July 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Tecophilaea King]

Two more pictures of a Narc.Little Gem X Narc.cyclamineus cross and another N.cyclamineus seedling with a nicely shaped trumpet and beautifully frilled corona rim.

[Tecophilaea King]

Something different flowering at the moment is a Clivia interspecific hybrid and an early flowering dwarf bearded Iris with no name but still welcome.

[annew]

Just caught up with this thread. Bill and Lesley, Your daffodils are great! What a cracker, Lesley, and so vigorous. Bill, your Gipsy Queen hybrid is particularly nice.

[Tecophilaea King]

That should have read N.Gipsy Queen X N.cyclamineus in reply # 58 instead of Gambas X cyclamineus, modified mistake. Sorry senior moment  

[Tecophilaea King]

As a rule I'm not very successful with growing Galanthus here up north, but these Galanthus plicatus and Galanthus elwesii species have flowered well this time.

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely to see bulbs flowering here and looking so fresh, thanks everyone.

Lesley, it's great to see your photos of your Narcissus cross in post 52 and the result which is gorgeous!

Do hope my little Narcissus Angels Whisper flowers this Sept 

[Paul T]

Bill,

In case you are interested.... your Galanthus plicatus aren't correct.... the base of the leaves aren't plicate, in fact there look to be more plicatus blood in your elwesii pic than in the plicatus pic.  Both very nice by the look of it.

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill,
In case you are interested.... your Galanthus plicatus aren't correct.... the base of the leaves aren't plicate, in fact there look to be more plicatus blood in your elwesii pic than in the plicatus pic.  Both very nice by the look of it.

You could very well be right Paul, I am no authority on Galanthus species or cultivars , these were given to me by other kind people.
So what species are they in your opinion? I will have to go by your more superior knowledge and expertise.
Anyone else have a different verdict? Look forward to more point of views. Thanks

[Lesley Cox]

Interesting Lesley, I would have expected you not to like it judging from previous comments on other oddities in the Narcissus.  I'm glad for it's sake that you like it.  

But then, I'm an oddity too Paul.

[Lesley Cox]

I think the Galanthus that are in New Zealand are quite badly mixed, regarding their names. It was years before I found the true and ordinary G. nivalis. My mother for many years ordered it from a prominent North Island bulb supplier (R. E. Harrison, no longer in existence) yet every time it was G. plicatus. Many people throughout the country must be growing or have grown G. plicatus in the belief it is G. nivalis.

I was very surprised today to find the first flower out on Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin.' Also surprised - and not at all pleased - to see that a blasted bunny has eaten just about all the leaves on the fine-leaved forms of Narcissus; romieuxii, bulbocodium forms, 'Nylon' etc, and shorn off the whole top growth of a very nicely growing Cheiranthus mutabilis 'Variegata.' He left the larger, flat leaf kinds and so far hasn't touched either N. b. citrinus or 'Angel's Whisper' which, I have to say, is proving to be very vigorous.

[Paul T]

Bill,

I think the plicatus looks pretty much pure elwesii by the leaf arrangement, but the one you have labeled as elwesii definitely has some plicatus blood in it by the looks of it, as the base of some of the leaves are foled back on themselves, something which pure elwesii to my understanding shouldn't have.  Other than that, I really can't tell you.  The monostictus types of elwesii are difficult to tell apart unless particularly different, so names aren't easy at all unless you are trying to work from a list and work out which is which (if you know what I mean).

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, I think the plicatus looks pretty much pure elwesii by the leaf arrangement, but the one you have labeled as elwesii definitely has some plicatus blood in it by the looks of it, as the base of some of the leaves are foled back on themselves, something which pure elwesii to my understanding shouldn't have.  Other than that, I really can't tell you.  The monostictus types of elwesii are difficult to tell apart unless particularly different, so names aren't easy at all unless you are trying to work from a list and work out which is which (if you know what I mean).

OK, here we go again hopefully with the correct botanical species names, accoding to our roving Galanthus expert, Paul T.  
Galanthus elwesii and Galanthus plicatus. We're never to old to learn, this is the place to get plants exposed and corrected.

[Paul T]

Bill,

I'm not sure I'd call them straight plicatus..... I'd be calling them a plicatus hybrid.  I don't think it is regular enough to be a full plicatus, although they may be more variable than I am aware.

[Tecophilaea King]

Yes, its that special time of the season again, and no doubt one of the highlights, when it comes to the growing and showing of these exquisite Tecophilaea species, one of my very special favourite genera.
Tecophilaea cyanocrocus aka the Chilean Crocus is unique in the bulb world for the sheer depth and intensity of its fabulous deep vivid gentian blue flowers, and
its supreme beauty makes it a must in every connoisseur's collection.
This is usually the first of this species to flower with many more to come, closely followed by T. leichtlinii and T.violacea, always a delight to see these treasures in flower.
For a bit of a chance and showing off this picture, I have been fooling around with a frame from PhotoShop, and makes a nice sreensaver in the process.

[Gail]

Very pretty Bill!