October 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Bill, is your double pink rhodohypoxis the one Parva Plants released years ago as 'Bright Eyes?' Because THAT one, is so far from reliable down here as to be not worth growing. Perhaps we're not warm enough (though all the others flourish and flower wonderfully) but the double has never yet over 15 or so years, properly opened a flower to full extent. They remain as rather nasty, muddled-looking buds.

[Paul T]

So Lesley, are the doubles a NZ introduction, or were they bred somewhere else?  Anyone know if they've made it to Australia as yet?  The "normal" varieties are starting their wonderful display here right now, but I'd love to try more of them.  Then again, I think I only have a fraction of the single varieties that are already here, although many of them superficially in pics look similar to each other.

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, is your double pink rhodohypoxis the one Parva Plants released years ago as 'Bright Eyes?' Because THAT one, is so far from reliable down here as to be not worth growing. Perhaps we're not warm enough (though all the others flourish and flower wonderfully) but the double has never yet over 15 or so years, properly opened a flower to full extent. They remain as rather nasty, muddled-looking buds.

Lesley, this particular double pink rhodohypoxis is not the Bright Eyes you mentioned from Parva Plants.
I did acquire it from a lady in Timaru as an exchange a few years ago, I am not even sure if it is a NZ introduction, or an import.
This neat, compact Rhodohypoxis variety called "Hope" I vagely remember has double, pale pink flowers and has a long flowering period with good weather resistance.
There suppose to be another good red double rhodohypoxis in commerce, called "Kiwi Joy" another novelty to look out for.

[Tecophilaea King]

I love your Cyrtanthus falcatus Bill - does your's ever set seed on its own? After having my plant for nearly 20 years, this year, for the first time ever it has decided to set seed! No other Cyrtanthus were flowering at the time, so what gives? I'm expecting the pods to turn yellow and drop off at any moment, but so far so good...  

Rogan, unfortunately our Cyrtanthus falcatus clone has never set seed and never will I think, but fortunately is a vigorous grower and has produced many offsets over the last few years. One day with another clone I am looking forward to producing seed.

[Tecophilaea King]

Thanks one and all for your kind comments, that's what makes this unique forum so much more interesting and educational, I am more than happy and pleased to show pictures of some of the more unusual, charming treasures and novelties.

[Tecophilaea King]

This time two more interesting, charming Iris species, namely Iris graminea and Iris cristata

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for that Bill. I don't know 'Hope' but will ask around when possible. There's also 'Kiwi Girl' a double red and these were bred by Terry Hatch at Pukekohe before he became disinterested and virtually threw them out I think. I've never heard of them available in NZ but I'm pretty sure Mark S in Northern Ireland has the latter.

[Lesley Cox]

As with all the iris species you've shown Bill, mine are a week or so later than yours. Just as well we're not having a race with money on it!

Here are two though that haven't been shown so far. First Iris kemaonensis which I bought last year and had a single flower. Three buds this year but too much to hope they'd all be out at once. I bought another about a month ago but dormant at the time, there is still no sign of it coming through.



This little standard dwarf bearded is called 'Rebus.' I don't see much sign of Ian Rankin's famous anti-hero in it, but it is lovely, the combination of purple and orange surprisingly perky and attractive.

[WimB]

Nice to see all those plants in flower while everything here is turning brown and going dormant. Love the Irissses, especially I. graminea and I. 'Rebus'.

[Tecophilaea King]

This stunning Hippeastrum cybister, one of my favorite Hippeastrum species, has narrow, orchid like petals, along with having one of the most artistic shaped flowers of all, and has, in some forms, stamens with long, swooping, green filaments and pistils with even longer, even more swooping, green styles.

[Paul T]

Lovely, Bill.  I was going to post a pic myself, but I don't have your capabilities for studio photography and colour enhancement so I can't match that.    I must compare closely at some point and work out how mine differs from yours...... mine is apparently the "Reggae" strain, according to people when I posted it in previous years.  Aren't they just the most amazing arrangement of petals.  So artistic, and yet so little substance actually in the flowers.  So much attenuation in the petals, but so little actual petal surface.    I just love them!!

[fleurbleue]

Strange flower Bill  My Hippeastrum papilio, 7 or 8 years old and now with four bulbs, has never given me flowers 

[TheOnionMan]

Bill, fantastic Hippeastrum and photo.

Also, your Iris cristata flower looks particularly dark color, is the color accurate?  Is it a named form of I. cristata?  Looks to be a very good form.

[ruweiss]

Got this plant of Rhodohypoxis Kiwi Joy from the Schleipfer Nursery. Eugen had and has
very good contacts to New Zealand.

[Lvandelft]

Got this plant of Rhodohypoxis Kiwi Joy from the Schleipfer Nursery. Eugen had and has
very good contacts to New Zealand.

And I was told by a NZ forumist at the Discussion Weekend that he is still very well known and famous there