September 2012 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Folks,

A couple of sweeties out in the early spring here:

Paeonia mascula ssp russoi - a Jim Archibald number - and I promise I will apply myself to making a contribution to the Archibald Archive very soon. He was a great bloke and sorely missed.
Daphne collina x petraea - Is this the one you have Paul? Originally from Ken Gillanders who would have imported it from Fritz Kummert.

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Folks,

A few frits on a cold and gloomy spring day

Fritillaria orientalis - a good grower from Rannweg and Bob Wallis
Fritillaria af. kotschyana - another good'un
Fritillaria affinis - yellowish form from Ron Ratko seed
Fritillaria - a miffy sort of plant - flowers on the ground - not cold enough here to boot it into action.

Cheers, Marcus

[Mini bulb lover]

There have been some beautiful flowers posted in this thread. I'd love to have them all.

Below is Narcissus Baby Moon. To me it looks like a child's drawing of a daffodil brought to life. Such a bold yellow.

[Maren]

I think it's time for a new camera. The present little Panasonic Lumix has done since Christmas 2005 but is now showing a bluish caste to everything...

Hello Lesley, funny this blue tinge. I recently acquired that too with my camera (Canon Ixus 95). when I played around a bit I found a shooting mode (Underwater ) which gave a nice rosy glow. Maybe it's getting tired. - Pity, I like this camera. It's been with me on many a rainforest floor, shooting orchids.

[Hillview croconut]

There have been some beautiful flowers posted in this thread. I'd love to have them all.

Below is Narcissus Baby Moon. To me it looks like a child's drawing of a daffodil brought to life. Such a bold yellow.

What a wonder time of the year for flowering bulbs! And the iris, tulips and calochortus are yet to really arrive.

I love the perfectness and precision of daffodils - so exquisite in their dwarf forms.

Lesley I have the same camera as you and while I find it a very servicable unit I do think it has a couple of drawbacks. And one is confering a blue tinge to black. Have a look at the hellebore flower posted below. This is almost mat black with red tones if light is shone through it. One would definitely be forgiven for thinking it was blue/black.

I also don't think it handles yellows that well. The other picture of the Farrer Medal winning Iris suaveolens fails to convey the primrose tints in the flower and renders them rather cold and "washed out". Ditto the picture of Iris attica.

Cheers, Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

Hello Lesley, funny this blue tinge. I recently acquired that too with my camera (Canon Ixus 95). when I played around a bit I found a shooting mode (Underwater ) which gave a nice rosy glow. Maybe it's getting tired. - Pity, I like this camera. It's been with me on many a rainforest floor, shooting orchids.

I am thinking of getting a duty-free one since I'll be going overseas but haven't decided what. I need to go into the stores and have a poke around. Trouble is, when I DO visit such places, the sales guys always seem to know that I haven't a clue with electronic stuff and either shove the most expensive under my nose or are so patronising I want to walk away.

Adding to your note above Marcus, mine doesn't do reds well either, they're pinkish and less rich than they should be. I see at the NZAGS Study Weekend at the beginning of next Feb, Harry Jans is doing a photography workshop. I'll be a starter for that.  And again, my F. aurea is about the same height as yours, i.e. sitting on the ground. Can't remember where the seed came from but it does vary enormously in height. Some seedlings from Pilous seed are about 15cms in height - and fertile.

[fermi de Sousa]

Tulipa saxatilis is starting to bloom in the rock garden


Tulipa hageri - hopefully the true species this time!






Narcissus 'Golden Echo'


cheers
fermi

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Fermi,

You seem to be a little ahead of me on the tulip front - I will get up to my mountain beds today and take the camera.

Lesley - I find that Fritillaria aurea will elongate its stem once the flowers are pollinated and the seedhead starts to form. Its a slow species but rewarding - ditto tubiformis which I grew from Otto's stock for years but has slowly dwindled.

Flowers coming thick and fast daily:

Iris suaveolens purple form - beautiful counterpart to the yellow one posted earlier
Fritillaria affinis yellow - superb form
Anemone pavonina x coronaria - originally from Highdown - a weed here


Cheers, Marcus

[Lesley Cox]

Well that would explain my F. aurea as although I get 3 or 4 flowers on my little raised bed clump, they are never out at the same time to cross pollinate. They're from FGAGS seed and have never set any seed. On the other hand, I did get seed last year from the Pilous collection plants, crossing two in flower at once. One was pure yellow with no chequering and the other finely veined with red.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Folks,

Following on Fermi's tulip theme. I am posting the following:

Tulipa Flaming Purissima
Tulipa x vvedenskyi Opus One -- One of Janis' creations and a lovely thing too
Tulipa x greigi (with vvedenskyi?) Goldmine - another from the great man
Tulipa humilis Lilliput - cute little form
Tulipa humilis violacea yellow base

Cheers, Marcus

[Mini-daffs]

Hi
Some photos of the potted plants from the recent Canberra Show. They belong to Paul.
Regards
Graham

[Maggi Young]

Aye, aye, he was keeping that quiet! Thanks for letting us know, Graham!
Didn't he do well?

[David Nicholson]

Well done Paul.

[Hillview croconut]

Well done Paul. Fabulous pots!

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

A few more from Hill View:

Erythronium tuolumense
Crocus x tomm Ruby Giant
Scilla siberica

Cheers, Marcus