October 2007 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Fermi, I don't think Phlox brittonii rosea is a form of P. subulata, but a different species altogether. P. brittonii, in fact.

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley, I don't know where I heard otherwise about that phlox!
Last Friday I stopped on the way home at Langley and got some pics along the roadside.
First, a local riceflower or Pimelea, possibly P. glauca.




Then a brilliant patch of pinkbells, Tetratheca ciliata,




Then a few feral freesias!


I'll post the sad glad to the South African Bulb thread!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

I assume the top two are natives Fermi? They're very nice. Is the Pimelea scented like ours?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Lesley,
yes they are a couple of Aussie natives but I didn't sniff the pimelea to see if it's scented.
Here's a pic of a raised bed with Aussie natives looking quite stunning with the matting Dampiera diversifolia in front, the Philotheca to right of centre and the Homoranthus at the back about to burst into flower and the yellow fringe flower just starting on the left.


Another flower spotted by the roadside was an "Early Nancy", a wurumbea species.


The Daphne alpina which came into flower in Autumn has flowered again, just 6 months later!


Flowering for the first time (and much too tall for the rock garden, but strangely not out of place!) is an Albuca we got as A. junceum or juncifolium, but it's possibly A. maxima from its appearance and Paul T's pic on PBSwiki! Are these really now Ornithogalums?




cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

There area  few different white Albucas Fermi, but not so many with as much green.  How tall does yours grow to?  I can't even recall A. maxima now, so it must have been a while since it flowered for me (or it is no longer alive!  )  Love that Wurmbea.  Must try to source some of those one of these years.  They are rather cute.

Sorry for not taking part here much in the last few days.  Found out over the weekend that I have a food allergy I didn't know about (I have others that I do know about, but never had a physical reaction like this before, just nose and sleep problems caused by the allergies) when my mouth got sore and my face puffed up etc.  Skin on my face still incredibly sensitive.  Only just starting to feel a bit more human again now.  Been reading the site regularly, but just haven't felt up to posting.  Sorry for deserting you all. 

[Maggi Young]

Much as I enjoy your garden photos, Fermi, (and I believe you have a really great garden) I am getting lots of fun from seeing your roadside wildflowers.... super!  Thank you!


Paul, so sorry to hear you are having this bother, all best wishes from Aberdeen for a speedy improvment.

[Paul T]

Thanks Maggi.  Was a bit of shock of wake up Monday morning feeling like I had really bad sunburn on my face, then when I went and looked in the mirror I found I had a swollen face and was barely recognisable.  I had to wake up poor Yvonne and get her to have a look and make sure i wasn't imagining it!    A 24 hour anti-allergy tablet helped it settle down a little, but now, 2 1/2 days later I still have a burning sensation on my cheeks and the skin around my eyes.  If it isn't better we're heading to a Doctor tomorrow, just to make sure.  As it is, we know the apple pie caused it, but we don't yet know which of the ingredients it was.

And all this unfortunately on top of a week where it appears my darn Chronic Fatigue looks like it is reasserting itself.  NOT fun.

So that is why I haven't had the oomph to post pics in a couple of weeks, and why I've been silent the last few days.  I'll stop telling you all my life history now!! 

[Maggi Young]

I guess it is at times like these when we should be grateful your avatar is of Eflinraer, Paul 
Sorry, no laughing matter, I know. So, it was the apple pie.... so, I suppose you won't be wanting the recipe for spicy apple packets that Ian has just prepared for this coming week's Beechgrove Potting Shed  radio programme on Sunday?  They ARE tasty!

[ranunculus]

Keep your chin up Paul...... (we can't see the bloating then)!
Take care buddy....your Forum needs you!

[ranunculus]

By the way Paul....did Yvonne think it was an improvement?

[Paul T]

Cliff,

Thanks for your undying support. (Not!!)    If you're not careful I'll post a pic of my puffy face!! 

Maggi,

I've always maintained that that Elf is far prettier than me, even at my best times.  So did you have to go and look up her name, or did you actually remember it from previous postings.  If so, well done.  Not a name you'd have come across before as I made it up when we got her.  Her shorter name of Elf definitely fits her, that is for sure.

to the allergy.... I normally no problems with apple pie, but this was from a different bakery to usual.  They probably have a different preservative in one of their ingredients, so we're still trying to track down exactly what is in them.  They're being really helpful with giving me information, but we have to wait until the next time they get a particular bagged pastry thickener in to find out exactly what is in it.  Then I probably have to start carefully testing things.  The other possibility is that I've developed an allergy to Cinnamon.  I guess we'll find out. <sigh>

So..... I'll happily take that recipe thank you!! 

Sorry to others that this had gone a bit (well OK, a LOT) off topic.

Flowering in my garden now (to be at least a bit on topic)..... assorted Wisterias, Dogwoods, Vibernums, Poppies, Stocks, Alpine Phlox, Aubretias, Cerinth major, last of the Camellias, Pleiones, Spiloxene, Narcissus bulbocodiums (late varieties), Leucocoryne, Tulbaghia comminsii, Azaleas of all types, Rhododendrons, first of the roses, Grevilleas, Irises, Dianthus, Bletilla striata, Clematis, Epimediums, Moraeas, Albucas, last few Magnolia flowers, Beaugainvillea, Pandorea pandorana, Leucothe, Calycantha, Anemone species, Ranunculus, Ixias, last of the Helleborus, Abutilons, Arenaria, Amorhophallus konjac (a first ever for me), Snapdragons, Corydalis, Dicentra, Tropaeolum tricolor, Trilliums, Salvias, Syringas, Clivias ...... and probably quite a few more things as well.  The above are all I can think of while I am sitting here at my computer mentally "walking through" my garden.  Garden is currently looking the best it ever has, thanks mainly to a big cleanup before I opened it for the Horticulture Society a month ago.  The cleanup and mulching have helped everything do well, particularly as we are so warm so early.  Forecasting nearly 30'C here over the weekend, which is extremely warm for this time of year.  Will push things over very quickly.

All the best everyone.

[ranunculus]

My list is CONSIDERABLY shorter Paul......Cyclamen, various!

Take care.

[Paul T]

Cliff,

Well it IS spring here!!    Added to teh list once I've thought about it a bit more.... Hesperus, Scilla peruviana, Serapias lingua (ground orchid), Prunus 'Cheales', Aponogeton (water plant), Pulmonarias, Fritillaria, Primulas, and of course Cyclamen (hadn't thought of those, thanks for the reminder Cliff!).  I'm sure that there are still more things I've forgotten, but I can think of worse things.  nice to have enough in flower to forget things easily!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hi Paul !

considering the state of your obviously newly sharpened pen, I guess you're feeling better than the past few days....

Keep it up mate 

[Lesley Cox]

Forgive a short plug here but Paul's problem highlights the benefits of shopping at a Farmers' Market. Ingredients are local, fresh and IDENTIFIABLE.

In NZ, all the phone books (produced by Telecom) have on their covers a local picture, from a painting by a local artist, often from the schools. A competition is run in each area. The winners are published in today's papers and our Dunedin book is to have a picture of the Dn railway staion building in background with Otago Farmers' Market in front, very bright and exciting. We're famous! I'll take a pic later when the new book is distributed.