September 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Lesley,

Typically the subspecies enginiana has limey yellow flowers, not buttery yellow like the type. It usually has more leaves than the usual two.  I looked on the Fritllaria Group's website to confirm my observations but I honestly can't spot the difference between their examples.
Cheers,  Marcus

[Otto Fauser]

Hi Marcus and Lesley , went into the garden to see if Frit sib. ssp. eugeniana was in flower , yes it is so I'm able to show it . Marcus you gave it to me 5 years ago - it has not produced seed or has multiplied . and has only 2 leaves .

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Otto,

Then I have to conclude I know nothing!

Cheers,  Marcus

[vanozzi]

Begonia "caravan"is quite a spectacular foliage plant and in a forgotten corner is Begonia Listada, Begonia Angularis v compacta and Eucharis x Grandiflora.

[fermi de Sousa]

Some Aussie flowers in the Rock Garden:
Olearia pimeleoides
Prostanthera calycina - apparently listed as threatened in South Australia
close-up of P. calycina
Phebalium sp. and close-up
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Some Aussie flowers in the Rock Garden:
Olearia pimeleoides
Prostanthera calycina - apparently listed as threatened in South Australia
close-up of P. calycina
Phebalium sp. and close-up
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

I like the Aussie wild flowers, especially the Olearis (I always like daisies) and Phebalium. Annual or perennial? Xeric?

Cheers

[Jupiter]

Fermi I'm interested in Australian plants for rock gardens and I'm planning to do some scouting next time I'm on Kangaroo Island (my Dad lives there).

This little poppy is Glaucium grandiflorum, it's a weed of crops in South Australia and I collected seed while on a field trip for work.




Have a look at this little prunus, Prunus 'Elvins' flowering it's head off at the moment.

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi,

I like the Aussie wild flowers, especially the Olearis (I always like daisies) and Phebalium. Annual or perennial? Xeric?

Hi Robert,
these are all low growing shrubs that survive in this area with very little summer water.
These bulbs came from your neck of the woods - Dichelostemma capitatum grown from NARGS 2007 - there seems to be two forms - one has purplish stems and bracts while the other is plain green,
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Hi Robert,
these are all low growing shrubs that survive in this area with very little summer water.
These bulbs came from your neck of the woods - Dichelostemma capitatum grown from NARGS 2007 - there seems to be two forms - one has purplish stems and bracts while the other is plain green,
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

Dichelostemma capitatum grows at the farm here and is quite common in our area. It is one of the primary food sources for the native rodents and thus propagates profusely both by divisions and seed. - Beware it is known to be weedy! However, it should be safe in a container and with dead-headed. Also, where the rodent have not found them, they make large showy patches.

Having said that, I do grow the polyploid form which is much larger in all parts, as expected. Also, odd forms show up from time-to-time. There is a white form (not common). I found one, here on the farm, that could have been a chimara with both pink and bluish-purple in the petals. The next day I went back to dig it up and the deer had eaten the top off! Couldn't find it - I hoped that it would come back to bloom next season. I've never seen it again. Oh well. 

There are several Dichelostemma species that grow in our area. Looking at some of your photographs I have to admit that they do not look quite right as D. capitatum. This does not mean anything, except that they don't look right to me. However, here are a few things the keep in mind: 1.) D. capitatum is among the first bulbs to bloom in our area - the other species bloom much later. 2.) D. capitatum has a purplish bract that holds all the flowers - I did not notice this. If it is there, you will notice it! 3.) Plant species can and do grow differently with different climatic conditions.

Forktoothed Ookow, D. congestum has 3 distinctly forked staminodes.

D. multiflorum is noticably constricted between the ovary and the rest of the flower.

Anyway, I've been "long-winded" enough! Thanks for sharing the photographs both of your native plants and one of ours.

I did do some research on Olearis, Phebalium - your feedback is most helpful too!

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Robert,
I appreciate your comments and I'll post more pics of "your" wildflowers as they bloom
Here's another Aussie that I grow in the Rock Garden, Dampiera dasyantha;
Paeonia kesrouanensis has been grown in some Aussie gardens for many years as P. mascula russii but Marcus Harvey has recently confirmed its correct ID. I got this one as a young seedling from Wilma Yee who got hers as a seedling from Otto!
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Spring is going crazy here at the moment as well, however my garden is an absolute mess due to neglect.  Still some lovely bits and pieces about though, just not particularly photo worthy.  Great to see everyone else is having a good spring too.

[Anthony Darby]

Drat, I tried to press the like button Paul. 

[Paul T]

rotfl, Anthony.  Sorry, should I got back to facebook now then?

[Maggi Young]

rotfl, Anthony.  Sorry, should I got back to facebook now then?

Well , we really appreciate hearing  from you here, Paul - and seeing Graham's lovely photo of you in the narcissus thread so we can see that you are in good form!

[Paul T]

Far from good form, Maggi.  Very, very, VERY far from it.