RE: Summer and Winter

Moira-
We have winters just like that.  Sometime there are
'Chilled'but balled up roses blooming in early late
January and February, just when the Camellias are starting
to go gangbusters.
We had a fairly strong earthquake here last week, which was
interesting as well. The 'rolling'kind, funny how they
always surprise you.......
Paul
Grevillea 'poorinda queen'-has been blooming for 3 monthes, kniphofia
'Shining Sceptor'is having its second round of bloom, Callistemon
subulatus is in full bloom, Diasia 'Coral Queen' is blooming its
brains out along side an orange arctotis and a Rosa mutabilis, Abutilon
        'Pink parasol' is blooming with Geranium 'Anne Folkhard' which
has wound its way up an Azara microphylla and Hydrangea'Glowing Embers',
which, this year has decided to be bright blue and purple. Nice.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
[o*@ucdavis.edu]On Behalf Of Tony & Moira Ryan
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 1999 12:55 AM
To: Mediterannean Plants List
Subject: Re: Summer and Winter


Susan George wrote:
>
> Gosh! Julie's discussion of summer just makes me more than ever conscious
> that here in Melbourne there are still two months of winter remaining -
and
> we really don't get our wettest / windiest weather until Sept/Oct!

Hi Susan
Here just about in the middle of New Zealand, we get our wettest weather
mainly in July and sometimes August, but sure "enjoy" gales through
Sept/Oct. With little accompanying rain they can dry things out
terribly.
>
> It has been an odd winter so far here - not all that cold yet (a kind of
> Indian Winter maybe) - is that the same with other Southern Hemisphere
> gardeners?? It is quite bizarre to see a dahlia still flowering - and a
> number of summer/autumn flowering sages also still have flowers.

We have had a very mild winter here too so far, though a couple of small
frosts have finished off the dahlias. However, there are still a
surprising number of roses unfurling on some bushes, though others are
now leafless. While our day temperatures have been pretty average, many
of our nights have been surprisingly mild. A common night minimum
recently has been 5 C, but the odd night has run as high as 10 or even
11 which is most unusual here in July.
>
> But all the usual characters are starting - galanthus, jonquils, cyclamen
> coum... and the camellias...every year I lecture myself on the virtues of
> restraint but to little avail...last Friday I walked around the Melb
> Botanical Gardens - and spotted a number of species camellias - then took
my
> self off to Camellia Lodge Nursery (a wonderful place) - list in hand -
and
> purchased C. yunnanensis and C. crapnelliana.

I have myself just put in a couple of Camellias of a new variety called
Tarda Meibi. It is described as "a miniature formal double, rosy red
overlaid with salmon". I selected this variety because, apart from the
small flowers, they have a very upright type of growth and I intend to
make them into (hopefully matched)  standards.  Already on each the
principal shoot is almost tall enough, but with a very few side branches
near the top, which I have pruned off (along with a couple of subsiduary
upright stems). After next summer's growth I should be able to start the
heads. At present there are a few side shoots remaining just around the
bottom of the stems and I am wondering if I can retain these and make a
sort of bushy base, which I rhink could look rather attractive. in any
case these small branches have a few flower buds, so I shall at least be
able to see what the blossoms are like.
>
> I have to say though that the current highlight in my garden are some
winter
> flowering Kniphofias (Winter Cheer versions 1 and 2)that are in a grouping
> with a couple of euphorbias,phormiums, melianthus, Lobeia laxa and a few
> other bits and pieces - only draw back is that the wattle birds are
> attracted to the kniphofia 'torches' and keep snapping them off in their
> greedy haste to get to the nectar!

Unfortunately, our valley among the hills is just a tad on the cold side
for Winter Cheer. which tends to get pinched by frost, so I don't grow
it myself, though some brave souls do have it and get flowers some
years. I find in any case with a relatively small garden I am only happy
growing the smallest types of Knipholfia, as otherwise neighbouring
plants get overwhelmed by the leaves. I once saw a wonderful display of
Winter Cheers entirely on their own down the side of a drive where they
could bother nothing else and they really looked spectacular.

Curiously, our local honey-eating birds don't seem very much interested
in Knopholfias, though the Bellbirds and Silvereyes visit Camellias (the
latter making nasty scars on the petals with their little sharp claws).

Tuis are not usually seen much until spring when they are keen visitors
on Phormiums, Kowhai (Sophora), and some ornamental types of Prunus.

> Oh the joys of winter gardening!!!
As i look at all the spring bulbs and double primroses just starting to
make an impact in my patch, I say  "hear, hear",

Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
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