July 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Anthony,

Its not that bad! I believe we have more sunlight hours than Melbourne ..... 

Although as I get older I think the winters are getting longer . Perhaps that's why I have a tendency to take off to Greece every other year in May.

We have a few really good growers of hellebores in Australia and they have laid down such a good foundation that doubles, picotees and anemone-centres, things that one only dreamed about a decade ago, are commonplace. The public are so spoilt for choice they now only want the very best and I frequently get detailed orders requesting certain shades and markings!

Cheers, Marcus

[jandals]

 


  giving a talk on Fiordland to the Outram garden Club.Probably be back in your area about 3.45--4 ish --- cuppa maybe ??




Read about your talk on page 17 of todays paper (ODT) under the heading "What's On"   . Will put the kettle on then

[Anthony Darby]

Hi Anthony,

Its not that bad! I believe we have more sunlight hours than Melbourne ..... 

Must be quite nice then?

[Hillview croconut]

Hi

Two rare yellow crocus out this morning.


The first is the unusual form of chrysanthus called Sunspot.

The second is called something else now I think but David Stephens tentatively name it Edwards Gold. Purportedly a sieberi ssp sieberi collected as seed on Mt Idi - No way

Cheers, Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

Good snow yesterday and more overnight. Just about every road in the lower South Island is closed and police are telling residents in Dunedin not to use hill suburb roads and streets unless they have 4WD and chains. Hospitals haved cancelled all elective surgery and day clinics etc etc.

I'm thoroughly stuck at home. Roger took his car out with the dogs yesterday afternoon and landed in a ditch! had to be pulled out by nearby farmer's tractor. He was in a Toyota Carib, said his VW beetle would have been ok.

These pics say it all. The first shows my little bay tree in a sandstone tub, Salvia microphylla and Lola. The pic of Salvia confertiflora is taken through the kitchen window where I like to have it growing as both bellbirds and tuis love it. They come right onto the windowsill.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Guys,

Looks like NZ is getting what we got a week or two ago!

Couple more spotty hellebores and a stripey iris.



Cheers, Marcus

[Anthony Darby]

Oh. I thought you were in New Zealand, Marcus? Cold here too. 8^oC when I took Lucy to hockey.

[Lesley Cox]

Marcus is in Hobart, Tasmania. Nice place.

[Ezeiza]

Marcus, do you grow your "stripey" iris with the rest fo your collection?

[Anthony Darby]

Marcus is in Hobart, Tasmania. Nice place.

That rings a bell. Land of the tiger.

[fermi de Sousa]

Not quite as cold as NZ or Tassie, here we had a few new flowerings for the season;
Iris "Harmony"




A crocus which came as "Sunkist" but which Hubi tells me is more likely a form of Crocus flavus,


Another one which is possibily C. garganicus


And a hoop-petticoat daffodil which is a strong and substancial one - more than the N. romieuxii anyway - and similar to some of Rod Barwick's range like "Smarple" of which it might be a seedling but flowering a bit earlier.


cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Very nice Fermi. Nothing 'Sunkist' about today, here.

[Rogan]

Widespread snow predicted over the southern and eastern regions of South Africa today and tomorrow - and I thought I could detect the first stirrings of spring in the air!   

[Hillview croconut]

Alberto - how did I know it would be you who asked this question .

Of course I don't - it has mosaic virus. I grows in a paddock on its own little lonesome but it is so pretty I can't resist picking its flowers.

I think Paul Tyerman put up a lovely pic of it some time ago on SIGNA?. Its called Blue Stripe and its sold here in Australia. Apart from the colour breaking in the flower its as vigorous as you like.

Cheers, Marcus

[Ezeiza]

Marcus - do you know virus can be found in pollen?