June 2017 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

This week has felt like winter had hit early but today is the official start to winter in Australia!
On return from overseas we found the garden a bit overgrown but none the worse for our absence.
Some oxalis are still in flower:
1) Oxalis hirta seedlings in the garden;
2) Oxalis hirta salmon pink form;
3) Oxalis mesneri;
4) red Nerine hybrid
5) Moraea polystachya
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Welcome back Fermi, we've missed you here on the forum. I have been too busy with work to do much posting. I like your salmon coloured Oxalis hirta. I have the regular pink.
I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences in Prague, and seeing pictures of course. Please don't hold back.

[Mini bulb lover]

Fermi, I hope you weren't held up at customs too long with all the seeds I assume you brought back. 

This was a pot of Crocus laevigatus I put on the AGS Vic Group show bench last weekend. I was happy that I didn't miss out on all my autumn crocuses while I was away. This Crocus was grown from seed from Marcus Harvey's 2012 catalogue. Small flowers but nice feathering on most of them.

[fermi de Sousa]

Jon,
I didn't bother declaring seeds!
I had them posted back 
I'd much rather take my chances with postal inspection than the agents at the airport!
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

The little snogerupii were looking great today in the sunshine.

[Jupiter]

A snapshot of the mid winter garden.

Arisarum hybrid
Bergenia crassifolia
snogerupii
Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia
Saxifraga hostii and others

[fermi de Sousa]

In our garden today
1) Narcissus '09/18T' ('First Stanza x unknown)
2) hybrid hoop petticoat (probably N. romieuxii)
3) Colchicum cupanii (not sure why it is flowering now - could be because it was kept dry for too long)
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Do  those "down-under " know of the new website of  Kiyel Candy-Boland in New Zealand?  Worth a look  for you folks - and open by appointment to visit.
  http://savagegardenz.weebly.com/

[Jupiter]

Fermi, interesting that your Narcissus are so much earlier than mine. Are you having an early season or is it just that mine is so late? I know the Narcissus are later than last year here because I have pictures of them flowering early june, but on the other hand my reticulated irises are earlier... 

My old faithful Gal. elwesii pot is almost a month later than last season.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Jamus,
these particular narcissus usually flower at this time of year.
Most of the others haven't even poked their noses out of the ground!
Galanthus elwesii are at about the same stage as yours.
I think things are so far behind because of the dry May (and June so far!).
cheers
fermi

[Mini bulb lover]

Well I think this is flowering out of season. Last year this Iris suaveolens var flavescens flowered in spring. We're not even past the first month of winter. We are receiving mild temperatures here for this time of year with 15 C every day. It could be confusing the poor plants.

Not sure if "var flavescens" is needed on the end but that's how it was labelled.

[Jupiter]

Hi Jon, your little putative suaveolens is lovely. Very early you're right! No Irises here yet but lots of noses up on reticulatas. I'm looking forward to spring... tomorrow we cross the bottom of the valley and begin the slow climb up the other side of winter.

[t00lie]

Well I think this is flowering out of season. Last year this Iris suaveolens var flavescens flowered in spring.

Lovely Iris John.

Showing the effects of cold ,wet weather ,a repeat flowering of Crocus laevigatus.

Shortia galacifolia has recovered well enough, after nearly losing it to dryness a couple of seasons ago, to finally be planted out so I lifted a patch of Soldanella montana/villosa ?.

Cheers Dave.

[Jupiter]

So so dry... no real rain at all this winter.      I was running around with the hose yesterday.

I bought a few auriculas from Sue at penlan plants, since the ones I bought from her last year survived the summer and are looking good now. Here's some pics of my activities planting them up yesterday.

[anita]

Last of the autumn flowering Galanthus now blooming, or it could be the first of the spring flowering! G elwessi from M Harvey.
Started with one bulb in 2013. It flowers reliably even though it doesn't get much winter chilling.