Paul, As you know I am new to the group also, I was a subscriber but fell in love with Oxalis and became a member. I wish you well; I understand illness because of my own personal problems. Plants and dirt help me to relax and tune out discomfort. Wishing you a complete recovery and blessings. Chris > [Original Message] > From: Paul Tyerman <ptyerman@ozemail.com.au> > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Date: 4/30/2004 8:36:26 AM > Subject: Re: [pbs] What's Blooming Now--TOW > > Howdy All, > > I'm not very active on the list now-a-days due to continuing ill health but > I thought I'd chime in with a "What's Blooming Now" report for here in > Canberra, Australia. We're still suffering badly from drought with around > 2 months since we had any registerable rain (we had 8mm on the 6th of > March). Normally our autumn rains would start in late March or early April > but there has been a complete failure of them this year which is > devastating given how bad our water situation is after the last few years > of lower rainfall. If we don't get rain soon then we're going to be in > serious trouble next summer, so here's hoping for some decent rain soon!! > On to what is blooming now ..... > > The first of the Galanthus are flowering now which is wonderful. G. > peshmenii has been out for a couple of weeks and G. reginae-olgae has > started this week as well. Numerous Crocus species are in flower already > such as goulimyi, hardiaticus, speciosus 'Oxonian', longiflorus, > laevigatus, nudiflorus, erotinus ssp salzmanii and pulchellus (which is a > full 2 months later than normal this year). Also flowering now is Crocus > sativus (the saffron crocus) which is wonderful as it has skipped the last > year or two. Quite a few flowers this year in both pots and the ground > which is lovely to see as the bright saffron threads stand out so well. > There are also a few otehr autumn and early winter crocus starting to > emerge but not close to flowering as yet. > > The nerines have all been putting on a good display this year. The species > N. bowdenii is starting to open a few early flowers right now (which N. > bowdenii 'Manina Forest Form' has already been open for a fortnight and is > 113cm tall which is pretty amazing) and N. filifolia is in full bloom. > Various hybrid nerines are in flower or bud now but there are a few that > don't appear to be going to flower this year which is a shame. N. undulata > is just about to open its first flowers (second year of flowering for me > from seed I purchased from Rachel at Silverhill a few years ago) and is a > delightfully delicate nerine that I just adore!! <grin> N. flexuosa 'Alba' > is sending up buds and will put on its usual display shortly. > > The last of the dahlias are still in flower (pretty badly hit by the heat > and dry, even with regular watering it just isn't the same) and the tree > dahlias (imperialis, excelsa and cultivars) are just about to open just in > time to be destroyed by the first frosts which are due any time now. Last > year our first frosts delayed until June so you just never know what will > happen this year. If current trends continue though I'd expect our first > frost within the next week to 10 days or so. > > Various Cyclamens are in flower or bud. Late C. hederifolium are still > blooming as well as some persicums, plus there are buds on some of the > coums, purpurascens and the odd flower still holding on on intaminatum. So > many other cyclamens are shooting as well though, so I figure there's buds > down amongst the leaves on a lot of them as well (mirabile, parvifolium, > cyprium, libanoticum and cilicicum to name a few. The leaves on most of > these are worth it even when not in flower, so this time of year is a joy > both from seeing things shooting and knowing they'll flower soon and having > the assorted wonderful leaves on so many of the cyclamen. > > There's still a few of the species geraniums in flower which add a bit of > colour, plus a number of different salvias, annual morning glory, Dicentra > macrocarpum (still holding on with a few flowers now having been in flower > since around November). Clematis cirrhosa varieties such as 'Lansdown > Jem', 'Freckles', 'Wisley Cream' and 'Balearicum' are all in flower to > varying amounts and a few very late flowers are still around on some of the > jackmanii hybrids as well (they've flowered at odd times all summer long > due to our strange weather). > > Hypoxis stellata is just opening its first few buds (VERY late this year) > and Polyxena longituba is putting on the best display it has ever done > (Mary Sue I think I can finally understand why you actually like it..... it > has never flowered like this for me before with virtually a solid mass of > flowers just above ground level with leaves poking through. Very pretty I > have to say for the first time ever about this species and I definitely > have to re-evaluate my thoughts on it. I figured you'd be happy to hear > this <grin>). Haemanthus albiflos is flowering now and I am carefully > applying pollen I saved from my H. coccineus when they were in flower a > month or so ago (harvesting seed of them at the moment) and I am hoping to > successfully manage to get seeds and end up with varying shades of pink > hybrid offspring (one can but hope!!?). Massonia depressa is starting to > think about budding at the moment so it shouldn't be too long now. > > Trillium noses are sitting at ground level, awaiting the correct time to > come into growth. They may only still be there at ground level but they're > a nice reminder of the fact that they're there. Hellebores are just > starting to send up their first buds on some of the earlier plants, but > they're all a way off flowering yet. I'm sure there are numerous things > I've forgotten but it gives you all a pretty good idea of what is in flower > for me here at the moment down in this part of the Southern Hemisphere in > late autumn. It has been great to hear what everyone else around the list > has flowering in their various parts of the world. > > > Cheers. > > Paul Tyerman > Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9 > mailto:ptyerman@ozemail.com.au > > Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Cyclamen, Crocus, > Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just about > anything else that doesn't move!!!!! > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php