July 2019 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

It's the depths of winter here but the little Colchicum cupanii is still producing flowers!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Mine isn't flowering this year or if it is it hasn't yet shown a nose about the pot surface. I do have a small pot though with the first of the 'Atlas Gold' form of Narcissus romieuxii, two out today and at least another 20 buds poised to open within days. The scent is very strong as I step out onto the back porch.

I feeling seedy at present having packed today the last of 18 applications for seed of different forms of Eranthis hiemalis for members of the NZ Fritillaria and Small Bulb Group. A very exciting package came two weeks ago from Friends in Belgium and Holland and while we (the Group) paid for some of the seed, most was a gift from those very generous growers. So I've been reassigning the 21 vars into about 180 plus seed envelopes and will post the last few in an hour when I've had yet another cup of coffee. We know from Wim Boens wonderful article in an early edition of "The International Rockgardener" that we've been sent some wonderful forms and most apparently come true or nearly so, from seed. So sowing this week then the quite long wait begins until flowering starts; 3 to 5 years for most vars.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Lesley,
I was going to wish you better health but then realised that you meant "seedy" in a different context!
Glad you've been having fun,
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for the thought anyway Fermi. I volunteered to pack and send all these because our seed team of 6 of whom I'm one, all are off to China or Switzerland or somewhere and I thought it was important to get them away quickly, freshness being a factor with Eranthis. Quite enjoyed it except for complaints from the sideline that there was no room for dinner on the dining table.

[Jupiter]

Some flowers from my garden to cheer cold souls on short days;

1. Galanthus plicatus ssp. byzantinus
2. Canarina canariensis
3. Crocus olivieri
4. Crocus minimus
5. Dahlia excelsior

[Jupiter]

Part 2

1. Galanthus elwesii "Three Leaves"
2. Eranthis hyemalis
3. Cyclamen coum "Red Robin"
4. Galanthus ikariae
5. Narcissus romieuxii ssp. albidus

[Lesley Cox]

Some of your bulbs are very early compared with mine Jamus. The only crocus I have out is laevigatus I think in the variety fonteneyi. It is soft lavender with some feathering on the outer 3 petals and has been very reliable for many years. No eranthis showing at all yet though they are very much on my mind having just packeted up and sent out to members of NZ Fritillaria and Small Bulb Group, 21 vars of named eranthis hiemalis seeds, from BELGIUM. The only galanthus in flower are the remains of reginae-olgae mixed with elwesii v. hiemalis I think, and tomorrow I will have nivalis 'Wasp' finally open I think. We have a snowdrop event on later this month, a trip south to various large gardens. It was planned for August but everyone reckoned theirs were early so we transferred to late July but mine are not only later but later then usual.

Your Canarina is lovely.

[Jupiter]

Hi Lesley, they are right on time for us here in Adelaide. I too have Crocus laevigatus var. fonteneyi flowering, but it is right near the end of flowering having started around the second week of June, 3 weeks ago! I would love to see pictures of your Galanthus 'Wasp', I've only seen it in books. I don't think that one is in Australia, but I might be wrong. As for the Canarina, I have two BIG plants and one little one, and all are different in flower colour. The one in the picture I posted is what I call my yellow form. The others are darker red. Last year I sent seed to George Simmler in Melbourne and he sent me a picture of AMAZING germination; a whole seedling tray packed full of baby Canarina canariensis. I can't take the credit, I think George has magic green fingers.

[Maggi Young]

It's  frosty in Tasmania -this  photo from  Amarlie and  Lesley of Kaydale  Lodge  Gardens....



www.kaydalelodge.com.au

[Lesley Cox]

Central Otago has looked like that recently but not here nearer the coast. Each year I tell myself I'll travel up there to see and photograph the hoar frost and every year I chicken out. Not the cold so much but the ice on the roads, often not visible.

[fermi de Sousa]

We're having a respite from the frost with rain over the last few days - not heavy but steady.
Here are a couple of narcissus flowering well in winter.
The Narcissus tazetta italicus from seed from Betty Clark started flowering last month and is still going.
Narcissus 'Quen Dor' is another of Lawrence Trevanion's "Baby Talk" series
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

1) First flowers on the winter honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima.
2) Flowering for the first time a new (?) Acis from Hillview last year. It's supposed to be Acis valentina but it's flowering in winter at the same time as Acis tingitana so I suspect a mix up 
cheers
fermi

[Jupiter]

Very wet here in Adelaide at the moment, which is good for some things, not so good for others... here are a few pics from the weekend.

1. Saxifraga hostii likes me, especially this one in a limestone trough. I hope it flowers!
2. First flowers on Narcissus 'Ben Bler' being weighed down by the rain.
3. First retics to flower, just 'Harmony'
4. Crocus imperati
5. Crocus biflorus ssp. melantherus

[Jupiter]

We just returned from a few days away on Kangaroo Island and there were a few surprises waiting for me when I got home.

1. the first N. cyclamineus
2. N. 'Ben'Bler'
3. C. tommasinianus
4. Iris reticulata 'Purple Gem'
5. C. biflorus

[Parsla]

Lots of things going on this month. Jamus I tend to agree with Lesley - you are earlier than us.
Fermi, frost and rain, brrrr.
Marcus had wasp - I think it still grows in Susan's garden

Here are a few after a weekend in the garden.

1. Crocus biflorus alexandrii
2. a slightly tatty Crocus danfordiae - only one bulb
3. Hepatica nobilis
4. Cyclamen coum - could be the red robin
5. Mahonia in full show - not sure there'll be any berries as have noticed the birds nipping the flowers