[Umbrian]

I have been fighting a nasty 'flu virus for over 2 weeks that left me feeling worn out and dispirited. Wet, stormy weather in our area has not helped but yesterday the sun shone and I ventured outside. Things are really on the move now and I attempted a bit of light work, trimming back the erigeron that colonises the steps leading down to the pool. I came in feeling reinvigorated and although I am very behind with my spring clean up the garden has worked its magic and I am once again looking forward to each new day and the challenges that lie ahead.

[pamela]

Dear Carole
I am glad you are feeling better. Its absoutely true that some sun and a few hours work in the garden raises the spirits.  Thats why I love our mediterranean climate even though there are some not so nice days. This morning on the Costa Blanca is sunny, cloudless and not a breath of wind. The sea has calmed since last week.  The birds are noisy and my 12 year old black cat is running around like a kitten! 

[Joanna Savage]

Yes, Umbrian, that wretched flu virus is knocking us out in Toscana too. When I start to feel sorry for myself I try at least to walk in the garden.
 But now I am thinking about our gardening member friends in Cyprus who possibly have  dire times ahead and must be very worried. At least we get over the flu in time,. Here's hoping that their gardens offer some comfort to our Cypriot gardeners.

[John J]

Joanna, your thoughts are very much appreciated, and I think I can speak for all members on the island when I say that.
The weather this week has reflected the financial situation with gloomy, overcast skies culminating this weekend in a violent storm with high winds and lashing rain. Fortunately we got off lightly but the same cannot be said for some of our neighbours, one of whom lost part of her roof.
Next Tuesday we are hoping to set the problems aside for a while with a Branch visit to a newly opened Environmental Information Centre in the Paphos area. This is being run by the local authority who have renovated the old village school building and grounds. The building houses a variety of diaramas, photographic displays and information boards as well as a lecture hall where visitors are shown a short film of the surrounding countryside, much of which is in Natura 2000 sites. There is also a small laboratory with microscopes and there are touch-screen monitors scattered around with information on different subjects. The grounds have been divided into areas representing habitats found in the vicinity with native plants and information boards describing the geological make-up of the soil.
I must admit that I am looking forward to getting back amongst a group of gardening friends again, if only for a few hours.

[Trevor Australis]

  We have a different restorative in our garden Down Under. No one has been unwell but we have had a very long, very hot, very dry summer with three long heatwaves when day temps went over 45⁰C for 4-5 days at a time. Many of our trees were defoliated by the heat and extreme aridity of the atmosphere while others are covered in dead, crisp and brown leaves. The soil turned to dust and the whole garden was covered in a fine gritty powder from dust storms that blew in out of the northern deserts.

What a severe depression everyone felt.

But three days ago we had showers of rain overnight and two days ago we had an inch of rain. The entire garden has been washed free of dust and grime, and already colchicums and crocus are beginning to flower.

Summer is over. The drought is ended. The heat is gone. Winter is coming and the garden will soon be green again and the flower year begins. Hooray. Such a relief.

[Umbrian]

So interesting to read your post and be made aware of the reversal of the seasons that you experience. You are welcoming your winter whilst we are looking forward to rising temperatures and the challenges that summer brings. Yesterday I went to our local town for the first time in 2 weeks and was amazed to see the profusion of wild flowers that are now covering the roadside verges and meadows that only 3 weeks ago were covered by snow, white daisies, blue speedwell, a little yellow composite that I do not know the name of, red deadnettle etc. The Cornus mas are covered in flowers and some other trees beginning to leaf up. In the garden too things are on the move. Enjoy your winter whilst we enjoy our spring and summer

[Fermi]

I echo Trevor's thoughts - I feel that we come through our summers with the same feelings some Northern hemisphere gardeners do after winter: wondering what has survived and what will be in flower as the weather warms up (for us - "cools down").
Here's a pic form the garden this morning - despite the severe dry these bulbs are in full bloom now; Sternbergia sicula (from seed - originally from Crete via Rannveig Wallis in Wales!), Colchicum cilicium and Cyclamen graecum,
cheers
fermi

[Alisdair]

Fermi, Did you mean Colchicum cilicicum? (I too always find myself typing "cilicium" for any name at all close to that!) Often that has rather pinker-looking flowers than yours, and I wondered whether yours might be the usually paler plant that's often called by the confusingly similar name Colchicum cilicum - which is a synonym for the very many-leaved C. polyphyllum.

[Fermi]

Hi Alisdair,
sorry about adding to the confusion
I received this as "Colchicum cilicicum - pale form" from Marcus Harvey in Tasmania http://www.hillviewrareplants.com/
It seems to agree with the description from Rod leeds' "Autumn Bulbs" because of the pale central stripe on each petal.
cheers
fermi
PS I've attached a better pic of the Cyclamen graecum

[Alisdair]

Thanks, Fermi - and for that graceum picture, definitely my favourite cyclamen species!

[Trevor Australis]

  <a href="http://More healing as flowers appear" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://More healing as flowers appear</a>: three collections of Crocus boryiiand several of C. goulyimi, C. speciosus and an astonishing tiny wee Colchicum cretensis raised from seed collected on Crete by Marcus Harvey and a precocious Cyclamen repandum.And then seeds are beginning to germinate and seedlings beginning to appear - Colchicum macrophyllum, Lachanalia congesta, L. viridiflora, L. zebrina and several others.