September 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere

[ashley]

I did a quick loop walk at Scott creek conservation park and took these pictures for you all.

Wonderful.  What amazing orchids, particularly that green hooded one.  Thanks Jamus.

Lovely poppies too.  Here only Californian tree poppy Romneya coulteri is still flowering, courtesy of a warm September.
Some years ago I met a farmer in Tasmania growing P. somniferum under licence for the pharmaceutical industry.

[Robert]

Jamus,

Thanks for the climate information. Now it is understandable the plants you and fermi, etc, are growing. Your climate is more like our Sacramento Valley here in California. Up at the farm it snows, sometimes 30 - 50 cm at a time that sticks around for weeks as the temperatures do not rise much above 2 - 4 c during the day. Hot summers too, but not too many 40+ c days.

Nice poppies! We grow P. somniferum too. Have you grown 'Laurens Grape' - what a beauty!

[Jupiter]

Ooooo 'Laurens Grape' is a ripper I agree! I do get some just that colour in my mix. I have been selecting over the years for my favourites and I've ended up with a good mix of colours, reds and purples are my favourites and I keep the pure white in the mix too. I like the tassled, fringed edges on single blooms and semi doubles but most of all singles. A new addition to the gene pool this year is 'Danish Flag' which is yet to flower but the plants are powering so I won't have long to wait.

[Maggi Young]

I did a quick loop walk at Scott creek conservation park and took these pictures for you all. Wasn't the best location and I'll do another walk hopefully this weekend in a better spot.

https://plus.google.com/photos/118198884481946835903/albums/6064400260621157105

Sorry I haven't had time to put names on them.

Jamus, thanks for the link to your photos- I really enjoyed seeing them- so different to our flora.


I just HAVE to repeat your first poppy pic from the previous page - it is so very lovely- like something from a fabulous painting..... such a marvellously unexpected colour combo with that blue-lilac centre   

[Jupiter]

Thanks Maggie. Obviously I can't take the credit for natures beauty but seeing it and capturing it to share with others is the pleasure of photography. You're welcome to some seed if you'd like to try it.

[Maggi Young]

If there is any chance at all of seed coming with those colours I'd be thrilled to get a few, Jamus - thank you. Will PM you my address   

[Lesley Cox]

My thanks too Jamus. Regarding the O word, we are allowed to GROW these poppies but we may not import seed or distribute it to anyone or sell it of course. When my purple/blacks flowered last year, a number of people wanted some seed. But I had to say "no." When the seed was ready I found it necessary to go inside quite often and make a cup of tea.

[Lesley Cox]

My orientals aren't in bloom yet either, about a month I'd say. I'm hoping for the true 'Patty's Plum' this time, a large plant I was given last November. There's a fat bud just beginning to top the foliage.

[Jupiter]

Mum's the word Lesley.    I sent some seed to a friend in Western Australia once and they were confiscated, never made it to their destination, no explanation, vanished without a trace... 

[Anthony Darby]

How strange. It's a common garden plant.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Hi Jamus,
I can promise you that you will not be disappointed when your Danish Flag flowers, I have been growing it here in Tasmania for the last three years, and giving plenty of seed away.
A beautiful poppy.
cheers John.

[Jupiter]

Hi John, I paid for a tiny packet of seed and didn't get great germination either. I might ask you for a little next seaon in exchange for some of mine.

[Anthony Darby]

We need to follow this to import seeds. See page 72 of this: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/ihs/155-02-05.pdf

[rob krejzl]

How strange

Not entirely unconnected with our opium industry. Tasmania, proudly supplying opiates to the world 

[Anthony Darby]

A frilly pink version used to seed itself in my garden in Dunblane. 

Here's Gladiolus dalenii from a corm "rescued" from tree fern and manuka bush, scheduled to become a housing development off Point View Road, East Auckland a couple of kilometres from us, two years ago. I now have three flowering corms. The area is now marked out and the first houses are going up.