Spring in Southern Hemisphere... with crocus! (July- September)

[fermi de Sousa]

Well, Paul,
you'd have two chances (not B & N  ) as Peter has his sale on Aug 30 and then returns the following week to give his talk and if he has any leftovers he'll be able to sell them then! I posted some pics of some of Peter's hybrids in reply #52 above.

This morning I found the first bloom on Retic iris "Springtime", which is just slightly different to "Clairette"


Narcissus "Slip'ry" is yet another GBF hybrid, in Div 6 this time.




cheers
fermi

[Otto Fauser]

Maggi & Paul ,here are a few pages from Peter Leigh's latest Hellebore Catalogue .
He brought a lot of superior plants from Ashwood -still the Top Nursery I imagine-back with him in February to aid his breeding program .

[Paul T]

Otto,

Thanks for showing us the catalogue.  Being able to choose them in flower to know what you're getting means so much less hassle when they aren't what you expected as a seedling.  The double yellow, double picotee and the apricot-peach are the ones that attract my attention immediately.  Also the double niger, which I hadn't heard of before.  Some of the x sternii leaf types are really beautiful too.  It would become a very expensive visit for me I think.  

[Maggi Young]

Mouthwatering catalogue, Otto!
The hellebores from Ashwood are superb, so introducing those bloodlines can only be a good move.

[Ray]

Now that Helleborus are in full swing in the south maybe someone or even a Canberrian can tell me what happened to Ian Collier?
bye Ray.

[Paul T]

Ray,

The last I heard is that he had a lot of losses a couple of summers ago, but nothing other than that.  Water restrictions here and high heat that summer were not a fun combination!!  I do not know whether he will be selling again, the only information I have regarding him is second hand.  I think I recall something about him selling seeds overseas, but I have not been able to confirm or deny that (not that I have actively tried either, I must admit).  Sorry I don't have anything concrete to provide.

[Ray]

Hi Paul,thanks for the info,many years ago I got some seed from Ian,he then stopped sending out a seed list here and was selling most of his seed to the Japanese and getting a much better price apparently. the plants I got from his seed were good,pity he didn't offer his seed to his oz customers even at the higher price. bey Ray

[Paul T]

Ray,

I have a few different plants from him from over the years.  Some lovely doubles and anemone centres, a few different species etc.  What sort of plants did you get from your seed from him?

[Stephen Vella]

Hi Paul and Otto,

Have a look on Hellebores 2009, last pages where I posted some picks of Peters doubles which I bought last weeknds sales day here at Parkers nursery.Peter says he is still improving the double yellow strain and will be better next year.

And yes he does have some really nice Hellebores and to see them in flower and beter still watch the buyers run wild over them in a buying frenzy.

And yes the H x sternii Aswoods strain is really nice with silver patterns and red viens on the leaves .Peter has also used this in his H x ericsmithii.

cheers

[Paul T]

Stephen,

That is a cracker of a leaf combination.  I'd love to grow that colour combination myself, but haven't ever seen it.

[Ray]

Ray , you are lucky to grow and flower Frit . euboeica , a species that has eluded me .
 Did you raise it from seed ? or would a bulb be available somewhere in Australia ?
 I would be grateful to know of a source .

     Otto.

Hello Otto,have checked out both MH &GBF lists and could not find this Frit on their lists.
The only thing that I can think of is that I have bought a Frit off one of them and it has flowered
and not being what I order have put a label with what I thought was.
There is another frit in the same pot of similar size and leaf and the flower is not going to be yellow,so when does flower I may be able to ID it and then know were I got it.bye Ray

[fermi de Sousa]

More things in flower this morning, after a light frost,
Iris "George"


And the first bloom on Iris reichenbachii, which I'd got as I. schactii but other Forumists set me straight about it last year!


Scilla greilhuberi


Tulipa cretica is in bud,


A few more Narcissus are out,
N. cordubensis, a self sown seedling from a clump a metre away!


N. "Cyclades" which is a touch tall for the Rock garden,


This came from Doug Bryce as "Tatiana x N.cyclamenius" but I wonder if it's actually "Titania x N. cyclamenius"?


Another one of Doug's: "Snowski"


And GBF's "Orcleuse"


cheers
fermi

[Ray]

A few things flowering now,bye Ray

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Now we're back into some of the things that were still flowering when we were down there visiting last year.  Good to see.  

Here's a couple of things flowering here in the last couple of weeks, but I've added (or will be adding in the next couple of hours) all sorts of pics in Crocus, Iris reticulatas, Galanthus, Helleborus, Amaryllidaceae, South African, South American, A plant for ID and probably a couple of others I have forgotten.  

Below are....
Asarum splendens
Colchicum luteum
Hamemalis 'Diane'
And the first of the Poppies for the season.


Please click on the pic for a larger version.  If pics are too large, please let me know.

[Ragged Robin]

Wow, that Colchicum luteum is just gorgeous, Paul, such lovely things in youor garden now and I really like the Hamemalis 'Diane' - sweet scented?