June 2011 in the Northern Hemisphere

[daveyp1970]

The Fuchsia is one of ours yet only a handful of people round the country seem to grow it, if even that many. I've never seen it myself.

When the National Fuchsia society of New Zealand say that it's "not an attractive plant" I guess that it hasn't too much of a chance of becoming popular!
I love it though - partly because it's unusual, and because it is the classic Fuchsia shape (in my opinion).

For those who would like to find out more about the native Fuchsia of New Zealand, the link below is to the relevant page at the National Fuchsia society of New Zealand.

http://nfsnz.orconhosting.net.nz/nzspecies.htm

I feel another trip to the Oratia Nursery coming on!

Will you be growing natives Anthony,do you have hard winters there? and if not will you be growing more exotics?,Paphiopedilum insigne outside,what a thought.Sorry all the questions.

[Pascal B]

Tricyrtis macropoda, remarkably early flowering but very pretty

[Anthony Darby]

I feel another trip to the Oratia Nursery coming on!

Will you be growing natives Anthony,do you have hard winters there? and if not will you be growing more exotics?,Paphiopedilum insigne outside,what a thought.Sorry all the questions.

I'll be growing some of each, but the situation is limited here due to the nature of the garden. Winter beginning to bite. Really cold this morning with 15^oC. Brrrrrr! I have Epidendron ibaguense flowering in the garden. Isn't it tropical? Judging by the enormous clumps in a garden along Botany Road, it is quite easy round here, but then this plant is growing up a puriri tree at the entrance of my daughter's school grounds, so I'm not expecting much frost.

[daveyp1970]

    OMG(I hope you don't mind the text talk)Incredible.

[Anthony Darby]

Neat isn't it? They grow bananas in the school grounds too, although I haven't a scooby as to what the one with brewer's droop is?

[daveyp1970]

Anthony i am soooooooo jealous,they are incredible and that bottlebrush is huge(i hope its a bottlebrush)please keep posting pics of these incredible plants.Are cymbidiums grown outside there.

[Paul T]

Anthony,

By brewer's droop, are you meaning the one to the top right of the pic with the weeping stems and red flowers?  If so, it is a Callistemon by the look of it (known as a Bottlebrush, as Davey said), but if you're referring to something else in the photo then point out which and we'll see what we can come up with.  

Davey,

Some of the Callistemon can get up to 4 or 5 metres, depending which species or varieties we're talking about.  There are some absolute beauties.

[johnw]

And yet another Nomocharis flower today.

johnw

[johnw]

With all the cool weather of the last 8 weeks the Rhodohypoxis are far behind.  Only this one pink type has starting flowering. The others are just about to emerge.  Barely getting into the upper teens since April with many days at 10-12c.  The weather has been abysmal.

johnw

[cohan]

Just beginning to flower after many weeks in bud! This little thing will not be giving any competition to its big weedy cousins... hoping for fully open flowers, and more of them--maybe if we ever get a sunny dry day possibility of sun mixed with clouds tues and wed.. pouring again now...
Taraxacum faeroense (rubifolium)

Plus some seedlings of Tiarella cordifolia.. just because the photos are in the same folder... 

[ruweiss]

Rudi,

Beautiful flowers. A question for you re Lilium martagon cattaniae: I have a lily in flower in the garden, label lost, which is exactly this colour. Has your plant noticeably thick, fleshy petals? The name rings a bell and it coincides with a season of sowing martagon lily seed - there are several martagon lilies together in this part of the garden.

Paddy
 

Paddy,I am quite sure, that you have the same plant.

[Lori S.]

While raining yesterday at last some time to resize pictures.
And just now it starts again, so I can share some here.
Here are a few perennials

Anemone canadensis 1
   Nice but always trying to take over the whole place                                                                                                   

Yes, it is beautiful in bloom but horribly invasive!  The very fine lateral runners make it very hard to eradicate or control.  Best to see it in nature!

[Lesley Cox]

Anthony's really suffering now that the Auckland temperatures are going down to about 15C in the daytime though I believe it was about 20C yesterday. And still 2 days off the shortest day. How will he bear it?

Albany, on the outskirts has been known to have -4C but generally, almost no frost in most of Auckland. Tauranga where Bill Dijk lives is also very mild and my sister certainly does have Cymbidiums in the garden, under the grapefruit and avocados.

[Anthony Darby]

Anthony,

By brewer's droop, are you meaning the one to the top right of the pic with the weeping stems and red flowers?  If so, it is a Callistemon by the look of it (known as a Bottlebrush, as Davey said), but if you're referring to something else in the photo then point out which and we'll see what we can come up with.  

Davey,

Some of the Callistemon can get up to 4 or 5 metres, depending which species or varieties we're talking about.  There are some absolute beauties.

It's the big bananary drooping thingy in the middle Paul. We have bottle brush bushes coming out of our ears here.

[angie]

Anthony's really suffering now that the Auckland temperatures are going down to about 15C in the daytime though I believe it was about 20C yesterday. And still 2 days off the shortest day. How will he bear it?

Anthony great pictures. I was in Fife yesterday getting some new equipment for my pond and buying a nice Koi. It was pouring of rain, 12c and miserable. Is it summer yet    When I got home the rain had stopped and I put my new fish in his new home. I kept thinking what a home I could give my Koi if I lived in a warmer place not only for them but for me as well, l could sit by the pond with a cool drink and enjoy them  saying this it's sunny now so I better get outside and enjoy my view of my new fish.
My bottle brush died this winter, should have put it in the polytunnel but have had it outside for the last ten years.

Angie