June 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

June is the "official" start of winter in Australia though it may take a bit longer to sink in after our torrid summer.
To continue the crocus theme we've a flowering on Crocus ochroleucus (grown from seed from Marcus Harvey) which appear the same to me as C. pulchellus except that they flower with their foliage as Otto may've mentioned earlier.



Here's the cluster of C. pulchellus for comparison


And Oxalis kaajvoegensis continues to shine in the sunshine,


cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

The petal shape is a little different and maybe also the shape of the yellow patches in the throat, but I'm clutching at straws there. Have to go by the leaves therefore.

[Stephen Vella]

Now that I have found my camera heres a Clematis florida seiboldii that I have flowering in the veranda for the first time and still throwing out more flower buds. I thought it was going to go dormant as we've already had a couple of frosts. It seems to enjoys the warmth of the day and the cold of the night down to 10c /4c and occassional 0c so far but is protected by frost.

Anyone else grow potted speciemens of Clematis in such a situation in a veranda, I guess its like a open glass house?

Cheers

[Lesley Cox]

A super plant Stephen. One of my many "used to have" plants. it seems impossible to buy it now, at least in NZ.

[Ragged Robin]

Clematis florida seiboldii is an intriguing and glorious flower - I grew it through Wisteria on a south facing sun baked sandstone wall but with shade later in the afternoon - I love it and it's great to see it growing so well for you Stephen close up 

[fermi de Sousa]

Stephen,
That is one of the nicest double clematis, but I haven't been able to get it here either.

Yet another white crocus! C. cancellatus ssp mazzariacus is now open - at least it was on Friday when I got this pic.


And one of the nerines which I think maybe a species but was "rediscovered" in the garden without a label; does anyone know it? I have a feeling it might be N. crispa but that could be fanciful thinking on my part.


The salmon form of Oxalis hirta is lovely and a bit different to the typical one.


cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

If the Nerine has a long slender stem to the scape it could be N. undulata?  How big are the flowers?

The Clematis appears here in the nurseries the last couple of years.  It comes from Alameda Homestead Nursery (I think that spelling is right) from memory.  There have been the Clematis florida 'sieboldii' and C. f. flore plena available.  Both of mine up and died last year which was most dissapointing.  The sieboldii was something I had wanted for years, and had had growing quite happily for a couple before it died for no reason that I am aware of.  I can only assume that somewhere in there it dried out despite having it's own watering pipe.  I will probably try it again, although at somewhere around $50 it might be a while before I can afford it.  They should appear in nurseries again in spring as they come into flower, when the jackmanii hybrids start appearing.  Or don't the Victorian nurseries have victorian stock (I'm not being facetious here, sometimes the "local" stock isn't held by local nurseries).  I can let you know when they arrive here if you want, so you can look around for them then?  Let me know.

[Ray]

Hi All,Clematis florida sieboldii is avaliable from this link and only $20.00.
www.clematiscottage.com.au.       They must have seen you coming Paul to charge you $50.00.
bye Ray

[Paul T]

Ray,

It might actually have been Clematis Cottage rather than Alameda.... we get both sources represented at nurseries.  The $50 plant (it could have been $40, I really can't remember) is an 8 inch plastic pot in full flower and probably 4 feet tall.  What you get mail order usually (I have no idea for this nursery) is nothing like that size.  The 6 inch smaller pots are usually around the $20, but they did not include the C. florida sieboldii last year.  By now, they may be supplying them in the smaller pots as well, but they definitely were not available last year in the nurseries here.  You buy what you can get. 

Any time you buy directly from a supplier you usually get it cheaper than through a nursery anyway, due to transport and markups.  I have found a few times with mail order places that you are much better to pay the extra and buy a plant healthy and in flower instead of bare rooted in the mail.  I haven't tried clematis by mail order in quite a few years though.

[Rogan]

I have two magnificent sentinels flowering at the entrance to my property at the moment - both Aloe arborescens x ferox hybrids (...with a smattering of other genes for good measure and colour). This is a very special time in southern Africa when local gardens and the drab hillsides of KZN are ablaze with countless Aloe blossoms:

[Maggi Young]

What fiery colours, Rogan.... lovely to see.

[Otto Fauser]

Fermi , lovely photo of your Crocus cancellatus ssp. mazziaricus - here there is a light covering of snow since this afternoon . I should have taken photos before it snowed of some early winter  flowering bulbs in my garden : Corydalis popovii , Colchicum doerfleri and
 hungaricum -hopefully the snow has not flattened them .
 Clematis florida sieboldii was available last year from Cloudehill Nursery , bought mine
there .

[Lesley Cox]

Oh Otto, I'd love to ask you to pick up one for me, to collect when I next visit, but.....

I could have a lot of fun at that Clematis nursery

My corydalis popovii isn't up yet so I hope it hasn't.......

[Paul T]

Rogan,

A real blaze of colour.  Fantastic.

Otto,

We've had snow overnight on the hills around Canberra.

Lesley,

Given the cold front that is going through here the next few days I would suggest you batten down the hatches for a few days time.  Given you get snow more regularly than we do, you're almost guaranteed it when this front comes through.  Behind it is solid cold.  We're forecast -3'C on Friday morning at this stage, which along with tomorrow (-2'c) will be the first real frosts for Canberra this winter.  We've had the odd frost forecast, but nothing below 0 to -1 and in my garden the tree dahlias are still in full flower and looking lovely.  I am doubting they will be by the weekend. 

[Lesley Cox]

You're probably right Paul. We have a lovely morning now, 12C, no wind and bright sun with no frost last night but the forecast for the weekend is pretty horrid, just in time for yet another (the fourth in a row it will be) filthy Market day for me.