January 2007 Downunder

[fermi de Sousa]

We only had about 10mm of rain over the last week but it was enough to start the "Rainlilies" off again! The best flowering yet on Habranthus tubispathus (syn andersonii, syn texanus) and forma Roseus...and I can't show you as the software for downloading pics isn't working! Nevermind here's a pic of H. t. Roseus from a good flowering last March!
cheers
fermi
in hot and dry central Victoria, rain expected on the weekend

[mark smyth]

very nice, like a nest full of chicks

[fermi de Sousa]

I got home yesterday to find a few more flowers out including some on a seedling of Habranthus "Russell Manning" which is an H. robustus hybrid. This second generation hybrid appears to me to be closer to H. robustus and one stem actually had two blooms! Unfortunately I still can't download pics but here's one I prepared earlier! March 2006 to be precise.
When I dead-headed the H. tubispathus I got 2 dozen from H. t. "Roseus" and 3 dozen from the type! I only dead-head these because they already come up elsewhere in the Rock garden from uncollected seedpods a few years ago! If anyone is desperate for seed please e-mail me privately and I'll spare a few heads the chop!
cheers
fermi
who'll be away from the computer till Tuesday!

[Lesley Cox]

Everything here looking a bit sad for the moment. But a few things have been performing well as always. Below, Helianthemum tuberaria, unlike the usual run of rock roses, and haplopappus coronopifolius, a South American daisy.







This lovely bulb is Calochortus palmeri, a delicious colour but the flower sits on top of a very skinny stem, almost 40cms high and otherwise, no substance to it at all.

[fermi de Sousa]

Good news! The download problem is solved and I have a few more pics to share!
Firstly the rain-lilies (Habranthus tubispathus)which bloomed heavily awhile back.
The second is the seedling of H."Russel Manning" with the double-header!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Now for some non-bulbs (sorry, B-D).
A few South Africans: Relhania pungens, Geranium harveyi and Kniphofia poryphyta.
All do well in full sun and little water, though they do appreciate a drink to flower better.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

I've mentioned elsewhere that Origanums do well for us and here's a couple that are exceptional: O. "Kent Beauty" and an unnamed hybrid with O.rotundifolium that I call "Redesdale Rasta".
More later!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

I'll finish with a couple of bulbs, though the Brodiaea jolonensis finished flowering a month ago and the Conanthera campanulata a week or more ago. The Brodiaea is still in a pot but the Conathera does alright in the Rock Garden. I may risk the Brodiaea outside but as this was its first flwoering from seed I wanted to make sure it was worth putting into the garden; it has a great texture to its blooms and will warrant a place though somewhere accessible as it looks like it has "seed potential"!
cheers
fermi

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

The Habranthus tubispathus is the one which really caught my eye, a lovely plant. Your conditions seem very arid, stony etc. Is this so?

Paddy

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Paddy
Habranthus tubispathus is one of the easiest Rain-lilies to flower in my experience, it just takes a drop in barometric pressure and a bit of rain ( we only had 10mm before the clump above came into bloom - erupted really!) to get them to do their stuff. They increase readily from bulb and too readily from seed, which is why I now dead-head them unless someone asks for seed.
Our garden is in Central Victoria which is not the most arid part of Australia but we have been officially "in drought" for about 10 years! Our annual average rainfall is about 500mm but last year it was only 320mm. This suits a lot of bulbs as long as there's a decent rainfall during winter/early spring and not too much summer rain. The maximum temperature in summer can get into the 40s (Celsius!) but usually only for a day or two. The ground looks very stoney as we use a coarse gravel mulch for the bulb areas.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Making up for lost time, here's a few more pics from the Rock garden in late December, early January.
Digitalis obscura, not really a rock garden plant and this one is still in a pot but the colour is stunning.
Geranium "Victor Reiter Jnr." has lovely foliage but it's taken over a year to flower!
Verbascum "Lettitia" blooming marvelous in full flower but a b****r to dead-head!
cheers
fermi

[Joakim B]

Nice pictures and really nice colour on the digitalis. I like that name obscura I think it fits well. 

I bet dead heading the verbascum is hard work but I bet it is even harder not to dead head and pull out the seedlings from every where.

Kind regards
Joakim

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

Again, lovely photographs.

The Verbascum letitia has me drooling. This is a most difficult plant to grow outdoors here as it so dislikes the winter wet, rot sets in so easily and when spring arrives one can only visit the in spring with hope rather than faith in it survival. I cover my miserably small plant for the winter in hopes that it may survive. It generally does but I have never grown one to the size of yours.

Great to see one so well grown.

Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hi Fermi,
I grow a Verbascum Laetitia half the size of yours and I do sympathise with you on deadheading  !!

Paddy, I grow mine here in Belgium (so quite wet as well) against an east facing wall where it gets quite little rain since most of our rains come from the West.  It seems to like it quite well !

[Paddy Tobin]

Luc,

Rather foolishly, on consideration, I grow mine out in the open where every drop of rain that falls hits it. I must search for a better position.

Paddy