Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Paul, please forgive my unbelieving, but your friends Skyline isn't true.
I think it may be a seedling of Skyline. See my photo below of the true plant:


Dave your unknown Crocus looks like a ssp of sieberi, possibly atticus or
one of the selectet cultivars (Firefly, Violett Queen).

[fermi de Sousa]

Otto's lent me his memory card so I promised to post some pics for him.
Here's Crocus biflorus ssp pulchricolor grown from seed collected by Marcus Harvey.
then C.Tommasinianus "Pictus"
and C.sieberi ssp sieberi.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Some more of Otto's pics:
Iris histrio
Iris histrio var. aintabensis MT4501
Iris histrioides
Iris rosenbachiana Varzob
Iris stenophylla ssp stenophylla
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Otto,

Fantastic pics!!  That Crocus sieberi ssp siberi is to die for.... much better markings than any I've seen in Aus before (have seen some wonderful variations on these forums, but all overseas).  Beautiful!!  The Iris are wonderful, particularly that rosenbachiana.  Great Stuff!!  Thanks for putting them up for us to enjoy Fermi. 

[Paul T]

Hi Paul, please forgive my unbelieving, but your friends Skyline isn't true.
I think it may be a seedling of Skyline. See my photo below of the true plant:

Thomas,

No need to ask for forgiveness.  I'd rather know if something is incorrect.  Is it possible that conditions are making the blue stronger?  Am I right in that being the main difference between the two, or is my friend's one more of a squatter shape as well?  We ARE having very odd winter/spring with warm days at times and plenty of warmer night too..... is it possible that the colour could intensify from year to year?  They're only put in this year apparently, so we have no idea what they will settle like in the future.  Definitely different to 'Cinderella' but much stronger markings than in your picture, that is for sure.

[fermi de Sousa]

Now a few from my garden!
Two views of Iris suavolens, a tiny flower just 7 or 8cm high;
The flowers of Crocus "Sunkist' finally open!
And taken this morning, my first ever Juno to flower! Iris "Sindpers" from Marcus Harvey last year.
cheers
fermi

[rob krejzl]

Fermi,

Lovely pics, and an indication of how far apart our gardens are in timing - my 'Sindpers' finished about a fortnight ago.

[ranunculus]

Many thanks for the fine images Otto and Fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Rob,
is yours in the garden or under glass?
Mine is in a sand bed in the garden and was planted too late last year so the flower aborted. This should be its normal flowering time I suspect as it hasn't been moved since last year.
cheers
fermi

[mark smyth]

Fermi how come the millipedes are dead?

[rob krejzl]

Fermi,

In the ground (rather, in the sand which passes for normal soil in my garden), along with the frits and other small bulbs. This is the second year it's flowered, a little later than last time because it's been cold down here (Hobart recorded a 10 year low of -0.5C this winter). I don't get much (effective) rainfall come summer, but I've planted a correa backhouseana & platylobium obtusangulum in the bed to try and mop-up any excess just in case.

[fermi de Sousa]

Mark
Baysol sell a very effective millipede killer marketed as snail and slug killer (note the blue pellets in the pic). The Portuguese millipede is in plague proportions throughout Australia and every little bit helps!
Rob
in the rock garden we use Rain-lilies and DBI to do the mopping up! Seems to work - so far!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Your Iris x Sindpers came from ME!!! I've packed and sent 3 lots I think, to Marcus, the most recent in 2006. They come from a nursery south of here, who can't be bothered packing them himself (100 being too small an order, as he sends tulips and lilies by the container load usually). So I'm pleased to see it growing well for you both. Makes the hassles worth while. Sindpers flowers for me in June and July, really early, I guess a legacy from its aucheri (sindjarensis) parent. Likes a warm, dry summer but is the easiest of all the junos. Makes a good clump in a few years.

[rob krejzl]

Lesley,

I remembered you saying this some time ago and assumed that they were a single clone - hence the comment about differences in bloom time. I'm certainly grateful - a nice plant for an otherwise dullish time of year.

Mine is offsetting well - three from two flowering sized plants this year. Oops; just checked, make that four offsets. Better (hint, hint, Paul) than a container-grown one I saw recently over at Cradoc.

[Paul T]

Yes Rob, I get the hint you don't like growing in containers.  Unfortunately in my conditions it works far better for many things, despite what you may think.  I find I can control my watering much better, as I have said before.