April 2008 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

David,

Interesting pics.  What does the Carmichealia look like as a plant?  Nice flowers!!

[David Lyttle]

Paul,

The plant is sparsely branched with slender almost rush-like branches. It usually does not have any leaves. However as you can see it is quite floriferous.

[Lesley Cox]

Here are a few from my weedy patch. All are in pots (black plastic bags)awaiting planting out, as they have been, for years.

Oxalis hirta in a mauve/pink form, sent to me by the generous Andrew Broome. The leaves are quite different too, from my "normal" O. hirta, being pubescent and very small, on quite prostrate branchlets.


This little early form of Narcissus something (foliosus? cantabricus?) is almost white, more so than 'Nylon' but flowering at the same time as 'Nylon.' I find it impossible to be quite sure which is which of all these forms, so have just called this "early white." One flower is too sunny, one too shady and the other can't be seen. Oh well, I never claimed to be a great photographer!


A favourite crocus is C. vallicola, just one flowering now but some seedlings from a different source are about due to start. I love the texture and colour, like whipped cream. (Why does that appeal to me?)




A lone speciosus coming up through weeds. It will be joined by many more soon.


Crocus longiflorus has increased really well in 3 years, from one to about 20. It has also given me good seed. This is the first flower for this year.


To finish, C. medius, from Marcus H. summer before last. Last year it didn't flower and this year it has me worried. I don't like the look of those darker marks. I have a few other corms as well, out in a few days and I'm sure they were unmarked last year, and they also have a much redder stigma, really scarlet, in fact.

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
what's not to like about that Crocus vallicola! It's lovely.

Thomas,
sorry, as I only could take the pic in the morning there wasn't enough light and the camera automatically "flashed" so the pic of the crocus notnudiflorus was a bit washed out. If it's still open this afternoon I may get a pic of it open.

David,
I like that carmichaelia, must check if it's on ICON!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Here's one of our native trailing shrubs Eremophila debilis, which has minute flowers but very attractive berries - my substitute for Gaultheria in our hot climate!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Wonderful fruit on the eremophila Fermi. Do you think.....?

[fermi de Sousa]

I've not had a seedling come up in over three years of berrying. I suspect the common name of the genus, "Emu bush" may imply that the seed have to go through the gut of a bird to enable germination! (We have kangaroos but no emus around here - and I hope it stays that way!) Having said that, I should add that I've never actually tried sowing seed to see if it germinates easily!
I'll try to collect a few seed to try before you visit in September.
cheers
fermi

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas,
sorry, as I only could take the pic in the morning there wasn't enough light and the camera automatically "flashed" so the pic of the crocus notnudiflorus was a bit washed out. If it's still open this afternoon I may get a pic of it open.

OK, Fermi I will wait for that.
By the way: Why do you think it isn't nudiflorus?

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

So much happening in the garden now, or maybe it is just that I don't get to look at it multiple times a day any more.  Seems like there are new things there that I didn't notice the last time.  Lots of fun!

I've attached a pic of one of the early Camellias (one that is a favourite of the birds as it has a pool of nectar at the base of the stamens) that have started here already.  Not many yet, but more are getting close.  Also flowering are a few different Crocus (I've posted a couple of pics of one of them in the crocus area), Nerines, etc which I've probably mentioned previously so I won't go through again.

[Lesley Cox]

A few weeks ago there was some discussion about spring fertilizing of bulbs, on a thread called - "Bulbs Spring Fertilizing" (Surprize!) It gradually took on some notes about nerines and I said I'd put up some pics of my little ones, when they were in flower.

Well here they are now, though many aren't going to bloom this year, which is why I was interested in spring fertilizing. So here are most that are currently out, a few more to follow maybe. Unfortunately the ones I love most, the best reds and deep crimson shades and the smoky salmons and pinks aren't flowering. I apologise that my hand is in every one. They are growing in pots under some gum trees (they like high, overhead dappled shade) so the stems are reaching outward and they needed propping up to photograph.

I'm starting with a comparison shot, which should be kept in mind when you look at the individuals.  Some are taller or thicker stemmed than this little orangey red but still, are much smaller in every may than N. sarniensis (syn. fothergillii major).



Three different pale pinks. Some are frilly, some are plain, some are small, tight heads, some larger, looser.






Then a couple of orangey shades,




and finally a couple of redder shades. I have about 30 different altogether.




The last pic is the same one as in the comparison at the beginning.

[johnw]

Leslie - You have some marvellous Nerines! Thanks so much for posting the pictures.

It is incredible the way the bulbs sense the first cool night below about 8c and the flower buds come roaring up. Here that's usually in Sept-October with flowers from late October / November in to early January. So if my computations are correct you are right on schedule. ()

johnw 

[fermi de Sousa]

Here are some pics Otto has taken in his garden and asked me to post to the Forum.
Firstly here are the non-crocus ones!
Colchicum cupani,
Cyclamen africanum,
Galanthus peshmenii,
Habranthus estensis with 3 flowers on the one scape!
and Oxalis massoniana.
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

thanks, Fermi... and Otto!

[fermi de Sousa]

And now more of Otto's pics, this time for the Croconuts!
Crocus banaticus,
a pale form of the above, possibly a cross between the type form and the white?
C. cancellatus ssp pamphylicus,
C. caspius,
C. ochroleucus, collected in Israel,
C. serotinus.ssp. clusii, Alan Edward's A.M. form,
C. serotinus.ssp. salzmannii dark form,
a good way to grow "floppy" crocus like C. speciosus!
and finally C. tournefortii.
cheers, fermi, on behalf of Otto!

[Lesley Cox]

Yes John, I think they're about on schedule. I always think of April as Nerine month. The orangey and red ones go so superbly well with the foliage of Fothergilla, Hammamelis, maple etc.
 
Oxalis massoniana is fully out here too along with O. lobata and some others. Mine never manages to do what what happened every year in the Timaru garden of the late June Keeley (breeder of all the little nerines). Every year she had in flower at the same time and in big, adjacent patches, O. massoniana, the pure yellow luteola and the snowy white purpurea alba. It was always a superb sight but I can't duplicate it as my luteola and p. alba flower late autumn into winter and massoniana is over by then.