Cushions

[ThomaS]

Hello. I will make another attempt to show you a few cushions. This is my first time to post pictures, and yesterday the message and pictures would not post. The first one is from a trip to Lapland last September. The other ones are from my garden.
Thomas Schultze, Sweden

Diapensia lapponica,  near Abisko, Lapland, Sweden
Draba mollissima, in gravel bed
Myosotis pulvinaris, in peat bed with Primula nanobella

[ThomaS]

...and here are a few more, from my garden. The pictures are from previous years as the snow is just beginning to melt outside here!

Thomas S, again.

Edraianthus pumilio, in pot. Spends winters in my unheated (almost) greenhouse.
Raoulia eximia x petriei, was successful a few years but died after last winter.
Saxifraga burseriana crenata
Sax. "Salome", the hardest bun of them all
Saxifraga sp from  the Himalaya, similar to S. matta-florida. It sprouted a primula after I brought it home!
Saxifraga x burnatii,   Ligulatae can also grow like cushions.

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely cushions Thomas, and some very special and quite tricky plants there. The Myosotis is lovely and frankly, difficult to keep in good condition, especially if grown outside. I am hopeful of some flowers on my own Diapensia now that it is growing in a trough in the garden rather than under cover. The Raoulia hybrid too, is a tricky plant.

I'm very happy to see your little primula because what I have from seed as P. bella, and there was some doubt about it, is looking EXACTLY like yours, in the foliage. Maybe it will flower in our spring.

[Jiri Papousek]

Hejsan Thomas,
thanks for pictures. I had the same problem to attach pictures for the first time it was blank... I noticed you live around beautiful lake which I saw last summer
As it looks you like saxifragas, here are few pictures from Czech breeder Karel Lang from previous year. Here is no snow, but still -10C at night.

[Lesley Cox]

Oh My Word! I remember seeing many of Mr Lang's saxes on the Forum maybe the year before last and have been yearning ever since. What fine plants he raises and grows. What a treat to see these. Many thanks Jiri.

[ranunculus]

Absolutely STUNNING!!!

[ThomaS]

Hej själv Jiri, och tack... for the beautiful pictures. Yes I love Saxifraga and have a few of the ones you show, but not big and beatiful like that. Some kinds of Porphyrion/Kabschia I have been growing since I was a boy 45 years ago. I found an english gardening book in the library with pictures of those flowering buns, and then some plants at the local nursery. S. pulchra is an exciting plant I wish I had...

Leslie, there has been some discussion on the net about the identity of that Primula. Primula bella and nanobella are listed as two species in "Primula World" but, as far as i can see, as synonyms in "Flora of China". I think this is from Jurasek seeds probably what is called "Primula nanobella 'JJ-70/'02' ". I found some confusion about that, as well as an old comment from Mr Richards:

"This is classic P. florida, v common in SW Sichuan."
John Richards

From: Jozef Lemmens [mailto:alpines@...] Sent: 26 October 2003 21:03 To: primulas@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [primulas] Primula nanobella 'JJ-70/'02'
"Hi all, Is there anyone who knows a positive ID of Jurasek's P. nanobella '70/'02' in the meantime?"

The Primula I lost during recent summer heat. The Myosotis also rotted after flowering but i was able to root pieces in the peat bed.
Thomas

[Kirsten]

This winter has been a disaster for our Dionysias. While we were on vacation in December an electrical fuse jumped, and the the temperature in the greenhouse decreased from +2 to about -10C for a couple of days. Many of the Dionysias didn't like it and died during January and February.
Here are a few picture of Dionysias from last year: Dionysiatables, Dionysia 'Ewesley Delta' and Dionysia curviflora x tapetodes.
Some survived the power failure: Dionysia afghanica x tapetodes 'Evesly Theta', Dionysia gaubae, Dionysia hausknechtii, Dionysia zetterlundii (Syn Dionysia heterotricha) seed from Vojtech Holubec, Dionysia iransharii JLMS 55, Dionysia tapetodes and Dionysia viscidula. 

[hadacekf]

Thomas,
I am happy to see pictures from you. I hope to see more.

[hadacekf]

Great plants and super pictures from all.

[gervandenbeuken]

Your plants seems to be in an excellent condition Kirsten. I have also a some problems my Dionysias. It looks like some plants are attacked by some kind of mold.
I have installed two extra fans installed to provide additional air movement. I hope this is a solution.
I hope both you and Lars are feeling well.

[Maggi Young]

This winter has been a disaster for our Dionysias. While we were on vacation in December an electrical fuse jumped, and the the temperature in the greenhouse decreased from +2 to about -10C for a couple of days. Many of the Dionysias didn't like it and died during January and February.

Oh my word, what a disaster...... but there is  not much you could have done to prevent this electrical malfunction..... there are only so many fail-safes one can incorporate into a system without it being a massive undertaking of time and money that few of us could manage.

 Interestingly one often hears it said in the UK that Dionysia are "perfectly hardy" and only require to be kept in an alpine house  to protect them from excess rain - this seems not to have been the case in Denmark... for it is the cold that has done the damage there, eh?

[Maggi Young]

Your plants seems to be in an excellent condition Kirsten

Ger,  the photos are from last year......

Here are a few picture of Dionysias from last year

Sadly Kirsten's Dionysias have suffered in the winter, following an electrical fault, as she explained. 

[Graham Catlow]

Great plants Kirsten.

Kirsten and Ger
I am now a little confused.
Ger (gervandenbeuken) your post #12 Alpine House 2011 you state 'Not important to keep the alpine frostfree because these plants are completely hardy'.
However, Kirsten you state 'This winter has been a disaster for our Dionysias. While we were on vacation in December an electrical fuse jumped, and the temperature in the greenhouse decreased from +2 to about -10C for a couple of days. Many of the Dionysias didn't like it and died during January and February.'

I realise you are from different countries and conditions may be different but are they completely hardy, or do they not survive at -10C.


Maggi I see you have posted whilst I was typing

[cohan]

Graham, if they do not survive -10, they are clearly tropical houseplants