Spring Flowers in Gippsland

The wing was on the Bird?? (Author Unknown)

Winter is gone. Spring looks forth with glory and beauty, no more-so anywhere than in Gippsland Victoria. Although we have had a wonderful winter period, it is no matter still a glorious feeling to experience spring. It is my favourite time of the year, other than Autumn, which always excites me because it is the time I can sow all my autumn seeds, usually new species I have never tried before. Every year I sow many new and different species of seeds, mainly from South Africa and I often have to wait a few years to see the results. This is usually in Spring and this is what makes it so exciting! My specialty is the Ixia flower and these I love to photograph, pick and press, building up my collection each year with new flowers.

Some of the wonderful Ixia that are flowering now are: I. conferta, I.dubia, I. maculata, I. pumilo, I. capillaris, I bellendenii, just to name a few. There are many more that will produce lovely buds and flowers like these, to come before spring disappears. Many of the Ixia species also flower late into the summer, like the wonderful Green Ixia, which is Ixia viridflora and fills my garden with so much spectacular beauty with emerald green flowers showing those remarkable black centres.

When I visited the International flower show early in March this year, I picked up some of the amazing tulips that are available to grow. And so easy too! When I brought the bulbs home, I put them in the fridge for a few weeks and then into pots. Now, flowers adorn my table as I move the pots around to use them as show pieces and display the vivid colors

I always manage to buy a few extra and pot them up too, as they make wonderful gifts in pots and are always well appreciated and can be planted out by the receiver if they like, in a garden or left in the pots to flourish again.

I have a "special" table in my garden that I call my show table and it is usually full of color from the pots that are given a place there.

The Chasmanthe have been flowering for months too, first with their unusual flowering spikes of buds, then the fantastic flowers which are persistent for a long time. Then they develop their seed which are quite viable and germinate very easily in the next season. The chasmanthe are so versatile, that although the bulbs are quite large, I can plant them in polystyrene boxes and move them around my garden each year, ever changing my landscape to a different scene or mood as it suits me. This year, they are near the Pineapple Lilies and the Sweet peas which are hugging the fence with color.