June 2008, Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Luit,

Well they definitely have had colder than -6.6'C here in my garden, although not the last year or two.  At least -8 or -9'C with no damage AT ALL, in fact I have never seen winter damage even to the flowers, let alone anything close to actually killing any leaves.  It would need to be a good few degrees colder than they get here to do much damage I would imagine.  So often many of the plants classified as surviving only a few degrees of frost will do better providing you give them the right spot.  And mine aren't protected at all where they are, so it isn't like there is heavy tree cover or anything like that.

So how cold do you actually get in winter?

[Lvandelft]

Paul, temps will get down to - 15 or -20 C in some winters.
When you have bad luck, plants will die when it suddenly starts freezing after a very wet period .
This happens mostly before January.
Then we often have weeks with 10 to 15 C during the first months of the year,
suddenly changing to -10 to - 15 C. with strong N. E.  winds.
So my experience is that when plants are doubtfully hardy, I better don't plant them.
Though sometimes it's difficult to resist and I try something. (like most gardeners do) 
These Clematis would maybe do at a south west wall here near the coast, but
everything I tried there was blown away by the gales. I live in the middle of open fields.

[Magnar]

Thank you everyone. Most interesting to see what is flowering in the gardens in the south this time of year. Many wonderful plants that I never saw before 

[Paul T]

Luit,

OK, -15 to -20'C is a tad colder than here!   I didn't realise you got that cold where you were.  You're still welcome to some seed if you want to give them a go anyway.  Just let me know.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Paul,
I like the winter clematis too but haven't established them here yet. We had Clematis napaulensis (a stupid spelling but that's the way it's supposed to be) in a garden in Boronia and it seeded itself everywhere; I'm on to my third one here and I hope I can get this one going! I've never had seedlings off the C. cirrhosa, so you're doing much better on that front.
The galanthus only started last week for us, with G.elwesii in the Rock Garden

You can see by the dead foliage around them that they grow with dwarf bearded iris and euphorbias, so definately not a shaded spot!
The next to flower was G.elwesii "Green Outer tips" from Otto last year and this one is in a shadier spot on the South side of the house.

Back in the sun, this is a very late or a very early flowering on a shrubby hebe, "Oratio Beauty".

For a bit of fun I bought this primula acaulis variety from a street stall; it has rather unusual pencilled petals. Is this a new trend?

I wonder if I can get this one to survive through our dry summers?

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

I've seen it spelt nepalensis, napalensis and napaulensis and even spelt differently in different books, so I gave up trying to work out what it "should" be.   I thought i had worked out that napalensis was the most common I found, which was why I had it spelt that way in mind, but now I realise that I've spelt it nepalensis over the rest of this topic. 

I find that the really exotic acaulis like that don't tend ta last except in large pots.  In the ground they tend to fade away during summer, but in pots they can survive quite happily even in quite a lot of sun.  Good luck.

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks, Paul,
I may try it in a big pot with a citrus tree or something like that.
BTW you haven't answered my PM about visiting in September; we could have another Forumists re-union with Tim, Otto and Lesley!
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

I had mine in a large tub with a half dozen Lilium 'Casablanca' last season where they did rather well.

I've rectified the oversight re your email..... a response should be in your intray by now!! 

[Lesley Cox]

I've had a vigorous plant of Clematis napaulensis (?) for about 7 or 8 years but I've never had a single flower! What is wrong with it - or me?

Some snow here today. Predicted temp 6C but Wanaka and Q'town are to have just 3!

[Maggi Young]

Temps down to 1 degree yesterday here ...... and to think that Ann and Bill are coming across to the UK to enjoy summer!

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Do you prune it?  If so, what time of year?

[rob krejzl]

I've had a vigorous plant of Clematis napaulensis (?) for about 7 or 8 years but I've never had a single flower! What is wrong with it - or me?

Might be simply the variation in seed-grown plants Lesley. I've got two, bought at the same time. One has only just started flowering after 6/7 years. The other flowers (and self-seeds) almost to excess.

[Paul T]

I find that seedlings do take a while to get to flowering size, but usually around the 4 years in my garden at least.  Bear in mind that this Clematis comes straight out of dormancy into flower, so if you're trimming when it looks ratty you're cutting the flowers off.  I trim mine as the flower finish, leaving some of the long shoots that are already established by then in place.  There are new shoots after I trim it, but the more fresh growth the more flowers the following autumn/winter.  You probably already knew all that though, Lesley.

[Lesley Cox]

I haven't ever pruned mine. When I said vigorous, I didn't mean rampant, I really just meant healthy and green. I don't think it loses its leaves at any time, though I'm not going out to look just now, with snow on the ground and still half dark.

I bought it from a small local nursery and it was, I understand, grown from the owner's own seed. Hers flowers well. It's planted on the shady side of a shadecloth fence but grows up to the top (6ft) into sun.

Other Asian clematis do well here. I have a truly rampant plant of C. orientalis L & S 13342, the only one in New Zealand. It has many thousands of flowers and beautiful, large silky seed heads, but - thank God - no fertile seed. (I think C. orientalis is C. somethingelse now.

[rob krejzl]

I don't think it loses its leaves at any time

I know Stephen Ryan says that this one loses it's leaves in summer - but mine haven't until this last year. Since the temperature spiked into the high 30's this summer (high enough for long enough to affect the Darlingtonias which have otherwise needed no cooling), I'd assumed that was the cause. Do others have a different experience?