March 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Ragged Robin]

the Sternbergia sicula is so stunning in the morning light I can't refrain from posting another pic!

Fermi your Sternbergia sicula is glorious - what a colour and such a good group - morning light is very special through flower petals; you have some wonderful flowerings in your rockery

[Gail]

the Sternbergia sicula is so stunning in the morning light I can't refrain from posting another pic!

And please feel free to post another when fully open - I love it!

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill you are so lucky to be able to grow these amazing plants, how long does the flower of Haemanthus last for.
Angie

It depends on the species, the temperatures, and the weather Angie, if cool and dry, up to 2-3 weeks, if wet or to warm much shorter.
Whatever the weather they always make a welcome splash of colour this time of the season, with the various Haemanthus species flowering consecutive for months.
I am pleased you're enjoying the pictures, makes it all worth while showing them.

[Tecophilaea King]

While we're on the subject of the Brunsvigia's, here are a few more pics of them flowering in the nursery.
The first one is a nice collection of the Brunsvigia gregaria in a blaze of colour,
The second pic are two more of the magnifecient Brunsvigia bosmaniae, which somehow seem to be slightly different and more vigorous than the Br.bosmaniae I showed before, I think this clone/species came from an other area in South Africa, from Silverhill seeds. 
With most Brunsvigia sp. flowering and a few more to come, the last picture of Brunsvigia josephinae has already set seeds and ready for harvesting.

[Otto Fauser]

2 Cyclamen species in my garden at the moment ,having enjoyed a dry , warm summer rest and rewarding me with lots of flowers : a ten year old tuber of C. africanum  and a younger C. graecum with handsome foliage ( from R. Wallis seed)
  and the "cute" little Biarum davisii

[Maggi Young]

Wonderful Cyclamen, Otto.... Especially that C. africanum... what a medal winner!
Seeing these plants in your garden and those from Bill, it is all too obvious that you are a world away!

[Tecophilaea King]

2 Cyclamen species in my garden at the moment ,having enjoyed a dry , warm summer rest and rewarding me with lots of flowers : a ten year old tuber of C. africanum  and a younger C. graecum

Magnificent picture of your ten year old C. africanum Otto, not to forget your C.graecum.
That reminds me of a pregnant container of a Cyclamen graecum tuber that I found in a forgotten part of the nursery, like your C.africanum, this tuber could be up to ten years old, and by now the size of a dinner plate (32 cm.) as the ruler shows.
Amongst the foliage I also found a lot of small tubers, apparently self sown and germinated over a number of years.  

[Armin]

Otto and Bill,
really nice clumps of cyclamen.

[angie]

Bill, those brunsvigia bosmaniae are to die for. Yes I am enjoying your pictures so much. Just one thing I get a bit jealous.

Otto lovely cyclamen.
Angie

[Tecophilaea King]

Just to add a bit to the Crossyne flava information, I will show a closeup of each individual  flower, and the attractive leaves appearing after they finish flowering,  

[Tecophilaea King]

Amaryllis belladonna "Purity" seed pods ready for harvesting.

[Tecophilaea King]

Nerines always make a nice colourful addition to our garden this time of the season.
This time a couple of Nerine hybrids, the first one a nice smokey variety that I lost the name off and another good red flowering for us.

[cohan]

great to see all these exotic plants!
the crossyne leaves are really nice, bill--do they go on to become long, or stay small?
looking at the time of flowering for your nerines, it strikes me that if i try seed again (not any urgency on that!), i will be better off to get it from the southern hemisphere--i got some haemanthus seed from the u.s. in fall that got here before it was too cold, but another batch of haemanthus, nerines etc that came in early winter seemed cold damaged, and i only got one cyrtanthus seedling out of that..

[Ragged Robin]

Bill, the exotic flowerings are so superb Brunsvigia bosmaniae, Crossyne flava and the Nerines are glorious, especially the flame red one (I wonder if it is hardy?)

[fermi de Sousa]

Bill,
once again some great pics!
Is the Amaryllis "Purity" a pure white, i.e. no yellow in the throat? I'll send you a Pm about some swaps!

The first nerines are finally opening here, this is what I have as N. fothergila "Major"




Gail,
here's a pic of the Sternbergia sicula with flowers a bit more open,




cheers
fermi