October 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Hillview croconut]

Gosh, so many lovely plants to dream over. I love that campanula but I'm a sucker for those open-faced buns.

Thanks Maggi and Jacqui for your best wishes!

A few more today:

Paeonia emodii - a stunner!

Paeonia macrophylla (or whatever!)

Cistus creticus or a subspecies of it collected as seed on Ikaria.

Cheers, Marcus

[Parsla]

What a heavenly combination of foliage and flower on the Paeonia emodi Marcus.
And the dark pink P. mascula flower is breathtaking! 

I have two photos.
 
The first is of the irregulares section Saxifrage I nipped from a pot plant last year - now rocketing along.
The second is my first bloom of Roscoea cautleyoides - which I fell head-over-heels for in Kew gardens.
Mind, the clumps there had stems!

Jacqui.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
I managed to take a few more photos when not harvesting seed.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
The last of my photos.

[Rogan]

It'a a Knowltonia anemonoides (...quite a mouthful!) I have been noticing these interesting tri-foliate leaves in shady spots for some time  - now they have finally revealed their true identity:

[fermi de Sousa]

What an intriguing plant, Rogan!
I'd not heard of it before; thanks for sharing the pic,
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Having a little difficulty here keeping my paeony envy under control. They really are gorgeous aren't they?



Diverting myself  to try to learn more about Knowltonia anemonoides - quite new to me.

[Jupiter]

Dianthus pinifolius


Raoulia parkii, when Otto sent me a little piece of this alpine beauty I never expected it to survive, let alone thrive!


Centaurea atropurpurea


Iris graminea


Corydalis cv. blue line

[Parsla]

Hi Maggie, I have to agree with you on the paeonies. I would love to grow more of them.

Jupiter - you have an eclectic and wonderful collection..

Jacqui.

[Jupiter]

Thanks Jacqui. I find it impossible to focus on one group/genus/family. I guess Iridaceae is a favourite, but I grow whatever takes my fancy which is eclectic as you say! Have you Easterners had any of this rain we're getting? We had a very welcome 9mm the night before last. Everything is looking very lush right now.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Guys,

This last month has been a feast of flowers!

I have a few of my rarest plants flowering. I know in most cases rare is rarely better but these, I think, break that mould.

Daphne cneorum album - crystalline beauty

Daphne giraldii - Archibald seed

Helichrysum milfordiae - gorgeous plant originally purchased from Ken Gillanders

Cheers, Marcus

[Jupiter]

Absolutely beautiful Marcus, your Helichrysum is the standout for me. I've never seen that but I instantly want to grow it in my rock garden.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Jamus,

I bought it years ago.  I did have a go at propagating it but lost all the cuttings when I ended up in hospital.

I don't know where you would get it in Australia. Email me.

Cheers,  M

[Jupiter]

Something a bit different... I'm having good success raising little seedlings for my garden and I thought I'd share part of my nursery. I am in the habit of pricking out very young seedlings into deep tubes and growing them on until they are strong enough to go into the garden. It works very well for me and I have a little method which I follow, the only difference being the potting media depending on the requirement of the species in question.


from left to right: Penstemon davidsonii ssp. menziesii (allegedly), Aquilegia jonesii, Iris spuria ssp. maritima, Edraianthus montenegrins, Anemone multifida rubra, Astragalus coccineus, Armeria juniperifolia, some Verbena.



from left to right: Penstemon whippleanus, mixed pacific coast irises, Erigeron compactus, Penstemon virens, Penstemon hallii,



from left to right: Penstemon hallii, Monardella odoratissima, Canarina canariensis, Aquilegia scopulorum, Penstemon grandiflorus.

[Maggi Young]

 Looking good . How deep are these "tubes", Jamus?