Flowering now in the Southern Hemisphere

Forums:

Spring has sprung here at the bottom of New Zealand.

Scoliopus bigelovii .In previous years I've caught a slight whiff of it's disagreeable scent however this year the smell was almost unbearable as i tried to get in close with the 60mm macro lens.

Iris reticulata Katharine Hodgkin .The colouring seems more vibrant this season .I wonder if this is because the trough was emptied about 3 months ago and new mix added .

Narcissus tazetta ssp patulus needs a warm sunny spot hence i grow it in a pot .This one has a pleasant scent.

Comments

Toole (not verified)

Continuing on with the

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 1:02am

Continuing on with the Trillium Weekend we then visited a couple of private gardens .

Toole (not verified)

Our final garden on the

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 2:41am

Our final garden on the Saturday afternoon was Maple Glen a stunning 25 acre private garden, nursery, aviary, woodland and wetland set in the rolling green countryside of Southland.

Maple Glen first part.

Toole (not verified)

Final part of Maple Glen

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 3:37am

Final part of Maple Glen

This first pic shows Doug in amongst the maples .He has posted different shots of the Weekend on the SRGC Forum.

Toole (not verified)

Oops --One last image from

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 3:47am

Oops --One last image from Maple Glen.

cohan (not verified)

All the gardens you show are

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 10:42am

All the gardens you show are lovely, but Maple Glen is very impressive! Especially nice to have the natural wet areas to work with...

I'm always curious about the mechanics of large gardens- do they have a raft of gardeners to deal with weeds, or is it not a weedy area, or am I just a wimp?..lol

Toole (not verified)

No " raft of gardeners'"

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 3:03pm

No " raft of gardeners'" Cohan. The owners with their son look after the garden all by themselves .

Here's their thoughts on weeds ."Our garden is never weed free but we strive to keep it reasonably tidy. Choosing "plants for places", that is, plants that like where they are planted and thrive helps enormously. Weeding then mostly becomes the job of keeping the competition in check while new plantings become established.".

The wet areas were mostly formed by Rob ,(the son), using his favorite toy a digger ,(excavator), to develop natural springs and water courses.

Cheers Dave.

cohan (not verified)

Thanks for the added detail-

Sat, 10/26/2013 - 6:51pm

Thanks for the added detail- always interesting to know!

I think weeding is more difficult here, based on the sound of that, or else they are just modest about their efforts..lol. I think part of my problem is being in an agricultural area, there are very aggressive agricultural weeds/forage crops etc very commonly around here, many that blow in (anything Asteraceae! Taraxacum, Sonchus, Cirsium, Senecio etc) and others probably track in on boots and shoes etc, others that got their foothold when this acreage was part of a wooded pasture and/or when we had a few calves and or goats etc on this acreage years ago, and have built up a seedbank in addition to existing populations (Plantago, Trifolium and other clovers, Ranunculus, Silene, Galeopsis, Cerastium, Stellaria,grasses..) plus many natives, which I don't consider real weeds,and encourage in many places, but which nonetheless seed, creep and sucker into my gardens in large numbers, including trees, and can't all be left in all places if I'm going to garden..

Toole (not verified)

I suspect you are correct

Wed, 10/30/2013 - 12:48am

I suspect you are correct Cohan as Maple Glen is surrounded by sheep farms so that there is a lot of 'clean' pastoral grass.

Continuing with the Trillium Weekend here's a few pics of Sundays gardens.

Firstly our garden.Admittedly a number were taken in the rain a day after the event ....

Toole (not verified)

Other gardens seen .

Wed, 10/30/2013 - 1:09am

Other gardens seen .

Toole (not verified)

Last two shots.Cheers Dave.

Wed, 10/30/2013 - 1:14am

Last two shots.

Cheers Dave.

Fermi de Sousa

Making a lovely display is

Mon, 11/04/2013 - 6:35pm

Making a lovely display is this double flowered Philadelphus - possibly 'Natchez'

and in the vegie garden this seedling appears to be a cross between a purple artichoke and a cardoon!

and in the rock garden an intermingling of a native Pimelea and hybrid Armeria

cheers

fermi

cohan (not verified)

Always amazing how adaptable

Thu, 11/07/2013 - 11:14am

Always amazing how adaptable some plants can be- that you and I can both grow Philadelphus and Armeria, for example!

I like that rock garden area- the rocks- in particular the long/tall ones- are unlike anything commonly seen here, and the vertical placement enhances that exoticness.

Fermi de Sousa

That arrangement of rocks was

Sun, 11/10/2013 - 11:47pm

That arrangement of rocks was by my partner and it's called "Phallacy"!

In the cooler front garden bed we have a couple of clematis which have grown into each other; the pale one is 'Hagley Hybrid' and the dark one is 'Gypsy Queen'

In a sunnier part, we had a standard rose 'The Pilgrim' on each side of a gate. When one died the understock took over and we now have a bower!

cheers

fermi

cohan (not verified)

Nice colour combination on

Tue, 11/19/2013 - 11:23am

Nice colour combination on the Clematis. The roses are nice too, especially the single, though the subtle colour on the other is very nice too. I'd just be happy to have any rose that's not pink..lol My mom/aunt planted several here years ago, and all are pink, plus the native acicularis grows all over the property- also pink...lol

cohan (not verified)

Your garden looks like it's

Thu, 10/31/2013 - 1:23pm

Your garden looks like it's in fully glory this time of year, very nice! I like the combination of hard/raised bed edges with a loos/wilder look inside the plantings.

We had our first snow the other day, and it is seeming like it may not go away, despite several warmer days, so I'm glad I ca still see colour and growth elsewhere!

Trond Hoy

Fabulous gardens and parks!

Fri, 11/01/2013 - 2:02pm

Fabulous gardens and parks! Although we have had a very nice autumn and a lot of plants still are flowering it is nothing like this!

Toole (not verified)

Thanks Trond and Cohan.

Fri, 11/01/2013 - 3:27pm

Thanks Trond and Cohan.

Parts of the garden are still a work in progress --I still need to reduce the number of bulbs especially ,in some of the front beds and plant a few smaller shrubs to hopefully provide more definition.

As an aside our local Alpine Garden Group were treated to a magnificent presentation from Cliff Booker ,(UK) last night .I understand Cliff in 2010 completed a NARGS Speaker Tour program of the Eastern Chapters.

Cliff and his wife Sue are just into a ten-venue lecture tour based at various locations through out the South Island.It was wonderful to see amongst others ,Anne and Joe Spiegel's stunning NY State garden on the big screen.

Cheers Dave.

Trond Hoy

You are lucky! Don't think I

Fri, 11/01/2013 - 3:47pm

You are lucky! Don't think I'll have the chance to hear neither Cliff nor any other of the forum here in Norway!

cohan (not verified)

Sounds like a fun event :)

Fri, 11/01/2013 - 11:37pm

Sounds like a fun event :) I guess Calgary (2.5hrs away) has some good events, but I've yet to be able to attend anything...lol

Margaret Young

Hoy wrote:

Sat, 11/02/2013 - 4:02am

[quote=Hoy]

You are lucky! Don't think I'll have the chance to hear neither Cliff nor any other of the forum here in Norway!

[/quote]

I wouldn't be so sure, Trond - Ian Young has spoken several times in Norway and others have too - I wouldn't be surprised if Cliff turned up sometime, either!

Usually all it takes is a group to issue an invitation. SRGC has done that for Cliff in the Spring in Scotland and in the past we invited Dave Toole over here too.

Cliff Booker

Just returned to the UK from

Wed, 11/27/2013 - 1:09pm

Just returned to the UK from our wonderful lecture tour of South Island, where we criss-crossed this magnificent country, stayed with some amazing people (Dave and Hilda included ... many thanks folks), visited some superb gardens and saw some incredible alpine species growing in truly spectacular settings.

A series of images of the Mount Cook lily; Ranunculus lyallii taken near the Homer Tunnel, South Island, New Zealand in November 2013.

Toole (not verified)

We enjoyed hosting you and

Wed, 11/27/2013 - 9:17pm

We enjoyed hosting you and Sue overnight Cliff earlier at the beginning of the month.Thought your presentation and pics were stunning and I'm so pleased you managed to 'bag' a few Ranunculus while over here.

I'm still yet to photograph R.crithmifolius flowering in the wild so you are one up on me Bud .

I'm sure you will enjoy Scotland next year ...The Scots are in for a treat..

Cheers Dave.

Fermi de Sousa

I hear you guys have already

Sat, 11/30/2013 - 9:18pm

I hear you guys have already teed up another speaker from OS for next year!

More flowers from our garden; firstly the delightful Zephyranthes primulina, grown from seed,

And my one and only Acantholimon hohenackeri which I bought as a seedling years ago from a friend who has a side-line in plants when he's not inspecting cooling towers,

cheers

fermi

Toole (not verified)

Fermi wrote:

Sun, 12/01/2013 - 12:02am

[quote=Fermi]

I hear you guys have already teed up another speaker from OS for next year!

[/quote]

There is a rumour going around Fermi ........

I grow the Zephyranthes however the Acantholimon hasn't a show in our cool garden.......

Here's an Iris currently in full bloom --Anyone have an idea of what species it is ? .Ta.

Close up.

Rhodohypoxis do well outside here all year round and they flower for such a long period if the moisture is kept up to them when in bloom.Here's a bowl with a mixture of colours and it looks like the bees have been busy as I noticed yesterday this lovely coloured form.

Gordon Tingley

Hello Dave,

Sun, 12/01/2013 - 11:05am

Hello Dave,

I think you might have a fine specimen of Iris bulleyana there. It is on my wish list, since it will hybridize with the Pacific Coast Iris (same chromosome count 2N = 40 the hybrids are known as Cal Sib iris). Check this link for comparison:

http://wiki.irises.org/bin/view/Spec/SpecBulleyana

Toole (not verified)

Tingley wrote:

Mon, 12/02/2013 - 9:43pm

[quote=Tingley]

Hello Dave,

http://wiki.irises.org/bin/view/Spec/SpecBulleyana

[/quote]

Thanks a lot Gordon.

It sets plenty of seed.Suggest PM if you are interested.

Cheers Dave.

stuartmurray@xt... (not verified)

Dave your Rhodohypoxis hybrid

Sun, 12/01/2013 - 1:10pm

Dave your Rhodohypoxis hybrid is similar to Rhodohypoxis 'Joan', named after that great Plantswoman Joan McLaughlan by her daughter Jenny.

Toole (not verified)

Senecio 2 wrote:

Mon, 12/02/2013 - 10:32pm

[quote=Senecio 2]

Dave your Rhodohypoxis hybrid is similar to Rhodohypoxis 'Joan', named after that great Plantswoman Joan McLaughlan by her daughter Jenny.

[/quote]

Hello Stuart

Does R .'Joan ' open with a bit of white and then fade as my chance seedling is still strong with the colouring I posted above.

Cheers Dave.

stuartmurray@xt... (not verified)

Hello dave

Tue, 12/03/2013 - 12:39am

Hello dave

It keeps its colour well. From memory Jenny circulated it as R."Bi-colour" before naming it Joan.

Toole (not verified)

Tetragonolobus purpureus

Sat, 12/07/2013 - 11:35pm

Tetragonolobus purpureus raised from seed about 10 weeks ago is already in bloom .There are about 20 seedlings in the pot as I couldn't be bothered disturbing them upon germination......

The Australian Viola hederacea has put up a couple of flowers.

Fermi de Sousa

Dave,

Sun, 12/08/2013 - 4:41am

Dave,

That tetragonolobus looks very ornamental but did you get it for the vegie patch? We grew it years ago but never got into the flavor. Maybe we should try it again?

Trond,

how wonderful to be able to see these in the wild!

We've had hot weather followed by rain so the rain-lilies have started again! Here's Habranthus tubispathus in two different colors,

cheers

fermi

Fermi de Sousa

Our native Australian

Tue, 12/10/2013 - 7:45pm

Our native Australian Banksias can make impressive trees but the ones I really like are the prostrate ones like these two,

Banksia petiolaris

Banksia gardneri ssp hiemalis

cheers

fermi

Toole (not verified)

I like the prostrate or

Sat, 12/14/2013 - 4:50pm

I like the prostrate or smaller growing Banksia's as well Fermi.There is an Australian section at our local public park with some smaller species and other genera such as Boronia doing really well coping with our 1 metre rainfall pa and cool conditions ....The border forms an understory planted out at the base of a number of large Eucalyptus species which no doubts helps keep the area somewhat dry.

At home here in our shady spot Meconopsis paniculata is in bloom..A gift from Mr Newall a couple years ago I hope it sets fertile seed ......

Fermi de Sousa

Hi Dave,

Mon, 12/02/2013 - 3:48am

Hi Dave,

I like those rhodohypoxis - I'm still learning how to get them to persist in our garden - I think they need more water than I'd given them previously - I'm starting again with a potful from a friend in Kyneton. And that Iris bulleyana is lovely - but then I like all iris

This is a newly established Emu bush in one of our "almost xeric" raised beds, Eremophila calorhabdos, "Red Rod"

cheers

fermi

Toole (not verified)

Looks lovely Fermi.

Sat, 01/04/2014 - 2:53am

Looks lovely Fermi.

Richard T. Rodich

A nice reddish brown hue on

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 9:29am

A nice reddish brown hue on the L. duchartrei, Dave. I mostly have greenish types now. and still morn the loss of my best form (of course) that had unadulterated colors of green, milk chocolate and white.

You all down under are keeping us all "up over" well engaged through the winter. Thanks everyone!

Toole (not verified)

RickR wrote:

Thu, 01/09/2014 - 12:39pm

[quote=RickR]

You all down under are keeping us all "up over" well engaged through the winter. Thanks everyone!

[/quote]

Thanks Rick

I raised the L.duchartrei from seed and at it's first flowering I wondered because of the reddish hue whether it was L.Lankongense.........

Richard T. Rodich

The Lilium duchartrei looks

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 11:53am

The Lilium duchartrei looks true to me, also. According to Flora of China, duchartrei can have a redish tone, and there are some nice wild pics that bare it out.

http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027714

Supposedly, it should be easy to tell with age, as duchartrei has umbels and lankongense has reacemes. Although, I am not sure how reliable this is. Some other individual lilium species seem to produce both. There are some other differences posed by the FOC, too.

All my L. duchartrei are from seed too, and most have not grown large enough to observe the true inflorescense structure. Even this one does not perfectly fit, for example:

Trond Hoy

Nice to see the flowers

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 9:06am

Nice to see the flowers although it is on the other side of the world! Reminds me that is not so long till spring here

Toole (not verified)

Thanks for the further

Fri, 01/17/2014 - 12:38am

Thanks for the further confirmation on my Lilium duchartrei guys.

Fermi I'll keep a look out for seed on Pulsatilla 'pink denim' however there was no seed set from it's earlier blooming.

Your spring means our autumn Trond......

Been a very wet last 3 weeks with temps mainly cool ,meaning there is still a bit of colour about.

Here's the pure white flowers of Codonopsis grey -wilsonii ' himal snow'.

A repeat blooming of Primula modesta.

From seed, Veratrum viride and close up.

Prickly leaved Dianthus erinaceus and close up.The trough is situated in part shade so the cushion is not as tight as it should be .

Cheers Dave.

Mark McDonough

Dave, I am smitten with

Sat, 01/18/2014 - 3:03pm

Dave, I am smitten with Veratrum viride, green flowers are so cool. How tall does your plant grow? I intend on growing more species of this genus.

Toole (not verified)

Mark McD wrote:

Sat, 01/18/2014 - 10:17pm

[quote=Mark McD]

Dave, I am smitten with Veratrum viride, green flowers are so cool. How tall does your plant grow? I intend on growing more species of this genus.

[/quote]

The plant reaches just over 1 metre in height Mark .

Some other Veratrums, namely V.album ,nigrum and formosanum are also currently in flower here however I consider V.viride to be the most attractive of the bunch.......Hopefully it will set seed..

Tim Ingram (not verified)

How long did Veratrum viride

Sun, 01/19/2014 - 12:43am

How long did Veratrum viride take from seed? We grew V. nigrum and it must have taken 7 or 8 years before flowering. As a nursery plant they are very difficult to get a fair return for but they are stunning plants in the garden. I think there is also a good yellow form of Veratrum album, and if you grow these you should also try Gentiana lutea. Really statuesque and exciting plants!

Toole (not verified)

Tim Ingram wrote:

Sun, 01/19/2014 - 11:19pm

[quote=Tim Ingram]

[/quote]

Hello Tim my records show seed was sown in 2006.

V.nigrum has proven to be a good grower here so much so I've managed to divide the mature clump a couple of times.

Here's a close up pic of the flowers of what I raised as V.californicum , however I have a suspicion it is V.album.Again this plant has been divided .

Toole (not verified)

A couple of unknown Lilies ..

Sun, 01/19/2014 - 11:35pm

A couple of unknown Lilies ..........

Cheers Dave.

Trond Hoy

Going incognito don't seem to

Tue, 01/21/2014 - 9:42am

Going incognito don't seem to harm them!

Fermi de Sousa

Nice lilies, Dave.

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 5:05pm

Nice lilies, Dave.

We're in the middle of another heat wave! But the Urginea maritima seems to enjoy it, coming up to bloom despite a lack of watering in its vicinity. This year there's even a second spike,

cheers

fermi

Toole (not verified)

Colchicum 'waterlily'.

Fri, 04/04/2014 - 10:01pm

Colchicum 'waterlily'.

Tricyrtis macrantha and close up.

Arisaema embrace.

Cheers Dave.

Trond Hoy

Just 6 months behind me (or

Sat, 04/05/2014 - 12:29am

Just 6 months behind me (or in front of)me if you prefer!). My Waterlilies don't flower before October!

I like that Tricyrtis macrantha, didn't know they were that relaxed Nice flowers too.

Toole (not verified)

Thanks Trond .

Sat, 04/05/2014 - 12:56am

Thanks Trond .

Just seen yours,( and Gerrit's ),pics and comments in the International Rock Gardener e-magazine of your South American trip .The plants and scenery are absolutely superb. .Well done.

Gee I 'gotta' get there .....

Cheers Dave,

Flowering now in the Southern Hemisphere

Comments

Pages