February 2011 - Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Likely lads, all of them.

[fermi de Sousa]

Campanula isophylla, I only have the white version but Fermi frequently beguiles me with suggestions that he has the blue tucked away up at Redesdale.

Marcus
Sorry that I still haven't managed to propagate this one for you!
Here's another beguiling pic of Campanula isophylla "Blue form" (it has a commercial name but I've forgotten it!)


Maggi
- definitely!
cheers
fermi

[Hillview croconut]

Ahhh, Fermi I know you are trying to torture me! Dangling that thing just in from of me but so so out of reach.
If it has a commercial name then where do you think it would be? Do you have the white established now? Heavens knows where that originated I got it out of my Mum's garden.

Cheers, Marcus

[Paul T]

Marcusi,

I think I too have a white isophylla, and a blue that I bought as "Blue Pearl" (or something like that, I'd need to check the name) but without the species name.  Lovely, tight, low Campanulas with large upward facing flowers.  The only reason I am guessing my blue is isophylla is that is looks so much like my white one.  Does that about sound right?  I can photograph for you if you'd like, as the blue is in flower right now?

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, you need to get out of the Southern Hemisphere pages into the rest of the Forum a bit more     ... Wim has been around nearly a year.... see these for instance ...
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5164.0
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6562.0

Thanks Maggi, you're right, I must have a look more often what's going on in the rest of the world.

[fermi de Sousa]

Some other things in flower now,
Zephyranthes flavissima, I took Alberto C's advice and give it a lot more water


Clematis "Golden Tiara" still has a few bloom sbut is mostly fluffy seed - does anyone know whether this will be viable?


Emerging near the Habranthus tubispathus are the first spikes of Lycoris incarnata, the fist of the lycoris for the season


cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks Maggi, you're right, I must have a look more often what's going on in the rest of the world.

Bill,
I can understand why you don't though with all the great stuff you are already growing!
That Cyrtanthus is so reminescent of a species fuchsia!
lovely stuff!
cheers
fermi

[t00lie]

I found a rare southern visitor in my garden today.... seemed to be gathering with others of his kind.... wonder if I should be posting this in the Wildlife thread  
.......

I have a suspicion Mr Newall is in trousers Maggi --if so it must be damn cold .........

Cheers Dave.

[TheOnionMan]

Some other things in flower now,
Zephyranthes flavissima, I took Alberto C's advice and give it a lot more water

Clematis "Golden Tiara" still has a few bloom sbut is mostly fluffy seed - does anyone know whether this will be viable?

Emerging near the Habranthus tubispathus are the first spikes of Lycoris incarnata, the fist of the lycoris for the season

fermi

Fermi, the Habranthus look most sprightly coming up through the low artemisia plants (that is artemisia isn't it?).  Love the Clematis too.
-15 C here right now, so it's nice seeing some warm colors.

[ranunculus]

I found a rare southern visitor in my garden today.... seemed to be gathering with others of his kind.... wonder if I should be posting this in the Wildlife thread  
.......

I have a suspicion Mr Newall is in trousers Maggi --if so it must be damn cold .........

Cheers Dave.

Is he going soft in his old age, Dave?      ... And is that TEA in his hand?  It can't be the same bloke!

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi, the Habranthus look most sprightly coming up through the low artemisia plants (that is artemisia isn't it?).  Love the Clematis too.
-15 C here right now, so it's nice seeing some warm colors.

Hi Mark,
yes, that is an artemesia - it is sold here as A. schmidtiana "Nana" but isn't herbaceous so it's another mis-named plant! I think it is possibly A. pedemontana but not sure. I use it a lot in the Rock garden but it needs to be sheared once it flowers as they add nothing to its appearance.
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Re the clematis seed, it may depend on which species it is, (given a cultivar name). I have C. (what was) orientalis L&S 13342, and though the seed looks fat and fertile, it has never self-sown and nor has any germinated that I've sown in a pot. On the other hand C. akebioides is so fertile and viable, one'sproperty can be swamped in no time flat. It is a menace becasue it's impossible to collect up all the seed before it flies away, or at all. in fact.

[TheOnionMan]

It's absolutely beautiful Lesley, just look at those thick lemon-peel petals. 

[Lesley Cox]

Clematis orientalis L&S 13342 (I think it is in C.vernayi now) is a choice plant though it is vigorous and needs a hard cut back at least every second year. But C. akebioides seeds everywhere and will cover anyone's motorbike if he is silly enough to leave it out of the shed for a while.

Then there's C. tangutica which I don't have nowadays and it used to have very fertile seed but I never found self-sowings around the garden.

Golly Mark, that was quick!

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Paul,

I've never seen the blue form "in the flesh". I am led to believe that the one in Australia has more hairy leaves but I can't vouche for this.

Seeing Lesley has showcased a few clematis.

I will offer my two forms of C. viticella, the first is a selected one and the second taken as a little seedling from Otto Fauser's garden at Olinda. The other two pics are Cyclamen purpurascens and C. hederifolium "Stargazer respectively.

Cheers, Marcus