August 2018 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

Still winter here but the days are getting longer and we are spending more time outdoors.
Here is Galanthus 'Primrose Warburg' a kind gift from Otto though when he saw it he said "it should be 3 times that size!"
What can I say - she's got a tougher life up here in the country!
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Well I think your 'Primrose Warburg' is cute Fermi.

[Lesley Cox]

I think Fermi is cute, never mind the Galanthus.

[David Nicholson]

But I am the cutest of all

[fermi de Sousa]

But I am the cutest of all

David,
there is no one here who will deny that! and a hard worker for the club, too
Here are some other flowers in our winter garden:
1 & 2) Pomaderris obcordata 'Mallee Princess'
3 & 4) Hakea species
5) Anemone coronaria from seed from Iraq
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

I did a quick lap of the garden this morning before work and snapped a few Narcissus and a one retic.

1. Narcissus 'Smarple'
2. N. 'Mitimoto'
3. N. campernelle
4. N cyclamineus 'Hint of green'
5. Iris reticulata 'Harmony'

[fermi de Sousa]

Today was the Rock garden group meeting at FCHS and there were some interesting things on the bench - pretty good for the middle of winter!
1) A view of the bench
2) Jon B's Narcissus triandrus ssp triandrus
3) Jon B's Cyclamen coum
4) Helene's Narcissus fernandesii ssp cordubensis
5) Rex's community pot of Cyclamen coum
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

George and Judy brought a very nice collection:
1) Lachenalia
2) Tecophilea
3) Babiana odorata
4) Haemanthus pauciflora
5) Whiteheadia bifolia
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Look's like George dominated the show bench! Beautiful offerings for dark days.

1. Narc. cyclamineus
2. Crocus chrysanthus 'Zwanenburg Bronze'
3. Androsace lanuginosa
4 Galanthus 'Hippolyta'
5 unknown white parma violet

[Jupiter]

Otto if you're reading this, can you please have a look at this yellow snowdrop and suggest a possible identity? It became separated from its label. It would have come from your garden.

[Otto Fauser]

Good morning Jamus ,    your yellow snowdrop  is Wendy's Gold . Happy to see that Iris bucharica is growing well in your garden . Mine will be another month before they flower .
In case you grow the pink form of Androsace lanuginosa which is var. leichtlinii could you please strike me a cutting ? 

[Jupiter]

Yes of course I'll strike a cutting of the different one i have Otto, but I'm not sure it's var. leichtlinii. When it flowers again I'll post pictures and we'll see.

[fermi de Sousa]

A few more from our garden:
1) More Anemone coronaria are coming into flower;
2) A new daff from Graham at Keira Bulbs - Narcissus to be named for David Adams KB-M-12Y-Y-1-03 (N. cordubensis x N. cyclamineus)
3) Crocus flavus
4) Hyacinthella nervosa
5) Allium chamaemoly
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

I'm quite happy to be wrong here but I've always had the pink form of Androsace lanuginosa as A. lanuginosa and the white form as A. l. var leichtlinii. Otto I could give you a plant of each right now but that darned ditch gets in the way of good trans-Tasman relations.

Fermi I'm wondering if the new daffodil from Keira is to be named for our Dave Adams from Christchurch, a great daffodil man and breeder and show-er of little forms? Or is it for another man altogether?

This coming Sunday is the third annual Snowdrop Study Day in NZ. It will be at a private address in Ashburton and all available places at the day are booked well in advance. It will be my first attendance. Unfortunately almost everyone's 'drops have come and gone quickly this year. The only one I have left is the late-flowering 'Straffan' so my hopes of getting 2 or 3 identified positively, are dashed. Still, it will be a great day with equally crazy people including old friends and new ones. The very talented JS will be providing cupcakes for afternoon tea, all decorated with icing sugar snowdrops, a great highlight apparently of the previous two events.

[Otto Fauser]

Hello Lesley , yes I think you are correct with Androsace lanuginosa var. leichtlinii being the white form of which I have large patches in my garden . 
Would love to come over for your Galanthus  Study Week End - but .Here too most Snowdrops are going over -last week in July is the prime time here .
Some are still hanging on like G.alpinus , transcaucasicus ,  true caucasicus  , fosteri , lagodechianus  and 'Straffan". I think I lost my krasnovii .
This year my favourites  were G.'John Gray ' , 'Mighty Atom' , 'Anglesey Abbey' ,  Trymlet' , 'Rosemary Burnham ' , and  as every year  old faithful 'S. Arnott' .
I counted over 80 different snowdrops -species and cultivars - in my garden . Unfortunately no new ones will come to Australia from now on -CYTES  etc .