November 2016 in the Southern Hemisphere

[johnralphcarpenter]

Isabel and I made a video of the garden this morning. It's not up to Ian's standard and it's very shaky, but not too bad. I am really not used to talking to a camera, so please excuse my awkward dialogue and the occasional trip up over names. I know what they are called! Honest I do     

https://player.vimeo.com/video/192301474

A little piece of paradise! Thanks for showing.

[Ian Y]

Janus, I have also enjoyed the video tour of your garden, I was wondering if I could borrow your co-presenter Isobell for some of my videos.
Great stuff I look forward to some more.

[Matt T]

I can see Maggi having a glittering career in front of the camera!

[Carolyn]

Jamus,
Your lush green garden brightened up a cold grey day! Thank you, super video. I am surprised to see cardiocrinum thriving in your garden. Is it not too hot and dry?

[Jupiter]

Hi Carolyn, it's a funny climate we have here, very hot and very dry for the summer months, but as we are higher up we get cooler nights and with regular irrigation a lot of things get through the summer. The key is that they start their growing in late winter, we don't have the sub zero temperatures you get. If summer gets too much for them they are burnt off and forced into early dormancy. It's the same with the Galanthus and other woodlanders.

[Carolyn]

If the heat cuts short the growing season for cardiocrinums, I presume they will take longer to reach flowering size? I have one plant in a very slug infested corner and every year the slugs reduce it to something resembling a piece of net curtain. It has been there for 8 years already and is nowhere near flowering size. Much patience is needed (or maybe some slug pellets?)

[Jupiter]

Friends of mine have one coming to flower in their garden this year which you wouldn't have thought was flowing size. They surprise you, obviously a lot of energy is put into developing the bulb with not all that much to show for it above ground.

[Lesley Cox]

Super video Jamus giving a real idea of where you are gardening and how. Isabel does a great job. (Great name she has too, my middle one.)

Really impressed by your Iris graminea, so many flowers in a small area and at or above leaf level, unusual for this species.  There is I. g. ssp pseudocyperus (some say it is a separate species) which flowers at leaf level, or is supposed to but mine is much the same as the type, unless I have the wrong plant of course, as is quite likely. Keep seed of yours and spread it around.

Also greatly admiring of your crevice pot. We have a class in our spring show for 3 or more species in a trough or pot garden. You'd win hands down every time, once yours is planted. If I start right now, maybe I'll be in time for next year's Show. 

[Jupiter]

Thanks Lesley, I'm glad you like my crevice pot. I'll be planting it up on Friday as I have the day off. You'll get updates as to its progress of course.

My Iris graminea is all from the one source and I have divisions in 3 places, 2 in pots and one in the garden. Only the one in the garden is putting its flowers on top of tall stems, the others are more typical. I don't know why its done that Lesley but everyone is welcome to seed, I should have plenty.

[Jupiter]

Iris paradoxa is flowering! I took a few (a few dozen) photos before I left for work and I'm posting them for you now on my lunch break.

[Jupiter]

More?

[Otto Fauser]

Great photos  Jamus and I agree with Lesley : one of the most artistic crevice pots i have seen . I will send you in autumn two tiny Saxifragas  S. poluniniana  and S. georgei  which will look at home in your crevice pot . Lucky you to flower Iris paradoxa , superb ! Mine did not flower and is it from the same stable as mine ? Your climate is certainly more suitable than here for growing the oncocyclus  Iris .

 Also greatly enjoyed the video staring Isabel of your garden as most likely I will not see it in the flesh .I thought Hugo would have been eager  to be in the film as well ? Did you put your nose in the flowers of Iris graminea ? very nice . Iris sintenesii is flowering at the moment .

[Leucogenes]

Hi Leucogenes, L. hookeri is nice too! I'd like to grow that as well. I am finding the new zealand alpines hard to come by... but stunningly beautiful.

Hi Jamus

Also for me the alpine NZ are particularly attractive.

There should be alpine horticulture in Australia. Or order directly in New Zealand at specialized horticulture deliveries to Australia. Unfortunately, no one delivers to Europe. The way is too far.
There are so many native NZ plants that I desire. But unfortunately I'm not coming. Well ... is perhaps too special.

But dreaming of it is also beautiful. 

[Jupiter]

Thanks Otto, yes the paradoxa is the one that came from you. It's gorgeous, I keep going outside and just looking at it. A stunning little plant and looking very healthy.

Thanks everyone for praising my pot. I'm looking forward to putting some plants in and seeing them grow. I made a very good, sandy compost with crushed rock for the underneath and beneath the stones.

[Jupiter]

My third onco opened today and it's a bit of a disappointment. The sibling of my first, this one is very clearly iberica x iberica x korolkowii, but it's a misshapen bloom with three falls, only two standards and one and a half(ish) style arms! Very odd, I'll take better pictures tomorrow. I really hope future blooms on this plant have normal flowers because it's stunning colouration. Anyone have any experience with mutant blooms?