December 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Sorry to hear about your injury Lesley, that must be very painful. I've had an infection in my gum behind my wisdom tooth which required a trip to the GP and antibiotics to get over. Very painful.

It's all over here for another year. Early heat and drying winds have fried most things to a crisp. It's like an oven outside right now and the next four days are forecast to be worse. I'll need to come here for my fix of virtual gardening, so feel free to post from your cooler wetter, greener locales.

[Anthony Darby]

Ouch Lesley. Not good at any time of year, but especially at Christmas. Time to let others take the strain. Hope it heals quickly and correctly.

[David Nicholson]

......and braking my left little finger in two places........

Hope it wasn't a bit a urgent braking that did the breaking Lesley Still after that, it might not be possible to wave me the usual two fingered salute

Have a nice Christmas Lesley.

[Maggi Young]

Oh Lesley, what a bit of bad luck.  Hope it heals well and is not too awkward to cope with meantime. 

[fermi de Sousa]

.... but have become diverted by falling and braking my left little finger in two places. It was x-rayed this morning and is now strapped to the next one for at least 6 weeks,

Sorry to hear about your break, Lesley,
But at least you should be okay to continue greeting people with the Vulcan "Live Long and Prosper" hand sign

 
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

In flower in the garden before the heatwave!
Calochortus clavatus ex NARGS Seedex ex Cyril La Fong
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks everyone. Finding it a bit difficult typing with left hand. Fortunately I have just bought a smart phone (swore I never would) and can do emails on that with just one finger on the right  hand.

While at an OAGG committee meeting yesterday lunchtime, I had a call from my doctor telling me to go to A and E at Dunedin public hospital where an orthopaedic surgeon wanted to see me in a hurry. Bit worried about that but I went and now find myself plastered (don't say it, Fermi/David) from fingertips to half way between hand and elbow. The surgeon was very nice and held my finger tips while the plaster man worked. The hand looks a bit like a green mamba or something with forked tongue making an appropriate slightly rude gesture. Told surgeon he'd wrecked my career as an international concert pianist. (I see him sometimes at concerts). I may draw a snake's head on the hand and name it as Simonius McMahonensis.

Most worried though about the cuttings not being taken and seed not sown for a while. I have an appt for next Wednesday and Simon may change the plaster for something lighter and less restricting. I hope so as I have to drive up to Timaru on Thursday for my son John's wedding (about 300 kms from here) and at the moment I can't drive at all!

[Anthony Darby]

My goodness Lesley. You don't do things by halves do you? Make a to do list and then get bossy.

Here's what is flowering in the garden now: Disa uniflora, which I bought in a Farro food shop about a year ago. Pot sits in the white container with water in it in dapple shade all year. Epidendron ibaguense. A red form I picked up on a trip up to 90 mile beach in 2011. Hibiscus trionum, a native which I grew from bought seed.

[Maggi Young]

Love that Hibiscus, Anthony.

[Maggi Young]

Mercy, Lesley!  How the blazes did you get home?  Seems things were much worse with the break than first thought.
Not good,  especially with the imminent wedding.  Hope it all works out. 

[Otto Fauser]

A few photos I took this morning before the temperature climbed to 41 C. Too trying for most alpine plants and myself .The 2 Lily species are to embellish my warmest good wishes to all FORUMISTS for a Happy Christmas .

[Otto Fauser]

and 4 more

[Maggi Young]

Merry Christmas, Otto!   Hard to imagine how any of these plants could enjoy  such high temperatures - they'll be following you indoors to some cool shade!

[Jupiter]

Really beautiful Otto, a pleasure to see. My garden is very badly burnt, which happens every year but it's earlier than usual this year. Yesterday was the worst, the hottest of 4 days above 40 degrees. It's amazing to see the African and Mediterranean natives burnt and singed. They won't die, but  there's nothing attractive about it!

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Otto,
your place will still look a lot greener than ours after 40^oC!
Even before yesterday our liliums have been suffering the heat and this Asiatic, 'Red Velvet' was looking very tired.
In the morning we still had some late flowers on Rosa 'Frühlingsmorgen' (should that be 'Sommermorgen'? ) which off course were frizzled by evening,
cheers
fermi