Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: Philippe on November 05, 2010, 09:21:54 AM
-
Hi
Just click here if you want:
http://www.alsacephotos.fr/chitelet/presentation/intro/introduction.htm (http://www.alsacephotos.fr/chitelet/presentation/intro/introduction.htm) ( sorry, no longer available )
I made a small presentation of my garden
Have a good day
Philippe
Situated in the Vosges at an altitude of 1228m, on the “Route des Crêtes” (ridge road), Le Haut Chitelet High Altitude Garden present 2500 alpine species. A world tour of the most beautiful mountains through their flora!
The site also has a high altitude beech wood and a natural peat bog.
A mountain climate
The Vosges Mountains are the first natural barrier against winds and clouds coming in from the Atlantic.
Even in the height of summer, it is therefore not unusual for mountain visitors to experience rain. Situated at a height of 1228m, on the north-west side of the mountain, Le Haut Chitelet High Altitude Garden are marked by a mountain climate, as shown by the following annual climate averages:
- 200 days of rain,
- 162 days of snow cover,
- 2200 mm of water,
- average temperature: 3.5°C.
A climate equivalent may be found at an altitude of 1800m in the Northern Alps or at 2000m in the Pyrenees.
The significant humidity prevalent here may be seen by the presence of large numbers of lichens and mosses that cover the tree trunks and stones and develop on the ground.
-
Hi Phillip ,
Glad to read from the Botanical garden near Col de la Schlucht ....it is some year ago that I have visit it for the last time -but it is still unforgetable !
I know the Vosges mts. very well and I like it much - so I have made there many walkings in last 30 years .
I'm a bit surprised ....you wrote in your signature that you live in NW Vosges ....but in your profil is written : Brest .... ::)
If you look here in my older postings so you will find some reports of me :p.e. one is 'Sentier de Roches' from this year and a older is for the Narcissus from the Vosges
Greetings from Germany ( we live near the border )
Hans
-
Hello Philippe, An interesting presentation, I look forward to your future postings.
-
Wonderful report Philippe ... many thanks for posting. We anticipate your future postings with great interest.
-
I'm a bit surprised ....you wrote in your signature that you live in NW Vosges ....but in your profil is written : Brest .... ::)
Oh you're right. Birth-date was demanded when completing the profile, and location immediately after that, so I mixed both. Of course, birth-location doesn't bring much ;)
Corrected, thanks ;)
I'll take a look at your posts, and feel free to come back again to the Haut-Chitelet, there were many changes in the last years.
Philippe
-
Philippe, this is a great idea.... what a fine introduction to you and to the wonderful garden.... we will all look forward to learning more about the plants .... and your life there, in times to come.
The garden home page: http://www.jardinbotaniquedenancy.eu/Francais/presentationchitelet.php4
-
Philippe ,
OK ...now I have understand !
Shure I will visit the garden when I will come in this area -I hope you can post in meantime some pics
Hans
-
Philippe,
A warm welcome...I have already added Haut-Chitelet to my folder of places to visit in the next few years. Do tell us more, as you feel like it.
Kristl
-
great introduction, thanks, philippe!
it's always very interesting to get an insight into other habitat and environments..
so during the summer you live at the vosges site? or do you travel back and forth to nancy regularly?
can't wait for more photos of the garden, do you also maintain your own private garden?
-
Hi
I'm the luckiest man in summer! Indeed I live there in the Vosges for the 6 summer months, so no need to travel daily back down to that hot sticky town ( which is 1h30/2h away).
There's a chalet inside the garden, and I wake up every morning, just opening the window, breathing the refreshing mountain air, and thanking god for being here, in these beautiful landscapes and near those plants I cherish so ;)
On the contrary, it's such a heartbreak when winter comes and, with it, time to leave the Vosges and live the next 6 months in Nancy. What doesn't help at all is that I work during all that time in tropical greenhouses at hte botanical garden in Nancy, which is a bit difficult for me, as well because of the "climate" as because of my in comparaison with alpines rather low interest for tropical vegetation.
Allright, I already think now about next spring and next move to the pastures ;) And about the joy to see the plants wake up again from their winter rest.
I haven't got a private garden. All I could wish or hope for is already over there ;)
-
well, 6 months of bliss is more than some people get ;)
i love the mountains too, but when winter hits (of course much colder than nancy) i wouldn't mind being safely in a tropical greenhouse ;D
-
Well, it's now around midwinter here in France, days become longer, but spring in the mountains is still far away.
On this sunny sunday morning, I made a little walk in my archives, and found some garden plants pics from the previous years.
1- Androsace alpina
Not an easy one, but for a plant that is cultivated outdoor, it does quite well. I have to renew it from time to time, as the cushions are never very long lived. Heat and droughtness are rather uncommon here, but it simply suffers the comparatively too long growing saison at 1200m asl.
2- Androsace vitaliana
Or whatever name it will be given...A fairy in late may, when the grey carpet gets covered with hundreds of little golden flowers. The plant may look less showy after that in summer, but this generous flowering for 2 weeks in spring is well worth waiting. It grows rapidly here, and divisions are made every year. Never seen seed on it, I'll try hand pollination next spring.
3- Androsace laggeri
From the Pyrenees, perhaps the loveliest of the carnea group, with its fine leaves, light and fragile flowers.
4- Petrocallis pyrenaica
A gem found in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The plant I have flowers pink and white at the same time, what might hang on the flower stage.
5- Draba polytricha
From the Caucasus. Care must be taking of it, as it tends sometimes to not appreciate the winter in the open air, particularly when snowcover comes to fail over longer time.
6- Primula juliae
Also from the Caucasus. A creeping primula which appreciates cool, damp, and rather shade conditions
7- Linnaea borealis
Another creeping plant to be found on acidic soil, amongst Rhododendron ferrugineum and Pinus in the Alps. Its flowers clearly show its relativity to Lonicera-family
8- Linaria alpina
The queen of instable screes. Here it is planted in a very little round trough, Soil is a mix of much grit, sand, and some loam and humus, the top covered with slate-stone ( for visual effect only). Not particularly long lived in this conditions, but it always sets enough seeds to insure the next-year flowering, as the seedlings grow on pretty quick.
I noticed that seedlings never appear out from the trough. Or if they do so, they cannot stand concurrency from other plants around and soon disappear. Of course, I don't let such a thing happen ;)
9- Saponaria pumilio
It has not the refinement of some tight cushion-plants, but saponaria pumilio looks sometimes perfect in my eyes, when you see the crown of pink flowers laying all around the leaves on the soil. A very showy plant. Without grit on the soil, every strong rain will badly damage the fragile flowers. With a thin layer of grit, they might recover from such a treatment.
The seedpod is very fragrant, it is to be smelled particulary when cleaning up the seeds. A mix of sugar and toffee, as do some of the affiliated dianthus species.
10- Silene acaulis Frances ( I think)
As i read, a natural form from the shetlands or the feroes islands. Foliage is very thight and of a very light green, one could think the plant is lacking nutrients. The flowers are also of the palest pink. A beautiful alternative to the sometimes flashy pink of the common silene acaulis.
-
Hello Phillipe, I found this thread today!
Your mountain place seems to be very beautiful and with the opportunity to grow all kinds of alpines to perfection!
You say that the treeline is about 1300m, and that's not much more than here in Norway! I would have thought that the treeline was higher up? But if the climate is harsh it is more like the west coast of Norway where the treeline is much lower than further inland.
But I have to arrest you for one statement, Mont Blanc (4808) is not the highest peak in Europe, that is Mount Elbrus (5642) in Caucasus!
Now I am looking forward to more pictures!
Pictures:
Mount Elbrus
and my daughter where I prefere to be!
-
Just found this thread and am fascinated by the garden pictures and site. Thank you so much for sharing. The Linaria alpina looks the way it does in nature, so beautiful. And the Petrocallis pyrenaica, so interesting to see white and pink flowers on the same plant, which does not happen on the plants in my garden in New York State. Looking forward to more plant and garden pictures in the spring.
-
Lovely pictures Philippe and I'm especially happy to see the beautiful Saponaria pumilio. It is one ofmy favourite plants and I think you and I may be the only people to have shown it on the Forum.
-
Well, it's now around midwinter here in France, days become longer, but spring in the mountains is still far away.
On this sunny sunday morning, I made a little walk in my archives, and found some garden plants pics from the previous years.
2- Androsace vitaliana
Or whatever name it will be given...A fairy in late may, when the grey carpet gets covered with hundreds of little golden flowers. The plant may look less showy after that in summer, but this generous flowering for 2 weeks in spring is well worth waiting. It grows rapidly here, and divisions are made every year. Never seen seed on it, I'll try hand pollination next spring.
3- Androsace laggeri
From the Pyrenees, perhaps the loveliest of the carnea group, with its fine leaves, light and fragile flowers.
6- Primula juliae
Also from the Caucasus. A creeping primula which appreciates cool, damp, and rather shade conditions
10- Silene acaulis Frances ( I think)
As i read, a natural form from the shetlands or the feroes islands. Foliage is very thight and of a very light green, one could think the plant is lacking nutrients. The flowers are also of the palest pink. A beautiful alternative to the sometimes flashy pink of the common silene acaulis.
Every single one is a gem! even if I pick a favourite, I can't pick less than 3-- the yellow Androsace just because its an atypical colour for the genus, the very gentle woodsy looking Primula, and the pale Silene, because I like pale pinks..but all wonderful and very nicely shot..
-
even if I pick a favourite, I can't pick less than 3-- the yellow Androsace just because its an atypical colour for the genus...
Probably part of the reason it was reclassified to Vitaliana primuliflora. It's easy to grow here, if you are interested in trying it, Cohan.
Lovely pictures, Phillippe. They put me in mind of spring... and it's incredible to see (from some other threads, that is) that spring starts in January in some parts of the world. Unimaginable!
-
even if I pick a favourite, I can't pick less than 3-- the yellow Androsace just because its an atypical colour for the genus...
Probably part of the reason it was reclassified to Vitaliana primuliflora. It's easy to grow here, if you are interested in trying it, Cohan.
Lovely pictures, Phillippe. They put me in mind of spring... and it's incredible to see (from some other threads, that is) that spring starts in January in some parts of the world. Unimaginable!
Thanks for the tip, Lori, I will definitely watch for it!
Re:spring, I have been thinking the same thing! The earliest signs I will see will be among cacti on my windowsill, should be one or two by the end of the month....
-
Lovely pictures, Phillippe. They put me in mind of spring... and it's incredible to see (from some other threads, that is) that spring starts in January in some parts of the world. Unimaginable!
No Lori, those pics aren't recent, but from previous flowering seasons!
I would really worry if these plants were already in flower at that time of the year here.
I just felt like sharing spring sights, waiting for it to come in few months :D
-
Yes, I understood that they were not recent, and that it is still very much winter there (as it is here!) Nice pix.
-
Lovely pictures, Phillippe. They put me in mind of spring... and it's incredible to see (from some other threads, that is) that spring starts in January in some parts of the world. Unimaginable!
No Lori, those pics aren't recent, but from previous flowering seasons!
I would really worry if these plants were already in flower at that time of the year here.
I just felt like sharing spring sights, waiting for it to come in few months :D
We need all the encouragement we can get at this time!
-
Forced to stay at home, with a bad cold hanging around, nothing new at this time of the year :-\
So I prepared another batch of pics of the garden. This time, these are more general views of some parts of it, no plants or flowers close up.
Of course the following shots are from previous growing seasons, as the garden is again/still under deep snow at present time.
1. Mid september. Once august has passed away, the rapidly decrease of night temperatures boosts the colour change of some of the shrubs and small trees we have. Especialy in the asiatic part of the garden. So the japanese rockery always draws attention in first, with the lovely yellow/orange/red/green display of Enkianthus, Prunus, Acer, Betula, the deciduous rhododendron, and so on. Here on the pic enkianthus perulatus ( So on pic 7). Even some of the herbaceous japanese alpines and/or perennials get sometimes unexpected splendid colours ( geum pentapetalum, aruncus dioicus var tenuifolius, patrinia, some of the aconitums). Japanese mountains must be a w-o-n-d-e-r-l-a-n-d in fall. ONe of the things I should absolutely see with my own eyes at least once in my life.
2. A new European Alps bed that was made for 3 years. Lots of things to see in it, with the gentiana kochiana/primula farinosa/ clusiana/hirsuta, draba aizoides, adonis vernalis, dryas octopetala, in early spring at mid may, followed by linaria alpina, campanula alpestris, campanulas caespitosa/cochleariifolia, primula auricula, erinus alpinus, silene alpestris when summer comes.
3. Near the garden entrance, the trough sector, where there is always a lot of work, or more exactly where there SHOULD always be much to do...Renewing the older ones that are slowly going in several parts, planting out, planting in, creating new ones, improving the display, and so on...I'll do my best to be able to show some of them more closely in the forum this year...
4. Again in the European Alps part, with small cushions of vitaliana and artemisia in the middle foreground.
5. The japanese pond in summer. Lots of foliage, few flowers...The iris setosa at their best, some primula japonica and that was it! Ligularias and tricyrtis to come later in the season.
This part was partly renewed last fall, with new plantations, but we're still looking for more japanese moutains/alpines plants to complete the bed.
6. From Asia into the spontaneous part of the garden, with a misty fall morning in the nearly situated peat-bog area. Sorbus aucuparia as its best, with branches full of the adorable red berries.
7. Yes, again enkianthus perulatus, which shows incredible colours, in particular when the weather is grey and foggy. It's such a shame it doesn't do so here at lower altitudes ( unfortunately as with most of the other fall-coloured shrubs or trees) , where the transition between summer and fall is very much too long and too kind. It's just turning a dirty reddish brown, before loosing the leaves.
8. In the Pyrenees part. A big one, with comparatively few species. It's just hard to find alpine plants really restricted to the Pyrenees ( it's by far much easier for the Alps). There are plenty of it, of course, what makes the pyrenean flora so interessant, but most are under protection, and we get very few new material. Nor did I never hear of anybody collecting seed there. Yet we have fortunately some lovely plants to see, lilium pyrenaicum, senecio leucophyllus, ramonda pyrenaica, saxifraga longifolia (more or less "true"...), potentilla alchemilloides, adonis pyrenaica, gentiana burseri...
9. Another view of the pyrenean part, with the stunning fall colour of nothofagus antarctica in background, situated in the south hemisphere bed, next to the Pyrenees. A nothofagus which is having a very hard life upthere, as it often partially breaks down during the very snowy winters, the wood being much too fragile to support the weight of snow. Nevertheless, it goes in its 45ies
10. And to finish, here at the meetpoint between Asia and Europe. China left on the pic with the generous blossom of gentiana sino-ornata ( which often "goes to waste" under the firsts snows of winter), wheras we have the Vosges on the right. Such a pleasure to travel around the world so easily ;).
As you can see on the pic, the right side is quite empty, because renewed last fall.
Check out the little green pine which grows surrounded by grass in the middle-left. This was the very first plantation of the garden, as it was opened in 1967 ( PINUS mugo), wheras the yellow LARIX kaempferi on the right background is already probably more than 40 years old ( young tree plantation, not from seed).
Don't know if it comes so clear through this only pic, but it gives perhaps an idea of the limitated growth of vegetation at this relatively low altitude, due to the harsh climate.
I hope you've enjoyed this little tour in my paradise. There will be more pictures to come, of course!
-
Beautiful images, Philippe ... many thanks for posting.
-
Paradise de luxe, Philippe!
-
Lovely photographs, Philippe, and a wonderful place to work.
Although you posted photographs of many beautiful flowers it is Linaria alpina which takes my fancy. I imagine it as a funny little flower.
Paddy
-
Very nice, thanks!
-
Stunning shots, merci!
-
Hi!
Blue, as the constant grey outside could make me feel these last days, but also blue as the colour of the pics which are following. I'm so happy we are now getting fast toward the end of winter. "Transhumance" is planned in about 8 weeks, hoping the firsts gentianas will be on time to welcome us as we'll get up there.
1 Corydalis cashmeriana. The well known
2 Cyananthus microphyllus. Well, not that pure blue but a pleasant late himalayan flowering
3 Delphinium tatsienense. I'm not very keen on delphiniums, although there are some of them really pretty, but also very difficult to grow or at least almost impossible to get. This one is one of my preferred, if not the one I prefer for the moment. Tiny, fragile looking, with incredible blue flower late in the summer.
4 Eryngium alpinum. It is/was in great need of protection in the wild, but here, cultivated in the garden, it seems to feel right at home and shows sometimes a clear tendency to conquer the space, wherever the soil is rich and quite wet.
5 Gentiana farreri. The perfect fall-messenger, which makes the end of the summer season and the approach of winter feel somehow easier
6 Gentiana kochiana. ON the other side, this one opens the new growth season with the first mild days of spring, Some sun is required to get the flower well opened. With our cloudy and rainy weather, it gets sometimes difficult to have the possibility to enjoy fully the deep blue flowers more than for a few days. But there are always some hurried flowers to open in late fall, during some late warmth spell, whereas the other flowerbuds just begin to point at that time, preparing for the winter rest under snow.
It really prefers a quite heavy but drained soil, with plenty of "food" and a relative constant amount of humidity within. The roots just can't anchor well in a lighter soil which dries out quicker, and the plant just starves in this case.
7 Gentiana verna. Still trying to make it simply past the leaves-stage... I was given this exemplar on the pic in perfect health, already at flowering stage. So I'll see this year how it will have enjoyed - or not- its new home.
8 Iris latifolia. Another not really blue one, nevertheless with a quite attractive colour and foliage, from the Pyrenees.
9 Jasione laevis. A plant mainly for the scree, where it can spread around with underground offshoots, without suffering too much competition from more vigourous plants.
10 Meconopsis betonicifolia. No need to introduce it. Best seen with overcast or, even better, foggy weather
-
Lovely to feel THESE blues Philippe. I'm blue too, just packing seed of Gentiana prolata for the seed lists. :)
-
Wonderful set of blues, Philippe!
Spring must be there now? at least in Nancy....
-
I think blue is my favorite colour when it comes to flowers :)
-
Hello from France again ;)
Drought and quasi heat could resume our spring 2011, which already belongs to weather history here.
The snow melted very early this year in the mountains after a tremendous and promising winter beginning, and by mid/late march it was so far: no snow cover more in the Vosges at 1200m asl. Instead of that, bright sunshine, few rain, and well above normal temperatures.
Vegetation didn't need more to get 3 to 4 weeks earlier than usual. And I still can't believe that our meconopsis will flower in a few days, whereas it's only the case about mid-june in a normal year...
Here some pics taken recently
1. Young lewisia tweedyi
Always carrying flowers the whole 6 months we are at the alpine garden. But this year only beginning particularly early.
It grows very well here, enduring without problem the sometimes pernicious winter wet ( as surprisingly also does L.rediviva)
2. Primula farinosa
I found it sometimes tricky, until the right place was apparently found, at which it lives since 4 years ( plenty of light, facing north west, so the ground doesn't get to warm). I thought it would need moist soil, with water not far away, as I mostly saw it in the wild, but it isn't the case here. It now grows alone, for my pleasure ;)
3. Primula auricula
4. Primula rosea
It was nearly too late to see its flowers. But fortunately it grows also in a north facing bed which was longer covered with snow this spring.
5. Primula scotica
A quite difficult species to please in my mind, never long lived, not always appreciating the growing conditions. If anyone has a good advice?
6. Fritillaria pallidiflora
7. Leptinella dendyi
8. Soldanella pusilla
In the same bed with the primula rosea, which is the only way to marvel at its delicate flowers: where the snow lays the longest time.
9. Viola aetolica
10. Rhododendron fastigiatum
-
I'm trying Primula scotica in a cool crevice in a mostly shaded trough, sowing the seed direct onto the soil in the crevice. Too soon yet to say whether that works. I hope it may grow then seed there.
-
The plants are all looking great in spite of the dry spring... hope you have enough rain over the summer..
-
Hi!
Some news from the helichrysum milfordiae, which is this year a real gem, catching every eye that passes by, and both mines at first, of course ;D
Don"t forget to take a look here:
http://www.alsacephotos.fr/chitelet/site/actualite/actualite.htm (http://www.alsacephotos.fr/chitelet/site/actualite/actualite.htm)
As usual, all in french ( not enough time to translate in english), but with the pics of the plant that flower for the moment in the garden
Bye!
-
Wow! fantastic plant! I kind of like that the flowers are focussed in some parts of the plants-- still a great floral display, but you can appreciate the fantastic foliage at the same time..
-
Great photos at the link above--wonderful plants made even more beautiful by the stylish photos..
Silene uniflora and Euphorbia griffithii are especially appealing to me!
-
Hi
Time for me to think about giving some news again.
Partly still much snow ( or more exactly watery compacted ice) in this early april in the alpine garden, but also more and more places and beds which begin to look out ouf the old snow layer.
It shouldn't last very long untill it melts completely everywhere, probably not more than 2/3 weeks. I was rapidly upthere this morning to take a look. 4°C (38/39°F), thick fog, and light drizzle. The weather I am loving so much, and that I have been longing for so long in this particularly dry, sunny and too warm spring 2012. Well, I love clouds, fresh air, and humidity you know, only when winter is over ;)
Amongst the very first plants to flower in the garden, as every year, Lysichiton americanus, from NW North America, growing along the river Vologne which gets across the garden. It has been a longer time that the snow has melt here, judging by the more avanced vegetation. We must be very careful by growing this lysichiton as we do in running water, as it behaves quite like a pest in the garden, and is already declared invasive in some countries. The seeds which ripen during summer can very easily escape from the garden following the river, and then colonize the natural environment on lower altitudes. As there are many ponds and smaller lakes at lower altitudes with sometimes threatened indigenous species, this could become problematic and must be avoided above all. Therefore and every spring, we follow the river downstream on several hundred meters to hunt down escaped seedlings, and every 2/3 years make the trip untill those first ponds/smaller lakes 2 kilometers further down to make sure there is absolutely no adult lysichiton anywhere.
Considering we would like to keep the plants in the collections, rip off the spadix when flowering time is over and before seed ripens is the easiest way to limit the risks. To err is human though, and the possibly forgotten seeds which could escape are anyway systematically hunted during the yearly spring seedling inspection trip.
By the way, Lysichiton has an enormous disadvantage which fortunately doesn't allow it to escape discreetly: its yellow spathe at flowering time and huge leaves in summer, both getting easily seen from a distance when hunting for it.
In addition, it takes 3 to 4 years to reach flowering size here.
So far for the little word about the risks of having possible invasive plants in culture.
Some common himalayan primulas, which were obviously sooner snowfree, as other patches at other places still have their winter resting bud look.
Primula denticulata, wandering in the whole himalayan bed, and which would probably like to wander even further in the beds around, as it is very free self sowing. Not giving ripen possibility to all of the seedheads is here again a solution. No invasive threat here though, only a gardener wish, who just doesn't want to see more delicate species and neighbours to be overwhelmed by a beautiful P.denticulata surge.
Primula rosea is also flowering where the snow has already melt, with plenty of water around it. It sometimes even grows in shallow running water, and tends again to sow itself, but pleasantly, without becoming a nuisance.
That was it! We should open the garden by late april, I will try to post then a bit more regularly here in this topic.
-
The melting time is delightful :) I love it when there is water everywhere :) We are at that stage also, but nothing flowering here yet!
-
Think I would feel at home there ;)
-
The melting time is delightful :) I love it when there is water everywhere :) We are at that stage also, but nothing flowering here yet!
Don't talk to me about water! >:( >:( >:(
-
What has happened Lesley?
-
Oh dear, has the cost of a tanker of water gone up again, Lesley?
-
What has happened Lesley?
I hoped you'd never ask ;D but seriously, water is a major problem at present. If it were just that we had run out, emergency supplies are always available. A neighbour even had their tank filled on Christmas day in 2011. In case you didn't know already, we have no town supply here and rely on what is known locally as "tank water" which is storage tanks which take rain from roofs. We have just the one and occasionally have to buy water which comes in a tanker.
No. This is a problem we should have fixed months ago because the pump was acting up and we did nothing about it. The pump was going continuously but not actually lifting any water. Roger fixed a seal and it went OK but obviously it was just a temporary fix.
Friday was OK but Saturday morning first thing when I went to shower before work, no cold water and R found the pump had burned out totally. Easter and no suppliers available, likewise yesterday Sunday and today Easter Monday. Hopefully we can get a new pump and get it going, tomorrow as I urgently need to use the hose.
In the meantime, R is carting water in 20 litre containers from Mosgiel, 9kms down the road, for cooking/drinking, washing (not a shower though) some dish washing (also need to do clothes but they'll have to wait), for the dogs and of course for the loo.
We've been to R's neice's place in Mosgiel for showers and I've filched some from a container for newly potted seedlings and the coolest troughs (after extolling beautiful autumn weather I wish it would rain but no sign of it).
So, roll on the end of Easter holidays. I feel sticky and dirty and am all the time seeing more plants that need a good soak. Just for once, after a wet summer, our tank is almost full. "Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink" as someone said. ::)
-
No bore water possible?
-
Interesting, it's all well water out here......
-
No Rob. We do have a spring but we're at the top of a hill and it is mucky and would literally take thousands to clean it out, which we don't have. Besides because of a falling water table over recent years, no further resource consents are being issued to take ground water in the area.
A few years back the local council offered to connect water to all households in the area but at a price of approx $20,000 per household. Where we live there are some very rich people and some very poor. It just wasn't an option for those. I'd have to say that nowadays we're among the latter.
-
Season 2012 arrival at the alpine garden
After some very hot days of late this April, it's time to think about moving up to the alpine garden. I left the lowland with 25°C, which were already quite a refreshment after the 30°C we had the day
just before. Air is moist, warm, it really feels as if summer had begun.
Coming to the alpine garden, about 100kms further away, and after 1 km in height, the contrast is really striking: thunderstorm rainshower, little hail, and 8°C! Plenty of snow still laying around
from last winter. This IS now true refreshment!
Fortunately, due to the extra heat we had on the last week-end of April, the rocks could warm up and speed up snow melt around in the beds, but the way down to the house where we live in
summer, in the lower part of the garden, was still thickly covered with snow, sometimes up to 1 meter high. One of the first tasks of this 2012 season will be snow shoveling in the ways. Sun and
positive temperatures will help a lot of course, but this main way and the others amongst the beds have to be snowfree the soonest possible: lot of work in the garden, with trees branches broken
everywhere, and here and there a complete tree which was thrown down to the soil: our work vehicule must absolutely be able to get to this places
[attach=1]
First snow obstacle right next to the road.
[attach=2]
Second one near the garden entrance...And then many others further on the way down to the house.
[attach=3]
[attach=4]
After shoveling. For the moment only one line, which should be broadened soon if the weather doesn't help quick enough meanwhile.
Of course we vould have prefered all this snow to be a bit longer on the beds rather than mainly on the ways. The winter was not particularly snowy, there has never been great amounts of snow at
once, but rather little on several occasions during December and January, with temporary superficial meltings in between, turning the snow surface rather wet quite soon. The strong cold wave in
February just transformed this wet snow surface in a thick and most hardest ice layer, which took a very long time to melt, even after the very mild and sunny March. Then came April, with new
snow, and fresh temperatures.
Some other views of the garden.
[attach=5]
Water everywhere. Himalayan part to the left, completely snowfree as you see, allowing the traditionnal Primula rosea and P.denticulata to come in flowers, and other Meconopsis to slowly
emerge from the ground ( even Rheum nobile seems to be with us again this year, with a wee new shoot coming right now!) China bed on the right, more sheltered from the afternoon sun, and
therefore still covered with snow.
[attach=6]
The ultimate torture for me: the multiplication beds in the middle- and background, really slowly showing what is growing and what is not growing under the snow. I couldn't yet give an eye to the
so beloved sowing pots bed ( just under the house), one thing I am really impatiently waiting for hour after hour...But well, so far with no result. This part of the garden is turned toward north and the
snow tends to accumulate here every winter, and it's almost always the last place where it melts.
On the foreground there are big pots which were used these last years by a student for an essay on Arnica montana.
-
Some plants coming into growth now.
[attach=1]
Androsace carnea ssp.laggeri
[attach=2]
Androsace hedraeantha
[attach=3]
Lysichiton americanum
[attach=4]
Meconopsis integrifolia
[attach=5]
Plantago nivalis
[attach=6]
Primula rosea
It's such a pleasure to see how the vegetation develops day after day, slowly, with the snow disappearing around. Last year, this was completely different: the garden was totally snowfree after a
really snow poor winter and an early and very warm and dry spring. Plants were about one month sooner than this year, and watering had to be made for the asiatic beds.
Next report probably within 10/12 days.
( really sorry if my english sounds so elementary on the whole)
-
Hopw frustrating for you, Philippe, that there is still so much snow lying.... but in the wrong places!
As you say, a better snow cover over the beds would have been more useful all winter and even now.
There are some delightful signs of spring in the flowers you show- something to give you good heart for the coming weeks.
A pleasure to be able to see these photos from you and see what is happening in the garden :)
-
Great to see the update! Lots of snow, but lots of flowers too!
My snow is gone a bit earlier this year- I have only maybe a few handfuls in one shady spot...
Your english is more than adequate and certainly better than my french- I can get by but never learned to talk about plants/gardens...lol
-
First half May 2012
Two weeks have passed. Could have said much water has flown under the bridge since then, as we say in french, but much snow has melted is here simply clearly more appropriated ;) Although we are right now having snowfall again, beginning to turn the soil white, and even more is forecasted tomorrow.
As usual for a mountain site, we had a bit from all possible weather, from light morning frost those last days untill high summer temperatures last week ( 22°C on one day and 25°C the following one, which was really
surprising for early may, as this is usual nearly the top of what a normal summer can bring us). From thick fog to bright sunshine, thunderstorm, sleet, and now snow and cold temperatures, below freezing point. Not a really good point, as the beech new foliage has just emerged, and is at this stage eminently vulnerable to late frost, which make the leaves turn completely brown and dessicated for a while, untill new ones arrive several weeks later. Beech is the main tree species growing in the forest here.
The alpines should be ok with that late winter come back. Probably one or two already more grown species will suffer from a heavy and wet sticky snow though.
We have spent a few days making the walk-ways and the beds clean of all the numerous winter remnants ( branches, empty beeches fruits literally in thousands this year).
A big task, as every year, is to lift up all the plastic labels that are laid down every autumn before we leave. The weight of snow in winter combinated to the general sloping configuration of the garden can break easily those plastic labels, or sometimes even twist the metal on which they are put.
Most part of the sowing 2012 was also made, and rainy or wet cold days were worked indoors at the pricking out of species germinated last year, liliaceous species first of all, before some of them disappear again for
their summer rest in a few weeks.
The better days were used to undertake the seemingly endless weeding task, an important and privileged moment though to come pretty close to the plants and sometimes really see what's ok and what's not.
As the vegetation in the garden is not so advanced as last year, we have time to do other things meanwhile, which is appreciable : it was urgent to renew our old bog stone trough, in which we present and label the local vegetation of the natural bogs of the region, including insectivorous plants. This trough is generally much appreciated by the public, because being of easy access, near eye looking, and simply because the natural bog situated in the lower part of the garden is not really shown off for the moment ( the smallest plants cannot be shown there).
Here some pics of the renewal of the trough.
[attachimg=1]
As you see, many pernicious grasses have settled down here and there, within sphagnum and among droseras, which makes a weed action almost impossible without disturbing the cultivated plants. Above all the
underground wasn't that good anymore. The original peat was strongly deteriorated, and sphagnum could only grow where there was already some. It might look beautiful on the pic, but from near on, that wasn't that beautiful anymore.
[attachimg=2]
So everything was put out of the trough, plants, sphagnum, old decayed peat, letting appear the surplus water black pipe on the left, and the water supply yellow pipe on the right.
[attachimg=3]
Some wood on the ground to ensure good water movement below, a plastic grid above to limit peat migration in the lower part, under the grid, and that is all.
Peat was put in again, some relief created, and sphagnum planted again ( after carefully selection)
[attachimg=4]
The finished trough, with the hope that sphagnum will quickly settle down everywhere again, so that we can rapidly plant and label the traditional bog plants that were presented before.
This was also the occasion to bring at last a little water to the China bed, as the surplus water from this bog trough is now constantly led through an underground pipe directly in the bed a few meters further away. Of
course, it's just a simple brooklet and I would wish there was much much more, but this is just impossible now this way, as the initial water supply of the bog trough also brings water stream to the Alps. Better than nothing though, I can get some place in the China bed which can at least be soaked from time to time by just opening the pipe during a few hours, probably in sight of a future chinese wet meadow display. Actually nearly all chinese waterside plants are presently planted into the himalayan bed where the little river Vologne can provide them what they really need.
I guess this new wet place in the chinese part will soon be fully occupied again, and wish - need- for further expansion should reappear very quickly...As the thoughts about how to make it or try to find a solution to get the things better suited to those chinese wet soil plants.
Making the jump over the Pacific ocean to North America. I had already spoken in a previous post about the lysichiton americanus and its tendency to escape out of the garden by following the stream. We have spent a
half day to the traditional lysichiton track game by following the stream downwards, and upwards again over 3 kilometers under the garden. But fortunately very little was found, and almost all just immediately below the
garden. ( 2 or 3 years seedlings, which are often too small to be easily seen among the surrounding vegetation during their first years, and some bigger ones, but always non flowering, probably not more than 4 years).
Nevertheless all adult plants in the garden were already mercilessly ripped off their flowering and future fruiting part, so that there is less to fear about further escapes the following year.
[attachimg=5]
Different sized beautiful samples of flowering spikes and spathes ( to be put in alcohol for other purposes)
Now a few flower pics from the past 2 weeks:
[attachimg=6]
Crocus vernus ssp.albiflorus
[attachimg=7]
Himalayan stream
[attachimg=8]
Hutchinsia alpina. A modest tiny plant, but easily sowing itself in screes.
[attachimg=9]
Primula clusiana
[attachimg=10]
Pulsatilla vernalis. Unfortunately the flowers have their best days behind now: the falling snow plus freezing temperatures will probably leave their marks.
-
[attachimg=1]
Adonis vernalis
[attachimg=2]
Ranunculus alpestris
[attachimg=3]
Soldanella pusilla
[attachimg=4]
A pic of the saxifraga collection ( mostly hybrids). Every plant is at least doubled, the ones above on the pic are divisions from last year. The mother plants are placed in another multiplication bed.
[attachimg=5]
[attachimg=6]
A third part of the saxifragas is also planted directly in dedicated beds: one in the public area, and another one again in the non public area. So we have sometimes 3 or 4 divisions of the same plant dispatched between both multiplication beds and both cultivated beds. Survival of each species is improved this way, not a totally superfluous task, as cultivation conditions in pots are not always the best ( pots are all plastic, clay can't be used here because of winter exposure to every kind of weather)
Here under a very short selection of some saxifragas, which are now wonderfull.
[attachimg=7]
Saxifraga x elisabethae 'Mars'
[attachimg=8]
Saxifraga x megasaeflora 'Radka'
[attachimg=9]
Saxifraga x poluanglica 'Honington'
-
[attachimg=1]
Consequence of an unexpected violent sunny day on plants that have just come out of their winter rest, having only had cool temperatures and mostly overcast weather for their first 8/10 days of growth. The shock was great for them. Here is only the useless Senecio cordatus growing on a streamside. But this made me think about some other far more precious jewels from the Himalaya, Rheum nobile for example. The 5 survivors of the winter are planted on a north slope in the himalayan bed, among bigger rocks, so the hot weather wasn't that worse for them. They nevertheless deserve special treatment from me ;)
[attachimg=2]
You won't see the rheum on the pic, which is just about to unfold its second new leave, but, yes, you will probably see some cooling melting snow around. This makes me again think of some strategy for the warm sunny days of the summer to come...There won't be snow anymore, but maybe it would be possible to lay some fridge ice blocks around the nobile during late afternoon, providing a bit of cooling effect sooner before the evening, and cold water for the roots. This of course is only feasable for smaller plants, what they actually still are for the moment.
Here a last pic, taken a few minutes ago...
[attachimg=3]
-
Amazing reading, 8) 8). Thank you ;D
-
Wonderful update! I appreciate both the notes on the work of the garden and the beautiful plant portraits :)
-
Second half May 2012
[attachimg=1]
We made it, and finally had 10 cms of fresh snow on the morning of the 15th.May.
This is not absolutely extraordinary to get snow in May, but it was already a few years ago it didn't happen so late in the month.
I feared for the beech-foliage, but fortunately, the snow helped a little and gave some shelter to the new leaves. The temperature dropped below 0°C for 24/36 hours, with a peak -modest, to -2°C. Some trees actually appeared to have suffered from these negative temperatures, associated to cold north eastern winds, but it could have been really worse.
[attachimg=2]
Sun coming out again on the next day, with primulas emerging from the melting snow.
Beside the usual weed task, and early plantations, some hours have been spent working in the liliaceous multiplication bed, improving the soil mix, a thing I already wanted to do for one or 2 years.
The liliaceous plants are not that much representated in the garden, or at least in the propagation area, nevertheless they really deserve more attention, as they grow very slowly here. I found the substrate simply too sandy and draining, with too restricted organic part, causing the plants to linger very long before reaching a reasonable size to be planted in the garden.
[attachimg=3]
It was also the perfect occasion to reorganise the plantations better within the bed, and by doing such, free place has been made, so that new incomers will soon have the opportunity to enjoy a better fitted deep
humic/sandy mix.
Repotting of liliaceous has went on: too small to get in the propagation bed right now for most of them ( it would take too much place for so little plants), so they are just planted in a bigger pot with new mix to strenghten another year or 2 and put in another bed. This might be a good solution, as this way of doing allows to avoid root disturbance, just putting the 'old' rootballs into the slightly bigger new pots.
This is probably time win as the plants can immediately establish in the new pots during the whole summer, without having to recover from the root disturbance stress: by mid/late august, they must have more or less filled the pots with new roots.
As early June now approaches, inclusive garden opening for the public, it seems we are having a bit of summer those last days.
Already a bit of too much too: the tenth day without rain today, 7/8 of which were quite sunny ones, warm in the sun, but still quite pleasing in the shadow or under a passing by cloud, but 3/4 days were only with sun from morning till evening associated with unceasing dessicating east winds night and day, the worst
thing that can happen, when there was already no rain for a few days.
So far this wouldn't yet be a big problem for most of the plants grown in the garden ( though it should also really not last very much longer now), except for one or another located in a particularly exposed, dry and drained situation. Fortunetaly it's not that warm, as daily highs are around 15/16 °C. But nevertheless this isn't good for many of the asiatic plants, which should now receive their almost daily monsoon rain to support steady growth.
We are the monsoon therefore, with numerous watering cans ( no possibility of automatic watering system, which would however be a huge and very appreciable improvement for the garden). So Meconopsis,
Primula, Rheum, Cremanthodium, Trollius, aso, now regularly get fresh water every morning or evening since 4/5 days.
Having to cope with such a situation, so early in the season once again, always awakes the same questions: will it be still possible to grow some of those plants satisfactorily in the next years, and how?
The weather seems to head towards generally more warmth spells and less regular rains, with less or shorter periods of "normal" conditions. Changes which plants could have sometimes difficulties to adapt to.
I really had to think about the place I would plant some Cremanthodium yesterday, under bright sunshine and warm sun. Where do I have to go with them?
On such days ( which can clearly become warmer later in summer, when things turn wrong) I just come to the conclusion that most parts of the bed would not be suited to Cremanthodium for example, and have to find somewhere with some shade at least in the afternoon of the worst days.
Such places get scarce within the bed or are already occupied. Preparing a new bed on a better location would be the only reliable long term solution, and will once very soon probably have to be seriously undertaken if those plants are to be happily grown.
A little meteorologic retrospective of this may 2012
Monthly minimum mean temperature: 5.7°C ( 42F°)
Monthly maximum mean temperature 13°C ( 55°F)
Precipitation amount: 119.5mm ( 4.7inches), cumulated on the first 20 days.
Highest temperature: 25°C ( 2 times above the 20°c mark)
Lowest temperature: -2°C ( 4 times at or slightly under 0°C)
Highest night temperature: 14°C
Lowest day temperature: 1°C
Some flowers pics.
[attachimg=4]
Pulsatilla halleri ssp.styriaca, from the east european Alps
[attachimg=5]
Our local Pulsatilla alpina ssp.alba.
Superficially like a Pulsatilla alpina ssp.alpina, but notably smaller in all parts, and, the most important, growing only on acidic soils ( P.alpina ssp.alpina grows on calcareous soils, and we have some difficulties to get it in its full beauty in the garden, not flowering every year, and when, never as generous as the native P.alpina ssp.alba, which is naturally at home here).
[attachimg=6]
On the contrary, Pulsatilla alpina ssp.apiifolia grows without the least problem in the garden acidic and gritty soil. Some hybrids occur, for the frist time flowering this time, probably with P.alpina ssp.alba as the pic under
shows.
[attachimg=7]
Producing much stronger plants than P.alpina apiifolia, with a creamy yellowish shade. Such hybrids may be beautiful of course, but in order to keep the species as pure as possible ( which is of course very random matter in a garden with open pollination), it will have to be replaced somewhere else, far away from true species P.apiifolia.
[attachimg=8]
Vitaliana primuliflora
[attachimg=9]
Androsace alpina, growing in full light, in a light soil mix. Care should be taken that it doesn't dry out, so this androsace has already profited from a generous watering during the last dry days. Seeds are not produced every year, but as we had really pollinating insect-friendly weather lastly, there should be a good amount of it this year.
[attachimg=10]
Ranunculus alpestris
-
[attachimg=1]
Viola calcarata
[attachimg=2]
Calceolaria uniflora 'Walter Shrimpton'
[attachimg=3]
Corydalis cashmeriana
[attachimg=4]
Fritillaria michailovskyi
[attachimg=5]
Gentiana acaulis. I don't remember having seen this plant with such beautiful shaped flowers last year, as they are generally rather more long/straight, and surely without this elegant curve at the middle of the flower.
[attachimg=6]
Meconopsis integrifolia leaf on a rainy day
[attachimg=7]
Myosotis glabrescens
[attachimg=8]
And a view of the surrounding landscape some 15/20 minutes away above the garden
-
Philippe - very beautiful pictures, especially at beginning and end. The snow on the beech has to be seen to be believed! A most ethereal and romantic image.
-
Philippe, once more you transport us to the garden in the mountain...... wonderful, thank you!
-
Wonderful thread Phillipe, both informative and very enjoyable.
-
Marvellous pictures there Philippe, and a couple are definitely "Images of the Arty Kind," the beech forest and the meconopsis leaf are really superb. It looks as if the snow blew in sideways to have stuck to the trunks like that.
I'm delighted to see flowers on your Myosotis pulvinaris, but the pulsatillas and their friends are all very beautiful.
-
Once again, beautiful images and fascinating comments on cultivation- especially for someone like me, a real neophyte to alpine cultivation!
Especially striking- the blue Corydalis and the Myosotis!
-
June 2012, first half
[attachimg=1]
Little wink for the scottish readers to begin, Primula scotica ;)
A charming tiny plant which I find demanding a minimum of care and attention if it is not to be lost. I had already struggled to keep it going, but it seems I have eventually found good conditions for it here: simply in a plastic pot in the propagation area. Shadowed when the sun shines too bright, and from time to time watered, when rain won't fall.
It seeds itself around in the pot now, a good thing.
As I am presently writing at the end of the first June week, we have thunderstorms passed by. The worst was predicated, big hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain, but we were lucky once again, and the garden came
unharmed.
Otherwise lot of garden-useful rain during the last days, exactly since the opening to the public, which of course has a great impact on frequentation, as the weather can become really awful when the general winds turn to west, even in summer: it is getting simply very fresh, if not cold for people coming from the lowland, the clouds are so low that we are within, enjoying the sight of fog being swept away by the winds, which are also carrying more or less penetrating rain during the worst moments...
Well, alpine garden conditions, that plants generally should appreciate though!
There are naturally also short periods of sunshine or dry weather at least, and it is precisely during those periods that the garden is best appreciated: plants have had their watering, and on the first sunray, everything looks so pure and colourful.
Those moments are useful for us for another reason, as we can continue the work outside ;)
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
The garden is relatively old, built in the late sixties. Not old in the sense of its own age, which makes it a quite young one, but more in the sense of the different beds that compose it, as some of them have never been
renewed since then.
As you might imagine in such a case, always comes a time when plantations just become a big mess.
Profiting from the moments of dry weather we started to attack the old Massif Central plantation beds.
Massif Central is an old volcanic mountainous region of southern/centre France, reaching generaly altitudes between 1200 and 1600 m.asl with a pic at almost 1900m, and making somehow the link between Alps/Jura to the ENE, and Pyrénées to the SW, taking from both some flora-elements, and having also some endemic plants, but generaly beeing far less reach than Alps or Pyrénées.
It also occupates an intermediate climatic position between the moister and cooler atlantic influences of northern France, and the drier and warmer southern France, which allows the presence of both relictual arctic species at higher altitudes and already almost mediteranean species in the south part.
Our Massif Central bed is probably at least 30 years old. Plants have been introduced in it at hte beginning, and then almost never again ( obviously botanical gardens neither organises seed collects there,
and nor has any botanical garden a specialised collection of plants from Massif Central).
So after more than 30 years, the strongest plants have become dominant, and the weakest or smallest ones have disappeared little by little.
The old beds were simply much too big for so few interesting plants, and we decided to sacrifice one of them to the neighbouring Pyrénées, planting out the Massif Central plants that were still worth it to be transfered in the from now on single renewed little Massif Central bed.
On the pics above is the bigger one, which is going now to the Pyrénées.
Lot of work, as said, a real mess here, everything has to be planted out or simply thrown away when too much, too coarse. Soil must be renewed also, stones must be placed later. And the first plantations will probably only follow next year then ( with Lilium pyrenaicum/Gentiana burseri on the top of the list, Aster pyrenaeus, Adonis pyrenaica, Petrocallis pyrenaica, Fritillaria pyrenaica, Ramonda myconi, Saxifraga longifolia, aso. Would like to acclimate also Gentiana pyrenaica, a big challenge however...).
We just hope we will find enough further/new pyrenean plants to complete the collection and this new bed to come, as here again, it isn't always easy to get seeds from there, the only alpine garden in the Pyrénées having very sadely closed in one of those last years.
--------------------------------------------
Bad news, but also good ones sometimes: several alpine gardens in Europe are beginning a long-term program of phenological observations in relation with climatic changes.
The plants studied are mountain or alpine plants.
The aim is to dispatch in each garden absolutely the same plants with the same genetic material, simply by cuttings, in order to get comparable observations everywhere in those participating gardens.
Main points of the vegetative growth are monitored during the season ( blossom, new leaves, fruiting process, aso)
[attachimg=4]
The 12 different plants will be grouped in the same area, with a weather station in the vicinity.
This is a good mean to raise awareness of the climatic changes problem, as the plantations are made in the public area.
------------------------------
[attachimg=5]
The sowing frame in the propagation area.
Most of the sowings is now made, but there are a few secundary species-seeds waiting in the fridge.
It is always frustrating having to wait May to begin with seed sowing, missing out the whole winter, and sometimes loosing a year untill germination ( and also seed viability for some species, though approximatively stored cooled and dry meanwhile).
I hope things can be done differently one day and seeds get sown as soon as received for those arriving in winter, but for the moment, let's say it is just not possible.
As said above, germination delay must sometimes be expected, and probably reduced germination rates in the end too. It means the pots must be kept perhaps one year more than they would have been if sown
immediately during the first winter, and I never throw away a pot with no germination under 2 years, whatever species, whatever genera, whatever family, just to be sure not to throw something too soon.
This is even more true of course for many liliaceous species, which are known for beeing sometimes long to germinate in normal conditions.
I would say the sowings of liliaceous species are kept at least 3 years here if no germination was observed during that time.
The "risk" of all that is to have within the same pot a first batch of few seedlings germinating right in the summer after spring-sowing, and then seeing more coming the next spring, making development and pricking out of the youngest sometimes a bit difficult if the 1 year old seedlings get stronger too rapidly.
Again, pricking out immediately the few ones germinated in the first season means destroying the chances for the seeds still in dormancy in the pot, waiting probably the next year to come.
This is just a hard choice when confrontated to a delicate or rare species, when a further thing has to be taken in consideration: indeed the risk of letting the first season seedlings linger in the sowing pot outside and unprotected the next winter, whereas they would sometimes already need better adapted medium/conditions.
I dream of sowing everything in winter, allowing a good period of cold to prepare the dormancy break to come, and getting then nearly full or sufficient germination in the spring, pricking out all at once, and giving all better conditions from the start on...
Every gardener adapts to his conditions and possibilities though, and on the whole I can't say the results are really disappointing. There are always some frustrations of course, but I guess every one of us has surely his own frustations too.
[attachimg=6]
Plants newly pricked out ( in part), and having their 6/7 days stage in the relatively "safeness" of the house proximity on a bank: I don't dare to put them directly in the propagation bed, even if they can be protected from bad weather there.
Though contended, it is just the many slugs and mouses marauding that I don't trust, and slugs are happier than ever lastly with almost round the clock wetness or at least moisture on the soil.
The propagation area is some 50 meters away from the house, surrounded by a semi-natural environment full of dangers ( grass surface, forest).
It may be only a "psychological appeasement" for me to have the plantlets safe here, even if only for 7 days, but well, after that time, they must somehow go away and live their first harder life in the open propagation area, and make place to new ones in the relative shelter of this elevated bank...
As said just before, we are having this year more slugs than average, and it is probably even worse for the mouses. These last ones cause the most damages and have greatly appreciated Primula denticulata and P.rosea unripe seedheads.
It is just surprising how they can get to the seeds upthere, on sometimes 40 to 50 cms high elongating stems in case of the denticulata, but they make it, beginning to climb over the lower part of the stem, making it cant to the soil through own weight when arrived around the middle, and then probably walking on it when laid on the soil to finally get to the beloved seedhead!
This wouldn't be a problem as long as their taste leads them to such plants. It is even quite a help, as I wanted anyway to cut the seedheads of the denticulata, to avoid too generous self sowing later. But most obviously, the mouses won't stop here, and will probably hassel other more interesting plants later when they will be fisnished with eating denticulata...Unfortunately, I have to say that some of them won't have the opportunity to go on, as we really have to do something against them now; we can slowly begin to speak of an invasion, with underground holes everywhere you look.
-----------------------------
I didn't have many opportunities to make pics in the garden , as the evenings were often rainy, foggy and sometimes very soon dusk. Yes, we would be approaching the longest days of year...
The few presented below are from 2 or 3 occasions on the last 15 days, which makes the choice quite reduced.
[attachimg=7]
Papaver alboroseum
A tiny papaver from both extreme east of Siberia and pacific coast of NW America.
A lovely colour shade, with this soft salmon pink turning to white to end in a yellowish green near the flower stem. It must not be expected to flower very long. As with many of its relatives, the single flower very often only lasts one day, and within 4/5 days, only forming seedpods remain on the plants, and it turns again to a rather unsignificant inhabitant of the bed. Seed has to be harvested: it doesn't seem to be really long living.
[attachimg=8]
Gentiana verna ssp.balcanica
A beautiful and comparatively easily grown subspecies of G.verna. ( which should be identified, as there seem to be some incertitudes as to its name, G.verna ssp.angulosa, syn G.pontica, beeing quite similar in
appearance, and beeing also an easier one).
Self seedlings around the mother plant in the pot, making hope of generous flowers in 3/4 years perhaps.
[attachimg=9]
Crepis aurea
A simple favourite.
Only an orange flowered Taraxacum, but what a colour! Easy living, tolerating almost all conditions ( dry or soaked soils, rich or poor, full sun or light shadow). Self sowing, no special care, an excellent plant which makes quite a beautiful effect in the Alps bed in the first part of June.
[attachimg=10]
Androsace vandelli trough
Special treatment for this trough planted with androsace vandelli seedlings.
A regular trough simply put vertically on the side, not on the bottom, with drainage holes therefore on what would have been the small side of a trough used "normaly" horizontally.
Slate sheets inserted on a approximatively 45° angle to help holding the medium ( a lean and free draining mixture) and not beeing washed by the rain too quickly, and the seedlings planted here and there. They are small, and some of them flourish for the first time ( beeing 3 years old now).
Why such an installation you might say? I have also Androsace vandelli in a deep pot plunged in sand in the propagation area, and it does well there, but I always fear the winter moisture remains too long on it.
With this vertical trough, excess water is simply drained away more quickly.
Another reason, less important, is that A.vandelli is also partly a cliff plant, it means it gets almost no snow cover during winter, beeing exposed, and therefore adapted, to sometimes very cold but generaly fairly dry
atmosphere. Under a deep snowcover for several months is not the usual way it overwinters in its natural environment. I wanted to mimic this by putting my trough verticaly, although it will never ever be high enough to look out of the snow in winter.
-
[attachimg=1]
Gentiana clusii 'alba'
[attachimg=2]
Fritillaria pyrenaica
[attachimg=3]
Cotula albida
A new zealand plant that I have had last year from the alpine house of the superb botanical garden Nymphenburg, München, Germany. I wasn't completely sure it could overwinter outdoor at the Haut-Chitelet, but it did, and is now growing well.
It's far less invasive than other Cotula species which already thrive in the NewZealand bed.
[attachimg=4]
A view from the bed dedicated to plants of the southern hemisphere.
An unidientified species in the foreground, thought to be a raoulia, but most probably a undetermined cross with some other creeping "similar" asteraceae of NewZealand.
Untill now, it has never flowered, but the mat is increasing year after year, beginning to swell beautifully over the rocks, as do further raoulias at other places in the bed. It's hard to think that if comes a very cold spell during winter without previous snowcover all this would probably mostly disappear.
Aster vahlii in the middleground, preparing some flowers this year, and further back, Helichrysum coralloides between the rocks.
[attachimg=5]
Meconopsis betonicifolia/baileyi
First flower on June 8th. After having had a huge boost during the last ten days of May ( quite warm and often sunny weather), the plants are now on a stop-stage since the beginning of June, because of mostly very fresh
weather ( except on one occasion the temperatures don't go anymore higher than 12/13°C by day with nights between 2/3 and 6/7°C). Add to this an important lack of sun, and current fog with pouring rain almost once a
day. Himalayan plants are really happy, and must feel at home!
Pics of M.punicea and perhaps some other ones will follow in the next update.
[attachimg=6]
Meconopsis horridula
[attachimg=7]
Rheum alexandrae
----------------------------
Some general views of the garden.
[attachimg=8]
[attachimg=9]
[attachimg=10]
-
Really appreciating and enjoying your reports, Philippe ... many thanks for taking the tome and effort to compile and post them.
-
Love the photos, Phillippe, especially your vertical trough. I might try that one but I have one question. It looks completely vertical - what keeps it from toppling (heavy winds, snow, freeze and thaw)? Is it resting against something?
-
Love the photos, Phillippe, especially your vertical trough. I might try that one but I have one question. It looks completely vertical - what keeps it from toppling (heavy winds, snow, freeze and thaw)? Is it resting against something?
The wind has no influence on it, as it isn't that high ( 50 cms), and the face on the soil is wide enough ( 30cm X 30cm).
The weight of the trough, inclusive soil within, makes it unmovable.
A fairly horizontal/stable place is in my opinion all that you need to make it stand alone.
The problem you could encounter in winter is that the alternance of freeze and thaw could throw the soil, stones and perhaps plantlets out of the trough ( this doesn't happen here as the snowcover is generaly sufficiently deep to prevent it)
I have another "trough" ( not hand made, 1 meter high, and very thin, of which I might post some photos next time). This one wouldn't stand alone in winter even if the soil is horizontal. It has to be placed against something stable.
-
JUNE 2012, SECOND HALF
We are now in the middle of the best 3 weeks of the garden with lots of flowers everywhere in the beds.
Mouse ( and secondary slug) invasions go on as never, and it's now almost a daily fight to prevent vulnerable plants to disappear from one day to another or precious seeds to be eaten before fully ripening. Still waiting for some natural predators to come and begin to regulate a little the wildly expanding populations, and eventually a weasel was seen nesting in a bed full of holes a few days ago. There might also be a fox marauding in the garden by night, but more of both would be needed to really improve the things!
As this wasn't already sufficient, a kind of water vole or whatever it is was seen on several occasions in the ponds, so that we can also fear for waterside plants now, especially in the asiatic part of the garden...
Aphids begin to appear in great colonies, and it just looks like it won't be a good gardening year at all.
I don't know if climatic change is to blame for those plagues, but it's probably one of the worst years we had for a long time.
Another plague well known in the scotish Highlands:
[attachimg=1]
It's midge time in Haut-Chitelet!
They have come as every year around mid-June, and will stay with us untill early August. I suspect the Vosges above 1000 meters are the only place in France where those midges feel at home, as they enjoy cool/wet summer.
Even if not as worse as in NW Scotland, weeding the beds early in the morning is quite difficult those last days and sometimes turns to nerve-proof.
Only warmth or winds would take them away successfully, we have alternatively a little of both since a week, phew!
------------------
Plenty of flower pics this time, as I was too lazy all those last 15 days to make a regular preparation of text for the last June update, being obliged now to write everything at once on this evening, running out of time of course...
Let's go to the southern hemisphere now
[attachimg=2]
A big problem for rock gardeners is that place often becomes too short. Our southern hemisphere bed is a bit small now, but fortunately, we have most of the time grass/lawn zones near the beds in the garden, which can be used to enlarge cultivation beds.
[attachimg=3]
An idea of the result once the larger rocks and some scree have been placed ( seen from below this time). The pic doesn't show very well, but this new bed was designed to make the plantation of privileged guests
possible: there are places at the base of the bigger rocks with less sun during afternoon and moister soil because of lower position.
Calceolaria uniflora, only in propagation bed for the moment will surely find a place in this new bed later, as C.polyrhiza, also only in the propagation area presently. Both are assiduously hand pollinated, as it seems no insect here is able to do it ( observation from last year)
[attachimg=4]
Calceolaria polyrhiza
[attachimg=5]
Calceolaria tenella
Already planted in the old bed, and having found its place, as it runs freely along the north facing rocks, giving a delightful sight at flowering time.
[attachimg=6]
Epilobium crassum feels at home too, seeding itself around in the bed.without becoming a nuisance. Obviously not very long living though, but it's always a pleasant surprise to see it appearing where the seeds have decided to germinate.
[attachimg=7]
Felicia rosulata, from South Africa.
[attachimg=8]
Myosotis decora from New Zealand
-
Direction Himalaya and Asia.
Meconopsis are still making the show in the himalayan bed, now mostly M.betonicifolia/baileyi, and partly grandis.
The suprising little M.aculeata just below is finished with flowers. Flower colour is not the best, but the very prostrate habit makes it an interesting plant. Monocarpic of course, so maybe the seeds will give similar looking plants in the next generation.
[attachimg=1]
Meconopsis aculeata
[attachimg=2]
Meconopsis betonicifolia together with Primula sikkimensis and Euphorbia griffithii
[attachimg=3]
Meconopsis grandis, with more cup shaped flowers, this one having them almost all single on a stem
[attachimg=4]
Meconopsis punicea.
Lot of cultivation improvements to make: it had only one flower, very few leaves, which are turning yellow already now. A second flower bud might come, still nesting among the leaves near ground level, but it looks like it is going to abort, as it doesn't seem to develop further anymore. Hand pollination was made, hoping some precious seeds would result of it.
2 other better looking plants have been placed at other places in the bed, which will very probably not flower untill next year.
[attachimg=5]
Primula alpicola var.alba
[attachimg=6]
Primula waltoni.
Both primulas needing hand pollination and isolation too, to prevent too much unwished breeding and keep the species as pure as possible.
[attachimg=7]
Incarvillea compacta
[attachimg=8]
Primula japonica
-
A little jump to Europe, with Campanula cenisia which has managed to flower this year. It is grown in a plastic pot in the propagation area, beeing much too small and fragile to get in the Alps bed now. With just a few flowers, there was no great possibility to pollinate it, as it seems that stamens and stigma don't ripen at the same time.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Dianthus alpinus
[attachimg=3]
One of the Papaver alpinum group
[attachimg=4]
Paradisia liliastrum
[attachimg=5]
Saponaria lutea
-
Some plants from North America
[attachimg=1]
Cypripedium reginae, tried for the first year here, given to us as an adult flowering plant by a rock gardener.
[attachimg=2]
Erigeron aureus, probably the better known hybrid 'Canary bird'
[attachimg=3]
Eriogonum ovalifolium ( var depressum or nivale).
It stayed too long in the propagation bed, and is now occupying quite a beautiful place. Probably to late to get it out from here for a plantation in the north american bed. I don't know if such a large grown plant would tolerate to be transplanted...I took some cuttings recently, waiting them to root.
[attachimg=4]
Lewisia pygmaea ssp.longipetala
------------------------------
Unsorted now
[attachimg=5]
Carduncellus rhapontica from the marocan Atlas.
[attachimg=6]
Iris lutescens from southern Europe
[attachimg=7]
Lilium monadelphum
[attachimg=8]
Pollination tent over Saxifraga longifolia, the last true plant in the garden, which has eventually gotten to flowering stage after numerous years. As it is notorious known for crossing (sadly too) freely with any other flowering Saxifraga from the section, such an installation is unavoidable.
The hybrids are often quite disappointing in my opinion. For me there is nothing better and more beautiful than a true Saxifraga longifolia producing year after year its single superb leaf rosette.
Even if dying after having flowered, I find it totally part of the pact somehow, and doubtlessly it is a really rewarding and irreplaceable plant.
-----------------
Just a quick meteorologic outlook for June 2012
Minima monthly mean temperature: 8.3°
Maxima monthly mean temperature: 15.5°C
Monthly mean temperature: 11.9°C
Total precipitation: 203 mm.
Lowest temperature: 0.5°C
Highest temperature: 23°C
-
As always, Philippe, your report educates and enthuses us.
Your sory of the battles against pests is something all gardeners will sympathise with - but now we hear you have water voles to add to your problems - is there no end to these pests?
In spite of all this, you show us a great range of plants from around the world, well grown and making the garden of Haut-Chitelet a wonderful place.
Thank you!
-
The different pests are encouraged I think through the multiplication of warm and dry springs or autumns even here on 1200 meters.
Every year now, unvariably, we have at least one of the two seasons exceptionally dry or too warm. Sometimes both in the same year. I guess this gives thoses pests ideas of exploring new territories higher up, as it becomes easier for them to establish here, or to at least to try it occasionaly.
Last year, after an exceptional warm and dry early spring, we had wasp nests outside in some beds!!! In normal conditions, they would never have enough time to make that on such an altitude. And weather wouldn't allow it anyway.
They often try to nest, but always inside the shelter of the house during June, which leaves them normaly few time to build colonies before fall when weather would become - normaly - too cool for them ( mid/late august here).
It must probably go the same way with other insects/animals.
Although not a pest so far, we have blackbirds here since 5/6 years. Never heard any of them here before, they are however now numerous in the garden.
The best way is to wait for natural predators to come. Only the little time delay before their effective arrival makes the thing a bit anxious...And also the intervention of a bigger carnivore looking for his meal: I had to chafe badly this morning as I took my regular look to the propagation bed: series of fresh pricked out plants topsy turvy, making it hard now to recognize which plant belongs to which serie....A cat, recently seen, or the fox may have run after a mouse last night.
Well, from now on, the propagation bed will stay closed night and day :P
-
July 2012, first half
Looks like the summer is going to fail this year? We still didn't have more than 2/3 days of stable weather since summer beginning, and I even wonder if there was just one really cloudless day since early june.
The temperature didn't make it over 20°C in this first half of july, and rain falls at least every 2 days and the need for watering during late may is a very distant memory now.
All this is of course greatly appreciated by the plants, and the fresh temperatures help keeping the flowerings a bit longer.
We had quite a strong night-storm a few days ago, rather unusual with such a power in summer. A tree was thrown to the soil by the gales.
The rainy days are useful to continue the pricking out work, always more species filling the propagation bed under the garden. However I would say that the biggest part is already made. Some species are still germinating, and sooner germinated seedlings slowly grow on, not having reached a reasonnable size yet, but with August approaching, pricking out will anyway soon be over.
There should be now about 300 species in the bed, and probably 2/3 of them will be planted in the garden and actually thrive there successfully within the next 3/4 years.
Having supplementar working help during July and early August, big works are more than ever undertaken: a half bed in the W european Alps, a part of the Carpatians bed, new place should be made in the Himalaya for
the installation of Cremanthodium species, recquiring more particular growing conditions, total renewal of one of the old North american bed is on the list too, and I also really would like to be able to renew at least partly
the Mediterranean mountains'bed, which is quite big, but unfortunately totally unsuited now to new plantations ( too much old and bold plants, and badly impoverished/wrong soil for the new plantations waiting in the
propagation area).
Plenty of further ideas are as always in mind, but time and weather will tell if all that is possible.
[attachimg=1]
Androsace lanuginosa
[attachimg=2]
Asperula gussonii
[attachimg=3]
Asperula sintenesii
[attachimg=4]
Calceolaria arachnoidea
[attachimg=5]
Calceolaria uniflora
The true one this time, as I had already listed a plant under this name in a former upload ( which was in reality most probably the hybrid 'Walter Shrimpton'). Although regularly hand pollinated in the last 15 days, it doesn't
look like seed is forming for the moment, as is the case for C.polyrhiza. Let's see what it will be.
[attachimg=6]
Stone with portrait of Camille Brunotte, who contributed to create the first alpine garden near Col de la Schlucht in the early 20th.century, soon completely destroyed by the first world war.
Haut-Chitelet alpine garden was then built some 2/3 kms away from this first very ephemeral garden, more than fitfty years later, in collaboration with young french and german garden students, as a symbol to their
"grandfathers" for having destroyed the first garden 50 years earlier.
[attachimg=7]
Campanula carpatica var.turbinata
A lovely campanula wild collected from the Carpatians, with disproportionaly huge flowers above short stems and small foliage
[attachimg=8]
Codonopsis bhutanica.
As often with codonopsis, the plant itself doesn't look particularly good. This one creeps on the soils without any defined general form. In my opinion, it is even an untidy plant, as the flowers are quite small and insignificant.
Insignificant as long as one doesn't look closer, really closer. Only then their real beauty is to discover.
[attachimg=9]
Drosera rotundifolia
Although native, this insectivorous plant doesnt' grow anymore in the peat bog in the garden. It was once drained during the first world war, to facilitate the installation of military camps, and is now therrfore not wet
enough anymore to provide place and ideal growing conditions for this drosera. Blueberry and heaths tend to slowly close the environment, as do also spruces, and drosera wouldn't tolerate any kind of such
competition.
So for the moment we grow the drosera in a trough in the garden, and we take out the spruce young trees every 4/5 years in the peat bog to keep it the most open possible.
A project is running presently, consisting in blocking the numerous drains with cut spruce trunks to limit the continual water loss. With the hope that with more water, the growth of heath, blueberry, spruces will be little by little slowed down, or stopped, allowing one day perhaps the return of better conditions for insectivorous plants.
It will be a very long term project though and obvious results wouldn't be expected before many many years of course.
[attachimg=10]
Gentiana purpurea
One of the tall european gentians, this one to find in the Alps and again in Norway. As G.burseri, lutea, punctata and pannonica are also cultivated in the garden, we get from time to tim various hybrids of all them, which turn to be interesting plant sometimes.
-
[attachimg=1]
Helichrysum milfordiae
[attachimg=2]
Lilium pyrenaicum
A superb lily endemic to the Pyrénées. Superb when grown in mass, but one has to adapt to the strong scent of hundred of flowers...
[attachimg=3]
Polemonium pauciflorum
From North America. Quite unusual among the Polemonium genus , with the distinct shape and lovely colour of the flowers. NOt really perennial, seed has to be collected regularly to ensure new plants.
[attachimg=4]
Primula bulleyana
[attachimg=5]
Saussurea sp ( cf.S.erubescens)
A beautiful Saussurea collected in China, about 25/30cm height, with shiny purple floral bracts.
[attachimg=6]
Sempervivum pittoni
From the austrian Alps
[attachimg=7]
Tropaeolum polyphyllum
Feels at home outside at the alpine garden, displaying every summer a reliable beautiful flowering. The flowers must be hand pollinated to get some rare seeds which are tricky to germinate.
-
Views of the garden
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Here under is now the WAlps bed before we began to have a close look on it.
[attachimg=5]
[attachimg=6]
[attachimg=7]
Above the same bed several working hours later, totally emptied of the old plants and with renewed soil. Decision was to set a scree-like area and to add also a path on the top to get a better view of the plantations to come.
-
In Scotland this year we can sympathise with your changeable weather - some of us have rain nearly every day, with only some small periods of sun and some have had no rain for two months or more. A very odd summer indeed.
Your fine photographs show to great advantage the plants that are managing to flower in this season.
I will look forward to seeing the redevelopment of the bed for the western alps. 8)
-
Beautiful! I would love to see it in person!
-
How very, very lovely. What a pleasure it must be to work in such a garden.
-
Strange that you have problems with polemonium pauciflorum.How do you grow it?I grow mine in a shady but airy place,in a rich but well drained home made compost.Do you think damage is due to frost or to winterwet?
My location isn't exactly alpine:10 miles from the sea,so mild winters
-
We used to have Polemonium pauciflorum seed itself gently around the garden for many years. As often happens, it was only when there were only a couple of plants remaining that we realised it had been dwindling.
By then the plants were not setting good seed and now we no longer have the plant.
John's query about winter wet or frost being the problem is a good one.... but in all honesty I do not know what was the cause in our case. It is a regular problem, though, that plants which have seemed to be happy and "naturalised" in the garden suddenly dwindle and even disappear. I take this as a lesson not to take any of them for granted and so pay greater attention to their condition - but that is a counsel of perfection that I fear I am unlikely to fulfil. :'(
-
What a wonderful place. Philippe. Thanks for showing the pics, I'd love to go there one day to see it for real
:)
-
Strange that you have problems with polemonium pauciflorum.How do you grow it?I grow mine in a shady but airy place,in a rich but well drained home made compost.Do you think damage is due to frost or to winterwet?
My location isn't exactly alpine:10 miles from the sea,so mild winters
Hi John
The Polemonium once grew in light soil which didn't hold excess water at all ( Nearby planted lewisias grow pretty well in it). Nutrients content of this soil is perhaps very low though, and as said, I didn't trust the plant coming every year again, what it indeed also didn't do everytime, maintaining the stock only through regular seed sowing.
Since 2 years I grow it in a much richer mix, probably a bit moister too. So far the plants at this place look pretty, with many flowers this year for the first time. I'll see if they will grow again next year, but will save seed just in case.
Concerning the climate, I would say the plants don't have to endure frost or excess humidity in winter, as they rest under snow most of the time of this crucial period.
I may do something wrong also: I am totally incapable of growing a single Cortusa matthioli further than the 3/4 leaves stage, even after having tried several times in different places/soil mix, I just invariably make them die more quickly than is needed to say ::)
-
Polemonium pauciflorum is completely cold-hardy here in zone 3, though I believe the individual plants are probably short-lived (have never bothered to keep tabs on any individual plant). It flourishes with the ligularias alongside the shaded side of the greenhouse where it gets lots of water that drains through the greenhouse's gravel base, though it is rather floppy in shade. It also can take both full sun and dry conditions... seems to able to grow wherever the seed falls here.
-
I may do something wrong also: I am totally incapable of growing a single Cortusa matthioli further than the 3/4 leaves stage, even after having tried several times in different places/soil mix, I just invariably make them die more quickly than is needed to say ::)
With so many wonderful plants in such a fine setting, I can't imagine anyone missing Cortusa matthioli! :D :D
-
July 2012, second half
A bit of high summer as I am writing: we have bright sunshine and each day temperatures getting warmer, reaching now 23 to 25°C. Thunderstorms are forecasted very soon, and would be highly welcome, to help
watering the beds.
Fortunately, most of the himalayan plants have finished their summer growth, so that the present dry air and warm spell doesn't harm that much anymore. Anyway in special cases, I am never far away with the watering can.
Rheum nobile of course and some of the cremanthodiums get their shading and daily watering though.
Propagation beds are tightly closed since a week now, to protect the young pricked out plants and seedlings from sun and warmth.
The garden now surely goes towards fall, and the main flowering period is over. No flower mass effects anymore, but still beautiful plants to find here and there, when one takes his time to follow every secundary path through the beds.
-------------------
Meanwhile, the rain has fallen, and it was quite a heavy one with thunder, on two successive nights, raising the monthly precipitation amount on 175mm for only 13days with rain.
July was as "warm" as June, with a monthly mean temperature of 11.9°C.
Highest day temperature was 25°c, and lowest one 5°C.
As usual now here some pics.
I reserved a special place to our southern hemisphere bed this time.
[attachimg=1]
Calceolaria arachnoidea is growing since 3 years by us, without any kind of artificial protection. The duration of snowcover in winter helps a lot, as do a somehow shaded place and the generaly moist and fresh summer
weather, which many calceolaria species seem to appreciate, once the soil recquirements are met.
[attachimg=2]
Hypsela reniformis
From South America, and a plant to have a close look on in the bed, as it can become quite invasive, disturbing cushion plants planted in the vicinity.
[attachimg=3]
A general view of a part of the southern hemisphere bed. The raoulia in the middle, Raouli hookeri, spreads around year after year, profiting once again from the shelter of the snowcover in winter. It's hard to imagine that all this could get lost at once just because 4/5 days of strong frosts without snow.
Crassula milfordiae with its white flowers in the foreground, an invulnerable plant it seems...It persists at the same place since so many years, never getting any care at all, and just becoming more beautiful
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
Ewartia planchonii, from the mountains of Tasmania and south Australia. Would be easily taken for an Antennaria ( I think more precisely of A.umbrinella from North America), but the flowers immediately set both clearly apart.
It grows in Haut Chitelet since 2 years, and does well for the moment, beginning to widen between the rocks, in a sunny place with well drained and not particularly rich soil.
You may see some green blurred foliage in the background. This is Hydrocotyle nova-zelandiae, which we have difficulties to control. It becomes a pest when the white underground stems/roots travel under the rocks to
reappear further, in the middle of a cushion plant sometimes.
[attachimg=6]
Felicia uliginosa
From South Africa, creating a beautiful display together witgh the silver mats of Helichrysum milfordiae. The felicia is only to be seen at its best during day, between 10AM and 16/17PM. Before and after that, the petals
invariably bend back totally and the plant looses all its beauty.
[attachimg=7]
Helichrysum milfordiae flowering.
[attachimg=8]
Raoulia australis.
I am really not sure with the Raoulias. This one has tiny leaves but I don't remember having seen flowers on it untill now.
[attachimg=9]
Raoulia subsericea (?)
[attachimg=10]
Scleranthus uniflorus.
The perfect cushion plant, eating month after month the stones around.
So far for southern hemisphere plants.
I am so disappointed also: the regular hand pollination on the 2 Calceolaria uniflora plants has totally failed. I always took care not to let the plants under rain after the different pollination sessions, but no seed is going to be set at all, and the stems with empty fruits are turning brown now.
On the contrary, it was successful with Calceolaria polyrrhiza ( presumed for the moment, as C.lanceolata is quite similar in appearance), and the seed pods begin to swell now.
I recently planted Oxalis enneaphylla in the bed, after having gotten it as a living plant in spring, hoping it will make it through next winter.
-
Back to the northern hemisphere with some plants from the european Alps
[attachimg=1]
Campanula excisa.
Another perfidious weed in the garden...It is so beautiful, in leaf and flower, but it only wants one thing: invade the bed where it would be planted, having no shame when disfiguring mats or cushions plants. I had to throw
away plenty of it in spring, as it threatened to upset seriously Androsace alpina, Pulsatilla vernalis, Androsace villosa, Gentiana verna, aso...As for most of the scree plants with abundant root system, no seed or very little is ever set.
[attachimg=2]
Campanula raineri
A whole world between this one and C.excisa! C.raineri has to be grown in a dedicated trough placed in the Western Alps bed, as I don't dare to put it yet in a scree with other plants around. I have read it would not
appreciate a nutrient soil, in which I planted it last year, but all I have had then was a yellowish plant not managing to end its very poor flowering before resting almost totally in August! The plant was put in this trough then, with a far more nourishing soil, and this was a good decision, as I have plenty of flowers this year, and, for the moment, a pleasant green foliage.
[attachimg=3]
Cirsium acaule.
This one with no exigency, but still beautiful at flowering time.
[attachimg=4]
Physoplexis comosa
Again a more tricky species, which seems to have fortunately found a beloved place near the garden entrance, where it can always be watched ( by visitors and by us...) This is the glabrous leaves type, and I hope to be
able to install the more fleshy and hairy leaves type in the next seasons in the same area.
Slugs are not a problem for the moment. Some flowers were eaten, but obviously, the slug wasn't that hungry at that time, or it was something else.
[attachimg=5]
Dianthus furcatus ssp.tener
[attachimg=6]
Anagallis monelli
Not a mountain plant, but still a pleasant rock garden plant, tried for the first time this year, the pic above showing a newly pricked out plant. Looks like it is not going to feel at home here ( probably too wet in summer, too fresh), but the blue of the flower is quite breathtaking, and strongly remind of that of the spring Gentians.
-
North America now and the asian part to finish.
[attachimg=1]
Aster coloradoensis
I was quite surprised that this plant does so well here. It is planted in a well drained soil, but in a bed where there is always more or less moisture deep within, with sun only from midday on. I have the plant also in a full sun exposed place, with much more drier soil, and I don't find it so strong as the plant above.
As for most of the Asteraceae family, and especially interesting foreign species, seed is rarely set., if never.
You may remember I told I would love to begin renewing the north american bed last time in the mid July update? We could actually make it, and this was quite a huge task, the bed measuring 5/6 meters long on 3/4
meters wide. Naturally totally filled with "antique" useless plants battling with each other to find their place, and letting enough space yet for weeds to come between..
In one word, clearly a shameful bed, which you can see shortly after the beginning of the renewal work in the pic here under.
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
Some hours later, a good part of the plants has been thrown away, keeping only the running Arctostaphylos uva-ursi in the right foreground ( the green mat in the right background is Phlox douglasii, which has taken huge proportions with the years, a thing that cannot be tolerated)
[attachimg=4]
From another point of view, but again not a very speaking pic. The bed was cut in two, with a new meandering path in the middle to allow people to see future plants from nearer, when all will be over. Quantity of plants
from North America must now come in this bed. Some of them are waiting in the propagation area to be planted next year probably.
A quick look at the asian part of the garden now.
[attachimg=5]
Cyananthus macrocalyx.
It's Cyananthus time now, as the different species grown in the garden will soon begin to flower together. It smells like fall...
[attachimg=6]
Leontopodium wilsonii, from China, but again a so-named plant which could well be another Leontopodium, as these plants are from garden origin.
[attachimg=7]
Primula florindae show, and the delicious scent all around which makes weeding the himalayan bed such an adorable task for the moment ;)
[attachimg=8]
Vaccinium nummularia
[attachimg=9]
Delphinium caucasicum, wild collected in the Caucasus, which shows a fairly prostrate habit.
[attachimg=10]
Dicentra peregrina from Japan and extreme east Sibiria.
-
August 2012
We have high summer now, at a time when nobody did expect it anymore.
After having spent most of June and July with pleasant fresh air and generally sufficient precipitation, the conditions now turn clearly in the other direction, extreme I would even say: very few rain on 3/4 different days since August beginning with only one effective watering day, most of the time sunshine, and forecasts now see an unbelievable heatwave coming toward France for the next days.
Historic records could even fall a bit everywhere, just to remind us we are witnessing right now the effects of climatic changes on several places around the world.
Though luckily preparing now for the fall rest, I hope the most susceptible plants will cope with this violent and late heatwave, and, above all, that we might get some rain before that, to give the whole garden sufficient help
from above to begin the "battle".
Watering all the beds with a can or a hand garden hose is unfortunately impossible: the slope configuration and the now superficial deshydrated soil ban every effective watering effort.
A sortiment of plants from various mediterranean mountain parts.
[attachimg=1]
Convolvulus suendermannii
A beautiful but rather obscure plant, on which I can't find reliable informations. It is found either as a subspecies of boissieri on the web, or as X suendermannii. Does anyone knows if this plant is to be found somewhere in
the wild or if it is a man made garden hybrid? Of course it would be best planted in the garden, would it be only for its late flowering and superb foliage, but as long I have no certainty of its origin, I can't put it neither in the
mediterranean bed, nor in the one dedicated to horticultural variety. Ideas welcome!
[attachimg=2]
Helichrysum compactum
From Turkey, happy in poor dry soil, with plenty of sun. At least a plant which will appreciate or won't mind the warmth to come ;)
[attachimg=3]
Lallemantia canescens
A disappointing display this time for this short lived/monocarpic turkish species, probably because of wrong soil preparation I think. Seed has to be harvested to give the plant a better try next time.
[attachimg=4]
Silene hayekiana.
Beautiful early in the morning when the young petals are still incurved, showing the underside brown colour.
[attachimg=5]
Veratrum nigrum
A tall plant not flowering every year here, but that's not surprising as one sees it when it actually comes to flower: hundreds of little dark purple/black stars arranged spike like along the many flowering stems. The colour
change is interesting according to the weather: almost black when overcast, turning to a glowing red when seen through sunshine.
[attachimg=6]
Campanula tommasiniana
From the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula
---------------
Some inhabitants of the Caucasus bed.
[attachimg=7]
Olymposciadum caespitosum
A lovely creeping Apiaceae with an interesting fleshy green-glaucous foliage and delicate flowers on 15/20cms long stems.
[attachimg=8]
The well known Sedum sempervivoides.
-
Now a look to the chinese/himalayan bed where there are still some beautiful things to find
[attachimg=1]
Allium beesianum
A truly magnificent allium species with incredible blue flowers of a good size , soon darkening a bit as they age
[attachimg=2]
The affiliated Allium cyaneum, with smaller flowers of a far less convincing hue, but still very pretty with the orange exserted stamens.
Under now a question for people who could answer it!!!
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
We have this Cremanthodium as C.oblongatum, from garden origin. I have tried to identificate it with the determination key on http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/NaviKey, (http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/NaviKey,) but the process soon stops after having given 5 or 6 criteria.
So if anyone has an overall idea of what this cremanthodium is or could be, without coming into botanical details I can't give here of course, don't hesitate to propose your suggestions!
[attachimg=5]
Cyananthus lobatus
[attachimg=6]
Primula capitata ssp.mooreana
[attachimg=7]
Primula tibetica, second flowering, this time attacked by Thrips (!!), a pest I had never seen in Haut-Chitelet before...But well, it's a pest's year anyway, I have already more than a lot complained about it since the
beginning of the gardening season ;)
-
To the southern hemisphere.
[attachimg=1]
Tulbaghia acutiloba.
This plant comes from the mountains of South Africa. We had it through the München Botanical Garden, which is trying to acclimate plants from Lesotho high land in the alpine garden Schachen, located in the Bavarian
Alps ( you can read the superb diary of the alpine garden, made by Jennifer Wainwright-Klein on this adress, http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Schachen (http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Schachen) ).
Time will tell what plants adapt to our somewhat different conditions in Haut-Chitelet ( less rain, generally more warmth in summer, and shorter snowcover period), and what plants will not. An interesting work to do, as
many unexpected surprises may happen sometimes.
[attachimg=2]
Scleranthus biflorus
From New Zealand and Australian high mountains. A beautiful carpet plant, with totally insignificant flowering, but a great bright green tiny and compact foliage, which fits perfectly between smaller rocks.
[attachimg=3]
Calceolaria valdiviana
To finish this short southern hemisphere tour, a look at Calceolaria valdiviana. Calceolaria is a big and complicated genus, making identification sometimes very hard. This one could be the true one, and is new in the
garden.
-----------------------
Back to Europe, with some flowers which still deserve some attention
[attachimg=4]
Dianthus sylvaticus
[attachimg=5]
The indefatigable Geranium endressii from the Pyrénées.
[attachimg=6]
Impatiens noli-tangere
[attachimg=7]
And the endless flowering Linaria alpina, as the young spring seedlings begin now to flower, when the mature plants from last year have finished.
A final trip to North America, where the flowering season is about to end with the Allium stellatum display.
[attachimg=8]
[attachimg=9]
A lilium species, which I haven't yet tried to identificate. As before, suggestions welcomed. But this is a young plant, flowering for the first time, reaching for the moment 30cm high. No geographical precision, as the plant is
mislabelled and was not collected in the wild.
The next update will probably not be as usual in about 15 days, as the seasons goes on and the flowering plants become scarce.
-
Wonderful pictures -I am so glad that in the middle of August it can still be real summer!
As to the Convolvulus, have a look here :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2010Mar311270058840IRG_March_2010.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2010Mar311270058840IRG_March_2010.pdf)
In this issue of IRG, you will find some information about this plant and its synonyms from Fritz Kummert - Convolvulus boissieri Steud. subsp. compactus (Boiss.) Stace
Synonyms: Convolvulus cochlearis Griseb., Convolvulus compactus Boiss., Convolvulus parnassicus Boiss. & Orph., Convolvulus suendermannii Bornm.
-
Thank you Maggi!
And I want this Corydalis in the front page of the bulletin ::) ;D
-
Thank you Maggi!
And I want this Corydalis in the front page of the bulletin ::) ;D
I am not surprised - it is quite stunning, is it not? The colours are just perfect.
-
All beautiful as usual! But the Geranium is a perfect pink- much nicer to me than the bluey ones...
-
Already time to begin the flowering season 2013?
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
Pics taken yesterday from the road passing over the garden.
There are still 1 to 1.5 m of snow laying upthere, and it will probably still last several weeks untill some of the beds become totally snowfree.
The winter has been quite contrasted, with a loud beginning right in early december, bringing about 1.5m of snow within 2 weeks.
Then there was a hard time starting on the week before Christmas, to jump shortly over the new year change, with sometimes mild air masses, SW winds, frequently associated to notable rainfall periods. The worst combination which has progressively reduced the massive snowcover to a kind of drenched icy soup, leaving the higher parts of some beds bare again, and probably exposing the other ones partly to melt-overwatering under the remaining ice-cover.
January brought cold and some fresh snow back, but not in great quantity this time, so that the next mild and very rainy spell around late january ruined again the fragile new snowcover which had managed to form meanwhile.
February was cold throughout the whole month, with very rarely positive temperatures, and snowfalls from time to time. Not abundant, but gently accumulating on the soil each time.
March is now over, and will be the wintriest month: only a few days on the beginning with positive temperature, but dry weather, and then all the rest simply below 0°C and with frequent snowfall, leading right now to the important snowcover I mentioned at the beginning of the post.
As in most parts of northern and western Europe, it looks like spring is not yet decided to break through in the next days and the colder weather could easily last at least untill mid-april.
Will have to be patient to give news from the garden!
-
It's been 4 weeks now.
I was upthere today to bring some first personal belongings for the season to come, and this was best made with the sledge, as a generous snowcover still lays on the ground. But different than last time when everything was white: parts of the garden, and some of the higher or near-water beds are already snowfree now, whereas the depth in some other places reaches sometimes still 1 meter.
[attach=1]
That was a great impression today, to walk in the snow having 15°C and bright sunshine. Melting water begins to run generously here and there, but I guess it will be another further 3 weeks untill the garden becomes totally snowfree. Of course work will begin well before that point, and should start from next week on :-*
A few pics of the very first flowering plants which have more or less recently emerged out of the snow. But nothing special for the moment.
[attach=2]
[attach=3]
More to come in the next weeks ;)
-
There is something very exciting about the emergence of the garden from its snow cover.
We hope the coming season will be a good one for you and for the plants, Philippe.
-
So far now, season 2013 has begun with our defintive installation on the very last days of april. As quite usual for Vosges-weather conditions, fog and drizzle welcomed us on our first day.
There was still much old snow/compacted ice, although a good part of it melted since the last visit on April 24th, first due to a few very mild and sunny days, followed then by abundant rainfall.
That's how looked the main way on the first day, in the upper part of the garden.
[attachimg=4]
Except for the snow quality, it could have been a pretty ski run, isn't it?
Fortunately as last year, some of the beds were snowfree, or on the way to become so. And if the cars are not yet likely to get down to the living chalet in the lower part untill several days, work can begin in the beds as
soon as the weather gets better.
The himalayan and north american beds along the river Vologne were the first to get that privilege. No great weeding task for the moment however. It's more about uncompacting the surface soil after 5 months of snowcover, and raising the labels again, being careful of not disturbing or breaking the various new shoots that gently look out of the ground.
[attachimg=2]
A view of a part of the himalayan bed on the left.
From a distance and after snowmelt it looks like everything's dead and wouldn't come again at all! I always get scared on those very first days, when everything seems so desperate, wondering if such plant is going to grow again if such other one is not already dead.
But it mostly only needs some snowcover-free days and you quickly see the plants waking up from the long winter rest.
Of course, losses must always be expected. I immediately and firstly think about voles, which for any reason often adore making their way under snowcover precisely along the rocks of the beds.
And for some other horticultural reason, that's also the kind of place in which I particularly like to install young alpine plants.
The difference between voles and me though is that they can do what they want during the 6 winter months without being disturbed by anybody...The only thing I can do when I'am back is to search for the plants that seems to have disappeared meanwhile: in the best case they often still are here, but upside down, burred in the soil, only needing urgent care.
On last thursday, we already had the first thunderstorm of the season, with hail. Together with snowmelt, strong rain, and that abundant little hail that fell for nearly half an hour, the river soon overflowed the beds situated
along it, and flowering Primula rosea for example stood for a moment into deeper water than usual.
[attachimg=3]
If the next update is not too long or if there is still few other to report about plants and flowerings, I shall post news about the peat bog works that begun last fall. I don't remember if I had mentioned it last year, but I rather don't think so.
-
Let's talk today about the peat bog which is to find in the lower part of the garden.
Many of you will be familiar with what a peat bog is, notably people living in cool and wet countries. With generous rainfall and due to the altitude which provides cool weather, the Vosges are particularly rich with peat bogs. The alpine garden has one within its limits. But we can't call it natural or original anymore, as it has experienced ample draining works during the early 20th.century, leading progressively to a drier environment. This means slow disappearing of the characteristic peat bog-flora due to stronger competition through growth increase of native trees and blueberry bushes.
However, in order to keep this place the most open and the most peat bog-like possible, we regularly pull up tree seedlings, preventing this way the ineluctable forest formation process. But never this would help making the peat bog survive, as the main problem was still complete: not enough water underground due to the numerous draining trenches which were scattered about it, continuously running the water immediately further down, and letting the upper parts often too dry.
The problem was studied and solutions were proposed. Last fall the works have begun, made by an external firm. The main purpose was of course limitating or even countervailing the draining effect. Then a new much longer duckboard should be built, getting across a greater part of the peat bog.
That's how the peat bog and old duckboard looked like 5 years ago
[attachimg=1]
And this is now. The big spruces right in the middle of the peat bog have been cut down, and their trunks used to block the main draining trenches.
[attachimg=2]
[attach=3] [attach=4] [attach=5]
These "dams" should stop the water outflow, and let the water level raise again. As there is quite a height difference between the lower and upper part ot the peat bog, many dams were created successively on each trench.
Sometimes the dams are just made of peat that was digged out, creating thus a kind of pond over which the water would flow once filled.
When the dams are well tight, the water raises and can imbibe again all the area surrounding the ponds. Pond after pond, and over a good part of the peat bog, it should have a crucial effect on the flora year after year. At
least, that's the result which is expected.
For the moment, everything just looks in really big mess, and the vegetation needs to recover from the hard works that have been done. We hope sphnagnum colonies are going to occupy the bare soil quite quickly, thus
making perhaps place for a possible return of the drosera species which are normaly to be found in peat bogs.
The new duckboard, which must be finished this year, will lead the visitors through the peat-bog, and interpretation signs should help explaining and understanding what a peat bog is, and how important and interesting it is.
Of course, once the garden is closed at the end of the day, it would still be a pretty place for us to enjoy the evening, as long as the sky doesn't pour rain ::)
In the next post hereunder a closer look to the garden which awakes from its winter sleep a little bit more every day.
-
I talked with a fellow worker of me which works at the alpine house of the Tübingen botanical garden in Germany just 10 days ago, and he was saying he found that many plants had really strong blossom this year. I was
therefore curious about what I was going to find just after that discussion by the return in Haut-Chitelet. From the few I can yet see here, and for any reason, I would say it's also completely true! Some plants that usually
have few flowers in a normal year are now making really big impression!
It's the case for Pulsatilla vernalis for example which I don't remember having seen so covered with flowers in the past years.
[attachimg=1]
This is just as right for Primula latifolia which normaly has at its best 1 or 2 flowering stems
[attachimg=2]
Soldanella pusilla also shows quite many flowers this year, although it might be less evident than for both precedent plants.
[attachimg=3]
I was deeply impressed by Primula amoena too, which used to have 1, 2, or very occasionaly 3 flowering stems. This year, that's just a marvelous spectacle!
[attachimg=4]
Looks like Primula marginata is also going to have more flowers than usual. Other european species, which are sometimes rather shy-flowering the previous years, will perhaps also be just as generous. For the moment,
the snow has just retreated in the last parts of the Alps beds, let's wait and see later.
Now, I am even more curious about what's going to happen with the plants from the other beds and from the rest of the world. After the difficult gardening season last year, this might perhaps be a wonder gardening year
this time???
-
The plants are all wonderful but the Pulsatilla vernalis is really superb.
-
Although the last update is more than 10 days, there is very few to tell. The weather just hangs up between late winter and early spring, snow fell on one occasion meanwhile, and new one is forecasted at the end of this week. This doesn't make the work outside easy. However there is still a lot to do before the public opening on June 1st.
Fortunately we had about...let me think about a moment...1 day of bright sunshine and really pleasant temperatures, to remind us we're in May. This day was mostly used to undertake/begin reparations on the wood-fence which encircles the garden and which always suffer more or less during the winter.
Rainy times were also used to do most of present year's sowings, and when the rain wouldn't feel too "wet", the first plantations of the season were achieved, before the plants settle down too much in the propagation beds.
I had a thought for those admirable plants last week, when I was outside by 3°c and penetrating drizzle, simply freezing on my feet, planting a set of Gentiana and others, and having a look around to the diverse plants which endure these weather conditions so proudly. After just one small hour of work, though quite tighlty dressed, I thought I would not be able to finish the plantations as I was already reaching my personal limits of weather-tolerance, which led me again to the relative warmth of our indoor work-place...
Some plants that are or were in flowers in the last 10 days.
[attachimg=1]
Anemone obtusiloba. This plant on the pic above is a little surprise: it came within one pot of Androsace lehmannii that J.Wrainwright-Klein, from the alpine garden Schachen in Germany, sent me last year. As I planted the Androsace at that time in two different places, as a security, there were just 2 tiny Anemone leaves unfolding in one of the cushion, but I didn't know what this could exactly be, probably a very young Delphinium or something similar I thought. But as it came from this tremendous garden I had already visited and knew, it could be something interesting, though probably not really wished in an Androsace.
The first flower of the Anemone came last week, and this was a pure delight under shy sunrays. The Androsace itself was hassled by voles last winter, I had to replant it newly, ( fortunately it grew problemless at the other place), but the Anemone withstood the winter activities of the careless rodents.
[attachimg=2]
Even if this once entire Silene acaulis 'Correvoniana' will survive, and perhaps even grow better after a little relooking, it is always quite agonizing knowing what the voles are able to do during the winter period. Saponaria pumilio cushions were also much appreciated, and here anyway, it has to be expected that they will disappear at least by half every 3/4 years simply because of them.
But apart from vigorous or more common plants, I haven't noticed any damage yet on interesting plants of most of the beds, which is already a very good and encouraging thing.
[attachimg=3]
The Primula denticulata hanging its head under the quite usual mid-May fresh snow cover.
[attachimg=4]
Primula integrifolia.
I fear that that was it, already. As I am writing now, the temperature is dropping toward 2°C, and it's been raining just once today. It is still doing, should do the whole night through, and snow begins to make its way amongst the raindrops.
We hope for the next 2 days without too much cold or rain. But then, from Thursday on, back to the winter again. Weather forecasts say snow untill 700/800m asl for next week-end, and we should get here 10/20cms of fresh snow with temperature not over 0°C during day with possible peaks at -3/-4°C. A chance that the trees still haven't their foliage out!
So whether the next update will be very short once again, or I should really wait longer to make a new one later, and hopefully then June will bring a bit of spring again with plenty of flowers and plants!
(edit by maggi to increase photo size)
-
So it's been now a long time since the last update, after which the garden was once again covered with snow. Cumulated 15cms during the last May week-end. It is also not so long ago that the garden looked like on the pic below.
[attachimg=1]
May was grey, cold, and very wet: nearly 250mm of rain during the month, only 5.3°c monthly mean temperature, and the absolute highest recorded temperature was 16°C. 7 days with snow, of which 4 with cover on the ground.
June finaly brought the hardly wished mountain-spring, with exploding vegetation among the beds.
As nearly 1 month has passed since last update, the pics will be sorted by chronology.
Let's begin with the very last days of May, with a last look at what was a marvelous sight this year: Pulsatilla vernalis, and its unbelievable numerous superb flowers sparkling in sunlight.
I hope there will be some seeds, but pollination will only have been able to take place within very few days at the end, because everything was so wet and cold before.
[attachimg=2]
The european Primulas were also particularly generous with their flowers. All have passed of course now. The following pics were taken during late May/early June;
[attachimg=3]
Primula clusiana
[attachimg=4]
Primula spectabilis
-
[attachimg=1]
The endemic Primula deorum, finding the conditions here very suitable ( peaty and boggy soil along the stream)
A close -up
[attachimg=2]
Primula hirsuta
[attachimg=3]
Primula pedemontana
[attachimg=4]
A new incomer in the Caucasus bed, Trollis ranunculinus, with elongating flower stems as the days pass.
[attachimg=5]
-
Again Primula, farinosa, from a once wild collection in the Alps.
[attachimg=1]
I was speaking last year about this NZ Myosotis which I would like to see covered with white one day. It seems the wish has been fulfilled, with a generously flowered cushion this year. I believe there is nothing to do then to get it this way. As is the case for much other plants, it looks like the weather conditions of the previous season were generaly favorable to induce abundant blossoming in 2013
[attachimg=2]
An adorable counterpart of the Myosotis above, Androsace alpina
[attachimg=3]
Androsace vitaliana at its best
[attachimg=4]
Dodecatheon jeffreyi from North America
[attachimg=5]
-
A little Saxifraga hybrid dispay installed near the garden entrance. Sorry for the numbers. I intended to add the cultivar names with the pics, but the Saxifragas have gone meanwhile, and the list too...
[attachimg=1]
Present spring was perfect to allow visitors to appreciate the neat Saxifraga cushions. They are usually already passed when the garden opens to the public on June 1st, flowering right after snowmelt and having too often had too warm springs the years before, which made them flower even more quickly.
Petrocallis pyrenaica
[attachimg=2]
And a set of european Pulsatillas. Pulsatilla alpina sp.apiifolia.
[attachimg=3]
The native and protected Pulsatilla alpina ssp.alba
[attachimg=4]
Primula auriculata from Caucasus
[attachimg=5]
-
I am particularly proud of the Androsace vandellii vertical trough, which I placed in the bed last fall. Some plants begin to flower right now, but they need to increase now for some years, and this would be very interesting.
However, I will have to take care of the moss not becoming a nuisance for the Androsace with the years. And above all, I hope the trough itself will make it through these years, as this one was initially not meant for such a long term use...
[attachimg=1]
Some gentians now.
Gentiana kochiana
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana verna
[attachimg=3]
Gentiana alpina
[attachimg=4]
A view of Adonis vernalis near the garden entrance
[attachimg=5]
-
Corydalis cashmeriana from the western Himalaya.
[attachimg=1]
Ranunculus parnassifolius. It was a wise decision to dispatch it in another place last year, as one of the places was seriously damaged by rodents last winter, with many plants losses there. Fortunately, in the second place, the Ranunculus settled down very well and creates now a beautiful mix with Gentiana verna, Arabis caerulea, and the seemingly happy Ranunculus glacialis seedling which was planted last year
[attachimg=2]
One of my favourite, Meconopsis integrifolia, for which I had worries last year, seeing its leaves turn to yellow quite soon in the season. But that was ok, finaly huge lemon yellow flowers this year after 5 years cultivation.
Hand pollination regularly made every day on each flower, as the plant is supposed to be monocarpic.
[attachimg=3]
The japanese Glaucidium palmatum
[attachimg=4]
Another well beloved plant of me, Ranunculus gouanii from the Pyrénées. A simple buttercup as one might think, but it definitely has something more.
[attachimg=5]
-
Arnebia pulchra from Caucasus with disappearing black dots as the flowers age
[attachimg=1]
Draba rigida var.bryoides
[attachimg=2]
And the still shy flowering Primula minima, even in this year of abundance...
[attachimg=3]
Good to think also there are still refreshing possibilities in the Vosges in this mid-June time: snowfields at around 1200m asl. Some of them still 2/3 meters deep, ensuring very probably still astonishment untill the first half of July. I recently read that if the Vosges were only 300 or 400 meters higher, there would be possibly permanent snow on such locations as shown below ( snowbeds turned towards N or NE)
[attachimg=4]
-
Hey Philippe, hope you had a good day yesterday to celebrate your birthday? It does look as if the garden is working this year to give you a seasonal gift of glory of all those flowers! 8)
Your photographs are a pleasure to see - it must be so exciting for you to see the plants do so well.
I am going to move this excellent thread to the Blogs and Diaries area.
-
Philippe - beautiful and informative photos and discussion. Who would think of turning a trough vertically? Simple but rather brilliant.
-
Philippe, wonderful pictures of beautiful plants. Your trough is very interesting but please forgive a silly question - How do you keep the soil mix from falling out when it's placed vertically?
-
Thank you Maggi. 8)
The trough was planted and placed horizontaly one year long after the plantation, untill the mix compacts a bit. Some moss also installed itself here and there on the very surface of the mix, maintaining the whole thing, and perhaps the roots of the androsace began meanwhile to "hold" a little bit of the mix too.
Now that everything is quite done, there is few or even no mix particule falling from the trough once verticaly placed. Also falling rain doesn't seem to be a problem
However some slate sheets ( is the word right? ) inserted quite deep into the mix at a 45°C angle create a kind of supporting "skeleton" for the mix, and prevent it additionaly from pouring out.
The idea of placing a trough vertically was simply to have water getting away quicker of the plants, essentially during the non-growing season, as there is no way to install rain shelter here year round, but also during the long snowmelt-time in spring, when the susceptible cushions might get drenched continuously for about 3/4 weeks if planted horizontally.
As soon as I have enough material, I will also try the same with more sensitive plants than A.vandellii.
-
Hello Philippe, thank you for showing us these alpine gems growing
in the open garden. Here we can only dream about it.
Temperature today max.36°C, some plants now look like
dried tobacco.
-
Temperature today max.36°C, some plants now look like
dried tobacco.
36 degrees? :o That must be summer I suppose? ;D
-
Hi Rudi
Though it's not as warm as at lower altitude, these are simply very hard days for the alpines here. We get near 30°C at day since monday , bright sunshine, and nightly temperatures just few below 20°C.
It's just too much for some generas now, particularly those from the monsum-Himalaya. It will be ok for them this time, but for example the Meconopsis integrifolia doesn't make it to produce any pollen anymore with the dry and warm air. The anthers just seem to abort, and don't open.
Fresh weather and rain should come from tomorrow on, but we will have to take a stop by the thunderstorm stage before that. And the forecasts are quite alarmous, with every possible damaging consequences as regards to hail, rain, and storms.
I pray we're not concerned :-\
-
First update July 2013, part 1
The season goes on, and the changeable weather helps keeping the average 3 weeks of vegetation lag. We just had one really warm period in June, but it was at once also too much of it, with daily max as high as 28/29°C during 3/4 days, which is only 3 to 4°C away from the last 10years record highs.
Fortunately this hot spell didn't last too long, and enough rain and fresh air soon came after that, without the feared thunderstorms which have caused localy many damages in NE France at their passage.
We'll be able to make beautiful trush bouquets on this early July here ;) ( at least where lily beetles larvas don't feed on)
The peat bog works are over now, and the new duck board was opened to the visitors on last friday. It's a real pleasure to walk on it now.
In the garden itself, the works of the last weeks have been divided between some days of many plantations in the beds, the going on of pricking out actions in the propagation area, and weeding tasks of course.
Nearly 100 new species were introduced or sometimes re-introduced in the garden, and about just as many new species placed in the propagation bed as a result of pricking out of both sowings of present and last year. Both works should go on during the next 2 months, although the pricking out will be stopped by early August.
As every year, there are beds more or less total renovation plans, but they will be mostly undertaken in the second part of the season.
This year, we should again add a new part to the southern hemisphere bed. As regards to the general building of the garden, we have a quite interesting landscaped bed planted with cultivars and hybrids of mountain/alpine plants, which is simply too big for this purpose ( and not that interesting I find, not enough anyway to be further completed), and which, once considered in its whole, would need only the half of the total place. The other half should then be used for southern hemisphere plantations, and 7/8 huge cushions of Helichrysum milfordiae are already waiting in one of the propagation bed, getting bigger and bigger every year, and only waiting now to carpet comfortably between big rocks. It's not decided yet if we should move all the cultivated South Africa plants to this new bed, or if we should go on mixing all together also mountain plants from both New Zealand, and South America. I personaly would rather like the first solution, but this would mean having to plant out species which are already installed for some years, sometimes a little risky according to the plants.
The european Balkans Mountains must also be refreshed ( plants/soil mix/rocks). A part of it was ameliorated last season, but it's already filled with new plants, and the search for places has begun again for new introductions.
The China bed, of which a part was totally emptied last year, was recently planted with new species in June. They are now gently settling down, but I am curious to see the results on a longer term: mostly plants from the monsum SW China mountains, of which some I think will be a bit difficult. As there was no possibility to get water running in this part of the bed, I chose to lay a generous grit mulch on the soil, this should help keeping the mix and the roots at least fresh, when unfortunately not wet ( providing copious watering when the weather turns too dry for some days).
Place should be made in Himalaya, in order to install scree/cushion/slow growing new plants, which would be otherwise a bit lost and endangered amongst giants such as Rheum, Meconopsis, Cremanthodiums, Primula.
Concerning the North American bed, some late plantations were made last fall, but with varying success, and quite disappointing balance. New species were therefore introduced in spring. Waiting to see what it will be now, but the bed is huge, and still plenty of place. I hope it can look better in several weeks, or at least next year.
Finally the western Alps bed, which was shown in one of the updates from last season, has been completed with young plants ( under which the Androsace vandellii vertical trough). I wait to see now how the plants will evolve, but surely there will be more plantations next year here.
Just for the record, the pic I had shown last year, before the work.
[attachimg=1]
And under now from a bit different point of view ( the pinkish rock just here above in the lower middle near the path is in the lower left corner in the following pic)
[attachimg=2]
The plants are still very small, and as you see there is still much available space for further completing plantations. This bed anyway was the perfect place to try Campanula cenisia, which was lingering in plastic pots in the propagation area for 2/3 years. Of course, I wouldn't have installed the Campanula directly in the groung, which could be the surest way to eventually loose it. So, as for the C.raineri and Androsace vandellii, C.cenisia deserved a dedicated trough for itself alone, the one you may perhaps sight in the foreground, with white topdressing quartz. Meanwhile, the little Campanula has surprisingly well recovered, beginning to run under the grit, and is preparing 3/4 flowers.
I am not sure putting troughs in the bed is a really good esthetical choice. Ok, they mimic the colour of the rocks around, but well, I always find myself trying to hide as much as possible the trough-sides, with plants or rock pieces. However, the main motivation of placing throughs in the beds is finally to give people the possibility to see plants that would otherwise not succeed reliably when direclty planted in the soil. Of course, if the plant does well in the troughs, there is still possibility to get enough material to make a later try in the bed itself then.
As I am telling about troughs, here a partial view of the non geographical through display at the entrance of the garden ( could be better organized, with more interesting plants. Well, for the moment, it's not the case, the troughs are quite old, and maybe when new ones will come we'll think of showing other plants).
In the right foreground, a Silene acaulis ssp.cenisia cushion, then Dryas octopetala, Globularia cordifolia, and a yet non flowering and trying to survive Campanula alpestris.
Then a grey mix of Helichrysum milfordiae and Raoulia sp., and behind an endless carpeting Phlox of North America ( as said, all plants that could go directly in the beds, or already are meanwhile)
[attachimg=3]
-
First update July 2013, part 2
Some plants portraits now, with a rather geographical travel through the beds, beginning with the mountains of eastern Europe ( Carpats, Balkan peninsula)
[attachimg=1]
Androsace lactea is doing really well in this shadier and moister part of the Carpats-bed. Planted at the base of a north-facing middle sized rock, it thrives very well, with a generous and long flowering. No comparaison with the high altitude jewels from the Alps or from the Himalaya, but this is honestly a very interesting and charming plant
[attachimg=2]
I finally managed to get a Cortusa matthioli untill flowering stage! I simply love it. The plant is very young, and therefore very small, with a tiny flowering stem and few flowers this year. I hope it will show other proportions next season, what should then be a delightful sight if everything goes well.
[attachimg=3]
The Geum coccineum from Bulgaria, throwing a splash of beautiful orange-red into the Balkan bed. I am thinking of soon installing young Lilium carniolicum in this area, which could carry on the interesting similar colour display once the Geum would have faded. But place must be made above all else!
[attachimg=4]
Dianthus myrtinervius ssp.caespitosus. Another charming plant from the Balkan peninsula, superficially reminding of a Silene acaulis. Makes a beautiful display when associated to the Gentiana verna ssp.balcanica and some Linum capitatum, all three flowering at the same time.
[attachimg=5]
A look at the eastern Alp Geranium argenteum, with its silvery pretty foliage. This leads us now into the western part of the european Alps with the next update under.
-
First update July 2013, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Gentiana kochiana and Leucanthemopsis alpina growing together, for the eye's delight. Such a shame that the Leucanthemopsis almost never sets seeds here. It grows vegetatively very well though.
[attachimg=2]
The dedicated Linaria alpina scree bed, where it sows itself freely now
[attachimg=3]
The heavenly pure white Narcissus poeticus which deserves mass plantation near Paradisia liliastrum, Lathyrus laevigatus ssp.occidentalis, Anemone narcissiflora.
[attachimg=4]
Minuartia recurva, particulary interesting for covering rocks and cracks, as it forms very compact and low cushions with tiny leaves of the purest green. The flowering is usual for the genus, only more compact too, which makes it on the whole a humble, but very valuable plant.
[attachimg=5]
Polygala chamaebuxus, for a try in the bed since June, as the mature plant was given us only last fall. For the moment, the past winter and the summer seem to fulfill its needs.
-
First update July 2013, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Rhododendron ferrugineum in full flowering for several days.
[attachimg=2]
Senecio doronicum. Lovely grey lightly hairy foliage supporting Doronicum-like yellow-orange flowers. An interesting combination.
[attachimg=3]
Silene acaulis
[attachimg=4]
Trifolium alpinum, a careless plant here. The only care it needs is to stop and look close by when one is passing by it, for everything is charming in it: foliage, form and refinement of the flower, colour.
[attachimg=5]
And Cytisus emeriflorus to end this late June western Alps overlook. A soil carpeting greenweed which was lost in the jungle of the WAlps bed that has been renewed last year ( second pic of the first part above). Profiting of light and sun again, it should grow better again now.
-
First update July 2013, part 5
Let's go to North America now, with some Lewisia to begin
[attachimg=1]
Lewisia pygmaea ssp.longipetala
[attachimg=2]
Lewisia tweedyi, or a hybrid coloured form of it?
[attachimg=3]
Lomatium utriculatum
[attachimg=4]
Luetkea pectinata, useful for a shady ( and neglected too) corner of one of the beds
[attachimg=5]
Phacelia sericea, which I am trying to increase by seeds since 2 years, in order to get in the end a beautiful group amongst grit and smaller rocks
-
First update July 2013, part 6
[attachimg=1]
A last pic of a Phlox, planted in a trough, and labelled Phlox kelseyi var.missoulensis ( which it could be)
A look toward Asia now.
[attachimg=2]
Incarvillea younghusbandii, a surprising exotic-like plant from China/Himalaya, which appears suddenly within a week quite late in the season, bringing almost at the same time leaves and very soon huge extravagant flowers that remind of some south american tropical climbing Dipladenia.
[attachimg=3]
The usual Meconopsis baileyi/ex betonicifolia
[attachimg=4]
And one of the numerous hybrid forms with grandis (received under Lingholm)
[attachimg=5]
Primula chungensis
-
First update July 2013, part 7
[attachimg=1]
Primula polyneura
[attachimg=2]
The scented Primula reidii var.williamsii ( not particularly pleasant for me personaly)
[attachimg=3]
Rheum alexandrae, with 4 flowering spikes this year ( and tasty raw stems, having I find a somewhat light "floral" touch that the usual cultivated kitchen rhubarb of the gardens doesn't have)
[attachimg=4]
The beautiful Silene nigrescens
[attachimg=5]
Trollius pumilus
-
First update July 2013, part 8
And to finish, Primula modesta var.matsumurae from Japan
[attachimg=1]
And Taraxacum pseudoroseum from Central Asia.
[attachimg=2]
I will perhaps post in the next update some pics of the Lautaret Alpine Garden, to which I am going one week nextly.
-
Some delightful images there, Philippe, many thanks ... your use of soft focus can be exquisite.
-
Philippe, I am enjoying your plants so much. How wonderful to see Silene nigrescens and Luetkea pectinata doing so well, and your Linaria alpine planting is perfect. Thank you for sharing.
-
Second update July 2013, part 1
I finaly manage to make an update again... Most of the plants shown below are not flowering anymore though.
We are having the second warmest July of the last 15 years. And this simultaneously goes with one of the driest ones too. It has only rained 3 times since the month's beginning. And these were complete 3 weeks without a single raindrop untill last wednesday, when a thunderstorm finally brought copious rain and some fresh air to the garden again. This was more than welcome, as many plants were already wilting from drought in the steep beds, where the water could not get into the dusty soil. Many nearly daily watering hours for 2 weeks prevented the most interesting or young plants to suffer too much, but the growth delay after the cold spring and long winter is totally forgotten now. I think the plants even have some advance now, for those at least who didn't suffer too much from the persistent lack of rain. It could be that the usual very late flowering Gentiana sino-ornata opens its flower by the end of August
New heatwaves are said to concern France next week again. And it will probably be hotter than it was untill now. Thunderstorms should hopefully bring some rain again before that.
This weather is not only a hard time for the mature plants in the garden, but it makes also every new plantation impossible or at least very risky. I hope we get some normal conditions soon again during August, after that it would be slowly too late to do so.
And it makes me think about the building of the garden itself: as long as there will be no possibility of automatic light watering system, when possible the new beds should be rebuilt on a rather even or only very slight slope ground, with terrrace-like setting rather than the moutain-like one that was prefered at the construction some 40 years ago now. Some of the beds just emerge from the ground and reach a height of 2 meters sometimes. This is of course quite impressive, and yes, sometimes beautiful, but this is not adapted to such long dry periods as the one we had in July.
Anyway, place now to some pics from the last 2/3 weeks, in alphabetical order.
[attachimg=1]
Achille clavennae, from the eastern Alps
[attachimg=2]
Androsace spinulifera planted in quite poor and relatively draining soil to prevent humidity excesses. The plant seems quite happy in this part of the bed
[attachimg=3]
Arenaria tetraquetra, with this spanish Sierra Nevada wild introduction from the mid seventies. A very old plant indeed, which of course was already several times divided, but invariably never sets any seed at all.
[attachimg=4]
Artemisia glacialis, with thin and very silvery aromatic foliage.
[attachimg=5]
Asperula gussonii, planted in a trough for the moment, but also now mistakenly in the Turkey mountains bed...The italian bed isn't done yet, I hope we can make it this year, or at least prepare a provisory place where the Apenins, sicilian and corsican plants will be at home.
-
Second update July 2013, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Astragalus vulneraria, from Turkey, a very beautiful plant we received last spring. It has endured the very wet and cold May without problems, and looks ok now in this very dry and sunny period. Let's see what it will do next winter!
[attachimg=2]
Calceolaria uniflora, again hand pollinated this year, really hoping for seed to be formed this time. I have only 2 small pots of this jewel, and they are as last year in the non public propagation area. I would really like to be able to set the plant once in the south America bed, but I will have to wait further.
[attachimg=3]
The weedy Campanula excisa, so adorable, but always ready to invade a whole bed with its underground running stems. Always a problem to deal with this plant here, as only a small piece of root can give a new plant that will rapidly conquer the place, profiting of every rock to hide under.
[attachimg=4]
Cremanthodium helianthus. I always thought of Cremanthodium as a soil-high moisture loving genus. This might be true for many species, but I precisely lost this one when planted in a wetter part of the bed. Fortunately, I had also planted it in a drier place, where it flowered for the first time this year. Not really a beauty, but somehow I really love this genus, and it's always an excitement to see the plants growing again in late spring/early summer. There should be 3/4 new species flowering next year if everything's ok in the next months. I am so impatient to see them
[attachimg=5]
Dianthus glacialis in the Carpathians bed. A tiny Dianthus, with proportionnaly big flowers over dark glossy green foliage
-
Second update July 2013, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Doronicum grandiflorum. This plant has a long story in the garden. Sown in 1995, it has struggled for about 7/8 years in a place where it seemingly really wasn't happy. The plant was then taken to another place, where it still is now, but it needed further 3/4 years before it finaly began to grow better and better. NOw it flowers every year.
[attachimg=2]
Hebe armstrongii from New Zealand.
[attachimg=3]
Helichrysum milfordiae.
[attachimg=4]
Hieracium villosum.A good and well proportionned plant, with a lovely contrast between the yellow flowers and glaucous foliage.
[attachimg=5]
Hormatophylla spinosa from Spain.
-
Second update July 2013, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Iris setosa. I am not really an Iris-lover, but I find them particularly interesting this year, maybe because of the quite generous blossom.
[attachimg=2]
The unavoidable Leontopodium alpinum, Edelweiss. As many people often ask for it, it is now planted directly at the entrance of the garden, in a trough, where they can find and see it easily.
[attachimg=3]
Lilium croceum
[attachimg=4]
A last look at the Meconopsis baileyi. Is still flowers right now, but doesn't look that good anymore, with always more and more seed pods amongst the flowers, and yellowish foliage partly due to the dry and warm weather conditions.
[attachimg=5]
While M.baileyi is progressively ending, M.horridula begins.
-
Second update July 2013, part 5
[attachimg=1]
A cross between the big monocarpic species, probably M.paniculata and napaulensis.
[attachimg=2]
And M.punicea with 2 flowers this year. One more than last year. I can't manage to get stronger or well developped plants producing more flowers.
[attachimg=3]
The south american Mimulus cupreus, not totally perennial.
[attachimg=4]
Paradisia liliastrum, one of my very favourite plants when it comes to flower.
[attachimg=5]
Penstemon glaber var.alpinus
-
Second update July 2013, part 6
[attachimg=1]
Phyteuma globulariifolium ssp.pedemontanum
[attachimg=2]
The blood red Potentilla atrosanguinea in the himalayan bed.
[attachimg=3]
Potentilla nitida from the south and eastern european Alps. Pink at the beginning, unfortunately rapidly fading to white from the moment when the sun is shining too bright. There is in the garden another source of that plant showing a much brighter pink lasting a bit longer than this one.
[attachimg=4]
Primula bulleyana
[attachimg=5]
Ramonda myconi
-
Second update July 2013, part 7
[attachimg=1]
Rhododendron keleticum in the chinese bed.
[attachimg=2]
Saponaria pumilio
-
Rhododendron keleticum in the chinese bed.
Wow, so many flowers !!! Very beautiful.
Your rain pattern ( or non-rain pattern, as it has been ) seems similar to the story here. The big blue meconopsis are looking quite yellow and dry in their leaves. I hope even so that there will be good seed set.
-
Lovely report Philippe, beautiful plants and beautifully pictured. Thank you.
-
Philippe, do you have any more pictures of Astragalus vulneraria that you can post? I've been trying to i.d. an astragalus I'm growing for a couple of years now. Did you grow it from seed? If so, where did you get the seed? If you can post more pictures of flowers and foliage of the plant I'd really appreciate it. I think mine may be from Turkey also, but can't recall where I got it.
Incidentally, your Lewisia tweedyi looks very much like L. tweedyi v 'rosea', which is quite a lovely plant. I don't know if this is an official name, but mine have been very similar with the petals having rosy, almost red, tips.
-
I will take other pictures of this Astragalus next week. HOwever I don't know if there will still be flowers.
I didn't grow it from seed, but received the mature plant last spring . I don't have any info about the collect right now.
Philippe, do you have any more pictures of Astragalus vulneraria that you can post? I've been trying to i.d. an astragalus I'm growing for a couple of years now. Did you grow it from seed? If so, where did you get the seed? If you can post more pictures of flowers and foliage of the plant I'd really appreciate it. I think mine may be from Turkey also, but can't recall where I got it.
Incidentally, your Lewisia tweedyi looks very much like L. tweedyi v 'rosea', which is quite a lovely plant. I don't know if this is an official name, but mine have been very similar with the petals having rosy, almost red, tips.
-
Great plants, beautiful pictures, interesting descriptions!
I am very impressed. Thank you, Philippe.
-
Philippe, I think you may have solved the identity of my mystery astragalus. I looked up Astragalus vulneraria and it appears to be identical.
It would also seem that it is a bit variable in size. Mine is caespitose. I'd include a picture but can't seem to resize it properly to fit the new requirements for the Forum. I've had it a few years now but it has not yet given viable seed. I don't cover it in the winter and there's no problem. It is really a beautiful plant. Please post more pictures if you have them.
-
This is a close-up of my mystery astragalus. How does it compare to yours?
-
I don't really know much of Astragalus in general but I would say superficially very very similar to the plant that grows here under A.vulneraria. There may be however little botanical details unvisible in a pic which can separate two very close species.
-
Rhododendron keleticum in the chinese bed.
Oh my, it's glaringly apparent where this species is happiest!
Marvellous
johnw
-
Philippe, do you recall where you got the astragalus? At a nursey?
-
What a magical display of pictures, and the astragalus (or astragali) from gardens on different sides of the Atlantic are really striking. So few of these seem to be grown in gardens. The Chairlady of our Alpine Group is French and I will suggest to her that we arrange a Group visit to Haut-Chitelet.
-
Always so many beauties to see :) The Geranium argenteum is delightful! And I'm hoping my Geum coccineum might have such a colour as yours :o when they decide to flower.. More photos to look at yet...
-
Sorry I went wrong with this 6th.part...
Please begin with part one in the next post!
Update August 2013, part 6
Here under the artificial hybrid between Eryngium bourgatii and E.alpinum, named E.zabellii, with deeply blue-coloured flowering stems and "bracts"
[attachimg=1]
The plant occurred spontaneously in a bed outside the public area, where E.alpinum and E.bourgatii are grown some 30 meters away one from the other. But it is just curious that the hybrid-seedlings are only to be found in the vicinity of E.bourgatii, and none in the E.alpinum bed, where however many true E.alpinum seedling selfsow every year.
[attachimg=2]
Here the Eryngium alpinum bed, improbably living with the chinese Ligularia przewalskii. Both need rich and moist soil to thrive happily.
As we have in the public area a bed which is dedicated to artificial hybrids and cultivars, the E.zabellii should be placed there next year. With its very late and impressive potential mass-flowering, this is just the plant to put there.
This bed has been renewed this year. It was just a bit too big and yes, very very old, filled with some really uninteresting things, and too many weeds too. I think I have already spoken of it in a previous post as this was a project of the ongoing season, but we could cut this "giant" bed in two, with a lovely path getting up in the middle, and gently going down on the other side. One part will still be dedicated to hybrid plants, and the other one, the loveliest one, will soon be home for more southern hemisphere plants.
As I also may have explained it before, we have many really huge Helichrysum milfordiae cushions beginning to fill a part of one of the propagation bed. This is just intolerable of course ;) And as the southern hemisphere bed cannot welcome such big constantly growing beings, the new bed was specially meant for them. Naturally, other plants will be planted there, amongst them new incomers of NewZealand for example
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
A view of the old hybrids-bed taken in 2008
[attachimg=5]
The same bed recently rearranged with a half now devoted to southern hemisphere plants
Thoughts were made about how to build it, and how to take advantage of its configuration to install the new plants. So 2 scree-areas were made, the one in the front being watered from underground in its lower part, the water ending in a kind of mini-pond ( one or two small plants from wet habitats could be possibly tried here). The other scree which can hardly be seen on the pic is dry, facing north-west.
I am really curious to see what this bed will become in the next years, and let it know here on the forum of course. I dream of plenty of things growing here ;)
-
Update August 2013, part 1
The season goes on, and this update will be the last greater one for 2013. The garden is clearly going down again, and it's rather seed harvesting-time now. Of course still flowering plants here and there, amongst which sometimes very interesting things, but the general impression is that fall is in the starting blocks.
Like every time, a little word about the weather. It goes on too dry, with scarce rainy days, bringing generally few water, and then only the absolute minimum amount for the plants not to turn yellow too soon or to wither again. Fortunately, the heat left for some time, and we had again normal temperatures ( 10°C by night, 15-20°C or a little more by a sunny day) what allowed us just not to have to water the beds like we did temporaly almost daily in July. But it's been dry since 10 days again now, and another 8/10 period of dry days is forecasted now, with increasing temperatures again, and just one possibility of getting some rain before that, right on coming monday. I pray we get some sufficient water from the sky!
Many plants may begin their resting period now, and thus the water needs are much less than in June or July, but I guess that if it doesn't rain enough, or not at all, we'll have to help anyway once again.
It's just incredible how the climate is changing, and how fast above all. A completely dry summer-week would have been hardly thinkable in the past, 10 days without rain probably exceptionnal. Year after year a completely dry week becomes common now, and even the 10 days period has to be expected almost surely at least once during the growing season. This year, the record was put on 19 days in July. All this after the awful May, with its constantly pouring rains, snow, and cold temperatures.
So let me take you now to this last great tour of the garden for this year.
We'll begin with some north american plants flowering in the last 2 weeks.
[attachimg=1]
Silene hookeri.
Still in the propagation bed right now, but a great impression when I saw the first flower opening a few days ago. A plant that must absolutely join the north american bed next year. It will have to stand the coming winter before that, always the big question for many potted plants that might suffer more quickly in the confined space of the plastic pots than in open ground directly in the beds. Of course, if snow falls soon after fall and lasts untill mid-April, everything's generally ok for most of those potted plants. My fears are always the milder and rainy spells that can sometimes ruin the snowcover within 3 or 4 days, letting the plants soaked for a while in their pots.
[attachimg=2]
Erigeron aphanactis.
Received from the NARGS seed-exchange during winter 2011-2012. I honestly didn't expect this plant to grow well at the Haut Chitelet, having seen and read on the web it was rather a plant for dry to very dry places in the southern half of the Rockies. Well, the plant might not look very good here, being somehow even a bit untidy, but I love it and absolutely wanted to try it. So it was planted on the top of a bed in a very sandy and gritty mix, getting full sun for nearly all the day in summer.
[attachimg=3]
A late flowering Papaver kluanense in a scree bed where it selfsows generously now.
-
Update August 2013, part 2
On the way towards Asia with some plants from Himalaya and China mountains
[attachimg=1]
Potentilla cuneata forms adorable low growing carpets of tiny glaucous foliage, bearing numerous bowl shaped yellow flowers late in the summer. It would deserve a much better place in the bed, amongst big pieces of rocks, in crevice. Presently, it is just planted horizontally between some border rocks near the way... I couldn't renew and make again the himalayan bed untill now. This might perhaps come before the season's end, and I really would like, as potted plants will have to find place quickly during next spring when we'll come back!
[attachimg=2]
Lilium taliense. Another stunning plant, from China, which again will have to wait just a little more to get in the china bed next year. The bed was partly renewed last year, but is already planted with new plants, letting not enough place for such taller growing things like Lilium. Again there is urgent work to get some place in this bed!
[attachimg=3]
Lilium sutchuenense. This is an old garden accession, originating from the year 1963, and which was probably cultivated in Nancy before the Haut-Chitelet alpine garden was even built. I guess it was planted in the chinese bed soon after then, and stayed there, between growing Rhododendron fastigiatum, Sorbus decora, and Gaultheria cuneata, many many years long, progressively loosing the fight for food and light in this closing environment.
I finally saw it flowering for the/my first time some 4/5 years ago. Just one flower, but of a very bright beautiful orange. I decided to search amongst the bushes to see if I could get some lingering bulbs as this was clearly a plant to take care of, and I found many of them, just tiny and weak, thus the very poor and very rare if not absent blossom. I digged them out, first potted them for 1/2 years, planted them in the propagation bed after that, and they are now flowering again to my great joy. They should return to the chinese bed probably next spring, with much better soil/light conditions, and I am sure their blossom will be marvellous again in late summer. Ideas of association with some chinese Adenophora, and/or the beautiful Ligularia przewalskii, all flowering together, come to mind.
[attachimg=4]
Cremanthodium heterocephalum.
Really not a beauty at flowering time, but the foliage is quite appealing. I wanted to make a pic this evening before posting the update, with better looking more opened flowers, but the stem was devored by some slug :/
[attachimg=5]
Codonopsis subscaposa
A beautiful Codonopsis from China, with incredibly finely purple-drawn petals and a pleasing foliage/plant habit
-
Update August 2013, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Codonopsis ussuriensis
Another very lovely Codonopsis from far eastern Asia, an unavoidable genera for bigger rock gardens. This dark brown/reddish hue is just unbelievable. Only one has to give the plant some kind of support on which it can clamber and wrap around ( what I didn't do soon enough, so the plant is lamentably trailling on the soil now...)
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana hexaphylla
Just the perfect flowering time for this gentian, as it fills the hole in August, when the other carpeting chinese gentians are still waiting to open ( G.farreri first and then G.sinoornata at the end)
Into the european Alps now with 3 well-known plants of the bellflower family to begin
[attachimg=3]
Campanula cenisia.
Perhaps it has found now its place and will thrive happily for a while in this dedicated trough. Untill now, I grew it in pot, but it always came a time during summer when the plants would suddenly collapse, being almost completely yellowish, with the fear to loose the plant totally as it didn't recover before winter. Since it is in this trough, the problem seems far less, and it looks like the Campanula is strengthening now. There is still this yellowish-stage at mid-summer, but this time it is only transitory, and a lot of new shots and leaves have come meanwhile. Flowers are also produced from time to time.
[attachimg=4]
Campanula raineri also has its dedicated trough for the moment, though it would be a marvellous scree dweller in a bed. Unfortunately not the least seed is produced. I really wonder what is pollinating the flowers in the wild...
[attachimg=5]
Physoplexis comosa.
Completely careless here in this granite stone-wall. The plant doesn't seem to have any wish or need, and is growing stronger year after year. However the more hairy type with fleshier leaves lingers in pots in the propagation area and refuses to get just one flower.
-
Update August 2013, part 4
The southern hemisphere bed is probably one of the most interesting place in the garden in late summer, because of late flowering species from SouthAfrica for example, but also because of the beauty of plants from NewZealand, even when non-flowering ( Raoulia, Helichrysum, Hebe)
[attachimg=1]
Raoulia subsericea.
Beautiful but really stinking when flowering ;)
[attachimg=2]
Raoulia australis
This cushion is about 4 or 5 years old, measuring not more than 20/30cms across. It feels good between the 3 big rock pieces facing south, and I hope it will still grow here for a long time.
[attachimg=3]
Aciphylla squarrosa.
This young plant settles down gently since 2 years now in the southern hemisphere bed. A most architectural plant, but quite dangerous as the leaves are very hard and prickle. Fortunately no weeding needed there!
[attachimg=4]
Carex berggrenii
Even the grasses and similar are pretty in NewZealand...Does anyone know why many native grasses or carex ( or even other plants) show this bronze tinge??? This color is quite unusual in alpine flora of most of the rest of the world.
Still in the southern hemisphere bed, the south african plants are well worth a look too!
[attachimg=5]
Helichrysum milfordiae
Can't stop looking at that part of the bed whenever I pass by, and showing you then the majestic Helichrysum milfordiae here on the forum, even if you have already seen it in the previous update, sorry !
-
Update August 2013, part 5
[attachimg=1]
Helichrysum albobrunneum
[attachimg=2]
Helichrysum basalticum
[attachimg=3]
Diascia barbarea
[attachimg=4]
Tulbaghia acutiloba
-
Update August 2013, part 7
To finish now, some views of the propagation area, one of my prefered place in the garden.
[attachimg=1]
I am kind of "sad" when I look at this part of the bed. I love taking care of the plants at this stage, and these are the last pricked out species of the season. It's too late now for newly germinated species to be pricked out, even if the weather is fine and warm, the nights get longer and more fresh, and the light amount is reduced with the rapidly shortening days now. And as these are mainly little plants which would rapidly be scorched by the sun, shading is obligatory by the actual weather, even nearly all day long, which makes the light even less for the plant to develop well.
By a normal summer/weather, this plants would be constantly sheltered from rain with glasses, and only watered manually when needed, but rain shelter is here of no use anymore it seems...
[attachimg=2]
Once the pricked out species are 3/4 weeks old, they leave their secure rain/sun constant shelter, and join the other bed nearby, where the plants go on growing with less attention: no rain shelter at all here, the plants are generally big enough now to endure a thunderstorm shower, and shading is only put when heat and sun are together ( what is nearly always the case this summer, as you will probably have understood now, after my many complains about it)
I will try to make an update in september again, according to what will be flowering meanwhile
-
Another exceptional report Philippe.
Your descriptions of the weather will have echoes with other places and, as you say, likely to continue in this vein in future years, giving growers more problems to cope with.
I love your photos - the close-ups of the individual flowers are telling and atmospheric and it is most instructive to see the developments of the various areas in the garden. Your feeling for the beauty of the plants and your affection for the garden comes across so well- every report you make is a pleasure to read - I will look forward to September.
Thank you!
-
Update August 2013, part 4
Helichrysum milfordiae
Can't stop looking at that part of the bed whenever I pass by, and showing you then the majestic Helichrysum milfordiae here on the forum, even if you have already seen it in the previous update, sorry !
Never saw it before like that Philippe ... :o :o :o What a great plant ! Such a mound of flowers .....
Here we have sometimes (if we have extremely luck ) one or two flowers ...And then we say , good that he is flowering again ... because it is not flowering each year ...
I understand that you could not resist this part of the bed .
So the trigger for more flowers must be the climate and the extra UV-light your plants get overthere ?
Thanks also for the overview . Like al the pictures ...
-
I would not give any interpretation of what makes Helichrysum milfordiae flower, because I simply don't understand its blossom behaviour.
I don't think however that UV plays any role. I have seen it at the Schachen alpine garden in Bavaria, and at the Lautaret in the french Alps, both gardens above 1800masl, with more UV radiation, but the plants were struggling to live it seemed ( probably then because of climatic differences). From the Schachen, I know it almost never managed to flower there.
Both garden have a very long snowcover, lasting untill late May or early June, and it may be that the plants need more time in spring to build up and produce more flowers before a sooner fall by mid/late august.
However, here, where the snow is generally away by early May and not rarely on mid-April, and appart from the fact that there are years of more generous blossom and years of less one for most of the plants, H.milfordiae just doesn't fit to any possible rule.
It may well be that the general climate is more to their likening, encouraging better blossom in the whole ( snowcover not too long, summer not doo dry and not too wet, temperatures a bit warmer than higher up, but not too warm too)
But just note that the clumps in the propagation area are very few flowered in regard to the ones in the bed. These are all the same clone. Although the snow may lay perhaps one week to maximum 10 days later in the propagation area than in the garden itself, this just doesn't confirm the possibility of general climatic conditions as the leading factor for blossom.
Of course the soil is not exactly the same between these two places, but I doubt this would give such difference of blossom.
-
Your most recent photos of Helichrysum milfordiae are absolutely stunning. I can never see too many photos of this beautiful plant.
-
Thanks for the information Philippe ! Very remarkable and it makes this plant even more mysterious .
I agree Anne , me too ....never get enough of such pictures ......
-
Last update September-October, part 1
The garden entrance has been closed on Septembre 30th. 2013 was a good visitor-season, with the dry, sunny, and quite warm summer we had.
It's time to prepare the garden for the winter now, and exceptionnaly on this occasion, the good weather we have since 3 weeks can only be appreciated: making the last weeding-tour of the beds, one of the most important one, laying down the labels, bringing geographical wood-signs and banks inside for the winter, waiting for the tree-leaves to fall in order to gather them for compost/leaf mould preparation, taking away all the dried remains of plant flowering stems and leaves in the beds, aso...actually everything which can allow us to spare time when we'll come back next spring, as we never know if it will be already on early may or rather a bit later because of possible late melting snow.
A few time is also accorded to the very last autumn sowings, mostly from plants already in culture in the garden, but which need to be propagated for any reason ( monocarpic, not enough individual plants to harvest more seeds, or just because some plants are beautiful and deserve to be grown en masse )
The last flower pics of the season. I lumped together what was to be seen here and there these last 6 weeks.
There is now really nothing more to see, only the chinese carpet blue gentians begin to show very shyly. I would have expected them to flower earlier, because of the long and warm summer, but obviously they will curiously be later than the years before, because of the late snowmelt in spring. I even doubt Gentiana sinoornata will ever have the occasion to really open its flowers this year: it should need another week before it would really begin flowering in mass, but we're having the first true snow covering the soil and slightly negative temperatures for about the next 2/3 days.
And if the weather doesn't turn rapidly dry and clear after that, it will be shorter and shorter then, and this could be the first time in 15 years it wouldn't open in a lovely and overwhelming blue carpet in the chinese bed.
[attachimg=1]
Carlina acaulis from the Alps
[attachimg=2]
A beautiful Gentiana asclepiadea plant, becoming sometime a nuisance in the Alps bed, because of mass self-seedlings if the ripening seed-pods are not taken away, a thing that was made just yesterday on all mature plants.
[attachimg=3]
Scutellaria alpina
[attachimg=4]
Chaneorhinum glareosum from the Sierra Nevada, Spain. A charming Linaria-relative, which was or still is parlty included in the genus Linaria
[attachimg=5]
From North America, Collomia debilis
-
Last update September-October, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Ursinia alpina from Lesotho-mountains
[attachimg=2]
And Leontopodium linearifolium from middle Asia ( but really not sure, all these Leontopodium mostly come from gardens, sometimes look very close to eachother)
-
Last update September-October, part 3
Some asiatic gentians now, as they often are late flowerers.
[attachimg=1]
Gentiana gelida from Caucasus, with flowers of the most beautiful whitish-yellowish colour
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana arethusae from China, very closely related to G.hexaphylla, with which it might sometimes be put together. That greenish hue on the outer corolla-stripes is very lovely, as is the shape of the non wide opened flower
[attachimg=3]
Gentiana farreri. Light blue coloured flowers, but with a less graceful silhouette in comparison with the former one, though the markings on the corolla are still stunning - they must have a precise utility, but flying insects don"t need them to pollinate the flowers as they come from above. Perhaps ants are the pollinisator insects in this case, and the stripes lead them directly to the flower inside like a guide line?
[attachimg=4]
Another species which has to be identified, having come under Gentiana loderi. It is once again a very intersting plant, very compact with ground foliage and solitary flowers just above it, but it isn't obviously G.loderi
[attachimg=5]
Gentiana stipitata ssp.tizuensis
Another eye charming member of the genus. Congested basal leaves supporting almost stemless white flowers striped with green on the outside, a delight!
-
Last update September-October, part 4
[attachimg=1]
From China, Allium beesianum, late and very very long flowering
[attachimg=2]
Cyananthus lobatus
A frail plant, trailing its long delicate stems on the soil, pointing upwards then to show the most perfect shaped and coloured flowers. Just a shame that each one would not last more than 2 or 3 days, even more true when the weather is a bit warm or if rains is lasting too long.
[attachimg=3]
Cyananthus spathulifolius ( or macrocalyx, things have to be cleared out yet in the rockbed), also an interesting plant flowering late in the season, in late august/early september, and presently having a second even stronger blossom. Individual flowers don't last very long once again, what gives the plant a rather untidy look most of the time. But just take a look at those incredibly thin yellow "hairs" on the middle of the flower, this is just perfection!
[attachimg=4]
The curious Picrorhiza kurroa, a well known medicinal plant in the Himalayan region.
[attachimg=5]
Should be Primula edgeworthii.
Given and planted in spring as a mature plant, and flowering now in early october. Needs perhaps a little acclimatization time in order things to get right again?
Rendez-vous l'année prochaine! ( next year then!)
-
Philippe, it is good to see so much growth and colour over this season at the garden - thank you for sharing with us.
I hope that your are satisfied with your season's work - and that the winter passes well for you and for the garden :)
-
Many thanks for the many magnificent pictures and plants Philippe . I enjoy this topic very much .
Hope that the winter passes by very soon ..........
-
What a fantastic series of updates, Philippe !!!
Undoubtedly a wonderful and well maintained garden ! I hope I can visit it one day !
-
Always a lot of rare beauties, here- when searching names, often these pages are the only references to them!
-
UPDATE APRIL 2014
The years go by but look so different. If 2013's season-start was cold, grey, and with much snow left untill mid-May, 2014 looks completely different.
A quick drive to the garden last week-end to bring first things/packages and see how it looks upthere, and oh my god...
Winter has been very mild, historically mild. Trees are getting green already, sometimes 6 weeks sooner than last year for some species.
After 4/5 good winters, this last one was truely a shame. Great start in november, and that was almost over then, the garden had to live for about 2 months with the snow that fell in november, with alternatively long periods of dry/sunny weather coupled with utterly mild temperatures in december for example, or spells of very wet snow/cold rain from January on. There has probably never been a solid and lasting snow-underlayer the whole winter through, and there must have been times where it may have more or less completely thawed.
Fortunately no fierce frosts at all with this sometimes weak snowcover The coldest upthere must have been in the -5/-10°C range.
Spring has been also very very mild untill now, and utterly dry too, some places in NE France didn't get more than 15/20mm of rain in about 2 months, dispatched on 3 or 4 days only.
Snow has therefore disappeared in the garden during march, and let place to sun and summer-temperatures sometimes up to 15°C!
Problem for the moment : drought. First thing that had to be done quickly once the water supply was on again: watering the potted plants and sandbeds in the propagation area.
The beds in the garden were dry, but still relatively ok thanks to swowmelt in March
Things should hopefully get better this week, with finally first serious opportunities of generous rain since mid-february.
We will begin the gardening season next week.
I brought the first pics of the season of course!
[attachimg=1]
Pulsatilla vernalis
[attachimg=2]
Pulsatilla grandis
[attachimg=3]
Anemone obtusiloba
[attachimg=4]
Adonis vernalis
Needless to say it feels so frustrating not being there yet, and having to wait - even if just a short week now- It feels like I am "missing" things that might happen meanwhile.
Appreciating the blossom of Pulsatilla vernalis will sadly be one of these things, as it will probably already be faded next week. I also saw some plants of Anemone obtusiloba full of flower buds last week-end. I cross the fingers there is something left from that when we arrive!
I can't wait of course to see what the Rheum nobile have become with this particular winter. You can probably imagine me rushing in the himalayan bed to make a close inspection of the precious Rheum after 6 months ;) but I can't tell right now, it was too soon. I'll update the other thread if/as soon as there will be something to report.
-
First update May 2014, part 1
Start of the new season. As I told in the last update 2 weeks ago, 2013 and 2014 are 2 separate worlds for the garden.
This pic from late April 2013, when we just arrived.
The stream was already snowfree, and this big snow accumulation on the right is usually the last place where it will disappear in spring.
[attachimg=1]
The same place in late April 2014.
[attachimg=2]
Pretty much work coming ahead now.
This is how beds and generally the garden often look like after the winter : untidy, uncared, a scary sight. Even if doing the most that can be done in fall before we leave, there is always just as much to do when we get back in spring.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Dried stems and leaves everywhere, broken branches in the vicinity of trees, labels that must be arranged to match the plant again and be easily readable from the paths.
This is generally manageable, as the garden only opens for June 1st . But with such a hative snowmelt as we had this year, the problem is just that everything comes together at the same time.
[attachimg=5]
For example, this one won't wait much longer to ask for urgent attention...Poa annua in the paths, ready to flower after having enjoyed a short winter, and a warm spring, and also certainly ready to set seeds in just a few weeks if left untouched.
We don't use any chemical products to weed the ways, all is done and will have to be done manually very soon, alternating with the other major first gardenworks that have to be done just as quickly.
-
First update May 2014, part 2
Pressure is coming from everywhere with this 3 to 4 weeks vegetation advance.
Lots of germinations in the sowing bed. Species sown last fall, as shown in the pic with a generous Silene nigrescens sprouting, can still wait a bit yet, but species that sprouted last summer and which were not pricked out should get all the care they deserve now
[attachimg=1]
The 2014 new species sowings are waiting in the fridge, and for the quick sprouters that will come, a first pricking out could already be possible in about 4/6 weeks.
Many potted monocotyledons are in full growth presently, before some of them will already go dormant again in about 6/8 weeks. Right now would be just the perfect time to begin something with them, plantation in the monocot propagation bed, or in bigger pots with new substrat. Or directly in the beds in the garden.
Other dicotyledons plants that were pricked out in 2013 and could not always be planted last year because of the persistant warm and dry summer would just have the good size now to get in the garden, before they root too firmly out of the pots into the sand of the propagation bed.
Next weeks are just going to be very busy it seems.
Naturally, I just couldn't ignore the beautiful things that are already happening in the rockbeds, aside from the present untidiness.
Something more for Primrose's fans, as this is currently the genus that shows the widest blossom.
And they will even be seen under their favourite weather, moist and overcast, as we had a bit of light rain and fog during the first days.
[attachimg=2]
Primula amoena
[attachimg=3]
Primula caldaria
[attachimg=4]
Primula clusiana
An east european alps well known species, here with a very flashy pink coloration
[attachimg=5]
Primula hirsuta
Masses of flowers for this inhabitant of shady and acidic rock cracks.
-
First update May 2014, part 3
[attachimg=2]
Primula latifolia
Already passed its best, with flowers beginning to fade away.
[attachimg=1]
Primula marginata
Whereas Primula marginata from the SW Alps just begins to flower
[attachimg=3]
Primula spectabilis
From the northern italian Alps. Close to some other european species of the section, but good forms should really deserve the name spectabilis, as the flowers are then produced in abondance and are visually bigger than these other species. It seems the plant that grows here is one of this good forms. It is still in one of the propagation beds, but will certainly join the primrose team in the rockbeds this year.
[attachimg=4]
Primula tsariensis
A rich deep velvet colour for this himalayan species, enjoying a shady place under a rock just above the streamlet.
-
First update May 2014, part 4
Let's leave the genus Primula, but stay in the family, with two other genus just as adorable as the primroses themselves.
[attachimg=1]
Androsace hedraeantha
[attachimg=2]
Soldanella minima
A tiny treasure, just 3 or 4 cm high, and living in a pot for the moment, untill the right place somewhere in the bed is found.
A quick look outside the primrose family now:
[attachimg=3]
Pulsatilla vernalis
The utterly beautiful Pulsatilla vernalis, just as cracking with flowers wide opened under sunshine as hanging the head down because of rain.
[attachimg=4]
Ranunculus crenatus
From the eastern Alps and Carpathians. Looks like a R.alpestris, however with petals more or less deeply cut.
[attachimg=5]
To finish, this view of the himalayan stream. Simple plants, but so colourful right now.
-
Magnificent images, as always.
-
Very nice, Philippe.
-
Beautiful plants. What a wonderful garden. Our winter here was just the opposite of yours - cold, snowy and very long. Everything here is very late as a result and people are still wondering when spring is coming.
-
Fantastic report, Philippe !
You must feel terrific getting back to your promised land !
-
MAY 2014, update 2, part 1
Perhaps time for a new update, which isn't that fresh anymore however, as much of the pics will show plants that are already passed their best time.
May went really quickly. We didn't get our usual mid-month snow. We have seen snow but nothing serious laying on the ground though.
The weather on the whole has been quite normal . A mix of very fresh to cold days with frequent rain and fog, and some short periods of better weather, which became sometimes already too hot at once, but luckily didn't last very long: the garden has to be reasonnably pleasant to visit untill at least late June and too much early heat after the warm spring beginning wouldn't help at all .
Various works could be done at one time or another according to the weather.
Sowing 2014 is for the greatest part over, and a first big pricking out serie could be achieved, when it was so awful outside. Do I dare to say that the sun was sometimes so strong and the weather so warm on 1 or 2 particular days that pricking out was even made on the warmest afternoons?
Some trees were cut down. Not that they had really become too big or whatever, but they just didn't stand right where they were allowed to grow. The siberian bed and part of the caucasian bed will now be able to propose better growth conditions for plants again: light and end of the root competition for food and water. The soil should be refreshed with a new earth-mix this season.
It's just too painful to have new plants waiting in the propagation area, where they grow well and beautiful, and have to let them stay there because there's sometimes simply no other such suiting place for them in the garden itself.
Some time left too for the first garden beds-weeding. However the whole garden couldn't be weeded before the opening on June 1st. Mediterranean mountains bed, southern hemisphere, Pyrénées, and one or two places in the european Alps still wait for the gardener hand to come and get things pleasantly tidier again. I hate how beds look out at the end of the winter. New green growth and beautiful flowers above can't hide totaly what's under and beneath.
After one month of presence here, a small check-up of the results of last winter quite hazardous weather conditions can be made. It was indeed generally not a good winter, with not enough snow, and, above all, not dry enough snow, which was quite regularly thoroughly soaked by mild and rainy spells, but without thawing totally, what contribuated to leave the plants more or less moist or wet without possibility of drying out in the open air for nearly all their resting period.
Plants who seem to have suffered the most are the more sensitive Helichrysum species from south Africa or New Zealand, just as species of Raoulia. However and fortunately no total loss for the moment, even if I have doubts for one or two plants that still are at a very critical recovery stage.
In the propagation area things were more radical. Everything in pots which wasn't firmly established during last fall or would have appreciated a dry winter to settle down didn't make it. Even species planted directly in the propagation beds sometimes came to rot, after having been here for several seasons.
Finally, cultivation tries in several places and several soil-mixes taught me that some plants just won't cope at all with moisture during winter: Arenaria globiflora, which showed encouraging growth last year, died. Whether planted in the chinese bed , in pots, or in pure sand, the species invariably died in each place in different substrats. Just the same for Leontopodium andersonii.
On the other hand, there were good surprises too: the rather intractable Androsace helvetica in its plastic long-pot made it through the winter without any problem at all, gratifying the return of summer with its firts blossom ever. Rheum nobile in the himalayan bed stood the winter too, although I strongly suspect this plant will tolerate any reasonnable wet/moisture in any season, as long as it doesn't stay at the roots. Species from Turkey or the drier places from the mediterranean mountains also showed unexpected results sometimes.
Work-plans are numerous this season again. Plantation of the New Zealand new bed, probably we will prepare a new small bed for plants from Central Asia. North America, one of the oldest part of the garden, should also go on being progressively rejuvenated. Some more place can still be made for chinese plants. Siberia is still a big problem, as the bed is huge, and at the same time probably is one of those in which there are the least cultivated species.
We are thinking about finding a place for big caucasian mountain plants, as they seem to be generally really garden-friendly, and flower for most of them relatively late in the season.
And last, still waiting to finish the mediterranean bed, a thing I promise myself each year, without being able to do it, or only partly and slowly...
So enough talked, place to the pics now. I won't show any originality, just classing the plants by alphabet.
[attachimg=1]
Androsace ciliata
Small species from the Pyrénées. Cultivated in pot in the propagation area, as the pyrenean bed doesn't have yet a place where this androsace could be installed. Well, this could be, with some effort, but there are precisely things that often won't find time to be done. The place is already there, but then everything around must be thought in order to enhance this beautiful androsace. Perhaps the trough-solution could be the more satisfying one meanwhile, untill a plantation directly in a scree in a finer part of the bed is done.
[attachimg=2]
Androsace helvetica
Some of you may of course get far more better results with this plant, but I must say am proud of it here ;) Already seriously thinking here too about a plantation in a dedicated trough to be put in the Alps bed.
[attachimg=3]
Androsace idaohensis
North american species, as the name suggest. It seems to be happy in the Rokcies new bed, which otherwise has been “heavily” planted this spring. ( best seen through the labels rather than the new plants themselves...)
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
Androsace vandellii
The famous vertical trough in which plants begin to make effect. Parts of some plants rotted this winter it seems, but A.vandellii ist one of the most accomodating species, and things should be fine.
-
May 2014, update 2, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Arabis aubrietioides.
From Turkey, and really deserving its name.
[attachimg=2]
Claytonia megarhiza
A bit on starvation diet here, and should be tried in somewhat moister and richer soil perhaps. I notices that many Lewisia behave surprisingly better in such conditions. Lewisia nevadensis selfsow from the top of the bed in the heavier and very moist soil downwards, and seems to be very fine with that! So does Lewisia cotyledon, and L.tweedyi planted in poor and dryish soil just won't show the best it can.
[attachimg=3]
Corydalis cashmeriana
Couldn't make the update without a look at it. Thanks to rodents, the only plant I had for 2 years gave birth to about 10 new plants. I just didn't dare to touch the mother plant, but last year rodents didn't show the least fear to dismantle the bulbs on several occasions by passing nearby or just under. As it almost never sets seed, I was so anxious to loose the plant that I simply digged it out, divided the many smaller bulbs and planted them individually in pots during late summer. Now, the himalayan bed gets blue here and there, a delight! And rodents can still have a look at it, this shouldn't be a problem, exceptionnaly in this case
[attachimg=4]
Draba rigida var.bryoides
A species which doesn't do well when planted directly in the bed, showing many died parts at the end of the winter, taking lot of time untill it becomes green and neat again, and rarely and poorly flowering. Here in a trough, amongst stones and well above soil level, it seems to enjoy the much drier place.
-
May 2014, update 2, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Gentiana clusii
Lovely calcareous counterpart of the G.kochiana, here with flower of a much better pure blue.
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana kochiana
[attachimg=3]
Petrocallis pyrenaica
White and lilac flowering forms together, selfsowing in this part of the bed.
[attachimg=4]
Primula farinosa
The common bird's eye primrose.
[attachimg=5]
Primula involucrata
From the Himalaya.
-
May 2014, update 2, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Primula longipetiolata
A superb Primula with flowers of the most exquisite transparent plae blue colour. An extremely beautiful foliage plant too. And sweetly scented.
[attachimg=2]
Primula macrophylla
Young specimen, very young...I hope it will be covered with flowers next year.
[attachimg=3]
Primula minima
Finally with a “generous” blossom this year. Planted at the north-west bottom of a bigger rock, just above pathway level, where the soil generally stays longer moist and fresh.
[attachimg=4]
Primula pedemontana
[attachimg=5]
Ranunculus thora
Interesting above all for its foliage, and said to require lime to grow well
-
May 2014, update 2, part 5
[attachimg=1]
Ranunculus traunfellneri
From the eastern Alps.
[attachimg=2]
Rheum delavayi
Just before flowering, when it is the prettiest.
[attachimg=3]
Soldanella pusilla
[attachimg=4]
Trollius ranunculinus
The next update should follow normaly quite soon, as there is more to see now.
-
As usual Philippe very interesting and very colourful.
-
How tall will the ranunculus get? It looks lovely.
-
How tall will the ranunculus get? It looks lovely.
It should be very similar in size to Ranunculus alpestris. First time it's flowering, plus a bit dryish conditions, so the plant pictured might be smaller than it would be in more suitable conditions I guess, as it is really tiny for the moment.
-
Thanks, Philippe. Your plants all look very happy.
-
Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 1
It's been far too long since last update, once again...Sorry.
The obligatory weather report to begin. June 2014 was normaly warm on the whole, but unusually dry. After the first 7/8 days which brought some rain, it was finished for about 20 days in a row. It began right with a strong heatwave on Pentecost ( 29°c by us, 37/38°c in the lowlands), that brought us nearly our highest high temperature of the last 15 years. The heat lasted 3 days, with no thunderstorm in the end, and then it went desperately totally dry for the following 15 days.
Another howling proof of the onsetting climatic change. Something similarly exceptionnal already happened just last year in July, with almost 3 rainless weeks too. All this extremes are not random events anymore that would happen only a few times in a decade, and more than ever, they will have to be expected more regularly, and even perhaps frenquently, in the years to come.
So daily watering was once again the main task in the garden during the biggest part of June. No weeding of the beds, or only here and there, no pricking out or plantations at all for the whole month, a pity, as June with its long days is the best time to do such things. No old bed removing either.
Fortunately, July brought the hardy sought-after weather change, back with rainy days and cool temperatures, so that much was done again to try to catch all the lost time in June.
The plantations in the new southern hemisphere bed could begin, the last and older of the oldest north americain beds was renewed, and a part of the Caucasus and Balkans beds were planted out to improve the soil-mix and give the plants a new breath.
The creation of a bed for the central Asia mountains is planned now, and should be achieved this season to welcome plants such as Trollius ledebourii, Hegemone lilacina, Eremerus altaicus, Cortusa turkestanica, Thalictrum petaloideum, Pulsatilla campanella...
Place to the pics now.
Primula to begin.
[attachimg=1]
Primula watsonii
[attachimg=2]
A charmant little chinese Primula with unexpected almost purple-black corolla and calyx. If the plants don't make great impact in a cultivated rock bed ( or should they be planted really en masse), closer look will reveal superb features
[attachimg=3]
Primula tangutica
[attachimg=4]
Another stunning Primula, shown here in 2 beautiful forms. I guess the seeds were all collected at the same place in the wild, but this great variability could also be the sign of two very close species.
[attachimg=5]
Primula reidii var.williamsii together with Corydalis cashmeriana, both from the western part of Himalaya.
-
Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 2
Let's stay in Asia with some other plants pics from there.
[attachimg=1]
Lilium lophophorum
I patiently waited since the sowing in 2009 to see the first blossom, which happened this year. Simply a delight, and there can be no greater reward for a gardener to see such miracles happen ;)
[attachimg=2]
Incarvillea forrestii.
An interesting plant at flowering time with its huge bright pink flowers, somehow reminding the same flashy pink of Primula rosea some weeks earlier.
[attachimg=3]
Cremanthodium arnicoides
Another plant I couldn't wait to admire the first blossom, and it was well worth it. I love Cremanthodiums. These could be simple alpine sunflowers, but they are of course much more than this, and the fact that much of them grow in the monsoon wet places of the Himalaya has an immense attraction on me. Probably it's also because I love that weather so much ( as long as one can shelter from it ;) )
[attachimg=4]
Meconopsis horridula
[attachimg=5]
Meconopsis baileyi
-
Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 3
Into the european Alps now
[attachimg=1]
Campanula thyrsoides
A truly magnificent species of Campanula which should be found in every rock garden if climatic conditions allow its irreplaceable presence.
[attachimg=2]
Cirsium spinosissimum ( in the background)
Reminiscent of some of the strange himalayan alpine Saussureas species. Another unavoidable far more easier species to grow.
[attachimg=3]
Oxytropis campestris
[attachimg=4]
Papaver rhaeticum.
A wild collected plant, which needed hand pollination to prevent too much crossing with the P.alpinum that grow in other parts of the bed.
[attachimg=5]
Paradisia liliastrum.
Together with Lathyrus leavigatus and Paeonia officinalis in the background. It's only a shame that Paradisia liliastrum blosson doesn't last much longer. I have already said it in the previous years'updates, I couldn't live without it.
-
Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 4
[attachimg=1]
Silene vallesia
Still from the european Alps, a delightful ground covering Silene species with flowers held straight isolated on each stem
[attachimg=2]
Carduus carlinoides
From the Pyrénées now. Heads of pink flowers like an usual thistle, but with a very interesting silvery foliage
[attachimg=3]
Lilium pyrenaicum
Out in the Caucasus, with Centaurea cheiranthifolia
[attachimg=4]
Centaurea cheiranthifolia.
Very useful for a somewhat wild place in the beds, associated with taller growing species, as it will generously spread with underground shoots, rapidly covering an increasing surface. The abondant blossom is a first class spectacle. The very sweet colour allows many combination with other flowers, and I hope I can show in the years to come some breath taking associations ;)
[attachimg=5]
Sedum pilosum
Also from the Caucasus, for a crack in the rocks, far away from every other possible plant competition to keep it its condensed habit.
-
Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 5
Last part of the update, with a look at some southern America plants.
[attachimg=1]
Calceolaria uniflora
Still grown in pot in the propagation area, as the sowing from last year didn't give anything. This is the last living plant, the other one died in fall last year. Carefully hand pollination was made again in June on every flower, and it seems 4 of them are producing seedpods, which should be ripe very soon, allowing another sowing. This time hopefully with germination results!
[attachimg=2]
Oxalis enneaphylla, from southern Chile and Argentina. Another plant retractable to spontaneous local insect pollination. Bulb division is however a good mean of propagation, as soon as there is enough to play with.
[attachimg=3]
Polygonatum hookeri
A forgotten from China.
And a last trip in Japan.
[attachimg=4]
Schizocodon soldanelloides var.illicifolius
[attachimg=5]
A view from the Japan bed, filled with perennial rather than true alpine plants. Iris setosa with Primula japonica and Rhododendron japonicum in the background.
-
Philippe, these posts are a feast for the eyes. Looking forward to visiting your garden one day. Excellent photography too, really shows of the plants to best advantage.
-
Considerable difficulties for you, Philippe, to cope with challenging weather conditions. Remarkable to see just how many fine flowers you can still show from the garden even in these times.
-
Beautiful plants! The color of the Schizocodon could only be described as electric.
-
Some truly wonderful plants beautifully presented Philippe! It makes our plans for visiting the garden next summer more and more enticing: we have a lot of interest and any other gardeners in Kent who might like to join us (the East Kent AGS) please let me know.
-
Well the difficulties are first of all for the plants themselves. It's all about adapting the soil mix and the precise plantation site of the new plants. But it's going to be more and more difficult. We now try to make a not too light soil for the new beds, which can hold a bit moree water during these increasing drought periods, but that's very risky at the same time, as a wet winter could also mean too much humidity staying too long in the soil.
When planting now, I really think about if I should find a place near water or not too far from the shadow thrown by a tree in some distance. These are good choices for some plants, but once again, if the weather stays wet or cloudy too long even in summer, these plants would surely better prefer an open place in a drier place.
I have to admit that this June has been sometimes really tough and stressfull to hold the garden in good conditions at a time it needs the most cares, awaking many questions, and giving more doubts than ever. For some species, and if the climate goes on changing so rapidly, I feel we are getting near the point where cultivation totally in the open is going to be harder and harder, and later maybe even impossible.
I don't dare looking at the weather forecast for next week-end. Another 36/37°C in the lowland could be in preparation. Of course we're not going to get so much here, and anyway most plants have passed their growth peak and highest watering needs, but here it is again, without clouds or thunderstorm, we are going to approach the 30°C again.
The week before seems to stay totaly dry, and after the heat, it looks like we could get all the rain we can get in a few days. Or will it stay too dry for the rest of the month?
Relative weather-regularity definitely seems a lost thing in this climatic change context.
Thank you anyway for the kind words ;)
-
Watching "Le Tour de France" on TV today - it seems there is some rain and cloud in the Vosges today where Le Tour is passing - hope it does the flowers some good.
-
You have a truly inspirational collection of plants Phillipe, I've enjoyed looking at them! Thanks for sharing.
-
Ditto! What a wonderful garden and amazing plants! Thanks for showing them.
-
April 2015, update 1
The alpine garden is slowly coming out of its winterrest now.
The winter has been a bit deceiving this year again, with very late snow during approximatively 3/4 days in late December and a lot of rainy days before. Thanks to a quite cold weather, the fallen snow could hold during almost all January, but with no significant snowfall meanwhile. It only fell again in quantity during the first 2 weeks of February, and that was almost all for the whole winter. Thank God, March has been very dry and sunny, with repeated cold nights, so that the snow could settle down and become compact. April is pretty dry again, sunny most of the time, and becoming abnormally warm lately, as almost every year. The snow is now melting rapidly, which is a good thing at this time of the year.
A quick drive upthere for a few days, to bring things and turn on the water supply for the season, which for us will begin next week then. Depending on the weather, there's one month to get the garden as completely tidy as possible, make most of the sowings, and if possible begin the pricking out from 2014 sown species and first plantations of new species from the previous years. The garden will be ready to welcome visitors after that, from June 1st on.
[attachimg=1]
The entrance of the garden, with some large snow banket in the middle of the way, which means one will probably have to shovel a bit to get the car near the accomodation chalet in the lower part of the garden.
[attachimg=2]
Snow has already been shoveled here, in order to get to the water supply location, which is often more or less burried at this time of the year.
[attachimg=3]
A view to the propagation area where the beds are about to be totally freed of snow, exposing the plants to the welcome warmth of the April sun.
Rapidly through the garden now. Nothing special for the moment, except beds that need to be cleaned after the winter. Some first flowers here and there, mainly along the stream which was snowless much sooner than the rest of the garden, where the plants are rather awaking from the wintersleep. Pulsatilla vernalis greeted me in the Alpes-bed with a beautiful bouquet though, but the pic won't give anything. I'll surely have the occasion to do better next week, once upthere.
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Philippe - wonderful to see the garden awakening to spring, so very different to our climate in Kent with little snow and snowdrops flowering since before Christmas! It will be exciting for us to visit in late June - looking forward to seeing the garden very much and your entries here. Good wishes.
-
Oh Tim - you are visiting? Lucky you!
-
Excellent report once again, Philippe … we anticipate your updates with great enthusiasm.
-
May 2015, update 2, part 1
It's now a bit more than 1 week that we are upthere. What a good surprise when arriving for the summer! I expected snow would still lay in the ways, and that it would be a sportive moment bringing the whole car content from the side of the roads down to the accomodation chalet, struggling through wet and slippy fields of old snow. But no! Only a few days after the first trip, all the snow was disappeared, and the pic below shows the last obstacle it could still propose against a quiet removal.
That was just well so, because it was raining that evening.
[attachimg=1]
I might repeat myself every year when beginning the updates again after winter, but the whole garden is a bright mess when we arrive. The sight is often really not encouraging at that time of the season: few green in the beds, and instead, many things dry from last fall, fallen masts here and there. We experience since 2 years unusual beech fruiting, for whatever reason, amongst them climatic ones probably. This means lots of husks on the ground. A big part is removed when cleaning the garden from fallen leaves in autumn, but there is still as much left after winterstorms and snow. The ways and beds are insanely dirty, and if the weather's dull and moist the day I take this pic, then it's over: where to begin without being discouraged?
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
Why keeping trees such as beeches in an alpine garden if they cause so much problems and work ? Well, the ones that were obviously damaging beds in their vicinity have been cut down. The others have been kept, and are now preserved: gathering the dry leaves in the ways ( which represents quite a quantity), the husks ( and adding other chosen vegetal material from the general garden maintenance), is producing after a few years a first class growing mix, which will be used for planting particular plants in the beds.
Here under a view to the boxes where the leaves are treated year after year. First year they are just put together in a hollow where they will stay the whole winter, and a part of the following season. Then they'll join the first box, where they stay another year, and then are placed in the middle box the third year, and after that, the mix is almost ready to use and gets to the last box.
[attachimg=4]
Here is some of the final mix in the lower part of the pic. Beautiful and smooth scented dark brown light and spongy soil. So keeping the beeches is worth it!
[attachimg=5]
Of course, all the beds cannot be supplied with that stuff, and only pockets of good soil are created when needed., but it's a pleasure to do that, and the plants are responding very well to that mix when they are given some ( in addition with more or less grit, sand...)
-
May 2015, update 2, part 2
They're responding well, and for some of them perhaps will be finally rewarded by being simply eaten by these pests:
[attachimg=1]
Bad year with the rodents, I hope they are getting now toward the maximum pick of their population cycle, or have passed it. Their impact on plants is getting really strong in some places, even around the garden, and I have already seen many new plant-shoots regularly eaten to the ground in the beds, which is very rude at that time of the year.
Fortunately it's not everywhere as worse as seen on the pic above, but no bed is safe currently, and some places suffered a lot again this winter. Rodents seem to love Dianthus, and there were many losses amongst them for example.
[attachimg=2]
That Lewisia didn't have to wait until snowmelt to disappear totaly. This was a well grown plant, which lived since 10 years at least.
A whole Gypsophila aretioides disappeared the same way, living the pot empty, several old Ramonda myconi, and the pests are now trying many Allium relatives in the propagation area, cutting appearing new leaves, and searching the bulb in the soil for some species! And, and, and...
So few can be done. Traps are relatively inefficient, and won't take much of the animals anyway, when there are so much coming from all around.
Let's hope for some natural population regulation then.
-
May 2015, update 2, part 3
Onto happier things now, with this small first tour through the garden, which got some extraordinary 170mm of rain in only 3 days last week-end! That was a real monsoon wake-up after the recent snow-melt.
Below, the Himalaya part, with the easy and tireless Primula denticulata giving its best for the moment in these older place of the bed, which is loudly calling for a total renewal anytime. Might be this year perhaps.
Rhododendron fargesii in the right background, overhanging the chinese bed where interesting new things are slowly showing again.
[attachimg=1]
A choice of white flowers now, as to remind the snow that went recently:
[attachimg=2]
Callianthemum anemonoides
[attachimg=3]
Caltha leptosepala, which I recently wanted to try to cross with the common Caltha palustris, to see what it could give. Didn"t do so far, and will only do if by chance the work brings me near both plants one of these next days.
[attachimg=4]
Crocus vernus ssp.albiflorus
[attachimg=5]
And the queen of all pasque flowers, Pulsatilla vernalis.
-
May 2015, update 2, part 4
[attachimg=1]
A tall pale yellow flowered Lysichiton amongst smaller and bright white Lysichiton camchatcense ( which I never know how to write correctly). Probably a spontaneous hybrid with the butter yellow L.americanum growing a bit further. No more pure seed gathering possibilities in this place, although the occurrence of such hybrids is really scarce in the garden.
[attachimg=2]
Anemone obtusiloba, seeding itself where the soil stays moist all the year.
[attachimg=3]
Erythronium dens-canis, which will already soon disappear for the summer
[attachimg=4]
Primula amoena
-
An exciting start to the season, Philippe - great to see the flowers so soon after the snow.
-
May 2015, update 3, part 1
The third week of season 2015 in the alpine garden is over. If it still takes time for the plants to really green the beds, flowers are slowly showing a bit everywhere. The himalayan stream common early flowerers let place now to what will be the second peak of flowering in this bed from June on untill later during summer. The vernal flora of the Alps is partly colouring places in the rockeries. If Soldanellas and Pulsatilla vernalis are over, Adonis vernalis is in great form, Pulsatilla alpina too. Ranunculus kuepferi with its white cups enjoys the vincinity of the stream here, or some moist shade at the bottom of a rock there. Some Primulas have already faded, others are coming. Gentiana verna is the glory of the genus for the moment.
The north american bed is also getting more animated, but as greater places of this rockery have been renewed these last years, no masse flowering yet, untill plants hopefully really settle down and expand.
It might be things are earlier in general in the beds, hoping we won't get too warm weather the next weeks to come, to keep the garden fresh and well flowered untill late June at least.
A good part of the beds has been coarsely cleaned up a first time, still have places where labels have to be lifted again though. Weeding here and there for the moment.
The weather was mainly great since last update, and only a few rain fell on one day, during which a first part of the sowing was made inside.
[attachimg=1]
Sown pots are put in these drilled plastic plaques, and let so in the sowing frame for the whole summer. As there will be much turn over during summer with the pricking actions and throwing away of old species which didn't germinate after at least 2 years, these plaques are an easy way to always have this frame quite orderly. Only when the end of season comes are the not sprouted species taken out of them for the winter, in order to prevent problems with frozen water in the plaques.
Some other cool and moist but not necessarly wet days allowed the plantation of new species in the garden-beds.
[attachimg=2]
Partly potted plants which are otherwise already growing too quick and would root where they should not, and also plants installed in the sandbed. These are plants for which cultivation in sand the first seasons seems more sure untill one knows better their particular requirements under the general climate here. This time a Plantago from south-east Australian mountains, Plantago muelleri, New Zealanders, such as Leucogenes leontopodium which grew very well in pure sand, as does L.grandiceps which should soon follow the same way. Helichrysum coralloides rooted cuttings then, as the mother plant only declined last year in the bed, for some reason, and had to be brought back to the propogation area for multiplication. So time to make new tries in the bed, with a different soil mix now.
Last year POtentilla coriandrifolia was planted in the chinese bed, and also in this sand bed in the propagation area, for security. It seems the plant enjoys fare more the place directly in the chinese bed with an mixture of leaf mould/granite debris/peat. So every plant will end in the garden bed, on 2 or 3 different places however, if something bad happened on a particular place with that species
Stellera chamaejasme 1 years old seedlings are growing again, and seem happy in the sand. These are plants which may not tolerate too much root disturbing though, especially once established. They cannot grow in the propagation area forever. Some of them should be brought to Himalaya in the next days, whereas new seedlings are sprouting right now in the sowing frame ( the first batch took a huge amount of time for that! Never throw away a pot without life untill you know how the species behaves. I have wait 3 whole years for the first seedlings to appear in that pot, and that was a great surprise when something came finally out of the soil!)
-
May 2015, update 3, part 2
Some pictures of some presently flowering species in the garden. More things from the Alps, as this is now the bed were there is most to find.
Excuse my passion for Gentiana verna when it is so beautiful under bright sunshine...
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
I have long tried to please it with different bizarre soil mixes including sphagnum, and other things , after reading advices on its cultivation, tried many locations, dryer ones, wet ones... I have tried to keep it in pots also. It seems nothing never really worked well, and the plants were always at the best only short living and never truly happy. The solution was really simple though: some added leaf mould or some similar water retentive material in the granite debris soil of the beds, some food, and that was it. Have to wait and hope now untill the lovely gentian covers a wider space, going into neighbour low plants, and, finally, seed itself around?
[attachimg=3]
Primula carniolica, from the extreme south-eastern part of the Alps. An amenable species, reaching quickly flowering stage after 2/3 years of cultivation.
[attachimg=4]
Primula hirsuta, living from nothing in this place. If some of the most interesting chinese species could do the same...
[attachimg=5]
Linaria alpina, which would freely colonizing every area where there is only sand or greet on the top of the soil. Here in the sandbed of the propagation area. NOt always at the right place when there are some weaker neighbours around, but who could be down on it, when the plant tries to apologize in such a beautiful way?
-
May 2015, update 3, part 3
[attachimg=1]
The stunning Viola calcarata with flowers of almost transparent blue-lilac.
Onto Pulsatillas now. First with Pulsatilla alpina
[attachimg=2]
Then Pulsatilla alpina ssp.styriaca, from the eastern Alps
[attachimg=3]
Living the Alps for the Pyrénées, with the lovely Androsace ciliata, recently in full blossom.
[attachimg=4]
Let's see in other areas what happens.
[attachimg=5]
Potentilla microphylla from China, with very nice emerging new foliage
-
May 2015, update 3, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Primula ' gold laced', in the bed dedicated to garden hybrid plants.
[attachimg=2]
Primula rusbyi/ellisiae from the wild, has to be identified yet, as both species are really close.
Yes, some snow, which fell just this morning.
[attachimg=3]
And melted very soon shortly after, leaving place to repeated sleet showers the whole day
[attachimg=4]
The Saxifraga rockery, with some of the Porphyrion members amongst others.
[attachimg=5]
The beautiful Scleranthus uniflorus beginning to form nice cushions.
-
Beautiful plants Philippe, beautifully photographed.
I enjoy this thread very much.
-
Beautiful plants Philippe, beautifully photographed.
I enjoy this thread very much.
Seconded.
-
Philippe a really interesting thread- we could almost be there
thank you
-
I love the idea of a plant (Linaria) apologising in such a beautiful way! Gives a good perspective on a garden. Growing Gentiana verna is interesting - we have always found it rather short lived as well but Joe Elliott famously grew it in troughs with some good rich compost down below, just as Philippe says, which must be like the flush of nutrient which comes through alpine meadows as snow melts and percolates down from screes above. So we need to make a richer scree as well as the sand bed in the garden. Very interesting to see these different growing conditions such as the vertical trough with Androsace vandellii(previously) and the propagation areas. We have this white form of G. verna on a raised bed, which I have top-dressed with Vitax Q4 fertiliser, and the bed was made with good fibrous loam from stacked turf (but a long time ago); it will be interesting to see how well the gentian does over the longer term.
-
May 2015, update 4, part 1
Trying to give a chronological aspect to the updates from now on, and not order everything. This might make the things more sparky, it comes just how it went.
Thank you anyway for the comments to the updates, it's always with great pleasure I read them.
Tim, about the vertical Androsace vandellii trough, it seems it is not as good as it should be. The concept might be interesting, but I faced the trough toward NW at the beginning, telling me the soil mix wouldn't dry out too quickly this way, as watering the plants is almost impossible, or at least really not efficient. This was a good idea, because even when we lack rain for 3 weeks like we did in June last year, the Androsace were completely ok in this location. But...Things are different during winter and early spring, or whenever we are getting a really wet period, during which the shady trough surface area gets few sun or none at all for a long time and doesn't dry at all: that's liverwort and other mosses's paradise then. Something's wrong with the mix then. It should be more coarse and freely draining with the trough placed this way. Some plants of Androsace rotted to, other are pretty. Well, anyway it won't last very long so. That's why I harvested seeds last year, that sprouted very recently, to see what I can do then with Androsace vandellii next time, in a better way I hope!
Pictures from different flowering plants in the violent midday sun. Was no good idea though, I don't like that light at all, evening is far more better for this. Here they are however!
[attachimg=1]
Corydalis cashmeriana.
I think I told it last year maybe, but somehow I owe the rodents the 7/8 plants that grow currently in various locations in the Himalaya bed. I always had that single cherished mother plant I brought back in 2010 from a visit to the alpine garden Schachen ( where it grew as a weed, seeding itself around in the beds) and didn't dare dividing it of course. The plant never gave any seeds here, and I was waiting and waiting season after season to let it time to set seeds one day. And one morning during summer I found the poor Corydalis cashmeriana dismantled by a rodent, with stems and leaves lying right and left on the ground, you can imagine the horror sight...I lifted up the whole plants, fortunately, the tubers were mostly intact, and this was the moment I finally dared to make as many plantlets as possible which deserve to live peacefully now. So far for the story of that plant here!
[attachimg=2]
Claytonia megarhiza
I love this simple Lewisia relative. It looks like a Lewisia indeed, but in a very condensed way, and the leaves are so perfectly arranged in the rosette. Hence its english name perhaps, alpine springbeauty. I'll think of sowing plenty of it if I get enough seeds, it just has to be everywhere in the north american bed. Again this is another plant which one could think it only needs poor soil which doesn"t old water. It will live in such conditions, but will probably never be as happy as in somewhat better ones. The point is only to know where not to go too far in trying to improve its life. That's a very important thought which has to be kept in mind when growing alpine. In their natural environment, all is naturally made to make their life "easy", or at least worth it. Let's say they are really adapted to that precise environment, as harsh as it may seem ( plant competition/associations around, soil nature, rain/snow regime throughout the year...), that's actually why they are here, and sometimes only here. When trying to grow them, I was often inclined to give rather tough conditions in the garden, but the poor plants are already most of the time quite out of their natural climates and soils, and therefore suffering, or stressed anyhow. The more I garden here, the more I learn that a happy alpine plant here is a plant that really has enough food ( not too much), which helps facing the other limitating factors such as climate or the lack of plant communities on which few can be done. This is clear for the big perennial of course, but also for the cushion and carpet forming species.
[attachimg=3]
Leucanthemopsis alpina
May I say that I really really love that species too? And that I impatiently wait for its blossom every spring?
[attachimg=4]
A focused view of a well flowered part of the Alps bed. Yes, the labels everywhere, I know. Usually I put them out when taking photographs but here, no, there are really too many.
On the way to fading Gentiana kochiana in the front, hidden Viola calcarata just behind, Pulsatilla alpina on the left, ready to flower Papaver alpinumXnudicaule, Pulsatilla vernalis which has gone, Adonis vernalis, some little heads of Primula farinosa on the right, and the rest we don't see here. Such a beautiful sight, but that means there will be nothing left from this during summer.
-
May 2015, update 4, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Weeding afternoon in this rockery of the western Alps which was renewed for 2/3 years. The bed is not full yet, far from full, but plants are growing, mainly smaller plants, in order to keep the scree-like display visible. Papaver rhaeticum with its bright yellow round flowers should color a part of the scree in a few days, for the first time since plantation.
[attachimg=2]
Meanwhile, weeding this bed among Gentiana clusii and Pulsatilla vernalis is a delight. I am really enthused by the perfection of shape and color of Gentiana clusii. One would like to have it flowering the whole summer long.
[attachimg=3]
Viola stojanovii from the Balkans mountains. Here on starvation diet it seems. Not enough food and water retentive material in the soil! The plant is flowering well, but the foliage is really weak and shriveled. I am almost
sure that these plants are giving the best they can this year ( they were planted last year only), and will fade next season already if nothing's done meanwhile ( or are they sort of biennial?)
-
May 2015, update 4, part 3
[attachimg=1]
That leads us directly to that part of the garden, the himalayan bed. I told in one of the first udpates of the season that some places needed urgent and profound care in that bed. There should be plenty of life, of green, of leaves, and if necessary flowers here! I didn't think this would be undertaken so soon in the season. But I really felt like doing something here this morning. Poor soil, washed out by the rain, having lost all its humus content through the years, drying out quickly in a few days without rain. I took out the last plants that still managed to survive and here we go!
[attachimg=2]
Here is the impoverished layer of surface soil ( on the bottom left, greyish), and deeper the layer of natural peat and granite debris ( black and the yellowish soil above on the pic). In many rockeries, this is how it works ( with more or less underground peat according to how far one is from the peatbog). Getting the deeper substrat to the surface already constitutes a good basis for the coming new growing mix, especially for asiactic species. Drainage is then ensured by the granite fine grit, and water retention partly by the present peat.
[attachimg=3]
Here comes the food now, here a mix of various vegetal home made-compost. Not really sure it is always totally well decayed yet, but I am taking the risk, the amount in the final bed-soil won't be that big either, so it should go. It will be mostly big perennials and at least rich soil species that will be planted in that part of the bed. This would be perfect for Primulas I guess, but I fear it's perhaps not wet enough for many of them here: full sun almost the whole day, and raised above ground level. Cremanthodium and Meconopsis should be ok with that kind of place, however with watering from time to time when needed.
[attachimg=4]
Once done. There is still much more to do all around though, left and behind above all, the bed is so big :/ Young himalayan plants have to grow in the propagation area; only when there are enough new species to come can such bed renewals be undertaken, if wide bare spaces are not to be shown to the visitors.
Speaking of young plants from the nursery, as I was weeding the himalayan bed the other day, I stopped over this place:
[attachimg=5]
Sloping toward the north, just above the stream, and more or less protected from the afternoon sun by the small rocks at the bottom of the slope . All in all a rather cool and moist place, things that many Primula really enjoy. Not enough place here to install bigger plants. That's exactly perfect though, there are young Primula reptans waiting patiently in pot in the propagation area, from a Chadwell recent collection. I think this is THE place for it, at least in the public area, if the geographical presentation is to be respected.
-
May 2015, update 4, part 4
[attachimg=1]
A rich spongy soil, a bit sand and grit for the inevitable drainage, coal, as Primula reptans seems to be sensitive to fungus problems, and some sphagnum to give it the moist environment and avoid or retard as much as possible a dry out of the soil mix. I chose condensed sphagnum and put it in the soil around the clod. It will certainly grow back again, so I'll have to beware of this. Who knows, maybe Primula reptans would love growing on sphagnum too? As said this the most condensed species that grows here, and is generally quite amenable when it comes to share space with plants.
The thing that really makes me pensive about all this is the place itself: it may be very appropriated from a climatic point of view, but at the base of rocks, this is unfortunately also the beloved track for many rodents in general in the beds...I keep the few other pots in the propagation area. Maybe to please Primula reptans, I can think of a kind of modified trough too, which would hold more water during the growing season, and stay much drier in winter.
Letting considerations about Himalaya and Primula reptans, it's perfect time to enjoy the delicious Myosotis glabrescens.
[attachimg=2]
As usual the cushion only wears some flowers. I dream of the day I'll see one of them covered with flowers. But at least it is very healthy and happy.
Another cushion, of a brighter green, in the chinese bed: Arenaria kansuensis.
[attachimg=3]
Just about to begin flowering, but the sight of the cushions only is something appetizing ( well, let's say the flowers don"t bring much more to the cushion)
Staying in China, Primula secundiflora I couldn't untill now photographed the way I would like. The flower themselves are utterly beautiful, with the deep violet and this white and black pattern on the calyx, but a general view doesn't bring anything, the plants are too young and not generously flowering yet.
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
So that's much better with him now, isn't it? No direct sun, dew on the leaves-tips
-
May 2015, update 4, part 5
And to finish this update, this encouraging pic:
[attachimg=1]
What's that poor crappy plant here? I am unaccountably attracted by the Apiaceae family. There are many really weird or useless things within, some of which you can't get rid of once you have them in the garden, but there are also such magnificient species, throughout the world. This above is a Lomatium of North America, unindentified species that was planted last summer. As you can see, the centre of the plant is dead, with dried leaf-stems from last year, and when I saw it 2/3 weeks sooner, I thought it had unfortunately perished during winter. What a joy this morning when I was weeding this part of the bed, to see many new sideshoots appearing meanwhile around the main plant from last season!
-
Your garden is beautiful beyond words. Love the Corydalis cashmeriana. Do you also grow Corydalis ambigua? Please keep posting pictures.
-
June 2015, update 5, part 1
Days go and still no new update since late May...
The garden is now at or will soon be reaching its flowering peak. Weather is with us again, rain and clouds, after 2 weeks of dry and often sunnny days, implying the urgent time-consuming watering task when there is otherwise so much work to do. Thunderstorms hit last week-end, brought 50mm rain in an hour, and were followed by a cool misty and partly rainy week, which still goes on right now.
The rain fell so heavily during the storm that it sometimes poured out of the ponds, the water finding its way in the beds nearby. Primula reptans, which was planted for a few weeks above the stream, was almost swept away, just a matter of 15/20 cm...
Everything is fresh, got enough water, colours are bright and the greens shine again deeply. Midges profited from this weather change to litteraly invade the garden, and as every year, they are making the garderner's life quite hard for at least a few hours each day.
I'm late with the current update, so the few that is posted here has faded meanwhile, ant it rather looks like it's going to be a non-update.
It's high time for the asiatic bed though, with many Primulas flowering, different Meconopsis species, both delicious small Silene davidii and nigrescens, perhaps S.setispermae to come, for the first time.
Well, all this for next update I hope.
[attachimg=1]
Polemonium confertum
[attachimg=2]
Silene uralensis involucrata
( So called, anyway, then it doesn't seem to match the descriptions or pics I have seen of it)
[attachimg=3]
Viola biflora
Pretty in a shady and moist corner of the rockery, where it then seeds itself around.
[attachimg=4]
Aquilegia viridiflora
From Central Asia, and therefore inhabitant of the new central Asia bed which was built last year.
An Aquilegia which has the good idea of not being easily apt to hybridation in the garden. The plants here are seedlings of the mother plant which flowered unprotected some 2/3 years ago.
[attachimg=5]
Pulsatilla albana
From the Caucasus. Not very showy, but not unbeautiful at all. Needs probably 1 or 2 further seasons to build up more strenghtly.
-
June 2015, update 5, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Dryas octopetala
So lovely, but so quick flowering too. Within 4/5 days, the show is over. It is however a real delight to see it run over the rocks
[attachimg=2]
Doronicum grandiflorum
[attachimg=3]
Primula involucrata
[attachimg=4]
Sorbus pygmaea
One of the few tiny Sorbus species from China, which has its place in the smallest rockbeds too.
[attachimg=5]
Gentiana dinarica
Superior to Gentiana kochiana in the intensity of the blue, coming close to G.clusii, and really easily growing, by sort of sometimes quite long underground sideshoots.
-
June 2015, update 5, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Gentiana verna ssp.balcanica
Another one from south-east Europe, growing and flowering much more freely than G.verna.
[attachimg=2]
Pulsatilla alpina ssp.apiifolia
A gorgeous plant when flowering, with these 6 to 7 cm wide flowers of that beautiful lemon yellow
[attachimg=3]
Narcissus poeticus
To answer your question about Corydalis ambigua astragalus, no, we don't have it here. It's sometimes quite a challenge with Corydalis'seeds, when not sown fresh.
Presently, we just have Corydalis taliensis from China, the usual ophiocarpa, C.mucronata and probably C.malkensis ( have to wait both last untill they flower one day).
Corydalis flexuosa failed the first winters everytime we tried it, C.nobilis or wilsonii never germinated, and C.rupestris didn't make it through the first summer, probably because of wet then.
But that is such an interesting genus, with those gems from the drier parts of the Himalaya ::)
-
Just been to visit the Haut-Chitelet Garden and to meet with Philippe. We had a wonderful afternoon exploring the garden and being shown behind the scenes by Philippe - a memorable experience! Some pictures to come in a few days time :)
-
Oh Tim, you are lucky!
-
Lucky and very grateful to David Sayers and Sylvie Buat-Ménard who organised the trip and to our marvellous driver, Derek, who managed to turn a large coach around on a sixpence along some of the narrow lanes! Philippe was a kind host and we are especially grateful to the SRGC Forum and his blog here which inspired us to go in the first place :)
-
Lucky, lucky you, Tim. Hope to see many pictures posted of Philippe's garden soon.
-
Here is a taster Anne! A little stand of Lilium pyrenaicum 8). We visited a number of other gardens, including Le Jardin de Berchigranges made by Monique and Thierry Dronet, which is comparable with Beth Chatto's garden in the UK for its skilled and artistic association of plants and great imagination. One of the most stimulating gardens that I've ever seen, making full use of its location in an old quarry high on the flanks of the Alsacian hills.
-
June 2015, update 6, part 1
First of all, thank you Tim for your visit lastly with the group. It's always a pleasure to think people are making the trip to take a look . Hopefully the group enjoyed the walk in the garden and the small detour on the propagation area.
I'll be pleased also to see your pics. Seeing the garden through different eyes is interesting.
Meanwhile, here's the update of the last 2 weeks.
This will surely be the longest of the season, with the flowering peak going on the last 2 weeks.
I'm thinking about the rest of the season now, the best part is already soon behind us. It's just a curious feeling. There are so many wonderful flowers and plants to look at and to care for, one wishes it should last much longer, if simply never end, but it always stays elusive in the end, having the weird impression of some unexplainable lack when it's over. Yet there's nothing more that can be done than simply appreciating the sight of all these flowers. They're here, and then they simply go.
Otherwise, apologizes for the shameful previous non-update in the middle of the high season, this one's going to be more interesting I hope!
Even if that's probably my favourite, don't be surprised to see more things from the asian rockeries, these are the parts of the garden which have welcome the most numerous new species these last seasons.
[attachimg=1]
Dryas octopetala, bis repetita of last update, under a new sight here. This small part of the Alps bed has come to a kind of natural balance. It's now at least 7 bis 8 years old, and most of the species implanted then are still here and live together peacefully now, without almost any kind of gardener intervention. Dryas octopetala once tended to overwhelm the place at the beginning, but it now has retreated on the rocks, its favourite place, after having disappeared from the soil surface where it simply died ( for any reason). Gentiana acaulis in the middle flowers each year, more or less, Linaria alpina seeds itself from time to time, together with Draba aizoides, Linnaea borealis is hiding under the shady and cooler north face of a rock, and flowers there regularly now, in the vicinity of Carlina acaulis in the background. I wish all the garden could live so freely and in harmony.
[attachimg=2]
Aquilegia caerulea
Amongst the species I wanted to see flowering in the garden, Aquilegia caerulea. Finaly done. For me personaly, this is one of the most refined species of all tall Aquilegias. I'm just a bit deceived that this plant seems to be a very pale flowering form, as the blue in the back of the flower almost looks white. The point now is to propagate the plant, but that won't be for this year unfortunately, as it wasn't isolated from other species in the garden, so seeds may give again all sorts of hybrids and different form/colours.
[attachimg=3]
Meconopsis quintuplinervia
A young plant, flowering for the first time too. A chance it can be divided, as a good perennial growing species, then it doesn't seem to form seed, and even if some pods are forming, they mostly disappear after a few day. I suspect rodents are to blame here again, as it isn't otherwise a really eye-catching plant that would attract people's hands ( as does M.betonicifolia for example )
[attachimg=4]
Meconopsis punicea
This typically is the kind of plant I am standing in front of, admiring the flowers, and feeling the "lack" when it fades later ;) One wonders why...Generously hand pollination on this particular species, seeds from the exchanges are more than tricky to germinate ( this one plant is the only one that succed in almost 5 years of several tries). And it rather tends to behave mostly as a monocarpic species, a shame. So wish me luck with the forming seeds, if there are indeed some inthere!
[attachimg=5]
Primula pulverulenta
-
June 2015, update 6, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Silene davidii
From China, reminiscent of some small Saponaria pumilio
[attachimg=2]
Primula reidii
[attachimg=3]
Primula muscarioides
This species simply has to find a nice flowering groundcover to enhance the beauty of the deep violet flowers. Trollius pumilus would have done perfectly, but is flowering somewhat later...Will have to think about some association for the seasons to come.
[attachimg=4]
Lewisia tweedyi
One of the various colour forms of this superb Lewisia. They generaly have done remarkably well this year, with generous blossom. However ,what a pity the fragile flowers and stems were damaged by the hail thunderstorm around mid June.
-
June 2015, update 6, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Lewisia cotyledon
Didn't look good at all after the hail. But was so nice just before.
[attachimg=2]
Lewisia leana
Well, the "weedy" species of the genera in my opinion. Flowers are too small and arranged quite in a messy way to make it look as beautiful and substantial as both precedents.
[attachimg=3]
Cytisus pygmaeus from south-eastern Europe mountains and Turkey
Just covered with very long lasting flowers this year. A gem!
[attachimg=4]
Dianthus myrtinervius
If the Cytisus above was a gem, what is then this Dianthus after? It flowered for the first time, and only on the southern half of the cushion. Needs for sun, hot place, rocks, and well drained and not too rich soil. I couldn't resist and tried many cuttings last fall, when I saw the slowly perfect developing cushion. Good idea, this plant has to be scattered everywhere in the Balkans rockbed, and will be, as most of the cuttings have rooted meanwhile. Oh I can't wait to see the lovely round bowls covering themselves with masses of tiny pink flowers among the rocks !
[attachimg=5]
A general view above the Alps bed, with Crepis aurea in orange. I have to be careful with that species, it seeds itself all around, but I can't weed the seedlings easily, as I always have in mind this splendid and easy bright orange to come...It has already found its way in the Carpathians bed just nearby, and it's a chance it obviously grows there in the wild, to really justify its presence in this bed now. But from there on, it should absolutely not make the jump across the way into North America or the near New-Zealand, of course ;)
-
June 2015, update 6, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Another view of the same bed, this time with Anemone narcissiflora, sadly a disappearing species in the Vosges, whereas it is still abundant in the Alps and other mountains of Europe. From a distance, it really diserves its latine name. One would almost see Narcissus poeticus in some flowering stems, which grows here to, but is already going dormant at this time of the year. Note the flowering spikes of Paradisia liliastrum, add some Lathyrus laevigatus, Lilium bulbiferum, the Crepis aurea, and you have a lovely combination of pure whites and oranges. Problem is that all these species are not flowering together...
[attachimg=2]
Meconopsis betonicifolia and a part of the chinses bed in the background.
[attachimg=3]
Primula watsonii
There will be 3 almost black flowers in this update. This one is the first, and I am already cracking when I stand in front of it.
[attachimg=4]
Anemone trullifolia var linearis
[attachimg=5]
Tephroseris capitata
Interesting association of both silvery hairy foliage and deep orange flowers. Yet another plant that must absolutely be propagated by all means in the seasons to come!
-
June 2015, update 6, part 5
[attachimg=1]
Meconopsis delavayi
One of the more humble species of the genera, no extravagance in foliage, size, or flower colour, nonetheless a very desirable plant for a smaller place in the rockbed.
[attachimg=2]
Lilium lophophorum
If there should be just one lily left in the world, it would surely be this one for me ( untill I really discover the other tremendous dwarf species of SW China)
[attachimg=3]
Phyteuma vagneri
Endemic from the Carpathian mountains it seems. And typical with its very dark purple black colour. There must be masses of that plant in this bed too. Propagation, propagation...
[attachimg=4]
Lilium oxypetalum var insigne.
Well, what did I just say about Lilium lophophorum?...
[attachimg=5]
Potentilla microphylla
-
June 2015, update 6, part 6
[attachimg=1]
Leucogenes leontopodium.
The european Alps have the well-known Edelweiss. New Zealand has even better things, as usual ;) And it seems this one is absolutely not known amongst the "normal" visitors who come to the garden. However it is much more superior in every sense to Leontopodium alpinum, which would look almost weedy in comparison...
[attachimg=2]
The unwrittable and unpronouncable Zaluzianskya oreophila from Drakensberg.
All this complicated nomination for such a marvelous little plant. Belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family (?), although the flowers would at first look remind of Silene or Lychnis. Useless trying to find it by day, one will only see the red reverse of the bowl shaped closed petals, and the flower will only open in the evening and through the night.
[attachimg=3]
Iris chrysographes, black flowered form.
Ideas about creating a bed with black and white flowers?
[attachimg=4]
Leontopodium alpinum
[attachimg=5]
Leptinella atrata
Another of this often intrigating and exciting NewZealand plants!
-
June 2015, update 6, part 7
[attachimg=1]
Moraea alticola
The southern Africa bed is currently dominated by the presence of this superb Iris-like plant
[attachimg=2]
Centaurea cheiranthifolia
A dream comes true ( see last year's updates), Centaurea cheiranthifolia from the Caucasus, associated with the caucasian Papaver lateritium for a delicious mix. Other big caucasian perennials should complete the scene during the next seasons, in order to get hopefully a very colourful bed in the end.
[attachimg=3]
Meconopsis horridula
[attachimg=4]
And a last one, Dianthus alpinus, with huge huge huge flashy pink flowers.
I am so disappointing, when seeing all these flowers, that the garden is going to have to face another climatic extreme in the days to come.
A heatwave should hit France this week, heading toward north later. Historic highs are very likely to occur a bit everywhere ( 40°c and more in the lowlands, even over restricted parts of North France), and we are expecting several days of very fierce sunshine here, with night temperatures not going well below 20°C and daily highs around 30°C at least. This could last one week or more, hopefully not much more, because last rain is already 8 days backwards now, and no other will fall the next 7 to come. Many of the flowering beauties of this late June will simply burn in the sun within 3 or 4 days, but most important, I fear for the plants themselves, as they will have a very very tough time.
Really worried about genera such as Primula or Cremanthodium in first line, as soon as the heat will come. And for the rest of the garden if rain and fresh moist air really doesn't come after that.
Therefore we began mulching plants in the rockbeds. No more simple grit which is still the best solution for smaller plants of course, but a mix of composted leaves first with a layer of brocken dried ferns above for the taller plants, in order to bring some organic material first, and keep the soil more fresh and not loose too much moisture with a weather such as the one which is coming.
It's not necessarly the heatwave to come which encouraged that decision, but simply the anormal multiplication of repeated dry or too warm events through the seasons, and then the sudden downpours that take away so much precious nutrients by progressively washing out the soil itself. More than ever, this is the signature of the ongoing climatic change trend here.
Mulching the beds would probably have been regarded as totally useless and even grotesque only 30 years ago, but there's been such a huge change in the weatherpattern in the last 10 to 15 years, it becomes today just irresponsible to go on the way it used to work before.
Meanwhile, mulching and running up and down throughout the garden to hold water will probably be the main occupation these next days.
-
You certainly have many, many gems there, Philippe! Hope you manage to save them through the heat (I hope a little bit of that heat reaches us, we have waited for warmer weather for 2 months now!).
-
thanks Philippe for sharing these fantastic sets.
I hope you can manage the heat.i've lost 40% of my Primula and Androsace in 10 days. 35°c today, 39°c on wednesday, i didn't see the forecast for the vosges. Next year i'll begin to plant cactus and Acantholimon in the whole garden 8)
-
Philippe
A wonderful display, thanks for sharing.
Like Trond, we have been under cloud for most of the spring and summer with temperatures rarely exceeding 12c.
-
Philippe, thank you for the update of the garden. So many wonderful plants shown and all so well grown and healthy looking. Dryas octopetala was truly amazing - I'd love to be able to grow it like that. Did you grow the Cytisus pygmaeus from seed?
-
For an overview of our Kent AGS Group visit to the garden at the end of last month please see:
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Kent/+July+/685/ (http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Kent/+July+/685/)
There are so many plants I missed on looking through Philippe's pictures! I'll just show one artistic one here which catches something of the ambience of the garden.
-
July 2015, update 7, part 1
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
I think these both pics perfectly summarize the whole garden life for this meanwhile memorable July 2015. First, shading at the beginning of the month, by all possible means, when possible, and then soon watering, watering, watering, day after day.
It's been a hard month, a very hard one, coming near to the historic summer 2003 as regards both heat and drought. And another step on the way to climatic change : maybe 2 hours of rain within the last 4 weeks, combinated to very high night and day temperatures, and only very short moments of less warm or less sunny weather to breath again, before going toward the next heatwave. Just unbelievable.
Depiste watering the beds, some plants suffered hard, just because of the extreme temperatures on the surface of the rocks, or sometimes because of the burn of the sun, when shading didn't come quick enough. The young Megacarpaea species disappeared during the heatwave, going dormant. Let's see if they'll grow again next year, these are plants which hate every kind of too warm weather. Some Primulas also burnt in the sun, and one or another species had to be brought back to the propagation area to ensure somehow better cares there. Some others lost their leaves, and just kept the "overwintering" bud, already ready to expand it seems ( Primula muscarioides). Don't know if that is a good idea. Cremanthodiums didn't appreciate, but so far no loss. The big Meconopsis generally have a frightening look, and many of the M.baileyi seem to behave exceptionaly as monocarpic this summer. The Megacodon were shaded, showing rapidly burn signs on the leaves otherwise.
Of course there are always a few other plants that went "forgotten", almost dead, through the huge watering task everywhere, but on the whole, the worst is behind us now, with temperatures going down, and above all, 10mm of rain that fell on the garden recently, bringing finally water to almost everyone.
The propagation area is hard to maintain recently, because the pricked out species, young and older ones, have to be almost constantly shaded the whole day since 3 weeks now. Giving the right amount of necessary water to every pot is impossible, and the main preoccupation is not losing species through drying out. This way, overwatering can rapidly become another major problem, and together with few light, few air movement, and warm air, there have been losses here too.
These climatic hazards are the occasion to be surprised too. As I told in the Rheum nobile thread, the plants didn't seem to mind a second with that prolonged warm and dry conditions. I feared only the high temperatures would already have harmed them ( like the Megacarpaea). It's not the case.
I am also surprised that the Nomocharis made it so well through the heat/bright sun. These are 3/4 years old plants, it was their first serious test.
And there are the plants that seem to have even enjoyed the moment ( with watering however). All mediterranean species do well, and most of the north american plants look ok, as do the ones from South Africa or even South America. New Zelanders were more copiously watered, and shaded if necessary, just like the asiatic beds.
The usual walk through the bed now, as there were still plants bravely flowering during the last 3 weeks.
[attachimg=3]
Primula vialii
[attachimg=4]
Saussurea stella
First flowering season for this exceptional plant. It's just curious to see the way it develops. First the many long narrow leaves raising almost verticaly at the beginning of the season, and then letting place later to the closed compact flowering buds in the middle of the rosette, right on the ground. At this moment, the side leaves begin to lay more flat, widening and colouring near the flowers to give this unusual look for a plant.
[attachimg=5]
Androsace lanuginosa
Showing more flowers this year, perhaps due to the warm and mort dry weather conditions.
-
July 2015, update 7, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Primula poissonii
No water-stress for this species of marshy areas in the wild. It is planted near an artificial runnel in the garden.
[attachimg=2]
The Caucasus bed.
[attachimg=3]
Astrantia maxima
A strongly underground runner from the Caucasus. It needs a rich and moist soil to really give its best. It also needs place...
[attachimg=4]
Calceolaria arachnoidea
No matter how strong the sun and dry the air, this Calceolaria didn't suffer from the heat. Just a layer of dried leaves to keep the soil humidity and a cooler temperature, for the roots, and it doesn't need more it seems. I always thought of Calceolarias being not so keen on dry/warm weather, but the species that grow in the garden did all very well, even the tiny delicate C.tenella.
[attachimg=5]
A scene from South Africa.
Athrixia fontana on the left, Helichrysum milfordiae on the right, and Senecio macrocephalus in the background.
-
July 2015, update 7, part 3
[attachimg=1]
A close look at Athrixia fontana, because it is such a beautiful plant.
[attachimg=2]
Delphinium oxysepalum from the Carpatian mountains.
[attachimg=3]
Dicentra peregrina
Very generous this summer, in its usual sandy and rather poor soil.
[attachimg=4]
Seseli libanotis
As usual for the Apiaceae family, a very architectural plant, with great presence in the rockery.
[attachimg=5]
Codonopsis subscaposa
-
July 2015, update 7, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Astragalus vulneraria
[attachimg=2]
Inula acaulis ssp.caulescens
[attachimg=3]
Campanula thyrsoides ssp.carniolica
[attachimg=4]
Campanula carpatica var.turbinata
-
Wonderful report Philippe, hope to visit the garden next season.
-
Philippe - I can empathise with you about the hot and dry weather, we have been just the same here in N. Kent but expect it much more. Every day is watering on the nursery. But still so many completely fascinating plants in July! I could wish the Alsace was not quite so far - we would come every few weeks :).
-
Philippe, I am so happy you showed a picture of your beautiful Astragalus vulneraria. I had narrowed down my search for the name of my mystery astragalus and your excellent picture was the final proof.
I also think your Dicentra peregrina is spectacular.
-
Winter at ist best for the moment high up in the Vosges mountains.
A very contrasted winter season, with no snow at all during all december, a slowly beginning in January and masses of snow since mid February. Right now the garden is buried under snow, from 1 meter to over 2 meters according to the areas.
A comparative view of the garden entrance, yesterday, and last year in early June.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Hard to believe there's so much life concealed under that snow ;)
2016 could have a much later vegetation start than the previous years. What would be great for the summer visitors!
Otherwise the garden will celebrate its 50 years this summer.
New : short facebook updates about gardening in the Haut Chitelet should be made regularly during the coming season on the Nancy Botanical facebook page :
https://www.facebook.com/Conservatoire.Jardins.Botanique.Nancy (https://www.facebook.com/Conservatoire.Jardins.Botanique.Nancy)
(in french )
Beside that, the updates will of course be kept in english here on the forum, as often as possible.
-
Thanks so much for showing the picture of Astragalus vulneraria. I've been growing this as my "mystery" astragalus and now I have picture evidence to go along with my tentative i.d. It's a wonderful plant.
-
Amazing picture Philippe! Will keep an eye out on the Facebook page and will be very nice to watch the garden unfold again this spring and summer. Best wishes from Kent.
-
Haut Chitelet Alpine Garden (France)
a new title for this thread - with thanks to Philippe for his updates on the progress at the garden. 8)
-
I am looking fw to see the garden bursting into flower, there should be even a greater show after such a generous layer of snow.
And Happy Anniversary! :) Next time I cross over it will be a sure visit.
-
2016 update 1, part 1
Still not much to report from the garden. Snow has melted now everywhere for 2 weeks, but the weather has been mostly grey and fresh since then. Just 3/4 "beautiful" days in May untill now, not enough yet to begin the real vegetative explosion so characteristic of the alpine garden in early summer.
I have no special plants to show for the moment, that weren't shown here on the forum in the previous years' first updates, but I shall not begin the 2016 season without some pic of course ;)
[attachimg=1]
First this view of some late and impressive snowpatch around 5/6th.May, in the Central Asia rock bed.
As huge as it seems, it didn't take more than 10 days for the meter deep old snow to disappear completely, letting the plants breath the open air again. And enjoying some brief and rare mild days.
[attachimg=2]
Lovely setting for Primula denticulata beside the stream and under snowdome.
[attachimg=3]
Pulsatilla vernalis flowering very generously and showing strong will to conqueer the bed, with many self seedlings seen around on this area. What a good idea isn't it?
[attachimg=4]
Plantago nivalis, from the spanish Sierra Nevada. Interesting plant, though no great floral beauty, but which has found its optimal here, again with masses of self seedlings tending to spread over the spanish mountains rockbed.
[attachimg=5]
Really pleasant surprise in the New Zealand bed after the winter. So far only a very few losses, but many successes. Winter 2015/2016 has been very long to set, and it lasted untill late January for snow to fall and not thawing up till spring, after an incredible mild and very dry december in the mountains.
If lack of rain may naturally not harm alpine plants during winter, the sometimes very wet spells in first half of January were not the best for them. But New Zealand plants didn't mind that too much it seems, and there are hopefully beautiful things to show later in the season.
Meanwhile, here the carpeting Raoulia tenuicaulis, Scleranthus uniflorus, and a small cushion of Myosotis pulvinaris in the middle, which will have to be "weeded" in order not to be overwhelmed by the Raoulia.
-
2016 update 1, part 2
[attachimg=1]
First time flowering for the NZer Ranunculus insignis, unfortunately under rude light conditions.
[attachimg=2]
Vitaliana primuliflora.
Divided last year, and already full of flowers!
[attachimg=3]
Ranunculus kuepferi
[attachimg=4]
Gentiana verna
Nothing now should stop Gentiana verna from growing it seems. It has found good conditions, and has nicely built up since last year. Maybe it can even selfsow around, what would be absolutely great.
So much for this first update!
-
Astonishing how quickly the last snow melts. The view under the snow dome is special.
-
Astonishing discover today when weeding in the Eastern Alps of Europe: Pulsatilla halleri ssp.styriaca with flowers tending to gentian blue colour!
The flower concealed in the middle of the picture beat them all though, with almost pure blue petals, just as Gentiana kochiana!
Surely only a "problem" in pigmentation with sun exposure after a rapid opening of the flowers, and nothing durable unfortunately ( one might dream now of true blue flowering Pulsatillas isn't it? ;) ).
Lovely anyway!
[attachimg=1]
-
Many great discoveries are done while weeding Philippe ;) This is such a great time to be up in the mountains; awaiting for more updates from Haut Chitelet!
-
2016 update 2, June, part 1
Even if it's now early June, vegetation is only slowly bursting into green and flowers. First vernal plants are now over ( Anemone vernalis, Crocus vernus, Androsace hedraeantha, most of the european mauve or lilas Primulas like P.integrifolia, clusiana, glaucescens..), but it still takes quite a long time this year for early summer plants to really get on stage. Erythronium were in full flowers last week, daffodils are on the way to their summer rest, even if it is still possible to find healthy flowers in some protected area.
Lily of the valley will have to wait at least mid-June to have its first flowers opening.
Yes, weather does it all. Very late snow in big amounts during March and sometimes early April. Snowmelt by late April, and since then no significant warm weather, except on rare days. If 2015 has been the drought year deluxe, 2016 is on a completely different way. Amount of precipitation since January is now near to 1500mm in the high altitudes of the Vosges, which is already more than the whole last year! No problem with empty ponds or dry stream for the moment ;) Everything instead is thoroughly soaked with water, and the peatbog just releases constantly surplus water now.
That picture to catch the ambiance of the "rainforest" area in the garden a few days ago.
[attachimg=1]
Green as greener couldn't be. Beautiful with beeches still having their very soft green spring foliage. Partly because of the prolonged lack of warm, sunny and/or dry weather untill now, it still hasn't yet turned to dark green. That's just perfect, especially when fog or mist blurs it all and diffused light passes through the almost translucent young leaves, giving extraordinary moods in the wood. As if the air itself were green.
Well, back to plants!
I wrote Erythronium were flowering recently. This is particularly true for the americain species though. The european ones are already passed and forming seeds, but this might probably be because in the rockbeds, they were snowfree since a longer time.
The following americain species are still in the propagation area, where snow usually takes more time to disappear.
[attachimg=2]
Erythronium tuolumnense.
Bright yellow and free flowering.
[attachimg=3]
Erythronium oregonum
[attachimg=4]
Androsace mucronifolia
Not to be confused with A.sempervivoides. Even if both are closely related, A.mucronifolia has a much tighter growth, and one really can see the very small tips at the end of the leaves ( hence the name), before they really expand.
[attachimg=5]
Primula auriculata.
This one has travelled throught the Caucasus bed, in search for the right place. This species needs water at the roots, or at least constantly moist soil. After the very dry 2015 year, it is now planted beside some very small ponds ( almost puddles), just big enough to maintain that permanent soil moisture throughout the summer.
-
2016 update 2, June, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Erigeron aurantiacus.
What a joy to finally have this plant in the rockbed! The colour is totally gorgeous, I now just hope it will settle down in the Central Asia bed and cover parts of it with these glorious orange flowers.
[attachimg=2]
Anemone alpina
Just because these are beautiful flowers too, that just deserve being photographed, especially during the rare sunny days we had since season beginning over a month ago.
[attachimg=3]
Soldanelle minima.
Long passed now, and already forming seeds. This is the tiniest Soldanella of all the european species, being even smaller than S.pusilla.
Leaves are really small, flowers and flowerscape too. Not what can be called an interesting flower colour, but rather delicate, and maybe when it will have colonized that place, with dozens of these mini-bells hanging over the ground, the plant will have much more effect...
[attachimg=4]
Soldanella pusilla.
..as already does Soldanella pusilla regularly now ( this one above having emerged from the snow only a little more than 2 weeks ago). Interesting to note that another S.pusilla patch, exposed to mid-may late frost in a snowfree bed aborted all coming flowers, which were already well formed and ready to open ( or might it be something else?)
[attachimg=5]
Primula deorum
Primula deorum, closely restricted to areas of high altitudes of the Rila mountains in Bulgaria. Here in the garden, it grows in almost pure peat just above the stream, which really mimics its natural habitat. The "no-problem" par excellence.
-
2016 update 2, June, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Primula maximowiczii
From north-eastern and northern China.
Flowering for the first time, with that surprising red colour.
[attachimg=2]
Cotula pyrethrifolia
I've been just amazed the other day, when checking the pictures after having come close to that Cotula species from New Zealand. The arrangement of the flower and flowerbuds is just astonishing, all regularly merging from the outside to the central zone of the inflorescence, each row forming a perfectly shaped spiral.
It's really well worth it to get so close to the ground ;) But gardeners know that better than anybody else.
[attachimg=3]
Cortusa matthioli var sachalinensis, or whatever this might still be.
But I strongly suspect this isn't the regular C.matthioli, which I still can't and simply won't be able to grow decently anywhere it seems, after years now...This one plant looks much more amenable, so must be something else ;)
[attachimg=4]
Polemonium confertum.
Lovely smaller Polemonium, with almost rounded flowerheads ( not on the picture, taken too soon, before enough flowers got open, and I just failed today to take another picture before the strong thunderstorm rain washed some of the flowers away)
[attachimg=5]
Androsace alpina
Well flowered this year, in the most adorable colour variation from soft to deep pink.
-
2016 update 2, June, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Omphalogramma delavayi, which doesn't mind the rain, as heavy as it may fall.
-
Keep them coming these updates Philippe. I even went to browse backwards through the old posts :)
There must be some witchcraft happening at Haut Chitelet - I've never seen Soldanella pusilla in such amount in the Carpathians!
-
June 2016, update 3, part 1
Late June. The beds begin to be brightly coloured with flowering plants. Some of them can be already seen from a distance, being planted en masse, others need a closer look to really appreciate their ephemeral beauty.
Weather has been very changing these last weeks. No single day with bright sunshine from morning till evening. What a change in comparaison with last year summer's conditions! Instead, drizzle, rain, fog and clouds are on the daily program.
And almost already too much now for some species though. Curiously, the yellow Meconopsis integrifolia really didn't love the weather lastly. The plants themselves are ok, but no flower will open this year, as they simply rot within the buds, as soon as the rain enters it and stays there for several days then. No good idea for such monocarpic species!
Let's begin the garden tour with some Primulas flowering right now.
[attachimg=1]
The simple Primula japonica.
A pleasant plant only enjoying anchoring its root in waterloged peaty soils.
[attachimg=2]
Primula chungensis
Another abundant moisture loving Primula, from China this time. The combination of bright yellow and orange-red sides of the corolles/buds makes it an interesting plant
[attachimg=3]
Primula reidii var.williamsii
Almost the perfect plant in my eyes - except for its cultivation needs ( cool and moist growing season)
[attachimg=4]
Primula secundiflora
I still haven't found the way to photograph it under its best angle. Stems are quite leggy, bearing comparatively few flowers each time. Will have to grow a larger patch maybe.
Other plants now, still from the asian continent.
[attachimg=5]
Euphorbia griffithii in the foreground, Rhododendron molle ssp.japonicum behind. Beautiful harmony between both.
-
June 2016, update 3, part 2
[attachimg=1]
Meconopsis delavayi
[attachimg=2]
Polygonatum hookeri
Polygonatum are too often things to be careful of when planted in a bed, because of their strong tendency to colonize every place if the conditions please them. Polygonatum hookeri is not one of these, and is even allowed to run freely everywhere ;)
[attachimg=3]
Therorhodion camtschaticum
First time flowering for this beautiful species sown in 2009. PLanted in the sibirian bed, in company of Dendranthema arcticum, Papaver alboroseum and Leontopodium kurilense
[attachimg=4]
Veronica gentianoides
An easy Veronica from the Caucasus, best when planted in groups. Interesting shiny deep green foliage, which reminds really, on unflowering rosettes at least, that of a gentian.
[attachimg=5]
Androsace vandellii in its upright trough.
With the years, it has left the top of the trough, letting the place for some selfsown Saxifraga, to establish better toward the bottom where the blossom was generous for a few days. Half success!
-
June 2016, update 3, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Campanula alpina
As small and delicate as it can be, this Campanula from the eastern Alps and Carpatians is an important plant for the rock bed. Its only default is its monocarpic habit. Didn't find so far the place where it would selfseed efficiently.
[attachimg=2]
Meconopsis cambrica
Tangled between rocks where the roots enjoy constant moisture and fresh conditions.
[attachimg=3]
Pinguicula grandiflora
[attachimg=4]
Rhododendron ferrugineum
Rhododendrons from the Himalaya are beautiful but our european species is also a plant of great charm, totally deserving a wide place in the bed if possible. Even if the flowering time only lasts a few days, even if the flowers themselves are so fragile.
[attachimg=5]
Sempervivum montanum and Doronicum grandiflorum
-
June 2016, update 3, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Wulfenia carinthiaca
Into the southern hemisphere now!
[attachimg=2]
Aciphylla squarrosa.
First time flowering too for this weird and extremely prickly species! Aciphylla are mostly ( if not all?) dioecious plants. This one however is the single exemplar that grows in the garden. But it looks totally perenial at least, as side shots seem to develop already.
[attachimg=3]
Felicia rosulata
A great idea for this daisy relative to bear almost blue flowers. That colour is not widespread in alpine plants from southern Africa ( or at least it is the only one flowering in blue in our bed here at the garden)
[attachimg=4]
The strange Leptinella atrata from New Zealand. I may perhaps already have asked the question somewhere, but does anybody know why so many plants from New Zealand have this curious foliage shade, in many genera from different families? This just keeps captivating me, as we have so few similarly coloured leaves here.
[attachimg=5]
Oxalis enneaphylla from southern America
-
June 2016, update 3, part 5
[attachimg=1]
North America with this so called Aquilegia scopulorum, collected in the wild, but surprisingly big in cultivation.
[attachimg=2]
Arisaema triphyllum. Another exceptionnaly beautiful plant when flowering.
[attachimg=3]
Meconopsis Lingholm
[attachimg=4]
And this extremely showy Trollius with huge deep orange flowers ( probably a garden hybrid, though arrived under T.japonicus)
There should be many new and interesting plants in the next update.
I'll also be away for a few days in Switzerland in early July , for visiting the alpine garden in Pont de Nant, and maybe La Rambertia too.
I'll try to post short reports of these gardens on the forum, but later during summer.
-
A fine report, Philippe, thank you. A stunning beginning with the glorious primulas and so many other gems.
Have a good summer!
-
Philippe, I'm not sure that my answer to your question is entirely correct, or that there are not other reasons but the Leptinella along with Ranunculus haastii, Stellaria roughii, Notothlaspi rosulatum and some others are plants from the high screes and the chunks of rock which surface these are frequently that sort of brownish grey colour which the plants apparently mimic so that unless they are in flower, it's almost impossible to see them, at least at first glance and until one's eye is in. In fact I'd suggest that your leptinella is greener than it would normally be in the wild, probably because of its greener and damper surroundings. In the wild the plants come through sometimes huge boulders of rock to reach the surface of the scree and are well protected from any dampness around their top parts.
-
It's great to see Aciphylla squarrosa growing and flowering so happily, so far from home. Perhaps your altitude has something to do with that I find all the species I have tried easy enough for a couple of years but then unless I'm very careful they begin to rot off, I think because of my lowland damper conditions. I think all species are single-sexed but the Australian species may be different, as with some of their other genera we have in common, such as Coprosma.
-
Nice assortment of species from all over the world Philippe. I also didn't succeed with Campanula alpina, but I persevere ;) In the wild (Carpathians) I always found it with P. minima rosettes nearby, clearly not a limestone lover.
-
Very beautiful photographs Philippe - you are a true artist :). Wonderful to see and to recall visiting Haut-Chitelet.
-
July 2016, update 4, part 1
The garden is now reaching the flowering high time. However, the fading away of Lilium pyrenaicum, generally a good indicator, also means we're now slowly beginning the end of the season. Or at least the second half, which will naturally be less flower and colourful.
Garden tour, sorted by families.
[attachimg=1]
Campanula chamissonis
[attachimg=2]
Campanula ledebouriana var.pulvinata.
An interesting plant from the difficult complex of these charming little caucasian Campanulas ( C.saxifraga, bellidifolia...) This one bears relatively huge flowers of good form and colour, making it sufficiently different from the others to be worth planted in the bed. It is now in association with the low growing Papaver lisae, both flowering together, creating a pleasant mix of pastel orange and soft lilac flowers.
[attachimg=3]
Campanula pulla
Esatern Alps and unmistaken with its deep violet hanging bells. It may look frail, but wanders freely in any open but moisture retentive soil.
[attachimg=4]
Phyteuma orbiculare.
Everybody knows it. I personaly ended up thinking there was not enough of these adorable blue comma shaped flowers in the Alps bed. That plant has got an incredible ornemental potential. Even if the flowering time doesn't last very long, there are so many association possibilities to get interesting scenes.
[attachimg=5]
Phyteuma vagneri
These almost black flowers open doors to even more plant association ideas to get the Carpathians bed really attractive at that time.
-
July 2016, update 4, part 2
Let's see some Asteraceae now.
[attachimg=1]
Celmisia semicordata
It's not without some emotion I finally could admire this first flowering ever specimen of that mythic genera Celmisia. I have long dreamt of this huge daisy-like flowers. They're even more beautiful in reality.
[attachimg=2]
Erigeron linearis from Northern America, and blurred Collomia debilis in the foreground.
[attachimg=3]
Another gem from New Zealand, Leucogenes leontopodium. As european as I can be, this, in my opinion and in many ways, is way much superior to our beloved Edelweiss form the Alps. It seems to freely appreciate pure sand growing conditions. Planted in more conventionnal soil in the bed in the garden, it just isn't that beautiful ( far less flowers, and vegetative growth not that strong). Goal for the seasons to come: build a sand scree like place in the bed, and fill it with these amazing wolly white stars ! One or two Celmisias may be accepted too ;)
[attachimg=4]
Leucogenes grandiceps
The small brother of the precedent plant, also still growing in the propagation area in pure sand.
It's such a strange thing to think Leucogenes and Leontopodium have evolved completely separated ways during the times, but nevertheless actually have adopted a similar flowering habit.
[attachimg=5]
I had already posted a picture of that Ligularia some years ago. And can't help doing it again. You won't see any other pic if the plant gets to flowering stage. All its entire beauty is here, in this new unfolding silvery leaves.
-
July 2016, update 4, part 3
[attachimg=1]
Solidago multiradiata.
Also from Northern America. And an exception to this genus, being too often assimiled to more or less pretty weeds which shouldn't be attribuated a place in the garden. And surely not in a rockbed. This species, however, has all that the others don't have. The growth is really compact, and it will perfectly find a place between more precious neighbours.
Now onto Plantaginaceae family, with members of the former Scrophulariaceae
[attachimg=2]
Chaenorrhinum glareosum, from Spain, which again was once merged into the genus Linaria. So much changes...
A tiny but lovely plant, which needs to be appreciated from very close.
[attachimg=3]
Hebe epacridea, from New Zealand. First inflorescence, since the plant was sown 2012. Waiting now for the plant to bear at the end of every stem these little white grouped flowers. Next year maybe!
[attachimg=4]
Veronica bonarota, formerly Paederota bonarota. With some other "strange" plants from the eastern Alps ( Campanula zoysii, Wulfenia carinthiaca, Physoplexis comosa..), a relict of the mountain flora during the warmer era which concerned Europe several million years ago.
Some Caryophyllaceae now.
[attachimg=5]
Dianthus alpinus, absolutely gorgeous, the foliage disappearing under the large flashy pink flowers. Here with a fine water droplets dusting, which makes it even more precious.
-
July 2016, update 4, part 4
[attachimg=1]
Silene alpestris ( white) together with Campanula cochlearifolia ( mauve).
No idea if these both meet naturally in the wild in the same habitat, I guess rather no, but that artificial mix is really charming at flowering time!
Still with Carnation relatives
[attachimg=2]
Silene davidii from China. A good ground carpeter, covered with soft pink flowers.
Out of the family classification for the rest of the update!
[attachimg=3]
Incarvillea species, waiting for a more precise identification. Nonetheless a delicious plant, especially at flowering time of course.
[attachimg=4]
Iris bulleyana, a superb species ( as many others)
[attachimg=5]
Lewisia cotyledon, in huge form, despite the endless watering during May/June, with plenty of selfseedlings around
-
July 2016, update 4, part 5
[attachimg=1]
Meconopsis, should be racemosa, but labelled horridula. Both species are closely linked and often mistaken.
[attachimg=2]
Myosotis traversii, again from New Zealand mountains.
No great sensation, but happy to have it here flowering!
Place to some true queens now, all originating from the Himalaya or south western China mountains.
[attachimg=3]
Nomocharis aperta
I'll find no word to describe the feeling awaken by the sight of that godly flower. I have spent time standing humbly under that wonder, somehow thinking this just can't have been invented only to attract insects for pollination...
[attachimg=4]
Potentilla coriandrifolia
An aristocrat amongst Potentillas. Delightful shiny deep green foliage, frail flowering stems bearing a small but probably the cutest Potentilla flower I have ever seen
[attachimg=5]
Primula reptans.
Deception in early June when I saw that the Primula would probably not flower this year, judging by the lack of any flowering bud in preparation.
I have been away one week in Switzerland and found that totally unexpected marvel for my return! What an indescriptible joy. Surprisingly, the plant does much better cultivated in 10/10cm pots than directly in the bed.
One must only take immense care not to let it dry out in such conditions.Shading might also be of utter importance when sun and heat strike together.
-
July 2016, update 4, part 6
[attachimg=1]
Sorry for Ramonda myconi that has to take place after having dreamt of these beauties just before. It now looks so usual, common, what it surely not is in the end, but...
[attachimg=2]
Saxifraga tangutica.
Interesting Saxifraga from China.
And to finish in the greatest simplicity, some Sempervivum pictures.
[attachimg=3]
Partial view of one of the Sempervivum beds at flowering peak.
[attachimg=4]
And close-up on flowers and rosettes.
-
How wonderful to see Primula reptans thriving in cultivation again. I don't believe that anyone in the UK is still growing this wee gem (?), though I was fortunate enough to see it growing at Tromso Botanic Garden last year. I exhibited large pans of this in full flower at AGS Shows quite a number of years ago (would anyone happen to have any images of my exhibit at Southport Show as I haven't unfortunately?), so could I recommend that you keep propagating and moving this plant on, Phillippe … if you don't it will simply fade away very quickly.
-
How wonderful to see Primula reptans thriving in cultivation again. I don't believe that anyone in the UK is still growing this wee gem (?), though I was fortunate enough to see it growing at Tromso Botanic Garden last year. I exhibited large pans of this in full flower at AGS Shows quite a number of years ago (would anyone happen to have any images of my exhibit at Southport Show as I haven't unfortunately?), so could I recommend that you keep propagating and moving this plant on, Phillippe … if you don't it will simply fade away very quickly.
The Schachen alpine garden in the Bavarian Alps ( run by München BG) has also superb Primula reptans growing outdoor. I mean directly in the bed! I think there, and in Tromso as you say, that gem is fortunately in sure hands right now.
-
Wonderful news, Phillipe … certainly a fabulous little plant.
-
Silene alpestris ( white) together with Campanula cochlearifolia ( mauve).
No idea if these both meet naturally in the wild in the same habitat, I guess rather no, but that artificial mix is really charming at flowering time!
They do Philippe, in the Triglav / Julian Alps at least. Although we did not see them looking so superb as you have them. I have some seedling S. alpestris and well-established C. cochlearifolia so that is certainly a combination I will try.
-
Philippe does Haut Chitelet do a seed distribution? You grow some stunning plants.
-
What a floral 'feast' Philippe and Phyteuma vagneri is simply scrumptious! (I must be hungry :)
I will also try the combination of Silene & Campanula cochlearifolia - I don't have alpestris but S. pusilla would do it very well.
-
superbe Philippe!
-
Beautiful combination, Philippe, you are giving everyone new ideas. But it's the leucogynes that has won my heart.
-
Philippe does Haut Chitelet do a seed distribution? You grow some stunning plants.
Seeds are harvested indeed. The list is sent to other botanical gardens in the world, with which the Nancy botanical garden is working.
---------------------------------------
August 2016, update 5, part 1
The garden is now gently finding its way toward fall. Birches begin to lose their first leaves, as they always do each year when summer last third begins. In addition, we recently had a really windy foggy and rainy day. It felt curious to see the leaves blown by the wind gales, as if it was already october.
Fortunately, it's precisely during this last summer month, august, that quite a number of plants finaly decide to get into flowers ;)
[attachimg=1]
Aciphylla pinnatifida
NOt this one because it's still too young to produce any flowering stem and would anyway flower earlier in the season, but again, what an architectural plant from NZ! It forms small tufts of prickly deep green foliage. It shouldn't get too big, and that's right so, weeding amongst such aggressive plants is no pleasure for the fingers/hands ;)
[attachimg=2]
Craspedia sp.
Lovely rounded heads of white tiny flowers make this NZer another captivating and far more gentle plant.
As usual a detour in the asian beds is worth it, particularly at that time of the year, where there are still many things to look after.
[attachimg=3]
Anemone rivularis
That plant surely lacks true garden prestance with its bold leaves and leggy stems carrying comparatively few little flowers. In this case, closer inspection reveals all the beauty hidden in that superficially common aspect: petals are white on the upper surface, tinged with purple under and the filaments bear surprising blue anthers.
[attachimg=4]
Codonopsis subscaposa
Tens of hanging veined bells in the chinese bed.
[attachimg=5]
Corydalis mucronipetala
From general flower appearance really like a C.cashmeriana, only happily flowering so much later, when the first has already almost gone dormant for the rest of the season. A precious addition to the bed, as that pure blue tone is rather rare at this time of the year ( after the Meconopsis and before the start of the glorious chinese gentians). A plant to propagate generously!
-
August 2016, update 5, part 2
Still hanging around between China and Himalaya
[attachimg=1]
Cyananthus macrocalyx, taking flight from the more frequent lilac and mauve colours of the majority of the other genus members. It seelfseeds profusely but doesn't become nuisible, as long as the neighbours are carefully chosen.
[attachimg=2]
A pleasant scene from the Himalaya bed with Leontopodium stracheyi, the absolutely gorgeous Aster farreri, Potentilla eriocarpa, and different Primulas in the background. One last one Rheum alexandrae ends the ripening of scarce seeds under the protection of the beautiful hanging bracts.
[attachimg=3]
Meconopsis napaulensis
I don't know how it looks on your screens, but it is in reality far less red than it is, on my screen at least. The camera had some problem with the colour it seems. What a pity, such a lovely red would perfectly fit to one of the big monocarpic Meconopsis isn't it?
[attachimg=4]
Primula bulleyana
Happy with nothing at all, only water at the roots.
[attachimg=5]
Primula poissonii
Also only wanting to send its roots into waterlogged acidic soil.
-
August 2016, update 5, part 3
Still in Asia.
[attachimg=1]
Saxifraga moorcroftiana
No real scoop, but a charming small yellow Saxifraga, so different from what is generally seen in the european beds for example.
[attachimg=2]
Lilium mackliniae
Has just joined the himalayan bed a few days ago after having flowered for the first time in the propagation area, alone in its straight planted line between lilies and other monocots.
Such a beauty has to enhance other surrounding beauties in the geographic bed! It will not be far away from Nomocharis aperta, Geum elatum, Rhododendron anthopogon and other things from the Himalaya/China. Hoping the best for next season then!
[attachimg=3]
The statuesque Lilium taliense
Reaching over 1.50m high now and beginning to flower. What a spectacle, and what a fragrance!
Let's leave the himalayan range and head towards north-east.
[attachimg=4]
Thalictrum rochebrunianum from Corea.
I hesitated when taking the pic: the lovely violet small balls or waiting untill they open and show the spreading light yellow stamens?
[attachimg=5]
Dicentra peregrina from adjacent eastern siberian mountains and Japan.
As the place seems to really please him, why not consider building a "scree like setting" with stony soil surface and planting many others amongst the rocks? But propagation is long and not always easy...
-
August 2016, update 5, part 4
Into Europe now.
[attachimg=1]
Digitalis purpurea
Quite a plague in the garden because of it endless seedlings even years and years and years after the mother plant has died, if accidentaly left to seed production untill the end...But in places it can overwhelm, it surely makes a beautiful display. Here trying to mimic the colour combinations of Dicentra peregrina we've just seen before.
[attachimg=2]
The bed dedicated to some of the typical Vosges plants. Exceptionnal blossom of Gentiana lutea this year. I guess next season will be very poor, but anyway, there sure will be other things ;)
Ripening inflorescences have to be cut before seeds is formed, otherwise, you earn too many opportunities to get hybrids which don't fit in the Vosges bed. On the other hand, that's precisely this way that interesting garden strains are created ( as it happened some years ago with an almost orange hybrid!)
[attachimg=3]
Campanula thyrsoides ssp.carniolica
A variation of the type species thrysoides, which comes from the eastern end of the Alps, with flowers more witish than yellowish. The spikes are even taller, if possible, than C.thyrsoides!
[attachimg=4]
Gentiana purpurea
I love this simple gentian for its delicate and almost appetizing colour! It also has a light fragrance which is really pleasant.
[attachimg=5]
Let's not leave the Alps without taking a look at the famous Edelweiss ( now Leontopodium nivale ssp.alpinum)
-
August 2016, update 5, part 5
[attachimg=1]
Iris latifolia, from the Pyrénées
[attachimg=2]
Campanula carpatica var.turbinata.
The pic doesn't give it justice, but one has to see the really huge bowl shaped flowers which almost hide the whole plant at flowering peak.
[attachimg=3]
Stachys discolor, from the Caucasus
[attachimg=4]
A view from the Caucasus giant mountain perennials
[attachimg=5]
Cremanthodium nepalense
I must say if that wasn't a Cremanthodium, I wouldn't have add that pic to the update in last minute ;)
I must also confess that by first quick weeding in this area early in June, I mistakenly pulled the plant brutally out of the ground with the hand, thinking these small emerging leaves were some common weed...Only when I saw the long white roots I understood I had really done s...t!
Fortunately, it didn't take umbrage from this unacceptable rough treatment!
Next update will most probably be the last one of the season. LAte august or during september.
-
Beautiful plants and photos Philippe, as always.
I love this thread.
-
Your garden is so lovely, Philippe, and so varied. Dicentra peregrina looks so healthy as do all the beautiful plants you are photographing. Please keep contributing photos - your garden makes my day.
-
Same as Ashley, Philippe :)
-
New season 2017 is about to begin now.
We just drove today to the alpine garden to bring material and others things. No snow anywhere left . It went quite early during late march after a very snow poor winter. However, recent cold weather really stopped the plant growth.
No picture for today, but new posts about the garden should come in the next days ;)
-
Some of your snow has been falling here in the last two days, Philippe! ;)
-
Some of your snow has been falling here in the last two days, Philippe! ;)
Hey you don't really think we were going to let Scotland tame this way an alpine garden high up in the Vosges! ;)
[attachimg=1]
Fresh snow these last both days. Looks like there are masses of it with this pic, but "not more" than 20 to 25cm this morning.
A good thing though, it lets some precious time for last indoor activities before the rush outhere starts for real.
Snowmelt began steadily today with the meanwhile strong late april sun. Let's see how much there will be left on monday for the new workweek. Hopefully few enough to let awakening plants show again after that late and last (?) cold sleep ;)
-
;D ;D Thankfully, we did not get that much. You are welcome to it really!
-
hold out...Philippe ;D
-
UPDATE 1, MAY 2017
Sorry for being so late with the first 2017 garden update.
It now will be a short month since the gardening season has begun.
Snow has melt really early this spring. It might have been the case from as soon as mid-late march for the most exposed part of the gardens and the very last winter snowpatch quickly went away just a few days after we arrived by late april.
So a big part of the vernal blossoms was already over or on the way to before we even got to the garden ( Anemone vernalis, Primula rosea, Primula denticulata).
Really cool weather came then during the second april-half, stopping the further growth of plants and flowers. The garden experienced strong frost at the beginning of this colp period: possibly down to -7/-8°c, snowless, on plants that were already more or less awaken from the winter sleep.
Winter has been very average, if not a bad one.
A first promising snow period in early November lasted unfortunately only 2 weeks. From that on nothing else then, not one snowflake anymore untill the end of december. Just like 2015, December 2016 has once again run almost totally dry apart from some raindrops in the end! You just have to think that this month in particular used to be amongst the wettest during the year...
Fierce frost and snowless in early January, down to -10/-15°C. This was just too much for some plants : Raoulias for example will need a peaceful growing season now to recover, juste as the Scleranthus from NZ. Looks like all Primula capitata died everywhere, both in pots and in the rockbed. Many losses in pots in the propagation area, where the young plants were sometimes not strong enough to exprience such low temperatures. Amongst them again quite a lot of diverse Primula, and complete rows of mediterranean mountains alpine. The adventure is over with Cardiocrinum giganteum, the last mature bulb rotted/froze last winter.
Then came the second and last snow period of the winter, right after this very cold period : 2 weeks of snow opportunities during January, however with small accumulations in the end ( seems it never went deeper than 60/70cm ).
Winter was on the whole over from late February on, with some last snowy days hidden between long spells of very mild temperatures which forbade any further solid snowcover.
So we are today!
Some beautiful views of the ephemeral snow by late april, which would have been so deeply appreciated in some of the worse parts of the winter:
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
And to change, the first flower pictures from the last 3 weeks.
Aquilegia jonesii to begin with:
[attachimg=3]
Ok the picture is miserable, the plant isnt' really shown at its best, and some of you certainly manage its cultivation far better. But! I am really happy : I have finally found THE place and THE soil-mix which apparently both please it. I mean it could be a plant that will now live its life alone there , without special care. And I can live without the fear of loosing it for some silly cultivation mistake.
I had 3 plants. I left on in a pot on the propagation area, it didn't do well, and I almost lost it after 2 years. It is now planted in a trough, and seems to recover a bit.
I had another plant which I planted in one place in the north american bed. But it's dead meanwhile. Don't know exactly why, but it never really did well.
And I have now this one, which thrives very well and even tried a first blossom this year. Unfortunately, I should have covered the flowers . They rotted under maybe too permanent rain far more quickly than I would have thought. Next time then!
By the way, the soil mix is granite, a bit of humus, and it dries out quite quickly. Full sun.
[attachimg=4]
Anemone vernalis
One of the last flowers I could catch. You have seen this plant in every early update of the previous years, and I believe you will see it again in the years to come. I simply adore that flower and beginning a season without the possibility to see at least a flower it in its full glory would just be hard for me ;)
Gentiana verna was also very fit this spring. But is now over with its unbelievably blue flowers. No picture, cannot already tell the same again as for Anemone vernalis...
Let's go on with Androsace mucronifolia then:
[attachimg=5]
Often confused with the somewhat larger and less tight Androsace sempervivoides which can send rosettes quite far from the mother plant. A.mucronifolia stays rather on place and the rosettes are seemingly more compact. By looking very close, you can also see kind of tiny spines on each leaftip, hence the specific name ( not sure if A.sempervivoides also has this feature, or at least not so distinctly marked)
-
UPDATE 1, MAY 2017
Another Primulaceae member, from northern America:
[attachimg=1]
Douglasia laevigata
As the years go by and as the plants fill the north american rockbed, it comes out that more and more most of them are pink to violet! Full coincidence or maybe this is a predominant colour in Rockies alpine plants, I don't know but the list is meanwhile very long: Claytonia megarhiza, Lewisia cotyledon, Primula parryi, Primula rusbyi/ellisiae, Arabis lyallii, Mimulus lewisii, Olsynium douglasii, the many Dodecatheon, Collomia debilis, Aster coloradoensis, aso...This is such a striking thing that the rockbed becomes really dominated by this colour during late spring/early summer. Beautiful anyway.
[attachimg=2]
Ranunculus crenatus.
Also a plant that appears in the early season updates. When reaching flowering peak during May it is just a beautiful display in the moist rockbed where it selfseeds freely.
[attachimg=3]
Primula strumosa
That Primula took its time to get to flowering age, about 4/5 years. Patience was worth it. But not smell! It has an uncredibly strong and disgusting fox'piss smell! Many times when I came to watch it I always thought to myself there must have been a fox around here recently. As the days went and as more flowers opened and foliage expanded, the smell just became worse, untill I once wanted to see what smell this plant could have. I have been learned that day...
Anyway this is an adorable Primula, even if it superficially looks like our common native Primula elatior.
[attachimg=4]
Let's leave for a short moment the flower pictures.
This new place has been meant to give explanations about alpine plants and the way they cope with the environmental constraints in their natural habitats. So people will find on small boards informations on why plants are small/hairy/cushion shaped...and will have the possibility to look immediately and right into the eyes of the most characteristic plants showing each of these adaptations, cultivated in troughs just beside the board.
I am curious to see how this will work for the first season/if people will be much interesting in this new approach of the garden.
A characteristic plant that would deserve a royal place in one of those troughs would be of course Androsace helvetica:
[attachimg=5]
I just don't dare touching it, as it seems quite happy after 3/4 years of pot cultivation.
Cultivating high altitude Androsaces is a bit if a challenge here, above all for vertical cliffs ( and notably difficult) species like A.helvetica which most of the time doesn't know what snow protection is, whereas it can sometimes be covered by snow during several months here. Last winter was snowpoor, that's maybe why the plant did not that bad, giving a good blossom and most important not having shrinked.
The pot is placed in the propogation area, and I covered it before we leave in late autumn with a metal grid that won"t let too much snow get through so that maybe the plant won't have too much direct contact with snow, especially when it's wet and causing the cushion to rot. But in any way, if there is 1m snow above that grid, the plant under won't have the benefit of enjoying neither frost which it doesn't absolutely fear, nor good air movement in the fresh air outthere.
So I am particularly happy to get A.helvetica to that stage these last years: at least living, and flowering from time to time;)
-
UPDATE 1, MAY 2017
[attachimg=1]
Blue had to find a place in this first 2017 update ;)
That plant was given as Corydalis curviflora, probably var.rosthornii, and seems to be a selection from a wild chinese introduction: 'Blue Heron'.
[attachimg=2]
Anemone obtusiloba, for its glorious light yellow flowers.
[attachimg=3]
Another blue, this one from the meanwhile well known Corydalis cashmeriana in the different updates.
[attachimg=4]
And again this beautiful light yellow, now from Meconopsis integrifolia.
Last year, the season's beginning was so wet that all flower buds of this species rot before opening, hindering any seed formation. As a monocarp species, they nevertheless perished.
I am relieved this species recently had a dry period. I had to protect the first flowers from rain for 10 days or so, because it looked like they were going to go the same way as last year again but this is now not necessary anymore, and pollination can take place. Hoping for seedset now to renew the stock!
[attachimg=5]
Ranunculus kuepferi.
Like many white Ranunculus species, it enjoys a cool rootrun.
-
UPDATE 1, MAY 2017
[attachimg=1]
Primula maximowiczii
Second year flowering, but still need to improve the cultivation, as the plant stay rather small and not that productive.
[attachimg=2]
Polemonium confertum
One of the gem of the genera with its thight rounded flowerheads. And for its foliage too.
[attachimg=3]
Mertensia alpina
Also from western north America. A delightful small species, with stems trailing directly on soil and carrying groups of pure blue flowers turning more violet as they age.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I won't say too much now, but it might be I could have one or two very exciting things to report, possibly already in the next update. At least plants I have quite long been expecting that they would flower one day. So let's cross the fingers there won't be any hungry slug, rodent, hare, or any meteorological extrem to ruin that!
-
What a great update ... Philippe. Beautiful plants, brilliantly photographed and a beautiful text. Thanks a lot ... we are looking forward to the next update.
Thomas
-
... This polemonium confertum is particularly beautiful. The shape of the foliage is particularly great.
-
I very much enjoyed your report as usual Philippe . I liked your information boards.
-
You probably have so many visitors in your garden ... David. ;D ;D
?
-
You have an inspiring garden of beautiful plants beautifully grown
-
Difficult weather indeed, Philippe - certainly a challenge for the gardeners.
-
Difficult weather indeed, Philippe - certainly a challenge for the gardeners.
Even more for the plants themselves!
Already have to put shade on some asiatic plants in the bedrock to avoid sun scortching. And it's only late May...
-
You probably have so many visitors in your garden ... David. ;D ;D
?
Not many people Thomas but I've loads of ants ;D
-
It is great to read the first update of the season Philippe and see your well captured pictures!
That must have been hard to find so many losses in the propagation, so I hope the season will continue on a better 'note'. And already looking fwd to the next report of course :)
-
SEASON 2018, MAY
As for the weather recently, some warm news from the garden.
It's been under snow since early november and stayed so untill mid-april. Thus a very good winter this year! The unusual high temperatures last month really speeded up snowmelt, only a few patches and piles of snow are left now.
Rockbeds are almost all totally snowfree and can appreciate the ongoing warm weather, which is going to lead to a rapid plant growth.
I'll personnaly only really begin the work there from mid may on, but brought some things/packages recently. Of course I profited from this short visit to take a general look to both plants and garden.
I am especially very delighted to see that Primula agleniana is still going on:
[attachimg=1]
Well here in its winter resting bud habit, but for the moment healthy anyway.
It's been sowned in 2012, only germinated in 2015, pricked out 2016, and had the 2017 season to build up quite rapidly!
As you see, it is cultivated in pot, not in the rockbed where conditions would probably not suit it at all. I might also rather say it is such a beautiful plant that I don't want to let it on its own in the rockbed for the moment. As long as it is happy in pot, everything's ok.
It grows therefore in a shady place of the propagation area, at the bottom of a 2m high big granite boulders wall, not far from the stream, where sun only shines a few hour per day during high summer. Snow tends to last much longer there than anywhere else because of the exposition ( facing full north under the granite wall), which provides best chances for a quiet, long and cosy winter rest period.
PErhaps one of the plants in the pot will give a first flowering this spring. This will be the occasion to see if the plant is also really P.agleniana !
Also in the propagation area, and also in pot, Olsynium douglasii:
[attachimg=2]
A plant that I found not so easy to please so far.
Let's see later for more news and/or pictures!
-
SEASON 2018, MAY
The season 2018 really begins now in the garden, with the first shoots of late to very late plants. Already many flowers in some parts of the rockbeds.
We had a wonderful winter, with continuous thick snowcover from early November untill early/mid-April, even late April in the most protected parts of the garden. The vegetation growth pattern is very interesting this year: as said the deep snowcover melted during April, and at the same time we had one of the warmest April month ever recorded in north eastern France. This means that the rockbed that were already snow free in early April could "profit" from this very mild April, whereas the warmth could only accelerate the snowmelt in the other parts of the garden where snow was still laying on the ground, and the plants there couldn't get so much of the permanent high temperatures.
The growth differences still persist as May was an average month then : trees and bushes are now in huge advance ( it was already almost totally green by late April, Laburnum alpinum will flower very soon with 3/4 weeks advance), the upper parts of the rockbeds also show up to 3 weeks advance. All the rest that was largely protected from the April warmth by the snow is in the average growth timing.
Two pics of the surroundings of the garden to begin this update, illustrating this:
[attachimg=1]
A 2 meter high snow patch still present whereas the areas jut above it are probably totally snowfree since 2 months now. This will naturally lead to huge vegetation delay, and Anemone scherfelli for example will form its seeds when it will only emerge out of the soil 15meters away!
This is nothing more than what happens normaly in higher mountains every spring/summer, but we are here only at 1200/1300m height and it's very characteristic of the Vosges amongst the other mountains at similar height in France. Having an alpine garden is such even more contrasted areas would really be interesting, in regard to flowering time of the different plants!
A view of some streamlet strongly fed by snowmelt.
[attachimg=2]
Back into the garden.
[attachimg=3]
Most of the different Pulsatilla/Anemone were already full flowering by early May this year. This is the usual but still beautiful Anemone halleri ssp.styriaca from the eastern Alps.
[attachimg=4]
Phyllodoce caerulea in ther arctic regions rockbed.
[attachimg=5]
And Primula auriculata from the Caucasus
-
SEASON 2018, MAY
Other Primulas do much better when cultivated in pots in the propagation area: they sure don't get the freedom others may have in the garden, but they get more care and security, thriving under rain/hail or sun shelter whenever needed.
Of course the smaller species belong to that group.
[attachimg=1]
Primula minutissima for example, who just asks for a moist peaty fresh soil, where the tiny rosettes can settle down without any competition from larger plants.
[attachimg=2]
I have tried Primula macrophylla ssp.moorcroftiana several times directly in the rockbed, but it seems it is not that easy to find the place that will please it on the long term. The vicinity of water is absolute prerequisite but even then, it can suffer from the hot sunny spells that tend to punctuate more and more our summers.
[attachimg=3]
Primula warshenewskiana also profit from pot cultivation, as long as watering is carefully given. The plant will only need repoting after flowering.
[attachimg=4]
Soldanella minima doesn't need special car it seems. It can grow in the rockbed and even be happy there, with a wonderful blossom in the first half of May. Notice that practically no leaves are present at this moment!
[attachimg=5]
Rhododendron myrtifolium, from the southern and eastern Carpathians and also from the Balkan Peninsula. The overall geographic distribution of the species may be quite widespread, populations however are restricted to very small areas within this larger range and are often much fragmented. Therefore this species has gotten a special protection status.
It looks like a very dwarf Rhododendron ferrugineum.
-
SEASON 2018, MAY
[attachimg=1]
Raoulia tenuicaulis from New Zealand.
Excellent ground cover. Here at flowering time ( nasty smell), dealing with the green Scleranthus uniflorus in the foreground ( or is it rather Scleranthus that is dealing with the Raoulia?) Anyway, the thick Raoulia carpet provides super shelter for seeds of other species around, and you can find for example Gentiana corymbifera, Scleranthus uniflorus, Plantago muelleri and other seedlings emerging safely and seemingly happily from the grey green carpet.
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana alpina shows an abundant blossom this year. Always a delight with its comparatively huge flowers above tiny foliage.
-
Hello Philippe
I, and probably many others, am very happy to see pictures from your beautiful garden again. Fantastic photos of great species. I'm hoping for a sequel.
Best regards
Thomas
-
Wonderful to see little gems from Haut Chitelet starting to bloom Philippe. Looking fwd to more of course!
-
Jardins botaniques du Grand Nancy et de l'Université de Lorraine
Le jardin d'altitude du Haut Chitelet opens its doors for the season on June 1st! Situated on the route des Crêtes in the heart of the Vosges, it offers a tour of the world of the most beautiful mountain plants.
Full of new features this year: Educational Booklets for children, animal trails, mosses and geology. A unique place for the whole family!
https://lc.cx/mPPH
[attachimg=1]
-
SEASON 2018, JUNE
Thank you Maggi for the announcement to the garden opening on June 1st!
June comes , May goes. It has been the warmest May month over north eastern. And this just after April, which was the second warmest April month ever. Usual news now. Just scary how pretty quick things are going.
That being said, some plants pictures of the recent very thundery days. Much damages over north-eastern France through heavy rain and/or hail, but fortunately we went through all this so far.
[attachimg=1]
Primula agleniana
The Primula I spoke of in the first update in May turned to be obviously true Primula agleniana. With great joy, as this is a magnificient Primula with huge, long lasting ( 12 days!) flowers. Just inly one in this case for this year. I hope the plants will bring it through next summer and winter. Maybe then there could be both beautiful blossom and seeds of course next year!
[attachimg=2]
Primula pulverulenta
A bit tough to go on with the common Primula pulverulenta after P.agleniana. But of much easier cultivation, and still beautiful when flowering.
[attachimg=3]
Aquilegia fragrans.
A sweetly perfumed Aquilegia from the Himalaya
[attachimg=4]
Anemone rupicola
Another chinese/himalayan exceptionnal plant, with imposant and wide-open white flowers
[attachimg=5]
Polygonatum hookeri
After 4/5 years of outdoor cultivation, Polygonatum hookeri has now firmly settled down in the chinese rockbed. It begins to roam around rocks and adjacent plants, but is no problem, as both leaves and flowers really grows directly on the soil, and soon disappear after that.
-
[attachimg=1]
Megacarpaea delavayi
The cultivation of that species was no easy ride, as the genius seems to be heat sensitive and plants can go dormant much too soon during summer which are too warm or too dry, preventing them to build up enough before dying. It is also probably monocarpic. Of the 5/6 plants that were initially planted 4/5 years ago, only two survived so far, and this one finally managed to flower this year! This is no outstanding beauty, but the kind of thing you are personaly just happy to grow.
Once again, another very fragrant flower, reminding of lilac.
[attachimg=2]
Primula japonica with Rhododendron molle in the japanese area.
[attachimg=3]
Trollius asiaticus
I must have posted a picture of this plant last year, but here it is again. The bright orange sepals are so cute on so consistant flowers!
[attachimg=4]
Iris flavissima
A small very good looking Iris from moutains of western China and Central Asia
[attachimg=5]
Paeonia daurica ssp.coriifolia
It might need some identification. Anyway, a shame that these beautiful flowers don't last much more than 1 or 2 days ( just as many other botanical Paeonias)
-
[attachimg=1]
Kelleria dieffenbachii
From New Zealand. Tiny leaves, tiny flowers, ground carpeting
[attachimg=2]
An old trough which has been overhelmed by Globularia cordifolia, Dryas octopetala and Silene acaulis. Actually a plant association that can't be commonly found in the wild on calcareous rocks.
[attachimg=3]
Close up on Linaria alpina
-
2 weeks ago we took the chance to visit Haut Chitelet and were amazed by this beautiful place, well
operated by Philippe abd the staff. It was another world for us - cool, high and a bright light - we saw
clearly, that many plants cannot do well in our hot lowland garden. The high alpine plants were at their
best, plants from NZ simply perfect.
One problem was there, unlike to other years there was no rain in the last 4 weeks, so the staff had to
spend much precious time with watering.
-
more
-
more
-
How wonderful to make a visit and to meet Philippe !
-
more
-
more
-
the rest
-
Nice garden, it was already dry when you visited?
-
Yann, the dryness started 4 weeks before our visit, but by intensive watering and the high elevation
of this garden no visible harm could be noted by us.
A supplement of 3 pictures replaces the photos which did not load perfectly.
-
Lovely to get to see those plants :)
-
Thank you Cohan, I also enjoy seeing the pictures in your blog.
-
Thank you Cohan, I also enjoy seeing the pictures in your blog.
One of the blessings of the internet-- we can so easily travel vicariously :)