Early spring in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

What's ABA Paul?

[Paul T]

Sorry, the Australian Bulb Association.  They have an email list, which you don't have to be a member of the actual society to take part in.  Their seedlist is available to members and non-members from memory.

[fermi de Sousa]

Well, talk about not separating out seedlings properly!
Today I found a flower open in a pot labelled Narcissus cantabricus var. clusii grown from SRGC seedex seed; I thought I posted a pic last year but I couldn't find it on reviewing the Old Forum. Well, today's flower was not in keeping with the label and looks a lot like a form of N. c. var. petunioides or something similar! I was so impressed I introduced it to N. "Mondieu"!
cheers
fermi

[rob krejzl]

I'm sure Rod would be proud of the gracious way 'Mondieu' nodded it's head to the newcomer.

The string of pictures reminds me why GBF wins so often at the Hobart show.

[Lesley Cox]

Well those will be beautiful babies Fermi. I especially like that side view. Something I should try to emulate, myself

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
only your sharp eyes would have picked up the presence of pollen on the stigma in the last pic! or do you just know me too well to know I wouldn't have have left they uncrossed?
Just to prove I'm not completely daffy-centric here are pics of Potentilla alba (covered in frost) and Crocus "Sunkist" wishing the sun would kiss it so it can open fully!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

That's a pretty potentilla Fermi, and grey-leaved too 

I didn't spot any pollen though, just assumed that you'd made the introduction for purposes which would be advertised in the Personal columns, as "...for dating, maybe more." Sex, in other words.

[ian mcenery]

Lovely piccies everyone. It's so nice to see spring twice. By the way are you behind or in front of us?

[Paul T]

Ian,

Well we're in front of you guys time-wise, so I imagine that should make us in front of your season-wise shouldn't it?? 

Although, I think the fashion industry thinks differently!! 

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
the potentilla is only silvery because of the frost! It's the normal P.alba with light green foliage and quite long flowering as well. I'll let you know if anything comes of the union of Mon and Pet! Considering that the seed of the Narc. canatbricus was sown in 2001, it may be a bit of a wait! I actually got flowers on its siblings for the last two years, I think, so the first one only took 4 years to flower from seed.
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

here's a pic I took last year of Narc.cantabricus var. clusii. (at least I hope so! It was "archived" when we changed computer servers at work and I still haven't sorted all the pics!)
cheers
fermi

[annew]

Are all these daffys out in the open, Fermi?

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley,
the potentilla is only silvery because of the frost! fermi

Fermi, didn't you notice the cheesy grin?
Shouldn't clusii be whiter than that? Whatever, it's very nice.

I've filled in and returned my Study Weekend form. Have you? I hope the Aussies will do the Mt Hutt field trip. It's a super area and cars can go all the way up to the the veg sheep and higher (I'm thinking of Otto's hips - not that I spend a lot of time thinking of Otto's hips )

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Lesley,
Yes, I'd also wondered about the lemon shade the clusiiblooms open but they fade to white; however the (hopefully) petunioidesopened pure white so maybe there is a problem with naming them starightclusii.
I'm sure Otto is happy that someone is concerned about his hips! We actually went up to Mt Hutt before the last Study Weekend and he was fine with the climb.
Anne,
The daffys are mostly grown in the open Rock garden but a few are kept in pots for taking to meetings (a good chance to exchange pollen!) or because I couldn't decide where to plant them at the end of the planting season! The pot of "Mondieu" had been outdoors but the other had been in the shade house.
Here are a few pics I took this morning:
The first flower for 2007 on Narc.cantab.clusii,
Narc. "Atlas Gold"
and a badly composed shot of N. "Sporoit" (another GBF hoop) with Lachenalia aloides in bud.
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

'Atlas Gold' looks rather impressive.  Nice strong shade of yellow, stronger than those petunioides types usually are (or at least than I have seen anyway).  Excellent!