September 2008 - definitely Spring - in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

It's no longer winter!
There are Tulips in bloom! Firstly the lovely dwarf form of the Lady Tulip,

And of course T. greiggii hybrids!

And the lovely little t. cretica

cheers
fermi

[art600]

Nice to see the tulips making an appearance.  Particularly like the first one - would be wonderful to have a clump of this.  The Tulipa cretica seems to enjoy your conditions.

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Good grief, tulips already?  I don't think there's any signs of any here yet, but I haven't had much chance to check so probably wouldn't notice them until they were actually out.  Looking forward to seeing them on Friday.  I do hope we get down there early enough to have time to properly see your garden.  Hopefully Tim got the message to you as requested on Saturday.  Would have emailed you today but I am having troubles with my email server this evening, hence this note!!

And great pics by the way!!

[Lesley Cox]

We're back to winter after a few lovely warm days, but heavier frosts than we've had all through, in time to kill all the magnolia flowers and many rhodos. What's new? Today is thick drizzle, more to come and I need today to sort out some garden things including planting 3 Quercus palustris.

I expect to enjoy every moment of my time in Oz. I always do but the down side is that all my frits are in bud but apart from a couple of flowers (pudica and pinardii) none will be out before I leave and as there are at least 15 that are flowering from seed for the first time and I've never seen before, I will miss these as they have just single flowers that will be finished before I'm home. Same with juno irises, lots of new ones will be finished. Oh well, I can't have everything. I don't plan to leave home at all in the next 12 months following.

My tulipa species are up but not in bud yet.

[art600]

I expect to enjoy every moment of my time in Oz. I always do but the down side is that all my frits are in bud but apart from a couple of flowers (pudica and pinardii) none will be out before I leave and as there are at least 15 that are flowering from seed for the first time and I've never seen before, I will miss these as they have just single flowers that will be finished before I'm home. Same with juno irises, lots of new ones will be finished. Oh well, I can't have everything. I don't plan to leave home at all in the next 12 months following.

Lesley

I know it will not be the same as seeing them in person, bu surely there is someone willing to take photos for you.  Then we can see them on the FORUM 

[Lesley Cox]

I may be able to persuade Roger but the list of other things he has to do while I'm away is already quite daunting. I believe he is actually planning to take the dog and go exploring, himself! How could he, when there's all this stuff needs doing here?

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley
I hope we can make it up to you for missing your new flowers
Here are a few more pics from our garden.
I grow a lot of Rod Barwick's dwarf daff hybrids and I even have hopes of emulating him by breeding my own (some day!) so jumped at the chance to buy some that he sold a few years ago as "unnamed breeders";
so here's "Decoy x Swagger"

and "Staten Island x Swagger"

One of my favourite Triandrus hybrids is "Angel's Whisper"

which is earlier than "Hawera" which is just starting to open:

A very floriferous hybrid is N.x intermedius, supposedly a tazetta x jonquilla crossing,

A new flower for me is this jonquila hybrid, "Pipit"

Modesty forbids me from naming the exhibitor of the Champion daffodil at last weekend's Kyneton Flower Show, but it was another Barwick hybrid, "Stymie"

cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Here are some other images form the Weekend's Flower Show at Kyneton in Central Victoria.
One of the Daffodil benches,

Some of the mini-daffs

More of the mini/species,

My entry "Sighing", a jonquilla hybrid from Glenbrook Bulb Farm

A lovely cyclamineus "Perchance" exhibited by Arthur Manley, raised by Fred Silcock.

An old hybrid, "Beryl"

The Championship Table

cheers
fermi

[Diane Whitehead]

there are at least 15 that are flowering from seed for the first time and I've never seen before, I will miss these

Can you set a webcam on them?

[art600]

Fermi

What a good show.

Well done for your winning entry.

The unnamed breeders have turned up trumps in the garden, particularly liked 'Decoy x Swagger'

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks, Arthur,
here are a few more pics from Kyneton
Two Hybrid hoops, "Mitimoto" and "Sporoit" which gained a first and a second!

And a stunning colour break!

Okay, I suppose because it's in the "Kids' section" it may've been done as a novelty
Other entries from the kids:





And my favourite, "A snail trail of Flowers"!

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Thanks for the show tour.  That 'Stymie' is a stunner, isn't it.  Must admit I rather like your 'Sighing' too, both of which I've not seen before.  The x intermedius looks a little like 'Baby Star' but better I think.  Talk about floriferous!!   Looks like it is quite tall too?  How long has it taken to make that size of clump? 

Well done on the champion!!!! 

Less than 24 hours 'til we're at your place.  Yeah!!!!!!!!! 

[fermi de Sousa]

Paul (he says, knowing full well that Paul has already left for Victoria and won't see this till he gets home or visits an internet cafe!)
N. x intermedius was sold for many years as "Baby Star" in Australia. It doesn't take long to make a sizeable clump.
Here are some new additions to the Rock garden

The cyclamineus hybrid is Glenbrook's "Mini-minor" (N. minor x N. cyclamineus)

And the other is "Wee Bee"

Another newish section combines daffs, iris and Aussie natives!

One of these daffs is a cyclamineus hybrid just called "Div 6 Hybrid" and has produced soem double-headers this year! I think this is one of Doug Bryce's own seedlings.

cheers
fermi

[galahad]

Some daffs open at the moment

Bobwhite
 Carib
 Josie

[galahad]

And a couple more

Lapwing
010