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Post by Hezz on Nov 23, 2013 0:31:34 GMT
For what ever reason known only to them, my hippeastrums are flowering ..... now. The ones near my back door have just finished, and I didn't think to get a photo ; the ones at the front have just put up their flower spikes. Ones at back are a plain deep red, very pretty, but the front ones are my favourite. An old photo, but this is what I am in for: I do have lots of lovely flowers out now: frangipani is blooming, plenty of different gingers and heliconias, what we call a Christmas lily ..... simply because it flowers this time of year, and now the hippies ...... the mangoes are dropping like flies to leave the pungent aroma of rotting mangoes in the back yard - the true smell of summer in the tropics!!
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Post by stace on Nov 23, 2013 0:38:58 GMT
They're lovely. Mine flowered very early this year because of the hot end to winter and start to Spring.
Do your Frangipanis stay in leaf year round with the heat up there?
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Post by samwiseg on Nov 23, 2013 9:37:02 GMT
WOW! These are beautiful Hezz! Are these hippeastrums a type of lilly too or an amaryllis? They look very similar: lilly amaryllis
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Post by Hezz on Nov 23, 2013 9:57:24 GMT
I wasn't sure, Sam, but according to the Royal Horticultural Society, and I quote "Hippeastrum bulbs are popular gifts at Christmas. They are often commonly, but incorrectly, known as amaryllis." Soooooooo with the internet at my fingertips, I went on a horticultural expedition ...... apparently amaryllis (whatever the plural may be) originate from S Africa, whereas hippies come from the americas; Argentina to Mexico. But I think from what I can find that they are pretty much the same thing with different origins. There may be slight differences that you and I aren't aware of. They are both bulbs.
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Post by BudgiesBuddy on Nov 23, 2013 10:04:48 GMT
Very beautiful Hezz
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Post by samwiseg on Nov 23, 2013 11:20:35 GMT
I wasn't sure, Sam, but according to the Royal Horticultural Society, and I quote "Hippeastrum bulbs are popular gifts at Christmas. They are often commonly, but incorrectly, known as amaryllis." Soooooooo with the internet at my fingertips, I went on a horticultural expedition ...... apparently amaryllis (whatever the plural may be) originate from S Africa, whereas hippies come from the americas; Argentina to Mexico. But I think from what I can find that they are pretty much the same thing with different origins. There may be slight differences that you and I aren't aware of. They are both bulbs. You learn something new every day eh? Why would they be called different things according to their location is beyond me, unless it is to do with the type of mutation? Still, they are very pretty
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Post by starlingqueen on Nov 23, 2013 11:47:19 GMT
I have an Amaryllis on my windowsill all potted up for our winter display. It's only just gone in so should be in flower for Christmas. They are so pretty you are so lucky Hezz, to have such beautiful flowers in your garden.
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Post by skysmum on Nov 23, 2013 13:40:10 GMT
Ohhhh stop it Hezz , Frangipani, Mango and Ginger lily's mmmmmmm i can smell them from here , i should have been born in the tropics i love everything about it. Yes the Amaryllis are boxed up everywhere at the moment for people to buy for Christmas, i dont have one this year but there is time , i can never get the old bulbs to flower again, just leaf so i threw a couple out this year, they are so lovely.
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Post by Hezz on Nov 24, 2013 1:33:33 GMT
Sam, I am guessing there are subtle differences between the two ..... who knows. skysmum, what a shame you can't get them to flower again. Mine are in a garden bed and treated with neglect! This is one of the upsides of gardening in the tropics - you don't need a green thumb. The downside - everything goes wild, weeds especially! I see my tumeric has recently risen out of the ground again too. But you wouldn't appreciate the odour of rotting mangoes or the other casualty of summer rains ....... dead cane toads on the roads. It really does detract from the enjoyment of a morning walk.
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Post by skysmum on Nov 24, 2013 22:40:17 GMT
Ewwww dead cane toads don't sound so good, not a good addition to your morning walk . I can imagine that the mangoes must smell pretty potent when they start rotting, but it would save a night at the pub you could just sit and inhale in the garden . Frangipani has to be my fav scent though along with Ylang Ylang. I did have a small Frangipani in the conservatory but even though its heated in the winter it just wasn't enough for it to survive, would love to try another one but they are very hard to find .
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Post by stace on Nov 24, 2013 22:53:16 GMT
There are many beautiful flowers we can't grow in many places here though, skysmum. For example, lovely peonies. The humidity and constant warmth overnight kills them. We don't get those beautiful spring blossoming trees either.
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Post by Hezz on Nov 25, 2013 7:09:43 GMT
Ewwww dead cane toads don't sound so good, not a good addition to your morning walk . I can imagine that the mangoes must smell pretty potent when they start rotting, but it would save a night at the pub you could just sit and inhale in the garden . Frangipani has to be my fav scent though along with Ylang Ylang. I did have a small Frangipani in the conservatory but even though its heated in the winter it just wasn't enough for it to survive, would love to try another one but they are very hard to find . Ummmmm, ....... we have one of those, too. It is taller than the house and we only get the scent when on the deck ....... I have considered getting it cut back so the canopy is closer to the ground.
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Post by skysmum on Nov 25, 2013 16:48:35 GMT
Ewwww dead cane toads don't sound so good, not a good addition to your morning walk . I can imagine that the mangoes must smell pretty potent when they start rotting, but it would save a night at the pub you could just sit and inhale in the garden . Frangipani has to be my fav scent though along with Ylang Ylang. I did have a small Frangipani in the conservatory but even though its heated in the winter it just wasn't enough for it to survive, would love to try another one but they are very hard to find . Ummmmm, ....... we have one of those, too. It is taller than the house and we only get the scent when on the deck ....... I have considered getting it cut back so the canopy is closer to the ground. im not reading any more of your beautiful plant section.......hump...........sniff . I suppose we do have our Roses and peonies and the spring time bulb's like stace said. We always wish for what we cant have . I will just have to wait for my bulb explosion in the spring, i planted 60 extra ones a couple of weeks ago, OHHH my aching back .
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Post by Hezz on Nov 26, 2013 0:55:36 GMT
Oh wow! The garden will look lovely! I do like bulbs, not that they are good tropical plants ...... I think the fact of will they/won't they, and where is intriguing. Ha! Silly me! Our christmas lilies are a bulb, and I do have a number of different caladiums ...... but ...... due to scrub turkey shinanigans, I am not always sure where they have been "moved" to! You don't have that problem, I guess, unless Tilly rearranges your garden beds? I do have some more photos but haven't got them onto photobucket yet - will try to find time today.
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Post by samwiseg on Nov 26, 2013 10:22:12 GMT
Hey we have some lovely plants here too skysmum! One of my favourites is Wisteria, when looking for a pic I came across this which I didn't realise it came in a tree form too: Japanese Wisteria TreeI love it! The colour, the way it looks.....it even looks like something out of Avatar!
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