October 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Tecophilaea King]

A nice picture of Gladiolus carneus, I think, not 100% sure, does anyone knows this species?

[Calvin Becker]

The second is also a well-known and appreciated tree, the mauve Jacaranda tree, making another colourful display.

The jacaranda trees are in full bloom in here in SA too. There are plenty on the varsity campuses and the superstition amongst the students and lecturers is that if you haven't started studying for year-end exams by the time the jacarandas have started blooming, things aren't looking too good for you! On the other hand, if a flower falls on your head, it's a sign of luck and you should pass. Hence they are popular places to sit during the exam period!

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, I'm over the moon with your photo - I love the *Jacaranda tree, what a fabulous colour combination with the native Pohutukawa
* A  friend of mine had grown some from seed and has promised me one - it grows in Liguria/Italy - if there is one tree I have to grow it's this one 

Robin, would you like a high resolution image for your screensaver?
You'd be more than welcome, just drop me a line.

[johnw]

It's a pretty little thing Robin.

Rogan - The Griffinia is sensational, the colour arresting. You should save some pollen and dab it on other Amaryllidaceae! Can you image getting that blood into Rhodophiala? 

How large are the bulbs and flowers?

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Dear Mr Dijk, do you have a small confession to make? Are you, by any chance, using a colour enhancement function in some of your pictures?

[Lesley Cox]

Dave, your pink-flowered Podophyllum is a stunner. I do hope you are hand pollinating!

[Tecophilaea King]

Dear Mr Dijk, do you have a small confession to make? Are you, by any chance, using a colour enhancement function in some of your pictures?

Dear Mrs.Cox, yes I humbly confess being guilty of using a software program called FastStone Image Viewer (a very good free program) that I use with various functions, like image viewer, management, comparison, red eye, contrast, cropping, and colour ajustments features if necessary.
I sometimes use this image viewer sparingly to improve the quality of the picture, like contrast or brightness, if the the image was under or over exposed, as well as cropping or resizing the pictures.
If, on the odd occasion the contrast and brightness is not always right, I try to enhance the image as close as possible to the true colours, which can at times turn out brighter or duller, depending on the weather, and/or on whatever settings the camera can produce.
Anyway, I will always keep on trying to present the highest possible quality images to the best of my ability.
Thanks for your posting and concerns Lesley, regarding the pictures, always appreciated.
No rest for the digitally enhancing criminal  

[Tecophilaea King]

Another couple of geophytes that are flowering at the moment.
Sandersonia aurentiaca is another colourful species, and the rich golden bell-shaped flowers are in high demand for floral work.
Conanthera bifolia: this native from Chile with flowers of a blue to deep purple blue and a cone of yellow anthers protruding from the center, make a good contrast to the blue perianth.
No enhancement or manipulating the images necessary this time.  
BTW: the colour of the Conanthera could have been a bit darker, will try harder next time   

[Paul T]

Bill,

The Gladiolus doesn't mesh with my mental image of G. carneus.  I don't recall that delicate pink shading, and the shape looks a bit different I think?  I'll see if I can find out more.

I love the pics you're posting, even if some are colour-wise too good to be true.  That Conanthera is glorious.    The street trees are pretty spectacular, aren't they!!

Dave,

That Podophyllum is wonderful.  What a colour.  I have to find sources here in Aus for more of these.

[Ray]

Hi Bill,i think G carneus looks more like my pic in reply 316 this topic.bye Ray

[Tecophilaea King]

Here is another classic example whereby the camera takes a snapshot of this colourful Calydorea xiphioides, which turned out to be slightly overexposed.
By digitally manipulating the image in the second picture, FastStone Image Viewer can enhance the colour to the point of being reasonable true, better than it was before. We end up with the right image, problem solved.

[Tecophilaea King]

Its that time of the season once again to harvest the seeds of our cross pollinating/breeding the various species and/or cultivars and trying to raise some interesting, exciting new hybrids, hopefully with the good charicteristics of both parent plants, we aimed for.
I always get a kick out of seeing the first flower/seedling open up, sometimes exciting when it turned out to be a beauty, other times disappointing, but always something to look forward to.
The pictures shows mainly nice fat seedpods of Narc. cyclamineus species crossed with other fertile varieties like Snipe, Little Beauty, Atom, Gipsy Queen, Golden Snipe, Kibitzer, Mitzy, just to mention a few.
No, the the seedpods have not been digitally enlarged 

[Tecophilaea King]

Hi Bill,i think G carneus looks more like my pic in reply 316 this topic.bye Ray

Ray, yes your Gladiolus sp. is definitely Glad. carneus, according to the picture in the 'Gladiolus in Southern Africa' book by Peter Goldblatt and John Manning, and watercolours by Fay Anderson.

[Paul T]

Bill,

That is more like my mental image of the species.  Yours lacks the dark chevrons etc, and has quite an interesting look for exactly that fact.  I don't know what yours is, but it is very nice.  Much more "delicate" looking without the dark markings, and I love the delicate shadings of colour.

[Rogan]

Nice pods Bill, seed always excites me unduly...

"that's a lovely flower and colour to match of that Griffinia espiritensis.
If you get some seed later, I would love to exchange a few seeds, for anything you might be interested in.
Thanks"

Sorry to have to say this but my plant is monoclonal and is unlikely to set seed. I will however, be saving some pollen under dry, freezing conditions, so if anybody else wants some for their plants, please let me know.

John, the flowers are approximately 40mm across and the bulbs somewhat less - they seem to offset freely.

Bill, I've had seed-raised bulbs of Calydorea xiphioides for many years now and they never flower - is there a secret to getting them to do so? Judging by your beautiful photos they are very striking little plants indeed.