May 2008 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Martin, so reginae-olgae it is. I'll do a label. I never had tried chipping until a workshop at the NZAGS Study Weekend in January. Tried there, on G. nivalis. I put the little bag in my airing cupboard where it has been hiding hehind the ironing board all this time, and only remembered this morning when you mentioned chipping. Went to have a look and there are at least a dozen little bulblets with roots. I suppose I'd better get them into a pot.

[fermi de Sousa]

Coming into full flower is a native, prostrate Grevillea

Another native plant is grown for its foliage effect rather than its blooms; this is Acacia cognata,

Still flowering away is the dwarfish oregano, Origanum amanum

Another above all this stuff The Mexican Hawthorn is colouring up its golden fruit,


cheers
fermi

[Armin]

Beautiful pictures
It is a pleasure to see whats growing in the south now.

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

Please tell me more about that Mexican hawthorn. I love the haws. Paddy

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Paddy,
We've only grown our Mexican Hawthorn for about 5 years so it's only an infant! It's a small tree at the moment but will eventually get to around 20ft tall with a spreading crown. It's supposed to be semi-evergreen but has been completely deciduous for the past few winters; maybe less so as it gets older - but then I'll have to move out many of the bulbs planted around its base. The fruit are supposed to be edible, but we've never tried them. It's botanical name is Crataegus pubescens, though we'd bought it under the synonym C. stipulacea.

Thanks for your comments, Armin, I'm glad someone from the North is reading this!
Another brave soul still putting out a few flowers is a South African Geranium incanum; sorry for the glare from the flash, it was a bit dark when I took the pic before work this morning!
cheers
fermi

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hi Fermi !
You grow so many species I've never seen or heard of ! 
Love the Geranium - and the flash did no harm !
Thanks for getting up early this morning to show us the pic ! 

[Armin]

Thanks for your comments, Armin, I'm glad someone from the North is reading this!

Fermi, I'll do my very best

[fermi de Sousa]

I've had to bring a pot of Crocus into the office so that I could take a pic of the flowers open! Crocus pulchellus, grown from NARGS Seedex 2003, I think collected by Erich Pasche. here's the sequence:







I had hoped that all three would be open again this morning as I missed the chance to take a pic yesterday.
There is another corm which has already finished flowering which has slightly different flowers, more darkly striped, but I'll have to wait till next year for a pic!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Another crocus in bloom in the rock garden is Crocus cancellatus ssp mazzaricus,but I can only show you the buds at this stage!

The Daphne alpina is still flowering and about to lose its foliage for the autumn!

And the Narcissus cantabricus ssp foliosus have also begun!


cheers
fermi

[Armin]

Fermi,
nice crocus you keep

[Joakim B]

I am amazed that the crocus and narcissus time is always "on" in the forum, at least some where in the world. 

Kind regards
Joakim

[fermi de Sousa]

Armin, you may think that they are all nice but this one stuck out its tongue when I asked it to open up for a photo!

cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

That's very rude Fermi.

Hey, I'm back, problems sorted thanks to Ian and Maggi. They truly are heroes! More in the morning.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Welcome back Lesley ! 

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Luc. I've decided not to commit suicide after all.

Here are two pictures of Lola in her new outfit.