Recent Posts

1

Bulbs General / Re: Trillium 2024

« Last post by Herman Mylemans on April 17, 2024, 09:36:48 PM »

Trillium tennessense

Trillium oostingii

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Robert on April 17, 2024, 07:40:16 PM »

A typical garden scene in our Sacramento garden, Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus with the California native annual Eschscholzia caespitosa. I see our garden as a blend of art with science.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Robert on April 17, 2024, 07:38:26 PM »

Diplacus kelloggii is new for me this year. It is a tiny species best grown in a container. It will be interesting to see how they develop over the years, especially as I add new accessions to the genetic mix.



We have ongoing trials taking place with this species. This species can bloom for months and is extremely drought tolerant. Many forms can be leggy growers, however we have some very compact forms that we are currently evaluating.



Penstemon laetus var. laetus is very happy in our garden. They seed around here and there, especially in our cinder block garden. Wild plants exhibit considerable genetic variation. Most flowers are lavender-blue, however pink forms can be found. In addition, very compact forms exist that make outstanding garden plants.



Huchera rubescens RMB 887 has proven to be a very adaptable selection of this species. I obtained seeds of this accession from the Rock Bound Pass region of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 8,963 feet. Currently I am conducting trials with this selection and other accessions from lower elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains both in containers and in the open garden. Some forms can bloom profusely and put on an outstanding flower show.



Advanced generation white forms of Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus derived from Coastal forms of this species. I suspect that they have a different chromosome count than our local forms of this species, as the two forms do not easily cross with each other. Many different chromosome counts have been reported with this species.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Robert on April 17, 2024, 07:34:07 PM »

Leena, Gabriela, and Mariette –

Thank you for the fantastic photographs from your gardens!

Here are some photographs from our Sacramento, California garden.



Flowering Pac Choi with Papaver rhoeas and Sugar Snap Peas. Maybe only a farmer like me would find beauty and enjoy such a garden scene?



So many of our California native annuals are looking great right now. They are perfect for our climatic conditions. Erythranthe bicolor is still in full bloom.



Erythranthe guttata is blooming throughout our garden. Some I planted, some are self-sown. I am working on developing stronger longer-lived perennial forms of this species.



Layia platyglossa is a must in our garden, and so easy-to-grow. It is so common, yet it is rarely seen in gardens in our area.



This tub full of Layia gaillardioides has been blooming for some weeks now and still has many flowers coming on.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Robert on April 17, 2024, 07:31:27 PM »

The pictures are indeed real Robert, but I understand your caution

Those aren't roots but dead branches now hanging downward.  Recently I came across this group of trees in a mountain valley SW of Fort William, Scotland.  They all looked mature, with no evidence of replacement by seedlings probably due to grazing pressure by red deer.  This particular tree had an enormous witches broom maybe 6-7m wide, which must have been old too given the slow growth rate.  Unfortunately the point of emergence from the trunk wasn't easy to see from my vantage point, but perhaps you can just about make it out from the photo below.  The broom also had small cones.

Witches brooms are apparently not uncommon in Pinus sylvestris (or other pines), and have given rise to various dwarf conifer cultivars, but this was the first time I'd seen one.  They can arise from bacterial or fungal infections but also from spontaneuos mutations in the meristem .  Therefore they tend to occur more often at higher altitudes where solar irradiation is more intense.  However this tree was only about 150m asl.

(Attachment Link)

Ashley,

It is amazing that this Witch’s Broom developed in the “Floating Cloud” style naturally without any human intervention. Here in California, I do see Witch’s Brooms on pines from time-to-time. Most of them are not very attractive. I have never seen one with the “Floating Cloud” appearance.

It might be worthwhile if someone started propagation this Witch’s Broom?

Thank you for your patience with my questions and skepticism.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: Paeonia 2024

« Last post by Herman Mylemans on April 17, 2024, 06:03:04 PM »

Paeonia mlokosewitchii

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Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum / Re: Monthly Bulb Log Diary 2024

« Last post by Ian Y on April 17, 2024, 10:43:41 AM »

Click the link to read the Monthly Bulb Log featuring some highlights from the last fours weeks with Eranthis, Corydalis, Crocus and Erythronium flowers all making their appearance.


https://www.srgc.net/documents/bulb%20logs/240417103141BULB%20LOG%200424.pdf

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Hepatica / Re: Hepatica 2024

« Last post by Leena on April 17, 2024, 08:14:18 AM »

Leena
Do the white hepaticas set seed?

No, they are double and sterile.

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Hepatica / Re: Hepatica 2024

« Last post by kris on April 17, 2024, 06:43:44 AM »

Hi Everyone
nice hepaticas. our hepatica season is just starting. Yesterday I saw some just starting to flower by internet correspondence. We are still in India and hopefully some will be flowering when I return back.
Gabriela your dark Americana" purpilicious"(did you name it)is lovely. Did you distribute the seed before. If not and if you are going to sell some I want to have some. Such a dark , lovely colour.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by MarcR on April 17, 2024, 04:55:40 AM »

Gabriella and Leena,

I enjoyed the lovely blooms you both have posted .

Here in Oregon, we are 3-4 weeks behind you.  The nature sculpted tree  was very interesting and strangely beautiful.

Thank you both for posting!