August 2013 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Mini bulb lover]

Fermi, that Juno iris aucheri looks stunning.

Iris reticulata "Natascha", below, has flowered for the first time for me. I find it interesting how it's yellow all the way down the centre of the falls. I've never pulled other iris retic. flowers apart to see if they are all like that. Below that is a photo of Narcissus "Angel's Breath", taken from under the hanging flowers.

[Lesley Cox]

I went last Tuesday to collect a small order from Hokonui Alpines. Funny, but I came home with many more than were on my order form. Can't think how that happened, but it usually does.

The first two pictures here are from Louise's garden, or the first in a glasshouse and the seconf in a creviced trough.

First, Lapeyrousia oreosomething. (Can't remember, but a delightful little bulb with most intersting foliage as well as lovely flowers.

The second is the well known Saxifraga grisebachii 'Wisley' grown to perfection. (Sorry, I've spelt it wrongly in the file name. Will change shortly.)

Next is my own Iris cretensis or, I. unguicularis ssp cretensis. I prefer the former name but...

The last is a tiny Fritillaria stenanthera, just 5cms high and I'm sure it wishes it hadn't bothered. Bcckground of snowdrop leaves.

[Lesley Cox]

At last Magnolia 'Ian's Red' is out and the 2 metre tree has about 50 buds and flowers, not bad! Of course the cold winds have come back just in time for the blooms to open. As they open the deep wine red is becoming pinker but all the same it is glorious.

[Lesley Cox]

IN a local garden centre a few days ago I saw a plant of M. 'Strawberry Fields' which John in NS showed us, a fantastic thing, again about 2 metres and in bud. Roger was with me at the time so I left it but went back next day only to find it gone. It was less than $40 too, very cheap for a flowering magnolia. Carpe diem!

[fermi de Sousa]

First, Lapeyrousia oreosomething. (Can't remember, but a delightful little bulb with most intersting foliage as well as lovely flowers.

Lapeirousia oreogena, Lesley,
One of the best!
cheers
fermi

[johnw]

IN a local garden centre a few days ago I saw a plant of M. 'Strawberry Fields' which John in NS showed us, a fantastic thing, again about 2 metres and in bud. Roger was with me at the time so I left it but went back next day only to find it gone. It was less than $40 too, very cheap for a flowering magnolia. Carpe diem!

Didn't take you long to snag one of those Lesley.  Well done.

johnw

[Anthony Darby]

Snapped this Magnolia at the end of my last Tuesday 6.30 a.m. walk round the Cascade Walkway at Lloyd Elsmore Park Howick of the school hockey season. Earlier on the walk I took some pictures of the creek, which is tidal below the cascade. The homestead which bore the name is long gone, but close by is Howick Historical Village, which relives the time of the Fencible (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_New_Zealand_Fencible_Corps) settlements of the 1850s, and has many old buildings that have been transported there. Mangroves grow in the tidal parts and there are masses of Allium triquetrum, which seems to be taking over New Zealand. I saw a pair of masked lapwings with a single chick.

[Lesley Cox]

Had a nice surprise yesterday when I found a couple of open flowers on a pot of what I though was just non-flowering foliage of a reticulate iris. They are 'Natascha' which I'd not found when I was moving and couldn't replace from the garden centres this year. I've been wondering for a couple of months when the foliage started to grow through, why the pot was labelled "Arisaema species, ex Bill Dijk" Perhaps that will come up later?

Another pleasant surprise was a couple of stems of bloom on Soldanella pusilla. So small I can't photograph them in my camera.

[Lesley Cox]

There's a lot of Allium triquetrum growing around the area of the Dunedin/Mosgiel interchange on Hwy 1. I often smell them as I travel there, but then Roger told me what I'm smelling is the Factory Road salad factory, where they make large quantities of commercial salads for cafes, restaurants, caterers etc. The factory is just beside the interchange.

[Maggi Young]

At the DBG yesterday after a meeting I saw a planting of perhaps 30 Helleborus 'Flash Gordon.' I hoped these might be available as a seed strain but the Internet so far is just giving two or three sources of individual plants, from garden centres. I bet they'll be expensive. Billed as the result of years of selective breeding, the flowers are in a range of bright red to black, paired with very dark green to deepest red foliage. The one I liked best I thought at first was a paeony, crimson blooms and foliage of deepest plum colour, a spectacular plant. They were surrounded too, by a lot of new seedlings from last year's flowers. I'll take my camera tomorrow and see what I can do. The mass planting was really thrilling.

Further to this post, and some  following ones from Lesley on page one of this thread with photos of the lovely Helleborus 'Flash Gordon', I have had  this message today :

Message:

Lots of chat about MY Helleborus 'Flash Gordon' on this page. This is my strain and it breeds pretty well true. I have a huge patch of the mother plants growing in isolation on volcanic soil at 2000 feet. In flower now - eat your heart out!!

Tons of seed Lesley!!

Gordon Collier.
gordonsc@xtra.co.nz
 

[Lesley Cox]

Well I use to know Gordon, it seem ;Ds many years ago. I'll email him and beg nicely.

[Maggi Young]

Please note that while there are recent posts in this thread, they refer back to previous posts here in 2013 - there is a new thread operating for August 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere for current posts.

 New thread : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12120.msg311150#msg311150