Robert’s Crystal Range Project – Year 2, 2020

[WSGR]

Hoy

I really love that Soldanella alpina! Exotic and fairy like!

[WSGR]

Robert

Geissorhiza radians is a really exotic gem! So unique. How long do they flower please? I might buy some seeds and have a go!

[Robert]

WSGR

I have to admit that I do not know much about Geissorhiza radians. I have not grown them for a long period of time and I have not taken the time to research the species. From my observations, the species tends to produce multiple flower buds on each flowering stem, which open in succession as the previous flower fades. Through this process I am able to enjoy flowers for about 2 weeks, plus or minus, depending on the weather.

The foliage of Geissorhiza radians is unassuming and fine textured. Small spring annuals might combine well with them to create an extended blooming display in a pot. The species grows in our xeric garden. The bulbs receive no irrigation or moisture during our hot summer months.



Many Pacific Coast Iris species are blooming in our garden at this time. This is Iris bracteata. They make a beautiful display in our garden and are well worth growing.

I have other Pacific Coast Iris blooming and will share a few photographs soon.

[Robert]

Iris hartwegii ssp. hartwegii is another California native Iris that we enjoy in our garden.



We continue to grow and make many selections of Iris marcosiphon. Their flower colors range from white through many shades of lavender, to dark inky purple. The above photograph from our garden is typical of plants as they are generally seen in the wild.



Our hybrid Pacific Coast Iris are unremarkable, but produce an abundant crop of beautiful flowers each spring in our garden. We enjoy such simple plants.



This is an example of Lewisia rediviva var. rediviva grown from seed I gathered in the Inner Coast Range Mountains of Northern California. Our plants remain bone-dry during their summer dormancy, and produce beautiful flowers each spring.

[Robert]

The corvid19 outbreak appears to be slowing and peaking in our portion of California. We are still in lockdown (very necessary). Travel to the mountains is inappropriate at this time, however despite a busy schedule there is time to share a few more photographs from our garden.

The other good news from our part of the world is that a strong, cold, and wet storm system is forecasted to move into our area tomorrow bringing us much needed valley rain and mountain snow. There is the possibility that the storm will move down the California coast and just far enough to the west that we might not get the full impact of this storm. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Enjoy the photographs! 



Now that I have gained some proficiency growing Calochortus albus, it is quite happy in our garden.



Calochortus amabilis has been quite happy in our garden. They set seed and return every season. It will be a pleasure to increase this species and have them growing throughout our garde

[Robert]

Although the covid19 situation continues to improve in our portion of California, the shelter-in-place/harbor-in-place order still remains in effect. I can continue to work on my project from home, however I will not be traveling to the Sierra Nevada Mountains until the shelter-in-place restrictions are relaxed.

Currently the snowmelt season has started in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The snow is melting quickly at all elevations, except for the highest terrain. There is more-or-less no snow below 5,000 feet (1,524 meters). The likelihood for significant additional snow given the current weather pattern and forecasted projections is low. We will very likely end the snow season in our portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at about 75% of average.

The current trends in the Pacific Ocean are very interesting. How these trends develop during the coming season will impact our summer weather and, of course, the plants and ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada. As soon as the covid19 restrictions are relaxed I will continue my work in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

[Robert]

I will be visiting the Sierra Nevada Mountains tomorrow for the first time in almost two months and will be resuming my fieldwork. The last two months have been very productive (mostly mathematical modeling – botanical x atmospheric/climatic connections, fun and interesting stuff! – getting ready for the current season). The experience has helped me gain a great appreciation for independently financed projects. There are always challenges, however the freedom to make decisions free from the terms of a funding contract and the freedom to follow creative leads of my own choosing is invaluable.

Much of the snow has completely melted from the middle elevations of the Sierra Nevada (~ below 5,500 feet, 1,676 meters). The following week I will be visiting the higher portions of the Crystal Range to observe plants as they emerge from dormancy and new seedlings germinate and grow. Hopefully a minimal amount of early season data will have been lost this year. However, I am sure that everything will all turn out just fine.

As for the corvid19 virus…  It is very difficult to determine how it will eventually play out in California. As for myself, and our family, we will continue to follow strict biosecurity no matter what direction the pandemic takes. Social distancing is not an issue for us since we never socialize anyway. Building strong natural immunity through good hygiene, regular exercise, and proper diet is the best that we can do. The outlook this season is excellent; another great season in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

[hamparstum]

Robert, I'm bemused that you've named the virus "corvid". With my background in bird-watching and ornithology corvids is a fairly large bird family with crows, ravens, your blue jays etc. I wonder what's the connection
Its good to be able to travel up to the mountains. Open air is virus free. Walking by oneself far away from anyone is also not to worry. For those of us accustomed to move in open uninhabited country, there's hardly any danger at all!. Obviously the difficult part is getting there safe...
I've started a seed ghetto of Irises. Iris bracteata that you have shown, has grown very nicely here. Is it a forest species? thus, it will prefer some part day shade? A few of the Pacific coast also have germinated. For I. macrosiphon I guess I will wait after our winter. Perhaps it needs a second chill before it germinates. I remember seeing pics of your of Iris hartweggii in semi-shaded position. All of these forest species are interesting for crosses with other sun loving irises to bring shade adaptation into garden cultivars. There are quite a few Irises to investigate up there!

Have a good outing

Arturo

[Robert]

Arturo,

Thanks for pointing out the mistake.

What a hoot! 

We got a big laugh out of that one!

I wonder about the auto-spell check, I do cut and paste from my computer. I do not always catch all of the mistakes, or should I say remakes of certain words, especially scientific names. And then I have been know to make my share of strange mistakes too. My wife is avid with birds, so we both know about corvids; Crows, Ravens, Jays, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Magpies, etc.

Anyway, we had fun with this one.   

I will get back to you concerning our Pacific Coast Iris species, at least the ones I have experience growing and observing in the wild.

It is pleasant to hear from you and it is great to hear that horticulture is progressing well for you. 

[hamparstum]

Robert,
     Thanks for your words. My progress with your various wilder species is still slow. I have found that I learn best when I concentrate with a genus and try to get into the details of how to grow them until I complete the process. That means reaching blooming size, see them flower, collect seeds and start all over again. If successful, then I can say that I learnt enough about  it so as to be able to maintain it in my yard. Of course once reached that stage new venues open, specially with the landscape aspects of it. That in itself is usually a challenge and it requires further work until I've got a worthy batch. Some of my initial Penstemon and Lewisia are getting close to that. So are some of my Primula, although the N.American species I've yet to be able to raise (i.e P.parryi). For the sake of keeping such a large genus under my attention I keep Dodecatheon separate from Primula. I've got some recently emerging shooting stars ( D.hendersoni) just emerging with my fall sowings. I'll place further effort this upcoming fall/winter/spring season inside my greenhouse so that I can regain lost time around annuals. In my garden schemes, I for-see their role very clearly and as you have clearly pointed out, you have such a variety up there!
    In general terms, bringing your wild-flowers into cultivation here has proven more difficult than what I had imagined initially. However as I get to understand them better they are showing up their potential and I feel stimulated to pursue on that path. I also need to understand the seasonal routines better so that I can fit in my interests with my daily and seasonal farm /garden routines. I've been living for more than 20 years in a fairly isolated fashion very concentrated in my activities inside my property. So the lock-down has had almost no impact, but what is surprising is that reduced activities of others has provided further surrounding peace.Although, people all around the world are very worried of the economic implications, I wouldn't mind if part of the lock-down extends in time. Perhaps its time to rethink the difference of real basic economy, including a healthy relationship with nature, from this senseless pursuit of unimportant endeavours leading to the "economy" as understood by the (former?) world. I do hope that more people discover the profits of spending much larger portions of life in nature or cultivating their patch of land: long term musings product of a world-wide lock-down.
Arturo

[Robert]

I had a successful outing the other day. Many plants were blooming and many photographs turned out well. I will post photographs slowly, a few at a time, as I can.

Arturo,

I have very similar experiences with plants. At times my progress seems slow or it appears I am not making any progress at all! Decades ago, I had an excellent teacher. He always told me that when it appears that I am not making any progress to persist, as these were the times that I would most likely make the greatest progress and receive clear insights. Another one of his admonitions was to stay focused (i.e. avoid the “Jack of all trades, master of none” syndrome – understand your limits). To make any meaningful progress, I have found it necessary to focus my attention on our local native plant species. I have found that the more intently I study our local native plant species; it has become obvious how very little in know about them. For example, I have been studied our local native Iris, Iris macrosiphon, for some time now. I have clones in our garden that exhibit flowers in a range of color from white, through various shades of lavender, to dark inky purple. This may seem impressive, but it is really nothing. With just this one species, there is still a huge ocean of knowledge that I have only just begun to explore. For example, there is such a great deal of work for me to do mapping and recording phenotypical genetic expression and physiological responses to a large array of variables such as solar radiation, temperature, pH, levels of N, P, macronutrients, micronutrients, water content (drought – flooding), both organic and inorganic toxins, etc. There is still a great deal for me to do regarding the understanding of the role of anthocyanins, xanthophylls (and other classes of carotenoids), fructans, etc. in plant physiology, especially our local alpine species. These are just examples. And, there are many local native plant species that I am very interested in understanding in greater detail. Progress is slow, but progress is being made. In my world, there is a direct connect between a keen understanding of a plant species and its successful cultivation, especially difficult to cultivate species. In addition, only a tiny fraction of the horticultural potential of our local native plant species has been tapped. Amazing and creative new plants are yet to be discovered, created, and introduced.

From what I understand about your climatic conditions, both Iris macrosiphon and I. hartwegii will likely be easy to cultivate. Be cautious with California native Iris species, such as Iris douglasiana, that have a range that includes regions near the coast. These selections may not be cold hardy in our area. Plants of this species with origins in colder areas are more likely to be cold hardy in your area. If you have any additional questions regarding our local Iris species I will do the best that I can to answer these questions.

Good luck with all your plantings. It appears that you are progressing well. 

[hamparstum]

Robert, you keep adding more variables that I should look into. Far from being a burden it really stimulates my interest and strengthens my pursuit. Your higher ground Irises are really very interesting horticulturaly. My best understanding about the history of ornamental horticulture is around roses. The genus Rosa has many species in the holarctic, none in S.Hemisphere. Its horticultural history is fascinating and  following the breeding history is part of my present preparation for planned crosses. The genus Iris is even wider in diversity, but most horticultural forms are derivatives of I. germanica ( which is really a cluster of Southern European species). These are classified as bearded but alongside, breeders have tried crosses with other beardless irises. That's where the California irises come in.  I agree that their horticultural potential is almost untapped. Iris breeding is much more recent in breeding history . Stage one of this process is to get to grow these C. natives. Slowly I'll see how well they adapt to our local conditions. Then there are deliberate crosses to look into. Many are of small stature ideal for rock garden settings. Some adapted to semi-shady conditions but many well adapted to natural summer drought...a condition prevalent here and thus one of my target goals.
The Pacific coast Irises and derivatives of I.douglasiana of course interest me. There again I'm trying out stage one. I've become gradually convinced that my location is considerably more gentle climate wise, than the areas you describe. My area is much less extreme than your place in Placerville. For the time being until I understand their needs, they'll be pot guests. These can be brought inside during hard frost in winter, so at least at the seedling/ young plant stage they can get pampered. Later when my pots are filled with specimens I can let some try out our natural winter conditions. That would be stage 2. Pacific coast Irises have stunning blooms and its breeding is quite advanced. Of course I would love to play that game, if I find that they adapt well to our local garden conditions. Some of those  less hardy cultivars could gain hardiness backcrossed with wild clones from the higher altitude Iris douglasiana. Once again a myriad of opportunities untapped!
I'm sure I'll take up your offer as my seasons enfold. When you are ready I will thoroughly enjoy your photos and surely many other questions will come forth. You live in a biodiversity hot-spot that could keep countless horts people busy for decades!
Thank you very much
Arturo

[Robert]

A few photographs from my outing last week.



Silene lanciniata ssp. californica near the South Fork of the American River, 3,625 feet (1,105 meters).



Clarkia seedlings.



Viola purpurea ssp. integrifolia on crest of Peavine Ridge, 5,125 feet (1,562 meters).



Lewisia triphylla can be found in seasonally moist sites that bake dry during the summer.



Catilleja applegatei ssp. pinetorum

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, you are lucky that you can drive to the countryside to study your wildlife. Here, the governments instructions seem to be interpreted different ways by different government organisations. The various Departments statements on the internet are ambiguous so that we don,t know if we are likely to be arrested and fined for driving to the countryside to walk and study our wildlife. On one site it says, don,t drive. On another site it says we can drive for essential reasons, such as shopping or for medication or work.  On another site it says we can drive to an area to walk if the driving time to the site is less than the time spent walking at the site. Maybe the instructions are written by lawyers so that a lawyer needs to be employed to understand them?

[hamparstum]

Ian,
There's no evidence that says that walking on your own out in the open you are under hazard either to yourself or towards others in reference to COVID19. If so, you wouldn't be breaking any law by doing so. Now then there's small letter writing that of course I don't now about that usually muddles everything up. Generally speaking lawmakers are urban dwellers and rules apply to their urban settings. As soon as one moves to the countryside ( more or less developed, even a small farm like mine), one has no real dangers unless there's direct contact with other (possibly infected) people. This is also a general rule applicable anywhere in the world. I'm blessed to move about inside my farm freely. I wish and hope that I could share that blessing with others...perhaps that type of awareness will make people re-assess their priorities and the movement back to the land regains momentum. I decided that in the mid 80' and I never regretted it a bit! In the beginning of the 20 th century 90% of world's population was rural. In some countries ( like here)  its exactly the opposite just now , this achieved within a century. The country was a very wealthy place in the world then. Can it be related to that?. I honestly think so. Nowadays technology is so pervasive that even in the most remote areas one can have access to Internet. Rural life no longer implies a backward life style...
( these are rural musings of a not so restricted  but lock-downed farmer/gardener)
Arturo