May 2017 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Better late than never... this tiny little dinky Colchicum is C. cupani, seed imported by Marcus Harvey, grown by Danni Kaines and give to me as a bulb. Did it mention it's tiny? Cute!

[Parsla]

its a real sweetie jamus.

1. A couple more autumn crocus showed up here but both a little past their best by the time i found them. This one is labelled crocus laevigatus, but i'm not sure really. The stripes are not prominent.

2. A white oxalis and pelargonium sidoides

3. Some beautiful leaf forms in emerging seedlings of cyclamen

4. The glorious autumn colours of nyssa sylvatica

[vanozzi]

Crocus goulimyi ''Mani White'' flowering in the last week.Originally I had this named as the spring flowering Crocus malyi.

[Jupiter]

Superb Paul. I have seed of Mani White germinating now so in a few years I'll match you. Lucky I'm patient!

[anita]

Hi Jamus,
I've got a seedling ex Mani White flowering that was planted late '15, so only one growing season (autumn/winter 16)  to flower! Good growth on others in the pot but no other flowers.
I thinki the regime of dilute tomato food might have helped. Low N, high K, and a longer than usual growing season due to the mild spring and early summer. Some of the Cyclamen coum and hederifolium didn't go dormant and flowered this year after planting late '15 too.

Vanozzi, That's definitely C. goulimyi - my favorite crocus because it has actually naturalised in my Adelaide garden. I noticed that there's displaced pollen around the blooms so hopefully either the bees or you have been busy. It's worth trying to encourage seed production as they are easy to grow from seed, as I mentioned above.

[vanozzi]

Thanks Jamus and Anita.This is the only goulimyi that I have, and yes , the displaced pollen that you see Anita, has resulted from hand pollination.I did get seed from it last year.

Now that Marcus has passed there seems to be no other source of crocus specie bulbs in Australia, or is there?I dearly would like to obtain others.

Many special cyclamen specie and hybrids seed is germinating now.Seed obtained from Jan and Mieke Bravenboer of Green Ice Nursery. Dank je Jan.Will post a pic later.

[vanozzi]

Maybe a bit ho-hum for some, but here are my cyclamen seedlings beginning germination.There always is a bit of a thrill and anticipation when seedlings begin life and are ''on the move''

[Jupiter]

Ooo nice seedlings Paul. I have some graecum and coum and rohlfsianum at about the same stage. Always exciting to have seed germinate, never ho hum.

[ashley]

Looking good Paul.  I'm just the same: perennially excited with germinations.
And what might be 'ho-hum' to some is very special for others

[Lesley Cox]

It's ALWAYS a thrill, especially for species not previously grown or known. I have two pots with middle eastern Gladiolus species coming up now, 14 and 16  of 20 seeds in each, so far. It's great seed weather still even in the middle of May. No frosts yet and fog almost every morning. Autumn sown seeds love fog.

[anita]

Now that Marcus has passed there seems to be no other source of crocus specie bulbs in Australia, or is there?I dearly would like to obtain others.

Paul, As far as I'm aware there's no other commercial source offering a wide range of species, Hancock's daffodils have a few relatively common ones including C goulimyi and there are a handful of others. Jamus who collects more actively than I and other Aussie forumists such as Otto are probably better informed. The Victorian Alpine group organises swap meets and that's another potential source of seeds and bulbs.
In relation to seed germination it never gets old! Even when I'm growing sweetpeas which I've done for decades, I get a thrill when the soil starts to bump up before the cotyledons emerge! It's even more of a kick when seed-raised plants finally bloom after years of nurture

[vivienne Condon]

Bryan H Tonkin from Kalorama Victoria sells Crocus from January to March, as well as a lovely range of Fritillaria and other rare bulbs. They do have a web site that comes up when you google them.

[Maggi Young]

Bryan H Tonkin from Kalorama Victoria sells Crocus from January to March, as well as a lovely range of Fritillaria and other rare bulbs. They do have a web site that comes up when you google them.

 Run by Shirley and Jane - http://www.tonkinsbulbs.com.au/
I have seen good photos of their  stands at various shows - looks like good merchandise.

[Parsla]

As Viv and Maggie say, Shirley and Jane are very kind and communicative and their bulbs always seem healthy. I have made some wonderful buys from them.

The two crocuses I mentioned earlier in the month have rebloomed, so I re-photographed.

1. I had labelled this Crocus laevigatus but am not sure. The purple pot is unfortunate and I will have to transfer it to something more attractive.
2. Another perspective of the above
3. Crocus melantherus
4. Another perspective of C. melantherus (a little trouble focusing clearly at dusk).

[Parsla]

...and just a couple more.

I arrived home from a long weekend away to find the coral bark maple in an autumnal gown. It has taken to cascading this year, so quite a show.

The cyclamen persicum shown was a special present, and its leaves are strikingly beautiful.

jacqui.