AUGUST IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE 2020

[Mariette]

Liriope muscari ´Munroe White´looks unimpressed by the heat.



This plant came as Scilla mauritanica to me, but it´s Hyacinthoides now, as I learnt. Safe in it´s pot, of course.

[Gabriela]

Very interesting plants and beautiful pictures everyone.

It is interesting that you can grow it. I once had it but it died after a bad winter, it was after a warm December followed by cold January without much snow. Maybe it isn't so tender as I thought?

Some plants from the garden now. Phloxes are flowering well, and they bring much colour to the garden.
I have only couple of Clematis but also they are doing well.
I love the blue of Gentianas and wish I had more of them. I haven't been very successful at getting them to germinate, but once the few have germinated, then they are ok. G.triflora is very nice and seems to grow well.
I also love Primulas, some of them grow well like these P.florindae's, with some I have trouble, but every year I learn more and find a place in the garden where they will survive.

Same here Leena, Phlox in flower and also some gentians. I manage few G. triflora seedlings but something happened to them afterwards; in all species the seedlings are very sensitive for 1-2 years, I think (or I try to console myself

Various Lobelias are starting to flower as a sure sign of August. Lobelia x speciosa is the most spectacular.


A clump of Gentiana paradoxa seedlings planted together - some resemble more the septemfida, some the paradoxa but no complain.


A Dahlia I call 'Covid Dahlia' - because I don't know where the label is and it was bought in late spring together with a bunch of soil bags from my favorite garden center (for curbside picking). I just wanted to add something else and it is always easy to stick one more tuber in the garden.
Extremely tall and the hummingbird enjoys it.

[Leena]

Mariette, that last plant is beautiful!

The second picture is the Clematis Ville de Lyon. Border line hardy unless close to the foundation of the house.

Here I have also lost one 'Ville de Lyon' in bad winter 2016, but it was so pretty, that I had to buy another which is now three years old.

Robert, your peaches looked so delicious I instantly started to think I have to buy some next time I go to the supermarket.
Heleniums have become my favourites, they have been a bit short lived in my garden, but they give sunshine to late summer and autumn.

[Gabriela]

Robert - wanted to say your peaches look delicious, but Leena was faster than me I love the white flesh varieties.

[Robert]

Wow! Some great garden photographs everyone! 


Leena, Gabriela,

Yes, our tree ripened white-fleshed peaches are delicious! 

More photographs from our Sacramento, California garden…



I grow many simple easy-to-grow plants and a few less common species. I tinker with all the plants. These are the best of the F1 generation – Calycadenia truncata. They are very floriferous and have a degree of garden tolerance. I will see what I can do with them in the coming years.



Lessingia leptoclada – another batch of first generation seedlings.



Erythranthe lewisii grows well in our garden, however I am working hard on improving its performance in our garden. In addition, hybrids can be created with other closely related Erythranthe species. For me it is a very exciting genus to work with, with tremendous potential.



I am moving closer to my goals with this heat tolerant line of Aquilegia formosa with strong stems – upright habit (i.e. does not flop after overhead irrigation), a strong perennial constitution, and a number of other desirable characteristics.



I enjoy my annual – perennial borders filled with common-simple-easy species such as Zinnia, Tithonia, Helianthus, etc.    This is a breeding border where I am tinkering with the species. On the lower left hand side one might see the bagged flowers used for controlled pollinizing. Even with the bags, labels, and drying seed heads this is a pretty site (sight - play on words  . ) I see every morning out our solarium windows. Trials are conducted in our mixed perennial-annual borders to assess the best lines.

I am very pleased that our garden is finally functioning. Most of my mothballed projects are active again and I have new ones up and running. I am thrilled!

[Robert]

What wild and changeable weather. Yesterday’s, 15 August, high temperature was 107 F (41.7 C) and the morning low temperature was 72 F (22.2 C). This morning between 4 and 5 am the still morning air abruptly erupted into a major windstorm. The skies were dark with thick clouds and flashes of dry lightning. The morning low temperature was 77 F (25 C). Now, about 9:00 am, there is a light rain.



Thanks to the kindness of a formist we are growing Zephyranthes macrosiphon. With the extreme heat, the flowers last only a few days, however we are working on the possibility of changing this.



From one pack of cheap Zinnia seeds purchased at the super market I am getting all sorts of genetic variability. Very common and easy-to-grow species can be fun to work with. I am working on improving this cactus or quilled Zinnia elegans line.



 I enjoy the formal double type flowers of Zinnia elegans.



It is hard to tell but this is a Pom-Pom type Zinnia – all from the same package of generic super market seed.

[Robert]

Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium is very heat tolerant, easy-to-grow, and provides much flower color in the late summer and autumn. Although there are many fine clones of this species there are still many breeding possibilities that can be explored.



A tub full of common Viola hybrids.

Once again, I am getting a great deal of variation from one package of seed. The original variety breeds fairly true from seed, however there are some off types. I enjoy creating varieties that perform well in our garden and have characteristics that I like.



Up until the start of the recent heat wave, this Larkspur, Consolida ajacis, was still blooming and looking fairly good. Of course I am saving this seed. I enjoyed the common Delphiniums that Leena posted a while back. Larkspur is almost closest I come to enjoying a Delphinium in our garden. I do grow some of our California native Delphinium species, however they are not easy for me to grow and need much improvement.

I am always on the lookout for, as Bob Ross would say, happy accidents in our garden. Genetic mutations are fairly common. Every season I find plants with somatic mutations, meiotic mutations, or accidental crosses that arise in our garden. In the future I will share photographs of these happy accidents and how I am making the best of the opportunities these mutations offer.

[Hoy]

Robert, you really grow some colorful plants in your garden!

Does the Epilobium need much feeding? I have some at my summerhouse but they seems to dwindle after a few years.


This is the most colorful I have in my garden at the moment, Fuchsia magellanica. Now it reaches almost 2m in height.

[Roma]

Gentana asclepiada - an attractive pale blue form I got at Cambo a few years ago.

[Robert]

Hi Trond,

In the Sierra Nevada Mountains I find Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium growing in rocky habitats where few plants compete with them. Their habitat is fairly dry, however in our garden they are tolerant of some irrigation. I have never found them growing in meadows. This species does well in our garden as long as they are not crowded and overrun by more aggressive species. Above is what I have observed in the wild both on the east and west side of the Sierra Nevada crest, as well as my experience growing them in our garden.

In our garden, I just try to make the best of what I have and what is easily available. My goal is to have a beautiful garden filled with flowers as much as the climate and seasons allow. I hope I can inspire others to see how their existing garden can be full of creative possibilities even with simple and common plants species.

[hamparstum]

Robert
At least in this end of the world, you seem to have succeeded in inspiring me: Epilobium canum (mine var garrettii) is being sowed tomorrow along with Salvia roehmeriana, Phacelia campanularia. All of these my own seed.... .
Epilobium canum is a short lived perennial here but seeds well and I'm going to keep it more like a biennial than a perennial. So does the Salvia roehmeriana. Phacelia campanularia is a beautiful annual very garden worthy here.
There are quite a few more in lesser advanced degree.
I discovered a pot full of Lewisia brachycalyx seedlings that obviously germinated and GREW! under snow . We have been having quite a lot of it covering my seedlings, however it doesn't stay for long.
Thank you very much for your support!

[Leucogenes]

An especially small gem from Iran...Viola pachyrhiza

[hamparstum]

Thomas, your Viola is a real jewel. Were you able to raise it from seed?
Arturo

[Leucogenes]

Thomas, your Viola is a real jewel. Were you able to raise it from seed?
Arturo

Hello Arturo

I did not grow this beautiful little viola from seed myself. I got it from Gerd Stopp... The seed was from Dieter Zschummel. They've both been botanized in Iran... several times.

This plant is not officially on Gerd Stopp's super list! I occasionally get rarities like this. I have the luck to live in accessible proximity and to know these two extraordinary persons personally. I can't imagine a better mentor in Germany...

I hope to be able to keep this viola alive for a certain time.

Best regards
Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Hello Arturo

I did not grow this beautiful little viola from seed myself. I got it from Gerd Stopp... The "Mother plant"  was from Dieter Zschummel. They've both been botanized in Iran... several times.

This plant is not officially on Gerd Stopp's super list! I occasionally get rarities like this. I have the luck to live in accessible proximity and to know these two extraordinary persons personally. I can't imagine a better mentor in Germany...

I hope to be able to keep this viola alive for a certain time.

Best regards
Thomas