June 2008, Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

It's officially the Start of Winter here but that hasn't stopped a few plants from continuing to flower!
The Moraea polystachya is particularly stunning in the morning or evening light.



And for Chris, here's a pic of a dwarf Armeria.


The nerines are still going too! This is the very popular (especially for Mother's day) Nerine flexuosa "alba", which I think has been re-classified as being N. undulata but I'm not 100% on that.

And its pink counterpart which has only started to open this week past!

And finally, got a "sort of" open flower on Crocus cancellatus.ssp mazzaricus!


cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Fermi, I hope this means you have your Forum back to normal now.

[David Nicholson]

What sort of range of Winter temperatures do you get Fermi?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great pix Fermi !
I particularly love the Moraea and the C. cancellatus ssp mazzaricus ! 

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Lesley,
yes, the problem seems to have sorted itself out.

Hi David,
Our temperatures range form 40+ in Summer to -7^oC in the winter; usually around July is our coldest time. Currently we're getting down to 0^oC with some hard frosts in the mornings!

Thanks, Luc,
The Moraea has done really well planted in a sandbed; there's usually plenty of seed produced (if I remember to collect it!) which I donate to the Seedexes. Let me know if you'd like some. It is from South Africa so I'm not sure how low a temperature it will take.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Just when you think nothing else is going to open for awhile, something surprises you!
In an "abandoned"  corner I discovered this bulb in bloom. I presume it's a Polyxena, but the label is blank!

Any suggestions?

cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

It certainly looks like a polyxena. Not P. longituba though. That has much narrower leaves. Is it scented?

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Nice!!  How tall does your Moraea polystachya grow?  I have the taller types but they skip years so often I rarely get flowers on them.  A few years ago I got some seed from the PBS seedex as a different species, and was later notified it was a dwarf form of M. polystachya....... I have had it in flower for weeks and weeks now, total of 18 inches tall but with flowers branching from about 6 inches above the ground.  Slightly larger flowers than the taller types too as I recall.  I've probably had a couple of hundred flowers by now, with at least 10 out on each clump (I split the clump in half this year, putting half into my new crocus garden and leaving half in the pot) every day.  I like it as it is so much more dense than the taller type, but then again I have never had a full flowering clump of the taller one.  I expect mine will set plenty of seed too if you're interested in a dwarfer form.  I can take some photos if you or anyone is interested.

The only Crocus I currently have in flower is C. ochroleucus with a few remaining flowers.  Narcissus 'Fyno' and a couple of other hoop petticoat types are out in flower too.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks, Luc,
The Moraea has done really well planted in a sandbed; there's usually plenty of seed produced (if I remember to collect it!) which I donate to the Seedexes. Let me know if you'd like some. It is from South Africa so I'm not sure how low a temperature it will take.
cheers
fermi

Thanks for the generous offer Fermi, but I don't think I'll give it a try - all I grow is outside and even the Habranthus you sent last year didn't survive last (mild) winter ... 

 

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Paul,
couldn't reply till today as yesterday was a holiday here! I also have 2 different height Moraea polystachya and I wonder if the shorter one is a different species! May just be a variation.
Luc,
sorry about the bad luck with the seedlings! We lose some things because of the frost here, but we only drop to around-7^oC.
Here are a few more pics from the garden.
Another hoop petticoat daff, the Glenbrook hybrid, "Eyespy"

And some crocus! Finally a sunny day when the few remaining Crocus cancellatus ssp mazzaricus could be photographed OPEN!

But what do we see? Not aphids but a worse pest, the red-legged earth mite!
Also on the second flower open on the white (possibly) Crocus pulchellus.

They are (so far) susceptible to a spray of pyrethrum but they can quickly decimate unprotected plants and of course the rain washes off the pyrethrum!
Lastly, another look at the flower of a South African geranium relative, Monsonia emarginata.

the spikey foliage belongs to Pultanea pedunculata!
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Er, Yes..... it was a public holiday here too?  Being a national holiday and all! 

That Monsonia is interesting.  I haven't heard of that genus before, but that isn't anything surprising as that often happens with your postings.   You do have some interesting stuff. 

[Lesley Cox]

I have (1) EARLY crocus flower out. It is a rather pale coloured C. biflorus alexandri! As well, a few last ochroleucus, caspius et al. Masses of late winter/spring species are well up already though no flowers on C. laevigatus yet.

Went out to take a pic of the crocus but batteries flat. Maybe later.

I don't like the look of that mite Fermi. I've not seen anything like it here but earlier in the year MAF here removed 2 crocus species from Marcus' parcel because of (unspecified) mites. The corms had been inspected too by AQIS and a phyto issued. They need to be a bit more careful.

[fermi de Sousa]

Sorry, Paul, I thought you might be like the Western Australians who weren't up to celebrating Lizzie's birthday yet!
Lesley,
it's a horrible, nasty little critter which scrapes the surface of flowers and foliage and can even leave holes reminiscent of snail damage!

Just a quick pic this morning of a rather early dwarf bearded Iris in the Rock Garden! This is "Zounds"

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Really?  Do the Western Australians not celebrate the QB long weekend?

'Zounds' is a favourite of mine, well it used to be.  Not sure I still have it any more.  I love the blend of colours, despite some people feeling it is a bit "murky" in colouration.  There are a lot of strange timings this year with out messed up autumn climate.

[Lesley Cox]

I put my crocus on the Crocus - June 2008 thread.

Here are a couple of small narcissus, the first, the first flower from seed of N. cantabricus which John Forrest sent to me a couple of years ago. It looks much whiter than it is, the sun being at an impossible angle this time of year. I would have expected the flower to be almost white but it is similar to 'Nylon.'


This one is in the garden and a good little patch now but was bought about 5 years ago and at GREAT expense, as 'Petunioides.' Yeah, right. It too, is very like 'Nylon' and has been in flower since late March.


I'm not a great fern addict but these two are of interest to fern lovers. They are both NZers and quite rare apparently. Not sure if I have the spelling right.
Leptopteris hymerphylloides known as Crepe fern


Leptopteris superba known as Prince of Wales fern. This one has soft, almost fur-like fronds which were what attracted me in the first place. They belong to my friend Joan Macdonald.