December 2016 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

Officially the first day of summer here and the weather is sunny and warm.
We've returned from nearly 2 weeks in Tasmania (and have quite a few pics to post  ) and the difference in the landscape between what we left, what we saw in Tassie and what we've come back to are quite stark. The green and lush spring has become a dry and sear summer. As Jamus says "summers too hot, too dry and too long"!
We found many of the flowers which showed great promise before our departure had fallen during our absence so we have idea about colours or form .
However this Sisyrinchium palmifolium has gone from strength to strength. Looking closely at the pic you can discern the flower stems from previous years which are much shorter than this season's. It was grown from seed sent from Argentina by forumist Santiago,
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Weldenia candida opened its first flowers while we were away but deigned to produce a new bloom today
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Fermi,

Your Sisyrinchium palmifolium looks great. I have an interest in the Genus, and hope to share some of ours on the forum when spring arrives for us. For us a few can be a bit weedy seedy - and some of the best looking ones too. Deadheading is a must, but well worth the effort. Maybe this is not a problem for you?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Robert,
sadly I only had one seedling survive and it seems to be self-sterile, so No problem with excess seedlings!
I wonder if Anthony D in NZ gets seed on his?
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Fermi, Sisyrinchium palmifolium is new to me. Quite amazing! We are still in spring here with an distinct absence of summerish weather. I can honestly say I don't mind if it stops raining now and heats up. The spring has been so good I'm actually content, which is a first.

[ashley]

... However this Sisyrinchium palmifolium has gone from strength to strength. ...

Fermi, I suggest you keep a close eye on this one.  It's inclined to be extremely weedy here.

Sorry, just noticed your comment about sterility.  Unfortunately mine wasn't

[kaydale]

Went out and took a few photos in the garden, two early summer bulbs Trillium Grandifloum Flore Pleno (with Dicentra and  T. luteum in the back) and Nomocharis farreri.  Although 'summer' might be a bit of a stretch, mid teens here and a max of 21 a couple of days ago (a heatwave!!) 

[Maggi Young]

Fantastic Nomocharis, Lesley!

[Jupiter]

Fantastic is exactly the right adjective. The stuff of fantasy. I don't know why I have a pot outside with several little seedlings of Nomocharis in it.. it's cruelty really, to me and the plants.

[Maggi Young]

A lot of the gardens of Lesley and her family is the stuff of dreams, Jamus -  take a look around the website  ....
http://kaydalelodge.com.au/ 

[kaydale]

Fantastic is exactly the right adjective. The stuff of fantasy. I don't know why I have a pot outside with several little seedlings of Nomocharis in it.. it's cruelty really, to me and the plants.

This took 10 years to flower from seed for me .  The first few years in a pot then into the bulb rockery.  Very happy when it finally flowered, then a lady picked one of the three flowers to ask what it was
The website hasn't been updated for a while, but we try to put a photo up every week on Instagram under kaydalegardens  I manage to sneek a few of the rarer things up and Amarlie put the overalls of the garden.   

[Jupiter]

Maggi I'm fully aware of kaydale lodge and i will get down to visit them one of these days.  I've bought a few bulbs from Lesley and Co. and all going well might buy a few more this autumn.

Thanks for the instagram tip off Lesley. I will check it out.

[Parsla]

Hi Jamus,

It is a weighty sadness to lose someone as gifted as Marcus. While it is true that much of Marcus's prodigious knowledge is lost, it is equally true that he left an amazing legacy in terms of the plants he brought in - particularly clones that cannot be achieved from seed, the interactions he created between folk and and the advice he gave freely when asked.

His extensive exploration, most often with Susan, have rescued rare species from extinction by goat or other sad fates.

 To post a few -as it has been awhile
1. Roscoea cautleyoides is continuously blooming - fell in love with it in Kew gardens a couple of years past
2. The beautiful foliage of Disanthus cercidifolius and in the background Vancouveria hexandra
3. Phyteuma orbiculare is doing much better now the rabbits have found other things to munch 
4. A dear little streptopusp in the shade
5. Despite munching early in the season the Brimeura have come back and are flowering.

[Maggi Young]

I have moved some messages about the loss of Marcus Harvey to their own page , so I repeat here a post  and photos from  Jon B .....
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14926.0 is the new page
 

Very sad news about Marcus. Well said Fermi.

He was generous with his bulbs, wild-collected seed and knowledge.  There are many gardens in Australia growing some wonderful specimens thanks to Marcus, mine included. He will live on through those plants; gone but not forgotten.

Allium cernuum ‘Hidcote’
Pleione ‘Otto Fauser’

Allium cernuum ‘Hidcote’


Pleione ‘Otto Fauser’

[fermi de Sousa]

It has been a bit quiet on this thread, I guess we have mostly been a bit preoccupied.
We had our annual plant exchange (known fondly as "The Bunfight") yesterday but missed Jacqui who had gone to farewell Marcus in Tasmania.
In our garden we have a flock of butterflies on stalks otherwise known as poppies
Papaver rhoeas "Mother-of-pearl" forms and a few others,
cheers
fermi