July (winter) in the Southern hemisphere, 2008

[Lesley Cox]

Just one little bod here today. Narcissus hedraeanthus. You can judge how tall it is from the fact the 3 flowers are just lapping at the edge of the pot. The holes are not from chewing, but from continuous rain. And yes, it's STILL raining (2 weeks now) but I've stopped complaining, having seen the devastation to homes, roads and landscape which has happened in the North Island over recent days. We are getting just the edge of this dreadful weather. But as you can see, the wet is putting a layer of moss over everything.



Sploshing around yesterday I was thrilled and very surprised to see Gymnospermium albertii, a first flowering. I hadn't expected it for a couple of years or so early in the season.

[Paul T]

I'm sorry Lesley, but I have to ask.... what is the "rain" thing you refer to? 

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
two absolute gems!  I'm very envious!
Here's a pic I took yesterday of one of the Narcissus romieuxii seedlings out of "Julia Jane", a nice creamy colour, but not as flat as JJ!

It's in a pot as it's part of the "plant Stall" that we're running at our September Talks in Melbourne. We're having two international speakers - both from New Zealand, one of whom is the Forum's own Lesley Cox!
cheers
fermi

[Susan]

Paul,

Rain -a) the condensed moisture of the atmosphere falling visibly as drops.
b) the falling of such drops.

Would you like some?  Maybe you wouldn't like it in the quantities we have here.  I know it is helping our hydro lakes (we hope) but enough is enough.  We would be quite happy to start blowing some towards the Tasman Sea - stand by!

Susan, soaked from having spent 2 hours clearing ditches which were full of autumn leaves.

[Paul T]

Susan,

We could do with it, even the amounts you've been having.  We desperately need some good dam refilling and water-table regeneration.  We had an inch or stuff falling frmo the sky last week, and even with a full inch it didn't add anything to our water supply, as it all soaked in so readily.  Even now things are drying out again, like we'd never had it.  Probably a lot to do with all the winds we're having as well. 

Thanks for your kind offer though, and we are standing by for receipt! 

[Susan]

You need a good fall to soak in and then another really good  fall to fill the dams.  The worst part here is the mist which has come down. Makes it all very depressing.

Susan

[Lesley Cox]

Just as Susan says. I thought you would have been getting some too Paul, though from the nightly weather maps it does seem the storms are originating in the Tasman, somewhere off Queensland. Quite literally, we've not had such a long period without sun, for years - as far back as I remember! But I lie. We did have 10 mins yesterday, enough to open my latest reticulate iris (see that page). Not enough for the crocuses though.

Our big storage tank which has been on the verge of empty for months (had to buy water) is now overflowing. Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast of the North Island, had 500mm (HALF A METRE) of rain last night! We in the south are getting off quite lightly but it's going on for so long. Almost English weather.

[Lesley Cox]

two international speakers - both from New Zealand, one of whom is the Forum's own Lesley Cox!
fermi

Oh Hell!

[Paul T]

What's the matter Lesley.  We're looking forward to hearing (and meeting) you?

Rain-wise.... we've had half the average rainfall each month (or less) the last 4 months, but July was a little better I think.  Still nothing like "average" unfortunately.  We need well above average rainfall for a few months, but they're talking about it as a 50% chance, i.e they have no real idea.  Said that for autumn we had a 65% chance of above average rain, and we got less than half the average, so can't really believe the forecasts anyway. 

Fermi,

Great pics.  More of the hoop petticoat daffs opening here at the moment, plus crocuses etc.  All very cool.  I'd love to see more of yours though.  If there is anything there particularly special for the coming sale you're more than welcome to put it aside for me for when I arrive.  I am hoping/expecting to take a few bought plants home with me!! (which is probably the understatement of the century!  )

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley,

I'm here feeling miserable today as it has rained continuously since last night and I can't get out to garden, swim or even walk the dog but you have given me two bright spots in the day - first, the beautiful plants and secondly to hear that someone is getting even more rain than we are here. I know it's terrible but you know human nature; when we see someone who is in a worse position than ourselves we don't feel quite as bad.

At least you water tanks have filled up. That's good but that Gymnospermum is simply outstanding. A real beauty!

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks you Paddy. Glad to have cheered your day. A case of schadenfreude again? The Gymnospermium is certainly a delight but should have been MUCH better in that I started with 25 seeds then 25 seedlings. After a year I gave some away to others but still had 15. Just the one left now. Most of the others didn't come through last year. Don't know why. I had hoped to do serious hand/cross pollinating as seed is apparently the only way to propagate it. The one on its own may not produce any, let alone all the washing it's getting, though the flowers being pendant, the pollen seems dry