November 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Anthony Darby]

Today's forecast was for 25^oC in Dunedin.

[Lesley Cox]

It was 29C here half an hour ago at 5pm and 33 in the sitting room. But we're about half way between the city and the airport and neither we nor it get the cool easterly afternoon wind. Not a breath of wind.

[Anthony Darby]

Phew!

[fermi de Sousa]

this came labelled as Aquilegia viridiflora but I seem to remember some discussion about that...


This came as Amsonia jonesii and though it doesn't fit the images for that species on NARGS Forum by Mark McD, it's still a nice thing at the edge of the shaded bed,




The tall spuria iris are starting,


I think this one is "Intensity"


not sure about this one's name,


cheers
fermi

[Tecophilaea King]

On one of my walks along the Mount Maunganui beach this morning I came across several  patches of this colourful Nasturtium majus  (Tropaeolum majus).
Nasturtiums are peppery edible flowers which are beautiful added to fresh salads or as garnish to cheesey spreads and other savory foods.
Guess what we had with our BBQ steak and sausages last night?

[annew]

Fermi - I LOVE Amsonias! If you should have any spare seeds....?

[Lesley Cox]

Two lovely things out at present are below. I can take no credit for the Meconopsis as I bought two seedlings just under a month ago. By planting them in the same pot I hoped to be able to cross pollinate but only one is in bloom for now anyway.

Meconopsis delavayi


and Dicentra 'Ivory Hearts.' Happily, this makes a little seed each year and it comes true.

[fermi de Sousa]

Anne, I'll send you a PM.

Back in the garden, the Iris halophila is repeating its performance by sending up a second round of spike a foot taller than the ones which opened a week ago.


This patch of Calochortus venustus shows some variation in markings as they were raised from seed from the NARGS 2008 Seedex.




This Calochortus umpquaensis came from Marcus Harvey this year,


cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

In two crevice troughs (the Hokonui ones) are these at present.

Oxalis 'Matthew Forest'  hybrid between enneaphylla and laciniata I think. The colour is more intense than the pic shows.


Primula daonensis from Pilous seed. The upper stem is past its best.


Primula modesta var. I'm hoping Giles will tell me the correst name. It's a delightful little compact plant and makes nice seed.

[Lesley Cox]

Two of Myosotis colensoi, a NZ native and the notes Kiwi (Doug) made late October are confirmed  here.




Finally a little tight growing viola which for some reason has been sold in NZ as V. albanica. It is not, but I'm 99% sure it is the very compact V. cornuta 'Minor.' Maybe Gerd K, if he sees this, would care to comment. It has a distinct horn at the back though not visible here.

[Paul T]

Great pics everyone (just starting to venture out into reading more topics finally).  Fermi, you have some glorious Iris and Calochortus.    Interesting stuff too from Marcus (love that little Muscari), and the NZers.  So many lovely things shown here already, and we're only a week into November!!

[Hillview croconut]

Hi,

I'm following Fermi into calochortus season. Been a good spring for them so a good many flowers coming on. Here are a few:

C. argillosus
C. catalinae
C. leichtlinii
C. palmeri
C. vestae

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Few more of the highly variable, and often superb, Calochortus venustus. M

[Paul T]

Beautiful, Marcus.

[Gerdk]

Finally a little tight growing viola which for some reason has been sold in NZ as V. albanica. It is not, but I'm 99% sure it is the very compact V. cornuta 'Minor.' Maybe Gerd K, if he sees this, would care to comment. It has a distinct horn at the back though not visible here.
(Attachment Link)

Hi Lesley,
99 % is somewhat too high - I suggest your viola is about 70 % cornuta 'Minor'.
But seriously - almost the dwarf form of Viola cornuta but according flower shape and colour there must be another pansy in its line of ancestors.

Gerd