Flowers and Foliage September 2008

[Kristl Walek]

Someone expressed envy earlier when I mentioned that we have Epipactis helleborine as a weed - we do allow it to remain on the garden fringes.

When my daughter was small and realized the Epipactis was an orchid, she would attempt driving the Kubota tractor around the hundreds of plants when mowing the lawn; they became so thick everywhere it became impossible to keep this up. Now they are mown with the rest of the country weeds, and just keep multiplying.

[art600]

Kristl

I would swap my bindweed (Convolvulus) for your epipactis any day.

[Maggi Young]

Kristl

I would swap my bindweed (Convolvulus) for your epipactis any day.

So would I, Kristl, but I don't have any bindweed....would Tropaeolum speciosum sound like a fair swap??
OOH! I SO want to establish Epipactis here... WHY don't they like me??

[Anthony Darby]

I notice that the plant growing wild in a neighbour's garden (next door to Sandy) is full of fat green seed pods.

[Kristl Walek]

A few species in bloom right now in the shade gardens...I can't vouch for the proper names of the Aconitums.

Aconitum senanense

Chelonopsis yagiharana (in too much sun).

Kirengeshoma palmata still going strong weeks later.

Aralia cachemirica (very, very similar to A. racemosa)---next picture shows the leaf comparison, with A. racemosa on the left.

The graceful Chelonopsis moschata--which has a wonderful habit.

Aconitum sino montanum.

The beautiful North American native Spigelia marilandica---which never, ever, ever makes a single seed for me!!!!

[Kristl Walek]

And a few plants in the sun...

One of the best Liatris species--L. ligulistylis.

Zinnia grandiflora.

Clematis ispahanica has tiny, but rather interesting flowers, and grey foliage.

Lespedeza bicolor always makes a grand show.

[Hans J]

now here fall in south west germany :

sunflowers
ficus
Schizostylis coccinea
Begonia 1
Begonia 2

[art600]

Hans

Are you not getting the torrential rain we are having, or are your plants capable of being taken indoors?

They look superb.

[Hans J]

Arthur ,

I think our climate is different -we have not so much rain as in your area -and here in the river Rhein valley we have a climate more and more like mediterranean area - 40 km of us is the warmest city of Germany .

[art600]

Lucky you - this year has been exceptional, unless you live in Devon where David Nicholson seems to have rain like this every year

[Hans J]

Arthur - as everything there is always " a pro and contra" - I can not grow here alpines ,Rhododendrons and similar .
Also I have problems with growing Crocus ,Colchicum and such plants ....

The farmers grows here : Mais, Tobacco,Wine.....

and more and more people grows Bananas in here gardens ( I will take pics )

[Hagen Engelmann]

Hans
what are your problems with colchicum?? I believe you mean not the cultivars but the species??

[Hans J]

Hagen ,

yes I can not grow well here Colchicum -I have it tried before some years -but never they have survived more than one or two seasons .....I have now lost my interest for this plants

[Linda_Foulis]

Some blooming for me now in Okotoks, AB

Digitalis laevigata
Digitalis lanata
Onosma stellulata

and two of my favorite annuals, although Cerinthe minor aurea is more of short lived perennial here.  This is its second year and I notice it has set a good amount of seed.

Cerinthe major purpurescens
Cerinthe minor aurea

[Paul T]

Linda,

Those Digitalis are amazing. 

Interestingly, I have Cerinthe major purpurascens in flower here too at the moment.  What is Cerinthe minor aurea like as a plant?  I'm assuming the flowers are still to open?  I've not heard of it before, which is why I ask.  I have a yellow version of Cerinthe major (yellow flowers with a red base), plus the normal one (i.e without the purple leaves around the flowers) and the purpurascens (with the purple leaves around the flowers), but I think they're all C. major, or at least I have no reason to call them minor because they're all the same size.  Would love to see a pic of the whole plant of your, and also when the flowers open fully (unless they already are).

Still loving both those Digitalis, and the Onosma too, none of which I've seen before (although I would imagine I have seen pics elsewhere here on the forums of the Digitalis.  So great to see new pics of so many new things.  Thanks.