January 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Hillview croconut]

A few neglected lilies to end with. Haven't seen me for ages, I thought I heard them cry out in alarm when I turned the corner.

Up my back steps

Coming up from around the side of the house

Mellow Yellow

Curled Back Baby

My names for them as pets in pots nothing official.

M
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[gerrit]

Here are some sunflowers grown by my daughter Isabel. She's turning 7 this month.

Good to hear the situation is cleared up now. When I saw this burning thing around Adelaide, I was thinking of you and your family.

The big eyes of Isabel and the big eyes of the magic sunflowers, Great.

[rob krejzl]

one eye on the back of the mountain looking for that tell tail funnel.

That and the smell of aviation fuel in the air send shivers down your spine.

Jamus, I hope you have continued good luck.

[Hillview croconut]

Haven't heard anything from the SA guys so hope things have reached a lull. Wednesday is the day apparently.

Thought some people might be interested in what my partner Susan Jarick does in her days off!

Just a few snaps of the artist in her garret. The detail! Ugh! What if she slips? Its all water colour so there is NO room for error.

BTW the lilium I grew from seed as L. leucanthum Black Dragon Strain, which is though of as representative of Farrers foundling, Centifolium. Mmmmm I found evidence of bulbil formation in the axils. Sargentiae blood?

M

[Jupiter]

Marcus, Susan's water colours look amazing! I grew up with Mum working as a botanical illustrator, she does water colour in a similar style as well as botanical line drawing. I have some examples of her work I can photograph to share if people are interested? Does Susan sell her work anywhere?

A lul is right, the fires are still burning within containment lines but it's looking promising that they will have them under control by the end of the week.

Today Isabel and I went up to Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens for a bit of respite from the desert like conditions here; it was lovely as ever. A few pictures follow;


Isabel poses with the Hydrangeas for scale




Hostas all in flower now




Lilium regale in full bloom




Thalictrum delavayi, one of my all time favourite woodlanders




Cornus capitata looking stunning.




Isabel in the woodland garden enjoying the coolth and the moisture

[Lesley Cox]

Isabel is surely in the right place Jamus. I've been thinking of you all in SA these last few days and especially too, of Pat Toolan. I'm not sure where she is in relation to the Adelaide Hills. We've had fires here too but nothing like yours nor our temperatures. Please God that you all remain well and safe until this beastly heatwave ends, with all its risks and dangers.

[Lesley Cox]

This lily, an Asiatic, is called 'Landine.' Not so black as the picture on the package but darker than in this picture. Another which will be out in a few days, though a rabbit undermined it last night, is 'Black Spider, same colour in the centre but on a creamy ground.

[rob krejzl]

Landini ?

[Lesley Cox]

For the last few days when it wasn't too hot outside, I've been working on this washtub, an old double, each part with its own drainage hole which goes here into a calf drinking trough (of which I have a number) which keeps the washtub off the ground. It was supposed to be a crevice garden but I wanted to use the middle rock which stretches almost all the way across and has a few nooks and crannies. The crevices are OK though because even though rather wider than I'd like they'll work all right because they are perched on top of large rocks put in the base to stabilise and also to save on potting mix. The roots will get down quickly to the rocky substrate and hopefully feel at home. It's hard to tell from the pictures but the raised top is about 15cms above the edges.

There are about 25 plants including a few bulbs such as Crocus o.b. 'Chocolate Soldier' and Narcissus asturiensis, Frit. sibthorpiana, and a couple of very tiny min bearded irises which are only 5cms in flower. They're at opposite corners while the other cormers have Carduncellus rhaponticoides and Jasminum parkeri. My mother's plant reach a metre across and more than half that in height but was over 30 years old at that stage so I doubt if it will get too big here in my lifetime. Otherwise there are a couple each of primulas, gentianas, aquilegias, dianthus, 4 androsaces and some other things. everything is labelled to within an inch of its life and for now, well watered but I'm having to do that twice a day until they're established and put a cover on as soon as watered to keep the heat down.

Until I started to take the photos I didn't realize A) how dirty it is so will need a good scrub down and B) that there are a couple of leaks in the bottom front. One is actually dripping water when I have watered. It may need to be dried off and sealed.

I'm not entirely happy with it but by the time the plants grow some, it won't look too bad - I hope!

[Jupiter]

Lesley Pat is a long way north of where the fires are and is quite safe. I am guessing her arils will be enjoying the heat and the dry more than my woodland plants...

[Lesley Cox]

Robert I expect you are right. The packet (the only way we can buy lilies) said 'Landine' but nothing would surprise me. Actually there are a couple of nurseries specializing in lilies but I'm not even sure if they're extant any more.

A few more of the trough. Not sure that I have them in the right order but it doesn't matter.

[Jupiter]

That looks great Lesley! I need a concrete trough like that! I saw one for sale on gumtree but when I inquired it was sold already... I should but the word out among the people with property that I know. I had my first attempt at making a hyper-tufa trough last week but something went horribly wrong and I need to try again. I may be able to salvage it yet.

What have you planted in there Lesley? Looks like some Saxifraga? Is that a Dwarf species Aquilegia I see?

Take a look at the forecast! If we can get through today we're home free.

[Hillview croconut]

Marcus, Susan's water colours look amazing! I grew up with Mum working as a botanical illustrator, she does water colour in a similar style as well as botanical line drawing. I have some examples of her work I can photograph to share if people are interested? Does Susan sell her work anywhere?

A lull is right, the fires are still burning within containment lines but it's looking promising that they will have them under control by the end of the week.

Hi Jamus, I wish you all of the best of luck for today. I will say an extra prayer and hope this day doesn't amount to the predictions.

Susan sells all her work, except for the special one's she gives me and an occasional gift. I believe Fermi might have one, Iris iberica ssp elegantissima? Otto has the original of what is bannering my website at present, A trilogy of Greek fritillaria and I think, a draft version of Pat Toolan's Iris urumiensis hybrid. Just to name a few. A couple of years ago her painting of Lilium primulinum was purchased at exhibition and given to Dame Elizabeth Murdoch, Rupert's Mum, as a present on her 100th birthday.

She is a lucky girl to have found a purveyor of such fine objects of desire

All the very best Jamus and keep us posted.

Marcus

[Jupiter]

I remember as a kid my Mum was preparing work, water colours of old World roses for an exhibition, organised and hosted by Lady Downer. We visited an old World rose expert to obtain some blooms as subjects, Trevor Nottle (Who tells me he doesn't remember my Mum, *rolls eyes*). There was quite a bit of fuss and I think all the paintings sold.
When Trevor contacted me through the Mediterranean Garden Society forum and invited me to his garden I hadn't made the connection. I was about 10 at the time! I don't think he likes the reminder of how many decades have passed between a skinny little boy visiting with his parents and this plant obsessed man of 40 he sees standing before him now.  Trevor gave me a piece of a little Euphorbia which he said was smuggled illegally into Australia by Dame Murdoch, in her luggage!

[Hillview croconut]

Ha! Good story!

No-one likes to reminded of these things after a certain age Jamus, but you aren't there yet!

Yes, Trev can be a tad peevish about it sometimes. He took me to see Don and Harvey. You may know them? They are pretty well known in a lot of circles. And Harvey, being the terrible show off and upstager that he is, grabbed hold of and twirled a lock of Trevor's windswept hair and said, "Old Father Time". Nothing more was said, until the point of our departure when Trevor eyeballed Harvey and, in a plaintive voice said, You can be very cruel". It didn't dawn on me, head in the clouds, until much later on what he was talking about!

Do things look clearer over there today or is it a difficult one?

M