June 2008, Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

It is certainly summer dormant for a couple of months here each year, but then we do get the warm temperatures.  I would have wondered whether it would flower without that summer dormancy, but if yours is flowering regularly Rob without it that obviously isn't the problem.

[Susan]

My C napaulensis flowers most years,  but later than this.  At present it is semi deciduous.  It has never been pruned and is reasonably rampant, growing high into an oak tree and intertwined with Rosa helenae.  Quite difficult to photograph well. 

The problem for me, Lesley, is to remember to go out in very cold weather and look for it.  I think it was probably flowering for some years before I realised that it flowered so early, hence it was always over, and I just  thought it didn't flower at all.

Susan

[Lesley Cox]

I look at mine regularly and it's not so big that I can't see it all, clearly. I've reached the stage where it will get a good kick and a threat of further violence, and if that doesn't work, next year it will be gone.

[rob krejzl]

Paul,

you prompted me to pull Clematis off the shelf and read Grey-Wilson's description; napaulensis is supposed to be evergreen. Another example of how the Kipling quote "What do they know of England, who only England know" can be applied to other subjects than Billy Bragg songs I suppose.

[Paul T]

Rob,

Wow!   It has never been even close to evergreen here.  Dormant in summer for at least a couple of months every year, then as it shoots producing flowers immediately.  I'd imagine if it didn't lose it's leaves the flowers would be much less obvious, so I'm glad it is summer dormant here as it means all the older leaves are cleaned up each summer and leaving it a bit less congested.  Interesting to know that it "shouldn't be". 

[fermi de Sousa]

A rather mixed bag from the garden taken yesterday;
Firstly a dwarf kangaroo paw, also known as Cat's Paw, Anigozanthos humilis

I think a picture of this in the wild taken by Muriel "Hodge" was the cover of an AGS Bulletin once. we got this one in bud from a local Native plants specialist nursery http://www.goldfieldsrevegetation.com.au/
Another Aussie, Grevillea lanigera, dwarf woolly grevillea.

And yet another look at the Daphne alpina which continues to flower out of season!

And another pic of the massonia "Red Sp." which has opened more florets

And more hoops! This one is supposed to be one of the "fabric group" raised by Blanchard, "Tarlatan"



cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Re the clematis again, I'm pretty sure mine is evergreen and I was thinking about the effects of different climates today, reading something in a new AGS Bulletin about Oxalis lobata, which is described in the UK as flowering/leafing in autumn, then losing its leaves until a new batch comes up in spring before going down for summer. Mine never does this. It's in leaf from when it starts to flower, say Feb/March right up until the next early summer when it goes dormant for a while, then starts over again in the early autumn.

[fermi de Sousa]

Just a couple of shots from the Rock garden.
One of the grex of hoops known as Glenbrook Ta-Julia raised by Rod Barwick:




And another Aussie native, Halgania cyanea with wonderful gentian-blue flowers:



cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Never heard of that last one before.  Lovely flower!

[Lesley Cox]

Me neither. It's lovely. Is it a small bushy plant Fermi?

We've had a full week of rain, snow, more rain all with bitterly cold winds. Today is nice and sunny but still only 5C when I went to the supermarket at lunchtime. Lots of little narcs similar to your Fermi, seedlings from 'Julia Jane' looking very promising with big, wide, very frilly flowers. Many flowers still to come which is just as well as the first few have been rained out or chewed by something. The first two out on 'Atlas Gold' and heaps of 'Nylon' types in various widths, heights and flower sizes. Can't name any of them with certainty. They too are needing sun to stand them up and look good.

Crocuses really getting going and if we have a couple more sunny days there will be at least another dozen out. The first of a new batch of cvijicii x veluchensis is out today, soft apricot yellow on the inside, almost grey on the outer petals.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Lesley and Paul,
this one is apparently from the Mallee in Victoria but I have a similar one called Halgania pressiana which is from Western Australia. http://www.goldfieldsrevegetation.com.au/PlantDetail.asp?PlantID=3856
they are both low-ish suckering shrubs and the one from WA can be a bit prickly.
cheers
fermi

[art600]

Lesley

Is the cvijicii x veluchensis one you made yourself? and please will you post a photo.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

If pics from last year were as nice as I recall I'll be fascinated to see these new seedlings you're flowering.  Do you cross them every year?  I have cvijicii but not veluchensis, and unfortunately the cvijicii won't set seed to itself.  One of these years I hope to track down another bulb, just to have a second clone I can use for setting seed.  Sounds like I need to find veluchensis too, so that I can start some of those wonderful hybrids like yours myself.

Looking forward to any pics of your Crocuses, here or in the Crocus thread.  At the moment here only the last of the laevigatus and imperatii ssp suavoleons are flowering, but there are signs of buds appearing on some of the recent shoots.

[Lesley Cox]

Arthur I'll post a pic of this first one when the sun is round and the frost thawed and I've found my woolly hat which I put down somewhere yesterday and now can't find it. In the meantime, I'll post a couple from last year, the same cross.

Paul I don't cross them at all. I collect the seed from C. cvijicii and these are what eventually flower from the seedlings. The two species grow very close together in a trough. I lifted and moved some cvijicii 3 years ago, to a raised bed and I've not had any seed on that lot (it's all the same clone, vegetative increase from an original single corm).


Crocus cvijicii


C. veluchensis


C. cvijicii x veluchensis


C. cvijicii x veluchensis


A pot of seedlings from C. cvijicii, all from a single pod. Such a lot of variation.

[art600]

Very interesting  - I have not heard of this cross before.  Nature can always surprise us.