January 2011 - Southern Hemisphere

[rob krejzl]

Marvellous photos everyone.

Is that contrast really as strong as in the photo?  That just looks so dark on white.

Paul - Exaggerated by the heavy overcast and the fact that the flower is newly opened, but it is dark. The matte finish makes it look darker than, say, nepalense.

Marcus - botrytis doesn't seem to bother me much, though there's plenty of water damage. My place is fairly open & windy, which helps a bit.

[Paul T]

Rob,

Still gorgeous, even if weather exaggerated the colour.  Congrats on the nepalense too, one I've tried and lost a couple of times here.  It really doesn't like our summers I think.   I probably need to try it in more shade next time I do, along with a few of the other species that haven't made it in the past.  Great to see the pics. 

[Lesley Cox]

I found my first cyc. hederifolium buds this morning and also Acis leucoium, much earlier than usual so I suppose it's all the rain we've had this summer.

Now for something completely different, I've already started to harvest the seeds from a few Pernettya/Gaultheria species. The first is P. prostrata v. pentlandii having flowered for the umpteenth time and the second is from Australian seed but whether native there (Mt Field?) or from Ken Gillanders I'm not sure. The purple fruit of the former are paler this year so far and the apparently purple fruit of the latter are in fact crinson, going almost black as they ripen. Both are super plants and very easy, just liking a dampish place.

[Lesley Cox]

Flowering at last (usually pre-Christmas) is the tiny and dead flat Anagallis tenella 'Studland,' from, I think, the Isle of Pevensey on the UK's south coast. The two larger pots are in the tunnel and a bit etoliated so need to go outside for hardening but these little nursery pots are doing well so long as I keep them damp. Above and beyond are young, cutting-grown plants of Gentiana depressa, some with buds forming.

[Hillview croconut]

Rob,

That is one hell of a L. nepalense bloom - congratulations. Did you grow it from seed?

Lesley - is the second Pernettya from Mt Field? I seem to remember you were looking at some on our visit there. Or were they gautheria?

Fermi - thanks I will try and keep it up - sending out orders might take over everything soon. I forgot to change the name of that  calochortus on my catalogue . We will have to try and consolidate the species we have in Australia now that Ron Ratko has hung up his collecting boots. Do you ever get much seed on C. splendens, catlinae, venustus or leichtlinii?

Cheers, Marcus

[rob krejzl]

Did you grow it from seed?

No. From either you or Rod, can't remember who at the moment.

[Lesley Cox]

There was seed from Mt Field, a couple including Cyathodes straminea which this isn't, and also some from both Ken and Viv Condon but hers were deep black, so not sure of the source of this one. I think all Pernettyas are now Gaultheria. I'll photograph the foliage of this one, as the layout is different. You might ID it from that.

[Hoy]

Lesley, nice Pernettya/Gaultheria plants! I grow some myself here but they do not produce berries.
That Anagallis is new to me, a little cute thing!

I have never had any success with L nepalense. However I blame the gastropods they consume such plants for breakfast.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi guys,

Had a break from lifting bulbs and took the camera around the garden.

Two liles, L. auratum and a hybrid, L. Cherry Bloosom.


Lastly, the Cretan Dittany, O. dictamnus. I have never seen this plant in the wild but I have spotted O. tournefortii. I don't have the latter in my collection but Fermi kindly sent me a lovely plant of O. amanum, which is flowering in my rockgarden and I'm stoked!


Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Hi guy,

Seemed to have stuffed up my first go at inserting pics - oh well, at least they were included in the post

Lesley - Yeah put a photograph up and I'll try to identify it. The native plant nursery that you and Don and me went to is still going strong so ask me if there is anything I can get you there.
Will take a fishing trip up onto the Central Plateau in March so I will keep my eye out for berries then.

Cheers, Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

Look for fruit on Coprosma moorei and the yellow berried form of Pernettya/Gaultheria tasmanica please.

[Tecophilaea King]

Just lately I have been having big problems with the old computer, getting very slow, with crashes, errors, etc, very frustrating.
As a result, I have invested in a new, more powerful 17 inch Dell XPS laptop with the totally different Windows 7 operating system, which I am in the process of learning and getting acquainted with.   Here goes.

Gloriosa superba is a striking tuberous climbing plant with brilliant wavy-edged yellow and red flowers.
Previously several species were recognised in this genus, but these are now all considered to belong to one extremely variable species G.superba.

Marcus, welcome on board. Look forward to many more interesting postings.

[Hoy]

Wonderful Gloriosas!
Ever since childhood have I dreamed of growing them like this. I have tried a few times in pots but that is no option and I can't have them in the garden

[Roma]

Superb Gloriosas.  Love all the different colours growing together.

[Maggi Young]

Superb Gloriosas.  Love all the different colours growing together.

Aren't they just lovely? I'm still getting to grips with the  sheer variety  

 Blasted things have never done well for me.