October 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Ragged Robin]

Lesley, the G.acaulis looks great with the combinations you have - both Dianthus 'Whitehall' and Fritillaria carica are so pretty 

Here in the Alps there aren't many thugs as they seem to be well policed by the climate, thank goodness 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A couple of other things at present. Gentiana acaulis is turning out to be a bit of a thug in its raised bed. I'll plant it out soon. Nice thug though.

Lesley,
There can never be too much G. acaulis anywhere... 

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, I'll send you some seed in the summer when it ripens. I harvest a 1/4 cupful each year

This gentian plant is in a raised bed with many other small plants including a couple of mini bearded irises, drabas, saponarias, callianthemum, frits, crocuses, small narcissus and others. The bed is only about 20cms deep and has a largely humus and grit mixture in it. The whole thing is made of ground-treated timber (pine), in planks of 20cms x about 4cms, so quite solid. The gentian has not only travelled along and through the bed but down to the bottom and shoots emerge underneath sometimes, from between the base planks. (The bed is raised on legs to about 80cms.) These shoots usually get eaten off by bunnies.

[Paul T]

 

My concern is you'll just be sending it to it's death.  I've never even tried Gentiana from seed.

[Lesley Cox]

Easy peasy. Sow it, forget it. Watch them bloom.
Don't worry about it. There's so much seed usually that even if the lot die, there will still be enough to populate half the earth.

Here are a few more dwarf bearded irises out today.

Tingle


Little Pearl. This is really pretty with its palest blue beards.


Bee Wings. Already had a dozen flowers.


Bright Spot. There are several yellows pretty much of a muchness.


Shadow Box. In the flesh a little darker than here.


Watercolour. Judging from the foliage this will need spraying immediately. But a lovely flower though.

[Lesley Cox]

These are a small batch of seedlings from 'Hokonui White,' which was a white flowered seedling from the white 'Linda Pope. I had hoped that some would be white but not one is. Heaven knows what pollinated them. Insects, yes, or the wind, but pollen from which auriculas?


None is worth anything except planting out as nice plants but not for propagation or naming. I do like this compact blue however. It is a little bluer than in the picture with a large flower and a nice ruffled form. All are very fragrant.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I love Tingle and Watercolour.  Both lovely forms and colours.  Where did they originate?  I might try to track them down here in Aus.

As to the Primulas..... they might be nothing special to you, but I'd be pleased as punch with any of them.  Very, very nice to my (obviously uneducated) eye. 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Lovely DBI's Lesley ! 
Tingle is my favourite from this batch !

Don't be too hard on the Primula's Lesley, they look very enjoyable even without a proper name !! 

[Tecophilaea King]

Here are a few Juno irises floweing at the moment that I posted on the Juno Irises page.
I am not sure if everybody watches forum pages on every subject.
Iris cycloglossa and Iris magnifica.
Bill

[Tecophilaea King]

Another small Iris flowering in the nursery is the delightfull Iris kamaoenensis.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Another small Iris flowering in the nursery is the delightfull Iris kamaoenensis.

Beautiful Iris Bill !!   
Don't think I've heard of it before...

[Lesley Cox]

Your magnifica is very late Bill. Mine finished a month ago. The kamaonensis is super. I've just bought a plant from them down the road. I have true hookeriana if you're interested in a swap some time?

[Lesley Cox]

The iris is one of a small group called Pseudoregelia Luc. They are very interesting plants, not generally difficult to grow but quite hard to come by. According to Mathew "Mostly they are dwarf mountain plants of eastern Asia but are especially centred on Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal and eastern Siberia."

[Lesley Cox]

A few more pics this morning, but rain has set in now and the forecast is yet again horrid.
Munchkin


Forest Glade, which Fermi has already shown. Mine is in a bit of shade and so later.


Primula daonensis was grown from Pilous seed.


And I'm not sure about this little body, just 5cms high. It was seed as P. yargongensis but that should be taller and different.


The Piece de resistance this morning, Daphne petraea 'Persabee.'

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I love the Primulas and that gorgeous Daphne. 

Bill,

The Iris kamaoenensis is amazing.  What a colour.