan, what about 'Purple Haze'. Or you could go the whole hog and call it 'Hendrix'!

[Lesley Cox]

Susan, when naming your iris, why not call it something that is distinctive to you, your area or your nursery? Why not `Pitcairngreen' for instance. Then you have something that is identifiable as yours (so you get the credit) and you avoid (even further) confusion caused by adding it to the long lists of 'Blue something' or 'Purple something' which could be anything from anywhere and bred by anyone. There must be a billion 'Blue...' out there.

[Lvandelft]

Maggi, I had a great trip last week!
I met  several former businessrelations and I saw many
(to me) new plants. It was amazing to see from how far
gardeners came to sell their plants. These are all people
who don’t want to grow what the big gardencenters
and DIY markets dictate to grow and for which prices.
Here people will find many interesting plants!

At the moment I don’t have time to look at the Giro d’Italia.
There is so much to do in the garden, like weeding etc.
And the weather is good for planting and I have still many
spaces for new plants.

Here are some pictures of this week:
Geranium ibericum ‘Vital’
Geranium ibericum ‘Vital’ cl.
Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’
Geranium cinereum ‘Signal’
Geranium cin. ‘Super Ballerina’ which originated in our nursery
years ago and which has a nicer flower than G. ‘Ballerina’
Geranium cinereum Seedling 2, which seem to be a cross between
G. cinereum subcaulescens or splendens with G. cin ‘Ballerina’

[Lvandelft]

most pictures missing ?? Let's try again.

[Susan Band]

Thanks for all the suggestions for Iris names, I will have to get round to naming it and distributing it sometime.
Lesley, I have been trying to think of a prefix for any plants that I want to name for ages. The problem is I am gradually moving all my production away from Pitcairngreen and eventualy, hopefully, my house.
Will have to then change the nursery name as I will no longer live in Pitcairn and no longer grow alpines 
Mind you moving house is not as easy as down under, you have to build a new one, not just put it on the back of a truck.

[Paddy Tobin]

Susan,

Moving house?

So why not call the iris, 'Rambler's Blue'?

Paddy

[David Shaw]

The newest delight in our bulb house is Sauromatum venosum, a Himalyan aroid. Pity it could not have flowered a week earlier for Aberdeen Show!
After the 'flower' dies back it will go out onto the patio where it will put up a most extraordinary foliage display.

[ranunculus]

Difficult to know where to place this topic but I have plumped for this page.
Many of our forum members are keen plants men (and women of course), but many are also very enthusiastic and knowledgeable photographers. The following link combines the two themes in a truly wonderful way. I make no apologies for recommending this site if you have hours to spare and lips to lick...the photographs and slide shows are breathtaking. Your feedback would be appreciated.

http://www.davidsenesac.com/

[Lesley Cox]

That is an amazing site Cliff but yes, lots of time needed. I'll go back very soon - when I have nothing else to do

Since Fermi, the mainstay of the southern topics is still away, I'm putting a couple of autumn flowering plants here, because it is May after all, even though on the other side of the world.

First Oxalis massoniana which is very good this year.



Then what I have had for years as Oxalis peninsulare but may more correctly be O. peduncularis. It is almost bushy and is entirely succulent. From the northern parts of South America I think and is not entirely hardy here but otherwise easy to grow. The flower stems are about 22cms long. It doesn't make bulbs.







I repotted Oxalis laciniata yesterday and found it has increased quite well in the last year. There was a late flower which I discovered was very sweetly scented.

[ranunculus]

Lovely images Lesley, thanks for posting...

a few piccies from the garden this fine, sunny evening...


Androsace foliosa
 Ranunculus parnassifolius
 sunlit Ramonda
 sunlit Ramonda 2
 Paederota bonarota
 Paederota bonarota 2.

[Anthony Darby]

Here's Serapias vomeracea, the Plough-share Serapias. A densely hairy 'tongue' (epichile) is characteristic of this species.

[mark smyth]

thanks for the link, Cliff. I want, I want I want .....