November 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

Flowering nicely in a water-pot is the variegated form of Iris laevigata which we got from Paul T a couple of years ago.
And a second calochortus for the season, Calochortus venustus
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

I'm not a lover of variegated foliage - but my, that Iris flower is beautiful.  Fine Calochortus too - they're all super aren't they?

[Lesley Cox]

I AM a lover of variegated foliage - but in moderation and think it should always be surrounded (and enhanced) by plain colours but each to his own of course. We introduced a class for alpines with variegated foliage at our Show in October and there were about 8 entries, all of really nice plants.

This first picture is not exactly variegated but has wonderful markings all the same. It is Podophyllum delavayi and the two with it are from the same batch of seed, so different. No flowers yet but eagerly awaited

Then one of many double auriculas this year, a lovely dusty pink.

Fritillaria monantha is from FGAGS seed and this is the third blooming, each better than the last. Two stems this year even though there is just the one bulb. I hand pollinated it but didn't expect seed from the single clone. However, a fat pod is forming and looking as if it will mature. It is a very late species for me, still in flower now (the second stem).

The other Podophyllum seedlings from the same batch.

I had some seed from the late Josef Hoeller just weeks before he died. One packet was of mixed Gentiana acaulis and clusii and while most have had the regulation deep blue flowers, this lovely one and one other are different. The other is pure white, with just the green throat markings. Both are special and will be propagated from cuttings.

[Lesley Cox]

Here's the white one but holed by something chewy in each lobe, while it was still unfolded.
Both forms have made nice pods.

Dodecatheon pauciflorum 'Redwings' looks great in a shady spot but today was dull and dark so the flash went on and that doesn't help.

Also suffering from the flash, Arisaema nepenthoides, usually the fist of mine to flower since I lost A/ sikokianum, I think to drought.

One of a series of wonderful little Myosotis hybrids from Hokonui Alpines. Their original parents were M. uniflora (pale yellow scab of a plant) and M. capitata (clear blue, from the sub Antarctic islands. The little children are perfect cushions, soft and furry since the introduction into their breeding, of M. pulvinaris. There are several now, all real gems.   

Another dwarf bearded iris, a local one, called 'Maui Moon'                               

[Jupiter]

OOoo, Myosotis pulvinaris is loverly. I want one.

[David Nicholson]

Me too. Nice stuff Lesley.

[Lesley Cox]

The double auricula seed from Barbhaven and sown two years ago almost to the day (6/11/13) has been a great thrill with 38 sof 45 seedlings so far, being double and a few of the remaining ones showing semi double. They seem to be fuller in their second year so I think most will be double by next year. There are all colours from white, cream and yellows, tawny and orange, reds a couple of soft pinks (not the one above), pale and dark blues and purples, even a bright lime green! One I am naming 'Flamenco' because of its serrated edging and ochre colour suffused in the centre with crimson and fully crimson of the petal backs. Maybe a couple of others when they're matured and can be judged better. My neighbour who has a large marmalade cat wants the orange one to be named 'Ginger Tom.'

[Lesley Cox]

A few more irises.

Dwarf Bearded Iris 'Pure Allure'

DB Iris 'Hustle'

DB Iris (orangey gold) can't remember name until the morning. Could be 'Marksman').

DB Iris little blue (also need to check the name. I love these little blues. Their colour is so intense and yet limpid.

An Intermediate iris, an Aridbred (i.e. having something of either oncocyclus or regelia species in its breeding) 'Bird Dancer'

[Otto Fauser]

Hello Lesley ,
  you have shown us so many beautiful and desirable plants from your garden in the last few weeks , most not available in Australia .My 'must haves' would have to be Daphne petraea  'Persabee' ,even Don in the Blue Mountains does not grow a D. petraea.I remember the supplier of your plant some 6 or so years ago showing us how to graft Daphnes at the Christchurch Study Weekend .Also unavailable here are Gentiana depressa , Myosotis pulvinaris hyb, , and Frit. monantha ,which I have never seen before : is it checkered inside ?
Your Gentiana acaulis pale blue is nicer than mine ,I grew it from seed labelled 'Iceberg' ,it has just a hint of the palest blue but is very free flowering .Here my Glaucidium palmatum sends up a couple of leaves every year and never flowers - despite living in luxury .I suspect it isnot cold enough here , as Trillium grandiflorum  fl. pl. flowers always abort here . Do you think I should give the pot a 3 months chill in the fridge ?

[Parsla]

Lesley you have such a wonderful collection.

I agree with Otto and Jamus on the Myosotis and adore the pale gentian. Your 'bird dance' iris is also rather special.
Thank you for showing them.

From me today:
1. The tiny white ericaceous flowers of the honey-cup Zenobia pulverulenta
2. The Carillon foxglove is a dear little perennial maybe only 30 cm high with primrose-coloured flowers
3. Geranium pratense flourishes near the back steps. Sadly plain white - not 'splish-splash' as anticipated.
4. Arisaema candidissimum has just flowered
5. The icy-white buds of Deutzia setchuenensis appear like clusters of pearls

[Maggi Young]

Those Zenobia pulverulenta flowers are  very cute.
  I read that  the plant is hardy down to minus 20 C and the flowers are aniseed scented - sounds good.

[Parsla]

Hi Maggi,

They are very cute and sweetly scented - thank you for saying so. I hadn't noticed an aniseed element to the scent, but shall check and report back. 

Zenobia could well be cold hardy. Struggles in the heat here but has stayed alive, albeit one of the 3 plants I have has gone into its own personal Autumn this month.  Who knew?

Jacqui.

[Lesley Cox]

Otto, you know I would love to send plants across the ditch but also know I can't. If there's seed ever again on Gent. depressa, you shall have it of course, likewise the Myosotis. It must set seed, or some of Louise's little cushions must, as she has a new one occasionally. And if the seed on F. monantha matures, yes, that too for you. The flower inside is quite plain and as frits go, it's just another plain green but has a lovely elegance to it and has become a favourite with me, because it seems quite reliable and easy to grow as well as being a bit special and late, so extending the frit season. It may be the same as F. taipaiensis which t00lie had in bloom a couple of weeks ago. His was a bit more marked than mine but the leaves were similar. His and mine both have a whorl of leaves in stacked layers, like F. affinis.

Jacqui, I mis-spelt the file name on 'Bird Dance.' I t should be 'Bird Dancer.' Is is really nice and with the aril blood, has that little bit of the exotic about it. Your Arisaema candidissima is very pale isn't it? Mine is much deeper pink (photo later, they're not even up yet). I was recently given a few small tubers of the pure white form. It will be a couple of years before they flower though.

[Lesley Cox]

Just two weeks tomorrow until NZIS National Convention starts in Dunedin. So much to do here and the weather isn't helping. Another frost this morning for heaven's sake! Some that should be in bloom then are finished, others barely in bud but the Meconopsis may be a consolation for North Island iris lovers. They are loving my railway bed and are just starting

Otto I'm surprised your Glaucidium doesn't flower, everything else does with you and I'm usually gnashing my teeth in envy. You may be right about the cold, so yes, try some refrigeration - not too much though.

[David Lyttle]

Just grabbed a few pots of things in flower in my garden and photographed them;

Allium karataviense grown from seed ex OAGG Seed Exchange



Celmisia semicordata subsp stricta x C. gracielenta coll Livingstone Mountains



Dodecatheon pulchellum 'Red Wings' ex Hokonui Alpines (Note spelling of Hokonui)



Dodecatheon alpinum ex Hokonui Alpines For those interested I learnt last night that there is a species of Dodecatheon (Dodecatheon frigidum) found on Wrangel Island north of Siberia at 71 degrees (along with lots of Polar bears)

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