October 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Yes it's certainly a lovely Wisteria, very Japanese with its long racemes. The stumpier ones though gorgeous, look less oriental.

Paul, usually the cause of bearded irises failing to flower well is that they maybe need lifting and dividing with big strong rhizomes replacing the older ones. That could be your problem? Otherwise, a topdressing with some well composted humus and lime.

[Lesley Cox]

More little bearded irises today but starting with one of my favourite plants, Rubus x Tridel 'Benendon.'



Carats


Footlights


Sparky


Cinnamon Apples


Busy Bee


Lemon Puff


Desert Orange

This has lovely colour but overall, is weak with unhealthy foliage.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Definitely not the case with a lot of mine at the moment..... just for some reason I haven't got many spikes.  I gave them all a good feed last summer as well, so they should have been fine.  Just one of those quirks I think.  A shame too, as our Horticultural Society Iris, Rhododendron and Azalea show is this weekend. 

[fermi de Sousa]

Ixia viridiflora flowering today.

Hi Ray,
I think you're growing the hybrid "Teal" ( or "Amysthena"?) rather than the species. I had the true Ixia viridiflora many years ago and it is truly green rather than this duck-egg blue ( which I love nonetheless). The true species is much less easy to keep in cultivation and the hybrid has been grown as a substitute for a long time here in Oz (and other places).
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

In that case we have more varieties here than we thought we did.  My 'Amethystina' is definitely not what Ray is growing.  It doesn't have anywhere near depth of colour in the centre, the flowers are rounder and closer together, and it is much bluer than I see in Ray's pic (which I see as a greeny blue, rather than a blue).  If you're saying that there is even further green in the species then there are even more things going around as the true species.  That beautiful blue-green in Ray's with the large dark centre is what I remember as viridiflora.  I wonder how many different things we have under the name then?

[ajbroome]

Folks,

A Clivia miniata hybrid flowering at the moment, obtained near death from the local Bunnings mid-November last year, for $5 or something.

A quick repot and a year under a Camellia seems to be doing it some good...

Andrew.

[ajbroome]

Folks,

The same form of Arisaema consanguineum (ex Guy Gusman) that Doug posted the other day.

Mine is still a few days off having the flower open.  The single leaflet rising out of the middle is typical of A. consanguineum so it possibly really is that species.

Andrew.

[ajbroome]

Folks,

My first open Arisaema flower this (and every) year is the hybrid between Aris. sikokianum and Aris. takedae (now Aris. serratum I think).  Sadly, like both parents it doesn't seem keen to divide so I've only ever had the one plant of this clone and my other clone went the way of every Aris. sikokianum I've tried to grow.

Still, a nice thing.

Andrew.

[ajbroome]

Folks,

Babiana rubrocyanea, not as nice a display as Bills but the wind and rain hasn't been kind to them for me this spring.

Andrew.

[ajbroome]

Folks,

A plant I obtained as Lachenalia zeyheri but people have suggested it's actually L. contaminata.  I remain to be convinced so am sticking to the label it came with.  It divides readily and seeds freely for me, one of the few Lachenalia to do either under my conditions.

Andrew.

[ajbroome]

Folks,

Ledebouria cooperi (often distributed as Scilla adlamii or S. cooperi).  Not flowering just yet but the leaves are looking good.

Andrew.

[Paul T]

Andrew,

Great pics.  I love that Arisaema hybrid... beautifully dark flowers.  You have me concerned about my Scilla adlamii/cooperi/whatever now.  I think it has gone to the Goddess. 

Nice motorcycle!!  FAR more interesting background view than my crappy back yard. 

[Ray]

Hi Fermi,you may be correct in saying that this Ixia is not the true species,but it is a good imitation of it, and no way is it Teal or Amethystina,the petals are an aqua colour not blue.My blue Ixia's are at least 2 weeks away from flowering.After many years of having this bulb this year I will have 4 flower spikes so I agree with you that it is not easy to grow in cultivation and I wish it did grow like Teal.bye Ray

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, both little irises are Pacific Coasters, the yellow almost certainly a nice form (selection) of I. innominata, perhaps bred up a little. The second has wider foliage so probably has some douglasiana in it. There are super dwarf forms of douglasiana, some only 15 cms high. I have a nice one a bit taller and just beginning to bud up now. The colour is the same as yours but the petals a bit wider. Pic below. You can have some fresh seed later if you like.

Thanks for the approx.ID for those PC irises Lesley, and perhaps we could exchange more seed or bulbs later, when we swap our wanted seed or bulb list privatly.

[Ray]

A Paeony and Lachenalia taken today bye Ray