December 2008 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lvandelft]

A double mauve Campanula which I don't have a name for.  Quite a delicate little thing to less than 30cm tall.  Doesn't seem to spread much either.  I'm sure I've asked about a name for this before, but I don't think we ever came up with one?

Paul, Campanula trachelium 'Bernice is a possibility, but this grows here about 50 cm.
But looking at the leaves it might be something like C. trachelium or macrantha etc.

[Paul T]

Thanks Luit.  I'll look them up when I get the chance.  That's way more than I had to go on before.

[Otto Fauser]

A double mauve Campanula which I don't have a name for.  Quite a delicate little thing to less than 30cm tall.  Doesn't seem to spread much either.  I'm sure I've asked about a name for this before, but I don't think we ever came up with one?

Paul, Campanula trachelium 'Bernice is a possibility, but this grows here about 50 cm.
But looking at the leaves it might be something like C. trachelium or macrantha etc.

     

  Paul,
 I too think it could be C. trachelium 'Bernice', which was available from David Glenn , and other nurseries.
      Otto.

[Paul T]

Paul,
 I too think it could be C. trachelium 'Bernice', which was available from David Glenn , and other nurseries.
      Otto.

Otto,

Thanks for the confirmation that it is here in Australia.  I picked it up at a nursery somewhere without a name, so good chance it originated somewhere down there at some stage.

Thanks again.
P.

[Paul T]

I have got to post a pic of something that opened for me today.... Deinanthe caerulea  I am SO chuffed.  Otto gave this to me when I was down there visiting, and to be honest I had no idea what it was and I never got around to looking it up.  When the first flower opened today I was amazed.  I had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this!!!  The pic shows this as mauve/lavender, when it is really a beautiful blue.  I'll try to get a better pic of the colour at some point in a different light, but I couldn't wait to post the pics up so I did it anyway.  The flower is just so different.  I hope that this isn't a common plant overseas and that everyone doesn't just think "so what".... it certainly isn't common to me, that is for sure!! 

Thank you SO much Otto.  I am totally blown away. 

Added 11-12-08 : Actually, the colour in this pic is spot on.  It IS a lovely lavender colour not true blue.    I think my brain is turning to mush! 

[Maggi Young]

Fab plant, Paul.... in the Hydrangeaceae..... correct spelling of name is Deinanthe caerulea
The flower certainly puts me more in mind of a passiflora,  than a hydrangea. 

[Paul T]

Sorry Maggi, that would be my lysdexic typing (well actually my reading from the tag obviously).     I've corrected the name.
We too commented on the Passiflora-like flowers, but the funny little "bract" near the buds is very hydrangea-like.  Never seen anything quite like it, so VERY cool. 

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

I've just updated the closeup pic of the flower of the Deinanthe.... it didn't seem to be able to open up the larger version, so I have put a new one up there and it seems to be working now.  Just wanted to let people know in case they had tried and it didn't work.

[Gerdk]

Paul,
Either you are a superb photographer or you have an extraordinary large flowering plant (or both?). I never noticed so good looking flowers on my plant - now I am aware of that it is something very special!

Gerd

[Paul T]

Gerd,

Each of the two flowers I have out currently on the plant (2 separate shoots, the first flower on each) are around 3.5cm across. The flowers angle downwards, at around 45' or so.  The plant in total is approximately 25cm tall.

So does that put me into the "superb photographer" or "extraordinarily large flowering plant" category? 

[Lvandelft]

Paul this is indeed a super picture of Deinanthe.
Really a so called "must have"plant. I grow it somewhere in the shade and must have made pics of
it too, but never managed to make such one like yours, because its flowers are hanging a bit and
the plant with me is rather low by the ground.
I presume your plant is still in a pot? I don't believe it likes being in pots too long.

[Paul T]

Luit,

Yes, the plant is still in a pot.  I will be keeping it there too I think, as I will be able to keep track of it (And therefore look after it) better there.  I'm intending to pot it carefully up into a bigger pot very soon, disturbing it as little as possible, just to give it some more root insulation for summer as it is in a small pot at the moment.

[fermi de Sousa]

A few more from our place.
The first is a Pelargonium rapaceum I got last year from Garry and Sue Reid who sell a lot of bulbs, especially from South AFrica.





It has foliage which is reminescent of a pulsatilla!

The next is also from the Reids as Zephyranthes zeymeri,



A new flower is Alstroemeria diluta which was from last year's NARGS Seedex,

It's a bit elongated from being grown in the shadehouse, I think.
Conanthera campanulata flowers in the garden each summer but seems to be starting earlier.
A bit hard for me to capture on film; I'll have to invest in a piece of grey cardboard!

Another new flower is a tiny penstemon, P. caespitosa, raised from NARGS Seedex 2004,

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

All great stuff!!  Love the Pelargonium in particular.  Thoroughly enjoying the red one I got from you in September (which you posted pics of here recently) at the moment.  Have you noticed that unlike most Pelargoniums I've seen it keeps shooting new flowerheads from the fork at the top of the flowering stem?  It has the the almost pinnate leaves at the bottom, then the flowering stem, and at the top there is a "branch" from which new flowers are appearing.  I have 3 flowerheads produced so far, but no idea whether there will be more.  Such a great red too.

[mark smyth]

Paul are you talking about P. 'Ardens'?