Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

Graham, isn't breeding  all to do with "below the belt" ? 

I would love to visit one of these big shows to see all these fab little flowers in real life... especially to exprerience their perfume... when is Fred Admin going to invent a scent forum for us, that's what I'd like to know!

[Mini-daffs]

 
Maggie
I have managed to develop reverse bicolours with bands of gold but I have not yet seen a miniature daffodil that only breeds below a belt.  Suppose that is a challenge for us--to develop a belted daffodil. Closest I can think of are apodanthe which have their styles in the tube below the flower.
A lot of the triandus, fernandesii, jonquilla and tazetta hybrids are highly perfumed despite being miniature.

[Maggi Young]

Graham, think Belted Galloway cattle!! very stylish!

The scent from narcissus is so lovely and especially welcome early in the year to cheer us up after winter... or, in the case of the winter flowering types, to get us THROUGH the winter!

[Paul T]

One thing I always show people who visit my garden at the right time of year is fernandesii, cordubensis and assoanus...... then get them to smell all three of them.  Each is entirely distinct from the other, and each has it's own unique "character" to the scent.  When I originally bought my assoanus it was a single flower open with a couple of other buds coming.  It was put into the bag with everything else I bought and we took it home.  I put the bags out in the laundry to be taken through into the back yard later and about an hour later went to do it and the whole room was perfumed.  I went through everything trying to work out what it was but dismissed the daff as just a single inch-wide flower that couldn't have produced it.  That one flower was responsible for the whole room being scented and it really blew me away.  It was quite a few years back now when I was only just discovering smaller daffs and species.  It hooked me well and truly.

[Lesley Cox]

For heavens' sake Maggi. You're beginning to speak English! That can't be allowed. I've always known those lovely cattle as Gallawa' belties

And Graham I promise never to say another rude word to you about your lovely mini daffs. Fancy accusing me of sledging The ONLY thing I have in common with Shane Warne presumably.

[fermi de Sousa]

Quiz time!
What is flowering through this conifer?
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Other things flowering include one of the yellow "spring Star flowers": Nothoscrodum sellowianum or N. dialystemon or N. felipponei or is it still an Ipheion??
There's also the first blooms on the Moroccan daisy, Anacyclus depressus.
And a few jonquilla narcissus:
"Hillstar"
"Sighing" - a Glenbrook Bulb Farm raising with a pink tinge to the cup.
ANd one of GBF's "Breeders" - "Decoy x Swagger".
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Quiz Answer: A trick question as the "conifer" itself is flowering - Eutaxia microphylla, a local legume which looks like a prostrate conifer for most of the year then covers itself in spring with typical "eggs & bacon" flowers.
Also doing well is Euphorbia rigida shown to good effect with the brilliant white of Leucathemum hosmariense.
Lastly, not quite in flower but doing its best to look like a purple cauliflower, the double Muscari "Fantasy Creation"!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

I'm very pleased that the Tulipa aitchisonii ssp clusioides which I got last year has returned for a second flowering but only 5 petals! I can't remember if this was the same last year.
cheers
fermi

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very nice tulip Fermi, even if it is a petal short ! Great colours !

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Great pics!!  Throughly enjoying them!!  Do you know of a source for the yellow Nothoscordum/Ipheion?  It's something I've been wanting for quite a while but with Dirk no longer supplying, I have no idea where I can purchase it.  I have quite a few Ipheions now (Rolf Feidler, Charlotte Bishop, Alberto Castillo, Froyle Mill, alba and the species) but am still lacking the elusive yellow!  Any pointers to sources would be greatly appreciated.

I really must get some pics together.  I have heaps in flower at the moment but haven't got pics sorted and named as yet (took 240 pics off the camera today, from the last week or so).  Trilliums are just starting here now.

[annew]

Great photos, Fermi - and yes, I too am a regular lurker on this thread, particularly enjoying Fermi's daffodils.

[Lesley Cox]

Ipheion sellowianum is available here Paul but I suppose that doesn't help. Better beg nicely, to Fermi

[ajbroome]

Folks,

Some Arums flowering for me at the moment.
Kind of a test to see if I can drive the software
here.  Sorry to those who have seen them
before.

Arum creticum
Arum hygrophilum
Arum purpureospathum
Arum sintenisii
Arum cyrenaicum

Andrew.

[Lesley Cox]

Andrew, please put up the Helico-thing link. everyone here would LOVE it, it's so disgusting