Spring in Adelaide, South Australia

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anita

  • Jr. Member
Spring in Adelaide, South Australia
« on: October 16, 2011, 01:14:23 AM »
An cooler than usual October, that means we haven't yet had a day over 30 degrees C, and average winter and spring rainfall (I remark on that as we are in our second year of average rainfall 550mm, after a decade of drought), means that my garden is looking particularly good as early spring things are hanging in and later ones are starting. I thought I'd do a count expecting about 40 or so species... But the results were rather surprising. I do manage my garden to be water efficient so this time of year is the peak flowering.. However the list surprised me... I'd recommend any of the following species for frost free mediterranean regions.


Acanthus mollis, spinosus
Salvia microphylla (var)
Helleborus hybrid, H. sternii, H. lividus
Rosa (var)
Strawberries
Chaenomeles speciosa
Rondelitia amoena
Verbena bonariensis
Anemone coronaria, A x fulgens
Nasturtium,
Papaver somniferum
Hemerocallis
Valerian
Gladiolus communis spp byzantinus
Gladiolus var ssp
Malus
Watsonia (various)
Gerbera (old fashioned pre Dutch hybrids)
Hippeastrum johnsonii (other old hybrids in bud)
Ixia
Viola hederacea and V. odorata
Alstroemeria
Ajuga reptans
Myosotis var
Strelitzia
Tritonia (various)
Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'
Zantedeschia
Euphorbia  (various)
Statice (Limonium sinuata)
Sweet peas
Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)
Iris (various sp and cultivars)
Camellia
Echium (various)
Michelia figo
Pelargonium
Hollyhock (Alcea)
Brugmansia (various)
Bletilla striata
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Scilla peruviana
Lonicera sp
Honesty (Lunaria)
Crassula
Narcissus
Eschscholzia californica
Convulvulus maritimus
Lavandula (various)
Phlomis
Erigeron
Nandina domestica
Freesia laxa
Erysimum
Nicotiana alata
Dracunculus canariensis
Pomegrate
Dianella
Oleander
Clivia
Sprekelia
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Babiana (various)
Citrus trees (orange, lemon, cumquat)





In pots
Arisaema sikokianum
Fritillaria pontica
Cyclamen libanoticum
Spathiphyllum
Cymbidium hybrids
Anita





« Last Edit: October 16, 2011, 02:57:54 PM by Fleur Pavlidis »
Dry mediterranean climate, avg annual rainfall 530mm, little or no frost. Winter minimum 1C, summer max 45C

ezeiza

  • Full Member
Re: Spring in Adelaide, South Australia
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2011, 01:31:20 AM »
Centranthus ruber, now that Anita mentions it in her exciting list, is an extreme drought plant. How does this fare with you people?

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MikeHardman

  • Hero Member
    • www.mikehardman.com
Re: Spring in Adelaide, South Australia
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2011, 07:53:29 AM »
I thoroughly approve of valerian, but that's partly because I love butterflies.

But I didn't know it was edible. Wikipedia: "Both leaves and roots can be eaten, the leaves either fresh in salads or lightly boiled, the roots boiled in soups. Opinions differ as to whether either make very good eating, however. Although it is sometimes reported to have medicinal properties, there is no basis for this view, which is almost certainly due to confusion with true Valerian."
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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anita

  • Jr. Member
Re: Spring in Adelaide, South Australia
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2011, 10:06:02 AM »
Hi,
Thought the plant list was all very fine but a few photos might help. Just managed to get some shots of one little bed before I lost the light this evening after work. I particularly like the color combinations of Gladiolus Amanda Mahi and my old fashioned gerberas, a tall bearded iris that sits well with the valerian and just to make sure that there's a bit of fizz in the bed.. Hippeastrum johnsonii.
Anita
Dry mediterranean climate, avg annual rainfall 530mm, little or no frost. Winter minimum 1C, summer max 45C

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Fleur Pavlidis

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
Re: Spring in Adelaide, South Australia
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2011, 05:27:12 PM »
What a wonderful combination of colour and form. I once heard Oron and Caroline agreeing that a garden with only shades of green is an ideal, but who could forego the beauty of the amazing dusky pink iris growing alongside the simple baby pink of the gerberas and the white splashed salmon of the gladiolus; and, as you say, the red Hippeastrum to keep it from cloying. Terrific.
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece