March 2012 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

In Australia it's "officially" the start of autumn - and it certainly isn't feeling like summer anymore!
Over 4 inches (> 100mm) of rain in the last few days and temperatures down into the teens (^oC)!
Here are some "autumn" flowers already:
Colchicum cilicium


Colchicum ?atropurpureum


Rhodophiala bifida


Crossyne flava



cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Another "mystery" colchicum which came from a Seedex as C. sibthorpii but I was told it isn't:


Cyclamen graecum


cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Autumn here too Fermi judging from the temps. 13 supposed to be the high today and snow yesterday on the mountains around Tekapo! A good thick coat too.

[Hoy]

In Australia it's "officially" the start of autumn - and it certainly isn't feeling like summer anymore!
Over 4 inches (> 100mm) of rain in the last few days and temperatures down into the teens (^oC)!
Here are some "autumn" flowers already:

cheers
fermi

Do you call that weather autumn? Here we call it summer!
Nice flowers anyway - even the mystery one.

[arillady]

Sure hope all in the eastern states survive the floods and rain. We had 38mls - a lot more civilized and cooler days - good for working in the garden.
No colchicums flowering here yet. A few Habranthus flowering and Calostemmas are now seed capsules. the Urgineas have been amazing this year - still to download the photos - continuing for ages. Started with some up the hill and then others started and then more started. So pleased to have them in the garden. The bees and butterflies appreciate them as much as I do.

[Maggi Young]

Have heard about the flood warnings and evacuatuions in NSW on the news .... sounds bad.... hope it improves soon.
The tornadoes in America are causing terrible loss of life as well as the damage to buildings..... too much extreme weather in too many places.......

[David Nicholson]

My brother flew out of Heathrow yesterday and, after a couple of days in Hong Kong, will then fly on to New South Wales!

[Lesley Cox]

Hope he took his swimming togs David.

I have what I believe is Colchicum byzantinum out already, though there's no sign of it in the patch in the guy's paddock from whence it came (with his permission) and Cyc hederifolium and cilicium are well on the way and C. purpurascens. Otherwise, mostly Acis autumnale and buds on Nerines.

[Anthony Darby]

Lucy has joined Auckland Girls Choir, so I take her down for 4 p.m. Rather than come home, I take a book and find somewhere to read. The rehearsal is in St Luke's Presbyterian Church in Remuera Road and finishes at 6 p.m. I decided to find a high vantage point and check out the views. Just across the road is Mt Hobson, one of Auckland's extinct volcanoes so, as there didn't seem to be any other choice, I walked up it. Rough pasture with olive trees, oaks and pohutukawas, but there are some bulbs planted on the lower, more manicured areas. The Amaryllis belladonna looked like a self-seeded clump, as there was a singleton nearby.

[arillady]

Good to see that sign Anthony. Not sure if I would be sitting on the side of any sort of volcano - especially in NZ.

[daveyp1970]

Anthony can i ask are the dark stems usual for this plant, they are really striking ?

[Anthony Darby]

Good to see that sign Anthony. Not sure if I would be sitting on the side of any sort of volcano - especially in NZ.

Seeing as at least 30% of the New Zealand population live in Auckland, which boast at least 50 volcanic cones, lakes, lagoons, islands and depressions, I'm not particularly worried. Many of them have been used at land fill sites. The one at the top of our road even has its own gas power station attached!

Anthony can I ask are the dark stems usual for this plant, they are really striking ?

Not sure. I seem to remember this is one thing that attracted me to this plant in the past.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Everyone,

I believe it is fellow (recently immortalized) forumist from Downunder's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OTTO FAUSER!  X

Cheers, Marcus

[Paul T]

Happy Birthday Otto!!

All the very best. 

[Otto Fauser]

 apart from masses of Crocus banaticus and nudiflorus these are some of the first autumn bulbs to flower in my garden today - also in a shady ,cool spot the the very slowgrowing Tasmanian cool rainforrest endemic  Prionotes cerinthoides .