August 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jeffnz]

Thx for the photos.
Gradational hellebore growers may see Cleopatra and hybrids there of as not being an acceptable move. I disagree, the same my be said for hellebore flowers that are round in shape and doubles, all a part of a change in breeding and seeing the opportunity to create something that is unique. Japanese hellebore breeders have created some truly outstanding new hellebores, particularly doubles. Unfortunately many of their off spring are not available outside of Japan, unless of course the likes of Peter goes to the trouble of visiting nurseries and bringing selected plants back to his nursery for subsequent breeding.
The double black is outstanding, for shape and colour, sorry but it is not really black just an intense purple. With my hellebores the reduction in cold winters has seen dark colours become less intense. We rarely get snow but used to have quite hard frosts over winter, the latter are not so hard or frequent as in the past, more is the pity

[MarcR]

Jeff,

All blacks in horticulture are intense purple.  Very few of us look at flowers through a chromatometer. For most of us if something looks black, we call it black. In a paint store, a chromatometer can be useful to precisely match tints.

[fermi de Sousa]

Jeff,
All blacks in horticulture are intense purple.

All Blacks in Rugby are intense as well!
 
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

We made a visit to Post Office Farm Nursery to get a few more hellebores (you can't have too many hellebores!).
1 & 2) display beds
3) a stock Plant
4) A bowl of flowers floating
5) one of our purchases - a double Helleborus niger
cheers
fermi

[Jeffnz]

Hi fermi
Agree, on Saturday night we demolised the Argentians but our biggest rugby challenge of the still awaits us, South Africa at home. We have been traditional rivals, the up copming games will be brutual.

[fermi de Sousa]

A couple of Australian Native plants:
1 & 2) Pomaderris obcordata 'Mallee Princess'
3) Hakea scorparia ssp scoparia
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Last weekend we did a bit of retail therapy!
Most were from Goldfields Revegetation Nursery which specialises in Australian Native Plants especially locally sourced ones.
These were all potted up into a large pot. The central plant is Conostylis setigera from Western Australia.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Some more winter flowers:
1) Hesperantha latifolia
2) Scilla libanotica (thank you, Ashley)
3) Gagea fibrosa
4) Moraea macronyx
5) Narcissus pachybulbus
cheers
fermi

[Jeffnz]

I have just started growing moraea, have a numbewr of seed pots of first year germination.
Do you have to takle any spacial precautions to avboid summer rain or is your climate dry throught these months?

[fermi de Sousa]

I have just started growing moraea, have a number of seed pots of first year germination.
Do you have to tackle any special precautions to avoid summer rain or is your climate dry through these months?

Hi Jeff,
our climate is theoretically "Mediterranean" with most of our rain falling in autumn and winter and the start of spring. However, as the weather can be crazy I try to get all the spring bulbs under cover during the summer in case of rainstorms.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Fritillaria stenanthera 'Kara Tau' from SRGC Seedex 2015 - first seedling 12-08-2017, first flower 3-08-2022.
cheers
fermi

[MarcR]

Fermi,

It seems well worth the long wait.

[Jeffnz]

Fermi
Thx for the info, I assume thsat the flowers of Moraea macronyx are short lived, a pity as this wolud be a great species for hybridising with.
Jeff

[fermi de Sousa]

I assume that the flowers of Moraea macronyx are short lived, a pity as this would be a great species for hybridising with.
Jeff

Hi Jeff,
yes, M. macronyx is very short lived - withered by evening time. I think Mike Mace in the USA has used it in hybridisation.
Here are a few things before the end of the month - lots to upload!
1) Bellevalia macrobotrys 
2) Cyclamen persicum
3) Bulbinella eburniflora
4 & 5) Babiana odorata x pygmaea - the second pic shows the dark centre.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

 Some South African bulbs (corms actually):
1 & 2) Hesperantha latifolia hybrid which appeared in a pot of H. latifolia.
3 & 4) Geissorhiza corrugata
5) Moraea bipartita
cheers
fermi