Topic: australian flowers

[campanula]

my daughter (in love on the other side of the world) has sent me some flower seeds. They are: rhodanthe chlorocephala (everlastings), scented swan peach myrtle (hypocalymma robustum), Waratah (telopea speciosissima),Blue Rottnest Island Daisy (Trachymene caerulea), and round leafed tea tree (Leptospermum rotundifolia). Anyone had any experience with growing these or similar? I am going to give them a go anyway. And she sent a book on the Wollemi Pine - amazing plant!
cheers, suzy
Is this ecologically sound?

[Mrs Ava]

There are tricky laws about importing and exporting seeds from Oz, altho I don't think it is as bad seeds coming this way but there are a lot of plants the australians don't want over there, like our regular foxgloves for example.  I traded with an australian fella last autumn, he does it for a living and has all the official licences etc. and there was quite a list of doos and don't.  I am assuming that most of what I will be growing won't be all that hardy over here.  What fun and what a great challenge tho!  ;D

[Ceratonia]

Don't think there's any problem with importing seeds from Australia; live plants or sending stuff the other way is another matter. DEFRA site is best place to check, but it's down at the moment. Chiltern Seeds offer some of the species you mention, though.

I've grown a number of Australian plants from seed -Callistemon, Grevillea, Anigozanthos, Acacia, Eucalyptus, but none of the ones you mention.

The waratah has a reputation for being quite tricky, though - very prone to damping-off, for one thing.

[MagpieDi]

Sorry Suzy, can't help with your selection, but my brother brings me seed over from New Zealand every year without any probs.He must look a dodgy character as his gear is always searched by customs, but they never confiscate the seeds, only the contraband!!  ;)  ;D

'Fraid I've had limited success with germination, particularly the trees and shrubs, but that's just down to my impatience and incompetence!  ::)

Best of luck  ;D