Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Robert on March 01, 2023, 08:12:30 PM
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Sacramento, California
Today, 1 March, dawned clear with a strong, bitter cold north wind. The previous 7 days have been very cold and rainy with low elevation snow levels in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Much of the month of February has been very cold. Temperatures during February averaged 3.58 F (1.99 C) below the 30-year average. The weather we experienced in February is more typical of what we experienced 40 years ago, however striking climatic changes continue to take place and the rate of change appears to be accelerating in our region.
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At 1,500 feet (457 meters) elevation our Placerville property received a light dusting of snow.
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To put things in perspective, the last significant snowfall at our Placerville property was in December 2009 when 8 inches (20.32 cm) of snow fell in one night. December 1990 was extremely cold, when on 22 December the temperature fell to 8 F (-13.3 C) and daytime high temperatures hovered around 32 F (0 C) for about 4 days. Another typical weather event was the 1 April snowstorm when 3.25” (8.26 cm) of snow fell. During this event, snow levels dropped to < 1,000 feet (305 meters). Although our current weather has been cold with low snow levels, we have not experienced extreme weather, which was fairly common 30 to 40 years ago.
[Jasmin]: It is interesting how the once-normal weather is now considered extreme. Robert and I are among the few old enough to remember what it was like. I can remember snow events in Sacramento. One time I was ill, and my mother put the snow in a bowl for me to play with. The other times, I remember the crunch of the white powder under my feet, and marveling at the visual and auditory experience. The 2009 snow in Placerville was a lovely respite on the farm—Robert and I played in the snow as if we were children.
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Just up the road from our Placerville property at 3,000 feet (914 meters) 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) of snow is currently on the ground. At 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) 33.55 inches (0.822 meters) of snow is on the ground. There have been 62 snow cover days to date and this number is rising. I have not consistently seen this amount of snow at these locations since the 1960’s and 1970’s.
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Many of our early blooming fruit and flowering trees are in bloom now. We had a hard freeze warning last night, however the forecasted freezing temperatures did not materialize. Magnolia stellata is pictured above.
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A hard freeze warning has been issued for tomorrow morning, 2 March. If the wind dies down there will indeed be a very hard freeze. This will impact our early blooming fruit trees such as our Pluot, pictured, which is in full bloom. The open Magnolia flowers will also be frosted and turn brown. Up at our Placerville property most of the plants and fruit trees are still dormant and will not be impacted by extremely low minimum temperatures.
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In our Sacramento garden hardy native plants such as Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ (pictured) will not be impacted by extremely cold minimum temperatures and will continue to bloom and look good.
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Nemophila maculata is a high elevation annual species commonly seen in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Frost will not impact these plants, however the stormy weather did tatter many of the open flowers. Many more flowers will be opening in the weeks ahead, so nothing will be lost. As a side note, Nemophila maculata now seeds around our garden freely. Unless I am specifically breeding for some attributes, there is no need to sow seeds each season.
[Jasmin]: The open flowers were such a delightful surprise yesterday in midst of the drenching storm. So many garden pathways were quite flooded, some with up to 5 cm water, and we had to pick our way around. Detours like this are daunting, since it can be hard to remember where something lies dormant under the ground, and we do not want to step there; yet detours can lead to pleasant surprises, such as realizing something lovely is showing itself despite the weather.
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Most of my efforts are focus on cultivating, and breeding our local native plant species. We have plenty of interesting plants to work with. It is very exciting as I have a vast genome within each species to work with. Currently, the F2 generation Diplacus douglasii seedlings (pictured) are coming into bloom. The tiny plants and flowers weathered the storms without any special attention or protection. Breeding resilient plants capable of thriving in a world of ever increasing extreme environmental stress is an important and stimulating objective in our garden.
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Sacramento
4 March 2023
There have been a few rainless days between storms and many of the Erythroniums are coming into bloom in our garden.
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The Deer Valley forms of Erythronium multiscapideum are especially floriferous. In addition, many specimens form very tight clumps, with most of the axillary bulbs producing flowers. As one can see from the photographs, they make very fine plants. My seed accessions came from soils derived from gabbro and serpentine bedrock at an elevation of 1,200 feet (366 meters). Numerous rock outcroppings can be seen in this area. Pine Hill, the highest point in this area, is comprised chiefly of gabbro. Many rare endemic plant species are found on Pine Hill and in adjacent chaparral plant communities.
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Most of the Erythronium multiscapideum found in this area are found in chaparral plant communities dominated by White Leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, and Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, with widely scattered stands of California Gray Pine, Pinus sabiniana. The Erythroniums are generally found growing in the shade of the Manzanita where there is little competition from other plant species. Wyethia reticulata is an exception. I often find this species growing in close proximity to the Erythroniums.
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Many of the Sweetwater forms of Erythronium multiscapideum spread rapidly but produce very few flowers. This colony in our Sacramento garden are from a year 2000 seed accession at 500 feet (152) elevation where the soils are derived from gabbro and occasionally Calaveras Complex slates. These plants, too, are found growing mostly under White Leaf Manzanita and occasionally Interior Live Oak, Quercus wislizenii.
The Erythronium colonies in this area are huge, comprising millions of plants. Many plants colonies appear to be clones that have swelled to immense size over a great deal of time. During their blooming season I have observed very few flowers. At one time I hypothesized that the shade of the Manzanitas might be inhibiting their ability the bloom well. About 15 years ago, a firebreak was cut through the area. The tiny Erythronium were now exposed to full sun. The plants persisted and thrived; however they also continued to produce very few flowers.
From our seed accessions there has been some variation in their propensity to bloom. Some clones bloom sparsely but consistently. Other clones have never bloomed in the 20 plus years that I have been growing them.
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Erythronium oregonum is quite different from Erythronium multiscapideum. First, they do not have the propensity to spread like Erythronium multiscapideum. The molting of the foliage is quite striking and the flowers generally are of a pale yellow shade. Our plants always bloom a bit later than Erythronium multiscapideum, however we have limited genetic material at this time to make a good evaluation of the capabilities of this species in our climate.
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This tub full of plants is a happy accident. I originally planted it out to Greggii Tulips and some plants of Bianca Riccia Endive, part of a seed crop of this variety. Many volunteer plants of Collinsia heterophylla, Collinsia sparsiflora var. collina, and Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata germinated and have grown well. This will make a very interesting display when they all bloom later in the season.
[Jasmin]: During the short pauses in the weather we have continued with our front garden project; although this has entailed more clean-up to prepare areas for their reconfiguration. There were a large number of red bricks that I once used to border the front, and now enjoy their absence. These are now stacked tidily on the side of the house until we decide their fate and location for storage. I still have a broken plate with a floral pattern at the side of the house. Some people have used such broken pottery in their gardens, but I do not think this is what we would like. Perhaps I will clean it and place it with a “free” sign, for someone so inclined to mosaics and such garden décor.
There was also a large amount of leaves blown from the storms that just needed relocation to the compost.
This morning, before the rains, we began digging out the weedier Crocosmia. This came into the garden how many of us fall into such lovely thugs: Someone dear to us shares a portion from their bounty! At one time, the cut garden I had here mostly was flowers that I obtained from people I knew, or examples of favorite flowers of loved ones, my way of thinking of them every time I gardened: roses were for Aunt Sue, daisies of mörmör, various Japanese plants from Eiko-san who was like a second mother, some other things from “Grandma” Canson who lived across the street, and these Crocosmia from a lovely, petite neighbor lady who always was joyful and lively.
As much as I have such a strong vision of where we are going with the garden, and am excited about this, it was still surprisingly emotional digging up these things that we all know are never going to be ever gone! All these people and their love are in my heart, plants or not. Their flowers will always come up, because those bulbs and rhizomes are stubborn and just blast through and around any plans you might have for their demise.
It is the emotional experience that is most surprising, as I dig these strings of bulbs like necklaces and potatoes and re-experience being with these people—hearing their laughter and voices, seeing their faces and manners. Gardening in these moments is extra-dimensional--beyond the smells of the air and soils, the feel of the cold wind as the storm comes, the clay in the fingers, the digging fork prying into the mass. It enters that sacred space approaching the “Still, small voice” of the Divine.
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This morning, before the rains, we began digging out the weedier Crocosmia. This came into the garden how many of us fall into such lovely thugs: Someone dear to us shares a portion from their bounty! At one time, the cut garden I had here mostly was flowers that I obtained from people I knew, or examples of favorite flowers of loved ones, my way of thinking of them every time I gardened: roses were for Aunt Sue, daisies of mörmör, various Japanese plants from Eiko-san who was like a second mother, some other things from “Grandma” Canson who lived across the street, and these Crocosmia from a lovely, petite neighbor lady who always was joyful and lively.
As much as I have such a strong vision of where we are going with the garden, and am excited about this, it was still surprisingly emotional digging up these things that we all know are never going to be ever gone! All these people and their love are in my heart, plants or not. Their flowers will always come up, because those bulbs and rhizomes are stubborn and just blast through and around any plans you might have for their demise.
It is the emotional experience that is most surprising, as I dig these strings of bulbs like necklaces and potatoes and re-experience being with these people—hearing their laughter and voices, seeing their faces and manners. Gardening in these moments is extra-dimensional--beyond the smells of the air and soils, the feel of the cold wind as the storm comes, the clay in the fingers, the digging fork prying into the mass. It enters that sacred space approaching the “Still, small voice” of the Divine.
Oh Jasmin, what a lovely description of how plants affect us for all sorts of reasons that are little to do the the plants themsleves. Well said!
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Robert,
We grow many of the same species. As I mentioned on another thread, you seem to be about 4-5 weeks ahead of me. When yours are in flower, mine are in bud or just emerging.
Many of my Galanthus, Eranthis, and Cyclamen are just beginning to open. My Magnolias and early Camelias, Arctostaphylos, and Arbutus are in bud and showing promise.
I have 7 species of Erica in bloom; 3 of which are South African. I have a few Babianas, Ferrarias, and unprotected Moraeas ; ans some South African Mimulus and Jamesbritania in bloom.
My Forsythias and Laburnum seem to be almost ready to open.
My Hepaticas are just beginning to emerge.
We had 26" (57 cm) of snow last Wednesday. Most of it is gone now and almost all my blooming plants were unaffected.
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Hi Marc,
For the winter-spring seasons we do seem to have many similarities in the range of plant species that we can grow in our gardens. Most likely the range of plants diverges significantly when the extreme heat of July, August, and September arrives in our region. Our extreme heat and dryness (as a measurement of the vapor pressure deficit) excludes many of the plant species you enjoy in Oregon.
The closest climatic zone in our area that might be somewhat similar to your climate in the Willamette Valley of Oregon is found in the 3,000 to 4,000 foot (914 to 1,219 meters) elevation range in the Transition Zone of the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 15 miles, plus or minus, up the road from our Placerville property. Likely, there is a large difference in the number of snow cover days between the two regions. Currently, there have been 35 snow cover days this season at 3,000 feet and 66 snow cover days at 4,000 feet. Snow cover has a profound impact on both managed (agriculture, gardening) and unmanaged (wild habitats) ecosystems. Aridity (as measured as vapor pressure deficit) is probably another major difference between the two regions.
[Jasmin]: I am always amazed at what actually survives despite the weather. Last night it rained hard, a sheet of rain more like a power wash. The wind was strong enough to rattle some cinder blocks we placed up against the aviary in an effort to further secure the greenhouse plastic we have linked to the aviary wire.
This morning opened bright and sunny, but cumulus clouds are building and reminding us to pay attention; the sun is just a pause. All the storms left the compost area looking beleaguered and sloppy, collapsed and cascading into some dormant salvias and native roses. The ground was too thick and muddy to even contemplate digging up the next cluster of weedy Crocosmia, so I spent some time re-piling the compost. It was too soppy to use a rake, shovel, or digging fork, so I did my most successful method, being a human claw crane excavator—scooping armfuls of heavy, mucky leaves and reestablishing them at the top of their pile. I wish I could say I am impressive, with great muscles; however, the job got done, and the salvias and roses thank me.
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Pseudotrillium rivale appears to be a common easy-to-grow species in the Northwestern portion of North America and Northern Europe. Here in Sacramento its ability to thrive is a bit surprising. Not only do the plants thrive, they set viable seed, and seed themselves around our garden without any help on our part. The fact that they go dormant before the big heat of summer certainly helps their survival.
Other California native Trillium species have not been easy in our garden. Species such as Trillium angustipetalum survive from year-to-year but never bloom. Xenobiotics in the air and water might be an issue. In addition, inadequate vernalization and the near neutral pH of our soil might present issues too. None of this has been determined yet.
There is plenty to keep me busy locally right here in Sacramento.
I am hoping that this discussion will help to partially put our gardening situation in perspective compared to those that garden in the Pacific Northwest of North America and Northern Europe. Needless to say, aridity and extreme summertime heat are major climatic issues that we need to contend with here in Sacramento, California.
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Robert,
I lived in Daly City 2.5 blocks from San Francisco from 1968-2003. During that time I made frequent trips to Sacramento in support of my daughter's 4-H projects. As I remember, Sacramento, and the lower Sacramento Valley id not get the intense heat of the San Joaquin Valley. Is this intense heat, you speak of, somewhat new?
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Marc,
The same general summertime high temperature gradient for California’s Central Valley still occurs. Summertime high temperatures in Stockton in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento in the Southern Sacramento Valley are still moderated by marine air from the Delta region. Fresno and Bakersfield in the Southern San Joaquin Valley are still hot spots with extreme summertime high temperatures. Redding and Red Bluff in the Northern Sacramento Valley still experience extreme summertime high temperatures. Average summertime temperatures are rising in all regions of California’s Central Valley, however this rise in temperatures is slower in regions impacted by marine air from the Delta. I keep detailed climatic data for a cross-section of California from our home here in Sacramento (32 feet – 10 meters) to near the crest of the Crystal Range (8,600 feet – 2,621 meters) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The summertime high temperature gradient in the metropolitan Sacramento area can be steep and seems to be increasing. The difference in the afternoon temperature between our Sacramento home near the Sacramento River can be 4 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 to 3.9 C) cooler than temperatures 1 to 2 miles to the northeast. [Jasmin: Temperatures around our Sacramento home can be up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the central city or even some blocks distance away, near the City Cemetery]. Of course the opposite is true during the winter when nighttime low temperatures at our home can be 3 to 5 F (1.7 TO 2.8 C), or more, warmer than locations in rural areas to the east of our home. [Jasmin: Our location temperatures are very much moderated by the nearby Sacramento River. However, when it comes to winds, and storms, our location is in a border zone, and we must prepare for the worst as if we were in Yolo County (to the west), just on the other side of the Sacramento River, where wind speeds can gale heartily].
How continental and maritime air masses impact various elevations of the Crystal Range and the foothills approaching them is quite fascinating and has direct impacts on the plants and plant communities in each elevation zone. Each elevation/climatic zone responds differently depending on numerous variables. For example, where the peaks of the Crystal Range rise abruptly into the flow of the free atmosphere can have very dramatic impacts on temperatures, especially during the wintertime. Temperatures of the free atmosphere appear to more closely reflect the small general decline in global temperatures during the now ending 3 year La Niña teleconnection event. I am not precisely sure how the free atmosphere is interacting with the atmospheric boundary layer in this area, but it must have a dramatic impact at times and of course have a profound influence on the plants and plant communities in this area.
Climate and its impact on plants and plant communities in our area will always fascinate me. There is always something new to learn. Stay tuned. I find this has a great deal of relevance to gardening.
[Jasmin]: This morning had a chill wind and storm clouds on the horizon, in a ring around us at all the higher elevations. Nevertheless, we made good progress in just 40 minutes toward cleaning up prunings from the back garden. Robert did the trimming; I just stacked and hunted for the sticks lying about in the growing mats of weedy Oxalis.
How quickly weeds grow in these conditions! The once bare ground has this ‘overnight’ mat that catches and tangles with the fallen prunings, so you end up pulling a lot more than you might otherwise. We have to do in back what we have begun in front, using rocks and making uplifted islands for areas where certain plants are, so when they are dormant we do not step on them, especially when the growth points are waking up and just beginning their march to the surface. Why is it always the plants I really want to nurture that end up in these places where I just feel terrible and clumsy, some lumbering thug because I forgot I should not put my foot there? Or maybe the bulb gets sliced by the shovel or digging fork?
I am certain we have all done it, unless you have photographic memory, or never, ever plant outside your original garden plan, the one in the memory from 20 or 30 years ago. In our case, which garden plan would that be? The number of garden plans and evolutions are like archaeological layers around here, and sometimes there are actually remnants to indicate their existence, but that is getting less and less as time goes on. However, we are still amazed to find fragments of my kiddie swimming pool and marbles, or bits of the old ranch that was here—nails and posts from livestock paddocks, or plumbing and old hose fragments. Some items still baffle me—where did this come from? What was it? At this rate, I might still find my marbles (in all senses, literal and figurative) in the garden when I am 100.
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Marc,
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How continental and maritime air masses impact various elevations of the Crystal Range and the foothills approaching them is quite fascinating and has direct impacts on the plants and plant communities in each elevation zone. Each elevation/climatic zone responds differently depending on numerous variables. For example, where the peaks of the Crystal Range rise abruptly into the flow of the free atmosphere can have very dramatic impacts on temperatures, especially during the wintertime. Temperatures of the free atmosphere appear to more closely reflect the small general decline in global temperatures during the now ending 3 year La Niña teleconnection event. I am not precisely sure how the free atmosphere is interacting with the atmospheric boundary layer in this area, but it must have a dramatic impact at times and of course have a profound influence on the plants and plant communities in this area.
Climate and its impact on plants and plant communities in our area will always fascinate me. There is always something new to learn. Stay tuned. I find this has a great deal of relevance to gardening.
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Robert,
I can understand your fascination with the Crystal Range. Being in the Desolation Wilderness, the plant communities will be far less influenced by human activity than other plant communities might be. [especially with the traffic of southwest Lake Tahoe so close]
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I am loving these informative posts I had a special interest in Robert's comments on Erythronium.
Now I have a question - where did Spring go then?
This is what we woke up to this morning in Aberdeen.
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'Where have all the flowers gone?'
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Ian,
I love your photography, and Roberts too. Your snow looks very much like; but, not as deep as the 27 inches 59 cm we got last Wednesday. Rain has washed most of it away; but, we still have some on the ground. As deep as it was, it did very little damage.
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Ian,
Erythronium multiscapideum, our local low elevation species, is a beautiful and quite dynamic species, especially when observed and studied in detail. The low elevation forms of this species grow in very summertime xeric and hot habitats. Locally, the highest elevation forms of this species are now buried in over 36 inches (91.44 cm) of snow. I will have a great deal to write about this Life Zone in the future, as snow--or no snow--has a dramatic impact on the ecosystems. Over the last 23 years there have been seasons where there has been little or no snow at this elevation. Erythronium purpurascens is found in Placer County, our neighboring county to our north, at much higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
I have been studying the Buckeye Flat/Rubicon forms of Erythronium multiscapeum for decades. Over the years this ecosystem became overgrown with native underbrush and Himalayan Blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) much to the detriment of the Erythronium multiscapideum populations in the area. The area was in much need of a controlled burn to rejuvenate the whole forest ecosystem. Last summer a wildfire burned through this region. I have not been able to get into the area to examine the results. With out-of-control wildfires I generally fear the worst, especially now that climatic changes will vastly alter the surface energy budget of the pioneer plant communities that attempt to recolonize the area. The elevation zone is also a prime area for opportunistic non-native noxious/invasive species such as Cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum. In general, Erythronium multiscapideum does not compete well in areas where there are dense stands of invasive annual grasses such as Cheatgrass. I have recorded a few exceptions, but these are very rare.
The Erythronium multiscapideum on our Placerville property have not emerged from the ground yet. So far this March temperatures have been running 6.61 F (3.67 C) below the 30-year average. We are wondering where spring is too! This type of weather was “normal” 30 to 40 years ago, but not now. If I take the “scenic” [given development] route home to Sacramento from our Placerville property I can easily stop and check on the Deer Valley and Sweetwater populations of Erythronium multiscapedium. Some photographs of the plants and their habitat could be very enlightening.
Marc,
My father built a cabin at Gerle Creek, near Loon Lake, back in the mid-1960’s. In addition, my bother helped construct the “Boy Scout” lodge at Loon Lake in the early 1960’s. I was too young to help; however I did spend a summer at the construction site. I spent many summers at our Gerle Creek cabin and spent a great deal of time exploring the western slope of the Crystal Range as well as both Desolation Valley and Rockbound Valley just to the east of the crest. The geology of the western slope of the Crystal Range is much more complex than that found in either Desolation Valley or Rockbound Valley. The underlying parent rock can profoundly influence the plant communities that grow on them. This and other factors create a situation were there is a much greater diversity of habitats and plant species on the western slope. One exception is the Gabbro pluton at the crest of the Crystal Range, just north of Rockbound Pass. This area can be reached fairly easily using the old Red Peak Stock Trail. I would like to explore this area more thoroughly, as Dr. Stebbins found several interesting Lewisia species near the crest to the south of Rockbound Pass. In the past, I have visited these high elevation sites to the south and there are indeed very fascinating alpine plants at these sites. As I remember, the parent rock at the southern site is granodiorite, very different from the gabbro to the north. There are many lifetimes of exploration and study that could be done in this region.
Where has the spring weather gone?
[Jasmin]: For the taste of Spring, which was buried in snow; and for the Spring that never seems to come, buried under endless storms. For years we have been so desperate for rain and snow, praying for its mercy, and now here it is all in lumps.]
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It is still icy, snowy and cold at 3,500 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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If I had only one weather map to look at for forecasting and analysis it would be the 300 mb Northern Hemisphere map. This one is from 7 March 12 Z. Jasmin and I have some fun with this map and call it “The Brain”.
[Jasmin]: Each day is a different “brain” scan. This one shows how both here and Aberdeen received frigid storms. These maps are helpful for seeing what might be coming our way, so we have ample time to prepare, and for understanding weather in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
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This is another 7 March 12 Z 300 mb map of Europe. It is easy to see the arctic air coming into the UK.
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This 7 March 12 Z map shows how the low pressure over southern British Columbia – Northern Washington is bringing polar air down over the eastern Pacific and then into California. This is resulting in our cold, wet weather with very low snow levels in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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Here is another 850 mb, 7 March 12 Z map. Follow the arrows in the middle of the map as spring heads off to Alaska and beyond. Clearly spring has taken a wrong turn here in the northern hemisphere. Wet but more spring-like weather will be arriving shortly as the high-pressure system responsible for our current weather pattern is under cut and storms arrive from a more southerly direction. Now we will have to contend with flooding, as heavy warm rain falls on all the snow.
[Jasmin]: We pray the reservoirs are not entirely full. The last time this happened, the Oroville dam spillway ruptured, flooding parts of the city of Oroville and nearby communities and farmland. With the snow amounts we currently have, if this rain manifest as predicted, an even larger swath will be devastated by flooding: think an area such as what occurred in Pakistan just last year. If the area were not so heavily populated and developed, the impact would be severe, but not overwhelming.
How is it that despite a well-recorded history of our area’s climate and geology, we persist in these directions that lead inevitably to recurrent disasters? In California, people complain about spending and act shocked that Nature is so “ill-mannered”, yet rebuild precisely where flooding and earthquakes are inevitable. So far, the volcanoes are dormant, but Robert and I have lived here long enough to know they have not been “sleeping” long. We think and act arrogantly as if we are invincible, mighty, and righteous; yet truly we are vulnerable, fragile, and in need of a good dose of humility. What are we afraid of? Would it really hurt us to step back, and create communities that lived gentler with Nature instead of forever striving to dominate what cannot be conquered?
These are ideas I think of as I go into the garden. Do we insist on keeping a certain plant or plant species despite our climate, or do we move on? I think we are finally maturing enough to discern when to move on.
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Robert,
I enjoy the way you tie geology, meteorology, and geography into your descriptions of plant habitats. I have some understanding of the terms, though I don't often use them.
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Placerville
17 Z, 8 March 2023
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We are getting measurable snow at our Placerville, California property, elevation 1,500 feet (457 meters). This photograph is off the highway webcam near our property.
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This photograph was taken from the cabin window on our property. The next storm to arrive on Thursday – with no end in sight for the next 2 weeks – will be warm. Warm rain on top of the snow pack will create a very dangerous situation with the potential for catastrophic flooding. The levee near our Sacramento home nearly failed when the spillway of Oroville Dam failed a few years back. A very similar weather pattern is now setting up. I hope that we do not need to evacuate our Sacramento home due to a catastrophic levee failure. We are preparing to leave quickly if necessary.
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Robert,
We will be praying both that there is no flooding, and for protection on you and your property.
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We can monitor the height of the flow on both the American and Sacramento Rivers near our home on an hourly basis. Reservoir capacity can be checked on a daily basis.
3 inches of rain on top of 8 inches of liquid equivalents in the snow below 4,000 feet is a lot of water for a 24-hour time period. The snow level is forecasted to be up to 6,000 to 6,500 feet. That is even more runoff! UUUGG! :o
Now to see what happens.
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Robert and Jasmin, I do admire the way You cope with the extremes of weather, a tradition in USA unknown over here, and even more precious regarding the changes of recent years.
Jasmin, the way You treasure plants given by friends or relatives adds a dimension to Your garden unknown by those who reduce their judgement to design. A garden should have a soul, not just a plain surface - I feel, that´s what You both are practising with Your management and projects. Unfortunately, the variety of our regional flora is very poor and no inspiration for similar projects.
This winter was rather mild, also devoid of snowfall till last night. Fritillaria ´Vivaldi´ never met snow before in my garden.
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Muscari and primulas in snow are rather unfamiliar, also.
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A nice seedling of Arum maculatum.
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Robert, I marvel at Your beautiful Erythronium multiscapideum! My plant remains for about 10 years the same, just one or two stalks, reliable, but not satisfactory. Also, Your floriferous plants have more substantial flowers - a pity, these selections seem not to be available over here!
Some bulbs withstanding the snow, this is Corydalis caucasica ex Turkey.
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´Borodino´with its more substantial flowers maybe ssp caucasica.
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Scilla bifolia is a German native.
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I´m happy that Scilla mesopotamica seems to be hardy in our area.
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Another scilla I received without proper name.
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Mariette,
The Scillas are lovely. I have not had much interest in them till now.
I hadn't realized they started so early. By next fall I will have some planted.
Thank you for bringing them to my attention.
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The cold air that has reached Aberdeen and Germany is also here. Nights have been cold, -17C last night and more snow. Right now it is still -16C, with clear blue sky and sun. Plants are safely under snow though the first snowdrops tried to show their noses before the new 20cm of snow.
Cold weather in California was also in the news here, but it is interesting to read Roberts and Jasmins writings about weather and your native plants. :)
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10 March 2023
Sacramento, California
We had some moderate to heavy rainfall last night, however the heavy rain forecasted for today has not materialized. The water level on the Sacramento River barely rose, from 12.08 feet yesterday to 14.92 feet this morning. Monitor stage is 27.5 feet, Flood stage is 33.5 feet and Danger stage is 34.5 feet (Danger = over the top of the levee!!) Much of the low elevation snow in Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east of Sacramento is still intact. It appears that the brunt of the rainfall and flooding might occur in the Southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California well to the south of our area. Despite the heavy rainfall being forecasted for Monday, the threat of flooding for our Sacramento home is over.
[Jasmin]: So says my beloved husband. This weather has been ongoing since the end of December. Some of the worst flood risks are still to come, from other storms and from the snowmelt if extreme heat comes soon to the area. I refuse to unpack our emergency evacuation bags. They still have room for more items, so my packing skills are still intact.
The winds last night did not promote a good, peaceful sleep. Most of the outside seemed intact, so it looks better than after the January winds. The small greenhouse cloche was blown open, and the framing lifted out of the ground. Robert easily reconfigured it, and the tiny plants seem unfazed. The Morea flowers look a bit tattered, and have that translucent look that petal acquire when in wet and cold storms such as these.
Mariette,
Thank you for the positive comment regarding my Deer Valley selection of Erythronium multiscapideum. I agree, it is a very good selection. It is satisfying to have a nice plant selection after such a great deal of time and sustained effort went into this simple seedling selection. It is unfortunate this selection propagates asexually very slowly. In addition, I am still evaluating its potential to pass on its better phenotype traits to its offspring. The details of the breeding system and inheritance of phenotype traits for Erythronium multiscapideum is still something I need to work out. It is a very slow process. A great deal of very creative horticultural activity takes place in the northwestern part of North America. Maybe Marc Rosenblum can shed some light on their progress with this species. Frequently I find out that there are already clones that far exceed the quality of anything I have. Development of superior plant selections is a slow and ever ongoing process. One of the Johnny’s Selected Seeds recent catalogs had a graphic of this timeline and process for Winter Squash varieties. The same general process takes place with other plant species.
The photographs of the plants blooming yet surrounded by snow were very beautiful. One of those priceless ephemeral moments!
[Jasmin]: I think Robert and I are the few who have any awareness of the climate in this area. If we were transported to your area, we would have to begin all over again, learning what grows and what does not.
While your regional flora is a great unknown due to so many centuries of human activities, you can at least cultivate something that calls to your heart and inspires you.
Everywhere there is climate change, and the insanities of politics, hateful attitudes and behaviors. Here Robert and I are astounded by the hate-filled rhetoric coming out of certain politicians, who sound like the fascists and dictators from our parents’ generation. You have a war to the east, and we all have inflation, and refugees.
Perhaps it is these things that further impel us to create something beautiful, and meaningful, a proclamation for peace. While we cannot control others and their choices, we can control our thoughts, and demonstrate that peace and beauty are choices anyone can make.
Certainly, from your photographs you create something beautiful, with lovely combinations of colors and textures. The snow really formed a striking background.
Leena:
[Jasmin]: Both Robert and I enjoy your weather observations, and garden submissions. We can follow the weather as it makes its way around the globe: We do hope that by the time you get “our” weather it is not nearly as dramatic as it has been here. I will be glad to not be in the news, and just share news of the garden—preferably some Spring!
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I was working up at our Placerville property yesterday. Before the rain started falling in earnest I was able to take a few photographs between raindrops.
In our Sacramento garden most of the Erythronium multiscapideum are in full bloom. On our Placerville property they have just recently emerged from the ground.
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Micranthes californica will be blooming with the next set of sunny days. It is difficult to get good photographs between raindrops!
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On our property, the flowers of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida are now starting to open. In our area some plants will start blooming as early as late December. A whole succession of flowers will open on different plants from late December to May depending on the location and elevation. This blooming sequence helps provides a steady supply of nectar for our native resident Anna’s Hummingbirds and many native insect species.
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The first flowers on Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii are starting to open.
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Ranunculus occidentalis var. oocidentalis is starting to bloom too. When there are many wet season in a row, without drought, thousands of blooming plants can fill our property. It is an amazing sight.
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10 March 2023
Sacramento, California
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Mariette,
Thank you for the positive comment regarding my Deer Valley selection of Erythronium multiscapideum. I agree, it is a very good selection. It is satisfying to have a nice plant selection after such a great deal of time and sustained effort went into this simple seedling selection. It is unfortunate this selection propagates asexually very slowly. In addition, I am still evaluating its potential to pass on its better phenotype traits to its offspring. The details of the breeding system and inheritance of phenotype traits for Erythronium multiscapideum is still something I need to work out. It is a very slow process. A great deal of very creative horticultural activity takes place in the northwestern part of North America. Maybe Marc Rosenblum can shed some light on their progress with this species. Frequently I find out that there are already clones that far exceed the quality of anything I have. Development of superior plant selections is a slow and ever ongoing process.
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Robert,
I have limited knowledge of the subject. I know that Oregon State University has a program involving native species in which, rather than hybridizing they do selective breeding to strengthen desirable qualities. I don't know which species they are working with or what their specific approach is. If you like I could drive to Corvallis [about 30 miles] and inquire.
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Marc
Thank you for offering to drive over; however, please do not go through this effort: It is my experience that there is a great deal of secrecy and competition among plant breeders, and especially at the university level. While I have read about some of the ornamental breeding work taking place at Oregon State University, and it does sound fascinating, I doubt there would be much willingness to discuss these activities.
I still have a great deal of work to accomplish with Erythronium multiscapideum. Some preliminary results suggest that the phenotypes of compact growth and abundant flowers are polygenetic and recessive. Most of my F2 offspring have the relatively rapid multiplying, few flowers phenotypes. This seems no better than the seed lines that are available to Mariette, and perhaps others in Europe. This is speculation, based on what little information I have.
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Robert, having done a bit of hybridising myself, I really do admire the targets You are aiming at and the knowledge and patience it takes to achieve them!
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[Jasmin]:
Leena:
[Jasmin]: Both Robert and I enjoy your weather observations, and garden submissions. We can follow the weather as it makes its way around the globe: We do hope that by the time you get “our” weather it is not nearly as dramatic as it has been here.
This reminds me of a neighbouring farmer who said that her mother - she would be about 130 years old nowadays - said that the weather prevailing in North America would be the same as ours 4 weeks later.
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Just to prove we can get a Hepatica to flower outdoors in Bury. It's not quite up to the standard of our Sewell Medal winning 6 pan. Maybe next year. Sorry to boast Re medal but we've not much to boast about.
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Just to prove we can get a Hepatica to flower outdoors in Bury. It's not quite up to the standard of our Sewell Medal winning 6 pan. Maybe next year. Sorry to boast Re medal but we've not much to boast about.
Shelagh,
It seems worthy of boasting to me.
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Shelagh, your potted Hepaticas are amazingly floriferous!!
Here it is still snowy, but temperatures are rising so I hope to see snowdrops in couple of weeks.
In the earliest spot they are peaking through snow. :)
Last week one night there were northern lights even in the south of Finland.
My husband took these pictures of them.
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Thank you Marc R and Leena. Looking at the snow levels you have had amaze us. I think we've had an inch, just one, all winter.
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Leena,
Thank you for sharing your husband’s photographs of the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights can be so very beautiful. The number of stars in the night sky amazed me. Only on a very clear night at the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains can we see so many stars. 8)
It appears that spring will be arriving soon in your part of Finland. Locally, in the highest regions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains there is currently 16.7 feet (509 cm) of snow on the ground. Spring will not be arriving to these regions until late June or early July.
Shelagh,
I think that I would rather deal with 1 inch of snow than 16.7 feet. In the past I have visited homes buried by this much snow. It is like entering an ice cave. It is a strange experience. Spring is arriving in your parts? :)
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Just to prove we can get a Hepatica to flower outdoors in Bury. It's not quite up to the standard of our Sewell Medal winning 6 pan. Maybe next year. Sorry to boast Re medal but we've not much to boast about.
Congratulations Shelagh, your container grown Hepaticas are getting better one year after another!
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Shelagh, your potted Hepaticas are amazingly floriferous!!
Here it is still snowy, but temperatures are rising so I hope to see snowdrops in couple of weeks.
In the earliest spot they are peaking through snow. :)
Last week one night there were northern lights even in the south of Finland.
My husband took these pictures of them.
Great pictures of the Northern Lights Leena - many thanks to your husband. That's the only way we get to see them.
And I see your first snowdrops :) Here there are more and more, and after heavy rains yesterday I also spotted the first Eranthis, plus a Helleborus bud on a specimen uphill. Spring is definitely getting closer.
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Leena,
Thank you for sharing your husband’s photographs of the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights can be so very beautiful. The number of stars in the night sky amazed me. Only on a very clear night at the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains can we see so many stars. 8)
It appears that spring will be arriving soon in your part of Finland. Locally, in the highest regions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains there is currently 16.7 feet (509 cm) of snow on the ground. Spring will not be arriving to these regions until late June or early July.
That is a lot of snow! Here in my garden it is about 20cm still snow, except some very early spots, and around trees or a wooden fence.
We live in countryside so there are not many lights to dim the starts, but my husband says that stars in the sky from our garden is nothing how the stars look in Lapland, where there can be tens of kilometres to the nearest source of light.
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And I see your first snowdrops :) Here there are more and more, and after heavy rains yesterday I also spotted the first Eranthis, plus a Helleborus bud on a specimen uphill. Spring is definitely getting closer.
It is nice to see that your snow is also melting and snowdrops are already so advanced. :)
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Always fascinates me when I see plants in snow with a diameter of melted snow, not sure why this happens.
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Many tiny Narcissus are blooming in our garden at this time, both hybrids as well as species.
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Nemophila menziesii is also coming into bloom in our Sacramento, California garden. There are many fine varieties of Nemophila menziesii, from example ‘Frosty Blue’, and ‘Penny Black’. I enjoy the wild forms of this species such as those found near our Placerville property. My breeding efforts will be toward retaining the deep blue color of the flowers as seen in the wild near our Placerville property. A much more compact plant habit and more flowers are also important to me. I enjoy breeding plants specifically for traits that I like and plants that will thrive in our garden.
[Jasmin]:
Shelagh: Your six pan display is lovely. It is wonderful when tender care and the weather combine into such a display. When the weather has been as varied as it is these days, a photo and a moment of pride can reinvigorate the spirit.
Thank you everyone, for your thoughts and prayers!
The weather here has continued to include multiple warnings: high winds, tempestuous rainfall amounts, and worrisome flood risk. If you just see the satellite imagery, that alone is enough to spur one to pack up, ready to leave, or wish we were living in a houseboat:
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What actually happened during the storm itself was rather odd:
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The entire swath around us is embraced in rain, while our area remained in this clearing.
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As the storm passed through, we did receive rain; however the storm split into two segments, north and south.
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Many areas were still affected, and striving to cope with the parade of inclement weather. However, thankfully, most of the snow is intact. As warm as the rain was, the snow absorbed it, rather than melt. So far, I have not made my way through all the terms to find the exact one, but thank you Maggi and Ian Young!
As Robert mentioned, the higher altitudes have deep snow, and there is the risk of “Snow smoor” suffocation by snow:
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At the lowest elevations, the snow melted into the earth, which was better than having to deal with sØrpe/ glush/goor—sludge/slush/garbage! Once the sun did appear, it was a shock—not only to the eyes (I felt like I had been a mole), but the entire body—Temperatures ranged from 10° C to an astonishing 20° C all of a sudden for a couple of days.
This was the opportunity to actually examine the effects of the latest series of storms on the garden, and it too was exploding out, just like the sun:
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Somehow the flowers survived the thrashing winds. I could see the whole tree wave by, a violent ballerina dance.
Many Brassica in the garden instantly began to bolt and had to be torn out, and Harlequin insects seemed to be crawling all over the place. However, it was also the sudden pleasure of shoots, leaves, and flowers magically on display, a wonder in the face of the incessant onslaughts.
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In spite of—or because of—the sun, all I could do was nap with the birds in the warmth of the aviary. This was a good choice; today began yet another series of inclement days.
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The last scene is of self-sown Nemophila maculata blooming in the garden.
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Robert,
My Nemophila have not yet shown themselves.
I grow N. menziesii, maculata, and phacelioides.
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Hi Marc
Your Nemophila species have not germinated yet, or just no flowers yet?
Another Forumist grew Nemophila and other annual species native to California. They live in Northern Europe. I got the impression that the species bloomed during the summer, at least with their climatic situation. Their plants were blooming when ours were dying and ripening seed. It would have been very informative to learn if these species bloomed all summer in their location. Maybe they even bloomed into the autumn? There is still a great deal for me to learn concerning our California native annuals and how the preform with different climatic and day length situations.
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Robert,
At the time I posted, my Nemophyla had not germinated yet. They have since poked their heads above ground. I don't expect any more frost this year but I do anticipate snow mixed with rain at about 36F this Wednesday.
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Always fascinates me when I see plants in snow with a diameter of melted snow, not sure why this happens.
Jeff, I don't know why either.
Here is another example. :)
This week snow has started to melt, but the last week of March will be cold again with more! snow.
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Another Forumist grew Nemophila and other annual species native to California. They live in Northern Europe. I got the impression that the species bloomed during the summer, at least with their climatic situation. Their plants were blooming when ours were dying and ripening seed. It would have been very informative to learn if these species bloomed all summer in their location. Maybe they even bloomed into the autumn? There is still a great deal for me to learn concerning our California native annuals and how the preform with different climatic and day length situations.
Hi Robert
I grow some annuals most years and could try some Californians next season (I'm afraid I've done my seed-buying for this season). My garden is mostly semi-shaded, but if you're particularly interested in Nemophila I could try some in a couple of the sunnier spots - seed is readily available here (I like the look of N. menziesii 'Penny Black'). It wouldn't be a big trial, but I'd enjoy experimenting semi-systematically with different sowing times and situations. If you think such a project might provide you with interesting information please remind me around August, so that I can add the seeds to an order.
I tend to sow everything that is hardy enough in early autumn. I find that although autumn-sown plants don't put on much foliage before spring, they do seem to develop good root systems, leading to bigger plants and earlier flowers, although from my point of view the most important advantage is that by the time the spring rush of slugs starts they're big enough and tough enough to cope - or at least that is the theory. I haven't grown many Californian natives - almost certainly nothing from the hotter parts - but Clarkia amoena has done well for me from an autumn sowing and I was also quite taken with Gilia capitata. I've yet to repeat the Gilia because I don't know whether it would survive an autumn sowing and there are British natives with blue pincushion flowers (although not the pretty ferny foliage of the Gilia) to try - thinking about it, a comparison might be fun!
I'm slowly trying annuals and biennials that I think might be suitable for my garden as time, budget and my supply of seed trays permit. I'm interested in learning a bit about whether flowering is triggered by increasing day length or increasing temperature, as this obviously affects how early I can expect to get flowers, but I don't have the scope for systematic experimentation. I'd quite like to find an alternative to Erysimum to go under my fruit trees and flower around the same time (gorgeous visual effect, hopefully beneficial to fruit set) as I don't want to grow Brassicaceae there every year. My tentative plans for this autumn's annuals include Limnanthes, which I believe grows in California and might cope with an autumn sowing - its colours would fit very well in late spring if can be persuaded to flower then and it is reputed to be attractive to pollinators.
As far as climatic conditions in my part of the world go, I can't tell you much off the top of my head, but could search out some data to provide context. I think our rainfall is lowest in April, May and temperatures peak in July, when the mean daily max. has probably been close to 20 Celsius in recent years. Winters are cold (although lower than about -8 Celsius would be unusual), wet and increasingly unpredictable.
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Shelagh, I do admire the trouble and patience to grow such outstanding hepaticas in pots! Struggling myself to grow some in my garden, I share Your pleasure in succeding to do so in some spots.
Leena, to watch the Northern Lights must be a breathtaking experience, thank You for sharing it with us!
It´s fascinating to be given such diverse impressions of weather and vegetation at the same time here, especially the contrasts shown by Robert and Jasmin within a relatively small area. One can only hope You´ll find the strength to cope with all these challenges!
In our area, the first geophytes are withering, and the followers take over. Märzenbecher is the German name for Leucojum vernus, alluding to their flowering in March. This one really does, most of them start flowering in February, nowadays.
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Primulas and Corydalis offer a welcome change of colours after snowdrop-season.
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This chance seedling is one of my favourites this year.
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Some more.
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For several years I bred hellebores, nowadays I just enjoy selecting chance seedlings.
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Mariette, really nice. I like the last Helleborus, that type of flowers seem to have been my favourites lately. :)
I like also the Corydalis seedlings, it is so nice to see new colours popping up every year.
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Mariette,
Thank you for sharing all the photographs from your garden. You grow plant species that would be very unhappy in our summertime hot California garden. The plants are so very beautiful and arranged together in a naturalistic way. Now that spring has arrived, is your garden still showing the impacts from last summer’s extreme weather? The plants sure look great now.
Redmires
You bring up a number of topics that interest me a great deal. Right now we are having some sunny and dry days before the next storm arrives. At least I can finally get some work done in the garden. I will offer my perspective and address each point over the coming days.
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Most of the trials I conduct are informal. For example, our annual California native, Collinsia parviflora pictured above, seeds itself around our garden without any help on my part. I let most of the plants grow in place. It is fairly easy to evaluate their performance in sun or shade, soil preferences, resistance to insect and diseases, and many other variables. I can have a specific goal in mind or these informal trials can reveal new possibilities that previously had not occurred to me. In the few cases where I think I have something good or novel, more disciplined trials are a good idea, especially if I think something warrants distribution beyond our garden.
Getting feedback on plant performance in various environmental conditions from other gardeners is invaluable. I appreciate your willingness to share your experiences with specific plant species and varieties.
[Jasmin]: Today we actually have sunshine! It is a little over 11° C, which would feel really warm and delightful; however, we are having strong winds out of the Arctic. Nonetheless, there is a lightness of spirit to have sun again. The garden is a little less muddy, and there are the usual explosions of weeds rioting to take over. The next storm isn’t until Monday evening or Tuesday, and while I am not looking forward to yet more, I am thankful to have a respite to clean up outside, and breathe deeply in the clean, freshening air. The joy of weeding is actually the surprise of finding some treasure surfacing from its sleep, the clean air in the lungs and on the face, the feel of the dirt, the songbirds and their quests filling the ears, and the peaceful activity followed by blissful, satisfied sleep at the end of the day.
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Mariette Great semi double hellebore, often open pollination can give an outcome as good as controlled pollination.
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Mariette,
I grow very few helebores. The few I have have been blooming since late February. My leucojum vernum and my corydalis are both showing green; but, no flowers yet.
My Forsythias, early Rhododendrons and early Camelias are blooming and some of my Magnolias, and Laburnums have buds showing color but not open. You have a lovely display of color; and I agree with Jeffnz that your semi double Helebore is especially nice.
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Thank You, Leena, Jeff and Marc! Such semi-double or anemone-flowered hellebores look more natural and yet interesting combined with other plants, which is why I like them better than the double ones. Occasionally, such a welcome chance-seedling occurs, but 95 % go to the compost heap, being worse than their elders.
Robert, we do not suffer from such terrific storms like You, but the last 6 weeks have been very windy if not stormy. I´m afraid, many insects will loose the fight against the rough conditions, especially those which fly early in the season. Many bees and bumblebees appear to die of exhaustion.
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Trillium chloropetalum is the first of the genus to flower here this year.
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A spontaneous mixture of muscari, Corydalis solida and a hybrid Corydalis solida x malkensis.
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Leucojum vernum and several Galanthus nivalis were either reduced or less floriferous due to last year´s drought. More of a problem is the added effect of drought and heat after several years. I always wonder that Jasmin and You are able to grow rhododendrons, for instance. 70 % of ours died within the last 10 years, as did a corylopsis, for instance. Also, many monkhoods were lost, deinanthe is reduced to almost nothing, as well as many acteas - perennials, which caused no problems before. Partly, this offers a chance to select and breed more drought-resistant clones, but then it´s a great loss, nevertheless.
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Mariette,
In our Sacramento garden, 95% of the Lepidote and Elepidote Rhododendrons have died over the last 10 years or so. Due to very rapid shifts in climate 110 F to 115 F (43.3 to 46.2 C) are now yearly occurrences. In the past, 110 F (43.3 C) temperatures occurred at approximately 30-year intervals, 115 F (46.2 C) temperatures are new, maybe occurring 1,000 years ago during the Medieval Climate Optimum. Section Pentanthera Azaleas have faired better in our garden, however many show signs of stress. Persistent drought, extreme at times, has caused a steep decline in our irrigation water quality. Xenobiotics in both the water and air have increased dramatically. These factors create significant impacts on our garden. Our primary goal is to create a pleasing, functional, and beautiful garden. To adapt a resilient gardening mindset, Jasmin and I are shifting to a more appropriate pallet of plants to work with in our garden. Many California native species are perfectly adapted to our changing conditions and this is our prime focus at this time, however we are open to other plant species from other regions, providing they fit into our gardening scheme.
[Jasmin]: Yes, our climate is no longer as hospitable to rhododendrons as it once was. Even then, we were explorers, trialing species that we thought would thrive, and hybridizing our own varieties, which we sold. At the time, most rhododendrons were shipped from cool, coastal Oregon, plunked into containers and sold. Most of these plants died, since they had no adaptation, and no real root strength. Our goal had been creating lines of various rhododendrons and azaleas specifically acclimated to the hot, interior of our area of California. In this, we did amazingly well, and had a lovely display garden both at the Placerville location, and a trial garden here in Sacramento. We would invite potential customers to drive by and see our front garden, since it was so close to the Farmers Market. We also sold other plants at the time, Japanese Maples, other Ericacea, among others. As climate persisted in drought and we had the huge responsibility of caring for our parents, we were unfortunately unable to maintain both gardens well. During caregiving, we really did not have the time to repair even the drip irrigation tubing, and plants and trees were lost. Even the fruit orchard suffered terrible losses, not just the display garden. In Sacramento, many rhododendrons hung in there longer, since the garden is a much smaller property and could be better maintained. However, as Robert mentioned, many would slowly decline, until finally we had to accept the inevitable and tear it out. The lovely display garden in Placerville is completely gone—there is no garden anymore. I have mixed feelings, only because it is still a shock for me to see nothing there—I was not part of the clean-up there, as Robert was. Otherwise, it is the reality, and the potential for something beautiful is there, when the time is right.
Here, we can at least persist in our endeavor to create a beautiful haven, integrating a variety of ornamentals, and food crops. Some are grown in containers, some are in the ground, and items that require special soils and dry conditions are in the cinderblocks.
We continue to be very experimental, and Robert still loves hybridizing. At least he can maintain this particular passion, albeit with other plants. The climate changes that cause rhododendrons and azaleas to fail also impacts their bloom cycle. There was a time early in our marriage when Robert could go into the garden, and the flowers had their regular bloom cycle, making hybridizing easy. Over time, the flowers would bloom out of sync, and some would seem like they would blossom, but then fail completely. If a hybridization could take place, there was less certainty the capsule would survive to ripening.
We can look back at the wonderful experiences we had, and the fun it was. I enjoyed naming something that we thought exceptional, and loved watching the seedlings poke their heads up for the first time. We still enjoy this together, although there is nothing to name, and we are no longer involved in the Farmers Market or the rhododendron world. Our one remaining dear pen friend from those years lives in Norway, and rhododendrons are doing well in his coastal climate. We enjoy his letters, photos, and copies of articles on the subject. Sometimes we just have to enjoy certain garden plants vicariously. Lilium martagon, and Meconopsis will always be favorites for me, so if someone posts pictures of those, I can have my momentary thrill.
Although life and climate have changed, the best part of our years at the Farmers Market is still with us—each other! Yes, we met at that market! It was the best place to shop, and I brought home the best deal!
Redmires
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We grow forms of Gilia capitata derived from subspecies mediomontana and pedemontana (young seedlings pictured above and ready to set out). These subspecies are the most commonly occurring forms in our area. They are extremely drought tolerant, and heat resistant. They are generally found growing on south facing canyon slopes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and upper foothills where daytime high temperatures even in the spring and early summer, when they are in bloom, can be extreme, 32.2 C or more. The seeds of these subspecies germinate quickly after the first significant autumn rainfall, and establish quickly before cold weather arrives. During the winter month’s nighttime low temperatures from 10 to 15 F (-12.2 to -9.4 C) are very common. Snow cover can be extremely variable from month-to-month, and season-to-season. There are years where there are only 15 to 30 snow cover days, and extreme season, such as the current season, where there are 90 or more snow cover days. In our region, the number of snow cover days has a dramatic impact on plant communities and ecosystems.
The commercially produced seed of Gila capitata is derived from other subspecies; there are many subspecies in California. Commercially produced seed has been in cultivation for many-many generations and there has been genetic drift toward commercial growing environments. They are markedly different form the semi-wild forms that we grow in our Sacramento garden.
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Pictured above is part of a Gilia capitata project involving the mediomontana and pedemontana subspecies. They are a F2 line of plants that have an extended blooming cycle, well into mid-August. Logically, they are also being bred to thrive under our growing and environmental conditions.
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Pictured is another project involving Monardella brewerii ssp. lanceolata. I have already done some preliminary selection and have retained to grow on only the best plants that rate 10 as far as excellence in plant habit. They will be evaluated for many other desirable characteristics in the coming months and seasons. Hopefully in a few years I will have something close to a finished product, ready for additional trials with other forms of this species as well as evaluating their adaptability beyond our garden. Adaptability beyond our garden is not a goal.
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I also conduct trials with different combinations of plants. I know how I want our garden to look; however I frequently have a great deal of difficultly getting there. By putting different plant combinations together in a container I get an idea of what plants look good together as well as how to make successions of plants work throughout the growing season. The small container is planted with Diplacus pictus, Erythranthe bicolor, Eshscholzia lobbii ‘Sundew’ and Eschscholzia caespitosa. Combinations of bulbs, tiny-small growing perennials, and various annuals can combined together to see what happens. Many times I end up with a disaster, but at least it did not occur in the garden and need to be removed.
As far as highly variable weather conditions… I have been working on some long-term climatic models. Some of the preliminary results from statistical analysis of long-term data sets of teleconnections suggest that the weather and climate will become increasingly variable (extremes of hot-cold, and wet-dry, etc.) as well as warmer and drier, at least here in our part of California. The weather and climate of Europe is greatly influenced by the North Atlantic Oscillation. I have not analyzed this data yet, however I speculate that the onset of the Little Ice Age was triggered, at the least, by a high magnitude, long duration phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Whatever the case, we gardeners are likely to face increasingly changeable and challenging gardening situations in the future. The droughts, heat waves, and crop failures this past summer are likely just the beginning of things to come.
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Bergenia ciliata flowers very early, but late frosts often destroyed the
flowers in the last years.So I hope for more luck in the next days.
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Rudi,
Covering tender plants with a tarp or drop cloth or placing them under a bucket can protetect them during a frost of short duration. for long freezes transparent polyethylene drop cloths are available .
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and a hybrid Corydalis solida x malkensis.
Leucojum vernum and several Galanthus nivalis were either reduced or less floriferous due to last year´s drought. .
Your hybrid looks very nice. Was it done by bees or by you?
I think also here winter 2022 followed by dry summer has reduced my snowdrops, or it looked like it when I was looking at the noses and what was coming up.
[Jasmin]: Lilium martagon, and Meconopsis will always be favorites for me, so if someone posts pictures of those, I can have my momentary thrill.
If everything goes well, I will remember you in June/July. :)
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Last week we got a taste of spring, but now winter has returned.
Maybe for the best, because later this week there will be very cold nights (-15C) according to the forecast, so now all the Helleborus buds and snowdrops are again safely under snow.
These pictures are from today.
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Your hybrid looks very nice. Was it done by bees or by you?
Hybrids between Corydalis solida and malkensis occur spontaneously in gardens where both are growing, I never bred them intentionally. In most cases they may be recognized by the broad lip and blush colouring. Where the solida parent was white, it´s more difficult to tell them apart. The pic shows a white corydalis with somewhat broader lip, as well as bracts that show just very slight incisions. I guess, that´s a hybrid as well. The plant in the back and left is definitely C. malkensis, showing the typically more creamy white colour of that species.
(https://up.picr.de/45407367ir.jpg)
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Marc, thank you for the advice.
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Erythronium hendersonii
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The first Pulsatilla slavica from the Tatra, between two showers...
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Luc,
Your Erythronium is extremely well grown as are all the specimens that you share and display on the forum. Both my wife and I thank you for sharing.
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Erythronum oregonum is currently blooming in our Sacramento garden. This species has performed extremely well in our garden despite our extreme summer time heat.
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Leena,
The photographs of the snow in your garden are so very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Winter does not want to give up its grip here in our region of Northern California. Yesterday, 28 March there was a rain and snow mix falling at our Placerville property. A few miles up the road from our property heavy snow was falling with whiteout conditions (pictured).
We have experienced so many weather extremes during the past 3 years. The winter of 2020-21was equal to the extreme drought years of 1975-76 and 1976-77. The last time our region experienced drought seasons like this was likely during the Medieval Climatic Optimum approximately 1,000 years ago. The summer of 2021 experienced the warmest June through September period since 1984, with daytime high temperatures reaching 111 F (43.89 C). The summer of 2022 was a bit cooler, however high temperatures reached 115 F (46.11 C) for the first time since record keeping started in our region of the Sierra Nevada Foothills (1873). Now we are experiencing winter-like weather that we have not experienced since the 1960’s and 1970’s. Pollock Pines, up the road from our Placerville property, at elevation 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) has experienced over 90 snow cover days this year. The last time this occurred was back in the late 1970’s. Currently the snow at elevation 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) is 76.65 inches (194.69 cm) deep. When my father was building our cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the 1960’s snow amounts at this elevation during March were a common event. Two years ago I could have driven to the Cabin in late March without any snow on the road and very little in the surrounding forest. When I calculated out the standard deviation of some data sets pertaining to temperature and precipitation dating back to 1950, I found a slow increase in the standard deviation from 1950 to 2022. This also strongly suggests increasing anomalous swings between hot and cold, and, wet and dry weather events. Maintaining a healthy balance in our garden ecosystem is becoming increasingly challenging. I feel pleased that I have found a way forward to help cope with the increasingly chaotic and extreme climatic situation in our region.
[Jasmin]: Thankfully, Robert is an excellent driver! There were too many moments on the freeway with little or no visibility of the road, lanes, and other vehicles; yet, there are fools aplenty who persist driving speedily despite conditions. There was a moment when it rained so hard the road was like a river and the fast cars flung rooster tails onto our windshield. Even big trucks go fast, and rain and/or snow practically buries the nearest vehicles in their wake.
Today it is 9°C and the wind is biting. Both yesterday and today, it seems the temperatures are dropping throughout the day rather than rising. The ground is sopping wet, the soil heavy like pottery clay.
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My Nemophila; my Corydalis flexuosa and cava; my Eranmthis; my Leucojum; my Cornus mas; my Pulsatilla; and one of my roses started blooming today. My Fritelaria imperialis aeveral Erythroniums and several Anemonies and Cercis Occidentalis are in bud. My Aqiilegias anmd Lupins are showing foliage. It seems like everything everywhere all at once.
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Hybrids between Corydalis solida and malkensis occur spontaneously in gardens where both are growing, I never bred them intentionally. In most cases they may be recognized by the broad lip and blush colouring. Where the solida parent was white, it´s more difficult to tell them apart. The pic shows a white corydalis with somewhat broader lip, as well as bracts that show just very slight incisions. I guess, that´s a hybrid as well. The plant in the back and left is definitely C. malkensis, showing the typically more creamy white colour of that species.
Thank you, Mariette. I had thought that C.malkensis doesn't hybridize (easily) with others, but I have also two seedlings which I was wondering if they could be hybrids with C.malkensis and C.solida? The first one has entire bracts like C.malkensis. The other one is very similar but has bracts more like C.solida. Both these flowered for the first time last spring. What do you think?
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Luc, your E.hendersonii is so beautiful!
Robert, I also like your E.oregonum. I have managed to grow it from seeds to flower (no clumps yet), and it seems to grow also here, or at least it got through winter 2022 which was very bad. Now they are still under snow.
One more winter picture from yesterday when I saw badger tracks. Poor thing has woken already, I don't know what it will find to eat.
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Leena,
The Erythronium oregonum in our garden have been very slow to start stooling out and forming clumps, but they are slowly spreading now.
Have you tried the North American high elevation species of Erythronium? Given your climatic conditions it seems that they would thrive in your garden. These species are extremely beautiful.
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Have you tried the North American high elevation species of Erythronium? Given your climatic conditions it seems that they would thrive in your garden. These species are extremely beautiful.
My plants are almost all grown from seed ex seeds, so they are mostly E.revolutum (hybrids) and E.oregonum (hybrids). it would be interesting to try different species. I have one year old seedlings of E.grandiflorum, but they haven't been outside for the winter yet. 'White Beauty', 'Pagoda' and 'Joanna' do well in woodland bed. :)