August 2017 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Mini bulb lover]

How fast is this year going?

Moraea ciliata has been flowering for me for a couple of weeks now. The flowers last one day and it often doesn't bloom on consecutive days. To make up for that they occasionally produce two flowers on the same day/ plant (I have two in one pot and the other one flowered on the same day too)!

They have an unusual scent (not terrible but not great). Last year it was flowering in September so it's an early surprise this year.

[Maggi Young]

How fast is this year going?

You're the second person to say that today, Jon!   The time does seem to be on fast forward.
Lovely soft colours on the Moraea. 

[Jupiter]

Some of my auriculas are going to flower! so excited.



Love Euphorbia myrsinites, even in bud



Otto's N. cyclamineus seedling which he called "Hint of green", five buds this spring

[Maggi Young]

Otto's N. cyclamineus seedling which he called "Hint of green", five buds this spring

Very nice!

[Lesley Cox]

Jamus, I think your euphorbia is E. stricta. E. myrsinites is not so spiky and the branches go out and down, are not upright as in stricta. I have a pic somewhere. will look.

[Lesley Cox]

Two forms of E. myrsinites, the "ordinary" one and one from Jim Archibald's seed which is everything in miniature, the plant only about 15cms across. Unfortunately I have lost this dwarf form.

Back in 1993 when in Greece with John Richards, I saw hundreds of this plant (the larger one), rather dryish in July so with a lot of their branches which has shed their seeds, a rich red or terracotta colour. They were gorgeous. As well, a lot had the large and wonderful caterpillars on them, of the spurge hawk moth.

[Jupiter]

That's interesting Lesley, but I'm not convinced. My Euphorbia does grow out and down, later once the flowers open and it gets heavier. I've googled E. stricta and it's nothing like mine. I will take better photos once the flowers open.

[Jupiter]

Euphorbia rigida. I think it's rigida.

[Lesley Cox]

You are right of course Jamus. It is rigida. I always mix it with stricta. Mix the names I mean as I've never had stricta and don't really want it anyway. I knew it wasn't myrsinites though.

[Lesley Cox]

PS Why are you chaining up your auriculas?

[Jupiter]

hahaha! Funny Lesley. I have an old chain forming a barrier on one side of my little garden gazebo, and the end of the chain hangs down into the planter boxt. I just draped it around the little primula because I enjoyed the contrasting textures of rusted steel with stone and the delicate, silver primula foliage. I suppose it's me expressing my artistic and creative impulses in the garden.

[Lesley Cox]

Mmmmm... It will be plaster dwarfs and china dolls next.  A trend to be avoided at all costs!

When we moved to our last garden but one, there were about 30 dwarfs spread about. The previous owner had been a banker and he told us his grandchildren had given them to him as being "gnomes of Zurich." since he didn't want to take them with him he left them for us. We had a big party for all our new neighbours (this was a farming area, not built up) and during the summer night we lined them up on a fence and shot them!

Nice foliage on the auricula though.

[Jupiter]

I'm with you on the gnomes, but old rusty chain is worlds away from concrete garden ornaments, isn't it? Someone back me up here...

[fermi de Sousa]

Using the chains?
 
cheers
fermi

[Mini-daffs]

 
Some photos of what is flowering in our garden at the moment.
Weather has been bad here but maybe not as bad as in South Australia or Victoria.