October 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
A few more photos of what is flowering here today. The tree peonies are flowering profusely this year. They are doing really well in our small front garden that is protected from the strong westerly winds. There are still several that have not commenced flowering yet.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
It is our best ever year for tree peonies. Our own seedlings are starting to come up in the shade house.

[Jupiter]

Graham, thanks for showing us your peonies, they are absolutely stunning. I wish I could grow them... maybe I'll try again. I have a few herbaceous peonies but none have flowered for me yet.

[Parsla]

I’m very taken with Graham’s tree paeonies - especially considering the fiery blast passing for Spring this year.

And Jamus, your Lilium pumilum has wonderful form.

From Eltham today
1.  The diminutive blue brimeura amethystina (thank you Marcus) is slowly increasing.
2. A dear little rock jasmine only inches across is now in flower
3. The attractive seedpod spike of a Bellevalia
4. The delicate frothy blooms of a miniature lilac photographed last week. Today the petals are like so much snow on the ground.

Jacqui

[Jupiter]

Jacqui, isn't rock jasmine a common name used for Androsace? What genus is your yellow flowered plant. Jasminum?

Unfortunately my Lilium pumilum was battered down by strong winds we had here the night before last, and them something chewed and ate the flowers. There is a second spike which is smaller. I'm a bit gutted because it was 3 years to flowering from seed... people think gardening is relaxing and meditative. Huh! We gardeners know the truth; it's tortuous and stressful!

Lilac. Do you say SY-rin-ga, or SI-rin-ga?

[Anthony Darby]

Lilac. Do you say SY-rin-ga, or SI-rin-ga?

I say SI, but then I say sick- lamen (Cyclamen), and then you come to Clivia. I've just learned it was named after Lady Clive, so should be Cl-eye-via.

[Hillview croconut]

Pronunciation of plant names ... now there's a hoary old chestnut, and a private joke between Parsla and me!

Hi Guys, I have been a bit sick and snowed under and have not been able to respond to questions I can see have been referred to me over the period. Sorry!

Graham your paeonies are magnificent! What a sight to look forward to when they are just dead-looking sticks all winter.

I can offer a few herbaceous types:

P. mascula ssp mascula

P. anomala

P. daurica

It's a wonder I have anything left to photograph given the tremendous wind and heat over the past 2 weeks.

Cheers, Marcus

[Jupiter]

Marcus, how much for those three peonies? Can you get them in the mail today? 

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Jamus,

Wait a minute and I'll pop the instructions into my new 3d bioprinter

M

[Hillview croconut]

That's a nice little lilac, Jacqui.

M

[Parsla]

Oh dear, Jamus, sad about the lilium.
..and I myself say lilac with a short "i" as in syringe. No idea if that is correct though.

I don't know about the name rock jasmine - but one can get into trouble with common names as they often apply quite broadly.
This is a jasminum (J. parkeri), but a very tiny one that doesn't like wet feet.

Thank you Marcus - yes miss kim IS pretty. I had hoped it would be flowering when you visited, but sadly not.
Your paeonies are really the business. Gorgeous blooms.
Glad you are posting. Hope all okay.

jacqui.

[Lesley Cox]

The jasmine is a honey and yours is maybe the same size as mine Jacqui, about 5 cms across and 2 cms high at present, at the corners of my two washtub troughs I have 2, one per trough. They're at the corners because I'm remembering one my ma had many years ago which reached about a metre across and grew over the edge of a stone wall toward the ground 60 or 70 cms below, a massive plant.

[Jupiter]

3D printing plants now?! Amazing what they can do with technology innit? 

Jacqui, I'm no too disappointed about the little liliums as they have a lot of good leaf on them and will be making a good robust bulbs. I think there are three separate bulbs, two of them with flowering spikes. I'm just thrilled to have had this first success with species liliums from seed. I have several other species coming along.

Here are a few pictures of things happening here in my garden.



Campanula bellidifolia in the rock garden, first ever bloom!




I know I keep posting pictures of this Phlox, but it just keeps getting better!




Lobeila tupa keeps on wowing me.




A closer look at Lilium pumilum




Common old solomon's seal, courtesy of Mr. Nottle.




Louisiana Iris also a gift from Trevor.




Verbascums looking good.




Aquilegia uncertain sp. maybe flabellata

[Maggi Young]

More wonderful photos of the plants giving you folks pleasure in your Southern Hemisphere gardens and giving strength to us in the North to get us through autumn and winter. Bet  some of us  didn't know that we are all actually counsellors helping eachother survive the seasons!

Marcus - hope you are feeling better - sending all best wishes     M  xxxx

[Parsla]

Hi Lesley, I had no idea the jasmine could get so big. The prospect is quite thrilling once one gets used to it - its such a pretty thing. 

Jamus -  I adore solomom's seal, it mixes in so well with hydrangeas, hellebores and spring bulbs. The blue of your Louisiana iris is extraordinary. And you are right that the lilium will put on growth for next season. So not all bad.

Jacq.