August (still winter) in the Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Maggi,

The "Ox Tongue lily" is Haemanthus coccineus I think (unless Pat has a different species that she knows as that).  Also known as "Paintbrush Lily" here too.

David,

I think it is a Glenbrook release, from Tasmania.  Graham of the minature daffs fame would know for sure.

[arillady]

I couldn't think of the botanical name of the ox-tongue lily at the time - thanks for supplying the correct name.
Yes the variegated hellebore is from Helleborus orientalis seed - came as seed from a friend in Ireland who grew some seed and one of the seedlings was a variegated form - subsequently named 'Graigueconna' by Rosemary Brown (my most favourite garden which is threatened in the fairly near future - if only there was a way to save this plantsperson's paradise!!). Rosemary sent me 5 seeds back in the 90's or maybe the 80's and one was variegated. I have never been able to raise another variegated one from seed since. I have divided it once and sold a piece (well I was offered  a very good price so I did divide off a piece which was very difficult)
The grey succulent is a common plant in Australia - don't know the botanical name - I got a piece from an old local cemetery.
I would like the correct name for this and also for the plum coloured leaf oxalis.
Any hints on getting the Iris grant-duffii to flower will be gratefully received - it is known to be a shy flowerer in cultivation. At least the sun is out today so I might be able to get out there after so many chill damp days.

[Lesley Cox]

I think the oxalis is O. purpurea 'Nigra.' Same pink flowers as the regular form with green leaves.

[fermi de Sousa]

Some spring things are already in bloom here!
"Campernelles", Narcissus x odorus



And under a salvia bush, so it required a flash- Retic iris "Clairette"

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Lovely, Fermi.

And Lesley is write when she writes somewhere that the retics smell of violets..... the 'Pauline' that I posted recently (the unknown one) in the sun smells exactly of violets.  The 'Harmony' that is just opening was disgustingly scented, but it was only just opening so I imagine it will settle down.  'Gordon' had no perfume at all as far as I can tell.

Lesley, why did you have to wait to tell us about the perfume until after I'd made my crocus garden and put all the retics in there?  Would have been SO much easier to smell them when they were in their pots. 

[Lesley Cox]

Well I think I've mentioned it before Paul. Anyway, it's good to dig things up and put them elsewhere. Stops us getting complacent.

[Paul T]

But I'm really comfortable with complacency!! 

[Paul T]

Pat,

My Hermodactylus tuberosus opened today.  I noticed it when I was out sniffing the retic iris as Lesley suggested. 

A shame that the Helleborus isn't available anywhere.  A very desirable plant from my point of view. 

[arillady]

Paul if you give me some cultural hints on getting the variegated hellebore to increase rapidly - I should really repot it anyway as it has been in the same pot for a few years - what do you feed your hellebores with?

[Paul T]

Pat,

Helleborus in general prefer to be out of pots, but if potted then definitely best to repot regularly.  I feed them with dynamic lifter and the Bulb food that I've mentioned elsewhere, making sure to add a soil wetting agent to stop the soil becoming water repulsive.  Straight repotting seems to rarely bother them at all, but I do tend to try to shake most of the older media off, then make sure that the new media fills in the gaps amongst the roots.  I think regular repotting is the only way that most hellebores will survive long term in pots (except x ballardiae which apparently doesn't seem to mind for at least a few years), but you can also leave the pot in a place where the roots can escape out the holes, which seems to give them the longer root run that the pot normally restricts.

As to dividing... I find that at this time of year they really do not mind being divided, but keep them a little on the drier side if dividing smaller pieces off as they can rot fairly easily.  We have a local Helleborus breeder here who sells them every few years divided and in flower, just one or two points and roots, and very rarely do they ever not survive (he wraps the roots in damp newspaper for selling).  The big thing is to be careful on the watering after replanting.

That all any help?

[Paul T]

Had a possum come through and somewhat less in the way of hoop petticoat daffs are now flowering my pots!    Thankfully leaves were left alone.  The 'Ben'bler' that was shown previously had two glorious flowers on it yesterday that I had been enjoying immensely..... all gone today!    Just goes to show that I should be doing what I have done other years, and move them out to a rack near my front door where I can see them regularly.  Too late now though unfortunately.  I had been hoping for seed set so I could send some off to people, as it had been fairly popular.  Still, now that it no longer has flowers maybe it will dedicate itself to multiplying instead so I'll have extras. 

[fermi de Sousa]

Had a possum come through and somewhat less in the way of hoop petticoat daffs are now flowering my pots!    Thankfully leaves were left alone.  The 'Ben'bler' that was shown previously had two glorious flowers on it yesterday that I had been enjoying immensely..... all gone today!    Still, now that it no longer has flowers maybe it will dedicate itself to multiplying instead so I'll have extras. 

Oh well, there's some good to come from this misfortune, Paul! It's one I hadn't got from Glenbrook yet! The GBF catalogue says "Ben'Bler" is a Div 10Y-Y bred from "Spoirot" x ""Julia Jane".
Here's another pic of the Bulbinella cauda-felis,

And its much taller cousin, B. robusta



Nearby is a clump of lemon "hoops" that I got from a friend, Shirley, in the Dandenongs and I thought it was Narcissus bulbocodium var. citrinum, but I wonder now if it's one of the GBF range?

Another uncertain one has become a clump over a few years and is most likely "Kholmes", another GBF "detective series"

On a sad note, I found that a clump of Narc "Snowski" has become virus-infected!

cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Fermi,
I can see that you have the dratted red spider mites too - rotten little sapsuckers!
Thanks Paul for the cultural notes for the hellebores - I will repot soon.

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Love that white Bulbinella.  What is the "common" yellow one?  I have it in mind as B. nutans, but maybe that is incorrect?  Your B. robusta looks somewhat more robust to me.  The first of the unsure hoop petticoats looks to me Spoirot, but I don't have a full range of GBF stuff to know what others he has that are similar.... do you have that elsewhere to compare?  I don't have Kholmes unfortunately so can't give you any idea as to whether it is that or not, but whatever it is you have I definitely rather like it.  Nice softer colour and shape to it.  If 'Ben'Bler' multiplies successfully I'll share a bulb with you if you haven't already bought it by then.  Thanks for the info re ID.

And I worked out that it was birds, not possums that did the munching after I found one of the flowers of 'Ben'Bler' under our massive magnolia about 4 metres away (and now safely in a vase, albeit with a fairly short stem).  A possum would never have carried it that far, it's have eaten it or dropped it immediately, whereas the rosellas nip and carry to munch.  I do hope it isn't the pair of Eastern Rosellas that we have nesting at night in our pittosporum in the back yard..... I love having them there but would not want them to be damaging my garden.  Whatever attacked the daffs I think would have also been what hit the hellebores a couple of weeks ago. 

Pat,

Good luck with the repot.  I would suggest if possible to at least divide it carefully in two, so that you don't only have the one plant.  That way you have backup.  Unless of course you can still get a piece back from the person you sold the piece to, in which case that is your backup.  I always get a bit nervous having only one of something, particularly if it is not replaceable.  I try to get a piece off to someone "off site" so that if anything happens in my own collection there is a piece to start from again somewhere else.  Isn't paranoia wonderful! 

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
David, Fermi is correct, Ben'Bler is an introduction from Rod Barwick of Glenbrook Bulb Farm. Rod has introduced a large number of miniatures over the years, including a large number of bulbocodium hybrids. He is noted for miniatures produced by making what I term "left field crosses". Rod is the other big Australian miniature hybridiser. Keira Bulbs (ie my wife and I) is the other large Australian miniature hybridisers. Rod has been instrumental in us becoming miniature hybridisers and we grow most of his introductions and as exporters around the world have helped spread his introductions.
If you looked carefully at our postings you would have noticed that we have bred quite a few bulbocodium hybrids. So far we have only named "Clay's Gold" a giant yellow bulbocodium named after a well known daffodil enthusiast in the US. We breed giant bulbocodiums and tiny bulbocodiums.
Ben'Bler is a particularly fine giant bulbocodium. Rod's other two large bulbocodium introductions are Mitimoto and Olumbo.
Rod is also the king of the miniature double (we are a long way behind him in this area) and a leading breeder of fertile jonquilla hybrids.
I have posted a few of Rod's flowers that illustrate his hybridising skills.
Paul, the flowers being cut off is Currawong damage. I picked up another 100m roll of anti-bird netting day to ensure that our miniatures are protected from the evil cockatoos and currawongs.