September 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Tecophilaea King]

I thought one had to belong to the American Iris Soc to belong to SIGNA. Is this not so now?

Lesley, nowhere in the SIGNA membership application page does it mention that you have to belong to the AIS.
Why should we have to pay two lots of subscriptions, if one is only interested in the species.
Its expensive enough to belong to the many, various specialised plants societies/clubs/group without going broke.
Nothing wrong with the excellent AIS though, wish I could afford all these subs.

[Tecophilaea King]

This interesting shrubby South African Bulbine frutescens is an appealing, lush-looking plant even when not in flower.
This native plant has succulent green leaves with attractive spikes of yellow and orange flowers, blooms for a long time and always manages to attract attention.
Ideal for grouping under trees or tucking into tight planting areas

[Tecophilaea King]

This time the first of the beautiful miniature dwarf irises to flower.

MDB iris Chanted
MDB iris Dark Vader
MDB iris Helter Skelter
MDB iris Low Lite
MDB iris Wid Wind
MDB iris Yellow Doll

Nearly 5.00 o'clock, must be "Happy hour" Cheers!!   

[arillady]

Lesley I joined SIGNA donkeys years ago and only joined the AIS when I became ASI President about 5 years ago - it was suggested that I should. No you can join any of the other groups without being a member of the AIS.
I know what you mean Bill when nearly all the society subs fall due around Christmas - or so it seems. I try to join for 3 years at a time if the dues are not too much - otherwise it is yearly memberships.
I don't want to offend anyone in the UK but the subs for different UK groups are fairly steep compared to many of the US societies. At least the exchange rate for us Aussies is really good at present - just when the subs are not due

[arillady]

Bill that Bulbine is really lovely and looks as though it could cope really well in the heat.

[Tecophilaea King]

I happen to notice in the SIGNA 2008 seed list that there is stilt some seed avalable that I might be interested in.
Would it be worthwhile purchasing this old iris species seed and what would be the viability and percentage of germination, if at all?
Has anyone ever bought old iris seed, were you happy with what came up, if any?
Does iris seed have to be fresh for best results?  Thanks.

[Paul T]

Bill,

I've had very old Iris seed germinate, well over 5 years in age.  I don't think you get as much germination, and it may take longer for the seed dormancy to break, but they certainly aren't short lived, or at least not the ones I have tried anyway.

[arillady]

In my experience lots of iris seed stays viable for many years. Onco seed may still germinate up to 20 years later ... or so the story goes.
I keep all iris seed pots for years without tossing.

[Paul T]

OK, the next installment of my Victorian holiday snaps (you can run screaming now!  )....

As mentioned previously, we managed to visit Viv Condon's garden....

I've included a couple of pics of her garden (including one or her adding an extra splash of colour!  ) as well as numerous pics of some of the treasures I photographed in her garden.  These include a lovely purple Muscari cyanea var violacea (looks a bit more blue in the pic, but it is a gorgeous purple..... and Fermi generously gave me a pot of this very species when I was at his place), a couple of forms of Trillium pusillum ssp ozarkianum (or at least sown as that ssp, there is a lot of difference between them), some of her wonderfully dark leaved Trillium rivale, and Narcissus 'Pango'.  Just a snapshot of some of the beauties we encountered there.  

I have also posted a few pics in the identification area of some of her Asarums, which we would like to find names for.  Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

[Paul T]

After Viv's, we had a proper look at Otto's garden finally.  Here's the first installment of some of his beauties, but there are more to come....

A patch of Cyclamen libanoticum that has naturalised beautifully into a drift.
Cyclamen repandum
Fritillaria michailovskyi
Fritillaria obliqua
Fritillaria rhodokanakis
A gorgeous double picotee Helleborus
Juno 'Warlsind'
Juno aucheri 'Shooting Star'

More shortly.

[Paul T]

And a couple more for now.....

A lovely Primula species which is growing in a garden atop a sleeper.  I just love the way this has grown out and along the sleeper.  It just looks so natural, something I can only hope to emulate in my garden here.  Would be much easier here if we had a similar rainfall. 

I was going to post some more, but I'm getting tired and am going to head to bed soon.  Work tomorrow. 

Lastly, here's another version of the pic from our restaurant get together, giving a little more detail I think. 

[cohan]

This interesting shrubby South African Bulbine frutescens is an appealing, lush-looking plant even when not in flower.
This native plant has succulent green leaves with attractive spikes of yellow and orange flowers, blooms for a long time and always manages to attract attention.
Ideal for grouping under trees or tucking into tight planting areas

very nice! how large is this plant (height in particular)
 i'm, always intrigued by this genus, (being a long time fan of cousins aloe, haworthia, gasteria) especially the succulent species..the larger less succulent species seem to be more usually available...

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Bill and Pat. OK, so if it can be done electronically now, could you email me the application form please Bill. You know I'm fatally addicted to irises. Your babies are really nice. Mine are budding up but not one out yet. Been very cold here most days. My Acacia pravissima which I need in large quantities to decorate the railway station platform (Market, spring celebration tomorrow) is going to be right on cue for once. Other years it has been way past its best by end of September.

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, this useful?

http://www.signa.org/index.pl?Membership

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks David, that's VERY useful and the e-membership triennial looks like the best way to go, very economical compared with the regular kind. Our dollar is worth about 73cent US at present so quite affordable. I'll get onto to it right away. Might even give Paypal a go as creditcard currency conversion charges are dearer than PP's dollar.