Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum => Topic started by: Ian Y on January 06, 2016, 12:05:21 PM
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Here is the latest and first Bulb Log of 2016 in which I continue working through the chapters of the Erythronium species.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan061452081669Bulb_log_0116.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan061452081669Bulb_log_0116.pdf)
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We are once again indebted to Len Rhind in Canada who has once more provided an update to the Bulb Log Index. Thank you, Len!
Note from Len :
Hi,
Happy New Year.
Here is the new bulb log index for everyone.
There are a few changes to this one:
Each subject heading now has general articles listed under it first and then the specific articles listed next. I thought this may help finding the specific items easier.
The Erythroniums in Cultivation chapters have their own alphabetical heading.
References to Video Supplements are also listed with their own alphabetical heading.
I hope these help and it's all of some use to you.
Cheers,
Len
Click here for the new Index :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/index.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/index.pdf)
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This weeks Bulb Log is now online with an update of the garden and the weather as well as four more chapters of Erythroniums in Cultivation.
These are three species I find more challenging to grow . E. purpurascens, E. pluriflora and E. taylorii plus a potentially new species.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan131452686422BULB_LOG_0216.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan131452686422BULB_LOG_0216.pdf)
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Good to see winter arriving in Aberdeen at least! Many thanks Ian for embarking on another year of Bulb logs for our delight - I look forward to it as much now as I did at the start.
E. taylori is a beauty!
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Anne thank you for your continued support and encouragement. The longevity of the Bulb Log started as a one year project in January 2003 and now its 14th year owes a lot to the readers as without such loyal followers there would be no point.
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Bulb Log 0316 now online.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan201453287322BULB_LOG_0316.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan201453287322BULB_LOG_0316.pdf)
Narcissus and Eranthis feature in this weeks Bulb Log along with two more chapters on Erythronium species.
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Good to see the daffs arriving in force!
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Bulb Log 0416 is now online, news of the first Erythronium seeds germinating in 2016, plus grey mould and other pests.
Two chapters from Erythroniums in Cultivation -Erythronium americanum and E. albidum.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan271453893521BULB_LOG_0416.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jan271453893521BULB_LOG_0416.pdf)
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news of the first Erythronium seeds germinating in 2016
Ian, do you put your germinated seedlings in the greenhouse now, to protect them from frost/slugs?
To reduce the amount of liverwort growing in the pots, I use an idea I heard in a talk by Ian Christie. He recommends tying a square of horticultural fleece over pots of seedlings to keep mice or voles out. I have found this very useful and it also keeps liverwort from being splashed into the pots, it prevents weed seeds from landing in the pot and it stops blackbirds foraging in the pots for worms. A useful tip for seeds which will be in the pots for several years. As the seedlings grow, you just pull the fleece up a bit, to make more space. This protects them from heavy rain, hail etc.
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Ian, do you put your germinated seedlings in the greenhouse now, to protect them from frost/slugs?
Not with Erythroniums Carolyn, they stay outside as do Trilliums, I do move Crocus, Fritillaria, narcissus and similar types under glass when they germinate.
Yes the fleece over the pot is a useful tip and it makes it difficult to see what is going on with out removing it all the time and I love seeing the seeds appearing.
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Thanks, Ian, that's interesting. I have always felt that because it took so long for trillium and erythronium germination I didn't want to risk frost damage. I will try leaving some outside this year (that will be the cue for an unprecedented cold snap!).
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Bulb Log 0416 is now online, news of the first Erythronium seeds germinating in 2016, plus grey mould and other pests.
Two chapters from Erythroniums in Cultivation -Erythronium americanum and E. albidum.
It is so very inspiring and hopeful to see your beautiful clones of Erythronium americanum! It is almost non-existent in cultivation here, in its native region! because of its well known habit of not flowering (in same cases). So, many of us go wondering in the woods in the spring and hope to stumble upon a floriferous population :)
I don't know either how can it be explained: in one area you may find a large population almost with non-flowering individuals, and then another full of flowering clumps!
My question is - if sowing seeds from such flowering specimens results in progeny with the same trait? and if yes, in how many years one could expect flowering? (assuming optimum growing conditions).
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Thank you Gabriela,
yes raising from seed is the best way to get clones that may be more inclined to flowering in your garden and it will take between 5 to 7 years from seed to flower.
If you have not read it already see the chapter I wrote on Erythronium seed where I describe my methods and experiences of raising them from seed.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2015Jan141421233053BULB_LOG_0215.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2015Jan141421233053BULB_LOG_0215.pdf)
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Thank you, sure I read it but it was good to read it once more! The link is not working but now we have the index :) Maybe someone else would like to re-read it not
only for raising Erythronium from seeds but also as a remainder of the "tolerance shift" theory!!!
I only needed encouragement I guess, in fact I know what the problem was (at least for myself) - that is hard to get going raising from seeds just one species from the bulb/tubers category. Problem was solved adding Trilliums, Sanguinaria, Medeola and others...the more the better!
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Not sure what was wrong with the link , but it works now....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2015Jan141421233053BULB_LOG_0215.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2015Jan141421233053BULB_LOG_0215.pdf)
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I do love Erythroniums Maggi and Ian - actually if I were allowed only one bulb genus (perish the thought!) it would be this one. That's an incredible display you have there, I feel inspired to work harder at colecting seed and bulking up my own. It's not always easy to remember to collect the seed in the summer when so much else is going on in the garden.
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Erythronium "dwarf grandiflorum" from Mt Prevost:
"New roots were forming as I repotted these bulbs in August, so I suspect this species would not take kindly to being too hot and dry in the summer."
I collected seeds from them in 1998, and sent them to the AGS seed exchange. I kept some, which germinated, but they did not go on to become plants. I am impressed with your success.
The plants grow on a rocky slope, out in the open and not under any shrubs. They would not get much rain in summer - we seldom get more than a few rainshowers between May and October.
I must visit them again this year.
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It is a very lovely plant Diane, I may have got the seed indirectly from you, I am lucky to have it.
I hope that I can sustain it in the garden and as I have had a small amount of seeds from it for two years now I am hopeful that it will stay with us.
It is a fascinating plant and I would love to see what variation there is in the wild population and how it relates to the larger Erythronium grandiflorum.
The early rooting that I observed may just be a response to our wet conditions.
If you do visit the site again please let me see some pictures of the habitat and flower details.
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Bulb Log 0516 now online with reticulate Iris and Erythronium caucasicum seedlings also the chapter on Erythronium Hybrids.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb031454499787BULB_LOG_0516.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb031454499787BULB_LOG_0516.pdf)
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The latest Bulb Log is now online with the winter clear up plus some heavy weight bulbs make an appearance.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb101455105669BULB_LOG_0616.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb101455105669BULB_LOG_0616.pdf)
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Hello Ian,
I find this lily bulbs agglomerate is extraordinary. What variety is it? Once detached, they will be less congested.
In this case, how do those who are in the ground to feed? Are they connected to other vegetatively bulbs or they are independent and just nested within each other?
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Fred
It is a form of Lilium pyrenaicum and appear to be just a tightly packed group of individual bulbs that have formed from the original one I planted.
I will show more when I get round to splitting and planting them in the Bulb Log.
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A light covering of snow covers the garden in Bulb Log 07 which is now online.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb171455708153BULB_LOG_0717.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb171455708153BULB_LOG_0717.pdf)
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The snow powder gives such a magical look to the garden, and the troughs are fantastic! Thank you for the timely info on Eranthis pinnatifida. Since YT showed it last weeknd I kept thinking about it. Three years to have it in flower is not bad at all!
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Yes Gabriela, we were very pleased to get first flowers in three years - I had feared it would take longer.
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Hi Ian it was great to see the eranthis pinnatifida and byunsanensis, this last one is one you don't hear of very much so was especially welcome.
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Read about lots of Scottish Rock Garden Club members in this Norwegian Blog from Ivar Hjelvik http://lakriskongen.blogspot.co.uk/ (http://lakriskongen.blogspot.co.uk/) - Ian is the latest 8)
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Ian Y.
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Magnar Aspaker
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Gunhild Poulsen
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Cohan Fulford
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Our garden shredder and engraver come into use in this week's Bulb Log.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb241456310111BULB_LOG_0816.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Feb241456310111BULB_LOG_0816.pdf)[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]
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Your pieris has lovely bark too, another reason to clear the stem!
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And a characterful, twisted trunk and branches. Ian will work some bonsai magic on it no doubt!
Interested to see a single Cyclamen leaf amongst the frozen leaves that is untouched by frost. Looks like it might be a seedling, which highlights the variability of individuals and importance of raising from seed.
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Another thought-provoking edition, Ian.
I immediately went on-line to see what sort of engraving tools were available in Australia.
They vary enormously from a few dollars (mostly from sellers in Hong Kong!) to a couple of hundred for the deluxe models with multi-functions,
so I'll need to think about it a bit more!
cheers
fermi
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Your pieris has lovely bark too, another reason to clear the stem!
Yes Anne, we have had sight of some of the lower stem for a number of years the combination of its colour and twisted form make it an attractive feature by itself.
And a characterful, twisted trunk and branches. Ian will work some bonsai magic on it no doubt!
Interested to see a single Cyclamen leaf among the frozen leaves that is untouched by frost. Looks like it might be a seedling, which highlights the variability of individuals and importance of raising from seed.
Yes some stylised pruning and shaping is the plan.
I noted that leaf as I took the photograph and just like you Matt I start to wonder why it has not reacted to the cold in the same way.
Another thought-provoking edition, Ian.
I immediately went on-line to see what sort of engraving tools were available in Australia.
They vary enormously from a few dollars (mostly from sellers in Hong Kong!) to a couple of hundred for the deluxe models with multi-functions,
so I'll need to think about it a bit more!
cheers
fermi
Fermi I got that one in our Lidl supermarket I can't remember the exact price but it was less than £10.
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Question received today ..... and my answer.....
> Site name: Scottish Rock Garden Club
> Referrer site: http://www.srgc.net (http://www.srgc.net)
> Message:
> I wonder if you could ask Ian young what shredder he pictures on his bulb log this weekend? It looks a really sensible size?
Glad you like the idea of shredding garden waste - it makes wonderful compost or mulching material. The machine shown in the Bulb Log is a Mountford (MTD) chipper /shredder, powered by a 5 horse-power Briggs and Stratton engine. It's quite old now but still doing a good job. Shredded material breaks down really well - and fast, too, especially if one makes a good size of a pile at any one time, since the heat builds up well then to compost the material.
This machine is big enough to cope with quite a heavy workload of leafy/twiggy material and will cope with branches up to about 5cms diameter. We don't ask it to do too much of the bigger branches these days - it's quite old, as I said - at least twenty years old , maybe around 25!
We're lucky to have an old coal shed where it is stored - it's not too big - probably around the footprint of two small wheely bins and is easy to move around to wherever you want to use it.
We wouldn't be without it, that's for sure. It makes quick work of our large amount of hedge clippings every year and would be worth having just for that, we think.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Maggi Young
SRGC WebTeam - and Mrs Ian Young!
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Check out the latest Bulb Log featuring Galanthus and Eranthis among others.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar021456920703BULB_LOG_0916.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar021456920703BULB_LOG_0916.pdf)
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Eranthis bynsanensis is beautiful!!
Koko
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I recognize your protective cage Ian. Rabbits are an increasing problem for me and all my pots now have to have cages round them and there are a number of wire tents over plants in the ground. They have even grazed off two mature Geranium palmatum right down to the ground. It is very dispiriting.
Erle in Anglesey
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Glad you like the idea of shredding garden waste - it makes wonderful compost or mulching material.
I use the Monty Don trick Maggi - spread it out on the lawn when it needs a cut, then run the mower over it. Chops everything up in no time mixed in with some grass clippings. It can leave the lawn looking a bit messy but then who cares about that (certainly not me)
Anything about about 2cm in diameter gets chopped up and used for kindling.
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This weeks Bulb Log see the garden carpeted in snow but the bulbs still flower.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar091457521118BULB_LOG_1016.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar091457521118BULB_LOG_1016.pdf)
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In this week's Bulb Log 1116 -did I miss Spring? Feeding the bulbs plus I reveal the results from the Dactylorhiza propagation pots, Video Diary Supplements and much more.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar161458126109BULB_LOG_1116.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar161458126109BULB_LOG_1116.pdf)
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I think this weeks white Muscari is Pseudomuscari azureum "Album"
Joern Berggreen
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I think this weeks white Muscari is Pseudomuscari azureum "Album"
Joern Berggreen
Thank you Joern, it could well be that.
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Here it is...
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Thank you for the pictures John.
Latest Bulb Log now online showing lots of spring colour with bulbs, Hepatica and Hellebore all in flower.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar231458734008BULB_LOG_1216.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar231458734008BULB_LOG_1216.pdf)
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Bulb log 1316 now online - Hellebore and the Colours of Corydalis are among the plants I feature this week.
Includes another new Bulb log Video Diary supplement Link.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar301459333162BULB_LOG_1316.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Mar301459333162BULB_LOG_1316.pdf)
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I've been reading the bulb log and skulking about reading the forum long before I came into the light and joined this year. I must say what a cracking read it is and what a fantastic garden you and Maggi have, I am truly inspired. It looks better than many I've paid good money to go into. The colour in the latest edition is stunning, a great counter to those (not I hasten to be found on this forum) who think rock gardens are stuffy, boring, out of date and full of dull grey plants! I've a job lot of polystyrene fish boxes to make up this Easter break if I get time following your new and improved method. I think I might be allowed a few of them around the house without letting 'my plants' take over too much more of the family garden (having already dug up 2 lawns for a woodland border and 2 alpine houses). If only we had some nicer soil to play with - despite no end of grit and well rotted FYM its still acidic heavy cold clay subsoil. Best get on and build another bulb frame :)
Keep up the great work, look forward to reading every edition as it emerges!
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Thank you Dave It is my pleasure to share and hopefully encourage others to fully explore the endless range of possibilities that plants and gardens offer us.
I would warn that once smitten there is no cure but I have never found any one that would want to be cured of a love of plants.
PS. It does sound that such a warning is way too late for you anyway;-))
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What I am delighted to have Erythronium displayed as yours.
By cons, this fall is certain, I buy red color Corydalis solida (I know where to find it) and malkensis white Corydalis (if I find the seeds)
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Thank you Dave It is my pleasure to share and hopefully encourage others to fully explore the endless range of possibilities that plants and gardens offer us.
I would warn that once smitten there is no cure but I have never found any one that would want to be cured of a love of plants.
PS. It does sound that such a warning is way too late for you anyway;-))
The warning is at least 10 years too late! :)
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The warning is at least 10 years too late! :)
Ha ha! Another good man gone better!! 8)
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A joy to read, as always.
I wish my corydalis would thrive. I'll keep trying.
Rhododendron 'Cilpinense' is a hybrid of ciliatum x moupinense.
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Thank you to everyone for your continuing support - Bulb log 14 online now featuring Erythronium, Hepatica, Corydalis, Narcissus and many more spring delights.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr061459939203BULB_LOG_1416.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr061459939203BULB_LOG_1416.pdf)
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Ian,
Plants and pictures are perfect. I enjoy all!
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Craigton Covergirl looks like a good doer, looking forward to seeing the flowers in a subsequent bulblog.
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A good read and great photos as always Ian. Good to know I am not the only one who likes to see fat buds of things emerging above ground - in some ways they are more exciting than the flowers because there is still the oportunity for the imagination to get to work, and before you find that the bud has been chewed or battered by the elements. And you are right, they are beautiful in their own right, perhaps worth a thread..
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Bulb Log 15 now online featuring troughs, Rhododendrons, Erythroniums and much more.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr131460553388BULB_LOG_1516.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr131460553388BULB_LOG_1516.pdf)
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I remember the hike with Ian in March 2009, at the Trillium rivale slope along the Illinois River, which is mentioned on p. 7 of Bulb Log #15 as the inspiration of this week's garden feature. Note also a few Erythronium citrinum in the bottom of the photo.
Ed
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That is the one Ed, I used a picture of it in my talk in Edinburgh. I have fond memories of the trip when you drove me through Oregon looking at Erythronium, Trillium etc.
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Bulb log 1616 is now online with April showers, Erythronium, Tecophilaea and more...
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr201461149617BULB_LOG_1616.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr201461149617BULB_LOG_1616.pdf)
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Ian what's that lovely Muscari that grows in your sandbed?
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Not sure about the ID of that muscari, Yann. It is from wild collected seed from Turkey which we were given as simply Muscari sp.
Not sure if it may be a form of M. anatolicum. :-\
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Bulb Log 1716 online now, despite the wind, rain, hail, sleet and snow the garden is still in good colour.
Includes links to two new Bulb Log Video Dairy Supplements.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr271461748842BULB_LOG_1716.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Apr271461748842BULB_LOG_1716.pdf)
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Latest Bulb Log on line not surprisingly Erythroniums are once more to the fore.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May041462356590BULB_LOG_1816.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May041462356590BULB_LOG_1816.pdf)
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Join me in a trip to see Primroses at the seaside in the latest Bulb log plus plenty of flowering interest in the garden including a magnificent dandelion!
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May111462963255BULB_LOG_1916.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May111462963255BULB_LOG_1916.pdf)
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Ian you have a beautiful garden and I love your naturalistic planting style. I tend to aim for something similar but have yet to achieve something as successful as yours. Or so many Erythroniums!
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We've been working on it for a long time though, Tristan - you've got time to catch up!
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Bulb log 2016 has lots of colour both in the garden and the Bulb Houses also new Video Diary Supplement- after the rain.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May181463568692BULB_LOG_2016.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May181463568692BULB_LOG_2016.pdf)
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Ian, I could give you a run for your money with dandelions. My front lawn is covered with them.
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Ian, I see your Cardiocrinum will be in bloom. At home too, the three I bought this year, two will flower this year. I hope they will have enough roots to keep from falling with the weight of the flowers ...
You also have beautiful hybrids Trillium erectum.
I have one that is nice as I think outside the usual dark purple color.
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Ian, that pteridophyllum is a lovely plant - which I haven't seen before. I read that it is a Japanese woodland plant. Does it grow easily for you? Did you grow it from seed? There don't seem to be many suppliers of plants. Do please tell us more about it.
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As I said of a plant by Anne and Viv Chambers at Perth Show in 2010 - Pteridophyllum racemosum .... this "ferny" foliaged beauty is usually listed as being in the poppy family! It is a species of flowering plant endemic to Japan. It is the only species in the mono-generic family Pteridophyllaceae, which is sometimes treated as a subfamily of Papaveraceae.
Not something that wants too much sun, even in Aberdeen. There have been some great pix from the shows over the years, two of the best grown by Anne and Viv and by John Lupton.
oops- better if I add the photos!
Anne and Viv's 2007 pic by Dave Millward
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Anne and Viv's 2010 pic by me
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John Lupton's both pix by me
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Now a plant of Ian and Carole Bainbridges - photo by Peter Maguire
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and close up of foliage and flowers at another show - photos by me
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I think the foliage colour is much darker when the plant is grown outside. It's still a very striking green though. As you can see by John L's plant - it can get to be a lovely specimen. Hard to get it that good when growing in the ground - it's tasty to munching critters and can just dwindle - we've lost one from being too dry I think, when it got too much competition form other plants. The one pictured this week in the Bulb Log is in a shadier, cooler spot.
Ian Christie grows it well in Kirriemuir.
Edrom offer it at times, as do Crug Farm ..... both worth a try, I think.
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Thanks, Maggi. I will have to try this. I notice that Growild lists it too. Why do slugs always go for the more choice, expensive items?
We have just had our first rain for a fortnight and the slugs have been out in force. I've lost count of how many have been chopped in two today.
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I've had plants and seeds from Lisa at Growild - if they have it I'm sure it will be good.
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I eagerly await the photo of your hybrid of Tropaeolum azureum and Tropaeolum tricolorum.
Perhaps a contest showing what people think it might look like?
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:D Well Diane, it's anyone's guess as to what it would look like! Never been any sign of hybrids so far - we'd need one of the Tropaeolum specialists to comment on whether these two will ever cross.
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Bulb log 21 online now features Ramonda nathaliae growing in a trough, with twenty pages perhaps the most I have posted in a Bulb Log.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May251464175709BULB_LOG_2116.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016May251464175709BULB_LOG_2116.pdf)
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I have friends (Jan and Dave Dobak) who also live in Portland who managed to successfully grow Pteridophyllum racemosum. I wouldn't say it looked ecstatic but it survived and flowered. They grew it within a copper slug ring since we grow slugs big in Portland. I'm not sure if they took it when they moved locally but I imagine they either did or gave it to someone who had a chance with it.
Ian's latest bulb log is certainly a feast for the eyes. Lots of gorgeous pictures of his jam packed garden. Really worth a look just for the eye candy.
Ian, I've been wondering for some time what you do with all the what must be hundreds or thousands of plants you raise. I know you plant a lot out in your garden but do some of them show up at your local SRGC sales? Or do you work with commercial growers? I know you've been selecting erythronium cultivars and some of them are starting to be commercially available on your side of the pond but I'm not sure how this comes about. Any chance someone will offer any to some of us deprived Americans and Canadians? Some of us on the west coast would really like to get our hands on some of them.
Jan in Portland, Oregon. Who has a lovely husband who is working on putting up her new alpine house/greenhouse. Whoo hoo!!!
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Hey Jan - we know Jan and Dave Dobak too!
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Click the link for Bulb Log 2216 where peonies and rhododendrons bring flower power.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun011464778432BULB_LOG_2216.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun011464778432BULB_LOG_2216.pdf)
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Ian,
I am finally getting caught up with some of the past issues of the bulb log that I missed. There always seems to be some detail about your garden that I find helpful even in our hot dry climate. I had always wonder how shady your garden might be and I was pleased that you mentioned the "woodland" setting that has been created. Believe it or not, shade is an issue at our Sacramento garden (it was even an issue up at the farm). I am always looking for sites for our sun loving species (even with 40 C summertime temperatures ??? ). I find your discussions of pruning and garden management to be very helpful for their general principles that can be applied anywhere.
As always, your garden is incredibly beautiful and an inspiration.
Thank you so much. :)
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Ian, I've been wondering for some time what you do with all the what must be hundreds or thousands of plants you raise. I know you plant a lot out in your garden but do some of them show up at your local SRGC sales? Or do you work with commercial growers? I know you've been selecting erythronium cultivars and some of them are starting to be commercially available on your side of the pond but I'm not sure how this comes about. Any chance someone will offer any to some of us deprived Americans and Canadians? Some of us on the west coast would really like to get our hands on some of them.
Thank you for your kind words Jan, some of our plants do find there way out - the ones I name I give to various nurseries who will then have to build up a stock for selling so this takes time. Corydalis 'Craigton Blue' has been the most successful as it is relatively quick to increase plus it is so beautiful. I have no way of complying with the regulations to send plants to USA or Canada so it has to be through a Nursery.
I would be surprised if similar Erythronium hybrids are not around in USA or Canada.
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Thank you Robert, I am always delighted to learn that the Bulb Log can be useful - I must reciprocate by saying I get great inspiration from your thread Robert's Adventures. The pictures of plants growing wild that you share from your hikes are fascinating to me not only for the main subject but as importantly what it is growing with and how they relate.
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Sadly Ian I don't think anyone is really breeding or selecting erythronium clones in the US or Canada. Someone needs to select, like you do, for good multipliers. Seems a bit odd considering so many are native to the west coast. In fact oregonum grows wild in a nature park only a couple of miles from me. And my Dad has a truly magnificent revolutum stand (grown from NARGS seed) so they definitely do well around here. I've even tried to dig up some that seemed to be good clumpers but they pull themselves so deep it's pretty hard. One of my eventual goals is to figure out how to tissue culture them from a flower bud. If I can ever succeed in this (fell off the back burner this year) people could send me flower buds to culture. They are, after all, "botanical specimens" and those seem to come thru the postal system OK.
I know first hand how hard it is to arrange a phyto inspection in Great Britain and I understand why you'd leave that to the nursery people. I tried to do it for my trip this spring and gave up. Waaay too much hassle for a maximum of 24 plants. Maybe I can convince some of my friends to go in with me on an order from Great Britain. Splitting a phyto several ways would help.
Any chance we'll have an opportunity to buy erythroniums, either from you or other vendors, when the SRGC hosts the next international rock garden conference? I suspect they'd probably be heading to dormancy but I wouldn't care.
Jan in very hot Portland. Forecast today of 37C. Tomorrow is supposed to be almost as bad.
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Jan there is a good chance that someone will be selling Erythroniums when the SRGC host the International Conference in 2021 and hopefully there will be arrangements made for phyto inspections.
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Log 2316 surveys some of the troughs.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun081465381839BULB_LOG_2316.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun081465381839BULB_LOG_2316.pdf)
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Some nice reactions to Bulb Logs from Twitter....
From Dave M.
"@ScottishRockGC suitably inspired by Ian's efforts I made a job lot the other weekend"
https://twitter.com/JFDIecologist/status/740611985751068673
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and another trough enthusiast... Matt Mattus...
"An alpine trough doesn't have to be a stone or concrete one - sometimes, an old horse trough will do."
https://twitter.com/MattMattus/status/740314668254801920
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Matt Mattus - President of NARGS and blogger - amongst other things - writes about Ian and the Bulb Log...."Ian's Bulb Log is what got me started with Alpine Plants"
Matt's Saxifraga longifolia is also flowering now ....
https://twitter.com/MattMattus/status/740597843233284096
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This week I celebrate reaching one of those significant numbers the
700th Bulb Log.
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Click the link to see BULB LOG 700, as I reach another milestone in this 24th week of year 14. http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun151465988651BULB_LOG_2416.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun151465988651BULB_LOG_2416.pdf)
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Thank you and to many more to come!!! :)
It is truly inspirational, from any point of view -propagation, cultivation, garden design. I used to read them long before starting to be active on the forum and every time I end up knowing something more, wanting to repeat a planting combination...This time for ex. - those Arisaema ciliatum with the lily shoots in the background - wow!
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Thank you Gabriela I am always pleased to here that my efforts are of some use and appreciated.
As for many more - I will commit to one more year which will be the fifteenth - beyond that I am not sure.
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This week I celebrate reaching one of those significant numbers the
700th Bulb Log.
Congratulations Ian. That is a magnificent achievement.
I'm surely only one of very many to find my way to the SRGC through your excellent Bulb Logs.
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Thanks, Ian, your bulb log is eagerly awaited every week. I have learned so much from reading it.
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Ian,
I just finished reading your latest Bulb Log. As usual I found it very edifying. 700 - very 8) !
However, I do have a question.....
One of these days I would like to purchase an upgraded digital camera. My current camera is very old. There is so much for me to learn, as I have to admit I know next to nothing about them. In your last Bulb Log you mentioned a "digital SLRs". What is this?
Thank you for your help! Knowing some of the terminology is a good starting point for me. :)
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Robert, digital single lens reflex cameras allow you to look through the lens using the eye piece and they have interchangeable lenses.
They tend to be the most expensive but are not the best camera for everyone.
It is important to read and understand what the various types of camera offers in the way of controls and features and see what best fits with what you want to do with the pictures you take.
I often think people buy an expensive digital SLR thinking it will give them better pictures and in theory it should but the most important feature of any camera is the person holding it - that is what can make the biggest difference.
For digital projection and sharing on the web the quality from my compact is fine also many images have been printed in books and journals.
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Ian,
Thank you for some very sound advice. I have to admit that I like my present camera. There are a few improvements that would be helpful. 1.) My present camera uses an old type of lithium-ion battery that does not function well in cold weather. 2.) It is hard wired for auto-focus. I do not mind auto-focus, however there are times when it might be useful to turn it off. Other than that it is an excellent camera and has served me well for many years now.
Currently I am in no position to buy a new camera, however the topic of cameras does come up from time-to-time - a good time for me to ask some more questions. :)
I appreciate that you have taken the time to answer my question. I know that simple is better for me, but there are some features that are important to me. I generally do not have time to look around at the stores and see the different types of cameras and ask the sales person questions. When the time comes to buy a new camera I am sure I will take a look locally and ask a few more questions.
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Bulb Log 2516 showing Dactylorhiza purpurella in the garden and the wild.
[attachimg=1]
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun221466593369BULB_LOG_2516.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun221466593369BULB_LOG_2516.pdf)
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Click the link for Bulb log 26 where bulb re-potting has started.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun291467198285BULB_LOG_2616.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jun291467198285BULB_LOG_2616.pdf)
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Good to see your 'Corrin' is doing so well, I know at least one person who will be pleased that mine has also increased ;D
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It's a real delight to see it doing so well, Brian. It means such a lot to me - and even Ian likes it - and not just for it's history. :)
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From Twitter by fritillariaicones
who showed this picture when retweeting about Ian's Latest Bulb Log.... "Learn from your bulbs during re-potting even the old scales communicate" the super photo was
" taken to show the stem of the juvenile was connected to the base of the scale "
[attachimg=1]
www.fritillariaicones.com (https://t.co/vV1DJwxEkG)
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What is name of the plant with yellow flowers growing on top of a bed at 7.59 please ?
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What is name of the plant with yellow flowers growing on top of a bed at 7.59 please ?
John, that is a lovely wee Hypericum from Japan, neither of us can ever remember the specific name we will try and find out for you.
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I am in Cordova, Alaska and yesterday we hiked uo to Crater Lake.
It is a long hike through beautiful woodland with loits of habitats along the trail from rain forrest to alpine at the top. Unfortunately we were in the cloud at the top which restricted what I could capture on camera but I do have a number that I will share in bulb logs when I return home.
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Can anyone tell me what this plant is please?
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It's a Castilleja - "Indian Paintbrush" - don't know the species. Funny you should be getting an answer from me! M xx
Hmmm, possibly Castilleja miniata?
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Thanks I thought it was that genus but I could not spell it will check out the species with that name.
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Or maybe Castilleja raupii. Can't enlarge photo enough to see details (aside from the fact that I suck at Castilleja identification anyway. :P )
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Ian has prepared Bulb Logs in advance while he is in Alaska - Bulb Log 2716 is a review of previous logs from this week in previous years
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul061467801114BULB_LOG_2716.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul061467801114BULB_LOG_2716.pdf)
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A wee taster from Alaska, watch out for more in Bulb Log 29 which will go on after I get home.
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Sheridan Glacier
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Or maybe Castilleja raupii. Can't enlarge photo enough to see details (aside from the fact that I suck at Castilleja identification anyway. :P )
Me too. However you can find a list of Alaskan Castilleja on the USDA website:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/stateSearch (http://plants.usda.gov/java/stateSearch)
Maggi, it does not look like my C. miniata which are bright orange-red (although pics coming up on Google images suggests they vary). C. raupii looks a candidate as does C. parviflora.
Beautiful genus and under-represented in gardens. I'd love to try some more species.
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I am in Cordova, Alaska and yesterday we hiked up to Crater Lake.
Can anyone tell me what this plant is please?
I'm not a Castilleja expert either, but there is a chance that this is Castilleja parviflora, there are herbarium specimens in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria data base from the Crater Lake Trail. I'm not seeing any records of C. raupii from any closer to Cordova than about 250 km, it appears to mostly be more of an interior rather than coastal species. C. parviflora is a very variable species, you can find photos of it and many others on Mark Egger's Castilleja page on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/collections/72157617709816218/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/collections/72157617709816218/)
Ed
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thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions, it seems that we have the answer now, I will check further when I get home.
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For those too impatient to wait for the delivery of the Bulb Log to the proper page - here is a stop-gap link for you to the second log Ian provided for his absence in Alaska - with pictures of the plants n flower before he left...........
CLICK HERE (http://files.srgc.net/general/BULB-LOG-2816.pdf)FOR "emergency" BulbLog 28 !
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Problem solved - Bulb Log 28 now loaded to it's proper position!
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul151468587880BULB_LOG_2816.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul151468587880BULB_LOG_2816.pdf)
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This week's Bulb Log, features some of the many pictures I took during my trip to Alaska
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul201469020079BULB_LOG_2916.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul201469020079BULB_LOG_2916.pdf)
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Superb images Ian!!!
Could the bog Spiranthes possibly be Platanthera dilatata (Tall White Bog Orchid, Bog Candle)?
My P. dilatata flowered recently and looked similar (but much less spectacular) to the plants you photographed.
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Could the bog Spiranthes possibly be Platanthera dilatata (Tall White Bog Orchid, Bog Candle)?
My P. dilatata flowered recently and looked similar (but much less spectacular) to the plants you photographed.
Wouldn't be a bit surprised! That's what I asked...... :-X
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Steve you could well be correct - I am no expert on orchids especially as I am still tired from such a full on two weeks in wonderful Alaska and have not done all my research and confirmation on what I saw yet.
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This week's Bulb Log, features some of the many pictures I took during my trip to Alaska
(Attachment Link)
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul201469020079BULB_LOG_2916.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul201469020079BULB_LOG_2916.pdf)
A selection of Twitter responses to this week's BUlb Log -
from Matt Mattus, Blogger and NARGS President :
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from Matt Biggs, Broadcaster and Horticulturist :
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from the Chapel Hill Garden Club ( founded 1931) in North Carolina :
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...I must say I found the diminutive Primula cuneifolia quite delightful ,too!
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This week's Bulb Log is now online -back in the garden after my travels in Alaska.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul271469615844BULB_LOG_3016.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Jul271469615844BULB_LOG_3016.pdf)
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August! New Bulb Log 31 of 2016 online here....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug021470165792BULB_LOG_3116.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug021470165792BULB_LOG_3116.pdf)
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In this weeks Bulb Log 3216 I introduce and try out my new camera a Lumix DMC-LX100.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug101470825376BULB_LOG_3216.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug101470825376BULB_LOG_3216.pdf)
N.B. errors :
on page 9 - Pseudofumaria, not Pseudocorydalis
and on page 15 - Lilium lankongense
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Hi Ian,
your artistry shines through in that cover!
I reminds me of the wonderful Rix & Phillips book I first saw in the 1980s - appropriately it was "The Bulb Book" (re-badged as "Bulbs" in the next edition)
cheers
fermi
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Ian,
I very much appreciated the information and process you went through to find a new camera. A new digital camera looms in the future for me and your information will certainly help me in the process. I too work well with a hands on, visual experience. Sacramento, California is a gigantic city where there must be a place where I can see and handle digital cameras in person.
Thank you so much! :) 8)
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Hi Ian,
your artistry shines through in that cover!
I reminds me of the wonderful Rix & Phillips book I first saw in the 1980s - appropriately it was "The Bulb Book" (re-badged as "Bulbs" in the next edition)
cheers
fermi
Thank yo uFermi, yes I have both editions of that book also many more from that series and while I was inspired by Phillips pictures I first started to imitate the style from a Keble Martin book of British Flora where each page was a composite of paintings except I used photography.
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Ian,
I very much appreciated the information and process you went through to find a new camera. A new digital camera looms in the future for me and your information will certainly help me in the process. I too work well with a hands on, visual experience. Sacramento, California is a gigantic city where there must be a place where I can see and handle digital cameras in person.
Thank you so much! :) 8)
Glad that you may get some help in making your decision Robert, the truth is there are so many cameras out there all of which will take the images you want so the decision often comes down to what feels good in your hands.
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BTW, Ian,
if your Romulea does't set seed we can send a few million from here!
It's a major weed in southern Australia
cheers
fermi
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This week in Bulb Log 3316 the garden is showing the signs of Autumn.
[attachimg=1]
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug171471431377BULB_LOG_3316.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug171471431377BULB_LOG_3316.pdf)
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Your wonderful garden makes it for such an enjoyable stroll at any time of the year. Love to see Actaea rubra rejoicing in the Scottish climate - it is the most gorgeous Actaea I've ever seen!
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Thank yo uFermi, yes I have both editions of that book also many more from that series and while I was inspired by Phillips pictures I first started to imitate the style from a Keble Martin book of British Flora where each page was a composite of paintings except I used photography.
Lovely photos as always Ian, and I too enjoyed the homage to Keble Martin / Phillips & Rix. Lovely to have such a late flowering Dactylorhiza too.
I spotted a couple of typos though - Pseudofumaria isn't it, not Pseudocorydalis? And also Lilium lankongense.
Tristan
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Thanks Tristan for spotting my senior moments, you are correct, it is Pseudofumaria and I have an extra 'g' in lankongense.
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Bulb Log 34 online now - getting the blues! http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug231471959121BULB_LOG_3416.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug231471959121BULB_LOG_3416.pdf)
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Again, another a cracking bulb log. Always full of inspiration and reassurance. I feel less guilty for not having finished my own repotting yet! Brave to be releasing the bulbs from the regimented order of their pots, but I'm sure they will grow better for it.
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Today I was repotting, moving pots and sand in the green house plunges. Narcissus and Colchicums growing in the sand are by far healthier looking than those in pots. The Narcissus have better looking tunics
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I too have a new camera, a Lumix FZ 1000. I don,t get the great results Ian has. Either the camera needs to go to a well known opticians or I must try harder, as my teachers used to say. I can,t be bothered to carry a tripod either as I take pictures "on the run" and a tripod is extra weight.
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Hi Ian,
Back in Bulblog #33 you mentioned that the weather had turned summer-like. How does that translate into high and low temperatures, at least for someone living in California? I do the best I can to create a mental picture of your gardening conditions, but I have to admit that it is sometimes difficult living in such a different area with very different climatic conditions.
Thank you so much for your efforts!
Now that I have the water leak fixed I can get to Bulblog #34. :)
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Hi Robert
Well the summer conditions is relative and very cool compared to you, we just made it to 21C just after mid day - if we get temperatures in the teens we consider it summer. Also we have had rain at some point even on the good days, often it came at night which suits me best as it soaks in to the roots rather than evaporating and we can enjoy the dry daylight hours.
Ian
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Hi Ian,
I very much appreciate the information. Your summertime high temperatures are similar to warm wintertime high temperatures in our part of California. Of coarse the minimum temperatures can be close to or below freezing even when it gets close to 20 C during the wintertime. Stormy weather brings cooler weather too, and the day length is short. I keep having to remind myself that your summertime day length is very long in relation to our part of California. It is fascinating that some of the same plant species can adjust to vastly different climatic conditions and thrive equally.
Anyway, thank you for the reply.
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Very nice Ian. The Campanulaceae are so beautiful aren't they? That is a spectacular Cyananthus. Mine has a little way to go yet, and if it reaches that size I will need to rejig the rockery a bit! I've never been that fond of Codonopsis to be honest - nice individual flowers but most of them don't seem to make much of a display. Your C. grey-wilsonii looks very good though, I'll keep an eye out in the seed exchange.
I was interested in your comment about wasps and Trillium seed. Do they eat the seeds (!?) or just the sugary coating - if so this might be a dispersal mechanism, a sort of turbo charged version of the ant dispersal used by Cyclamen.
Robert, the British summer is one of the three days a year when you don't need a sunroom ;)
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I was interested in your comment about wasps and Trillium seed. Do they eat the seeds (!?) or just the sugary coating - if so this might be a dispersal mechanism, a sort of turbo charged version of the ant dispersal used by Cyclamen.
Correct they do not eat the seed but are attracted to the sugary appendage so it is a very efficient dispersal mechanism - the problem for me is somewhere within wasp flying distance of our garden there must be a garden full of our Trillium seedlings:-) :-(
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In this weeks Bulb Log I am dividing and propagating Corydalis and the first Crocus flowers appear.
[attachimg=1]
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug311472641458BULB_LOG_3516.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Aug311472641458BULB_LOG_3516.pdf)
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Bulb Log 3616 online now, sixteen pages with The storm, troughs, art, gardens and more...
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep071473251524BULB_LOG_3616.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep071473251524BULB_LOG_3616.pdf)
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There's no denying that autumn is here! It's an exciting time for bulb enthusiasts :)
I like your gloaming picture, which hints at the effects you see at this time of year/day when colours can be super-saturated and make the garden / landscape come alive.
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Bulb Log 37 online now with autumn flowering bulbs, cutting back shrubs and re potting bulbs
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep141473851515BULB_LOG_3716.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep141473851515BULB_LOG_3716.pdf)
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What a brilliant idea to place the small clay pot inside! I will try it for small Arisaema tubers which are also hard to manage in pots kept in the open.
If you don't mind me asking here, would you recommend that I repot Allium bulbs of this year (started very early) or should I keep them in the same pot (10 cm) one more year? Thing is, I don't really know how many they are, I noticed they are down at the bottom of the pot. Thank you.
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If the bulbs are dormant then it would do no harm to repot then now, if they are still green I would wait.
I am in no doubt that bulbs will grow on better if they are repotted evey year, the reason I don't is I have so many . if you repot into a bigger pot make sure you replant them at least to the same depth that you found them.
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Thank you - I will repot them then. They went into dormance in late July and I thought them dead actually. I was looking to clear out my 'empty pots', luckily I paid attention.
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Bulb log 3816 - Crocus, Colchicum, seed and more.
[attachimg=1]
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep211474452951BULB_LOG_3816.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep211474452951BULB_LOG_3816.pdf)
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Hi, Ian,
I just followed the link in Bulb Log 36 back to 2013 when you redid some of your plunge beds. Plunge beds are a major interest of mine right now because my husband is going to start building mine this weekend. I've got to figure out his marching orders before then. One bed will be 10" (25 cm) deep and the other, well, I'm trying to decide. I see you only do yours 6" deep with a little over two inches sand. I assume cramming the pots together helps with temperature control and the sand gives them constant moisture. I'm wondering how well this would work where I live-it gets a lot hotter here (up to 35C) and pots can get quite hot. As I work on repotting I'm finding out what really hated hot pots. Some bulbs just aren't there. You can just feel the warmth in the soil. Do you think your method would be a problem for me given our climate? I would use the shallow plunge primarily for seedlings and propagation. I'm also going to get some 70% shade cloth before next summer to help with the heat.
Thanks, Jan
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Jan, the methods I show are what works in our climate and you are absolutely correct that in your much hotter conditions you would have problems.
There are a number of measures you can take one in an ideal world I would have sand plunges that went all the way to the ground, mine are 6 inches deep because that is how they were made I would advise you to make them as deep as possible. Summer shade will also help, as well as shade you can cover the dormant pots with newspaper in the summer dampening it down the each day will help keep the bulbs cooler.
Good luck and enjoy the journey.
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Bulb Log 39/16 is now online click the link to see some of autumn's jewels in flower.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep281475064109BULB_LOG_3916.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Sep281475064109BULB_LOG_3916.pdf)
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Beautiful Ian. Crocus nudiflorus has very special memories for me, as we saw thousands in flower on our honeymoon to the French Pyrenees in September 2006. I have a few in the garden but the flowers are so short-lived here due to the wind and rain - and particularly so this year.
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Interesting that you have Colchicum x agrippinum and speciosum album flowering at the same time. Down here the former went over around 3 weeks ago but the latter is just starting to flower. This is typical from memory here, although the weather each year will presumably influence individual bulbs differently.
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Beautiful Ian. Crocus nudiflorus has very special memories for me, as we saw thousands in flower on our honeymoon to the French Pyrenees in September 2006. I have a few in the garden but the flowers are so short-lived here due to the wind and rain - and particularly so this year.
Because the flowers are so fragile and easily knocked over is why we should enjoy them when they come first come out - my other thought is should we be growing them through other low growing plants or turf that would support their fragile tubes.
Interesting that you have Colchicum x agrippinum and speciosum album flowering at the same time. Down here the former went over around 3 weeks ago but the latter is just starting to flower. This is typical from memory here, although the weather each year will presumably influence individual bulbs differently.
Brian that is the case here also but we nearly always have an overlap plus I would say that C. speciosum forms are a bit later into flower this season.
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Ian,
I enjoyed the next-to-the-last photograph of Crocus nudiflorus (on its side) in Bulblog #39. Except for the Crocus, and most likely all the other plants in the scene, it looked every much like a natural scene from the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. In the high elevation forests I often see the light-dark contrast of "white" granite rocks, the dark of the forest duff covered with pine needles, and small plants grow in the duff and among the rocks. It is all very beautiful. I often attempt to recreate such scenes in our gardens. You have done so masterfully! Thank you for sharing and inspiring. :) 8)
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Thank you for your feed back Robert, as you know well it has become my aim to mimic nature in the garden and I am so pleased to read your comments.
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Hello Ian, The Bulb Book, by Martyn Rix and Roger Phillips has some excellent photos. showing bulbs in their native habitats. It is interesting to see how many bulbous plants grow in bare stony ground and not in manicured lawns and borders.
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Ian,
Thank you for reposting the photograph. It is great to see how an assemblage of different species (and other components) can still be used to create naturalistic garden scenes. 8)
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Autumn flowering Crocus and Colchicum feature again in this weeks Bulb Log.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct051475662326BULB_LOG_4016.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct051475662326BULB_LOG_4016.pdf)
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Nice bulbs as always Ian. Do you think the epithet 'autumn' is necessary for colchicums given that most of them seem to flower in autumn? With Crocus the default assumption seems to be generally that they are spring flowering so presumably for Colchicum the reverse would apply?
Is it still ok to lift and divide colchicums? I have a nice clump of C. pannonicum(?) in some grass which would look very nice if split and dotted around.
Best, Tristan
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Nice bulbs as always Ian. Do you think the epithet 'autumn' is necessary for colchicums given that most of them seem to flower in autumn? With Crocus the default assumption seems to be generally that they are spring flowering so presumably for Colchicum the reverse would apply?
Is it still ok to lift and divide colchicums? I have a nice clump of C. pannonicum(?) in some grass which would look very nice if split and dotted around.
Best, Tristan
I added Autumn to the colchicum name just to make the point that just as with Crocus there are also spring and Autumn flowering types - I will be happy when colchicum are not called crocus.
Yes you could divide your colchicum just lift them carefully as the roots will most likely have started to grow but will not have rached their full length yet. Often the best time is when you remember.
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More autumn flowering bulbs make an appearance in this weeks Bulb Log.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct121476271075BULB_LOG_4116.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct121476271075BULB_LOG_4116.pdf)
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Ian,
When I was 20 years old or so I was fortunate to have friends that gardened too. Back then I could frequently visit them and get a guided tour of their garden (everyone was more than happy to do so back then). I learned a lot on these visits.
Now I rarely get to visit gardening friends and their gardens except through the forum. It is a pleasure to visit your garden every week and see what you are up to. This still learn from these visits. :) Thank you for sharing, even if it is the most mundane things like grinding up prunings (a few bulblogs ago).
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Thank you Robert, It is a pleasure to have you share our garden via the weekly Bulb Log and Video Diary Supplement.
As it nears the end of the fourteenth year writing the Bulb Log has become a routine part of my life. The self imposed responsibility to find pictures and content each week has resulted in me always carrying a camera with me in the garden so that I record the things that draw my attention.
Some weeks there are so many things in flower that I cannot possibly include all the images I take, it can easily be three hundred a week in peak seasons, other weeks I have to go out and really look in the garden to see what I can write on and share.
This week for instance the garden has been battered by wind and rain, there are leaves everywhere, the place looks a mess until you start to look carefully at the process of preparing for winter and the colours that brings to the garden.
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The seasons play such a big part in our gardens - Autumn brings a mix of chaos and colour in this weeks Bulb Log.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct191476874769BULB_LOG_4216.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct191476874769BULB_LOG_4216.pdf)
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Ian, you show us beautiful foliage and beautiful bays. Very nice photos. We recognize the eyes of the artist.
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Crocus flowers in the bulb house are the main topic in this week's Bulb Log.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct261477476961BULB_LOG_4316.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Oct261477476961BULB_LOG_4316.pdf)
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The bright colours of autumn are once more the main topic in this week's Bulb Log.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov021478084298BULB_LOG_4416.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov021478084298BULB_LOG_4416.pdf)
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Hi Ian
Wonderful to see these autumn colours - not an event we have here.
The fungus is a Mycena, collectively called "The Bonnets", a large and often difficult group. This reminds me of Mycena polygramma and, if so, it should have a lined (striated) stipe.
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Thanks Chris,
I will check them tomorrow see if they have the stripe.
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Fabulous photos in your latest bulb log Ian, I really enjoyed them. Nice restrained use of flash for filling in shadows; did you play around with the flash power until you were happy with the result? It's lovely to see the autumn colour 180 degrees out of since with our seasons.
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Thanks Jamus, I just used a small flash on an automatic setting but I did set the shutter and aperture manually so as not to have too much flash effect.
Like wise I am enjoying the pictures of Spring from your side of the planet.
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Bulb Log 4516 is now online with more Crocus flowers and why all the fallen leaves are valuable.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov091478690411BULB_LOG_4516.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov091478690411BULB_LOG_4516.pdf)
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This weeks Bulb Log is in reflective mode as I look back through 40 years of our gardens evolution and how I view it as an other medium for me to express my art.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov161479301869BULB_LOG_4616.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov161479301869BULB_LOG_4616.pdf)
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The spaniel nestled between your legs, Ian is the spitting image of Zoe!
Fantastic to see the evolution of the garden over the years.
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Ian,
I enjoyed seeing your past garden incarnations! Very 8) I have to admit that I liked the vegetable garden in the background. I guess I am one of those strange persons that sees beauty in a well tended vegetable garden.
...and certainly your garden has evolved into an art masterpiece. You certainly are a master of the art of gardening and your work is an inspiration to all of us! Thank you for all your years of effort and sharing your experiences and techniques with all of us.
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Ian, fascinating to see how your garden has evolved and improved over the years. When did the serious bulb growing begin?
I agree with you 100% on grass which so far as I am concerned is a right royal pain to maintain, and also seeds everywhere if given the chance. Also on the use of height in troughs and the rockery which gives much more visual impact and in my view is also better for growing alpines.
Best, Tristan
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The spaniel nestled between your legs, Ian is the spitting image of Zoe!
Fantastic to see the evolution of the garden over the years.
Matt when we first met Zoe we thought that too she looks very like Sam.
Ian,
I enjoyed seeing your past garden incarnations! Very 8) I have to admit that I liked the vegetable garden in the background. I guess I am one of those strange persons that sees beauty in a well tended vegetable garden.
...and certainly your garden has evolved into an art masterpiece. You certainly are a master of the art of gardening and your work is an inspiration to all of us! Thank you for all your years of effort and sharing your experiences and techniques with all of us.
Robert, if I had unlimited space, time and energy I would still grow fruit and veg but not in the way we used to do. I would not grow my fruit and veg in regimented rows any more but mixed in among the other plants so they would form part of the decorative garden as well as the edible side.
Ian, fascinating to see how your garden has evolved and improved over the years. When did the serious bulb growing begin?
I agree with you 100% on grass which so far as I am concerned is a right royal pain to maintain, and also seeds everywhere if given the chance. Also on the use of height in troughs and the rockery which gives much more visual impact and in my view is also better for growing alpines.
Best, Tristan
Tristan we were seriously addicted to bulb growing around 1985.
Also with unlimited space, time, energy and money I would use grass - first I would form the ground into a landscape of lumps bumps and shapes all grassed over some areas would be kept short other areas would be left and managed meadow style. There are examples of this around which I greatly admire as land art.
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Ian thank you for putting together that story of the evolution of your garden. Beautiful and inspirational.
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I always like reading your bulb log, and get inspiration and learn something every time, though I don't write and thank very often.
It was interesting to see how your garden has evolved! :)
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It's Wednesday - must be time for Ian Young's Bulb Log . here's the link for #47 http://www.srgc.org.uk/…/2016Nov221479825303BULB_LOG_4716.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov221479825303BULB_LOG_4716.pdf)
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Ian,
I enjoyed the images of ice crystals and frosty scenes in your garden. Very beautiful! :)
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Seed is on my mind so in this week's Bulb Log I review my methods of sowing bulb seed.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov301480511581Bulb_log_4816.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Nov301480511581Bulb_log_4816.pdf)
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A great masterclass in seed sowing, Ian. Like you I pre-soak my dried bulb seeds. If I'm in a hurry, I sow the seeds straight away, water, and keep at room temp for 24hrs, which I assume is the same as pre-soaking (even though not adding the detergent). Have you ever done a controlled experiment to see if the pre-soaking is beneficial?
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My experiment on the 'cup of tea' method (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12088.0) found no benefit to soaking for a range of bulbous species, and in most cases the no soak seeds had a higher rate of germination.
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Anne, I did do controlled experiments many years ago and there were advantages to be gained from soaking -the unsoaked seeds did germinate but it was sporadic with some not germinating until the second year- certainly there is nothing to loose from soaking.
Matt , I drink the cup of tea while I soak the seed:-)
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My experiment on the 'cup of tea' method (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12088.0) found no benefit to soaking for a range of bulbous species, and in most cases the no soak seeds had a higher rate of germination.
Just re-read that thread, very entertaining!
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Hello, I counted the seeds of a pod of Cardiocrinum giganteum. There were 611 seeds inside. I harvested 11 pods this year ... if I sow it on the fly in the undergrowth, do you think I can get one germination ?
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Life being what it is, Fred, I'd guess, "no" !
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Maybe they will germinate and straight away be eaten!
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600 seeds x 11 pods - roughly 6,600 seeds. Probably with high viability too, so say about 5,000 seedlings.
All of which translates to about 500 very happy molluscs eating 10 seedlings each :( . Seriously Fred, I think you are much better off sowing indoors and / or exchanging surplus seed for other things.
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Seen like that ... It is true that I had not considered the parameter slugs, snails. ::)
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I believe Cardiocrinum is known to have generally poor germination rates. It was certainly true for me with my experience with C. cathayanum. I had a few come up every year for five years following planting. All tolled, that was still only, say, 5% or less. As I recall, you can't discern the embryos in the seed like you can with Lilium.
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Ian is away again, so his "assistant" is left to post his latest diary.... :)
BulbLog 4916 from Ian Young online now - Winter light, Bulbs and Troughs
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec071481109203BULB_LOG_4916.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec071481109203BULB_LOG_4916.pdf)
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Re: Cardiocrinum.
I grew C. giganteum in pots for some years, way-back. And for a couple of years sowed seed in a large pot. Always had more germinate than I knew what to do with but can't say why or how many did or didn't grow. Never occurred to me they were a problem except finding homes for them at the time. Maybe still have an odd plant or two somewhere.
Re: Sorbus in the bulb log.
Went to look at some in a local nursery today and saw a number of Sorbus aucuparia in pots. No particular variety on label, but all were grafted. Seemed odd to me. Why not grow from seed? A number of other Sorbus species there with and without varietal names. Think they were all grafted too.
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Re: Sorbus in the bulb log.
Went to look at some in a local nursery today and saw a number of Sorbus aucuparia in pots. No particular variety on label, but all were grafted. Seemed odd to me. Why not grow from seed? A number of other Sorbus species there with and without varietal names. Think they were all grafted too.
Brain,
There is the possibility that the Sorbus trees were not grafted. When I was in my 20's I budded and grafted trees for a nursery that grew commercial bare root fruit and ornamental trees. It was the standard practice to cut all (both budded and non-budded trees) of the trees down to within 5-10 cm (sometimes even more) of the ground the year before they were dug. We spray painted the grafted tree to avoid mixing them with ungrafted trees and other grafted varieties (different colors were used). In the spring we would rub out all but one of the best new shoot on the ungrafted trees. This would give us a very standardized straight trunked tree that would grade well and could easily be bundled with other trees of the same grade. These trees were routinely sold to other nurseries, containerized, and sold. The ungrafted trees would have a
'dog-leg" very similar in appearance to a grafted tree.
Maybe things are done differently in the U.K., however this is a possibility.
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Hi Robert
Yes thinking about it I can see this might be the case. Less stress on the trimmed root system when transferred to pots and a probable strong leader. Just looks odd the to see the dogleg on a species.
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This week I look back at some of the plants we grew and took to shows before I started writing the Bulb Log in 2003.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec141481715757BULB_LOG_5016.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec141481715757BULB_LOG_5016.pdf)
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Great to see some of the non bulbous plants you have grown, particularly Eriophyton wallichii, which we germinated a couple of years ago. Ours puts up one shoot then disappears underground till the following season. How long did it take you to get a show worthy plant? I also see you have Tropaeolum azureum self-seeding. We have never seen seed on our plant so assumed it is not self-fertile. I have been looking out for seed as I would love to get another plant going but it never seems to appear in seed lists.
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Ian, a good selection of well grown plants. I smiled at your comment regarding the Rhodothamnus and having to get another to try. Easily said but where are the suppliers? I have tried for years to purchase some of our own un-common native plants but it seems they are regarded as "not garden worthy" by most nurserymen.
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That is a very impressive alpine greatest hits album Ian! Do you think the first form of M. horridula might be M. rudis?
The demise of M. sherrifii is a shame. Perhaps we should all try to bank some seed of more difficult species in our freezers, in case of these kind of eventualities - especially for the monocarpic species?
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That is a very impressive alpine greatest hits album Ian! Do you think the first form of M. horridula might be M. rudis?
Yes if you go down that road but George Taylor lumped all that complex into M. horridula and I stick with that. I can add that both those forms and many other variations came from a single seed collection and subsequent seed generations displayed an equally wide variation.
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I don't blame you Ian. I think there is a sight too much splitting goes on in taxonomy with not really enough hard ecological or molecular evidence to back it up.
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Bulb log 51 includes Narcissus, Eranthis plus a link to download my E- book Erythroniums in Cultivation, 278 full colour pages on Erythroniums and how we grow them.
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec211482321225BULB_LOG_5116.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec211482321225BULB_LOG_5116.pdf)
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Cheers for that Ian. It must have been a tremendous amount of work to research it and write it up and I'm very grateful.
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Cheers for that Ian. It must have been a tremendous amount of work to research it and write it up and I'm very grateful.
Seconded.
A wonderful amount of research and a major work of reference for years to come.
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Thank you for this Christmas gift! :) :)
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Wow, Ian, thank you for this beautiful monograph.
I read it as the bulbs log, in small pieces. All of a sudden, it's great.
Nice work and nice reference. :) :) :)
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Great Christmas gift! what else to say than thank you Ian ;)
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Thank you, Ian. Christmas came early. It will be nice to have something inspiring to read these dark evenings.
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One of my favourite genera too - thanks Santa!
Seriously this looks like an amazing reference work that I'm sure I will be using for a long time.
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Congrats and thanks as well! It is very generous to freely share this amount of info you gathered over so many years. :)
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Thank you for this wonderful Christmas gift.
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The last Bulb Log of 2016 looks back at the past 12 months...
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec281482926230BULB_LOG_5216.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2016Dec281482926230BULB_LOG_5216.pdf)
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Thank you, Ian, for another great year of reading about your garden. I have learned so much from the bulb log.
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Thank you Ian for all the time and effort put into this,I must admit I have downloaded the Erythroniums in Cultivation to read at a later date,and maybe print a copy off when I have enough paper and ink ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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A fantastic effort again, Ian. Thank you so much for asking questions for us. Looking at the superb photography displayed on your front pages makes me wish for a 52 page calendar. It also makes me want to have another dip to remind me what some of the covers were about.