Morning walk

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David Dickinson

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #435 on: March 03, 2020, 04:09:26 PM »
Thanks for the offer of Chasmanthe John. I would like to try a different species. To rub salt in the wound, I walked past a clump of Chasmanthe about a kilometer from my house 2 evenings ago. In full flower, and abandoned  in an area cultivated by the local Guerrilla Gardeners. So it is not the climate which is the problem. It is obviously me that they don't like. After a few very windy days, mine are flat on the ground yet again this year. When they have died back I will plant them in among some other plants for them to grow through and get support.

Cheers
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

Umbrian

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #436 on: March 04, 2020, 07:30:48 AM »
Very frustrating David !
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #437 on: March 04, 2020, 10:03:31 AM »
Another sunny day and I thought maybe the wildflowers should get a go.
Allium neopolitanum, Wild garlic
Bellevalia trifoliata
Achillea cretica, I think.
Geranium tuberosum, I think.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #438 on: March 04, 2020, 11:43:59 AM »
It might seem from the last 2 or 3 postings from me, Chasmanthe and Nerine among them, that I am unable to grow anything. Not far wrong, but here is one of my successes. Comes up every year. I wrote about this earlier on a different thread, asking for help with identification. http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=2303.msg15848#msg15848
I wrote:
"Having done a little research on the internet they might be F(reesia) fucata. Or at least have that in the mix somewhere if they are a hybrid. The identifying feature apparently is a three-pointed bract at the base of the flower, I may have to wait until next year to find out if that is the case."

I promptly forgot to check if it has a 3-pointed bract but, now that it is flower again, and tomorrow being a less hectic day, that is on my list of things to do.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #439 on: March 26, 2020, 06:55:03 AM »
I guess maybe the morning walks should be reinstated as the weather appears to be stabilising somewhat at last and we have no alternative at the moment but to stay at home and take our excercise within the garden. Our Acanthus arboreus that we got from Sally at Sparoza some years ago is coming back into flower.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #440 on: April 20, 2020, 08:55:18 AM »
We were greeted this morning by a display of the first flowers to be produced by one of our many epiphylums. At least we have been calling it an epiphylum but I suspect we may have to rename it as Disocactus ackermannii.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #441 on: April 20, 2020, 10:30:32 PM »
Re my posting in this thread, 4th March "Freesia fucata, or not". I had a look and there were only 2 points not 3 so back to the drawing board.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #442 on: June 07, 2020, 06:11:06 PM »
Our external morning walks have been somewhat curtailed over the last few months due to the lockdown so this morning we decided that with the relaxation of regulations we'd try for a drive up into the Troodos, staying clear of the more popular areas. We had obviously missed most of the spring flowers and with the temperature in the 30+C range it was not going to be too comfortable walking too far. We did find a few things worth seeing and the exercise probably did us good.
Ptilostemon chamaepeuce var. cyprius.
Lonicera etrusca.
Cistus creticus.
Teucrium kotschyanum.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #443 on: June 22, 2020, 10:00:15 AM »
Not a walk today but a drive around 3 different nurseries. The first is one that we haven't visited for a while so it was good to have a quick chat with the owner again. He was saying that they have ordered plants but as most come in from abroad the lockdown restrictions have prevented them from arriving on island. So now that things are beginning to open up once more here he has very little stock to offer, but we picked up a few items.
The second visit was to an old friend and a regular stopping place for us, where we snagged another couple of plants.
The third stop was to a nursery that we seldom visit, not because of the quality of their plants but due to the fact that they seem to have a cavalier attitude to the naming of their wares. Since our last visit they have improved the labeling of their plants but have simplified the binomial system by turning it into a mononomial one. All plants are merely identified by their genus, no specific names in sight. For instance we asked about a variety of Teucrium and were told that it was a teucrium. The request for what variety was answered with a shrug of the shoulders. The same answer was given by 3 different members of the staff. What was quite obviously an Eremophila nivea was labelled solely as Eremophillum. Maybe I'm becoming grumpy in my old age but I find it unacceptable that people who are selling an item cannot be bothered to find out its name.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #444 on: June 23, 2020, 07:34:57 AM »
With you all the way on this one John - and also most annoying to be given wrong information regarding plant names from owners who think they are being helpful but just dish out commercial names given to new introductions with no knowledge of their provenance...... it seems rather big headed to try to explain a bit and.... they don't really want to know I find.🙁
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

David Dickinson

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #445 on: June 23, 2020, 09:06:57 AM »
As I have said  before, couldn't agree more John. The other thing is that many of the plants are shipped/flown in rather than locally raised.  Consequently, the plants which we know to need good drainage are in water-logged (peat-based?) compost and have not been hardened off in any way. All that work is left to us. A problem compounded by the use of hormones as talked about by Umbrian recently. Umbrian is right when she says "they really don't want to know". Quick sale and highest turnover is what many of the big chain nurseries want. You often see the difference when you go to a family-run business. No better place to make a direct comparison than some of the big plant shows.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #446 on: July 05, 2020, 10:22:54 AM »
Another morning drive up to the Troodos Botanical Garden to see how things are getting on. We do this reasonably early in the morning so that as we are on our way back down we have a clear run. Every other car in Cyprus is on the opposite side of the road in a long nose to tail line heading up, or so it seems.
Most of the plants in the photos below are labelled, the first couple are lavender and the alliums are Allium shaerocephalon.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2020, 10:24:34 AM by John J »
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #447 on: October 02, 2020, 04:48:26 AM »
Each morning I have been watching one of our Blood lilies slowly reappear. This is Haemanthus coccineus, we also have a white variety, H. albiflos. Red blood is standard and we even say that some people have Blue blood, but White blood?
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #448 on: October 07, 2020, 03:15:47 PM »
Not a morning walk but a late afternoon one, having just returned after carrying out grandparent duties, ie collecting grandson from school, taking him to his dental appointment and returning him home. While drinking a reviving cup of tea I spotted the attached flower. It came as a complete surprise as we had not seen it forming. We got the plant a few months ago from a fellow MGS member who lives in Nicosia, and then forgot about it. I believe it is a Stapelia gigantea.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #449 on: October 08, 2020, 06:28:40 AM »
Our Dragon fruit has been promising flowers for a few days and this morning one opened. They are the variety with red flesh which I believe are Hylocereus costaricensis.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)