Hello from Australia

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

My name is Paul and I live in Canberra, the capital of Australia.  I'm an active forum member of the SRGC and have been waiting for this forum to open to everyone.  I'm not a member of NARGS.... yet!  

I grow very few "Rock Garden" plants, in what I think is the true meaning of the sense, and do not have a rock garden per se.  I grow an eclectic collection of plants, predominantly in pots, from all over the world including Aroids, Crocus, Cyclamen, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Galanthus, Irises, Trilliums (to name but a few) and just about anything else that doesn't move!!  Lots of things that "shouldn't" be growable here as well.

I look forward to learning lots more about many of the North American genera that I grow, and am already enjoying some of the wonderful postings on things like Jeffersonia, Trillium, Epimedium, etc.  Some positively brilliant stuff.  I'll try not to be too active though, as I realise that many of the things I grow and show pics of on the SRGC would probably be out of scope for this site?

Anyway, thanks for opening up the site to non-members.  

Thanks all.

[McDonough]

Hello Paul, let me be the first to welcome you to the NARGS Forum!  What a difference a year makes

I wouldn't worry too much about showing plants "out of scope of this site", I well remember your fascinating series on SRGC showing a huge range of amazing Australian native plants; most will not be hardy in much of North America, but there are some US climates that can and do favor such plants; and even for us more northerly growers, we can dream can't we?  A few years ago when I visited San Francisco, California, and the Strybing Arboretum, I saw many exciting Australian plants flourishing.

Glad you decided to come aboard

Mark (just 'Mark' over here on this side of the pond, not McMark )

[Paul T]

Thanks Mark.

Yes, I'd noted the Mark rather than McMark, and I think had already used Mark in the Epimedium thread.  Much better to differentiate you with the McMark over there though. 

Not working at the Botanic Gardens here anymore, I don't get the chance to photograph the natives there much any more.  I'll need to wait until I visit there again before I post pics, unless you'd like me to post some of the previous pics I posted in the SRGC?

Thanks again for the welcome.

[McDonough]

Not working at the Botanic Gardens here anymore, I don't get the chance to photograph the natives there much any more.  I'll need to wait until I visit there again before I post pics, unless you'd like me to post some of the previous pics I posted in the SRGC?

Paul, that was such a large body of work, it is probably fine to just post a link to the SRGC thread at some point, no need to recreate such an expanse of work.  But we certainly look forward to posts about any and all plants you grow; now that you are in a growing season, whereas we are buried here under a couple meters of snow.  One of the really fun things about these forums with global reach, is hearing from our southern hemisphere friends, seeing what's going on in their gardens while our gardens are frozen.

[Paul T]

Mark,

Here at the moment it is Dahlias, Cannas, Liliums, Amaryllis belladonna, Neomarica caerules, some hardy Hibiscus species, Acis autumnalis and just a few other things.  Not sure where I'd even be putting them in these forums...... I still have to learn how to navigate around (for example, I've yet to find Erythronium and Fritillaria areas as I can't seem to find a Lilaceae category, although I can find so many other families?).  The current heatwave we're having, after such a cool and wet spring/early summer, will stimulate a lot of things to flower once we get a decent cooling with some rain.

[McDonough]

Mark,

Here at the moment it is Dahlias, Cannas, Liliums, Amaryllis belladonna, Neomarica caerules, some hardy Hibiscus species, Acis autumnalis and just a few other things.  Not sure where I'd even be putting them in these forums...... I still have to learn how to navigate around (for example, I've yet to find Erythronium and Fritillaria areas as I can't seem to find a Lilaceae category, although I can find so many other families?).  The current heatwave we're having, after such a cool and wet spring/early summer, will stimulate a lot of things to flower once we get a decent cooling with some rain.

I felt the same way when first cruising around SRGC, not sure where to put things or where to start certain topics, sometimes I would PM Maggi and ask her advice.  Take a look at the structure of "boards" (main topics) and I think you'll get the hang of it.  For most genera you mention, go to the Bulbs board, then see if there are any existing topics that meet your needs for plants you'd like to post about, if not, start a new topic under that category.  So, if you wanted to start something like a "Fritillaria 2011" topic in the Bulbs board, feel free... and when our Northern Hemisphere season wakes up from winter, we can add to it.  Something like hardy Hibiscus (one of my personal favorites, a genus I have hybridized), could be started under the "The NARGS Forum > Plants and Gardens > General Forum" area.  Ask for my opinion if unsure where to start a topic, I'm happy to help, as are the other NARGS Moderators.

[Paul T]

Thanks Mark.

Frits are well below ground here at present, so I won't start a topic.  I just figured there was one already out there that I was missing.  I thought that those and Erythroniums would be something that was grown quite widely, but also I guess not really "rock garden" material either.    So have you posted your hardy hibiscus hybridisation anywhere?

[RickR]

It's great to have you here, Paul.  You can always use the search function to find where or if fritillaries (for example) have been discussed before.  As Mark says, everyone should feel free to begin a new subject (topic) if they like.

[McDonough]

So have you posted your hardy hibiscus hybridisation anywhere?

No I haven't yet; it is a topic that interests me, and it's an area that I have "futzed" around with.  They are very easy to work with (big flower parts) and I like nothing better than the huge crepe-paper-textured disk flowers starting with the heat of August.  I have also hybridized Hibiscus syriacus, commonly known as Rose of Sharon here in the USA (a text book example of ambiguity in common names), but that name refers to Hypericum in the UK!  I'll earmark starting a topic on hardy hibiscus this summer.