Flowering now August 2007

[Maggi Young]

must be a way round this snag, Paddy. i'll message you privately.

[ian mcenery]

Paddy Pam (my better half) bought this Hydrangea a couple of years ago in Cornwall from a garden full of new and exotic plants. We lost the label but it bears an uncanny resemblance to your Lady in Red. I don't know the name because  Pam bought it because she liked it and that's good enough for her and I didn't pay atttention and the label is lost.

The plant shown here is darker in reality than the piccy shows

[Paddy Tobin]

Ian,

That certainly bears a strong resemblance to it. I have spent several hours searching the web but have failed to source a plant - even from 'Hydrangea Haven, Loder Plants' which stocks around 300 cultivars.

However, I saw it growing in a garden some weeks ago and was told it was bought somewhere in County Kerry so tomorrow, with yellow pages in hand, I'm going to get on the telephone.

If that fails I will be back to pester someone to source and post it to me. (OK Maggi?)

Paddy

[Gerdk]

to Maggi:
unfortunately I did not make records for the first flowers during the last years, but I agree - it must be the rain and the cold spell we had which forced the Sternbergia to flower (not only these are too early here).

to Paddy:
Sternbergias are not difficult here when you give them the hottest spot in the garden (best sloping south and good draining soil with the addition of lime).
Please forgive me if you already know this and your climate causes the lack of flowers (Solingen has an annual rainfall of around 1000 mm).

Gerd Knoche, Solingen
Germany

[Brian Ellis]

Here are the first flowers on Eucomis autumnalis subsp. autumnalis 'Peace Candles' and for something completely different Amicia zygomeris and it's wonderful burgundy stipules, the flowers when they come are yellow and of the pea family.  I think this is a native of Mexico.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Two plants in pots from this weekend.
1. Gentian saxosa
2. Drosanthemum hispida

[Anthony Darby]

The pixies delivered some allium bulbs in an aspirin box the other day. Thank you pixies. My memory is so bad I should really write things down and then I'd know who the pixies were (was?), but I keep forgetting to.

[John Forrest]

I have grown Crocosmia Lucifer for many years in a herbaceous border. It frequently seeds around, often into the rock garden (I often find it surprising how far the seedlings are from parents, when there is no obvious dispersal mechanism) and the offspring are always virtually identical to the parent. I have just found a couple of hybrids wnhich are quite different. I can only assume that Lucifer must have crossed with C. Emily McKenzie, which has died out in the bed.

The yellowish one is not particularly inspiring but the red has very large flowers and attractive yellow 'naughty bits'.

1) From left to right Lucifer, Red hybrid, Yellow/Orange hybrid
2) C. Lucifer
3) C Red Hybrid

[Maggi Young]

Your home-made Crocosmia is a beauty, John.  Love that dark shading  in the throat, too.

[ChrisB]

Very nice crocosmia John.  Suggest you contact David Fenwick, National Collection Holder for crocosmia to find out if its unusual enough to warrant special attention.  His web site is www.theafricangarden.com  He has bulbs for sale at this time of year too

[johanneshoeller]

Some autumn flowering Gentiana. Three seedings and an ordinary sino ornata

[annew]

A pink gentian!

[Maggi Young]

A VERY pink gentian!  I take it that this is one of your seedlings, Hans? Has it flowered before? Do you think this colour will be stable?

[John Forrest]

Thanks for the interest Maggi & Chris. I had already looked at David's website and was surprised to see the huge variety of Crocosmias and many similar to mine. I will, however, contact him in case he is interested.

[johanneshoeller]

Maggi, yes that is a seedling and does flower every year. The colour is stabel,  I have looked at my older photos. Flowering time in 2006: September 25th.