March 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

These two images are for Julie in Washington State of the USA. Prmula juliae, flowers and foliage.
Why are there so many queries about this super little species? Is it so very uncommon? So many people seems not to have the real thing. One source has in recent years distributed plants in our local garden centres as P. juliae, which are in fact, the same as those from Barnhaven's P x Juliana hybrids. They range through blues, purples, red shades and are quite good little cushiony plants but they are not P. juliae.

[fermi de Sousa]

I agree he said after having yet failed to get a flower on 2008 seedlings

You'd think out of 2008 seedlings at least one would flower
 

David, there's a few of the forumists that dribble anyway, but nothing to do with food. 

Speak for yourself Laddie!

Not being a Continence Physio I don't feel qualified to comment.....but there are exercises, y'know
cheers
fermi

[Shadylanejewel]

These two images are for Julie in Washington State of the USA. Prmula juliae, flowers and foliage.
Why are there so many queries about this super little species? Is it so very uncommon? So many people seems not to have the real thing. One source has in recent years distributed plants in our local garden centres as P. juliae, which are in fact, the same as those from Barnhaven's P x Juliana hybrids. They range through blues, purples, red shades and are quite good little cushiony plants but they are not P. juliae.

Thank you very much Lesley! Look at those cute little smooth leaves which are wider than long. No tight little rosettes! Oh my little namesake plant - I'm determined to find you!

I have found a couple more nurseries which assure me their plants are the "true species".  I've placed orders and hopefully when they arrive, I won't have to pull my hair out! 

[Lesley Cox]

I hope you can find it Julie because it really is a little treasure. The plant is mat-forming and not cushion-like, as in the Barnhaven seedlings, charming though they are. I've never had seed on mine and it's likely that all the plants in NZ are from a single clone. A person a few years back distributed a plant under the varietal name 'Mina' after a local gardener with the information that is is a smaller form, but it is not, and in fact is identical in every way to straight P. juliae so there is no justification for the 'Mina' name whatsoever.

[Shadylanejewel]

I hope you can find it Julie because it really is a little treasure.

Me too - Thank you.

I've never had seed on mine

Consensus seems to be P. juliae is self sterile. I've seen companies selling seed and have stayed away from them!

A person a few years back distributed a plant under the varietal name 'Mina' after a local gardener with the information that is is a smaller form, but it is not, and in fact is identical in every way to straight P. juliae so there is no justification for the 'Mina' name whatsoever.

Sounds like another gimmick to sell plants!

Thanks again for your help!

[Paul T]

Fermi!!     

[Jupiter]

LOL fermi. 

Biarum davisii, A wonderful little arum, isn't it?

[Jupiter]

Look at these beautiful little apples. On a recent blackberry picking expedition we came upon this old old apple tree growing in a creek. I think it's Duchess of oldenburg, fits with the age of the tree and what we know of the history of this area.

[Maggi Young]

If they are half as tasty as they look they must be delicious. Worth trying a scion from the tree?

[Jupiter]

It could be Maggi, it's not a common variety now but not exactly rare either. I don't have room for an apple tree here. We planted a little red fuji but it's struggling... has one tiny apple on it this year.

The valley behind our house has a permanent creek in it and a lot of remnants of the settlers; figs, almonds, willows, apples, plums, zillions of olives and of course the blackberries. There are even hawthorn. Quite European.

[Lesley Cox]

I phoned Otto last night to wish him a happy birthday. He sounds well but (like me) is suffering a little from creaky joints.

[Anthony Darby]

Don't you need two varieties of apple flowering at the same time to get fruit? I think that's the problem with our peach tree.

[David Nicholson]

I phoned Otto last night to wish him a happy birthday. He sounds well but (like me) is suffering a little from creaky joints.

....... and I thought it was just me. I used to do a lot of my gardening on my haunches, but can't get down there (or get up once I'm down)!

Happy Birthday Otto.

[Maggi Young]

Don't you need two varieties of apple flowering at the same time to get fruit? I think that's the problem with our peach tree.

  You'll invariably get better fruiting with a pollinating partner, but there are quite a number of self-fertile fruit trees of many sorts which can mange as lone  examples.

[Matt T]

Self-fertile varieties will set fruit by self-pollination, but even they will set even more fruit if they have a pollinating partner of a different variety. To make things more awkward, triploid varieties require two other pollinating partners! The crab apple is an excellent pollinator.

Anthony, your peach should be self-fertile. My neighbour has a single peach tree (possibly the only on in the Western Isles, admittedly in a polytunnel) and she gets excellent fruit set. Early flowering when few pollinators are on the wing is the usual problem, so you might try tickling with a brush.