Oh sorry, Ginny! I do have a lovely view... of eucalypts and acacia! I was making fun of my southerly latitude.

too funny. Maybe I should take another look at the map

Sorry I haven't taken pics of JEDI SUE McCORD which had has had a few blooms already. It is now established and has lots of buds.

Last month I had blooms on a red NOID. In July I had blooms on a small new plant of BLYTHE BELL. Now have lots of scapes and small buds but we need rain as it has been dry and windy.

I've been busy pruning the galls out of my citrus trees. Should have done it ages ago. I was barely able to move with long bouts of allergic arthritis. But I am working hard now before the heat blasts us. We've been lucky it has been nice and cool. Nights are still down to 50 deg and max temps less than 75 deg. At least the dryness has not favoured rust. Many of my hems completely disappeared for weeks even months, so I am surprised and delighted some are resurrecting themselves. If we get more rain I will do a stocktake.

COLLIER today.



All yellows up first for the season for some reason. I also missed a STELLA BELLA bloom yesterday. Curses. Another yellow.

It has been raining off and on for two days. I have a lot in pots this year. But I am a newbie on how to grow in pots and I am quite nervous about the 80-odd crosses in them. They are in my neighbour's place where he kindly lets me use his concrete house slab. What I would give for a larger yard with a green house.

Nice yellow. Wow- lots of pots

Hems can do extremely well in pots. Sometimes even small ones. I think there r a lot of variables wrt growing hems in pots. Maybe there is a thread on that.

Of course DRAINAGE is No 1. Few plants like wet feet unless the water is running by. But hems tolerate that a fair bit. Here they are happiest here if the roots constantly at least moist. (The guy who grows them in his managed 'swamp' probably has fantastic plants.) I put chunks of bark off Monterey pines or small broken branches in the base. Broken polystyrene works well except that ants like to mine it. I believe the best drainage holes are those in the vertical side at the bottom of the pot. I always make them in any polystyrene cups.

Pots shouldnt be placed on the ground. If earthworms get into the pot the holes will clog up.

For hems a "saucer" that allows a pool of WATER to slurp from. The roots grow out into the water. Have to watch that mosquitoes don't breed there. Here it is essential that the pots not cook the plants. Dark ones especially need to be in PART SHADE in summer. For very large pots, around the inside I put a 'lining' of thin polystyrene which comes as packaging in large cardboard boxes I get.

If the potting medium is very open or coarse, or if the pot is non porous, they need more frequent watering. Terracotta pots need more shade and water. I put compost on top of the drainage bark. Then I water that before I keep filling and planting

I have suddenly lost a couple of hems in pots, but most thrive in good conditions, or survive if I have neglected them. Weeds can outgrow them so they need monitoring. Big pieces of bark on top helps with that. Also I think hems rot easily if when over fertilised.

Pots are great in that they can be moved around, mainly out of fierce sun. But decoratively useful when they bloom. Scrub turkeys will kick over pots and pull out the 'soil'. I have some wasabi growing here in pots in dappled shade. One is flowering.

Hi bron! Good to see you're posting.

Posting and educating

Thank you Bron!!!

Pelting rain last night . Short and flooding. 1.4".
The march of the yellows continue. I detest photographing yellows

STELLA BELLA an easy to grow mini.


HIDDEN RICHES

Glen just take the pics and post them. We will enjoy them for you

Wonderful blooms, Glen. Cant argue here and agree with Mike and Ginny!

I agree. Yellows are so cheerful. At first I thought they were less interesting than others. But now I love them all: pale lemon, clear yellow, golds. I currently have out yellow freesias and double snapdragons.

I don't have too many yellows or gold in my garden. Not sure why as it's my DW favorite. I did add This one last Sept. it bloomed this seasonfor the first time. I couldn't be more pleased.

Love the double

I love that double too.

Today I noticed FFOS blooms on MARCIA FAY and on PICCADILLY PRINCESS. They are on the edge of a spoon drain so they benefit from any rain we get. Unfortunately, until I late today I thought they were blooms on La Iris Jive Talkin' which is blooming and next to them.

Love the double Stan. A Leo Sharp one too.

But, at last, today, a non-yellow. And another Nunan. ASH ROSIE


BROOKWOOD LEE CAUSEY X SKINWALKER 3RB, 13,6 again with its red blush.


Raining again and buds everywhere. This is going to be a wonderful flowering season.

Thank you guys...

Glen a fine non-yellow it is. I'm excited to see those buds revealed.

beautiful and can't wait to see your pictures