September 2012 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Marcus,

I looooooooove that double picotee.  I need badly to own a piece. 

[fleurbleue]

So nice to look at all these spring flowers 

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Nicole,

It doesn't feel like spring. Currently we have gales, hail, slashing rain and well, generally rubbish weather - and it was 21 degrees on Monday .

Paul - I have to hold on to this baby for commercial reasons but I would consider a swap fro Trymlet .

Here is another lovely seedling - I think it derives from Basil Smith's stock (Lynett Farm?)

Cheers, Marcus

[fermi de Sousa]

Looks like you'll be rivalling Post Office farm anyday now!

A new flower in the Native Plants section: Isopogon "Pink Drumsticks"

And a couple of bulbs we got from Marcus a couple of years ago:
Muscari muscarimi

Bellevalia pycnantha

cheers
fermi

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Fermi,

I'm seriously thinking of giving it away - this current bout of weather has almost convinced me!!

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Few more hellebores:

Lovely picotee with cool green centre
Big lump of a blowsy double picotee
Interesting semi-double pink

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Few more - bit of a mixed bag. Battling gale force winds so the quality is not so good.

Fritillaria pinardii - a very attractive form from Gotenborg and I think Janis lists the same one.
Narcissus Hummingbird
Chionodoxa Blue Giant
Cyclamen libanoticum
Erythronium oregonum ssp leucandrum

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Folks,

I seem to be the only person posting - anyone out there?

Few more to start September:

Fritillaria crassifolia ssp kurdica Iran, Tabriz
Fritillaria crassifolia ssp kurdica
Fritillaria bithynica - lovely yellow form
Crocus kosaninii - last crocus to flower here


Regards, Marcus

[fleurbleue]

Certainly, don't stop posting pics Marcus ! 

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Folks,
 Its days like this one wished they lived somewhere else!

Was this bad grammar? I wondered if you were talking about neighbours!

We've started to house-hunt. 3 so far. One too far away, two, a lovely house not enough land, three, plenty land ghashly house and reeking of cigarettes. It may be some time yet.

I haven't been taking pics as our weather has been dreadful too, Pouring rain or very high winds - trees down yesterday - and snow forecast to 200m for tomorrow and Tuesday. We're at 300m BUT my C. kosanini is also out and I find it flowers in two years from seed, pretty good, and C. minimus 'Bavella' from you Marcus is a glory at present, About 20 out today in a tight and solid bunch. A super crocus.

[Tim Ingram]

That is a great looking hellebore. Was it a lucky chance or were you aiming for something like this? Not many of the picotees I have seen here are as good as that, although as you might imagine Sue and Robin White have some striking plants, and they gave me one similar which I am going to try and keep segregated and either self or cross with one as similar as I can find. Quite nice to see all these daffs too, just as we get the bulb catalogues here!

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for asking about my hellebore. My intention was to create a good double white picotee and hopefully an anemone-centred one. I started from Betty Ranicar, which is a Tasmanian grown plant (Double white) and crossed it with a single picotees (I have posted already posted a picture in September). This strain of picotees arose from crossing a clear pink with Betty Ranicar. Surprisingly this has been a consistent strain. So essentially the plant in question is a back-crossed Betty Ranicar offspring. On the way through I obtained the anemone-centred picotee also posted in September and a range of lovely clear double whites identical to Betty R. I have never turned up a pink.

I am particularly fond of the pink ripple one, which you may be refering to? I can't claim a hand in this. Second generation double arising from Basil Smith seed, from Lynett Farm I think?

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Lesley,

If Tassie is any thing to go by - there is more on the way. We have taken a pounding over most of the past week. This morning is mercifully calm. Can't face checking the nursery and the bulb beds.

The lilies are just starting to emerge and would have been particularly vulnerable.

Anyway - onwards and upwards! Who knows whats to come, cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Hi folks,

Nearly better so posts might slow. I am looking forward to what Paul brings forth from his weekend in Victoria

A few more from a wind-blown garden:

Muscari chalusicum - Harry Hay seed
Iris unguicularis Starkers Pink - great flowerer this season
Fritillaria davisii hybrid - from Lesley Crowden who has posted here
Chionodoxa forbesii Pink Giant - commercial clone but lovely en mass

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Few more not so good quality but too hard here to concentrate on quality.


First two of a controversial species (are there 3, or 2, or 1)

Chionodoxa albescens - poor picture - nearly white with a touch of pale lilac
Chionodoxa nana (or cretica) - collected as seed from Mt Gingolos opposite Samaria Gorge
Iris lutescens


Cheers, Marcus