April in the Southern Hemisphere

[Tecophilaea King]

My Cyclamen seed from the SRGC list is germinating well.  For those of you that know the weather patterns here in Canterbury, should I provide C. persicum with some shelter?  We have had 2 frosts already

Yes I would certainly provide some sort of temporary shelter Ross, especially the emerging, very tender, young seedlings, the frost would kill the seedlings. Have you got a glass house or coldframe? Under the trees, or the north facing sheltered side of the house?

[Lesley Cox]

Doug, I love your orchid. I bought a small one at my Market a couple of weeks ago and even its tiny stem is powerfully scenting my tunnel. I've never seen it in the bush but it is said to be smelled before seen.

Yes Ross, I DO know the Canterbury climate (lived in Timaru for many years) and I'd agree with Bill, keep the seedlings sheltered from frosts for their first year at least. Some of the smaller persicums will grow out in the garden once established but I'd always be wary.

[galahad]

My Cyclamen seed from the SRGC list is germinating well.  For those of you that know the weather patterns here in Canterbury, should I provide C. persicum with some shelter?  We have had 2 frosts already

Yes I would certainly provide some sort of temporary shelter Ross, especially the emerging, very tender, young seedlings, the frost would kill the seedlings. Have you got a glass house or coldframe? Under the trees, or the north facing sheltered side of the house?

Yep have somewhere to put them.  Thanks

[Otto Fauser]

Anita , your clump of Crocus goulimyi'Mani White' looks splendid coming up through a carpet of ?violets , which also prevents the flowers being splashed with soil durind heavy rain . I regard C .g. 'Mani White' a superior plant ,than the other white form leucantha. I think most species coming from the Mediteranean region -hot , dry summers - should thrive in your area .
   3 Crocus in bloom here :C. caspius ( ex a Paul Furse collection in the 60s )likes it here .C. ser. ssp. clusii is the A.M. form from Alan Edwards ,
 and I think the C. speciosus ssp. xantholaimos  is a cross with C. pulchellus.

[Armin]

Otto,
lovely crocus, especial I like the C. caspius

[fermi de Sousa]

Otto and Anita,
you are well ahead of me for crocus flowers - only a few buds here at this stage!
The Sternbergia sicula are just about finished


The Salvia chamedryoides is in full flower again,


The Narcissus viridiflorus clump is still sending up spikes




There is a single flower on Colchicum autumnale "Album"


And what I presume is Colchicum autumnale, but it has been overgrown by a vigorous DBI and I can't locate the label!




cheers
fermi

[Tecophilaea King]

The Narcissus viridiflorus clump is still sending up spikes

Lovely clump of Narcissus viridiflorus Fermi, your well ahead of our N.viridiflorus, they're just breaking the surface. Always looking forward to this species flowering and its delicious fragrance.
Have also used in a bit of hybridising with other Narc. species, to try to breed early flowers with that gorgeous perfume.

[Tecophilaea King]

This dainty autumn flowering Strumaria discifera, from the Cape and Roggeveld, commonly called desert snowflakes, has hairy long, narrow lanceolate leaves usually dry at flowering and star-shaped glistening white flowers with channeled tepals with an olive-green to pink median dorsal stripe on each tepal.

[Tecophilaea King]

Could someone identify this flower please? Zephyranthus sp.perhaps?

Lesley, your parcel with goodies arrived safely and already planted. Thanks.

[Tecophilaea King]

Another colourful species to brighten up the garden is the beautiful autumn flowering Moraea polystachya
It is one of the easiest species to grow and perhaps the most valuable in the garden.
Plants readily self-sow, seedlings often appearing in unexpected places.
A huge number of flowers are produce over the season, sometimes until late spring.

[Otto Fauser]

A few Nerine flowering in my garden now , most of them unnamed .I quite like the murky colours .

[Lesley Cox]

The Nerines are really beautiful Otto. I love those smokey, subtle colours too.

Bill, I'm pleased the package arrived safely but I wasn't very happy with the quality, or numbers of the bulbs. I should be able to do better next summer. I started to lift too late and then found that most were already rooting so had to leave them. I won't forget you though, round about January would be best.

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, I'm pleased the package arrived safely but I wasn't very happy with the quality, or numbers of the bulbs. I should be able to do better next summer. I started to lift too late and then found that most were already rooting so had to leave them. I won't forget you though, round about January would be best.

Not to worry Lesley, like us you must have been busy that time of the season, anyway, something to look forward to, will remind you next January,

[t00lie]

Lovely Nerines Otto.

Here is my contribution to a bit of colour in the southern hemisphere.

A number of plants have flowered from seed for the first time this autumn.

Including a number of the smaller Colchicum sps ---Colchicum corsicum and C. pusillum --umm ? maybe that one flowered last year.

Shot taken today ---Colchicum cupanii -- from NARGS seed sown feb 02.
Only an 8 year wait.

Cheers Dave.

[fermi de Sousa]

Dave,
some of us have waited longer than 8 years for the first flowering of a colchicum! That one looks similar to one of my "unnamed" ones.
We had a good dose of new flowers over the last few days, including 3 types of white crocus:

Crocus cancellatus ssp mazzariacus


Crocus ochroleucus




and Crocus niveus,  which was initially hidden from view


and looked a lot better the next day,




One for Lesley: Oxalis palmifrons

Still appears that only one bulb is flowering but it has put up a few flowers!
cheers
fermi