General Subjects > Flowers and Foliage Now
October 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere
Mariette:
--- Quote from: Véronique Macrelle on October 09, 2024, 05:53:27 PM ---I'm glad to see that Ipomoea alba is surviving in your garden!
I planted 1 plant in the ground, and the others in large pots. sowing was not so easy.
how long has the other species lived in your garden?
I wanted some Cobaea too, but the plants didn't flower this year; let's hope they overwinter well ...
--- End quote ---
Hi Véronique, I sowed Ipomoea alba for the second time without any problems, though this year´s seeds were at least 2 years old. They germinated perfectly well for me.
I tried to overwinter last year´s plants in my green house, which is kept just frost-free, but they didn´t survive. Recently I learnt that it takes 7°C minimum for them during winter.
The seeds of Ipomoea pubescens arrived rather late, but germinated quickly, too. I´m growing this species for the first time and will try to overwinter them like I. alba.
Both will not survive planted out in our climate, I suppose.
@ Robert: I´m interested to learn that You face the same problems as we did these last hot years. The leaves of many old stalwarts like pieris were bleached by the hot sun, even apples were damaged by the heat. Gooseberries may no more be planted in full sun, as the berries get "cooked" and brown, in the future they will require a spot in partial shade, at least. Some shrubs like corylopsis thrived for 30 years, but caught fungus and died away over several very dry years. Maybe a similar fate as Your stately walnut. Others like kerria recovered during the wet period since 14 months, which was reported from many parts in Germany and Austria. Currants fell also prey to fungus and look healthy only where they are growing in shady spots.
Some plants show late flowers for the first time, like Iris foetidissima. Obviously an effect of the excessive rainfall.
Spiraea betulifolia ´Tor Gold´ with autumn leaves and flowers, as well.
ashley:
Thank you for such a comprehensive response Robert.
Yes, after a closer look at the photo I realised that C. graecum was more likely. Here C. hederifolium thrives but graecum needs protection from our excessive winter wet. The few flowers I get are a bonus because its foliage alone makes it worth growing.
How lovely to have hummingbirds visit the garden. Only hummingbird hawkmoths here, and less often in recent years
Vinny 123:
Hummingbird hawkmoths.............
I could not keep up with it, although I very much like it as a plant - Vinca major - but the only year (10+ago) that I saw them here (the moths), the Vinca set plentiful seed horns (asclepiadacaea (spelling????) - rather unusual seed "pods").
I had previously had them visit when I lived in Devon - quite something to sit, chill and watch..............
Vinca minor and flower colour and variegated vars. of either sp. make great garden plants that do not romp away and take over.
So far as I am aware hummingbird hawkmoths are only ever vagrants to the UK. They DO live up to their common name
Robert:
Mariette,
It is nice to see some autumn leaf color. I am not sure we are going to have any autumn color this year. The foliage of so many of our ornamental plants burned this past summer and autumn. In addition, a weak La Niña pattern is being forecasted for this winter. This generally translates into a relatively warm dry winter in our part of California. Generalized, ultra long-range forecasts are very difficult, but can be helpful in preparing for the next gardening season. A warm winter translates into a lack of chilling hours for many plant species in our region, thus muted autumn leaf colors or the leaves that just dry up and frequently cling to the twigs for long periods of time. This is not very attractive, but is occurring much more frequently in our part of California.
ashley:
Mediterranean geophytes at Madrid BG
Narcissus cavanillesii
Hyacinthoides lingulata
Prospero autumnale
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version