January 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Trevor gave me Don and Harvey's number and said I should introduce myself. I haven't got around to it yet but I intend to. Apparently they have a nice collection of Arisaema.

There is a bit of smoke around today and I hear that the fires are burning within containment lines. There is a HUGE effort today to keep it under control as it's going to get windy ahead of the chance tonight. 38 is the predicted top... it was a hot night last night.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Jamus,

Don is the gardener and it is quite surprising just what he has in a relatively small space.  It's a melee of pots and containers but quite charming in its own way. It really is really big collection of a random obsessive. There are no over arching themes or collection streams.  Bit like hundreds and thousands . You know when you sell plants for a living you can get pretty good at predicting what an established customer will order.  Not Don. He always surprises me.

Don is a charming man and very welcoming and engaging.  Harvey is an artist and must be indulged so expect some high camp in the ofder of Priscilla QOTD.

Good hear on bad news on your front. Keep it up.
M

[fermi de Sousa]

Currently stuck at work as there is a fire between here and home!
cheers
fermi

[Hillview croconut]

Oh gawd! I thought it rained like Billyo over there today?

Good luck to you too! Does it look like a grassland fire?

M

[Hoy]

Currently stuck at work as there is a fire between here and home!
cheers
fermi

That sounds bad, Fermi. Hope you can go home soon!

[fermi de Sousa]

Apparently a grass fire but blocking the road junction I have to use to get home.
I'm going to get some groceries and hope that they have it controlled by the time I get there!
There was a bit of rain but accompanied by a thunderstorm which would've meant lightning strikes,
cheers
fermi

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Fermi, you didnt need to camp out and eat the groceries?

Jamus, what happened to the Don and Harvey suricula show? Sounds juicy!

M

[Jupiter]

Removed from the record by jamus with hindsight

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Fermi, you didnt need to camp out and eat the groceries?

Hi Marcus,
I eventually got home but had to detour about 20km to go pass where the fires were impacting.
I stopped the car to get these pics,
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Meant to post these earlier but forgot!
A couple of Orient-pet Liliums looking a bit scorched in places: Ovation and Belladonna
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

In the midst of all this drought and heat and death and destruction, there is still beauty to be found. I had a nice afternoon to myself, a rare luxury these days.

Stapelia (Orbea) variegata




Origanum dictamnus (thank you Otto)




Lysimachia atropurpurea 'Beaujolais'




Asarina scandens

[Hillview croconut]

Brilliant images Jamus! Your work is a delight.

Hey Fermi, did it rain yesterday? We have had such benign weather here its hard to imagine the trials you guys are facing. Still you are all producing flowers!

All the best, M

[Hillview croconut]

The auricula debacle wouldn't have been cheap. Sue Wallbank charges premium.

I doubt whether they could grow the blooming things at their place.  Its all steam and shade cloth. "Come and see my jolly little auricula collection. Its there, right up against the arisaema swamp with man-eating Venus Fly Trap, oh and careful you don't tread on that boa constrictor".

M

[fermi de Sousa]

Hey Fermi, did it rain yesterday?

Yes, we had about half a mm overnight and another half a mm this morning!
Still cloudy though and they predict a wet weekend (use the words "believe" "when" "see" and "it" in a sentence for 10 points)
Here's the Texan Morning Glory (Ipomoea lindheimeri) earlier in the week - the foliage may look "atypical" because it's growing through a dwarf peach!
cheers
fermi

[Leon]

Jamus,
That Lysimachia atropurpurea 'Beaujolais'  is stunning.  Very nicely done.