February, March, April/Autumn in the southern hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

We will have to put up with the jokes, though, Lesley, I think it is worth it!

I have often wondered how strong the "tents" that are made by bramble thickets are : now I know! The arching stems look very sturdy.
 Lesley, yes, I have made bramble gin...though not for a long time, price of gin is too high! But the bramble (Blackberry) gin is scrummy!

[Lesley Cox]

Oh David!!!

[Mick McLoughlin]

Here's a link to the story, complete with video. Lucky chap.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/content/articles/2006/12/20/michael_holmes_fall_feature.shtml

[Maggi Young]

Crikey, Mick, that's one scary video. Thank goodness the poor guy is going to be okay.
Loved the way his pal comes up to him, after witnessing his fall and says, "Mikey, are you all right?"
What a question after a fall like that! I note that Mikey says "no!"

So, Lesley, you'd better leave your bramble patch, you never know when someone might need it to cushion a fall from a plane.

[t00lie]

A few from the garden yesterday--

Collomia debilis v. debilis from North America --NZAGS seed sown 8/06--sticky foliage which has a strong musky scent.

Earlier i showed a shot of Rupicapnos africana just coming into bloom.SRGC seed sown 2/06 .Now enjoying the warm dry conditions of late with a more substantial crop of flowers.

Purchased as Roscoea auriculata ?.

One of the lantern type Calochortus sps.

Finally from the conservatory Plumeria rubra acutifolia a recent arrival--Lovely lemon like fragrance.

Cheers Dave

[fermi de Sousa]

Here is a "new" plant flowering in the shade-house.
It's Pelargonium quinquelobatum grown from one of last year's Seedexes.
The colour is not as pink in real life, it's more a creamy grey with a pinkish cast.
the flower stems are quite long but that maybe because of the shade.
The foliage is distinctive as well.
cheers
fermi

[t00lie]

Hi Fermi --Nice Pelargonium. Looks like a bit of grey coming through on the foliage as well.

If i can go back a couple of pages to your earlier posting of the garland lily.--Calostemma purpurea.

It looks very interesting and as i'm having one or two successes with your natives was wondering whether it will cope with year round moisture.What conditions do you find it prefers and any idea on how long to flowering from seed?.Thanks.

Cheers Dave

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I love the Plumeria Dave - such delicate colours !

[Lesley Cox]

Very clever you are Dave to flower a frangipani in Invercargill, even if it is in a conservatory. The Roscoea is probably right, it seems to have those wide flanges on the flower.

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi, leaving the bramble is really not an option or I will have no garden at all in another year or so, but on the other hand, your suggestion is not silly. Last week, again on the box there was an item about a bag of ice which fell to earth from an areoplane and crashed through someone's roof, making a large hole before landing in the sitting room. It happened in Christchurch I think but the mad thing is that a PREVIOUS bag of ice had also fallen to earth and through a roof, also in Chruistchurch, just a couple of weeks before. Assuming the plane is all sealed up when at height, how the heck could they have got out of the plane in the first place?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Dave
Do you know if MAF will let Calostemma into NZ? Maybe Lesley can bring you back some seeds? I find that Calostemma like similar conditions to nerines, but can take a bit more frost. They germinate quickly the way amaryllis belladonna seeds do, often while still attached to the seed-head. I have flowered one in 24 months from fresh seed but usually they take around 3years, I think.
I have one plant of the yellow form but it hasn't flowered this year and last year set seed but they didn't germinate! I think they come from further north and may need frost free conditions to sprout. Hopefully it'll flower again this year and I can try again!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Fermi, Calostemma purpurea is on the permitted list, actually as purpureum, so if you have a few seeds ready in April, I'd be delighted to bring them for Dave.

[Lesley Cox]

In 2005 I was sent some Australian seed of both Nerine pumilus and N. humile. I didn't get them sown for a few weeks and when I went to do it, found they had sprouted in their paper bags and made tiny bulbs already. Quickly sown with their little leaves upright and sticking out of the compost they've made nice little bulbs and I reckon the delayed sowing has probably saved me a year. I wonder if this technique will work with Calostemma? It certainly does with larger, hybrid nerines.

[Lesley Cox]

Is nothing happening down here? Last post was a week ago.

Poor David N is hanging out for his blackberry pie and I finally got it made, the fruit getting a bit smaller and less succulent over the last week or so, with rain needed. We had a little a couple of days ago, but now it's as dry as ever.

So here it is David, hope you enjoy it. It's nicest with a good dollop of cream of course.

I had to give serious thought about how to crimp the edge, and called to mind Albert Steptoe and his very attractive edging made with his own false teeth but in the end, I went for my mother's method of pulling up the edge with the handle of a dessert spoon, between the 1st and 2nd, then 2nd and 3rd fingers. Hands carefully washed of course.

[Lesley Cox]

Here is another pic of the putative Sorbus koehneana whose fruit are finally going a good white and still haven't fallen off. I'm surprised that the birds are showing no interest, nor in S. reducta so far. Most unusual.