June 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

I don't know 'Petit Monet' at all but it is very pretty in the link and has that misty "impressionist" look so is very well named.

[fermi de Sousa]

I don't know 'Petit Monet' at all but it is very pretty in the link and has that misty "impressionist" look so is very well named.

I had immediately thought of Colleen when you asked about it, as she has some older stuff in the catalogue as well as brand new imports.  I never get around to ordering from her, despite wanting to every year.  I've been the master of procrastination the last few years. 

Apart from procrastinating, Paul, usually my problem is "petit money"! However, you'll have to pass on details of Colleen's catalogue, please!
Here the winter flowers are starting, especially the native plants:
Grevillea (?)lanigera






And the lovely Correa pulchella...

..err, excuse me, Miss Soo-Tee, can you get out of the way?
That's better,



cheers
fermi

[arillady]

www.impressiveirises.com.au
is the link Fermi - then look at the sale lines. I know that buying seed is so much cheaper and exciting but sometimes it is good to buy named cultivars if they are not too big and blowsy - especially when on sale.
Lovely black cat sitting on the rock.

[Paul T]

Thanks for providing the link for Fermi, Pat. 

Some pics taken today.....

The first "spring" blossom in my garden.... Prunus mume pendula.  So windy I could barely get the scent of it, but got enough of a whiff to remind me.  Looking foward to more flowers opening in the next week or so and then that wonderful perfume through the whole area. 

The other pic is another of my "Autumn colour strain" Narcissus tazetta seedlings.  I have about 5 varieties out at the moment, but haven't had the light right to get them all in comparative pics.  Got this one just before the shadow of the car covered it.  This one is quite a bit smaller than the one I posted a few weeks ago, and much more delicate.  I love the colour of it, such a good clean white and nice lemon yellow.

I'm posting a few pics in a moment in the Wildlife topic, plus a couple in the Galanthus area to try to sort out whether something actually IS what it was named.  

Enjoy.

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely light and so pretty Paul, thanks for posting 

[Rogan]

I just love Miss Soo-Tee! She's good enough to hug on a cold winter's morning.

One of my favorite shrubs of all is flowering in the garden in several colour forms at the moment - Jammy Mouth or Rutya fruticosa. It is much loved by humans and sunbirds alike for its copious sweet nectar and comical flowers.

[Ragged Robin]

Jammy Mouth Finger Puppets - perfect for kids of all ages    (could make a good song  )

[Paul T]

Fascinating, Rogan.  I can think of a few honeyeaters around here that would rather like them too I would imagine.  Looks like they haven't come to Australia as they aren't on our quarantine list.  I'm always on the lookout for good honeyeater plants, particularly if they're flowering at this time of year.  Might not like our frost of course.    Rather interesting "Jammy Mouth" the the flowers.  What sort of size of the flowers and habit of the plant?

[Rogan]

Paul, the flower is very similar in size and function to Tecomaria - the Cape Honeysuckle, which I'm sure you do know. Rutya is a member of the Acanthacea family rather than the Bignoniaceae.

Rutya forms a small rounded shrub up to 2m or so high with attractive light green leaves which 'yellow' during the winter months. It is wonderful as it flowers now in the depths of winter.

I'm sure your Honeyeaters would love it just as much as our sunbirds love Anigozanthus spp. - I have one large patch  of an A. flavidus cultivar (I think?) which drives our sunbirds mad when it's in flower!

I am very surprised that Rutya does not appear on your quarantine lists as it is very common and popular in these parts.

I've added two terrible 'cellphone' photos (my camera is on the blink!) below, one of two shrubs growing together and the other with greater detail of the leaves and flowers.

[Lesley Cox]

What a funny flower Rogan, and super to have it flowering in winter. I've seen littl :)e kids with jam around the mouth looking just like that.

[arillady]

Rogan Rutya does not come under another name does it that might be on our ICON list?

[Rogan]

...of course, if I would spell it correctly - Ruttya fruticosa with a doulble 't' - sorry! Maybe you'll find it now... Nothing like creating mystery where there is none! 

Ruttya is in the Acanthaceae family - related to such things as Hypoestes, Justicia, Thunbergia, etc.

[Lesley Cox]

Yeah!! With a second t is IS on our bio index. I'd already found the 1 t version wasn't. Seeds to the exchanges Rogan?

[Paul T]

Rogan,

Yes, that makes all the difference.  Now it is permitted on the ICON database, so it is fine to come into Aus.

[Rogan]

In reply to Paul's query: no, I don't think it will be very frost hardy - even our light frosts burn its tips a little bit, so I think minus 5 or 6 will probably send it on its way... However, I will endeavor to set seed, so you can give it a try.