Flowering in Australia.....

Hello Friends:
I have noticed or perhaps I have started to pay attention to the weather
because flowers and plants have just become my passion; any how, the
weather
is different than I remember in past years. Many of my plants have just
began
to really wake up from a sleepy summer and are growing. Some of my Oxalis
are
starting to sprout while others are becoming leggy and shriveling up. I have
moved some of them into the house and they become stronger so I put them
out for
a while. I bought a ficus ( can't remember what type) and it has lost all
of it's
leaves as most trees do this time of the year. The trees outside of my
house are
not loosing foliage very fast at all. Did some one send a list of the
Oxalis Winter
growers and Summer growers? I don't know whether to leave them outside or
to bring
them in, the Oxalis that is. I know I am off the subject how ever, I have
another
problem, my holly plant is dying, I found it outside a few years ago and
transplanted
it into a pot. It grew taller(at first). I am plant or flower challenged,
help.

Thanks,
Chris

[Original Message]
From: Paul Tyerman <ptyerman@ozemail.com.au>
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: 9/10/2004 7:57:06 AM
Subject: [pbs] Flowering in Australia.....

Reading Jim McKenney's remarks about bulbs appearing in the fall when

his

garden is at its peak reminds me of how different our growing conditions
are on this pbs list. Like Angelo it has been a

Mary Sue et al,

Thought I'd give a quick update on conditions and flowerings here in my
garden in Canberra, Australia. I'll make you all jealous by commenting

that

it is most definitely spring here! <grin> Masses of daffodils coming

into

bloom everywhere, spring flowering Prunus, Magnolias etc filling the air
with perfumes. Just gorgeous!!

Bulb-wise things are getting down to it. As I mentioned the daffodils

are

coming into full swing now (our annual Horticultural Society Daffodil

show

is this weekend), the Galanthus are pretty much finished and are rapidly
being replaced by Fritillarias (about 6 species in flower now) and
Erythroniums. LOTS of buds on the Erythroniums this year so it will be
rather pretty shortly in that area of my pots, as well as the various
plantings in the garden. Now, if I could just get hold of seed of E.
umbilicatum I would be much happier <grin> as that is one that I am
coveting from the Bulbs of North America book.

Trilliums are just about to start flowering now, with the first few

rivale

already in flower. Hellebores have been at their peak for a while now

with

some of the clumps starting to go over a bit. The doubles have been very
nice and I have of course been crossing madly to see what the seedlings
look like. Cyclamens are flowering of course, as they have been for so
long now, and the Cardiocrinum bulb I have remaining is sending up it's
leaf shoot now which is a relief. The little species Narcissus have been
gorgeous this year, with a few of the more uncommon species I think

liking

the hotter drier summer we had and flowering better than they have for me
before. Nice to have something good come of the drought!!

Speaking of the drought...... as I mentioned in the cardiocrinum message
we've actually had rain recently. In the last fortnight we've had about

inches of rain, which is more than the 7 months prior to that put
together. DESPERATELY needed and the ground just drank it up
wonderfully. Nice to see a green tinge coming back to the paddocks

around

the city. Also nice to actually have some decent water within the soil

for

the first time in absolutely ages. That is one of the things that has
pushed the bulbs through so rapidly.... the fact that we've had

significant

rain.

So other than what I've mentioned above there are also in bud or flower :
Babianas, Ixias, Sparaxis, Lachenalias, Oxalis, Tulips, Ipheions, and
Irises to name but a few. And then of course there are all the shrubs

and

perennials. It is a GREAT time of year!!

I thought you might all like to know what is going on in my part of the
garden. Still hoping for a lot more rain as we need some to actually get
into the reservoirs for summer, but at least it is a start!! <grin>

I hope this finds everyone safe and well. Good luck to the Florida
residents who have had to cope with Charley and Frances and now I heard
tonight that Hurricane Ivan is on the way and it is a category 5 at the
moment!! Yikes!! Good luck everyone.

Cheers.

Paul Tyerman
Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9

Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Trilliums, Cyclamen,
Crocus, Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just
about anything else that doesn't move!!!!!

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