September 2009 - Southern Hemisphere- Spring

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Almost feels summery outside at the moment.... definitely T-shirt weather compared to most of what we've been having recently.  Very fitting for the first day of "spring" here.  Absolutely glorious weather, and without the awful winds we've had for the last week or so.  Yeah!!

For starters, some of Thomas H's lovely Anemone blanda seedlings.  There's a lovely pale blue with the "normal" blue ones, and then a purpley one.  Following that is Anemone blanda 'Pink Star'.
I wish we had the smell function that Maggi has been talking about.... the brown Boronia (Boronia megastigma) is just glorious right now.  The scent it divine!!  
Epimedium pubescens has popped flowers up in the last couple of days, which means i have to get myself together and send some off to Otto while I still can!!    A lovely delicate flowerhead, quite tall and Heuchera-like to my eye.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Paul T]

Melasphaerula ramosa is regarded by many as a weed, but I love it, and it hasn't become a problem to me as yet.  Delicate little flowers on long stems dance about in the breeze quite happily.  

Scilla messaniaca is coming into full flower at the moment, assuming it is correctly named.  I may post this in the Scilla topic as well, just to represent some of the Southern Hemisphere flowerings.  

I'll also be posting some stuf in the Narcissus topic shortly.

Enjoy.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Paul T]

I meant to mention the little hitchhiker on the purpley Anemone blanda seedling...... looks like some sort of little wasp or something (I don't think the antennae are right for a flying aphid are they?).  I didn't see it when I took the picture, but quite obvious when it came up on the computer.  

[Lesley Cox]

The purpley blanda is particularly nice, very full-petalled. Lots of pollen there too, so the little fly guy will be pollinating hopefully

[Paul T]

Lesley,

It is much purpler than that in real life, just the shine of the petals making it paler.  Smaller flower than the others, at this stage, but as it is a first flowering I don't make judgements yet.    The hassle with these is I wouldn't be game to try to separate out the different colour forms from the blue, so they're going to have to stay in there together and I'll never work out what is what when dormant. 

The big disappointment with 'Pink Star' is that it appears to be pod sterile.  I have no idea whether the pollen is viable or not, but I have never been able to get seedset on it, despite hand pollinating each year from the others that I have ('Charmeur', 'Blue Shades', 'White Splendour' and 'Radar').  I haven't had 'Charmeur' long enough yet to work out whether it will be pod fertile or not, as it is a very similar pink.

[Lesley Cox]

I've not had seed on my 'Pink Star' either though 'Violet Star' makes a little seed and the seedlings are in shades of rich purple and hot magenta so very good. I've always thought 'White Splendour' was sterile' but this last spring it had some seed.

[cohan]

always fun to see whats growing on the other side--bound to be some cool things i dont know (of course, lots of possibility for that in the north too!)
love the colour on the pale anemone, and the scilla too..
cohan

[Lesley Cox]

These 3 today and some nice person will tell me please, the names of the two Narcissus cultivars. They are rescued from my long grass. The first is about 20cms and the second about 30cms though both would perhaps be taller if in good conditions and not hideously neglected.




These 3 flowers are more than I've had before on Trillium nivale. There would have been a fourth as well but it was misshapen and didn't develop properly. It has taken 12 years from the original bought plant to achieve this much.

[kiwi]

Trillium chloropetalum and Narcissus 'Rapture'.

[Lesley Cox]

A lovely near black chloropetalum Doug.

[Tecophilaea King]

It's that time of the season again, to get me all excited, when one
of my favourite geophytes the Tecophilaea's are flowering right now.
Without doubt, the most sought after of all the smaller (alpine) flowering
bulbs/corms: the fabulous "Chilean blue crocus"
Its supreme beauty and rarity makes it a must for in every connoisseur's
collection.
This species is now believed to be critically endangered in the wild, mainly
because of over-collecting and intensive grazing by cattle and sheep to the
point of becoming extinct.
Fortunately they are not difficult to grow, and although rare in
cultivation, and given the right environment, will not be lost from the
planet.
They are usually grown in an alpine house or cold glasshouse.
Because they are so unique and beautiful, these plants justify special
attention and treatment.
Tecophilaea's of course are always much admired when flowering en masse, a sight never
to be forgotten.
Enjoy the pictures
Bill Dijk

[johnw]

Bill - Good grief what a sight!

An impeccably clean and well organized scene as well.

Do tell us how you winter them when dormant - moisture etc and your mix..

johnw

[galahad]

A glorious sight, Bill

[Maggi Young]

Crikey..... locally plentiful, eh???!!!! 

[Tecophilaea King]

Sorry folks, no profile mug shot of myself yet, will work on that.
Maggi has send me some instruction, will try soon.
Bill