May 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere

[cohan]

Draba bruniifolia ssp olympica the latest by a nose of the three Drabas I grow. Slightly less tight than aizoides in foliage and flower, but I like the paler yellow, and it still covers itself in flowers



Draba dedeana- beautiful tight geometric dark green foliage and low flower stems + D aizoides and Jovibarba



Draba aizoides, dedeana etc





Draba aizoides w/ Tulipas urumiensis, turkestanica etc

[cohan]

Tulipa urumiensis - a suggestion I was given, these tulips were all received unnamed in a mixed package. This is my earliest tulip, (Turkestanica is about the same) starting very nearly at the same time as Crocus (the first couple of Crocus plants open earlier, but the Tulipa is open for Crocus peak). It's lovely when fully open, but more interesting when partly open and you can see the lovely backs of the petals. They are increasing nicely in a couple of spots, in the Xeric/Native Beds they are much more sparse! (last pic). The pics are from May 02-05, except the last in the dry bed, May 12

[kris]

Very nice flowers Cohan. Here it is bone dry and no rain in sight. Infact no rain after the snow melt. To add more woes the weather is +32C for today and tomorrow.
Plants are really suffering.
Here are some blue flowers from the garden.

[cohan]

Tulipa turkestanica (again, assumed name, no name mixed bulbs)- this has increased very nicely, with more stems and more flowers per stem. It also starts early, overlapping Crocus, and Psuedomuscari azureum, which is one of the very earliest things here, in spite of not being in the earliest bed to melt. turkestanica pics are from May 03-04 tarda from May 05, 12





Tulipa tarda is later than the previous two, starting a week or more after urumiensis, though they overlap.

[cohan]

Very nice flowers Cohan. Here it is bone dry and no rain in sight. Infact no rain after the snow melt. To add more woes the weather is +32C for today and tomorrow.
Plants are really suffering.
Here are some blue flowers from the garden.

Interesting to see your T parryi- here it flowers on stems 10cm or so. We've actually had a fair amount of rain- and snow! after snow melt, though there were some dryish spells. After a couple of warm days, mid 20's, it is raining right now-- supposed to be 'showers' today, but so far more rain than not. Supposed to turn to snow tonight!

[cohan]

Androsace carnea ssp halleri ex Vosges Mtns Fr; my larger plant is yet to hit peak this year-- there was some foliage damage, as on some other plants in the milder, less snow than usual winter, but it seems to be coming on nicely. This small plant I don't remember planting in the Xeric/Native Beds (not so xeric spot)- last year I noticed it later in the season and thought the spent flowers looked like  Androsace, but had no idea what it was... this year caught it in flower!



Galanthus  the plants in front of the house flowered earlier than ever this year, beating Crocus by a hair; these plants in a woodland bed were later, this shot May 03



Townsendia leptotes has done very well in the thin soils in the rock bed in front of the house-- the biggest patch was damaged by an ant colony, but there are still some decent clumps, and it continues to seed itself around the bed. Shown with Potentilla nitida, Sedum album, semps, etc- ignore the very healthy dandelion in the last shot!

[cohan]

Rhodiola rosea has been surprising-- tiny and delicate the first couple of seasons, I expected it to take a long time to mature- then it flowered last year, and this year they look more robust by a factor of ten! With Inula rhizocephala seedlings and Rubus arcticus-- planted in a low spot between rock ridges, it has been entirely too successful and shooting up the rock beds in all directions-- I'll need to find it a home away from other small plants and start digging!



Petasites frigidus palmatus  these moved into several beds with soil from other places on the acreage/farm; I was worried at first they'd take over, but have shown no inclination to do so yet ( handful? of years  later)



Viola adunca- very common wild violet all over the acreage in semi/open areas, it has seeded itself into a number of places in gardens, mostly where it is welcome.



Primula elatior- I have a nice sized plant, originally from a Polish forumist, in a woodland bed, and I *think* I remember scattering some seed in rock garden pockets a couple of years back.. I also had Cortusa and Wulfenia from seed in a couple of spots-- but either those didn't make it, or I had some mistaken seed- since only P elatior is flowering here and there!



In Toronto, there were some nice patches of retic Irises I enjoyed seeing in early spring, so I was keen to plant some here. Maybe I haven't found the right spots, but where I've tried them, they haven't been exactly stellar. This year I got two little flowers in one bed..

[kris]

Penstemon arenicola  - reposted to this thread!

[johnw]

Tristan  - I wonder if this one has made it to North America?  It should be here.

We like one called 'Roguchi'. I'll see if I can locate a photo.

johnw
was 19c, now 13c, thunderstorm pending

[Tristan_He]

Tristan  - I wonder if this one has made it to North America?  It should be here.

We like one called 'Roguchi'. I'll see if I can locate a photo.

johnw
was 19c, now 13c, thunderstorm pending

I don't know John, but if it hasn't I'm more than happy to send you some seed. Won't be quite the same of course, but I have no other alpinas so hopefully will come reasonably true.

'Roguchi' is very nice, what group is it in? It reminds me a bit of 'Aljonushka'.

[Andre Schuiteman]

Anemone rupicola. Sown from AGS seed on 22 December 2018, first flowering. The flowers are 5 cm across. This species is not easy to please here (close to London); it likes it cool but not too shady, damp but very well drained. The leaves scorch easily in the sun. From four seedlings one failed to come back this year, two others are looking sickly and seem still undecided whether they want to grow or die. Only this one seems happy. May has been cool and wet so far and this Anemone along with other Himalayan and Japanese plants loves it.

[ashley]

Very nice Andre.
Using stones on the south side is a good way to conserve moisture (although rarely a problem here ), and perhaps seedlings from this one may show further adaptation to your conditions.

[shelagh]

Wonderful pictures from everyone I'm thoroughly enjoying them.

[Mariette]

You grow a wonderful variety of beautiful plants, Shelagh!

Paeonia ´Starlight´and potaninii flowering in front of Rhododendron ´Narcissiflorus´.



Poppy and tulip.



Brimeura amethystina



A seedling of Paeonia ´Gessekai´



Thalictrum sibiricum syn. contortum is the first one to flower with me.

[Andre Schuiteman]

Very nice Andre.
Using stones on the south side is a good way to conserve moisture (although rarely a problem here ), and perhaps seedlings from this one may show further adaptation to your conditions.

Yes, it is likely there is some natural selection among the seedlings.