SPRING TIME

Muscari chaulusicum Kurt Vickery seed 2013

Muscari muscarimi from Archibald seed, that Mat Murray showed recently on his Talk on Turkey

Epimedium Arctic Wings Antique Perennials

Erythronium hybrid Aaron's yellow, a chance seedling.

Erythronium revolutum album? a vigorous form.

Erythronium citrinum var. citrinum NNS seed company USA no longer collecting seed, this seed was collected in 2007 which I received and sowed 2008. I know it is a long time to wait for flowers, but there is no other way in Australia to get these Erythronium especially when you are after the very dark foliage, which I am looking for all the time. Erythronium revolutum Pink Beauty is readily available as is White Beauty and Erythronium tuolumnense sometimes, Tonkin Bulbs also sell multiscapoideum, which is a lovely early flowering Erythronium.

Erythronium oregonum sub sp leucandrum from Archibald collected seed 2000.

Trillium Luteum hybrid

Trillium rivale dark leaf form that I raised, a chance seedling that has been given all different names, some leaves are very dark maroon almost black, with dark pink flowers. Not always true from seed.

Corydalis solida from seed, white form, from Otto, the rest from seed.

Narcissus Sad Hasser a Glenbrook raised hybrid pronounced Seducer. I have found it shy to flower so last year I fed around the bulb with Potash and again this year but still only one flower, hopefully next year will be better. Only 15cm high and the flower is quite large 48mm across. 

Narcissus gaditanus Glenbrook Bulbs found growing in Spain. It is also reputed as being shy to flower.

Narcissus Segovia Glenbrook Bulbs.

Narcissus bulbacodium Obesus from Marcus Harvey a very good form, there are inferior forms sold, tall and not as chubby, round a flowers.

Fritillaria pyrenaica from Marcus Harvey seed 2015, it is usually much darker in flower than this form.

Fritillaria imperialis Orange form, from seed via Marg S originally from Beryl Watson from Ferny Creek Hort. Soc. I can't tell you how exciting it is to have this beautiful Fritillaria flowering from seed in my garden. I have been trying for years to get it established. I have purchased bulbs planted them deep, all have rotted. But this form was growing in the Dandenongs so it is acclimatised to our area, the seed germinated well, I have two bulbs now established, I had better stop there before I moze it. You can buy large onion bags full of Fritillaria imperialis in Ireland and the UK in the super markets for a couple of dollars per bag, it is very hard to put them back and leave them there on the self.

Don't forget our next meeting on 22nd September on the Canary Islands and our speaker is the great Stephen Ryan at 8.00pm. At Olinda Community House, Olinda-Monbulk Road Olinda, Next to the Olinda Swimming Pool. It is also our AGM see you there.

A visit to Otto's

 Hyacinthella leucophaea subsp. atchley GO 2008 (above and below) Spring flowering, usually two leaves up to 25cm in height. Ten to twenty narrow bell shaped flowers in whorls around the stem which is pinkish-maroon, found growing only in the Western part of Bulgaria. A very pretty little blue flowering bulb. Otto raised this from Gotenburg Botanical garden 2008.

Fritillaria frankiorum

Leucojum vernum

Narcissus Gypsie Queen a lovely old favourite, that seems to be very rare now in Australia quite dwarf only about 10cm in height.

Scoliopus hallii raised from seed by Don Annett. Think Lynn's Rare Plants sometimes lists it for sale as Lynn raised it from seed as well. It needs a shady position in the garden.

Crocus tommasinianus Whitwell Purple a named clone from Otto's friend Don in NSW. Much darker flowers in reality.

Crocus yalovensis syn Crocus pestalozzae a new name for us all to learn. This Crocus was always recommended by Barbara and Phillip Gordon for growing in a trough, as it is smallish. But I found you need to choose the plants you put it with as it does not like to be watered too much.

A beautiful teal blue Iris reticulata bred and crossed by Otto, he made "this cross in 1962!!! I put pollen of Iris winogradowii onto the commercial form of Iris reticulata. There were not many named varieties of I. reticulata available in those days- not like today".

Aaron's Glass house on a sunny morning

Anemone pavonina

Bellevalia pycantha from Aarons Nan

Fritillaria obliqua

Ipheon uniform ex 'Alberto Castillo' vigorous form, from Fermi and Will on the Bun Fight.

Narcissus asturiensis seed raised

Narcissus Fen Ben a Glenbrook hybrid

Saxifraga Bridget one of the Saxifraga's we imported from New Zealand

Rodmarton Manor 

Gloucestershire

I have been waiting for Galanthus Rodmarton to open fully before posting the rest of the photo's on the blog, this Galanthus came from Otto, originally from Marcus Harvey. I would love to visit this garden in February as apparently there are just sheets of Galanthus, what a wonderful sight it must be.

A few years ago the Galanthus weekend was held at Rodmarton.

My most favourite garden next to Wisley is Rodmarton in England, which we found by accident.
An Arts and Craft Garden and House, has been owned by three generations of the same family and is in unaltered condition today. Conceived to look like a series of cottages on a village street. The garden is maintained by the gardener who lives in the Gate Keepers house and the owner, who must work devilishly hard as it is a large garden, unpretentious and so full of character in every corner.

The Troughery decorated with stone feeding troughs collected from the farm and planted with alpines, with Saxifraga's spilling and tumbling over the edges of the troughs.

A rustic stone pergola, covered in flame-red Vitis cognettiae in the Autumn, with stone seats to sit and look at the large carved beams, and the round stone columns, and vistas out every side.

The three hugh glass houses.

The stone summerhouse denotes the end of the double border enclosed by high hedges, the borders were refurbished in 1990 and are 13 feet wide.

Gate house 

Vista's at every angle, but my favourite.

Thank you to Ray for scanning our photo's in Photoshop so we could see them.

Don't forget our meeting this Saturday 26th August is our day for Garden Visits starting at Post Office Farm 10.00am then on to Kathy Newings Garden.