Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

Paul, I admire your taste,this is one of my favourite plants. I love the way the new leaves are so spotty, then fade  to plain green. The form of the flowers and their dainty colouring is exquisite... I even quite like the smell... form a slight distance! Perfectly sculpted little plant.

[Paddy Tobin]

Fabulous Paul,

I had a catalogue in the post yesterday morning which had scopiolus for sale. Like yourself I have admired it in photographs for years and think I may now be on the way to getting one.

Paddy

[Paul T]

Maggi,

Yeah, it is just SO cool.  Must admit I didn't realise it had a smell...... haven't got down to it to find out to be honest.  It is beside some stepping stones, so it isn't as easy to get down to as some things. LOL

Paddy,

There is a succession of flowers over a period of time, so despite them being so small, you have them for a little while.  The single pair of leaves seems so solid compared to the spidery flowers.  All up, something quite unusual.

[mark smyth]

what catalogue Paddy? I'd like to get a few more. Mine arent multiplying or setting seeds

[Maggi Young]

Well, I hope it was actually Scoliopus Paddy's catalogue was offering.... Scopiolus is something quite other!
Haven't been in to ours yet, Mark and Paddy, so I don't know how they've done this year. I'll mail you about them.

[Paddy Tobin]

The catalogue was Paul Christian's Rare Plants which arrived in the post the other day.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

fingers and tootsies crossed

[fermi de Sousa]

Paul,
Maggi's reference to admiring the scent "from a distance" may be because its nick-name is "wet dog"!
Rogan,
Thanks for your comments, so here's a couple more Narcissus!
Mark,
"Snowski" fades to a nice cream as in the first pic following.
"Tracey" had a few more flowers open, so I thought she deserved another pic!
So did the jonquil which I think is N. wilkommii.
and the "Div 6 seedling" from Doug Bryce.
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

My Scoliopus isn't even through the surface yet. Nor is Scopolius. First frit is out, F. pinardii and many more on the verge, but others still not through. Always a worrying time until they break ground.

[ian mcenery]

Fermi your wilkcommii "maybe" looks a stunning plant doubt if mine will ever do as well in the garden

[Paul T]

Fermi,

The daffs are great.  'Tracey' is a beautiful form isn't it?  That is a really nice flower, but those maybe wilkommii are spectacular.  Wow!  'Snowski' ain't bad either.    I'd certainly like them all in my garden.  Well done!!

[Maggi Young]

fermi, your N. maybe wilkommii is a real beauty but not wilkommii... see this pic from Tony Goode of Narcissus wilkommii

[Lesley Cox]

I still have lots of crocuses both out and to come. These were taken yesterday when I was replanting some limestone troughs.


Crocus candidus, from seed flowering for the first time. I don't remember seeing this before on the Forum.


Crocus sieberi v. sublimis f. tricolor goes from strength to strength. I can't get enough of it.


Crocus olivieri must be one of the brightest, a glowing orangey gold. Small flowers but such intense colour.

Having planted 2 troughs I then went in to start dinner. This morning I went to upload the pics but where is the camera? Oh God, I'd left it out all night and we've had rain!! Trotted out, collected it, wiped it down carefully and took a couple of trial pics. EVERYTHING WORKS! I must be more careful in the future though.

[Lesley Cox]

Crocus minimus is still in flower after about 3 weeks but the Bavella form, is still a good week away. It was one I planted in a trough, along with baytopiorum and in the other trough, kosaninii and `Myddleton Cream.' C. minimus therefore, is really good value, the two forms blooming over 2 full months or more.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely to see all your Spring pictures folks, keep 'em coming.

Lesley, that was a senior moment ie. when you forget to do what you meant to do before you forgot to do it.