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

[Lesley Cox]

So you have a few too Graham. They really seem to love our SH climate. As for the split cup.....I'm sure someone will love it.

[fermi de Sousa]

Marcus Harvey has asked me to post a few of his crocus pic for all you "crocophiles"!
Crocus bornmuelleri
Crocus danfordiae (white)
Crocus olivieri ssp balansae "Chocolate Soldier"
cheers
fermi

[Ragged Robin]

What an unusual petal colour combination in the photo of Crocus olivieri ssp balansae "Chocolate Soldier" - I really like it 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I like the chocolate soldier too !! 

[mark smyth]

mmmm, 'Chocolate Soldier'

[Armin]

Fermi,
stunning crocus pictures ; . My compliments to Markus Harvey.
Crocus olivieri ssp balansae "Chocolate Soldier" is very nice.

Regetable I lost my C. olivieri ssp balansae last winter due strong frost:'(
I never heared yet about this beauty "Chocolate Soldier".
Any background info available about the breeder name and a possible source?

[Lesley Cox]

Thrilled to see 'Chocolate Soldier' BECAUSE I HAVE ONE, from Marcus. Not in flower yet. I believe it is a selection from E A Bowles so quite old. Somewhere I have a note about it in an email from Marcus but I can't find it right now. I think it hasn't been seen around too much recently. I think it may have been Alan Edwards who sent it to Marcus but no doubt he can confirm this or correct me.

[Lesley Cox]

Don't let Maggi get her hands on it. She'd have it chomped in no time.

[fermi de Sousa]

We returned last Saturday from a few weeks in Queensland - I had access to the Forum for the first 2 weeks but none the last week so there is a bit to catch up on!
July is a good time to leave the garden as it's cool to cold and plants aren't likely to die from lack of water. However we did miss out on seeing Sternbergia candida flower - the first time it has deigned to do so in 3 years!

This was the only pic I got of it the day we left!


However the galanthus and the early narcissus are in flower

And we got to visit our favourite Aussie native plants nursery, Goldfields Revegetation http://www.goldfieldsrevegetation.com.au/
and got a couple of pics: Hakea myrtoides

and Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell,


cheers
fermi

[johnw]

and Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell,

fermi

Fermi  - That Pimelea is one of the most fantastic plants I've ever seen.   Bravo.

johnw

[fermi de Sousa]

and Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell,

fermi

Fermi  - That Pimelea is one of the most fantastic plants I've ever seen.   Bravo.

johnw

I will remind you that I took the pic at the nursery! The one we bought has just one bell on it and we'll wait to see see if it lives up to the pic of its sibling!
cheers
fermi
PS Marcus has e-mailed me the following:"Hi Fermi - just a couple of words about Crocus o. ssp balansae "Choco Soldier". This was a selection made by EA Bowles years ago and thought to have long gone. But it was rediscovered in Primrose Warburg's garden when she died, some 7 years ago. Alan Edwards was given the bulk of the corms and he sent me one a few years ago now.  "

[Thomas Huber]

Fermi,
I never heared yet about this beauty "Chocolate Soldier".
Any background info available about the breeder name and a possible source?

What a wonderful Crocus, Fermi. I've never seen a photo of this plant,
but I read it was a selection of Bowles, then got lost in cultivation. It was
re-discovered in the garden of Primrose Warburg years ago.

[Maggi Young]

Wow! Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell ........ never saw that before...... I LOVE it! We have one or two Pimeleas but I had no idea that there was this fabulous cutie lurking in the family!

[Ragged Robin]

So    A great photo of Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell, Fermi - it looks quite delicate, presumably it dies down in winter? - would like to more about it so will search the web...where does the Qualup name come from I wonder...

[Lesley Cox]

Wow! Pimelea physodes, the Qualup Bell ........ never saw that before......

Yes you have Maggi, on this very Forum, among some I posted after my Aussie holiday in Sept last year. It was at a native nursery Otto, Paul and Yvonne, Tim and I went to. At the time, I think no-one believed it was a Pimelea.

Robin, I don't think it dies down in winter. Like all the Pimeleas (related to Daphne) it will be an evergreen shrub, I believe of some difficulty of cultivation. Good luck with yours Fermi.