February, March, April/Autumn in the southern hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

I'm very busy the next few days Anthony so will send some off on March 19th. A couple of small packages to send out that day. I don't really know whether lime or not but mine does very well with gentians of the general "sino-ornata" type, so probably not. It has a well drained, gritty, humusy compost along with most other "cool" things I grow.

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi, I haven't heard from Paul Tyerman for ages but after your post above, I had an email from a North Island contact who lurks here. He heard from Paul around a week ago and says Paul takes part frequently in an Australian Yahoo bulbs group, so presumably all is reasonably well with him.

[fermi de Sousa]

Here are a couple of the first Sternbergia sicula to flower in the rock garden. They usually don't start till April, but this area had received some water recently.
They were grown from seed many years ago received from Rannweig Wallis as "Sternbergia sicula ex Crete".
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

These look very nice Fermi. Does it set seed for you?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Lesley,
I haven't found any yet, but maybe this year; is it on MAF?
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, begosh, it IS. But it wasn't around Christmas time, only lutea so someone must be updating from time to time.

[fermi de Sousa]

Well, Lesley, the bees were certainly enjoying themselves in the Sternbergia flowers yesterday so there maybe some seed in the spring or whenever they ripen!
Here are a few more "autumn bulbs":
Lycoris (x) elsae in bud, then the first flowers opening in the morning and fully open that afternoon, then more in the clump the next day giving a good display.
This is reputed to be a hybrid of a couple of Chinese species and is lovely in full bloom but sadly not a long display.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Well! I'm now a full member so I'd better post something more!
In the third pic above, in the background can be seen another Lycoris, L.radiata, here's a close-up pic taken with the flash the night before and another in the morning.
The Lycoris are of course Asian counterparts of the South African nerines, this is a poor pic of an undernourished N. fothergilla major which hardly deserves the name, but it's had a hard life outdoors!
Lastly a development on the pic of Cyclamen graecum posted awhile back as it's decided to produce more than one flower at a time and also some foliage!
cheers
fermi

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

These are outstanding. However, L. radiata has my preference over L. elsae.

L. elsae is one of those in between colours that does not appeal to me. Let it be one or the other but not this lukewarm mixture. L. radiata, on the other hand, is quite clear in what it is, a good vibrant colour.

All excellent plants - I am simply expressing a preference.

Paddy

[fermi de Sousa]

Paddy,
we'll have to agree to disagree on the lycoris as L.x elsae remains my favourite; however, I should add that they are all beaten into second place by the nerines which usually last much longer and come in a huge range of colours and shades, though none have the true blue found in the tips of L. sprengeri. Unfortunately for me the nerines don't seem to be as hardy here as the lycoris for some reason! I can grow the lycoris in the open garden without frost protection but the nerines' foliage suffers badly and the flowers are affected.
Dave T,
the Calostemma has set some seed so if I can get them to Lesley before they germinate she may be able to bring them safely through MAF restrictions for you.
cheers
fermi

[t00lie]

Great Fermi --Thanks for remembering.I'll contact you privately as i don't want to take the risk associated with any delays.

Cheers Dave.
 

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

Of course we will all have our preferences. To me the Lycoris look fabulous, though I recognise they are very close in appearance to the nerines. As regards the nerines, when I lifted and spread out some clumps in the garden it was a case of bucketfulls of bulbs, such that I could not put them all back in again even though I spread them out quite a bit. They multiply with great vigour here and form very dense and congested clumps after a few years. It is a good few years before they need to be lifted and divided, so they are not too much bother.

Paddy

[Cgull49]

Fermi,

I've been looking for seeds for lycoris.  Does the Lycoris elsae you grow produce seed and if they do would you be in a position to share me a few if you don't plan on using them yourself?

You can contact me privately and I can provide you with my mailing address. 

[fermi de Sousa]

The rain we got last week has brought out more of the rain-lilies!
First, 2 views of a Zepheranthes I raised from seed as Z. fosteri, then 2 of a honey-bee attacking Zeph. (Cooperia) smallii.
Another pic of Z. rosea which I also posted last year. And finally 2 pics of Z. "Ajax" which has flowered for the first time in 7 years! Must've just been the right conditions for it as there are a few more to come.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

The rain has also prompted more Sternbergia and here are S. lutea and S. sicula for a comparison. The first of the S. sicula is a particularly fine-petalled form but from the same batch of seed as the ones I posted a week ago.
cheers
fermi