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Re: A. thyrsiflora

Sean A. O'Hara wrote:
> Hi Moira -
> 
> Interesting to hear you mention this species - I was recently looking for
> a source.  I've grown A. ecklonii before, and it is somewhat available in
> this area.  Nice enough, but this taller species caught my interest.
> Might it be possible to trade some seeds with you?  Can you tell me more
> about how it grows?  It might seem we could give it more warm, here in
> 'Sunny California'.  But today, we have rain again!!!  And it's cold!
> very strange for May.  Usually many perennials would be already showing
> the stress of heat and drought, thinking about a summer dormancy!  The
> favorite phrase of the weather broadcasters is "a today's weather is a
> new RECORD!"  Not what we'd like to hear, but all its been throughout the
> winter and now the spring!!  How is your fall proceeding down there?  I
> had cousins who once lived in Christchurch, and they still today talk
> about how beautiful New Zealand is!

Hi Sean
If I had any seed I would be happy to oblige you and also someone else
on then list who has also written enquiring. 

Unfortunately, though the clump looks very healthy, even our recent hot
(thanks to EN) summer has not tempted it to flower. I think it is
possibly now too shaded due to trees growing up and I shall have to take
its life in my hands and attempt to move it.

However, I have had a thought which you and others in your area might
find helpful, and that is to go right to the source and contact the
South African Botanic Garden at Kirstenbosch.

When living in Africa and for a few years after coming to NZ I was  a
subscribing Member of the Gardens (or some such title). For an annual
subscription one could get a seed list from the gardens every year and
they would post the seed to one even overseas. I finally gave up as (in
the midst of raising our kids) I was strapped for both cash and time to
plant the seeds, but I still have one or two plants in the garden which
I know came from there, including (probably) this Aristea and
(certainly) a truely magnificent Protea cynaroides, which has graced the
terraces at the back of the garden for nearly forty years and still
produces around forty or fifty huge blooms each autumn.

In case you would like to write and see what thy have to offer
now-a-days, here is the address.( My source is much too old to include a
postal code, but I guess they are sufficiently famous that even
Kirstenbosch, South Africa would probably get delivered!)

	National Botanic Garden
	Kirstenbosch
	Newlands
	Cape Province
	RSA

Cape Province itself does, in fact, have a true Mediterranean-type
climate, but they also have subsiduary sites in other regions. I would
say almost anything from South Africa would be worth trying in your
area.

We also have had a very strange May, a whole lot hotter and dryer than
usual. Although winter starts very soon now, we have had no more than
two tiny touches of frost - just enough to frizzle the dahlia leaves-
and lots of lovely calm blue days. 

I think, though the "honeymoon" is nearly over, and we are getting quite
a lot of rainy days and thickening cloud to go with our nearly-bare
trees.

I am not surprised your cousins are nostalgic about Christchurch. It is
not called the "Garden City" for nothing.

 Regards

Moira

Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Both Retired. Careers were: Moira - botanist/horticulturist; 
Tony - Various jobs, then computer programmer.
Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
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