March in the Northern Hemisphere

[Herman Mylemans]

(Attachment Link)
The early-spring flowering Cypripedium formosanum from Taiwan can form wonderful clumps when it is happy, as it seems to be here. The flowers are frost sensitive and in some years they have turned brown early as a result. Other enemies are slugs and caterpillars that can reduce the flowers to shreds overnight. Fortunately, they don't seem to find the leaves very tasty, just the flowers. This plant grows in very gritty soil mulched with some leaf litter between two deciduous shubs (Rhododendron Crosswater Red and Vaccinium corymbosum 'Chandler') that provide shade during the summer, while allowing plenty of light in the spring.

Great clump Andre! Congratulations!

[Robert]

I'm sorry, there is no way of knowing the origin of seed from seed ex, unless the donator happens to read this.
I knew that they might not be hardy enough to grow here, unless the seed is from higher mountains, but we'll see.

Hi Leena,

Thank you for answering my question. There is only so much I can determine about some of the species I enjoy growing here in Sacramento. I am completely dependent on feedback from gardeners in other regions to share their experiences with these plants. So thank you.      And thank you to the other Forumist that share their gardening experiences on the Forum. The learning experience is something that I enjoy greatly.

[Robert]

Each year the composition of our front border strip improves.



In this photograph Tulipa clusiana ‘Peppermint Stick’ is combining well with dark hybrid tulips and a variety of California native annuals.



This is another view of the border from a different perspective.



I do the best I can to develop plants for practical application in our Sacramento, California garden. Our third generation Phacelia campanularia line is performing extremely well in the open garden. Plants in this line are being selected for strong performance in an open garden setting, a prolonged blooming cycle, with abundant flowers. We are well on our way to obtaining this goal.

[Robert]

In our back yard Erythronium oregonum is coming into bloom.



I am generally not satisfied growing a single specimen or a single generation of plants of any given species. I seek to bring out the best qualities in a species by growing multiple generations of plants from genetically diverse populations in our garden. I am always on the lookout for appealing recombinations of genes as well as noteworthy mutations that may have horticultural value. With perennial species the process takes longer than with annual species, however once the process is started each season brings something new to watch and evaluate. Eventually, each morning throughout the year brings something new to see in the garden. For me this is also a gardening success and a very satisfying creative process.



Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii is coming into bloom. I also work with this species. The process is slow as it takes seedlings many years to develop. Patience is required, but I enjoy all the incremental steps in the process.



Our Napa County form of Triteleia laxa is always the first to start blooming in our Sacramento garden.



Viburnum bitchiuense is now blooming. The fragrance of this species is divine.

[ruweiss]

Robert, many thanks for your pictures and reports of the plants in
your climatic zone, we can learn a lot about the cultivation of US plants.
Here are 2 pictures of Asiatic plants: Amana edulis and Bergenia ciliata

[Leena]

however once the process is started each season brings something new to watch and evaluate. Eventually, each morning throughout the year brings something new to see in the garden. For me this is also a gardening success and a very satisfying creative process.

You are so right about that! Sowing seeds every year and then there is always something to look forward.

Very nice front border with tulips, so natural looking.

[Robert]

Hi Leena,

Very nice front border with tulips, so natural looking.

Thank you for the comment about our front border.    It is a work in progress (most likely never ending, ever evolving). I do not like a garden full of individual specimens, one each of every species. A single specimen here and there as an accent works for me, but in general I like drifts of the same species scattered around randomly – like what I see in nature. Working with a large variety of plants works for me too as long as I do not end up with one of each. Slowly I am attempting to orchestrate a naturalistic garden with and an expanded palette of plants. I just kind of do things with “no mind” (Zen a concept) and see what happens. If nature takes over, in a way I like, so much the better, but then nature generally has its way anyway. There is so much to enjoy about gardening.

Hi Rudi,

Robert, many thanks for your pictures and reports of the plants in
your climatic zone, we can learn a lot about the cultivation of US plants.

Thank you.

I certainly enjoy the range of plants you show in your garden and alpine house. Many are species that I am not at all familiar with. Being exposed to them certainly gets me thinking about our garden in unexpected ways. So thank you for sharing so much.

BTW – I enjoyed your photograph of Lewisia tweedyi immensely. Isn’t that how it turns out sometimes, the plants that seeds out in an unexpected location turns out to be the finest specimen.



I thought that readers would like this photograph. The photograph was taken over 10 years ago, in the Deer Valley region of El Dorado County, California. It is the colony of Erythronium multiscapideum from which our Deer Valley line was derived. They are such beautiful plants and I am so happy that they have grown well in our Sacramento garden. They are also the parents of a number of hybrids that are progressing along. I am looking forward to the time when they start blooming. There are so many plants to look forward to as they develop. 

[Mariette]

Andre, Your Cypripedium formosanum looks like a fairy- tale-plant!

Rudi, Your two asiatics are very interesting - what is the one in the second pic?

Robert, last year I got a bag of seed of Phacelia campanularia. The blue is of almost incredible intensity, it´s a gorgeous annual. Comparing what I grew with Your plants, one can well see the difference. Mine were of ungainly, spindly growth, whereas Yours form nice clumps. Obviously, You are very successful in improving the plant´s habit. Congratulations!

Your erythroniums are always a delight! Today I was surprised that Erythronium californicum is about to flower - I expected it to be lost to the slugs.
You mention the mottling of the leaves - once I read that erythroniums growing in dappled shade tend to have mottled leaves, whereas those growing more exposed usually have green leaves. Would You affirm that from Your observations?

Since many years, Camellia japonica ´Imbricata Alba´ grows in my garden. Often the white flowers show pink stripes, but this year it sported a completely pink flower.



A shrub I like is Ribes ´White Icicle´ with its almost weeping habit.





This shrub sets comparatively few seeds, some of them were sown several years ago. To my surprise, all seedlings show an upright growth and glowing pink colour of the flowers.



Scilla lilio-hyacinthus is doing well in my garden.

[Mariette]

Primulas self-seed in my garden.



An old variety of narcissus, perhaps somebody can tell if it´s ´Mrs. Langtry´? I like the flowers of the grass by its side, too - Luzula sylvatica ´Aurea´.



I grew Arum creticum potted for 8 years, where it clumped excessively but never flowered. Now, in the border, it´s obviously happier.

[ruweiss]

Robert, thank you for your kind comment.
Mariette, sorry that I didn't add the name to this plant. It is Bergenia ciliata, the flowers start very easy and get
usually destroyed by frost. The leaves start later and grow really big until early frosts in autumn kills them.

[Robert]

Robert, last year I got a bag of seed of Phacelia campanularia. The blue is of almost incredible intensity, it´s a gorgeous annual. Comparing what I grew with Your plants, one can well see the difference. Mine were of ungainly, spindly growth, whereas Yours form nice clumps. Obviously, You are very successful in improving the plant´s habit. Congratulations!


You mention the mottling of the leaves - once I read that erythroniums growing in dappled shade tend to have mottled leaves, whereas those growing more exposed usually have green leaves. Would You affirm that from Your observations?

Hi Mariette,

Mottled leaves on Erythronium species. I am not sure what is involved. I see mottled leaves on plants in full sun and shade. Also blooming and non-blooming bulbs. I have never seen mottled leaves on young developing plants. There appears to be some degree of maturity necessary before they develop mottling. This is my experience in California. It might be different somewhere else. For me lots of unknowns.



The leggy and spindly growth you experience with your Phacelia campanularia seedlings might be a function of net solar radiation and day length. Phacelia campanularia is native to the Mojave Desert of California at ± 35 north latitude. This species grows in openings between the taller growing trees (Pinyon Pine) and desert shrubs. Although winters can and do have overcast skies and precipitation, net solar radiation and day length are much greater during the winter months than your location in Germany (somewhere between 54 N to 48 N). Here in Sacramento we are at 38 N. This is not far removed from 35 N in the Mojave Desert. Although I do select for compact habit of growth, spindly and leggy growth is never an issue.

It might be worth experimenting by sowing seeds at intervals throughout the spring and see if longer days and more net solar radiation allows the seedlings to develop properly. You might find that seeds sown in April or May do much better. This might not be worth the effort or of interest, but this is something that any gardener in your situation could try.



I do get off-type seedlings. This pale Phacelia campanularia can be rogued out (to maintain or improve the seed line) or isolated if I see some characteristics I like for future use.



This is my upright selection of Erythranthe bicolor. When observed closely it is very apparent that this species exhibits a great deal of genetic variability. They are pretty plants and enjoyable to work with.



Layia gaillardioides is another favorite California native annual.



Making practical use of our California native annuals in our Sacramento garden is a primary goal.

[Robert]

These Polyanthus Primula have been in our garden for over 20 years.



I think that Jasmin found them discarded, thrown into the street to be picked up as garbage. These plants have been “tough-as-nails”, enduring heat, drought, and many years of neglect. Amazing!



Primula veris has been easy-to-grow in our garden. I do give them much more attention and care. I wish that they set seed – who knows what could be developed from these plants?



Rhododendron occidentale ‘Early Cream Pink’ is coming into bloom now. This too is one of my selections from the North Fork of the Feather River, in Northern California. They are extremely heat tolerant and very early blooming.



This selection has pink pigmentation on the inner portion of the petals. This characteristic is quite attractive and is extremely unusual for plants of the interior California race of Rhododendron occidentale.

[Robert]

Rhododendron austrinum ‘Moonbeam’ is our earliest blooming form of Rhododendron austrinum. We have a number of selections of this species in our Sacramento garden. They range in color from yellow, to creamy pink-orange, to bright orange. All have proven to be extremely heat tolerant, and resistant to the xenobiotics in the air and water. They are excellent plants for our garden. I like the flower fragrance too.

[Stefan B.]

Magnolia 'Genie'

[ruweiss]

We had a Easter Meeting with the family in our meadow garden and were surprised
to see the first Paeonia flowers of the year. I got this plant some years ago from a friend
as P. mlokosewitschii, but am in doubt, if this the true thing.