October in the Southern Hemisphere

[David Lyttle]

Visited Dave Toole in Invercargill last weekend. Here are a few shots of his garden. As you can see there are trilliums everywhere.

[David Lyttle]

And the man himself with visiting mycologist, Dr David Orlovich from the University of Otago.

[Jupiter]

Nothing rare or fancy but things are looking wonderfully lush and exuberant in my garden right now...


Pelargonium splendide turned up in the nursery trade here in hanging pots. Straight into the garden.



I was given this as I. douglasiana, but who knows! Bob Nold?



Experimenting with Nemophila last year and now they self seed gently around. I love it!



This PCI is from seed that Fermi sent me, first time I've seen it flower.


Geissorhiza, clearly not splendidissima, maybe monanthos? Fermi?

[Jupiter]

Some photos from this morning.



Origanum dictamnus



Agrostemma githago 'Ocean Pearls'



Poppy



TBI lost the name



seedlings for the rock garden

[fermi de Sousa]

This PCI is from seed that Fermi sent me, first time I've seen it flower.

Geissorhiza, clearly not splendidissima, maybe monanthos? Fermi?

Hi Jamus,
That's very quick for a flower for a PCI!
I'd say that Geissorhiza is the same as one of the G. monanthos I posted to the South African Bulbs thread;
the pic here below shows a few variations, the bottom one looks like yours,
cheers
fermi

[Leucogenes]

Some photos from this morning.

(Attachment Link)

Origanum dictamnus

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Agrostemma githago 'Ocean Pearls'

(Attachment Link)

Poppy

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TBI lost the name

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seedlings for the rock garden

Hi Jamus,

As always great photos of you. Good luck with the seedlings. All good varieties. Helichrysum marginatum please do not dry. With sufficient moisture, very good growth. (Picture of 2016)

Townsendia spathulata is also a beauty. I hope my next year is blooming. I love all the Townsendia.

greetings
Thomas

[Jupiter]

Hi Jamus,
That's very quick for a flower for a PCI!
I'd say that Geissorhiza is the same as one of the G. monanthos I posted to the South African Bulbs thread;
the pic here below shows a few variations, the bottom one looks like yours,
cheers
fermi

Fermi, now that you say that, maybe this one isn't one from your seed. You're right, too quick... could be one Trevor gave me.

[fermi de Sousa]

In the garden today:
a tan coloured PCI;
Moraea sp and Dichelostemma sp;
Oxalis hirta adopting autumnal shades in spring;
Serapias lingua;
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Fermi,

It must have been an overcast day. The cream Eschscholzia are still closed. I know that they are weedy-seedy, however I enjoy the cream flowered form in our garden.

An interesting and lovely set of photographs as usual. Thank you for sharing.

[fermi de Sousa]

Spot on, Robert, mostly cool and overcast with light rain in the evening - a perfect spring day
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Fermi I love your tan PCI. I can't wait to see what colours come through in the seed you gave me.

Hi Thomas, thanks and than you regarding the moisture requirements regarding the Helichrysum. I'm keen to get some of the others, especially H. milfordiae of course. Marcus sent me seed of one which we (Marcus, Otto and I) think is H. sessilioides. Not a single germination yet unfortauntely... I hope there are some viable seed just waiting for the right conditions.

I'm getting sick of the rain this year. We are having an exceptionally cool wet spring, which i great for most of the garden, but the oncos are looking a bit sad! You can't win can you? You try to be sensible and embrace your climate, and this is how you're repaid.... rain rain rain... we had another 30mm yesterday and more forecast for today.

[kaydale]

Hi Jamus, had a busy couple of days with visitors so didn't get back on the forum. 

Lesley, your Fritillaria persica is the best I've ever seen! Magnificent. I have a lot of seedlings, but all very young and a long way off flowering. And your spotty Frit is nice too. Which species is it? We will get down to see you some day... looking forward to Fermi's photos from his visit.

The Fritillaria is purdyi, only small but beautiful.  I have done a cross with grayana and it is stunning.  I went back out and took a few more photos, so have attached an overall of the bulb rockery.  Uploading with the iPad means that half or more of the photos are sideways (thanks Maggie for fixing them) so will wait till I download them before uploading more.

[Jupiter]

Wow Lesley, just wow.    I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need more rocks... I'll have to introduce the idea to my wife Rebecca gently and at the right moment.

First flowering of this little Centaurea simplicicaulis, battered by the wind and rain today.

[Leucogenes]

Hi Thomas, thanks and than you regarding the moisture requirements regarding the Helichrysum. I'm keen to get some of the others, especially H. milfordiae of course. Marcus sent me seed of one which we (Marcus, Otto and I) think is H. sessilioides. Not a single germination yet unfortauntely... I hope there are some viable seed just waiting for the right conditions.


Hello Jamus,

Most small species of Helichrysum from the mountains in South Africa want it moist. There is almost always fog. Since I have kept my various Helichrysum species somewhat moist, they develop very well.

If they bloom again next year, I will gather seeds.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm waiting at the moment to replace my Helichrysum milfordiae but years ago I had my own tiny alpine nursery inside another much larger rhododendron nursery at Geraldine in South Canterbury. The rhodos were watered copiously every day and the helichrysum plants were drenched as well. They always looked incredibly beautiful, their furry bluish rosettes covered in diamonds of water and they grew really well in those conditions.

I don't think that we, in NZ, have seen the true H. marginatum.