December 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

That's a beautifully coloured form John. Herpolirion likes moist soil but with a lot of grit in it and in that position, the leaves tend to be flatter to the ground and not too vigorous. It is even a scree plant if plenty moisture is applied and then it grows in a tight mat. It's my favourite native plant I think. Your native too.

Really thrilled today to find some flowers (!) on Coprosma moorei. Hoping for fruit to follow.

[Otto Fauser]

John , the one flower on your Herpolirion is a good blue  -there are many plants here in our alps with flowers of a washed out blue.
I find in cultivation it needs a lean scree mix ,moist and full sun ,otherwise it will just run about and hardly any blooms.

 Recently went on a shopping spree ( for the Ferny Creek Hort. Soc.) to Kuranga -Australian native plants only - nursery , the best on this continent .
a few general shots  ,no names .

[John Kitt]

Lesley and Otto - thanks for those comments. I am going to plant it out in to a shallow pot soon so I will make up a special lean mix with plenty of drainage.

Otto I have checked out that nursery on the internet and am impressed. Worth a visit when next visiting Melbourne.

[Otto Fauser]

a few photos from Kuranga Nursery

[Paul T]

And not only is Kuranga, as Otto says, the best native nursery..... it is also one of the best appointed nurseries in general that I've come across, with method of display, cleanliness and layout etc.  Absolutely brilliant.  Probably a VERY good thing it is 800km from me.    Great pics, Otto!

[arillady]

Otto you are so lucky to have Kuranga Nursery "just around the corner".

[cohan]

seriously cool nursery! there are such wonderful plants in australia, this nursery must be an amazing place to visit!

[angie]

Looks fantastic, there would be no controlling me.
Wish I could just pop over.

Angie

[Lesley Cox]

John, in a thread I can't find, you were mentioning that you would soon plant out your Herpolirion in a shallow pot. Be very careful with that unless you mean to plunge the pot as it really likes lots of moisture. I've just recently lost mine through a couple of days of drying winds and warm temps and will have to replace from a nursery if possible. A shallow pot may not be the best idea.

[Tecophilaea King]

Just about the last of the few remaining Irises flowering round the place.
The first lot are the Iris siberica"Ceaser's Brother" I believe, also some of the beautiful Louisiana irises can't remember the names, easy to grow, but like plenty of moisture this time of the season.
The last picture is another easy Iris and the label says Iris kemaonensis

[Maggi Young]

John, in a thread I can't find, you were mentioning that you would soon plant out your Herpolirion in a shallow pot. Be very careful with that unless you mean to plunge the pot as it really likes lots of moisture. I've just recently lost mine through a couple of days of drying winds and warm temps and will have to replace from a nursery if possible. A shallow pot may not be the best idea.

Lesley... see post number 17 above in this page....

[John Kitt]

John, in a thread I can't find, you were mentioning that you would soon plant out your Herpolirion in a shallow pot. Be very careful with that unless you mean to plunge the pot as it really likes lots of moisture. I've just recently lost mine through a couple of days of drying winds and warm temps and will have to replace from a nursery if possible. A shallow pot may not be the best idea.

Lesley I was going to ask you about that very thing. The cultural notes that came with the plant say "best grown in a pot placed in a saucer of water". I guess your experience suggests this approach.

[John Kitt]

Couple of other endemics "flowering" for me at present.
Centrolepsis monogyna and
Caesia parviflora

Collecting seed from Centrolepsis obviously poses some difficulties. Tweezers and a large magnifying glass?

[Maggi Young]

 From http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_14/rsnz_14_00_005830.html - I thought this was interesting vto see how long ago some of these plants were "new"......
The Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961:
Volume 14, 1881 -

Art. LIX.—Notes on recent Additions to the New Zealand Flora.

By T. Kirk, F.L.S.

[Received by the Wellington Philosophical Society, 13th March, 1882.]

"Centrolepsis monogyna, Benth.
Alepyrum monogynum, Hook. f.

This moss-like plant occurs in swampy places, at an elevation of 3,000 feet in Arthur's Pass, where it was observed by the writer in 1877, when specimens were distributed under the MS. name of Alepyrum viride.

It forms large patches, scarcely ½″ in height when in flower. Leaves deep green, subulate, acute, dilated into a broad membraneous base, with a few short hairs at the back. Bracts sub-opposite, narrow. Flowers two, each invested by a semi-transparent scale which nearly equals the bract, and consisting of a single stamen and a single carpel."

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Cohan, the rose is lovely. They're great here this year too, we've had wet and warm for quite a long time and they're loving it. I am almost tempted to try some myself.