Summer in the Southern Hemisphere

[Hoy]

Lesley, your laxiflorus is lovely.
I can see I really need to have a go at making some troughs.
Bought a bag of cement 2 years ago and it is still sitting in the garage.

Helen, hope your garage is dry or you will have nice addition to your rock garden

BTW, Lathyrus nervosus has not survived outdoors here, I have tried twice. But I have plenty vernus if you need more seed.

[maggiepie]

Bought a bag of cement 2 years ago and it is still sitting in the garage.

Helen, hope your garage is dry or you will have nice addition to your rock garden

BTW, Lathyrus nervosus has not survived outdoors here, I have tried twice. But I have plenty vernus if you need more seed.

Eeeeek, Trond!!
The garage is dry but anything in there freezes. ( was -18C in there this morning)
Oh dear.
Thanks for the vernus offer, will let you know if my seedlings didn't make it.

[fermi de Sousa]

Doesn't feel particularly summery at present but we'll enjoy the respite while it lasts!
Already posted some pics of this but worth repeating,
Lycoris incarnata




And the first of the "autumn" snowflakes, Acis autumnalis


cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

The Acis is in flower here too along with Cyc. purpurascens (from Ashley A's seed) and a first colchicum. My yellow screen really MUST be replaced. The colour makes for horribly (or beautifully) misleading images. I Googled Salvia pomifera to see it's wonderful bracts as a rich terra cotta colour, and the reticulate irises in that thread are all magnificent shades of brown, tan and orangey-red.

[fermi de Sousa]

The dark form of Amaryllis belladonna (possibly a hybrid with Brunsvigia or Cybistetes) is now in bloom, only 4 spikes so far


And Lycoris sprengeri has shot up an early spike with more to follow

cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

I'm not sure that it's summer any longer. We've had a miserable one overall with very few really hot days and a lot of mist, drizzle and general nastiness though still very dry. Today however we are having a real downpour at last, here in the south. The North Island has had a lot more rain.

Great excitement here on Tuesday and yesterday as our local power company came to chop down the trees under our roadside power lines. They've been doing it along many roads, some people less happy about it than others. But all our trees were seedling eucalypts, Leyland cypress and Cupressus macrocarpa, a couple of feet  high when we arrived but now up and through the lines so they had to go. We should have removed them years ago but with like much else here, procrastination is the order of the day.

The good thing about this removal is that the power co, Delta, cuts at their own expense the first time round. If they grow up again we will have to pay for it. Many people have had their trees trimmed to lower the height or keep branches off the roads but we have opted for cutting right down to ground level and will treat the remaining stumps to have them die gradually. My only slight regret was a 15 metre Azara which was ugly and untidy but had the wonderful vanilla scent for a week each spring. I went to get some cuttings but found instead, heaps of seed so will try that.

Big logs are stacked for future firewood and all the smaller stuff and rubbish went through a montrous mulching machine, leaving us with approx 20 cubic metres of chips. This they would take away if asked but we asked to keep it and I'll use it on my nusery and other paths as my current clean-up continues.

So I'm left with a border about 4-5 metres wide and 70 metres long. I don't know what Roger's plans might be but mine include lots of rhododendrons, maples and other small trees that will stay well below the lines and then a mass of trilliums, snowdrops (yes John) erythroniums and all kinds of other things that will enjoy the conditions which are quite acid and the soil is very loose and crumbly. There is no shade of course. The trees themselves gave me shade in my nursery area and I'll have to put shade cloth over the beds now but I can apply shade where ncessary. I can see (in my mind) mats of epigaea, Vaccinium praestans, Cornus canadensis, Polygonum affine 'Donald Lowndes' and many other things. Maybe I'm suffering from delusions of grandeur but this is the first time I have actually had planting space for all the cool soil plants I love so much. It will make its own shade in time with the maples etc.

Below, some pictures of the destruction.

Pictures are not coming up so I'll try them again.

[Lesley Cox]

Still trying.

[fermi de Sousa]

So I'm left with a border about 4-5 metres wide and 70 metres long. I don't know what Roger's plans might be

more parking space?
 
Hopefully you can fill in the space first!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

So I'm left with a border about 4-5 metres wide and 70 metres long. I don't know what Roger's plans might be

more parking space?
 

Not a chance. He had to move a small red truck and that is now on what is laughingly called the front lawn (long grass). He also muttered the words "my golf course." I have the soap and water ready to wash out his mouth next time he opens it.

The scent of the chippings is incredible, especially today when it is raining steadily. Even as far up the road as the letter box (200 metres), the whole atmosphere smells of cut conifer. I like it but I'm not sure whether the neighbours do.