August (still winter) in the Southern Hemisphere

[David Nicholson]

Graham, thanks for that. I drool over all your pictures by the way!

[Armin]

Fermi and Graham,
great stuff! Enjoyed your pictures.

[Paul T]

Graham,

Some beauties in there.  Re currawong damage ... I've never had anything like this before, and they must do it first thing every morning (more flowers gone this morning).  The thing is that they took a couple of bearded iris off as well, looking decidedly chewed where the chomping happened, but clear above and below.  Only happening in one part of the garden and have never had anything like it before.  Why would they suddenly start doing this for no reason, and why only ever first thing in the morning?

[fermi de Sousa]

Re currawong damage ...  Why would they suddenly start doing this for no reason, and why only ever first thing in the morning?

Hi Paul,
Because it's before you get up to shoo them away!

I can see that you have the dratted red spider mites too - rotten little sapsuckers!

Hi Pat,
yes, the red-legged earth mites are the bane of my life once the cool weather brings them out of hiding! I wonder if they are acting as vectors for the virus I'm noticing this year?!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Despite our hot climate we can grow some shade loving things! Here's a nice patch of Cyclamen coum which has developed over the last few years.

Another dwarf narcissus doing well this year is "Topolino"

In a hot spot we have this South African daisy going mad: Dymondia margaretae

And this unnamed Globularia enjoys similar conditions; anyone hazard a species name for it?

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

You're so far ahead of my place daff-wise.  I have Tete-a-tete out in the daffs and that is all other than the hoop petticoats and N. cordubensis.  Not other variety out at all in either pots or the ground.

[Miriam]

A few photos taken today.

 Cyclamen coum & ssp coum
 dark oxalis
 grey succulent
 Hermodactylus tuberosus
 Iris grant-duffii
 Narcissus fernandesii
 oxtongue lily leaves
 variegated hellebore

Pat,
In which conditions do you grow your Iris grant-duffii?
Iris grant-duffii is very rare in Israel and it grows only in few locations.
It grows in undrained soils where the rain water creates swamps.

All the best,
Miriam

Here is a picture of Iris grant-duffii from northen Israel:

[Maggi Young]

very lovely photo of this fine iris, Miriam.

[Lesley Cox]

Great to see this picture of one which I doubt is in NZ though there is perhaps one person who may have seed. I'll ask next time we have a coffee together which should be soon.

Fermi, have you considered the possibiliy that your Globularia may be an aster or an erigeron? You'll be better able to judge from the plant itself, but from the enlarged pic, the base of the flower is erigeron-like. Leaves are

[arillady]

Miriam,
The story behind my Iris grant-duffii - 5 seeds were given to a an iris species friend and expert in Victoria - seed came via UK iris expert from Mr Cohen in Israel. This friend gave me two of the 5 seeds and I germinated one in 1999. I do have the excellent book - A Guide to Species Irises and their identification and cultivation edited by The Species Group of the British Iris Society.
I read the cultivation notes in this book: "a heavy, degraded limeston soil or alkaline, uncalcareous soil (sucha s basalt soil) seems best. Heavy feeding is suggested, especially a low-nitrogen and high-potash diet. Maximum sunlight is needed in the flowering period. The plant must be protected from rain in summer( as with the high desert irises) althought it should be winter-hardy in temperate climates. The species is easy to raise from seed but it will be ready to flower only after 6-7 years."
I grow it on a hillside facing east and slightly south. As it is down the hill it can get seepage (in wet years) - the soil is slightly alkaline clay loam on the heavy side but drainage material added before planting the seedlings. I now have 3 good sized fans and two smaller fans. I guess I can water it with a potash rich liquid fertilizer without  overdoing it as it comes from seasonal damp meadows and open turf fields, flooded in winter; sea level to 800m. We are about 380 metres here.

[fermi de Sousa]

You're so far ahead of my place daff-wise.  I have Tete-a-tete out in the daffs and that is all other than the hoop petticoats and N. cordubensis.  Not other variety out at all in either pots or the ground.

Hi Paul,
Tete a tete is yet to open here, so you are ahead on that one!
here is another Cyclamenius hybrid, though not a dwarf, "Cyclades"

And GBF's hoop "Ianmon"

Next are two South Africans, though not the best examples!
The first flower open on Babiana pygmaea

More earth mite damage on Lachenalia reflexa,

yes they will scrape away the leaf surface until they make a hole!

Fermi, have you considered the possibiliy that your Globularia may be an aster or an erigeron? You'll be better able to judge from the plant itself, but from the enlarged pic, the base of the flower is erigeron-like. Leaves are

Hi Lesley,
no this is definitely a globularia; it's been "going 'round" the group for many years. I think I originally got it from the Ferny Creek Hort Soc Plant stall, but just as Globularia sp. I must try to key it out one day. i'll try to post a better pic a bit later in the season.
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

I like the two daffs, particularly the Cyclades.  How widespread are the Earth Mites down your way?  Should I be bringing anything back with me from Victoria without expecting to bring along hitch-hikers? 

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi,

I like the two daffs, particularly the Cyclades.  How widespread are the Earth Mites down your way?  Should I be bringing anything back with me from Victoria without expecting to bring along hitch-hikers? 

Paul, the earth-mites are pasture pests and our garden ( and I daresay, Pat's as well ) is surrounded by pasture so we keep getting re-infested. However (so far) they are easily controlled with Pyrethrum spray.
Here are some new pics from the weekend.
Slightly smaller flowers than Babiana pygmaea, but more of them - B. odorata, which is very pleasantly scented.




I'd missed the first flowers on the next two Moraeas, the first is the delightfully citrus scented M.macronyx. Yes, Paul, it'll be on the Plant Stall!

And the next was moved without a label from another bed, but maybe M. ciliata,



The flower is similar to M. macronyx so I cross pollinated them to see if they're compatible.
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

I was sitting open mouthed at the yellow and white combination Moraea, then read your comment and had to laugh.  That IS spectacular!!!!!  How tall is the last unknown of yours?  I find here that M. ciliata only ever reaches a few inches high, in a pot anyway, and for me has one lonely flower every year that most years I find after it has curled up (this years was about a fortnight ago, and Yes I missed it!    I did get a photo of mine last year if you want me to post it for comparison?  Whatever yours is, I think it is very elegant, and I don't recall thinking that about ciliata!? 

[fermi de Sousa]

How tall is the last unknown of yours?  I find here that M. ciliata only ever reaches a few inches high, in a pot anyway, and for me has one lonely flower every year that most years I find after it has curled up (this years was about a fortnight ago, and Yes I missed it!    I did get a photo of mine last year if you want me to post it for comparison?  Whatever yours is, I think it is very elegant, and I don't recall thinking that about ciliata!? 

Hi Paul,
yes, I'd missed the first flowers on both of these but the "unknown" deigned to flower again! I now have enough of M. macronyx that I caught the first flowering of some in a pot while I missed those in the sandbed.
Both are only a few inches high.
A photo of yours would be worthwhile for comparison.
cheers
fermi