January 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

I have been remiss in not posting some pics, so here are a few from our local AGS meeting 2 weeks ago when a local lily grower, Adrian Van Kamp, came to talk about propagating bulbs.
Here's the display bench of Liliums,

And some of the Asiatic Liliums,

Aurelians



A brilliant yellow trumpet

And a bloom from Viv Condon's "Lake Tulare", an American lilium hybrid bought from Glenbrook Bulb Farm in Tassie,

And to prove that we actually did some hands-on work here are a couple of our members (known to some on the forum) chopping up daffodils!

cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Yay,it's Cynthia and Otto!  I hope the propagation area was a good long way from the kitchen! I'd be a bit dubious about the onion soup for lunch 

Some good lilies there.... love the HUGE one in the first pic...... the yellow one with a coloured edgin, in front ot the taller yellow spray.... 

[fermi de Sousa]

Yay,it's Cynthia and Otto!  I hope the propagation area was a good long way from the kitchen! I'd be a bit dubious about the onion soup for lunch 

It was an evening meeting so there was no onion soup! Just coffee and cake.
After reading Luit's comments about the bulb industry on another thread I'm wondering if we should not have been wearing gloves!

Some good lilies there.... love the HUGE one in the first pic...... the yellow one with a coloured edgin, in front ot the taller yellow spray.... 

Some of those were Adrian's own hybrids; I think the huge yellow with the darker edge

was an Oriental x Aurelian hybrid, but I may be wrong, perhaps Otto or Cynthia remembers?
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Thanks for the close-up, Fermi. It's a big flower.... just love those over-sized lily flowers 

[fermi de Sousa]

Strangely enough, despite of ,or maybe because of, the heat one of the Indian Bean Trees, Catalpa bignonioides has come into flower again (having been in full bloom in November).






In its shade is a couple of Lilum "Black Beauty", the cross between L.henryi and L. speciosum,

it's the only Lilium to perform consistently for us and always at its best at this hot time of the year.
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely to see Cynthia and Otto hard at work.
The big yellows are very nice and I like that one with the brownish edge.

That one pleaded guilty while the other didn't (perhaps he just went along for the ride?) proves they're stupid, as Michael said. Probably that's a comforting thought.

[Lvandelft]

It was an evening meeting so there was no onion soup! Just coffee and cake.
After reading Luit's comments about the bulb industry on another thread I'm wondering if we should not have been wearing gloves!
cheers
fermi

 
When thinking of 'Just coffee and cake', the bulbs are the most poisonous part of Narcissus!
Cheers to you Fermi

[David Nicholson]

Paul has been very quiet of late. Are you OK Paul, hope you are coping with the heat?

[ian mcenery]

Only just found this thread but that Philesia is fantastic Otto. Does it always flower this well. I have a plant about 18 ins across (40cm) and it hardly gives any flowers at all. What is the secret??

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi, lovely set of lilies. My eye was taken by the very good purple coloured on, top right of the first photograph, but they all pale in my eyes in comparison with the catalpa, a lovely tree.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Paddy, that purple lily is a good one.... well, I'd not say no to any, I suppose!

The Catalpa is a thing of beauty.... would it grow with you, Paddy?  I'm trying to think if I know anyone with it up here 

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

Despite my admiration for the catalpa I have never tried it as I have always imagined it would not do well. There is a wonderful planting along the fortification walls in Lucca, close to Pisa. Even when they have gone to seed they look wonderful. I think I may go in search of seed and give it a try.

Paddy

[ArneM]

We have a Catalpa here in our garden and it is quite easy to grow. It is often used for avenues as standard form.

Is it really such unknown in the UK and Ireland? 

[johnw]

Paddy and Arne - The Catalpa is growing in Halifax as well. There is a large one planted as a street tree just a block up this street. And it is plant all along, where else, Oak Street.  There are also plants not doing so well here with frequent die-back, they then send out massive leaves and shoots which are more prone to die-back.  They are perhaps seed grown and from the southern part of its range. It is not too happy in the very cool summer areas or colder parts of Nova Scotia. In the colder part a friend grows C. koreana but it is frightfully brittle.

johnw