August 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Vivienne, you crocus are mind blowing! Amazing to see them in drifts like that. Your photo of cyclamen coum is just lovely.. They look fabulous en masse like that. Gives me something to aim for. Inspirational. Aspodelus is nice, I'll be doing some reading about that later.

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Lesley (and Anthony), Kurt Vickery has seeds from Galanthus Spindlestone Surprise for sale.

Regards biosecurity - I say bah and humbug!

M

A very mild comment Marcus.

[arillady]

Thanks Janus for the link - I have sent an enquiry. Just up the road at Loxton!

[Jupiter]

Pat as Fermi pointed out they might not be able to help you. The earth mites might not be prey for the predators... It's interesting that Isabel and I were looking at red legged earth mites in the paddock yesterday. I hope they don't invade the garden.

[vivienne Condon]

Thank you Jamus the Aphodelphus acaulis we imported from New Zealand, when I could use the Quarentine house at work.
Fermi we saw Gagea growing in the Mountains in Spain

[Hillview croconut]

Lovely to see Narcissus moschatus in flower. Mine seem to have dwindled to a few leaves 

Cheers,  M

[Hillview croconut]

A very mild comment Marcus.

You got me on a bad day

Cheers, M

[Lesley Cox]

I still have the N. moschatus from your lot Marcus but it's not flowering this year, too long in a pot without due care and attention I think. However, due to the kindness of Ashley in Co. Cork, I have 8 seedlings germinating now of what is labelled N. alpestris. Are these the same as moschatus or very similar?  Some oddments in this chilly part of the Deep South.

Iris ret 'Harmony' and forms of Cyclamen coum where I hope they'll out-compete with each other as
      the irises increase.
Crocus cvijicii, one of my most favourites for its glowing orangey/gold, egg yolk flowers
A very old double primrose, called (I think) Primula vulgaris 'Lilacina Flore Pleno'
Iris reticulata 'Cantab'

[Lesley Cox]

Galanthus are still hanging on and some are doing really well in pots though I do want to get them into the garden ASAP.
Here is my 'Sam Arnott' which came from you Marcus, so probably is the same as your pictures. It isn't increaing as quickly as some but is a lovely one, all the same.
The the very-easy-to-identify 'Magnet' with its lovely arching pedicels. Can't be mistaken for anything else.

[Lesley Cox]

A few hellebores. I have heaps of undistinguished seedlings under trees, here when we arrived but very few "special ones. Here are three.
A gorgeous yellow from a local nursery who breed and select
A black seedling. The closest to black that I have. The foliage is quite thin and fine so maybe has H.
      torquatus in it
One called 'Anna's Red.' I think this may be a NZ raised form, first offered last winter as I remember, in all the garden centres. The colour is wonderful and the plant seems to be growing maybe to at least 80cms tall. It will take up quite a bit of space when I get it unpotted. (The egg is one I found in the garden a couple of minutes before the photo. We knew the chook had been laying out of her box but couldn't find where. Now we have

[Lesley Cox]

To finish, some little Narcissus forms.
Narcissus 'Pirouette' is an Australian, mine from Marcus
A seedling of my own, from 'Gambas.' The pot is a 90mm square, which gives a good idea of the daff
      size. I love these little chubby ones. This is the first flowering, and 3 flowers on a bulb already
      increasing well!
In this pot, seedlings from Rafa, courtesy Anthony. Labelled cf bulbocodium, and again, very tiny.
      These are perfect for troughs and I have a dozen or so to set up over the spring.
One of my Hokonui troughs with crocuses pallasii, x Bornmuelleri and the precious 'Chocolate
      Soldier, but flowering a bit at a time instead of in a good group ready for a picture. Also Ox.
      laciniata and half a dozen perennials, all of which are in miserable winter mode; a saponaria,
      Draba longisiliqua, Veronica bombycina, Androsace barbulata, Acaulimalva weberbaueri and
      Myosotis 'Hokonui (capitata x uniflora).
This trough has just undergone a major refurbishment, especially removal of moss on the edges and these painted carefully with neat vinegar to kill the remaining bits. Then it was fertilized and a little new compost added, then a thick topdressing of pea gravel, harvested from the shore of Lake Waihola, at high tide.

[Lesley Cox]

Lastly, this little Narcissus from Betty Clark about 3 years ago. This is the first flower for me. The foliage (on the right) is quite wide and at first I thought it was Ipheion 'Alberto Castillo.' Only yesterday morning when it opened that I remembered what it was, the label having been attacked by our local birds, many months ago. It is Narcissus tazetta ssp patulus (or patula?) a real honey.

A better picture of 'Pirouette'

[Jupiter]

Lesley, fabulous photos. Very nicely done. I love those Galanthus pictures. Isn't S. Arnott the best? Snowdrops are SO much easier to photograph in pots, but you're right they are better in the ground. I have Magnet but it didn't flower this year. Like others it's a new addition to the garden and still sulking at being uprooted and moved. I am feeding and I hope I'll have more flowers next year.

[vivienne Condon]

Lesley,
Some articles say they are the same but in my opinion for what it is worth I don't agree, Narcissus moschatus is much taller than Narcissus alpestris. N. moschatus flowers are larger and it flowers later, may be in the wild they can't see the difference but the forms I have are very different.

Pat,
the nematode people we use at work are at www.ecogrow.com.au
Viv

[David Nicholson]

Helleborus 'Anna's Red

If it's the same one Lesley, and it looks very much like it, Anna's Red was bred by Rodney Davey in deepest East Devon. Rodney is a Hellebore specialist and this is one plant from a series called RD Marbled Group and I think there is another called 'Penny's Pink'. He named the former after plantswoman and author Anna Pavord.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/9113922/Hellebore-heaven.html