September 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

"Officially" the first day of Spring in Australia (and Wattle Day!), but still a bit wintry with drizzle and leaden skies!
The garden however moves inexorably towards its climax before being burnt off again in the summer!
A favourite alpine is this Globularia - species unknown, maybe cordifolia?- which is delightful and easy to propagate and needs so little water to keep it going during the summer.


Narcissus "Mitimoto" is yet another of Rod Barwick's "Hybrid Hoops" in his detective series; it has triumphed over a mat of "grey thug", Geranium harveyi under a spreading wattle!


And Tulipa cretica is the first to flower this year, again a bit "drawn up" from being in the shade


cheers
fermi

[Brian Ellis]

Okay Fermi I give up, what happens on Wattle Day?

[fermi de Sousa]

Okay Fermi I give up, what happens on Wattle Day?

Mostly they say "wattle they think of next!"
Otherwise just wear a sprig of wattle (acacia) - Acacia pycnantha is Australia's floral emblem.

Another pic from the garden - well the potted part of the garden - Lachenalia concordiana


In the Rock Garden this "Glenbrook Breeder" Daff, Narcissus "Little Beauty" x N. cyclamenius is out


And this iris which is either I. reichenbachii or I. schachtii has started its season,


cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Good one Fermi
Wattle Day was celebrated more when I was a child. I was only thinking as I was driving to Adelaide how many wattles (Acacias) were flowering hence naming 1st September as the day to celebrate this bright flower.
Tulipa clusiana flowering for me for the first time - thanks Marcus.
Tiny Narcissus species which has seeded around a little for me.
And a bright yellow splash in the garden

[David Nicholson]

Very nice Fermi and Pat.

The "Glenbrook" stable produce some lovely Daffs don't they?

Fermi, I think your yellow iris is reichenbachii which surely means it's really schachtii!

[Tecophilaea King]

In the Rock Garden this "Glenbrook Breeder" Daff, Narcissus "Little Beauty" x N. cyclamenius is out
(Attachment Link)

That's a neat little miniature daff Fermi, are you going to cross it again with N.cyclamineus?
I have got the same seedlings from that  Little Beauty" x N. cyclamenius, but have produced some beauties crossed again with 2nd and 3rd generation of N.cyclamineus.

[Tecophilaea King]

Yes spring has well and truly sprung with us here up in the North Island, although the nights can still produce a few frosts, and plenty of rain at the moment.
It has not stopped a few more Iris wattii, Iris japonica or confusa? and an dutch iris to burst into flowering.
Should it be Iris japonica or confusa? 
Thanks.

[Tecophilaea King]

I could not resist to show you a picture of a friendly, chatty little fantail following me around the nursery, whatever I am doing.
The New Zealand fantail is a small bird and a favourite in our garden. It seems to fly in when I walk out into the garden, daringly flitting around my head, or temporarely landing on my outstretched hand offering a juicy worm or insect.
The fantail is a small, cheeky, insect eating bird, caught in flight. Showing no particular fear of humans it thinks nothing of showing off its aerobatic skills, flitting about and not staying still for more than a few seconds.
They are very quick, the use of their flamboyant tail ( up and down, spread and shut) allows them to turn and twist and follow their prey.
They have a constant, friendly cheet cheet chatter. Such good company,this fantail!  
I realise it’s shamefully anthropomorphic, but they always make me feel as if they’re delighted to see me and have a chat, especially when I’m on my own in the nursery.
Go and have a look on youtube, click on the link (or copy and paste into Windows Internet Explorer) to see this delightful acrobat in action.

[TheOnionMan]

Tulipa clusiana flowering for me for the first time - thanks Marcus.
Tiny Narcissus species which has seeded around a little for me.
And a bright yellow splash in the garden

Pat, can you tell us a bit more about the "bright yellow splash"?  Is that a Bulbinella?  It is labeled only as "hyacinthoides", but I'm not aware of any yellow members of the genus Hyacinthoides, and just searching Bulbinella on IPNI.ORG, don't see species with that name either.  Whatever it is, it's gorgeous.

[Lesley Cox]

This daff is new to me this year. It is Narcissus 'Ice Wings' and is shorter than 'Thalia' which I expected it to resemble. It has very good, thick, waxy texture and is standing up well to the persistent rain we've had lately.

[arillady]

Sorry Mark you are correct in thinking it is a Bulbinella - just a senior moment on my part in labelling - I do really need to label these plants that have lost their tags and check before posting. I always seem to be travelling "a 1000 miles an hour".
I will try for a closeup of the inflorescence and post later

[fermi de Sousa]

The "Glenbrook" stable produce some lovely Daffs don't they?

Fermi, I think your yellow iris is reichenbachii which surely means it's really schachtii!

David,
Yes, Glenbrook Bulb Farm has produced many great little (and not so little) daffs and I always look forward to getting Rod's catalogue each summer to see what I can afford!
I got this iris as I. schachtii but when I posted pics last year I was told it was definitely I. reichenbachii. However a local Iris Expert thinks it's I. schachtii! So I've sent her a piece to grow and flower to make a definitive diagnosis!

Hi Bill,
I've been out x-pollinating the daffs I think might be worth a try and hope I have enough pollen left for this one!

Hi Pat,
your Bulbinella looks like what we have here as B. robusta.

This is the first flowering of Muscari "Dark Eyes"


And this daff came from another local grower as "Div 6 hybrid" and is a bit unusual in being multi-headed..


cheers
fermi

[rob krejzl]

The "Glenbrook" stable produce some lovely Daffs don't they?

30th anniversary celebrations this month too. Long may Rod continue.

[arillady]

Fermi reading James Hitchmough Garden Bulbs for Australia and New Zealand he calls it Bulbinella floribunda but robusta is a particularly robust form of it so I have no idea what I have except it is a Bulbinella.
Some closeups - yellow is a hard colour to photograph I have found.

[angie]

Pat that's looks such a lovely flower, it looks if it would last for ages.

Angie