January 2010 (Northern Hemisphere)

[cohan]

a little midwinter colour--i'll take what i can get! this one flowers reliably from late november through early spring..
edit: forgot to put the name, it's Mammillaria laui ssp subducta

[Gerhard Raschun]

here are a mix of different plants, all are still in flower  

I wish all members a good new year !

Gerhard

Aroid.JPG
cactus.JPG
Crocus cambessedesii 2010.JPG
Iris rosenbachiana 2010a.JPG
Habenaria tridact. 2010a.JPG
Stenorrynchum speciosum 2010.JPG
Pterostylis 2010.JPG

[ashley]

That's a beauty Cohan, presumably snug on a windowsill

Here overnight temperatures are dropping to -6 to -8^oC, at least a couple of degrees lower than we usually get.  Several bromeliads in the garden are showing frostbite as white bands or blotches on the leaves.

Both Puya berteroniana & P. chilensis are almost unaffected.

This one's leaves whiten down the centre but recover fully (so far!).  It came as Fascicularia bicolor but I'm unsure about the ID. 

Not a bromeliad but Beschorneria yuccoides collapses spectacularly in frosty conditions but also recovers fully once temperatures rise again.

Finally, poor old Puya caerulea is a goner.  I've lost it twice now so this one is obviously too tender for my garden 25 km inland from the sea.

[cohan]

gerhard--beautiful flowers and photos! these are indoors/out some of both?

thanks, ashley--yes, on a windowsill, no plant action outdoors for a long time now and a long time yet to come!
the bromeliads are great, wonderful texture for the garden...hope they survive..

[Gerhard Raschun]

gerhard--beautiful flowers and photos! these are indoors/out some of both?

terrestrian orchids , Crocus and Juno are growing in the cold houses
St. speciosum is a tropical genus, which grows in my kitchen  , cactus and Aroid too

[krisderaeymaeker]

a little midwinter colour--i'll take what i can get! this one flowers reliably from late november through early spring..

I am a cacti-grower also Cohan , Is this Mammillaria or is it Escobaria ? (or something else)And the second name?

[Paul T]

Gerhard,

Is the cactus one of the Rhipsalis species, or a close relative?

Ashley,

I didn't realise that Puya and some of those Bromeliad relatives took cold at all.  Interesting!!  I might have to investigate that a little more!    I have a large Beschornaria here (can't recall that species) that is doing very well in a large pot in the middle of the backyard.  Cold doesn't bother it, but it has yet to flower.  Hopefully one day.  I also picked up a variegated one last year as well, but it is MUCH slower growing.

[cohan]

gerhard--of course: plants every place possible

kris--sorry i forgot to put the name, i will go back and add it, it is Mammillaria laui ssp subducta;
i have this plant for some years, in a 10cm pot; it was always only one stem, although it is supposed to be an offsetting species; finally last summer, the growing point split into something like 6 heads--but all still on top of one stem!
so far, i think the flowers are all coming from the centre head..

[krisderaeymaeker]

kris--sorry i forgot to put the name, i will go back and add it, it is Mammillaria laui ssp subducta;
i have this plant for some years, in a 10cm pot; it was always only one stem, although it is supposed to be an offsetting species; finally last summer, the growing point split into something like 6 heads--but all still on top of one stem!
so far, i think the flowers are all coming from the centre head..

Hi Cohan ,of course I had to known this one.
This is always one of the first to flower , but under my growing conditions it is always later.My cacti are growing in a greenhouse were temperature drops to 0° C. 

[Mick McLoughlin]

Nerine filamentosa in the greenhouse, started flowering before Christmas but held rest of buds back during cold spell.

Helleborous niger also holding flowers back.

A few frosty shots from 2 days ago.

Nerine filamentosa
Helleborus niger
Aubretia and Saxifraga
Cyclamen coum
Frosted
Rosularia chrysantha

[cohan]

Hi Cohan ,of course I had to known this one.
This is always one of the first to flower , but under my growing conditions it is always later.My cacti are growing in a greenhouse were temperature drops to 0° C. 

i havent put a thermometer to see how cold they get next to the window--i'm sure there must be some chilly temps there, but the other side faces the living room, where the wood heater is (they have a curtain between) so they get some pretty warm temps from that side!
this year i watered the cacti well into november, though not heavily..

nice shots, mick--good thing frost looks so nice, or it'd have no pluses

[David Nicholson]

Mick, nice Nerine. Did you grow it from seed?

[Mick McLoughlin]

Thanks David, it was from Rare Plants a couple of years ago. 

[KentGardener]

Spent a week in Malta over the New Year - unfortunately I did my back in after 3 days and spent most of the time in my hotel room   - I didn't get to see the Orchids and Narcisus that I was there to spot.  But here are a few snaps I took while I was still mobile.

Arisaema - there were fields of these - haven't identified them yet as still flat on my back on a coctail of anti-inflamatories and painkillers (in the UK now).





and a single yellow flower I spotted among a field of the normal brown ones



This I have no idea what it is - any suggestions?









And finally a little sedum growing in the same area.



Sorry there are not more pics but the holiday was kind of cut short!  Gives me an excuse to go back another year though  

[WimB]

John,

your unknown plant is Asphodelus fistulosus or Asphodelus aestivus or both. A couple of years ago I was in Malta in February and they were still in flower then too.