February 2010 (Southern Hemisphere)

[fermi de Sousa]

There have been a few new flowers in the last week or two.
I've also posted pics to the Amaryllidaceae threads, so look for extra pics there.
The most wonderful of the Lycoris that I grow is the most infrequent to flower! Lycoris sprengeri, in a exotic mix of pink and blue,
   

As you can see it is actually taller than a Crepe Myrtle! Well, the dwarf form which is the only one that survives for me!

Taken in this morning's light, here's our oldest Cyclamen graecum, celebrating its annual return to the sunlight,


Crassula falcata is a wonderfully bright colour at this tired time of year,
   

Also brightening up the place are the various forms of Amaryllis belladonna and her hybrids, this is the deepest colour we grow,


And one of the white ones "Multiflora Alba"


One of our native "Emu bushes", Eremophila debilis, has unremarkable flowers but lovely berries,


Another native, Calostemma purpureum, one of our few bulbs, is quite floriferous though less flamboyant than her South African or South American cousins!


Finally our clump of Pelargonium sidioides has been flowering through the summer without flinching in the heat,


cheers
fermi

[Hristo]

A lovey 'Bouquet' for a Friday morning Fermi!

[arillady]

Third time to try I hope it works and files are not too large!!!
The white Calostemma is flowering

[arillady]

Pink Calostemmas

[arillady]

Belladonnas
Hathor
and variations on pink

[Armin]

Pat,
very beautiful Belladonnas. The white one is very lovely.
Do you grow them outside?

[cohan]

Pink Calostemmas

these are great--i love the look of them on the dry hillside..are they aus natives, growing wild, or..?

[arillady]

Belladonnas and Calostemmas are all grown outside naturally. The drier the better it seems. The Calostemmas are Australian natives
Calostemma purpureum Amaryllidaceae
Garland Lily
Bulbous plant with strap-like leaves, present at flowering time or shortly afterwards. Bears heads of twelve or more wine-red trumpet-like flowers on stems 40cm high. Each flower has a yellow centre (must look) Distribution: n=banks of inland river systems of NSW, extending to Vicotria and the coastal cliffs of South Australia (oh yeah???). Propogation from seed or by division. (Seed 'germinates' on storage.)
Cultivation needs a full sun position and will grow in most soils. H. = frost hardy to -7C I = plant suitable for small rockery M = rockery plant which is reduced to a bulb or tuber in dormancy.
C. luteum is similar but flowers are totally yellow. It occurs in NSW, SA, Qld (have not seen this one locally)
Sorry about all the italics.
Yes it is growing naturally on the hillside and on the verge of the road - nowhere near the river. The wine-red one is below a grey gum tree.



- taken from Australian Native Plants by Wrigley & Fagg1982

[arillady]

Oh dear I made a bit of mess of that by quoting instead of modifying. Must be the 35C day

[cohan]

wow--35C--i can remember those temps, but only just ..great plants, hope to see more natives in situ!
of course it was probably near that in here early this aft--with the stove lit and the sun pouring in, it got too warm, had to open the door for a few hours, with a few degrees above 0 outside (sunny and balmy for feb)

[fermi de Sousa]

Pat,
those white calostemma flowers are lovely! We'll have to do a trade!
Your "Hathor" also looks to have a lot deeper colour in the throat compared to mine - which might be a seedling


The Crossyne flava are now extending their pedicels as the seeds develop -


last year I reckon I harvested about 1000 seeds but didn't get them all planted - they were mostly given to others to try but I forgot to send some to you, Pat! If you're still interested, please let me know.

And the first colchicums are out! This is Colchicum cilicium,


cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Fermi,
I have been told it is Hathor - I have not checked further. There is a couple more white belladonnas to flower so I will take closeups of those too.
I tried to dig up a Calostemma last year for Han J and they must be at least 18" down. All I did was break off stems above the bulbs. I will have to find a better spade to dig them - when we have rain again. I will certainly go out in the morning and mark the spots. I have not tried growing the seeds which are round fleshy ones. I know that Paul wants some white ones too. I have it in my memory - just jog it every so often for me.
Would love some seeds of Crossyne flava.
There is a garden about 2ks from here which have the regular pink belladonnas all along the front fence which extends a good couple of hundred metres. I will take some photos but they are seeding up now. A lot earlier than mine here.
I took some shots this evening (late afternoon) of the Eremurus in flower but the wind did interfere a bit with the closeup lens. Also the Iris acutiloba lineolata under its tin roof. It has stayed nearly all green!!!!
I use a Nikon D3000

[anita]

First colchicum up in Adelaide too. This one was bought as C. byzantinum but is a little paler than the old ones I've seen around in old gardens. Anyway I count the first colchicums as the start of autumn, despite the fact that yesterday was 35degC, at least the nights are cooling. Also spotted the first few leaves pushing through on Crocus boryi.
To add to the confusion re Hathor, my bulbs bought as Hathor look more like Fermi's Multiflora alba, at least in terms of the shape of the petals and the wavy edges.
Anita

[arillady]

Anita,
Haven't noticed any colchicums here yet. As I said it may not be Hathor as I have not delved deeper than believing what someone said it was.
And a grey succulent that looks good presently.
(it is a old goods wagon on the edge of the photo which we used as a kitchen then a bedroom in the early day after our first house burnt down)

[fermi de Sousa]

As I said it may not be Hathor as I have not delved deeper than believing what someone said it was.
And a grey succulent that looks good presently.

Hi Pat, 
your "Hathor" looks correct to me; I think mine is either a poor form or a seedling. It's been around long enough for misnamed plants to turn up!

The succulent is Cotyledon orbiculata from South Africa; worth growing for its foliage alone.
cheers
fermi