Flowering now May 2007

[johngennard]

I agree Leslie and Franz.Furthermore they never seem to look as good as the original planting in spite of soil enrichment.I had many successes in the past which I have never been able to repeat.Then again my interests have broadened over the years so perhaps I don't concentrate on the rock garden as much as when I first built it fourty years ago.
One plant that doesn't require constant attention is CLEMATIS MONTANA also planted  fourty years ago.The pictures don't really convey the enormity of this specimen but it is quite a spectacle each May although usually the middle of May.

[Maggi Young]

What is that fabulous C. montana using as a support, John?

[Anthony Darby]

What an amazing clematis. I'm about to plant one to hid my neighbour's butchered leylandii Here's some more flowering today. Gentiana acaulis; Iris stolonifera; another Iris sp. and Trillium grandiforum 'Jenny Rhodes'.

[Maggi Young]

If only Clematis were self-clinging like Hydrangea petiolaris, I'd plant it to cover the monstrosity that rivals the the north face of the Eiger (in size, well, from our perspective, anyway!) that is looming over our place on the western side as our neighbours build a really big extension to their house. It's horrible!

Hans in Austria must be getting cheered up with all the gentians appearing in these pages now... Ewelina has posted pix of some absolute crackers from Prague.  In the UK they do seem to be a plant that either likes your garden or not, and if not... then

Trillium 'Jenny Rhodes' is interesting... what is her history?

[Lesley Cox]

Not sure about your iris Anthony. Sibirica group I'd say but those usually have heavier veining at the hafts. Yours  is very light, smooth and pretty. Somewhere in the general region of chrysographes/prismatica probably and almost certainly a hybrid. If it were bulbous I'd suggest I. cycloglossa And I do like `Jenny Rhodes.' I know someone else who'd like it too, if only....

[Anthony Darby]

Just made an 'expotition', as Pooh might say, to the greenhouse, avoiding three visiting, and rather fat, mallards and dug out the label. Iris cycloglossa it is Lesley. Will look out the history of 'Jenny Rhodes', but it is a nice pink semi-double with (usually) six petals. Four the last two years it has only had one flower. This year four.

[Maggi Young]

A sure way to remember if an iris is cycloglossa or not is the scent.... Iris cycloglossa has a truly delicious fragrance. Not that other iris don't have good scents, just that this is a smasher! Rich but not cloying and that fabulous "expensive" note that one never finds in cheap scent!

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley,

Many thanks for your very practical advice on growing gentians. I think I may now invest in some...well seed anyway. I did buy two at the weekend show in Dublin and have taken the chance and planted them out in conditions as you describe.

Many thanks, Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

Some more wee plants. Ophrys scolopax (Woodcock Orchid); O. iricolor (Rainbow Ophrys); Dactylorhiza 'Hyperchromat', which should really be 'seed from...'; Trillium decumbens and T. cunneatum.

[Joakim B]

Anthony nice pics and plants
Are You able to frow Orphys outside or is it under glas
Are the flowers of the Dactylorhiza ex "Hyperchromat" also very dark in flower? Wonderfull foliage anyway so that it self gives the plant a high growing value.
Kind regards
Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

Joakim, the 'Hyperchromat' should have virtually no green on the leaves at all. I don't remember the flowers being particularly dark. The ophrys are in the greenhouse plunge as they have to be dry over the summer.
Cheers
Anthony.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great pictures everyone !
Anthony - your Orchids or out of this world !!!

Here's some plants doing well for me in the garden at the moment (despite the drought !!!! - today 35th day or so without rain !!!)

1) Phlox 'Tiny buggles' - well chosen name !!
2) Geranium cinereum 'Purple pillow'
3) Campanula aucheri
4) Aubretia 'Elsa Lancaster'
5) Edraianthus serpyllifolius
6) Lewisia cotyledon

[Lesley Cox]

I think I'd better shut up in future about irises -  and most things perhaps. I really was having a joke when I said Iris cycloglossa. It truly does look like a siberian hybrid and I was sure that's what it would be. Thank goodness for labels eh? even buried ones. Needless to say, I apologise profusely.

[David Nicholson]

Luc, lovely plants. Some planting ideas there for me.

[Joakim B]

Lesley two out of two (three) on the latest iris attempt is not bad!
It is allowed to "hedge the bet" is it not?
I still count on You for my unknown irises 

Anthony I forgot about the summer rest for the orphys. Would under roof during the summer be enoght or do they need frost free winter as well?

Kind regards
Joakim