Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Andrew on August 01, 2007, 05:47:29 PM
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Lilium leichtlinii
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Lovely
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Photographed last night on the kitchen window sill where it has just about fully opened, 2 views of it as it just amazes me.
I know it's a Haemanthus and I bought the bulb at Dunblane this year, but I didn't write the name down and now I've forgotten it.
Then a lily from the garden, lilium pardalinum which I've finally flowered from a seed.
Sue
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Oh and I thought I'd put this in, spotted three weeks ago when on holiday on Orkney - the one flower of primula scottica we could find and a view of what was behind me when I took it's picture. It was growing with Grass of Parnassus - something I hope to try and grow as well. No pics I'm afraid but the wildlife was pretty amazing too (and the shopping on the one wet day!) On the way back I found my first Creeping Lady Tresses' orchid in Culbin forrest nr Inverness.
Sue
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Sue,
Your ball of red is some form of Scadoxus (was one point a Haemanthus). Just mentioning this in case you are trying to track down the name. I'm not as familiar with the differences in flowers to be able to tell you the species for sure, but I'm sure someone out there can help if you need it. :) There are differences in leaves for some of the different forms as well. I'd be guessing possibly S. multiflorus ssp katherinae but the leaves would be helpful in diagnostic of exactly what it is.
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Lilium majoense
L. papilliferum
Aconitum macroyezoense
Impatiens cf. oxyanthera 'Milo' - a hardy, tuberous one
Corydalis sp. ex China
Thalictrum ichangense
Geranium lambertii
L. duchartrei
Swertia perennis
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Arisaema (Sorry, I am unsure of your real name),
Love those pics. The liliums are beautiful, particularly that lovely duchartrei. The Impatiens looks fascinating, and I didn't realise there were tuberous varieties. It has such a lovely colour to it, definitely worthwhile growing. The Swertia isn't something I have come across. What is it like in growth etc? How big are the flowers? Do you have a pic of the full plant? The flowers are interesting enough for me to look out for it in the future. It sort of looks a bit like one of the Camassias?
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Lovely plants Arisaema.
Here are 2 pics of mine.
The first Callistemon (bottle brush) is just finishing and despite the abyssmal weather has flowerd well this year.
The next is Eucomis bicolor, which is just starting to open. I only remember buying 1 bulb originally and now have about 7 stems, although only 2 have flowering spikes (haven't been able to repot) The 2 flower spikes are not identical, the one shown having a much better and highly marked flowers. I suspect the other is a seedling, possibly having crossed with E. autumnalis (not yet in full flower). I have had several seedlings coming up in the sand in the alpine house, where they stand over winter. These have not flowered but the leaves show varying degrees of marking.
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John, that is a stunning picture of the Eucomis! Isn't the combination of green and dark brown lovely?
Ours have been very late into growth and the leaves are not even fully extended yet... though the tip of a flower spike is just visible.
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The winter-hard Pelargonium endlicherianum has attractive blooms but the seed is really attractive too. It flowered one month ago in my rock garden and seeds are now ripe.
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Franz : such super photos! We can see these seeds as the little sculptures they are, miniature works of Nature's art. Do you not pity the people who would never think to look at such things ?
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Franz,
Sure hope you are going to send some of that seed to the exchange. I shall be looking for that one. Such a lovely plant - and seed.
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Yes, gorgeous shots of the pelargonium and especially of the seed. FRanz, my seedlings from your Corydalis popovii are coming up again. I'm really thrilled to have this species and it seems it will do well here. (But I'm touching my wooden desk top, just as a precaution :))
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Here are a few flowering today
The Eucryphia is now becoming a small tree nad although I have 2 others this is by far the most elegant
A Watsonia was posted recently by Brian and seems quite similar to this one which may be pillansii. I bought this for 50p from outside the gardens at St Michaels mount in Cornwall. The gardens are privately owned but are open one day per week and are worth a visit as they contain many tender and interesting plants.
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That's a nice collection of plants.
Does the digitalis stewartii seed itself around like the ordinary foxgloves?
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Ian,
Pretty Digitalis in particular. Lovely delicate colours to it. That Anemonopsis is rather speccie too!! ;D
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Rob the Digitalis is sort of perennial though I have found perennial foxgloves a bit squiffy, but this is the second year of flowering. I have not found seedlings but have collected seed and have grown it on and will be planting a small group. As they look abit like weeds at first I may have removed them anyway. I will be more careful in future
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An eclectic mix from the garden this morning starting with Kniphofia hirsuta standing at a full 40cm or 1' 4" in old money :)
Near the back door we have a gentian - it's not rare and I would appreciate anyone naming it as we have had it since the year dot and cannot remember ???
Lilium henryi is now in flower as is Black Beauty which I think is Lilium speciosum var.rubrum x Lilium henryi
In the same area I noticed Tricyrtis hirta 'Tojen' beginning to open and a few flowers on Lapageria rosea - none on the white form as yet
I have just noticed the wonderful swept back petals on Asclepia tuberosum and A.curassavica
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I rather like Eryngiums (what don't I like?) and these were popular with the wildlife. I also have one whose name escapes me with wonderful cut foliage. One of the Clematis nurseries in Norfolk is run by Ruth and Jonathan Gooch, they have friends in Japan who have bred a clematis and named it after her - Clematis Rooguchi which looks great with Summer jasmine 'Fiona Sunrise' foliage. My Eucomis are also starting to flower, the first being this Eucomis bicolor. Also this lovely hibiscus relative Alyogyne huegelii, and a very similar flower on Althaea cannabina - now about 3 metres tall.
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Round the corner is Angelica gigas and a little way away Veratrum nigrum. I was disappointed with the size of the flowers on the climbing dicentra torulosa but the seed pods are something else, such a wonderful colour that I forgive it! Still flowering is Polygala x dalmaisiana and right at the back of the border - for good reason as it is a monster plant - is Kitabelia vitifolia. Another climber in the rain forests of East Anglia ;D Bomarea edulis which has wonderful globular storage organs (tubers?) underground. One of my favourites is Berkheya purpurea, a wonderful soft lilac/mauve, I have one with a different shaped foliage which I hope will turn out to be white. It seems to wander around the garden a little each year presumably from underground runners.
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Also near the large glasshouse is this lovely little petrorhagia saxifraga, the slightest breeze gives movement to the flowers. Inside are tomatoes, peppers, a few flowers and at the far end, well shaded - hence the dark photos without a flash - the other half's selection of Streptocarpus. As I was poking about I came across this Clivia miniata in flower for the second time this year. Equally spectacular is Notocactus leninghausii. It's such a funny year that the foliage on the Fothergilla major is beginning to assume it's autumn tints, and lastly one for Lesley!
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Ian, Thanks for posting your Watsonia pilansii. I have two orange ones and the one I thought was W. pilansii is, but I'm not sure of the identity of this one. Anyone know by chance?
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And here are a few more plants including two hellebores that have forgotten what month it is!
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Chris there are a lot of Watsonias some of which are hybrids so its difficult to say. In fact I was hoping that someone could confirm my identiciation of pillansii which I bought as "Watsonia" only. Worth every penny though
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Some lovely plants there folks. Thanks for posting so many ideas for my own garden.
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And forgot, meant to include Tweedia caerulea. Was lovely light in the greenhouse tonight and got a rather nice pic of it
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Ian,
The one I posted should be either W. angusta or W. distans. I keep a list of plants I have in case I lose labels in the garden. I'll take a look on Google images to see if I can identify it. And I've just realised that the files I've submitted must be too big as they come up much larger than yours on my screen. Mea culpa. Must get a handle on diminishing file sizes someday. I take 6 megapixel pics so I can blow them up if I want to, or crop, so getting them down to post here is a wee problem I must solve. Love watsonias. Got a rather nice pink one this year, W. borbonica ssp. borbonica. Well worth having. Flowers last ages.
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Lovely photos Brian.......does Gentiana asclepiadea ring any bells?
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Chris, your pics aren't too big, they're all well within the 300kbs we're allowed. So long as they're "legal", don't reduce them further. Bigger is better.
Many thanks Brian for the Rudbeckia. They're really not my kind of thing but I love those tawny and burnt earthy colours. I hope to find some more `Rustic Dwarfs' somehow, someday, somewheeeeeere (with apologies to "West Side Story.")
There are some stunning others there too, especially the pods on the Dicentra. You'll be sending some to the seed list? And I love the Clematis.
I also love those rather sinister colours of the Angelica and the Veratrum. My black should flower this year, something to look forward to.
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Thanks Cliff for tickling my memory. I have to admit Lesley that I only grew the Rudbeckia to fill in gaps for when the garden was open to the Hardy Plant Society a couple of weeks ago, likewise the Dicentra needed to zoom up a new arch and make it look less bare ;D
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Brian,
Fantastic photos. I just love that Veratrum nigrum in particular. What a glorius colour to the flowers, and looks like a substantial plant too. One to look out for around the place I think.
You too Chris. Your Hellebores obviously think they should be holidaying in the Southern Hemisphere so they're flowering with ours! ;D)
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Any more info on Geranium lambertii? It looks very nice. Franz those seed photos are super!
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A few from the garden today.
Arisaema consanguineum 'Silver Centre' - flower
Arisaema consanguineum 'Silver Centre' - Leaf
Cautleya spicata 'Robusta'
Cautleya spicata 'Robusta' - close-up
Codonopsis clematidea
Codonopsis lanceolata
Codonopsis species
Roscoea cautleoides
Roscoea 'Beesianum'
Roscoea 'Beesianum'
I'm not entirely happy with the last named above; memory fails me.
Now, that's my lot for today.
Paddy
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Paddy,
Some stunners there. The codonopsis are glorious!! Love those Roscoeas too.
Brian,
What are the leaves of Veratrum nigrum like? The more I htought about it the more I recalled receiving some seed of it last year (Lesley I think?). To my knowlege I have only had identifiable weeds grow in the seed pot in question, but I am wondering what the leaves should be like just in case I do actually get something germinate that should be in there. They've been in for a year now, so I'm figuring that I've either had no germination, or pulled out the results.... or they germinated in the middle of sumemr and frazzled very quickly in our aweful summer nad I never saw them! >:(
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Mmmm, the second Roscoea is new to me and very nice indeed, and even more so, the lovely silver leaf on the Arisaema.
Paul your Veratrum seed didn't come from me. I have it but not flowering size yet. I've had seed a couple of times from V. album but I'm pretty sure I've sown all that myself. The seedlings are not unlike those of a larger Fritillaria or a Lilium, shorter though - just a single leaf and the sides not quite parallel, i.e. slighter wider toward the middle/top. They just make the one leaflet in the first year or even two years. Generally, they germinate reliably from fresh seed, perhaps after a few months. Certainly within a year.
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Must check my records and find out who it was. So it's a monocot not a dicot? I definitely wouldn't have pulled out unusual leaves like those, so it mustn't have germinated.
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Paul,
If you want this now, try Sally J, she has several Veratrums's for sale, including nigrum, last I looked.
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Thanks Rob. I may look into it once I am working and actually have some money again. Until then I am barely even visiting local nurseries as I know I shouldn't spend any money. ::) These things are sent to test us! :'(
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Sorry Paul the time difference means I've only just seen your query, thanks to Lesley for the answer. You have a lot to answer for as I had to go back into the garden and take a few snaps ;D Here then is the base of the Veratrum nigrum and an offset, I am still waiting for more Eucomis to flower, I must be getting more and more impatient ::) My least (?) favourite plants are quite showy, here is Dahlia "Nuit d'Ete" and "Blooms Graham", much nicer is the Balloon flower - Platycodon, well named for the shape of the bud. At long last the Galtonia are flowering as is the Abutilon and the Salvia confertifolia in the glasshouse - no sign of a flower yet on this outside.
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Brian,
I'm not going to apologise..... the extra pics were worth it!! ;) Those leaves were totally different to what I was expecting on the Veratrum, but now that I've seen them I can see why Lesley gave the seed leaf shape she did. Those leaves are more like some sort of Orchid species, or is that what Veratrum actually are? Their flowers look almost like a Verbascum or something, so to be honest I was expecting some sort of fuzzy leaves like a Foxglove. Your pics were so NOT what I was expecting!! So cool!! (Just checked books and they are Lilaceae / Melianthaceae apparently, so definitely not an orchid)
I've checked and my seeds from last year were from Dave Toole in NZ, so I was at least thinking the right country Lesley. It also means that they would have germinated by now if they were going to. I was thinking that they might have come from the northern hemisphere and needed a winter before germinating. I obviously did something wrong, which isn't that unusual. I seem to do extremely well with bulb seed, but perennials don't like me quite so much it seems! ::)
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Paul,
The leaves of the veratrum are very attractive with a distinctive pleating lengthwise. It is just as well that they are attractive as the wait for flowering can be quite long. I have V. album in the garden, photographs to follow, and really must chase after V. nigrum. Brian's plant is very attractive.
I fell in love with the codonopsis several years ago and have found them a great plant to put behind the smaller azaleas and rhododendrons as they will climb over them, but in a very light and gentle manner, and give interest during the summer time while their support plants are out of flowers.
Lesley,
I have added a photograph of Arisaema consanguineum 'Silver Centre' for your attention. It shows the stalks of three plants. You will notice that two have the mottled markings so often associated with arisaema species while one is a light green. The flowers and leaves of all three plants are the same. An odd one, don't you think?
Also two Zantedeshias - just for a blast of colour.
Paddy
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Brian,
Forgive my thoughtlessness. Loved the plants. Salvia confertifolia is certainly a brightly coloured one, very nice. Also, I spot that you have one of these purple-leafed eucomis with the others photographed and that the pink/purplish flower spike about to open seems to be from a green-leafed plant. That struck me as unusual.
Paddy
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Paul, as Paddy says the leaves are most attractive, highly pleated. Unfortunately the snails think so too - hence the gravel around them. They are a bit iffy about flowering sometimes, my V.album seems to have decided that it won't oblige this year.
Paddy I must agree, your photos of the codonopsis are super, here in the dry East of England I have had the poorest year ever with them, and my favourite c.grey-wilsoni (named after Kit) was eaten by the **** rabbits. The Eucomis is one named "Cabernet Candles" - it came from Ireland ;D I do love them and have a few different cultivars. Salvia confertifolia is what I think of as a fun plant, quite different and tender. In a good autumn it flowers spectacularly in the garden when colour is a bit short from flowers.
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A few more from yesterday - raining too heavily today to get out.
Eucomis bicolor
Eucomis bicolor
Eucomis 'Burgundy'
Eucomis 'Burgundy'
Watsonia cultivar
Watsonia cultivar
Paddy
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A few more:
Dierama cultivar
Dierama aff 'Blackbird'
Crinum powellii
Crinum powellii
Crinum powellii Alba
Crinum powellii Alba
Eucryphia x nymanensis 'Nymansay'
Eucryphia x nymanensis 'Nymansay'
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Another few:
Lilium 'Stargazer'
Lilium 'Stargazer'
Geranium sanguineum var. lancastriense
Oenothera missouriensis
Hydrangea bed
Hydrangea bed
Hostas in flower
Paddy
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And to finish, two oddities:
Magnolia soulangiana flowering very out of season.
Amorphophallus 'Konjac' - There is a group of Amorphophallus 'Konjac' in the raised bed. These had grown in a narrow bed which was to the front of the raised bed - this is where 'crevice bed' or my version of one, anyway, is presently situated. Note the single Amorphophallus 'Konjac' growing up through the stone of the crevice bed. I obviously missed this tuber when moving the others but yet it has managed to grow from its position several inches below the stones of the crevice bed and up through it to almost the same height as those in the raised bed.
Paddy
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Paddy,
are you sure that is Amorphophallus konjac? The leaves don't look right for an Amorph, but looks more like an Arisaema. Amorph konjac has leaf stems that split into 3, then split again into two then branch into leaflets etc. The whole effect is like a big pinwheel or wagonwheel arrangement. Yours looks more like some species of Arisaema than konjac I think. If you photograph a leaf from directly above I can tell for sure. I can probably dig up a pic of my konjac leaves which "might" show what I mean (I'd have to see what the pics were like of course! LOL) Does yours produce offset heavily, up to a foot away from the main plant? konjacs are stoloniferous and by some people are regarded as weedy because they are such good growers! :o I love them for the leaves and have never yet flowered one. ::)
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Hello,
It is Typhonium venuosum, or the old name Sauromatum venuosum.
Aaron Floden
Knoxville, TN
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Aaron,
Yep, that probably fits even better. I always find the top profile of the leaf of that has a D curve profile to the stems holding the leaflets, which becomes obvious once you look down on it, which is why I asked.
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....nevertheless thank you for the super pictures from your garden. Aren't we fortunate to have such a pool of knowledge at our internet fingertips. :D
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Aaron,
"Sauromatum venosum" rings bells in my distant memory and I couldn't contradict your identification. You are most probably correct as these plants were moved and you know what happens when one moves things about in the garden. I shall amend my labels.
Many thanks.
Paul,
I shall still attempt to post a photograph of the leaves from above later in the day.
Paddy
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Paddy,
I think Aaron is right and you probably don't need to photograph the leaves. The more I look at it the more it looks like the old Sauromatum (now Typhonium).
And I too would like to say thanks for the pics. I was much remiss in just pointing out a problem and not thanking you for all the other wonderful pics you'd posted. I'lll be interested to see all the Eucomis as they flower. Is that one you labelled "Burgundy' one that has dark laeves, or is it just dark flowers. Yes, Eucomis are another one that I collect.
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I think I feel a Eucomis collection coming on, too!
Paddy, your Hydrangea bed is lovely... and not something I've seen done... usually they are just dotted about a garden, so nice to see them highlighted in this fashion. we are seeing more really fat, healthy hydrangeas around Aberdeen this year than ever before. They seem to be enjoying the weather... colours are very intense and flower size and coverage is super. Must remember to take a camera out to capture some to show.
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Paul,
The Eucomis, 'Burgundy' is indeed growing on a plant which also has purple leaves.
Maggi,
This has been a particularly good year for hydrangeas here also. They simply love to have plenty of water available to them and the weather has certainly obliged this year. This border of hydrangeas was Mary's idea. It is a little longer than shown but the plants at either end are still a little small.
Speaking of hydrangeas: we visited a garden lately and saw a cultivar which caught our eye with its very red flowers. It was named 'Lady in Red', was bred in the USA by Michael Dirr and is supposedly available at this side of the Atlantic. However, I have not yet managed to find a source. If, by any chance, anyone knows of an outlet where it is available I would be obliged to hear of it.
Paddy
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Aha! Another good idea of Mary's!
I am not aware of Hydrangea 'Lady in Red', Paddy, but I will keep my eyes open.
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Paddy, I found this link in UK for H. Lady in Red:
http://www.guardiangardencentre.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.standard&category_id=476&producttype_id=48978
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Just a few shots from today (after the permanent rain has gone)
1. Agapanthus praecox ssp. minimus - originalla from Tsitsikamma,
South Africa
2. Campsis x tagliabuana (sometimes cited as 'grandiflora') 'Dancing
Flames'
3. Cyclamen hederifolium 'Ruby Strain'
4. Eccremocarpus scaber - red variety
5. Erodium ? cazorlanum - from the Sierra de Cazorla, I am not really
sure because there are some similar species there
6. Pumpkin, grown as an ornamental in a pot
7. Saintpaulia ionantha - the original plant from the Usambara
Mountains - in German: Usambaraveilchen (Usambara violet),
cultivatred indoors of course
8. Sternbergia sicula 'Dodona Gold'
Gerd Knoche, Solingen
Germany
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The "Ruby Strain" of Cyclamen is a good deep colour, Gerd, very nice. Your Sternbergia sicula Dodona Gold is very early, the rain must have excited it!
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Gerd,
I am always so jealous when I see Sternbergias in flower in someone's garden. Although I have grown them for many years all I ever seem to manage is foliage. Only once did I have flowers.
Maggi,
Many thanks; I had been to this site but they do not ship to southern Ireland and this has been the difficulty with all sources I have come across. I suppose, as an hydrangea in a pot would be very heavy, carriage would be prohibitively expensive. Perhaps later in the year I may be able to cajole one of them to knock off the compost and pop a plant in the post then.
Paddy
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must be a way round this snag, Paddy. i'll message you privately.
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Paddy Pam (my better half) bought this Hydrangea a couple of years ago in Cornwall from a garden full of new and exotic plants. We lost the label but it bears an uncanny resemblance to your Lady in Red. I don't know the name because Pam bought it because she liked it and that's good enough for her and I didn't pay atttention and the label is lost.
The plant shown here is darker in reality than the piccy shows
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Ian,
That certainly bears a strong resemblance to it. I have spent several hours searching the web but have failed to source a plant - even from 'Hydrangea Haven, Loder Plants' which stocks around 300 cultivars.
However, I saw it growing in a garden some weeks ago and was told it was bought somewhere in County Kerry so tomorrow, with yellow pages in hand, I'm going to get on the telephone.
If that fails I will be back to pester someone to source and post it to me. (OK Maggi?)
Paddy
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to Maggi:
unfortunately I did not make records for the first flowers during the last years, but I agree - it must be the rain and the cold spell we had which forced the Sternbergia to flower (not only these are too early here).
to Paddy:
Sternbergias are not difficult here when you give them the hottest spot in the garden (best sloping south and good draining soil with the addition of lime).
Please forgive me if you already know this and your climate causes the lack of flowers (Solingen has an annual rainfall of around 1000 mm).
Gerd Knoche, Solingen
Germany
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Here are the first flowers on Eucomis autumnalis subsp. autumnalis 'Peace Candles' and for something completely different Amicia zygomeris and it's wonderful burgundy stipules, the flowers when they come are yellow and of the pea family. I think this is a native of Mexico.
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Two plants in pots from this weekend.
1. Gentian saxosa
2. Drosanthemum hispida
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The pixies delivered some allium bulbs in an aspirin box the other day. Thank you pixies. My memory is so bad I should really write things down and then I'd know who the pixies were (was?), but I keep forgetting to. ::)
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I have grown Crocosmia Lucifer for many years in a herbaceous border. It frequently seeds around, often into the rock garden (I often find it surprising how far the seedlings are from parents, when there is no obvious dispersal mechanism) and the offspring are always virtually identical to the parent. I have just found a couple of hybrids wnhich are quite different. I can only assume that Lucifer must have crossed with C. Emily McKenzie, which has died out in the bed.
The yellowish one is not particularly inspiring but the red has very large flowers and attractive yellow 'naughty bits'.
1) From left to right Lucifer, Red hybrid, Yellow/Orange hybrid
2) C. Lucifer
3) C Red Hybrid
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Your home-made Crocosmia is a beauty, John. Love that dark shading in the throat, too.
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Very nice crocosmia John. Suggest you contact David Fenwick, National Collection Holder for crocosmia to find out if its unusual enough to warrant special attention. His web site is www.theafricangarden.com He has bulbs for sale at this time of year too :)
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Some autumn flowering Gentiana. Three seedings and an ordinary sino ornata
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A pink gentian! :o
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A VERY pink gentian! I take it that this is one of your seedlings, Hans? Has it flowered before? Do you think this colour will be stable?
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Thanks for the interest Maggi & Chris. I had already looked at David's website and was surprised to see the huge variety of Crocosmias and many similar to mine. I will, however, contact him in case he is interested.
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Maggi, yes that is a seedling and does flower every year. The colour is stabel, I have looked at my older photos. Flowering time in 2006: September 25th.
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In between the showers I managed to get these.
Eucomis Cabernet Candles was the plant with the green foliage Paddy
Calceolaria integrifolia now flowering from a cutting taken from Ann Borrill earlier this year
Crocosmia Okavango
Crocosmia Solfaterre which has bronze foliage
Kniphofia Prince Igor standing at only 6 feet this year
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Prince Igor standing at only 6 feet this year
I thought 6 foot was pretty good.... the result of National Health orange juice, I expect. Does he normally get even taller, then? You should get the Eremurus varieties 'Joanna' and 'Jean-Claire'.... they are very tall girls who could keep the Prince company ;D
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Yes Maggie he has reached the top of the Gazebo before now! 'Brutus' is another Eremurus who would be happy to keep 'Joanna' and 'Jean-Claire' company ;D
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I got home from work to find this monster in the middle of my new raised bed. Well where my new raised bed and bulb frames were to be. From memory the base is 5x12 feet. The house was assessed last week and we were selected to have new loft insulation and a new heating boiler and radiators all for free. The existing oild tank was "too close to next doors tank and too close to the house and had to me moved. Single skin tanks are no longer allowed to be sold. This one has a double skin in case of attack". I have no need for this monster tank. I said once you are gone I'll reinstate the old tank and sell the new one. "no you wont because we are taking the old one away and you will be breaking the law" I wasnt consulted on where this should be sited. The height of the tank is 5feet 1.5m
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How thoughtful of them...then it is a right proper looking foundation!
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They said the foundation had to be that big in case of an oil spill and to be able to walk around it. I was ready to tell them where to go this afternoon. I did ask for it to be moved tight against the greenhouse but they said no
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Poor Mark, it's hideous. It'll be a tricky task to disguise the damn thing, that's for sure.
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I havent thought about that yet. It would make me go back to coal except they took out the back boiler. The reason being someone in the future might reinstate a fire. Huh!!?
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Re the double skin - didn't the Titanic have one of those? ::)
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You know what they say about there being no such thing as a free lunch!!!
How about hiding it by building a tufa wall around it. They can be fantastic for growing some of the more tricky alpines and being so light could be removed fairly easily if needs be.
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Mark, so many regulations these days seem ridiculously safety-conscious. It's the legal-blame culture. Everyone, especially councils, are scared stiff of being sued if something goes wrong. Yet somehow it's an acceptable risk for government to plan to slap a new generation of nuclear power stations across the country rather than seriously exploit our vast potential for safe renewable wind, wave and tidal energy (I think they want to use up all that reprocessed and reprocessable nuclear fuel we have sitting around). And it's an acceptable risk to continue having a nuclear-armed submarine fleet based in Scotland. But God forbid you should have your oil tank anywhere but smack bang in the middle of the garden in case someone decides to "attack" it! (they'd have to be some pretty unambitious terrorists ;D).
I can't advise you to break "regulations". But if it were me, I'd let the jobs-worths install the new tank then look at ways to relocate or replace it myself and make use of that nice concrete base for frames or a raised bed.
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Just be glad you're not doing it here in the states. I think we could teach you a thing or two about over-regulation.
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Mark, so many regulations these days seem ridiculously safety-conscious. It's the legal-blame culture. Everyone, especially councils, are scared stiff of being sued if something goes wrong. Yet somehow it's an acceptable risk for government to plan to slap a new generation of nuclear power stations across the country rather than seriously exploit our vast potential for safe renewable wind, wave and tidal energy (I think they want to use up all that reprocessed and reprocessable nuclear fuel we have sitting around). And it's an acceptable risk to continue having a nuclear-armed submarine fleet based in Scotland. But God forbid you should have your oil tank anywhere but smack bang in the middle of the garden in case someone decides to "attack" it! (they'd have to be some pretty unambitious terrorists ;D).
I can't advise you to break "regulations". But if it were me, I'd let the jobs-worths install the new tank then look at ways to relocate or replace it myself and make use of that nice concrete base for frames or a raised bed.
Mark, having looked at the height of that base it looks eminently 'trippable' to me. A well judged fall, without causing you too much damage, and the threat of an insurance claim as a result of it, might just make them think twice! :o
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John it has already crossed my mind to do something on the south side of the tank. I think I will relocate it once all boxes have been ticked by the bosses
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Their regulations and rules are ridiculous and their attitude disgraceful. I hope you are able to move it Mark. After all, where would they have put it if you hadn't had the concrete pad there already? On the solid concrete front door step?
Even when you get it moved (you'll have to do it before the oil goes in, too heavy otherwise) I still like John's tufa wall idea. Or large pots around the base with climbing, clinging plants in them. Let the damn thing be useful.
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Mark,
Really wierd.
They used your concrete and didn't question what use you were intending for it? How did they know it was strong enough for the tank? Have you billed them for your labour and materials?
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They laid the concrete base!! My bulb frames were going to go along the side of the greenhouse and the rest of the garden was to be a new raised bed
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Paddy,
This is perhaps more what you would expect from a purple leafed plant. It was bought as Eucomis pole-evansii purpurea? :-\ at the West Acre Plant Fair a couple of years ago. and has three rosettes of foliage now, just the one flowering. If anynone can nail down a name for it other than E.pole-evansii purpurea I would be most pleased to know.
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Eucomis pole-evansii 'Purpurea' is how it's listed in the 2007/8 Plant Finder
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Can't help with the Eucomis pole evansi as I only have seedlings at present but thought this species was supposed to be a giant.
Here are a few of my own
The crocosmia vulcan seems to be better behaved than Lucifer being more compact a better colour and longer lasting.
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and a few more
The Lilium Auratum may not to be the real thing but a hybris as it lacks the golden ray
The Rudbeckia is amazing up to 10 ft tall hardly an alpine but hey ho
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Late tall Rudbeclias are great especially those with big leaves. Hopefully I'll get lots of photos at Beeches on Sunday
Here are a few plants in my garden. I have now removed all the Arctotis, red daisies, from the garden because of the early Colchicums.
Abies koreana 'Blue Pearl'
Abies koreana 'Blue Eskimo'
Argyranthemum canariense pale form
Nymphaea pygmaea 'Helvola'
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I was at Margaret Glynn's today and took some photos there
Actea
Aster - unknown and very floriferous
unknown Campanula
a very unusual Dianthus - nicely scented
a huge Hakonechloa
Helianthus nuttallii - perennial and one of the best
unknown daisy - short and covered in buds
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Mark,
You're not wrong about that being an unusual Dianthus. Fascinating!!!
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Mark, I know the bureaucrats rule the world and their lackeys do what they damn well please, but I can't believe people came into your garden and laid concrete without your consent and presence, without any kind of consultation first. If it happened here they'd be on aTV programme called "Fair Go" and there would be redress sought and compensation given. Shame on them!!!
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Many years ago my mother had a carnation (and there have been a few similar since) with a purple/grey ground colour slashed with magenta/red. It too was well scented. Wish I could find it nowadays.
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Mark, If I hadn't seen the rain drops on the Dianthus I would have said you had played the old trick of giving the cut flower a drink of coloured ink :D The unnown daisy is a Euryops, I will go and see if mine has a label when it stops raining. Totally hardy and not liable to sudden death like Europe acreus.
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I thought the unknown daisy might be x Solidaster - how big was it?
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Ian and Mark
Thank you for your replies, like Ian I thought Eucomis pole-evansii was supposed to be a giant, hence my querying of the name.
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The daisy would be, from memory, less than 30cm. I'll phone Margaret later to see if she knows the Dianthus
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The Dianthus is most likely Dianthus Malmaison 'Leslie Rennison'
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Solidaster is bigger, and a herbaceous plant. Your Euryops will be shrubby, Susan?
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Here is Gladiolus callianthus in a pot outdoors which always flowers about two weeks before the garden based plants. Apart from a sprinkle of 'Ian's magic powder' when the plant is just going over it gets ignored with great regularity and still flowers every year.
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I havent grown those for years. I used to know them as something else but the name evades me just now - Acidanthera
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In private I still call them Acidanthera :-[
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Mark,
A faint light in my distant memory - I wonder if your beautiful dianthus is D. 'Chomley Farren'. I have made a stab at the spelling and hope it is close enough to remind you of the name.
Paddy
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This one takes the cake. I've had loads of unseasonal bloomings, but this is the last thing I expected - Enkianthus campanulatus in flower in August. It has flowered normally this Spring and is now producing a mass of single flowers from new growth. Also, one of my Epimediums is in flower again too. What a mad crazy summer it is!
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Chris you forgot to edit the size of your images!
This is my Daphne pet. 'Garnet', own roots, flowering for the first time. Do the flowers always look down?
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Mark,
The tank attack is probably meant to be attack by corrosion. If there is water in the oil in a steel tank, it might rust through from the inside and when it starts leaking itis too late to plug it. You do not want that on your premises regardless of what theneighbours say. In Sweden tanks must be inspected every five years or so. Someone comes with a tanker. pumps out your oil, goes inside, inspects, says OK, pumps the oil back and puts a sticker on the tank.
In some places (basement in a town house) we had to have the tank inside a concrete trough. That is much more hideous.
I am trying to move over to heat pumps instead. The electric power consumption costs about a third of the corresponding cost for oil.
In my professional life I often encounter a trio that causes disaster: Mr They, Ms Somebody and Mr Murphy.
It seems that you were visited by Mr They. What did he look like?? ;D
Göte
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I think most if not all UK and Irish oil tanks are now plastic
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Here are some species flowering in the garden now
Salvia castanea, which is a long lived and reliable plant, which I have been growing since 1996.
Aconitum heterophyllum
Campanula verticillata
Delphinium vestitum
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...and a few more
Dianthus giganteus which grows 1 m +
Iliamna remota
Lobelia cardinalis and
Lobelia cardinalis white form ( var. album ? )
Asclepias incarnata
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I know I have not been putting my pix up right because when I click on them they are far too large. I have adobe photoshop elements, if anyone can give me a couple of tips on how to resize them for this site I'd be most grateful.
TIA
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Elements should have a "resize for web" function--probably either in the export menu or sharing photo section (if it's got one).
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very easy
click on image on the top tool bar
click on resizewidth anywhere between 600 and 700 is ok
click OK
click file on the top tool bar
save for web
OK
chhose your folder and rename as what the plant is
save
quicker to do than write it
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Here are two of Chris' photos
Enkianthus campanulatus
Epimedium
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Thanks Mark, that's how I want them to look when I upload them. I have found the area in the programme as you describe, with one small problem, I don't know what sort of measurement you use to obtain the 600 or 700 you mention. Once I know that, I should be ok. Thanks again
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thats the pixel width of the image. Photoshop is already set up to use it as the default setting
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I meant to mention that my mothers grey/purple/magenta carnation (dianthus) was called `The Monk'
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A few from the garden today:
Watsonia angusta
Biarum tenuifolium
Biarum tenuifolium closeup
Cyclamen hederifolium 'Album' The cyclamen bed is coming to life again and this is my favourite cyclamen as it was the first I ever had, a gift from a gardening friend. I guess thisplant is about 30 years old.
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lady in Red'
This is the hydrangea I had mentioned in a previous posting, one that I had seen in a garden I visited and was looking out for. Obviously I eventually found it and must get to planting it out now.
Paddy
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Very nice Paddy. Truly a venerable cyclamen. And how tall is the gorgeous watsonia? I love the biarum as well. I had it once but never had flowers over 10 years or so. I think I must have thrown it out as I can't see it around now. Shouldn't have done that.
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Quite some flower power in that C. hederefolium Paddy, despite it's age !!! (Irish cow dung ?)
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OK Mark, I've taken a look and hope this gives the picture that will enlarge but not too big this time. I couldn't quite locate the pixel size thing on my programme so this is just a trial.
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Still way too big. It must be something I'm doing but I really don't know what.
When I initially import pics into my computer they are six megapixel files so I have to resize them to get them to upload onto the site, and I have managed to make smaller files from them so they will upload, but they still come very big when I click on them on the site. I need help or I cannot put pictures up. The one I put up now was well within the limit for file size, yet it still came out so big when I clicked on it.
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Lesley, just for you - I went out with a measuring tape and can tell you that the watsonia is 4 feet 10 and a half inches. I grew it from seed obtained from Silverhill Seeds. It hasn't really bulked up very well but does send up a few flowering spikes each year. The biarum is there about three years and has 4 flowers this year.
Luc, the cyclamen has never had anything at all by way of feed. Though some cow manure might be a good suggestion to keep it going into its old age.
Paddy
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Chris has now spoken to me about editing images so hopefully the new ones from her should be spot on.
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Now for a wee game. Can someone ID this flower?
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Daphne pet. 'Garnet's flowers are now looking up.
Can someone ID this shrubby 'climbing' Felicia. I know of the pink one that 'climbs' but not the blue one
This is my favourite Centaurea C. ruprestis. Not difficult when I only grow two different ones
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Mark,
Trycirtis ohsumiensis.
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Mark, you have exactly the same felicia as I do. And I bought it with a label that said 'Climbing aster'. It grows like crazy and has been in bloom since the end of April, and is still blooming. Cracking good plant. I've looked in the Elsa Pooley book which has several sprawling felicias, but it is hard to pinpoint its name from that even, and her descriptions are really good. So I (and Sue Gill who also has it) will be very grateful if we can get a positive identification.
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Mine came from the Dublin AGS show plant table with a label that simply read "blue daisy ex Helen Dillon"
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The Tricyrtis is T. ishiiana.
What is happening to it's stigma? It's not pollen
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Mark
what is the name of your pink climbing felecia?
I have one that i got as a slip from a city garden and it's threatening to take over the garden!
cheers
fermi
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just now I cant remember
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possibly Felicia petiolata
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Very early this year my first autumn flowering daffodil
1. Narcissus elegans - opening with an olive-green corona (front)
2. and somewhat later with an orange corona
another bulb, received as
3. Nothoscordum species F & W 7455, maybe a Flores and Watson
number - I would be glad if someone is able to help with a key of
collection numbers
and a violet although a little bit small but nonstop flowering
4. Viola spec. aff. biflora / Birang Gorge, China
Gerd
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The Narcissus is a delight, really, well, elegant :)
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Gerd,
That Narcissus species is gorgeous. Veeeeery nice!!
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I'll join the ooohs and aaahs over the pink felicia. Make sure you spread seed of this one around.
How long have you been growing it? Any special treatment? I'm assuming its annual and that you start it anew each season....
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fully hardy and perennial and roots fast from cuttings and as it goes across the ground
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Wow...if it's hardy here (and that is open to question, despite your experience) it would be a great find. It looks beautiful--at least the flower. Is the plant itself an attractive scrambler, or something you put up with BECAUSE of the flowers?
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Just a quick pic of Campanula isophylla flowering in my lean-too. I raised some seedlings from bought seed a few years ago and this one survived all the neglect I threw at them, so I've kept it going by cuttings.
I wonder why we don't see it around much these days (plants or seed)? You used to be able to get it all over the place - even from garden centres as a house plant. All I see now in house plant displays is pots of other companula species, all much less showy.
Anyone know of a source for plants or seed? Blue or white forms? I'd like to get some other plants and try crossing them as my single plant sets no seed.
It's such an easy-going plant, and I think it's really quite classy when you get a good form. This isn't the most beautiful of the seedlings; just the one that survived over the years, but it's still rather nice I think.
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The same applies to C. fragilis which looks very much like yours Martin except I seem to remember a darker centre. Used to around as a potted or hanging basket plant and seed was available commercially, but neither seems to be around now. A pity.
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Here's C. fragilis
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Mark, Lesley, I have Camp. fragilis, bought for the very purpose of trying to cross it with C. isophylla since I can't locate any more isophylla plants or seeds and my isophylla won't set seed on its own. The two are closely related, so I'd expect some success.
I'd like to raise more pure isophylla from seed too. But failing that, I guess I'll try the hybrid route and see what I get. Just a bit worried that the offspring will tend to be less easy to grow (as fragilis isn't so easy-going as isophylla).
Just been waiting for them to flower together. So far their flowering periods haven't coincided. But there are some new buds on fragilis so I may be in luck this year.
The best of my original isophylla seedlings was very much like Mark's fragilis in flower, with very nice smooth-textured china-blue petals. But unfortunately that one didn't survive. I don't like the one I still have, with its puckered petals, so much. But it'll do for crossing purposes.
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Wandering in the garden I spotted a newly opened flower which I couldn't weigh up at first.
1 Mystery flower
2 Mystery flower with answer to the mystery.
3 Close up, it's Codonopsis that I grew from seed as Himal Snow