Almost Spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[art600]

Fermi

The Scilla is very nice - how long did it take to flower?

Pixie is a reticulate Iris I have added to the garden this year.

[Lesley Cox]

I don't know 'Pixie.' It looks very close to 'Harmony.'

[art600]

Glad to see you posting again Lesley - this must mean you have finished your preparations and you are relaxing.  Good on you - with me it is generally the night before, and I kid myself I work better under pressure.

[Lesley Cox]

Far from finished Arthur but had to come up for air for a while. Last time I went to Oz my suitcase was packed a week before but this time I still have to buy some decent clothes so as not to disgrace myself. I live in rags around the garden. I'll be packing 10 mins before I leave for the airport.

But a glorious, sunny day today. No wind and 18 degC at present (mid morning). Amazing how one's spirits are lifted after a month of rain. David, you should try it some time.

[fermi de Sousa]

The Scilla is very nice - how long did it take to flower?

Hi Arthur,
It came from the 2005 SRGC Seedex and was sown on 19 June 2005.
Here's another first flowering, but not as what it was supposed to be (Lapeirousia oreogena!) but as a Romulea, but not an unattractive one.

Which appears to be close to R. cruciata without the central markings, as seen here

And has the same cruciform foliage when seen in cross-section:

cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

This pot of Oxalis obtusa looked a bit odd

And then I realised that O.flava has "infiltrated" the pot with its larger foliage!
Here's an un-infiltrated pot!

In the Rock garden a clump of Ipheion sellowianum (now Nothoscordum....somethingortheother)

And the clump of Babiana pygmaea is looking even brighter!

cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Lovely stuff Fermi, can our Spring be far away!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Not exactly Spring out here...    but you sure give us the feeling Fermi !  Love the Ipheon or whatever it's called now !

[tonyg]

And the first flowering on a scilla raised from seed as S. ingridae,
Can anyone verify this?
cheers
fermi

Looks very similar to my version of same received from a reputable source ... now you need someone to consult a reference book for you to make sure!

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks, Tony.
cheers
fermi

[David Lyttle]

I took these pictures about 3 weeks ago and did not get round to posting them at the time- as you can see at that time it was not yet spring!

The olive groves of Halfway Bush were still blanketed in snow.
Meanwhile Galanthus nivalis was coming into bloom on the Otago Peninsula
As was Rhododendron falconeri.
This particular Hellebore is a survivor. My grandmother grew it and it is still flourishing
Back up on the hill the sheep are clustered round a large old specimen of Griselinia littoralis
For all you Scots gorse blooming in profusion and a much more pretty shade of yellow Sophora microphylla
Finally a local, the silver tree fern Cyathea dealbata

[art600]

David

Thanks for some glimpses of Spring - my favourite time of the year.

[fermi de Sousa]

Tis the season for daffs in our garden!
Just two to start off!
Narcissus "Angel's Whisper" a Glenbrook Bulb Farm Triandrus Hybrid similar to the NZ Hawera which flowers a little later.




And a clump of a small "jonquill" which I still think is N. wilkommii, though I stand to be corrected (actually I can't stand being corrected, so why pretend?)

cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Any reason why it can't be N. fernandesii - Blanchard says "usually solitary, horizontal, 30mm diameter "etc etc. whereas fernandesii "1-5, ascending, 28mm diameter" etc.
Do you have Blanchard's Narcissus A Guide to Wild Daffodils Fermi? Just a stab in the dark Fermi. I do love these little Narcissus species. I used to buy seed from Monocot Seeds - does his still have a seed catalogue?

[Paul T]

If it's fermandesii then it is different to what I have under that name.  Much more of a flared cup on Fermi's I think, although I'll check that for sure on the weekend when I am home while it is light.  Whatever it is I love it Fermi.  Great form to it, and obviously SO healthy.