TOW N.H.Do in Jan. - Garden
Robert Hamilton (Tue, 06 Jan 2004 02:41:05 PST)

Hi Mary-Sue and others,

For me its hand watering pots of summer growers and commencing
repotting of summer dormant species. Most bulbs in pots which are
summer growing are in and around my expanding shadehouse
structure.

The last 2 months of spring here were particularly dry but
thankfully we had a week with some good rain just before Xmas
(44mm) which gave some watering respite and freshened the
general garden.

Into the second month of summer I am noticing some atypical
behavour from some winter rainfall South African amaryllids. I have
2 pots of 2nd year Gethyllis seedlings still in growth. They are
under cover and I am watering them occasionally from below. An
older seedling of Cybistetes longifolia as well as a new batch
of seedlings are still growing strongly- I seem to remember
they only began growth in early spring. Yesterday I noticed a pot
of Strumaria tenella still with very green leaves - these may
be subsp orientalis from a summer rainfall area.

I really enjoy the first repotting of bulb seedlings and
usually mark those ready to be done , while still in growth, with
an extra tag (old label usually) so I dont forget. I always
wait until after the second season of growth and sometimes
longer. I usually repot mature bulbs about every 2-3 years - I
had a big repotting effort last summer so not too many to be
tackled this year.

I have started sowing the seeds I have been accumulating and
storing over the past few months. Colchicum and Crocus were sown
at the beginning of January to given them a couple of warm dry
months before we get any significant rain.

The combination of a dry end to spring then some good rain
before Xmas has commenced flowering of Cyclamen hederifolium and
Leucojum autumnale. It also brought on a few flowers of
Habranthus' martinezii and andersonii . Dierama continue to make a
nice display in the garden and Ismene longipetala and
Hymenocallis harrisiana are currently in bloom. Roscoea , a couple
of Lilium and quite a few Arisaema are flowering in the
shadehouse , with a few scattered in shady spots in the garden.
Eucomus are well into leaf around the garden with an occasional
flower bud appearing. Some white Crinum hybrids are in bloom with
a first flowering C bulbispermum just faded.

I very much enjoyed the Cyrtanthus discussion -thanks to all those
who contributed. Like everyone else I find a few species are
easy and the rest a struggle. C brachyscaphus is flowering at
present.

Cheers,

Rob in Tasmania
Temperate Marine Climate
USDA equivalent Zone 9