August (still winter) in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Nice Oxalis. I have these but under some different names, involving fulva and glabra. Never quite sure what's what with Oxalis. Is your massoniana still flowering. Mine finished about May/June I think.

[fermi de Sousa]

Welcome, Ross, looking forward to seeing more of your garden.
Here are a few things from our place.
Firstly a Glenbrook Cyclamineus Hybrid, "Slip'ry"



More of the row of Narcissus (possibly)"Smarple", another Glenbrook creation,



And yet another of Rod's 'hoops', this time "Ianmon"

And nearby the first florets are openning on the spikes of Bulbinella cauda-felis.

More later including some pics from Otto's garden!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Here are some pics that Otto took which I said I'd post for him. I hope that I get the names straight!
I think this is the one Otto thinks may be Iris histrioides "Lady Beatrix Stanley"

If anyone can say one way or the other we'd be pleased to know!
This is Iris histrio (or is it I. histrioides?) originally form E.B.Anderson in 1964.

And this is iris histrio ssp aintabensis MT4501 collected by Mathew and Tomlinson in Maras, Turkey, recieved from Brian Mathew 1976.

And another "retic", Iris danfordiae

This is the form collected by Janis Ruksans in Turkey.
Next is Fritillaria argolica.

And finally A tall white hoop-petticoat raised by Rod Barwick of Glenbrook Bulb Farm in Tasmania.

cheers,
fermi on behalf of Otto Fauser.

[fermi de Sousa]

As well as Otto's own pics, here are a few of mine, as our garden club paid a visit to Otto on the weekend.
Here's a general view to give you an idea of the lie of the land - very steep!

And here's the man himself, looking a bit blurry due to my photography or is it because of the cap?

Otto is well known for his bulb collections especially galanthus, crocus and iris. Here are a few:
Galanthus lining a pathway:

Galanthus ikariae

Galnthus "Spindlestone Surprise"

Pots of special snowdrops heeled-in in compost!

A single plant of Corydalis popovii

One of my favourite "retics", Iris "George"

More later!
cheers
fermi

[galahad]

O. massoniana is just hanging on and about done.  It's been a wierd season.

Nice Oxalis. I have these but under some different names, involving fulva and glabra. Never quite sure what's what with Oxalis. Is your massoniana still flowering. Mine finished about May/June I think.

[art600]

Fermi
Your shots of Narcissus brighten up any day - particularly 'Slip'ry'  The clump of 'Ianmon' - did you plant a lot, or has it clumped up well?

Thank you for posting Otto's photos and your own of his garden

Is that a public road that can be seen in your first picture?  How high is the garden above the road?  I would be worried that people would steal from the garden - does this happen?

[Maggi Young]

Fermi, what is the tree behind Otto, with the huge pink flowers ?

[Paul T]

Maggi,

Looks like a Rhododendron to me.  A very early Rhodo if so.  Ours up here don't open for ages yet, but then again this year is very strange weather so you never know what will be flowering at what time.

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Love the 'Slip'ry', and haven't seen the 'Ianmon' before either.  That Bulbinella is particularly choice though.  Nice white.  Do you have the pink species as well?  I've just got the "normal" yellow one, but when it comes into flower (a while yet) it is such a show.  Your white looks to be a good eye catcher, and if it is this early usually then it's a nice time for it too.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful work Fermi !
Great Narcissi - is "Ianmon" really as small as it looks ? It looks hardly 2" high ??.

Otto's Iris histrio is my favourite amongst the Iris'

Thanks a lot for the Spring feeling !

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

Great show; lovely plants and especially good to get a view of a garden - nice to compare garden layouts from the southern hemisphere. Otto is very obviously an enthusiast and the garden looks wonderful. The snowdrops look very well.

Like Maggi, my eye was taken by the tree with the pink flowers. It strikes me as possibly a rhododendron though it seems very upright and tall rather than having the usual spread of a rhododedron. Looking forward to you naming it.

Paddy

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for posting those Fermi. Otto's garden looks a very special place.

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely to see some of Otto's early bulbs. Just another 5 weeks until I'll be there Corydalis popovii seems to be stoniferous? I have a few little ones in one pot but one potted on its own is coming up in 6 places around the edge of the pot, even behind the label. Some buds too.

[Susan]

Thanks Fermi for putting those photos on.  Not lucky enough to be crossing the ditch next month.  Keep on with the  posting.  Very nice bulbinella indeed. 

Susan

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi, what is the tree behind Otto, with the huge pink flowers ?

Hi Maggi, yes, it is a Rhodo, but you'll have to ask Otto which one!
Susan,
very sorry you can't be here, but maybe sometime soon, we'd love to repay your hospitality from when we visited NZ in summer!
Here are a few more from Otto's garden.
A lovely soft pink form of the Chilean Bellflower, Lapageria rosea.

Cyclamen and daphne

Nice hellebores!

More later,
cheers
fermi