Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, if the colour in your pic is about right, I think what you have as `Violet Beauty,' is actually `Pauline.' I think the colour of VB is about the same as what the "old" reticulata is like. What we all grew many years ago before the named forms became available but is rarely seen here now. But VB should be  larger.

The colchicum is super. Do you get seed?

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I'll check and see about pics of my 'Pauline' as well, because I don't recall it being the same (but that doesn't mean anything...... mixups can hapen!  ).  The Colch never sets seed as I only have a single bulb and it appears to be self fertile.  Now if anyone else here in Aus would like to donate a second bulb to me I can try setting seed then!!    Believe me, I've tried!! <sigh>  It never multiples either unfortunately, so I can't even hope for some possibilities from minor differences in offsets which can occasionally be enough for pollination in some genus that are self infertile.

[Lesley Cox]

Everyone seems to have just one bulb of Col. luteum I had 8 seedlings a couple of years ago but none came up last year. I now have 1 seedling from another (Aust.) source. His sets a little seed but not much and not always.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I could always lend my bulb (or borrow someone elses) for the purposes of producing seed?  It'd need to be in Australia of course.

[mark smyth]

Paul that's a very nice pendulous Prunus mume. The scent must be fantastic

[Paul T]

Mark,

Thanks.  Yeah the perfume is beautiful.  It's only been in a few years, getting thicker each year.  I trim it back to the base of the droppers each year, producing the maximum growth and therefore flowers.  It is such a strong grower that it drops to the ground again easily each year.  If mine was in better soil it would be much more prolific, but it is fairly hard where it is.  A friend of mine in southern Canberra got hers the same year and hers is twice as thick (i.e twice as many droppers) as hers is in much better soil.  It is always a bit of a "heart in your mouth" moment when you trim it back so hard, but it is well worth it as you just get solid flowers.  Initially all the little twigs etc in the main ball come into flower, then the flowers start to open down the droppers.  All in all it is the prettiest of any of the weeping Prunus I have come across.  Given time it will be breathtaking!!

[Lesley Cox]

The borrowing of a potted bulb for cross-pollinating purposes is not a silly idea and I'm pretty sure is done occasionally by some Forumists, perhaps in Norway or Germany. Ask around who has a mate for yours Paul.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
I am briefly venturing forth as I have a few non-daffodil photos.

[Paul T]

Graham,

Lovely.  Nice display of Crocus, particularly that striking seedling at the end.  Very nice!!!!

[annew]

Those white 'tommies' are a better form than mine, very solid-looking.

[mark smyth]

Paul what's the cultivar name of your Prunus mume? I cant find it on the 'net

[Paul T]

Mark,

Bought it as pendula, so no particular name provided as far as I know.  The incredible thing with this is that it is actually grafted 6 inches off the ground, rather than up high like usual weepers.  I'm assuming they just graft a complete dropper on, then let the tops shoot out to produce the canopy.  That way they're at 6 foot tall or whatever you want, but don't need to actually grow a rootstock thick enough to be 6 feet tall and able to support multiple grafts etc.  If scion material is allowed to your area I am more than happy to send some of the smaller growths to see whether you can graft it successfully?  They're all going to be pruned off within a week or two anyway as soon as it finishes flowering.

[Lesley Cox]

Oh cruel, cruel!

[Paul T]

Lesley,

If you're meaning me offering scion to Mark ..... I'd offer some to you if you could import them OK.  I just know that I can't, so I won't!   

[fermi de Sousa]

It's been a mild start to "spring" with frosts down to -2C only (so far!)
In the Rock Garden a few things are on the move!
The Bulbinella cauda-felis are in fuller bloom than when I posted a pic earlier.
Then (for comparison) the B. robusta is now in bloom in a "wilder area" (that's my explanation for the weeds and I'm sticking to it!).
And the Oxalis versicolor is in flower but looks better as a furled "Barber's Pole"!
cheers
fermi