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Messages - Wylie

#1
Current Photographs / Re: February 2025
February 15, 2025, 08:48:38 AM
Normally, it rarely gets below 10°C where I live on Terceira. Pico, the dormant volcano and highest point in all of Portugal, on the island of Pico does get snow. Yesterday, it got down to 4°C and a hail storm passed through. It turned the ground in my front yard white for about an hour. You can see the jonquils starting to flower, the lilies are growing, some crinums, and a lot of evergreen type daylilies
#2
Current Photographs / Re: February 2025
February 12, 2025, 09:22:30 AM
We got enough sun for the Oxalis purpurea 'Garnet' to have a flower open.
#3
General Discussion / Re: Crinum luteolum/flaccidum
February 10, 2025, 06:56:52 AM
Quote from: Carlos on February 08, 2025, 07:31:23 AMHi. Not an autonomous region like Madeira in Portugal, but there are specific phytosanitary regulations for exchanges with and from the mainland. These regulations can only affect operations within the country, but have no force between other countries, as that would be against the free circulation of goods witin the EU.
I noticed that on the Rareplants.eu site, that they are located in Spain but don't ship to a lot of areas in Spain because of regulations and paperwork. That's like a popular Portuguese domestic goods shop will ship large items to Madeira but not to the Azores. I have found that customs in Lisboa can be very, very restrictive. I just bought some seeds from Rareplants, and the latest update says they are going through customs in Lisboa, even though it is one EU country to another.
#4
Current Photographs / Re: Jan. 2025
January 21, 2025, 08:48:41 AM
I have had the bulbs of Chasmanthe floribunda var. duckitti for several years, but this is the first time they have flowered. The plant is tall and the wind does its thing with them, this year it just knocked them over but they bloomed anyway.

Then I have a Gladiolus seedling that is flowering for the first time. The species and their seedlings are better suited to here because they are not affected by the wind.
#5
Current Photographs / Re: December 2024
December 10, 2024, 12:50:08 AM
Quote from: Carlos on December 09, 2024, 10:53:21 PMHi again, I was puzzled by how different your plant looks from the photos of brevifolia I have seen... I asked two colleagues and it's Erica azorica, the Azorean tree heath, related toErica canariensis and Erica arborea.

Brevifolia subsp. maritima seems to occur only at the Miradouro de Alagoa.

Juniperus Alagoa - Terceira
You are right, it does look like the Erica. I was going by the photos on  Azoresbioportal | Portal da Biodiversidade dos Açores
The bark on the Juniperus looks similar.
#6
Current Photographs / Re: December 2024
December 09, 2024, 03:47:08 AM
Quote from: Carlos on December 09, 2024, 12:38:15 AMHi, I already sent seeds to the SX, but I haven't enough left to make five portions, I prefer that you send me your address. Having a contact in the Azores is cool! I wonder if you know Juniperus brevifolia...

Carlos
The Juniperus breviflora is one of those rare endemic plants that the Azores have. In my backyard, I have what looks like Juniperus breviflora var. montanum. It popped up there, and is considered a protected species. From what I have observed, it hates to be moved, even a seedling risks the tap root being damaged, so I didn't try to put it in a more convenient position.

I am going to have to ask Uli for your email so I can send you my address.
#7
Current Photographs / Re: December 2024
December 08, 2024, 12:17:12 PM
Quote from: Carlos on December 08, 2024, 07:14:33 AMI keep my offer of sending seeds or bulbs of both to those who want to see with their eyes.
I am interested in the seeds/bulbs and would like to see them in the next BX.
#8
Current Photographs / December 2024
December 06, 2024, 02:24:39 AM
Dipcadi serotinum is supposed to flower in the summer, at least that is what the entry says on PBS says, but mine has finally started opening. The stalk is 60 cm long. 
#9
Current Photographs / Re: NOVEMBER 2024
November 15, 2024, 08:29:14 AM
Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Green Goddess' is a popular plant here as it can even be found in the fields where the cows leave it alone.
#10
Current Photographs / Re: October 2024
November 01, 2024, 04:31:50 AM
Quote from: Mikent on October 31, 2024, 12:58:37 PMThe first picture is from a few days ago, it was the second day of flowering. It's a bit deeper pink color in the picture than is accurate, because the sun was shining on the petals, and all I was getting was a white glare instead of pink. I had to block the sunshine with my body while taking the picture which caused the pink to look a few shades darker. The second picture is from today, and is fairly close to the actual color (more gray than sunny today).
Trying to photograph Nerines is very difficult for me. They tend to over saturate the image and since I don't a photoshop type program, just keep fiddling with camera settings. The first photo is 'Prince Valient', which is supposed to be a Barbie pink. The second is just a group photo.
#11
Current Photographs / Re: October 2024
October 24, 2024, 08:09:59 AM
'Shaka Zulu' is more of a dark purple that ages darker. The other Exbury Nerines I have are finally starting to open.

The first attached photo is 'Nell Gwyn'. I was trying to take a photo, but Krull just had to get in there and attack it. 

This is a hard color to photograph because what I see is a bright orange, and the photo looks red.

Also open is 'North Pole', a white with pink edge.

Then a xAmarine belladiva is also open.
#12
Current Photographs / Re: October 2024
October 16, 2024, 03:47:30 AM
Everything is about a month late in blooming, here. Finally, my Nerines from Exbury have started and here is 'Shaka Zulu'.
#13
Current Photographs / Re: October 2024
October 04, 2024, 11:56:48 AM
Quote from: Too Many Plants! on October 04, 2024, 11:29:12 AMHere's a curiosity...unless I'm mistaken. I have some Ferraria leafing out when we're still in full summer mode! We've been around 100°F the last handful of days, with still a few to go. And we've had no days in recent weeks of cool temps. Mostly 80's n 90's.

I do need to (somewhat) correct myself. We did have a short few days a couple weeks ago with somewhat cooler day temps (still not winter cool) with a few nights that got into the low 60's and into the 50's. I wonder if that short cooler nighttime temps blip could have triggered these? I don't see any others (of the many I have) leafing out.
Mine have started to put up leaves, as well. My temperatures dropped from 29°C to 25-27° and a little bit of rain. I also noticed that the first Nerines have put up flower spikes, practically overnight.

What has put up a flower is Haemanthus albiflos.
#14
In the Azores, Datura is one of those weeds in the fields. While cows won't eat them fresh, they get cut with the grasses and aged so they can be fed to the cows in the summer. I think its close cousin, Brugmansia, is more attractive.
#15
General Discussion / Re: Hedychium
September 05, 2024, 08:06:01 AM
Hedychium is an invasive species in the Azores. H. gardnerianum and H. coronarium are both heavily scented. I rip the tubers out, place them upside down on a rock wall, and they will continue as if nothing happened. H. gardnerianum was used in traditional bread baking, wrapping the dough in the leaves and then putting them in the wood burning ovens.

I'm trying Globba schomburgkii this year, and it seems to be doing well, but needs a lot of moisture.