April 2013 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Irm]

And now a little Berlin-plant 
I got it from a friend, who has only white plants in his garden, he is very astonished now.

[Tim Ingram]

Those daphnes are a sight to see - not many have quite started flowering with us yet and neither do we have such established plants, apart from much more commonly grown species like D. retusa. I have a form of D. calcicola on the sand bed, but this is much taller and more open than gemmata and modesta.

A few plants in the sand screes:-

Narcissus panizzinianus - grown from JJA seed. This is growing well and even producing seedlings and is perhaps my favourite species in the garden.
Dianthus 'Conwy Star', and in the foreground of the wider shot, D. 'Conwy Silver'. Both truly excellent plants from Aberconwy, the latter with particularly good silver-blue foliage which is probably accentuated even when grown in tufa.
Gentiana pumila (hybrid?) - this is a curious gentian which runs around quite widely and produces intermittant flowers (never very many) but of an intense penetrating blue. It is very perennial by comparison with G. verna angulosa, and even one flower draws you from the other side of the garden. It would be very nice to learn how to grow some of these small spring gentians rather better.

[Maggi Young]

Narcissus panizzinianus - grown from JJA seed. This is growing well and even producing seedlings and is perhaps my favourite species in the garden.

I'm quite surprised that this plant is doing so well outside with you, Tim, even in Kent - I would be tickled pink if I could get them to do that here- I must try!

[Jozef Lemmens]

Jef , do I understand correctly that you lost it due the severe frost from last winter ?

Oeps sorry, I expressed myself wrongly. The plant is still fine and doing well.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Oeps sorry, I expressed myself wrongly. The plant is still fine and doing well.

Thanks Jef , then I give it a chance here in my garden ....Any recommandation about a place in the garden ?   

[Jozef Lemmens]

Dobrư den.
See some of you next Thursday (after a long and boring trip).

Saxifraga x pragensis 'Golden Prague'

[Yann]

I just discover the Erythronium display, stunning hybrids, thanks for sharing this lovely set.

[Excelsior]

Seem to be quiet from the Scandinavian gardeners, yet. So here are some pictures of Iris danfordiae and Iris reticulata Harmony 

[Gene Mirro]

Dodecatheon pulchellum:



Camassia quamash ssp azurea, with Dracunculus vulgaris in back:



Trillium cernuum:



Cypripedium ? :



Corydalis scouleri:

[gmoen]

Finaly it seems spring has arrived here up north. Here are some Hepaticas from the garden to day (I only grow forms and hybrids of H. nobilis nobilis and H. transilvanica)

1 A multi petaled form of Hep. nobils collected in the forrest behind my house
2 One of my pink form of Hep. nobilis grown from seed (Hepatica nobilis 'Best Pink')
3 One of my favorite Hepatica is a plant given to my by my friend Severin Schlyter the last time I visited him before he past away. He had no name for it but it is a cross between H. nobilis and H. transilvanica. For my self I have named it Hepatica 'Schlyter's Heritage'
4 Hepatica 'Schlyter's Heritage' closeup

Cheers
Geir