Hermine, MJ, Sun and Amorph.galbra

From: Rob McClure Rob.McClure at sci.monash.edu.au> on 2000.02.07 at 15:13:22(4067) > Well, at first i was horribly offended. I had to get into my bed and sob > until i frightened the dogs. but then i remembered Joan Crawford and how > STRONG she looked with her shoulder pads and lipstick, and I pulled myself > together and decided that i could, after all, get on with my life. > hermine +More Dear Hermine, Over the past I thought you were just another 'crazy Yank' or to be more politically correct an 'odd american', but now I think you are a real 'hoot'. I love your sense of humour and if you ever come downunder you better come to all my parties too. MJ, we are all very fond of you I'm sure, so if you want to offend us you will have to do better than that ! Speaking of 'odd americans'.....what about your weather ! How do you stand all that snow and ice and freezing temperatures ? AAGGHH !! Mind you the weather here is crap too. The mercury spends most of its time in the mid to high 30's (deg.C) and has even decided to go over into the 40's a couple of times. A scorching wind is howling too. I wish I could windsurf then it would be ok. I try to keep cycling to work but I turn up looking like a beetroot and have to stand under the hose to cool off. The up side of our heat is that my Amorphophallus plants are thriving. The most exciting is a beautiful, elegant flower spike on my native australian Amorph. galbra. This is only it's second flower since it was a small tuber in 1989. It has lovely olive green and brown mottling all over it and a sweet, acidic, fruity smell which reminds me of port-wine magnolia flowers. I have some digital photos of it if anybody wants to put them on a website somewhere. cheers for now, Rob. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rob McClure Department of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton 3800 Victoria AUSTRALIA

From: hermine hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2000.02.09 at 15:03:56(4078) At 07:13 AM 2/7/00 , Rob McClure wrote: >Over the past I thought you were just another 'crazy Yank' or to be more >politically correct an 'odd american', but now I think you are a real >'hoot'. +More I thought all along it was the AUSTRALIANS who treasured their eccentrics! This is the rumour in this household. I accept in advance all invitations to parties. as regards the weather, i am in Southern California where it is cause to riot in the streets if the temperature hits 40 degrees. In fact, this is the real cause of the many street riots we have. HOWEVER, the amount of solar radiation and heat in the summer, to which the plants become acclimatized, causes them all to go into a profound sulk during the days of short sunlight and lower light levels. When i lived in Boston, the plants some of which are the same plants I have growing here, were happy if they got their days extended by a few hours of fluorescent lighting. Do not deceive yourself, it is possible to SPOIL your plants. !8 months ago i relocated the nursery to a place some 10 degrees colder at night, and have paid for this dearly. this is one of the reasons for my radio silence. Oh, it was not the aroids, it was OTHER THINGS who up and died during our 132 year cold winter. I am diminished. hermine

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