October 2008 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Hannelotte, that's very kind, I'll send a PM to you.

Paddy, what's wrong with brown? There are THOUSANDS of reds/yellow/pinks/blues etc. Brown is relatively uncommon and different. Brown irises look great with yellow flowered plants and with the greenery-yallery euphorbias, alchemillas etc. Don't be unkind to brown. My Ma had an intermediate beared iris called 'Brown Doll' which if I could find it now, I'd give my teeth for, well, maybe a couple of them. It was a taffeta texture on the standards, somewhere between dark and milk chocolate colour, deeper brown velvet falls with a VERY dark choc patch below the beard. Scrumptious.

[Paddy Tobin]

Oh Lesley,

Brown is dull, brown is muddy, brown is dark, brown is dirty, brown is unimaginative, brown is the last resort in flower colours.

OK, so chocolate is brown, my beautiful eyes are brown.

BUT, please, not brown flowers. It just will not do it, never as good as a good blue, clear yellow, startling orange, regal purple.

Well, there's my little bit for tonight.

Paddy

[fermi de Sousa]

Oh Good, Paddy, since you're around I'll post the pic of the Yucca that's in flower here!

This is what we grow as Yucca filamentosa;

How does this compare to yours?
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Brown is strong, brown is rich, brown is cuddly, brown is warm, brown is chocolate, brown is a good steak (on the outside), brown is a glass of Guinness AND your beautiful brown eyes.

[fermi de Sousa]

Near the Yucca are some salvias

This is Salvia dolomitica,

Salvia jurisicii is herbaceous and ours is a pale purple shade.

And because I can't resist it, here's yet another pic of Asphodeline damascena!

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

All nice.  That S. dolomitica looks rather nice.  A bit like the africana lutea but obviously pinky white in colour?  Nice!  You have a few Salvias I haven't come across before, and it's great to see new ones here in Aus. 

[ranunculus]

Brown is dull, brown is muddy, brown is dark, brown is dirty, brown is unimaginative, brown is the last resort in flower colours.

You are all wrong!   Brown is Hovis!


(To all our non-U.K. residents - Hovis is a brand name for a particularly well-known and well-advertised brand of brown bread - the advert that is now etched into many British brains is; 'Don't say brown - say Hovis".

I could also have written:-

Brown is dynamic; Brown is thrifty; Brown is a natural leader; Brown is our saviour; Brown is the new James Bond; Brown is the greatest world leader since Vlad the Impaler ... but we tend to steer away from politics and religion on this forum (and rightly so)!  So I will just remind you all that Brown is our Prime Minister.

[David Nicholson]

............ and has about as much charisma as our kitchen sink!

[Maggi Young]

Some posts have been lost as the Forum moved over to a new server this afternoon.... here are some of those missing:

PADDY TOBIN WROTE:


Hi Fermi,

Just catching up to your post now; retired to bed after posting last evening.

My yucca is Y. filamentosa 'Bright Edge' (to the best of my recollection) and I wonder if your plant is Y. whipplei? The narrower foliage is what leads me to this name. Y. filamentosa has wider foliage and the cultivar 'Bright Edge', as per the name, has bright edges.

Like the pictures.

Paddy


and  LUIT WROTE:

I agree with Paddy, tried to find out the other name but could not find it -  but Yucca. whipplei
sounds reasonable??
In Holland the one Paddy mentions is grown as Y. filamentosa.

[snowdropman]

Hi Fermi & Lesley - any news of how Otto is progressing?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Fermi & Lesley - any news of how Otto is progressing?

I'm very remiss for not having passed on Otto's recent message of thanks to all on the Forum who've sent messages!
I spoke to Otto a couple of nights ago at his cousins' place.
He was not allowed to go "home" until Sunday but felt by then things were really improved and he was confident that he would have no major probelms (apart from not being allowed to garden!!!) on his subsequent return to his home. He sounded a lot chirpier and very positive. He should have returned to his own place last night and I will hopefully see him tomorrow.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Fermi,

Just catching up to your post now; retired to bed after posting last evening.

My yucca is Y. filamentosa 'Bright Edge' (to the best of my recollection) and I wonder if your plant is Y. whipplei? The narrower foliage is what leads me to this name. Y. filamentosa has wider foliage and the cultivar 'Bright Edge', as per the name, has bright edges.

Like the pictures.

Paddy

Hi Paddy,
quite possible as the naming of plants in Australia can be simple guess work sometimes! We do grow one similar to yours and that flowers late in the summer and this one must be another species, possibly Y. whipplei, which I did have at one stage, so maybe I've just mixed up the names!
cheers
fermi

[snowdropman]

Fermi - many thanks for the update on Otto - very good news - please give him my regards when you see him.

[fermi de Sousa]

More excitement in the garden with some new flowers from seed!
First a penstemon from AGS Seedex, P. californicus.



And in the Shadehouse, Linum monogynum from NZAGS Seedex 2007 - I was too chicken to try to separate out the seedlings!

cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi - many thanks for the update on Otto - very good news - please give him my regards when you see him.

Hi Chris,
I've just spoken to Otto at home; he's well and thanks you for your wishes.
cheers
fermi