Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

I think what you're really saying David, is that I'm already suffering from full blown dementia. Just you wait mate!

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley, have your demented ravings put everyone else off ? No entries to this thread yesterday! What's going on!
Fortunately more daffs are coming into bloom, so I'd better post a few more pics!
Three Div 6 (N. cyclamenius) hybrids:
Glenbrook Belle
Jumblie
Quince
The last two being the lesser known sisters of "Tete a tete"
Finally another attempt at photographing Moraea tripetala!
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

I like the look of 'Glenbrook Belle'.  Haven't seen that one before, not the third one for that matter.  I have 'Jumblie' and last year it nearly died out for me for some reason..... I think it probably got buried too deep by the damn blackbirds.  I retrieved the bulbs and put them into a pot so hopefully they'll recovered somewhat this year and return to flowering next year if I'm lucky.  I really must get back onto the 'Glenbrook' catalogue...... I haven't ordered in many years due to monetary situation (bad health sucks when it comes to catalogue orders!!  ) but here's hoping that can change soon.

Great pics by the way.... I jsut want too many of the things you're showing.

[Lesley Cox]

I spent a good deal of yesterday trying to install my new Broadband so a day of total frustration. Fortunately it rained most of the day so I didn't feel it was a garden day wasted.

Today I've finally managed it, with the help of Daniel from Telecom (2 and a half hours on the phone!!!) and he'll be a friend for life. EVERYTHING about my computer had to be changed one way or another. I wouldn't have had the remotest chance on my own.

Turned on the Forum and INSTANTLY, all the pics are downloaded. BRILLIANT. Oh, you poor souls who still work with dial-up. I truly pity and feel for you

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks, Paul,
here are a few more!
Narc. triandrus hybrid "Angel's Whisper"
Narc. bulbocodium "Golden Dragon"
Narc. "Stymie"
and Narc "Tete-a-Tete" to complete the 3 sisters mentioned above!
Also, the first Tulipa greigii to flower!
cheers
fermi

[Paddy Tobin]

Fermi,

Great plants, well photographed. Many thanks.

It is a regular comment here that N. triandrus and its hybrids to a lesser extent are inclined to dwindle in the garden; you know, plant 5 bulbs and have 5 flowers, then next years it seems to be only 4 and slowly but surely they die out. However, you seem to have a very healthy clump going.

N. 'Stymie' looks a very nice plant, growing well also. Here I find that T. gregii is a martyr to slugs and admire your clean foliage. Preventative measures?

It caught my eye that the gravel on your bed is perfectly clean. Have you top dressed?

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

I think that N. triandrus ssp triandrus at least (syn. N t. albus) is more permanent in the south here, than in the north. I have had it in a dryish trough for about 6 or 7 years and not only does it flower well each year but it makes good seed as well, so that I always have some coming on in case they die, but they don't seem to. `Hawera,' `Fairy chimes' and `Mary Plumstead' are also very permanent with me.

We're told that today is the official start of spring. The weather is obliging with a warm nor`west wind, sunshine and 21degC when I came home from the market this morning tho' it's apparently going to turn nasty later in the day. I took the 4 following pics yesterday.

Would someone confirm the name for me please? I have it as Crocus tommasinianus `Whitewell Purple.'



This beautiful Oxalis I just have as Oxalis species Uli from a most generous contact in the North Island, who I think lurks here from time to time. He has sent me many Oxalis and assorted aroids over the last couple of years. The backs of the petals are lightly washed with crimson and the greyish foliage has a glistening quality.



This is a favourite snowdrop called Galanthus nivalis `Tiny Tim.' Perhaps a suitable mate for Otto's lovely `Angie.' When I took this pic I sat on a low stone wall to get close enough and when I stood up, to my horror found I'd been sitting on a small patch of Iris winogradowii buds, all bent right over and flattened. This morning they are all out and perfectly upright. Incredible!



And Ranunculus semiverticillatus, doing its usual non-flowering thing. Some advice please Cliff, as I'm thoroughly tired of this. I'm going to lift it and do something else. So what and where?

[ranunculus]

Lesley, Lesley, Lesley....please, please, PLEASE do not be tempted to do anything with your beautiful Ranunculus semiverticillatus other than fall on your knees in front of it and thank it for existing at all...as I have said previously, you may be the only person growing such a mature and healthy plant (unless forum members know something to the contrary), I don't know of any plants surviving in botanical gardens here in the U.K. and I would be amazed to discover a similar plant in any private collection.
I do understand the frustrations inherent in growing these rare and beautiful buttercups (my R. glacialis plants still thrive each year but refuse to bloom to the degree that they would in the wild), but it is still a joy to know that they can be kept alive in cultivation AND a huge challenge to discover just what will induce them to flower.  In my case I have several plants to experiment with, but your situation is more precarious.
I would possibly be tempted (but with VERY tremulous hands) to try to remove a thong or two from the outside of the plant thereby attempting to increase your stock but I would be extremely wary of trying to move an established plant. Please do the honorable thing and grow it for your country!!!  Let it persist where it is happy (try a VERY occasional feed of half strength to maintain growth) and don't worry about it....they do take many years to build up the strength to bloom...you have proved you can grow it, now let it repay you in a couple of years time with those magnificent blooms. For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of seeing a photograph of this gorgeous plant then please check out the back page of the South American edition of the AGS Bulletin for September 1994. 

[Thomas Huber]

Lesley, I can't give a 100% confirmation for your Crocus -
they might be correct, but to be sure I need
a look at the outer side of the flowers!

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Thomas. I'll try to get a pic later in the day after going soon to look at a house that's for sale.

Cliff, whatever I decide to do, I won't tell you about it until after I've done it, then you needn't lose any sleep waiting to hear when and how it died. If I wait much longer for it to flower, I might be dead

[ranunculus]

Now you HAVE got me worried Lesley!!!

[fermi de Sousa]

It was the Flower Show at Kyneton last weekend and these are a few pics, not all minis and nothing like what we'd expect at Canberra!
The first is a section for N. cyclamenius hybrids.
The last shot of three daffs were my entries in the Novice section, which earned me a first (Large cup daff - "Sly Fox") flanked by 2 seconds (a white Daff "Ellen", and a Trumpet Daff "?Marieke").
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Just to prove that there are more things than daffs in our Rock garden, here are a few different pics:
Iris schachtii (or is it I. reichenbachii???)
Gladiolus pritzellii x 2
Tulipa cretica (one more flower than last year!)
Tulipa vvedenskyi x greigii x 2 (new this year, from Janis Ruksans, via Marcus Harvey in Tas.)
And just a few daffs to finish off!
Jonquilla hybrids: Buffawn,Treviathan and Hesla.
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Nice show Fermi, I particularly like the Gladi.

[ajbroome]

Lesley said...

> ... contact in the North Island, who I think lurks here...

I've finally signed up and will hopefully post a few pictures from time to time although mostly I expect to continue lurking.

Thanks must go to Lesley and Dave Toole for sharing their plants and advice over the last couple of years I've been reading this and the old forum.

As a bit of an intro, I live in Palmerston North and grow mostly Oxalis, aroids and asclepiads along with a decent collection of carnivorous plants and assorted orchids/bulbs/whatever appeals.

Andrew.