May 2017 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Hey guys, check out my new crevice pot. I need to wait until seed germinate to plant it up fully but have moved in one little saxifrage for starters. More planting pockets in this pot, apparently I'm learning.

[johnw]

Would love to hear about the background of that bowdenii Vivienne.

john

[Lesley Cox]

I like your pots Jamus. Why don't you sow some seeds actually into the crevices, especially of little things like saxifrages, androsaces and Gentiana verna?  I'm about to start on a winter project to make some mini gardens such a we see at the UK shows, with a high mountain in a round pot and the whole thing planted with small plants. I think the mountains are usually tufa which we don't have here so I'm going to try my hand at actually making the rocks, from cement, gravel, peat and sand, a sort of hypertufa I suppose. Maybe the results will be public in due course or if they're absolutely awful, maybe not!

[Jupiter]

Great idea Lesley.. I have some Saxifraga seed which I could try. Actually I have a packet of Androsace villosa which would be a good one. I do have access to tufa 'type' rock here and have played around with troughs. I wonder, NZ being predominantly volcanic might you have soft, decomposing scoria, or pumice type rock? Scoria might be very attractive, especially the darker colours which might soak up sun and warm little plants.

[Lesley Cox]

I'll have to look into those Jamus. we can get pumice and scoria by the bagful, fine pumice for cuttings and small bits of scoria for paths and such and mostly a rather horrible red colour but actual rock, I'm not so sure. We can get schist of course but it's very heavy and I want something like a large and knobbly lump rather than the slabs than schist comes in. Great for crevice gardens though - at a price!

[Paul T]

Howdy Folks.

Loving the pics everyone.  Vivienne, is Merilna the correct name for this one?  I received one many years ago with the name "Manina forest form", which I've never researched.  Flowered reliably in the shade for me or a number of years.  I'll correct the name if that's the proper spelling.  lol  Mine hasn't flowered for a few years for me now due to neglect, but I think it' still there.  lol

[fermi de Sousa]

Hello, Paul,
long time no see!
According to the interweb Manina Forest is in South Africa in the East Cape, so that could be where it comes from - I also think that it is possibly the form known in the UK as var. wellsii,
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

So is there a Manina forest and a Merilna forest (I can't find one on the interweb? )? I have welsii but have never flowered it.

And yes, long long time no see here.  lol

[David Nicholson]

And yes, long long time no see here.  lol

Howdy stranger

[Otto Fauser]

Welcome home Fermi from your trip to Europe . Would have liked to have met Oron .
I do remember now : the enormous clump in my garden of Nerine bowdenii is the Manina Forest Form which came from Eric Genat (father of Peter) some 40 years ago . It is the tallest of all Nerines in my garden .
This Sat .  Tim Orpin is hosting the Farewell Party at "Kenloch" , a rather sad affair as the new owners bought it as an investment property and no one will live there and what will happen to that beautiful heritage garden ? sad .

[fermi de Sousa]

Welcome home Fermi from your trip to Europe . Would have liked to have met Oron .

Hi Otto,
we told Oron that August is the best month to see the snowdrops in your garden 
We're foregoing FCHS this Saturday to be at the farewell to Kenloch,
cheers
fermi

[vivienne Condon]

Hello Paul and JohnW, nice to hear from you Paul although we did accidentally speak to each other with an errant text that went your way, thank goodness it was about plants. I am so pleased we have sorted out the Nerine bowdenii Manina forest form, I made a mistake reading the label incorrectly well it was an old label and could not see or read it properly, but we seem to have cleared it all up.
Just a few words about this Nerine bowdenii Manina cores form it comes true from seed and is at least 60-80cm tall with strong stiff stems and lovely pale pink flowers with a crinkly or wavy edge to the flowers, it also has beautiful purple anthers that are covered in pollen. Flowers every year. Thank you to all that helped identify this Nerine for me. Thanks Viv

[Lesley Cox]

So much happening over the ditch and I am not a part of it.

A warm welcome home Fermi and Will. I suppose that Susan More is still gadding about Europe. Not due home I think until late July.

I'm really sad that Tim has apparently sold Kenloch. So much of his life has been invested in it and as homes and gardens go it is truly unique. I've no doubt the party will be the event of the year but yes Otto, sad too. Would you please give Tim my love. I don't imagine I will ever see him again.

My love to you too my friend. We should keep in closer touch.

[Maggi Young]

I am sorry to hear about Kenloch's uncertain future. I have heard so much about it over the years.  Such things are mostly outwith our control as circumstances change but are sad nonetheless.
We were very sorry that Tim never got up here to visit us when he was in the UK.
 
Otto, you would  get on famously with Oron - he is a superb plantsman and a quite delightful  person.
Paul T - good to have you back here in the plant world !!

[Paul T]

Hey Folks.  Thanks for the welcome back.  Just spent a few days up in Queensland, so only just back on again.

Howdy David!     And Otto, Fermi, Maggi, Vivienne, Lesley.

So sorry to hear about Kenloch.  I guess they can fit an awful lot of units on a block that size?