4th Jan 2016

Department: Alpine

I helped out with the Display house. Daffodils are passing over, but there are some late ones coming into flower including a sweet small yellow drooping head one called 'Dinah Rose'. Most of the Oxalis have come to the end of their flowering season. Some of the things that are flowering or coming into their prime at the moment - Ipheion, spring crocuses, Primula allioni, Dionysia, Hyacinthella, Fritillaria gibbosa, Lachenalia and Daubenya. Hepatica are going for it too, but they have had to be cautious about which ones they put out because of recent theft - by someone who seems to know what they're doing.

Photo 1: Fritillaria striata (tall ones) & F. gibbosa (the shorter ones on the left). 

Then I helped Sarah rearrange and put together some of her collections together better. We decided to put the two Fritillaria groups next to each other (drier & wetter climate ones), and moved the Calochortus collection (LILIACEAE) family to another end of the bench to do so. And made space to put her Iris collection that was on another bench onto the same bench. We opened the Rovero roof momentarily when it was briefly bright and sunny.

Photo 2: The roof of the Rovero house opened. 

Camellia in the Wild Garden are having their moment.