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

[Lesley Cox]

Just 4 pics here, the first is my annual Narcissus romieuxii 'Atlas Gold.' I'll have about 200 flowers this spring, on various pots and clumps. some of the flowers are 5 cms across, so a good year for this favourite of mine. The 2 bigger pots are packed with dozens of buds.


I'm very fond of the yellow/white form of Polygala chamaebuxus, more usually seen in NZ in the yellow/purple form, grandiflora. I took a picture of the whole plant but the sun washed it to a patch of messy yellow foliage so...


And I'm not at ALL fond of modern camellias but do love this and other small-flowered species. This is a new plant of C. transnokoensis and in the full, is a beautiful thing.


And a final picture for Otto, so he knows I'm doing the RIGHT THING

[t00lie]

Galanthus[/i] 'Hughes' Emerald' is similar (according to Dave T) to 'Selbourne Green Tips.' I don't know that one and haven't met it ever, especially in NZ.

Lesley that old comment i made was incorrect.
Following my written thoughts of last year, Mark ,(i think), showed pics of the two confirming they are not similar .

Dave. 

[johnw]

Lesley  - That is one black Phormium behind the Camellia. Is it a named one?

johnw - +22c at 10:23 pm.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks for remembering us what Spring looks like Lesley !
C. Hubert Edelsten is a real stunner isn't it ??   
Still one I'm looking for though.. I haven't seen it offered recently ..

Nice of you to have ventured outside for us !

[tonyg]

Lovely to see the spring pics Lesley.  I saw the polygala in flower in the alps just a few weeks ago!
Otto grows Fritillaria davidii too does he?   (I recognised it before zooming in on the label.)

[Ragged Robin]

Lesley, so pleased you are out enjoying new arrivals and 'sending' us these wonderful spring flowers from your garden - Narcissus romieuxii 'Atlas Gold' is just gorgeous and later it would be great to see them develop.

[Lesley Cox]

John, the Phormium is a relatively new cultivar called 'Black Rage.' A couple of months ago I had one of my sillier ideas and decided I would plant a small black garden. The whole thing sprang into being fully formed in my mind, as soon as I saw the phormium when I was looking for something else in a garden centre. I shouldn'r be let out on my own. I've already bought most of the plants or picked them from what is already here waiting to be planted, but as yet have no clue where the garden will be situated. The other things also in waiting are some black black violas, 2 very black heucheras, a couple of black Lophomyrtus,  a Corokia, Geranium sessiliflorum 'Thunder Cloud' and 3 black Ophiopogons with leaves of different sizes and widths. One is almost needle-like. Then I thought I may enclose the whole thing is a little hedge of Convolvulus cneorum. Of course it may never happen, in which case all those above will have to find other homes.

[cohan]

John, the Phormium is a relatively new cultivar called 'Black Rage.' A couple of months ago I had one of my sillier ideas and decided I would plant a small black garden. The whole thing sprang into being fully formed in my mind, as soon as I saw the phormium when I was looking for something else in a garden centre. I shouldn'r be let out on my own. I've already bought most of the plants or picked them from what is already here waiting to be planted, but as yet have no clue where the garden will be situated. The other things also in waiting are some black black violas, 2 very black heucheras, a couple of black Lophomyrtus,  a Corokia, Geranium sessiliflorum 'Thunder Cloud' and 3 black Ophiopogons with leaves of different sizes and widths. One is almost needle-like. Then I thought I may enclose the whole thing is a little hedge of Convolvulus cneorum. Of course it may never happen, in which case all those above will have to find other homes.

sounds like a great bunch of plants--i do love non-green foliage... let us know what becomes of them...
(also prone to buying/collecting things i dont actually have anywhere to plant!)

[johnw]

Brilliant idea with the Convolvulus cneorum Lesley. Maybe an Astelia or two for contrast? Lets hope the black garden comes to fruition and we get to see the results. You have so many things to work with, most impossible here in the ground. No reason we couldn't do a tub or two though.

Love the new Phormium and your other plant ideas.

I've been cutting down canes of Fargesia nitida which flowered this spring and is just now dropping seeds. 27 fell out of my hair at the computer and John Finch will tell you I have little hair.  Friends' eyes glaze over when I get excited about the seed crop; only one chance since 1886 so I reckon I had better collect and distribute as many as I can. We have new generation plants from the few seeds produced stingely last year here and the complete flowering 2 years ago of an Edinburgh clone. It will be interesting to see what variation there is.  Dark canes but not quite black enough for your plan.

johnw

[Susan]

Lesley, which Lophomyrtus have you got.  Is it the x ralphii one that may be called Black Dragon. I am looking to make a small hedge with that or 'Liliput', but it going to be rather expensive for the number I need.

Susan

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Susan, my Lophomyrtus is 'Black Dragon.' It would make a super hedge. How about getting 2 or 3 and doing cuttings. They're easy to root and would grow on quickly.

These dreadful pictures are this morning's batch. There are new crocuses, cvijicii, olivieri and candidus but no sun so they haven't opened yet.

3 seedlings from Alan McMurtrie's seed, sown in 2003 and this is the 3rd time of flowering, 1 the first year. 2 last and 3 now with another bud to come. There are also a few seedlings from the first flower so quite prolific. They are very short so will need to be for pot or trough and the bluer ones are nicely fragrant, but not the violet.


This one for Robin, Narc rom 'Atlas Gold' again. I counted 74 buds and flowers in this pot this morning but if AG has a fault, it is that there is so much strong foliage very early in the flowering. If it would hold off for a week or so, it would make a finer potful.


More restrained, Narcissus hedraeanthus. There are 3 flowers in the pot but far enough apart to make picturing more than one at a time impossible. I like this form which has just a cm of stem and that quite prostrate.


And what is the nearest to red that I have of Corydalis solida, a seedling from a Swedish source flowering for the first time. In fact it is quite a bit deeper red than shown and I'm very happy with it.

[johnw]

Lesley - Do you reckon your winter is over?   That would mean 5 weeks after your shortest day of the year you are already having Spring. In the north that would be about 3 February  - we'd still be in winter's firm grip here.  Amazing. You really don't have a winter and that's difficult for a Canadian to fathom.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Well, saying winter is over is a geeing up exercise really, the triumph of hope over experience. But certainly the worst is over, July always the coldest month. We may well get some more snow - usually the weather goes foul around lambing time - but once the days draw out a little it's really hard to remain miserable and we will get some beautiful and warm days from now on. But our weather is always unpredictable, at best.

[Ragged Robin]

This one for Robin, Narc rom 'Atlas Gold' again. I counted 74 buds and flowers in this pot this morning but if AG has a fault, it is that there is so much strong foliage very early in the flowering. If it would hold off for a week or so, it would make a finer potful.

Lesley, thanks so much for this - 74 buds in one potful is incredible! I do love the shape of the trumpet and the frilly edge with a feeling of teased out crepe paper....altogether a glorious sunny sight 

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi Lesley
A pot with a few N. romieuxii if flower and a photo of a new tiny split cup seedling bred from our N. jacetanus split cup.
Kind regards
Graham