January 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

Happy new year!
It's been a strange start to the year with a deluge affecting Central Victoria and the rivers flooding some towns.
We're going to lose our "Mediterranean" ranking if we keep getting summer rain!
Here's a summer flower which does well in pots in our garden - Talinum calycinum (syn Phemeranthus calycinus)
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

We know what it's like to have unexpected rain, fermi!  It's beginning to feel like the West coast - shock horror!!

[ashley]

We know what it's like to have unexpected rain, fermi!  It's beginning to feel like the West coast - shock horror!!

Unexpected rain.  Now there's a novel concept

[fermi de Sousa]

Unexpected rain.  Now there's a novel concept

Well, it was unexpected in terms of the volume, 117mm fell overnight here and elsewhere the totals were even higher, causing flooding, damaging roads and bridges - my drive to work has had to be changed because the volume of water lifted the entire bitumen sheet off the bridge over Mosquito Creek https://www.facebook.com/MozzieCreekCFA/
We're expected to now have a fairly even spread of fine and sunny days with no substantial rain forecast for the near future.
There have been a few plants in flower here:
1) Habranthus tubispathus
2) Habranthus hybrid
3) Habranthus tubispathus "Rosea"
4 & 5) An Aussie native "Monkey flower", Mimulus (syn Thyridia) repens grows permanently in a water tub. Apparently it also occurs in NZ,
cheers
fermi

[MarcR]

Maggi and Ashley,

Summer rain in a Mediterranean climate is by definition unexpected. A lot of summer rain in a Mediterranean climate is and should be very unexpected.

In the 23 years I have lived in Oregon I have seen rain between June & September twice; and both times it was unexpected.

Zone 8b is very cool for a Mediterranean climate; but, what we have still is one.

[Jeffnz]

Here it maybe unexpected but is always very welcome.

[ashley]

Thanks all. In responding to Maggi's comment I was referring to oceanic NW Europe (not relevant on this SH thread admittedly).

[MarcR]

Here it maybe unexpected but is always very welcome.

Jeff,

When you grow many South African, Chilean, and Tasmanian plants that expect a dry summer dormancy; it can be very unwelcome and do great harm.

[Jeffnz]

I acknowledge that each garden has specific requirements, mine needs summer water.

[fermi de Sousa]

This is a South African Helichrysum which Ken and Lesley Gillanders collected many years ago. I must ask him if it was ever identified - I think at the time they simply sold it as "Helichrysum ex South Africa".
Does anyone recognise it?
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' made quite an impression when it first appeared over here, having come from Blackthorn Nursery in the UK. It's disadvantage is growing too vigorously and then "falling apart" - probably from being too well fed! Ours is on a lean diet and is keeping itself to a modest size,
cheers
fermi

[Diane Whitehead]

Fermi,

I'm surprised that a plant was imported into Australia from the U.K.  Was that a long time ago before regulations restricting seeds went into effect?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Diane,
Plants are regularly imported but the expense is so enormous and the risk of not surviving fumigation means only the "big" importers can afford to do it. Marcus Harvey used to have a quarantine house but it was heavily subsidised as he was a small business, when the government dropped its subsidies (around 20 years ago) he couldn't afford to keep it. Since then the fumigation regime has been increased - many bulbs from overseas will flower the first season then collapse which I suspect is because of the chemicals used,
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Quite a few years ago Mark McDonogh made selections of Allium flavum ssp tauricum in various colours. He distributed them to others and Louise Parsons donated seed to the NARGS Seedex in 2010 and back then we were allowed to bring allium seed into the country without fumigation. I've grown a few different shades of this variety since then, here are a few,
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

A few more of the Allium flavum ssp tauricum forms,
cheers
fermi