July 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Arum]

Fermi
The muscari you have posted on that thread are so lovely - thanks so much for that. I have always really admired this family of bulbs & do hope to gather more eventually. I have one or two myself, I think they have had a name change since I planted them in my tubs years ago, I hope to post them on the forum later in the season. Sorry I am still learning this - must learn how you add a "quote".
Edna

[Jupiter]

I concur Edna, I admire the Muscari and it's something I haven't ventured into yet. More plants?!      Fermi your Lady Beatrix Stanley is really impressive and gives me hope for mine, and snowdrops in general. I rememeber you saying it was substantially drier there than over here.

Tim - how about this one, Isopogon ceratophyllus which I photographed on a walk in the bush North of Adelaide last week. I'll have to go back when they are in flower and get more pictures.

[Robert]

Jamus,

Isopogon ceratophyllus - I look forward to seeing them in bloom. The foliage looks fascinating! Something for me to look-up. Thank you for sharing!

[Lesley Cox]

Edna, look on the far right hand side of each post, at the top of the post, and you'll find the word "Quote" with a tiny page beside it (it's on the same line as July 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere or whatever the thread's title is). Click the word Quote and you'll get a new window in which to write your post. Very easy. If you wish, you can highlight the parts of the quote displayed that you don't want, and delete them leaving just the relevant bit.

Are you likely to be able to travel south on 3-4 October to OAGG's NEW SPRING SHOW? If so you could pick up the Narcissus I was going to keep for you last summer and Gal. 'Lady Beatrix Stanley' too if you wanted it. Things got away on me then and much didn't happen that should have.

[Jupiter]

Robert, sometimes you discover Isopogon by feel rather than site. You certainly know about it if you walk into one! They are a worthy garden plant for neutral to acid soil. I promise to share pictures but it's a bit early yet for most things.

[Arum]

Edna, look on the far right hand side of each post.
Are you likely to be able to travel south on 3-4 October to OAGG's NEW SPRING SHOW.

Oh Lesley that is so good of you.
I will most definitely give it serious thought. Will probably miss out on entering & attending NZAGS Spring Show [again] because of surgery - replacement right shoulder. Left one this time last year - so will be looking for something special to do/go on recovery. It sounds perfect. Will let you know.
Regards Edna

[Maggi Young]

Edna -  or should we call you  "the Bionic Woman"  -  wishing you lots of luck with the next surgery. Sending best wishes !!

[Robert]

Robert, sometimes you discover Isopogon by feel rather than site. You certainly know about it if you walk into one! They are a worthy garden plant for neutral to acid soil. I promise to share pictures but it's a bit early yet for most things.

Jamus,

I look forward to any photographs of your local flora. Is there a book on your local flora that is worth recommending. At our local library we have a good book on the flora of Australia. Australia is huge! and there are many climatic regions. Maybe this book is a good over view, however for me a book on your, somewhat, local flora (within 100-200 miles) could be helpful. I may be able to order it from our local library or get a copy somewhere else.

[Arum]

Edna -  or should we call you  "the Bionic Woman"  -  wishing you lots of luck with the next surgery. Sending best wishes !!
[/quote

Thanks Maggi. Yes I'm hoping I'll feel like her too. If left shoulder is any indication then it will all be very successful.
Regards Edna

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Edna, I remember you were about to go for surgery this time last year or thereabouts so I'm glad it was successful and am sure this new lot will be too. We had a retired orthopaedic surgeon speak to us last Thursday at OAGG, not about knees/hips and the like but about beekeeping for home gardeners. He's been a beekeeper since the age of 12 and his talk was wonderful. When I introduced him I  made the inevitable joke about him knowing all about the bees' knees and saw a slightly pained look on his face before he smiled. He's obviously heard that joke a thousand times before. What amazing things bees are and how blithely we take them for granted yet how heavily we rely on them to provide us with fruit and grains and so many other foodstuffs either directly or indirectly. I certainly have a new and healthy respect for bees. I also have a nice kilo far of honey!

[Hoy]

Robert, sometimes you discover Isopogon by feel rather than site. You certainly know about it if you walk into one! They are a worthy garden plant for neutral to acid soil. I promise to share pictures but it's a bit early yet for most things.

More suited in Robert's climate than mine I suppose

[Gerdk]

from Gabriel  July 17th
The violet is also lovely. What kind is it? It looks a lot like one of our native violets, Viola pedata, bird's foot violet, a sand-loving plant.


Gabriel,
Sorry for this late reply, but (suspecting that your pics were made near to you) I am interested in the conditions in which Viola pedata occurs.
Does it experience a longer periode of dryness in fall?
I once read (forgot where) that a hot and dry periode is essential for successful cultivation of this tricky species because the leaves should wilt at this time.
Another question is about hardiness. What are the minima in winter in your region and is there a permanent snow cover normally?

Gerd

Edit : Gabriel, you might care to answer this in the Viola/Violets thread, where Gerd has asked for his question to be reposted : 
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=13098.msg337568#msg337568        maggi

[Lesley Cox]

Two bright spots for mid winter. The Iris danfordiae has duly come out but so far (from yesterday mid-day), hasn't opened fully. I'm hoping a little more sun today might do the trick. The other is Narcissus romieuxii 'Atlas Gold,' a Jim Archibald selection. and the main patch has been in bloom for about 4 weeks now but beginning to look tatty. This little pot of "babies," not much bigger than rice really, has still produced so far, 12 buds on 5 tiny bulbs. It is heavily and quite cloyingly scented while the iris has a delicate violet-like perfume, very nice and I love the grass-green markings in the centre and on the lower outside.

Iris danfordiae has virtually no standards to the flowers, often said to have reduced "bristles" but I can't see even those. The style arms though are large and prominent to compensate. Unfortunately, this "commercial" (as distinct from wild collected) form seems to be sterile and doesn't produce seed. My single bulb from last year split in two and was fed with a large dose of potassium sulphate when I put it in a larger pot in the summer. It will get some more when the blooms are finished and more again before the bulbs start to root again late summer. I really want to make a permanently flowering colony if possible.

[Jupiter]

Oxalis versicolor is looking a picture here at the moment, particularly when the sun comes out.

[Robert]

Jamus,

I think that you could change my mind about Oxalis. You have grown Oxalis massoniana to perfection! It seems that we have only the weedy types around here. Maybe I should give some a try......with caution.