July 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

True and I think a lot of people are not really well acquainted with the fragrance of black pepper. If you for instance only bought the ground variety and put it into a pepper shaker where it sat on the table for months, there isn't much smell to be discerned! Really top quality whole pepper freshly cracked however is a different beast altogether. Rebecca and I once went to a very nice and rather expensive Indian restaurant and I ordered a chicken dish which was artfully spiced predominantly with black pepper. The pepper flavour shone above all others and I've since always tried to recreate that dish myself, I'm not sure how successfully. I'm sure my memory of the original is now tainted by prior re-callings and muddied by my imitations.

We are having a proper July this year. An inch of rain fell in the last two days with more coming. It's 5 degrees outside; we've had small hail this morning and the bureau has issued a possible forecast of light snow on the tops of the Mount Lofty ranges today. I'm thrilled! My bulbs will be better than ever next year with any luck. We have a ton of good dry firewood and a well stocked pantry/fridge.

[Jupiter]

The first of the reticulated irises very wet but a welcome site in the rock garden. This one is 'Violet beauty'

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Jamus you must be way ahead of us with your weather none of my Reticulate Iris are even close to flowering. I have a few buds on my Tubererosa's but no flowers as yet.

[Jupiter]

TT it's interesting because most of my reticulatas are a month or so off flowering but a few in the rock garden were early. Must be a warm spot?

[fermi de Sousa]

Jamus you must be way ahead of us with your weather none of my Reticulate Iris are even close to flowering.

TT it's interesting because most of my reticulatas are a month or so off flowering but a few in the rock garden were early. Must be a warm spot?

Likewise, not even a bud here, though I think Jon had Violet Beauty in bloom for our last meeting; I think it's not a particularly good name for a dark blue flower - doesn't look at all violet to me! Maybe it was bred by someone called Violet? 
Your pic of it bejeweled with raindrops is particularly attractive.
Otto did have a couple of McMurtrie's Snow White in flower last week, but the few McM's that I have are also nowhere to be seen!
cheers
fermi

[Hoy]

Jamus,

Your spring has started and our hasn't quite finished

Nice plant!

[Jupiter]

Fermi I think my camera doesn't quite "get" violet/purple/blue. I should have corrected the colour but it's slightly more violet in the flesh. I agree though, definitely more blue than violet. I'm not complaining, I love the colour. I have a group of "Springtime" along side so it'll be nice to see those for the first time.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Hi Jamus, I am also waiting on Reticulata Springtime to see the colour. This morning when I checked I have one flower on a tuberosa and a couple of Reticulata (George) about to flower.
I bought some bulbs of Iris Tuberosa (Blue Jade) from one of the Melbourne Garden centres earlier in the year so waiting to see what they are like also.
Cheers John.

[Jupiter]

My Iris tuberosa has big fat flower buds also. Looking forward to seeing it in bloom again soon.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Jamus have you ever seen the Iris Tuberosa Blue Jade in flower, I can't even find a photo of it in flower on Google.

[Jupiter]

No John I haven't, but mine is a slate blue colour and it caused quite a stir when I posted photos on this forum last spring. Here's a link to the post - http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12120.90

[Maggi Young]

I remember that stunning  photo of your Iris (Hermodactylus)  tuberosa, Jamus - a thing of beauty.

There's a photo here which claims to be 'Blue Jade' - it is by Tim Sandall, a well-known garden photographer :
http://www.gardenworldimages.com/Details.aspx?ID=24457&TypeID=1&searchtype=&contributor=0&licenses=1,2&sort=REL&cdonly=False&mronly=False

[Jupiter]

Well that's what mine looks like. I sent Otto a few tubers too so we'll have a second opinion once it comes into bloom.

[Otto Fauser]

A gift from my good friend Marcus Harvey, who sadly is not well : The beautiful and unusually coloured Juno Iris xSindpers  , which Marcus imported from New Zealand years ago . If only these smaller Junos would be easier to grow and keep .

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Thanks Jamus and Maggi, I will attempt to post a photo when mine eventually flowers.
Cheers John.