Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Hoy on December 04, 2021, 05:08:17 PM
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It isn't easy to do garden work these days. More snow now than I can remember for years at this time of the season. But the temperature vary between -2 and +2C.
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Trond,
Great photograph!
Yes, difficult to get much gardening done.
Here in Sacramento, California we are having the second day of persistent fog. There is a lot of condensation. The plants like it. Hopefully the change in the weather pattern will bring us some much needed precipitation and snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Right now there is basically no snow in the mountains.
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It isn't easy to do garden work these days. More snow now than I can remember for years at this time of the season...
Hi Trond,
I seem to remember someone (Northern Hemisphere obviously) describe snow as "the throw-rug that covers up the messy garden so that you can ignore it till spring"! ;)
cheers
fermi
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Trond,
Great photograph!
Yes, difficult to get much gardening done.
Here in Sacramento, California we are having the second day of persistent fog. There is a lot of condensation. The plants like it. Hopefully the change in the weather pattern will bring us some much needed precipitation and snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Right now there is basically no snow in the mountains.
Thank you, Robert.
We usually have fog in spring when the ocean still is cold and but it is rarely happens the autumn.
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Hi Trond,
I seem to remember someone (Northern Hemisphere obviously) describe snow as "the throw-rug that covers up the messy garden so that you can ignore it till spring"! ;)
cheers
fermi
Fermi, it could be a Norwegian who said it! It's very true though!
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Who needs flowers when the sunset is like this? Seems we live by the Red Sea.
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Gorgeous sunset, Trond! Thanks for sharing.
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Gorgeous sunset, Trond! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Claire!
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Who needs flowers when the sunset is like this? Seems we live by the Red Sea.
Trond, from these excellent photos you can make a beautiful Christmas card!
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Lovely pictures for us to enjoy. No more snow since a week last Sunday but very cold. Bittercress seedlings still coming through though. Lets see what Storm Barra has to offer.
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Lets see what Storm Barra has to offer.
Red wind warning (https://www.met.ie/warnings/tomorrow) here for tomorrow but only orange on Wednesday.
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Trond, from these excellent photos you can make a beautiful Christmas card!
Herman, I have thought of it!
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Wonderful pictures Trond!
Here it has been also clear and very cold this past week, -21C last night, and only a sprinkle of snow, so this winter will sort out which plants are hardy and which not after about 20 days of cold without practically no snow. Many gardeners are desperate and fear losing many plants, but I'm more optimistic. We'll see in the spring.
It should get warmer by the end of the week and even above freezing next week, at least for some days.
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Wonderful pictures Trond!
Here it has been also clear and very cold this past week, -21C last night, and only a sprinkle of snow, so this winter will sort out which plants are hardy and which not after about 20 days of cold without practically no snow. Many gardeners are desperate and fear losing many plants, but I'm more optimistic. We'll see in the spring.
It should get warmer by the end of the week and even above freezing next week, at least for some days.
Leena, -21°C that is cold! I hope that your plants will survive this.
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Wonderful pictures Trond!
Here it has been also clear and very cold this past week, -21C last night, and only a sprinkle of snow, so this winter will sort out which plants are hardy and which not after about 20 days of cold without practically no snow. Many gardeners are desperate and fear losing many plants, but I'm more optimistic. We'll see in the spring.
It should get warmer by the end of the week and even above freezing next week, at least for some days.
Thank you Leena!
-21C is very cold. Glad we don't get such temperatures here. The coldest so far is -4C but that is very cold for us at this time of the year. Now it is back to milder days and the snow melts slowly.
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Yes, it has been quite cold. I thought Norway would be colder but the sea helps you a lot.
This morning it was only -6C and next week it will be above freezing until Christmas when it drops below again.
Those warm periods before or in between cold can be very bad, if plants start to grow again. Though ground is now so deep frozen that I hope plants still think it is winter even when it gets warmer.
Hepatica japonica are protected with dry leaves, and we'll see in the spring how they survived.
Couple of pictures from yesterday.
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Nice with the snow. Leena it seems to me that you also have a lot of space for forest plants!
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Yes, it has been quite cold. I thought Norway would be colder but the sea helps you a lot.
This morning it was only -6C and next week it will be above freezing until Christmas when it drops below again.
Those warm periods before or in between cold can be very bad, if plants start to grow again. Though ground is now so deep frozen that I hope plants still think it is winter even when it gets warmer.
Hepatica japonica are protected with dry leaves, and we'll see in the spring how they survived.
Couple of pictures from yesterday.
We still have more snow than you, Leena!
Most of Norway is colder than here where I live at the west coast. In the eastern and northern parts it is much colder. In the north they have had down to almost -40C. East and south of me they have gotten tremendous amounts of snow and the railway has been blocked for a day already. The roads have also been blocked several times the last days.
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Red wind warning (https://www.met.ie/warnings/tomorrow) here for tomorrow but only orange on Wednesday.
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Just saw several reports on TV, you had very strong guts!
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Beautiful pictures Trond, so nice to see the sun even if for a few hours/day.
Leena: it got quite cold fast in your region!
In this part of Ontario, late November was mild, and December started the same, and we had a lot of rain (which of course is not good).
Then the temp. dropped and it snowed a bit.
This morning it was -9C but by Saturday we'll have 13C!!!! and probably more rain. Considering the way the winter started I don't even want to think how's going to be later on.
I didn't took many pictures lately but it went like this: Hepatica 'Winterfreude', and many others looking green and happy (Geum reptans, Erysimum witmannii....), Helleborus under rain, then some snow.
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Herman, you are right:). I have lot of space where I could still make new woodland beds under trees, though soil needs a lot of amending (it is so clay).
And someone needs to look after those new beds, too...
Trond, I envy your mild climate, but of course here it is milder than in north or east of Finland, so I should be happy:).
Gabriela, those big fluctuations in temperature are so tough on plants. I hope yours are all well in the spring.
Also here it should be warmer next week, but +5C at the most. And then again colder before Christmas.
Mostly long term forecast predicts warmer than usual winter, but it can still change suddenly.
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Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica is defying the weather
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I just read that this year beginning of December was coldest in 84 years in Helsinki.
https://twitter.com/mikarantane/status/1468545825706020870/photo/1
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Gabriela,
My plants are still mostly covered by snow! But the temperature will increase 10C during the weekend. But that's nothing compared to what you experience!
Leena,
Mild winter climate (mostly) also means the summer temperatures are low!
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Gabriela, those big fluctuations in temperature are so tough on plants. I hope yours are all well in the spring.
Also here it should be warmer next week, but +5C at the most. And then again colder before Christmas.
Mostly long term forecast predicts warmer than usual winter, but it can still change suddenly.
Yes, I imagine the plants are very confused and the rains are surely damaging, especially for the alpine type plants.
It has been a trend in the last few years, to have rains in December instead of snow and high fluctuations in temperature.
Nothing we can do but worry and hope for the best. Some species will adapt and some not...
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Leena,Mild winter climate (mostly) also means the summer temperatures are low!
That sounds perfect! Here summers have lately been too hot and dry. :)
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I enjoy all the winter garden scenes: All the gardens are very beautiful with their snow-decked look. I especially enjoy reading about the gardening challenges that each gardener faces. I am eager to learn from the specifics of each outcome. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a few species are very sensitive to a lack winter snow cover. Although sensitivity is also governed by other environmental variables, the duration of incredible heat and drought combining with a complete lack of snow cover, is having a major impact on our ecology. I will continue to report my preliminary observations. My findings will be of value to gardener.
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I enjoy all the winter garden scenes: All the gardens are very beautiful with their snow-decked look. I especially enjoy reading about the gardening challenges that each gardener faces. I am eager to learn from the specifics of each outcome. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a few species are very sensitive to a lack winter snow cover. Although sensitivity is also governed by other environmental variables, the duration of incredible heat and drought combining with a complete lack of snow cover, is having a major impact on our ecology. I will continue to report my preliminary observations. My findings will be of value to gardener.
No 'snow-decked' garden in S. Ontario Robert. I pictures yesterday to mark the day: 15C at noon on Dec. 11. I don't know if it is a record. The winter seems to begin later from year to year and then unfortunately it lasts longer into 'spring', which will probably disappear at some point.
I also watch to see how various species resist to snowless cold, periods. I like to have as much 'green' as possible in the garden. Just a few: Tiarella, Primula polyantha with Waldsteinia and Polystichim setiferum.
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Yesterday in a garden center - two interesting Citrus fruits:
Sorry, no alpine plants.
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Gabriela,
My wife, Jasmin, frequently looks at the forum with me and often adds her comments. Trond’s snowy sunset scene was quite spectacular. I enjoyed Leena’s posting with her garden dusted with snow. Our garden has no snow and is not likely to get any snow in the next 100 to 1,000 years – most likely a longer than this. I appreciate and enjoy your garden, the interesting plants you post, as well as your insightful comments.
30-40 years ago would your garden normally be covered with some degree of snow cover at this time of the year? I very much appreciate the observations made by everyone concerning the interrelationships of snow cover, or the lack of snow cover, the water content of the soil, soil textures, temperatures fluctuations, and how specific species respond to the many variables as well as the overall performance of the garden ecosystem.
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The winter seems to begin later from year to year and then unfortunately it lasts longer into 'spring', which will probably disappear at some point.
It´s similar in our western part of Germany: in the nineties the ground was often frozen in October, the new millenium started with hardly any frost before Christmas. Our winters became milder and milder, yet the periods of sharp frost start in the second half of February nowadays. This means many plants like hellebores are well advanced then and tend to get harmed by the cold and onfollowing damage due to botrytis.
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Mariette,
We too are having the same general late spring, killing frost pattern. Climatic patterns have changed over the past 40 years. Currently, mid-winter temperatures can be extremely mild. Many hardy plant species, including native species, begin to break dormancy. This weather is too often followed by an acute, short-duration cold spell of freezing temperatures. The temperatures are not extreme; however because the plants have broken dormancy, many can be severely damaged. In some cases, hardy woody species are killed to the ground. The impacts are very dramatic.
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It snowed at our Placerville property for the first time since February 2019.
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As one can see from the photographs, it is only a light dusting of snow. The last major snow event at our Placerville property occurred in December of 2010. Consistent snow events with consistent snow cover ended in the 1980’s.
Jasmin's comments:
In those days, depth could range from 8” to 20”. How much we took for granted—and even rued if we were stuck in it--that we now miss! As gardeners, we all have our complaints about the weather. Jasmin and I wonder if we knew then what we know now, would we have a changed attitude? Since that is impossible, we can only see life as an adventure, with the destination yet to be revealed. Gardeners have always needed a flexible mindset and resiliency, enough attachment to care deeply, and sufficient equanimity to let go when confronted by the obvious failure or demise of certain plants. It has taken us all these years to reach this state. We once attempted to hold on to certain plants, or replace them, or have back-ups to potential plant deaths. Now, we enjoy and love what we have, for as long as it lives and is in our lives. We still do everything we can, and are willing to learn from our mistakes; however, the persistence to hold on and unwillingness to let go is gone. Now, we are open, and envision something more appropriate for the changing situation as it evolves.
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It´s interesting to learn that we share the same problems in so different parts of the world. Thank You for Your contributions, Robert and Jasmin!
Over here, the weather is still very mild, we enjoyed 12 °C the last days.
Buddleja x weyeriana ´Sungold´is still in flower, accompanied by the hips and buds of a climbing rose, ´Sutter´s Gold´.
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A Geranium nodosum developed a nice leaf-colour in autumn, unlike its brethren.
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It's also spring here, i hope we won't have severe late frosts
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Picture is a container full of rooted cuttings of Prunus mume with many flower buds getting ready to open. In many ways, Prunus mume is our harbinger of the new-year. As discussed by Ian Young in his Bulb-Log, we grow many trees in our small garden as bonsai. Prunus mume is a must for us. The sweetly scented flowers are a delight and we make ume pickled plums from the fruit.
Mariette,
I remember selling Sutter’s Gold roses at a nursery during the mid-1970’s. Seeing a photograph of this variety in your garden caught my attention.
Yann,
Have spring-like conditions prevailed in your region for the whole autumn season? Or have there been periods of both warm and cold temperatures? Hope that your garden is doing well and adjusts well to changing climatic conditions.
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Here in Norway we have in average (1991-2020) 22 fewer winter days now compared to the 1961-1990 average. The spring comes earlier and the fall lasts longer. But we can still have rather cold periods in winter even here at the coast.
Although I always look forward to the first flowers in spring I'm always anxious as we will certainly have late frosts! The native plants here at the coast are used to mild and cold periods so they rely mostly of the daylength but exotic plants seemingly rely more on temperature to decide whether it is spring or not.
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Frost overnight despite the weather forecast saying it would be 6C. Bright sunshine today and lots of shrubs budding up for a hopefully colourful spring.
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30-40 years ago would your garden normally be covered with some degree of snow cover at this time of the year?.
Yes, there would have been more snow then, and also snow lasted longer. I remember in 1990 was very unusual in that we could dig in the garden already in April. Usually it was in the first week of May. Also in the 90's it was usual that first frosts came at the end of August (though not winter) and we rarely had beans and zucchini growing in September. Winters have become shorter in the past ten years though the change started earlier.
Robert, your garden looks so nice, I like all the trees in the garden. Here we have to have open space for vegetables, in the shade growing season is still too short, but in your garden trees probably shelter from the heat in summer.
I liked what Yasmin wrote earlier, something to think about and learn!
Mariette and Yann, you have such nice weather still!
Here the past week has been warmer, above freezing and even +5 one day, and it rained two days so the little snow we had is gone, but ground is still frozen deep.
It is now turning colder, and Friday there was so nice frost in plants that I took some pictures.
Coming week will be around -10 or colder, and there will be snow at the end of the week, so we will most likely have white Christmas:).
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Couple more pictures.
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Arum italicum. Holding it's own in the weather.
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Leena,
You are very accurate! Many of our “sun” plants benefit greatly from the diffuse sunlight provided by the light shade canopy provided by our trees. This keys into my discussion of photoinhibition. Most of our trees are fruit trees. They provide delightful fresh tree-ripened fruit. Both ornamental as well as food crops grow healthily and productively under the fruit trees. The light shade helps our plants in many ways: For example, the light shade of the fruit trees helps ameliorate the worst impacts of mosaic virus on Cucurbita maxima and C. pepo species. Higher levels of squash production can be maintained despite mosaic virus infection. Many ornamental species benefit from the diffuse light too.
BTW – I enjoyed the photographs of the frosted/frozen leaves of various species in your garden. Such scenes remind me of frozen perennial species in the high elevation portions of the Sierra Nevada before the autumn snow begins to accumulate. It is such a serene time to be in the mountains. It is so quiet. The insects are gone and most of the birds have moved to warmer locations. Sometimes the wind can be heard whispering through the trees. It is a pleasant ambiance to bring back into the garden. Thank you for sharing.
[Jasmin adds: You mentioned you could not have so many trees, as it would diminish what sun you do receive. Have you considered niwaki? Through training and shaping the tree or trees, you can limit the size and impact. It can be like a bonsai, except in the ground, which is more suited to your climate. Although niwaki can encompass many sizes, we have a variety. It is critical to balance a certain neglect with a vision of what you would like, and what your larger garden vision is. We had to remove a number of trees because we had not been able to tend them during our years of caregiving. Some grew too large. A number of beloved plants were lost, not just to climate, including the horrible fires and their smothering fog of smoke, but to neglect. While there are ones I can live without and do not miss, others still hold a place in my heart. Since I am a spiritual person, I think they are in Heaven somewhere, waiting for me to enjoy them once again. The ones I most miss, that I wish we had been able to keep alive in containers, were the Pakistani mulberry (oh, the delicious fruit!) and the Cupressus cashmeriana which got much too large for our space, and the Rhododendron lutescens which did not enjoy air pollution. However, I loved its sweet yellow flowers greeting us whenever we returned home (We had it just outside our garden gate, dividing the front and back gardens). I am indeed sentimental, feeling no less loss for beloved plants, than for beloved companion animals, or human loved ones. Lately, Robert is the main gardener, as I have a very large project I plan to complete, concerning avian health care, that is taking a great deal of my time. Bless my husband for taking on being my “wife” in certain areas so I can do this!]
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Jasmin (Robert),
I hadn't heard of Pakistani mulberry. It seems to be a cross (Morus alba x rubra) common in USA but not here. I have recently planted mulberries at my summer house but not this breed! Seems it is not available in Norway.
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Tronnd
I've read about the Pakistani Mulberry.
I just planted two weeping Morus nigra.
The Pakistani one is not hardy here in Eastern USA. So I doubt it would be hardy for you.
The fruit have the highest percentage of Resveratrol of any fruit.
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Tronnd
I've read about the Pakistani Mulberry.
I just planted two weeping Morus nigra.
The Pakistani one is not hardy here in Eastern USA. So I doubt it would be hardy for you.
The fruit have the highest percentage of Resveratrol of any fruit.
Arnold,
Some sources say it is hardy in US Z6-9.
But I can't test it since I can't get it here!
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Trond
Here's where I purchased my weeping Mulberry from.
http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/trees/Mulberries/
They state hardy in our zone 7-9.
I'm a bit colder than 7 at times.
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It never ceases to amaze me just how knowledgeable Forumists are.
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Trond
Here's where I purchased my weeping Mulberry from.
http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/trees/Mulberries/
They state hardy in our zone 7-9.
I'm a bit colder than 7 at times.
Arnold,
We rarely have colder than Z7 here, neither at my summer house nor at home. But we lack the warm summers you have. It's warmer at my summer house though than at home.
I don't think I can import plants from USA, I need a phyto and most companies don't provide it.
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My Mulberry tree is covered in Christmas lights at present. We used a number of this years fruit to make Mulberry Vodka. About 3 litres (vodka) from memory; and you can still eat the fruit after drinking it ;-) It's great with ice cream.
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Nice to see some snow. Here we have typical dutch weather, first a warm, grey week, followed by a few freezing, but sunny days and now it’s autumn again. Pretty standard dutch weather, flowering seems a little less standard.
1 ‘The garden’ Crocus laevigatus fontenayi, Narcissus cantabricus nylon group and a late Galanthus reginae-olgae.
2 Colchicum Harlekijn ?Speciosum? Never noticed it before in the park and now there’s about twenty. Spot (my dog) and I come here nearly everyday, very beautiful and she’s allowed unleashed. A friend reminded me of the work that has been done there, it might have come with earth they used. Late?
3/4 looks like Scilla Mischtschenkoana blown away in an effort to clean up the autumn leaves. Found just one (and more leaves), a bit early. Some snowdrops (Elwesii) around as well and a lot to come. It’s in an old churchyard (northside) known for very early Eranthis, just started visiting it april last year.
5 Muscari in a small garden, ok it’s growing almost against the house, but still a bit early.
In my pots got Colchicums almost ready to open up, at least they’ve read the timetable.
So far, winter is pretty good.
Proost on the Mulberry wodka and a merry christmas.
Akke
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Yesterday, between rainstorms, I cleaned up the beds along the path out to our compost pile.
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There were some common old-fashioned Paper-white Narcissus that grew by our back fence. I rarely saw them when they bloomed, nor was I out to enjoy their fragrance. Yesterday, I moved them along this path to the compost. Now I can enjoy their fragrance and flowers every time I go out into the garden, but first they need to recover from transplanting.
I also used this opportunity to plant out a few other items along the path – Sisyrinchium idahoense and Allium validium. I have spent time removing the weedy Sisyrinchium species and hybrids from our garden. These days I grow only our local California native species, Sisyrinchium bellum, S. elmeri, and S. idahoense. They all do quite well in our garden and are not weedy. Allium validium, Swamp Onion, likes summer moisture. It is easy-to-grow in our garden and provides pink flowers in the late spring-early summer. I do grow some of our local native dryland Allium species. They too do well in our garden; however they need to be kept 100% dry during the summer.
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I was very surprised to see the first Galanthus flowers emerging. The weather has been stormy with below average temperatures. Jasmin was wary of any Galanthus in the garden, but just these few have not received her wrath.
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The weather has been very wintery for the last few weeks (relative to our climatic conditions!) [Jasmin says, it is like when she was a child]. The rainy weather continues with abundant snowfall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We may have a big weather related surprise in a few days. The NWS is forecasting a slight chance of snow for Sacramento! Yes, Sacramento, California. It has been over 40 years since it last snowed in Sacramento. I remembered walking to college classes over a lawn covered with snow. That was a long time ago! [Jasmin remembers she was ill and her parents brought the snow in a dish for her to play with. Her mother would put it in the freezer just long enough to keep its consistency. Snow was so very common back then, even in California. Maybe not like in the state of New York, or Vienna or Mariazell, Austria, but plenty deep in the foothills and mountains.] Stay tuned. I will keep you posted.
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Good to see you have had some rain, Robert. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
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Happy Christmas!
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[Jasmin adds: You mentioned you could not have so many trees, as it would diminish what sun you do receive. ---- We had to remove a number of trees because we had not been able to tend them during our years of caregiving. Some grew too large. A number of beloved plants were lost, not just to climate, including the horrible fires and their smothering fog of smoke, but to neglect.
My garden is quite big, our whole property is 4 hectares (mostly trees and bushes), and about one hectare is now inside the fence. The actual garden is much smaller (yet too big). There has been too much (real) work so that I haven't been able to take care of it properly and so many plants have died from being smothered by weeds and such. There are a lot of trees, native trees and also apple trees and plum trees (which I don't like so much because they spread underground, and are very difficult to get rid of), and they have grown faster than we have been able to control them. There was a time about 20 years ago when I got interested in bush roses, and thought that they are easy and don't need so much time from me. That was true partly, and the ones which were most tough and hardy survived, but many also died.
However most of the garden is shady or semi-shady and roses don't like that much, so they are not ideal plants in my garden, but some wild roses do well, and I like especially ones like Rosa pendula, Rosa majalis and such, only the hardiest roses.
The only part of the garden which gets sun all day is our vegetable garden and polytunnel, but I kind of wished there was more sunny places to grow more strawberries and such. It is very difficult for me to cut down mature trees, they are older than me, and cut down, I will never have such big trees any more. So it is either trees, or big rose bushes or vegetables. Maybe some rose bushes have to go...
In the past ten years I have found out that woodland plants grow best in my garden, and especially bulbs (snowdrops!), and Helleborus, Epimediums and such. They give me so much joy in spring!!
And so the woodland beds areas have gone bigger every year, and those are plants which I will concentrate most. Next year I will retire from work (actually in the end of January so only a month until that) and then there will be all the time for the garden! I can't wait next spring:).
It has been cold again, last night -18C and forecast says the beginning of January will be 6-10C colder than average for this time of year. Yesterday we got 5cm snow and more will come next week, so it is now white Christmas. Here are two pictures taken yesterday. The first shows my vegetable beds and the second is from the woodland part of the garden.
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Nice to see some snow. Here we have typical dutch weather, first a warm, grey week, followed by a few freezing, but sunny days and now it’s autumn again. Pretty standard dutch weather, flowering seems a little less standard.
Akke, it is so nice to see your flowering plants! I wouldn't mind if it was autumn here again:).
It is also nice to see plants from California, I hope coming cold doesn't damage them too much.
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Finland to all forumists.
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Beautiful winter-like and also spring-like pictures shown here for December.
In SW Ontario the weather remained mild, with few, short plunges in temp., a bit of snow and always back to rain.
For Christmas day: 6C and rain. We will see what the New Year brings.
Happy Holidays for all forumists with Androsace villosa ssp. taurica. May all your seeds germinate in 2022!
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What a clever idea, Stefan.
Your wooden form and glass Christmas balls look as though they are decorating
the big evergreen tree outside your window.
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In the past ten years I have found out that woodland plants grow best in my garden, and especially bulbs (snowdrops!)
There are a lot of nice bulbs that don’t mind or even like the shade, so I imagine you have a very nice woodland garden.
My own ‘garden’ as I call it is just a big tub, got most in of the plants in pots (at least easy to give shelter if frost gets a bit more serious like this weekend, they just skated the first marathon on natural ice). Happily I can share in big public and small private gardens nearby, including a very pleasant woodland glacier of Galanthus nivalis and a woodland carpet of Corydalis cava and Allium ursinum.
Merry christmas
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Thank you Akke. :) You are right, that there are so many wonderful woodland plants and bulbs which do well here, and which I have "found" only in the past 10 years. I'm a fan of Ian's Bulb Log, and try to grow many plants from seeds so that they would better acclimatize here :).
I envy the natural snowdrops in European countries, it is so nice that you can see them in the nature over there.
Also growing in pots is easier over there, and you can have so many in a small space. Here if I have something in pots, I have to move them to root cellar for the winter because left outside (even in the ground in pots), I have lost many plants. Maybe I haven't just found the right way to overwinter them outside, because plants which grow in woodland beds come through winters mostly fine. The problem with root cellar (besides having to cart pots in and out) is that even if the temperature is there close to zero celsius, some plants tend to start to grow too early.
Gabriela, I hope winter will be mild this year over there while ours seem to colder than usual.
It seems that weather is almost always opposite than ours. If you have mild winter, we have colder one, or the opposite:).
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Cold weather (for us) has set in and is forecasted to persist into the first part of the New Year. We grow a few frost tender species, and they are well protected from the cold weather. Our remaining garden plants are cold hardy. This winter our garden has entered a true sleepy dormancy with few plants blooming at this time.
Leena,
Thank you for taking the time to elaborate on your gardening situation and endeavors. I [we] now have a much better understanding of your garden. For you, spring and new growth must be months away; however I find beauty in the snow-covered garden and the frosted plants. Hopefully no harm will come to them.
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Thank you Akke. :) You are right, that there are so many wonderful woodland plants and bulbs which do well here, and which I have "found" only in the past 10 years. I'm a fan of Ian's Bulb Log, and try to grow many plants from seeds so that they would better acclimatize here :).
I envy the natural snowdrops in European countries, it is so nice that you can see them in the nature over there.
Also growing in pots is easier over there, and you can have so many in a small space. Here if I have something in pots, I have to move them to root cellar for the winter because left outside (even in the ground in pots), I have lost many plants. Maybe I haven't just found the right way to overwinter them outside, because plants which grow in woodland beds come through winters mostly fine. The problem with root cellar (besides having to cart pots in and out) is that even if the temperature is there close to zero celsius, some plants tend to start to grow too early.
Gabriela, I hope winter will be mild this year over there while ours seem to colder than usual.
It seems that weather is almost always opposite than ours. If you have mild winter, we have colder one, or the opposite:).
Same situations with the pots here Leena, and everywhere else in cold temperate zones. I used to cart some in the garage, but then of course they start to grow too early and they have no light. I've planted as much as possible in the ground last summer and only few pots with 2 years old seedlings remained in the cold frame. In the garage just few Dahlia tubers this time.
The forecast for January shows cold weather and unfortunately with no serious snow in sight. We will have rain for New Year's day, just like on Christmas before everything starts freezing.
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Cold weather (for us) has set in and is forecasted to persist into the first part of the New Year. We grow a few frost tender species, and they are well protected from the cold weather. Our remaining garden plants are cold hardy. This winter our garden has entered a true sleepy dormancy with few plants blooming at this time.
Beautiful picture Robert, your winter garden looks so much different than ours.
I've heard that parts of Sierra Nevada have been blessed with large amounts of snow recently. A bit of good news I guess.
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Leena,
Thank you for taking the time to elaborate on your gardening situation and endeavors. I [we] now have a much better understanding of your garden. For you, spring and new growth must be months away; however I find beauty in the snow-covered garden and the frosted plants. Hopefully no harm will come to them.
Robert, I agree that snow covered garden is very beautiful:). Here my gardening season is mostly from April until end of October, or sometimes until late November so only about 7 months or eight at the best. It is a month or more longer than 30 years ago when snow melted mostly in the end of April, so that is something good:). Snowdrops are the first to push through snow and most of them can take freezing temperatures well, so that is why I love the little white flowers :). If winter is mild there may be already flowering snowdrops in late February or early March even here. There is also so much variation in them, and it is so interesting to observe them when there is nothing else growing yet.
Until then, I enjoy seeing pictures from gardens in milder climate.
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Today, 29 December, is overcast, dark, with a steady rain falling. Yesterday, I was able to get out into the garden briefly to work before the overcast and rain set in again.
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Personally, it works for me to consider the winter solstice as the beginning of the next gardening season. Right now there is not much action in our semi-shaded garden beds. Many bulbs are emerging from the ground, and even a few Galanthus are now blooming. Here and there are a few stray, out-of-season flowers, such as the red azalea flower seen to the right and up in the photo.
To the left is the regrowth of a Magnolia kobus. We liked its flowers—the scent was divine; however it was getting far too tall and casting too dense a shade, impacting the other plants. We cut the tree down to ground level and are now attempting to prune the Magnolia to keep it 2 meters tall or less. This requires summer and winter pruning, as well as a little bit of luck.
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This is another semi-shaded garden bed. The tree in the center is a Magnolia stellata. This magnolia is easy to keep small and it blooms consistently. Its flowers also have a lovely scent. It also serves to support taller lilies, such as Lilium regale, and Lilium pardalinum, which are planted nearby.
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More or less on schedule, the first of the Hoop-Petticoat Narcissus are beginning to open.
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The first Viola of the season has opened. Yes I know, they are grown by the billions and sold almost everywhere (at least in California), never the less, I have always liked them and will continue to grow them from seed.
To make things interesting, I breed and maintain my own distinct varieties. There are many valuable plant characteristics that a non-professional can pursue. In addition, they are easy to work with and provide general ideas on how the breeding system and genome of the Genus functions. I find it is a valuable springboard toward more challenging projects such as breeding our local California native Viola species.
Gabriela,
All the rain and snow in California is a huge blessing! This current weather was once our normal, average weather!
Another year of severe drought would have created an enormous economic and environmental catastrophe the likes of which nobody has seen. The human portion of the catastrophe will arrive sooner or later unless a miracle happens, but for now it has been delayed.
BTW – Details of our current weather and climatic conditions can be accessed in the Plants, Ecosystems, and Climate – Northern California section of the SRGC Forum.
Leena,
I like the Snowdrops too. We have only two types in our garden. I do grow some from seed to see if anything new comes. [Jasmin’s comments] So long as there are just a few around, well dispersed in the garden with other bulbs and ornamentals, Jasmin does not mind. She is not a fan: she gives them the Evil Eye. She has said as much that they tempt her to put on a burnie and grab her broadsword to thwack. She knows her attitude would earn her the wrath of many on the Forum. She just added that she thinks that they all look the same. [Robert’s comment] I have many challenges as a gardener! :o ;D
Our part of California is a horticultural desert. The same boring, commodified plants that were sold 50 years ago are still sold at the few local so-called nurseries that are still in business. All the quality nurseries in our area went out of business years ago. I find growing and developing our local California native species is very rewarding, immensely fascinating and full of untapped possibilities.
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Today in our garden; unbelieveable +16°.
Happy New Year to all of you.
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Today in our garden; unbelieveable +16°.
Happy New Year to all of you.
The Cyclamen seem to enjoy the weather.
Also the temp. in SW Ontario tomorrow = 5C. I'm sure the winter will return with a revenge, it always does in our region.
Happy New Year to you and all forumists.
Gabriela,
All the rain and snow in California is a huge blessing! This current weather was once our normal, average weather!
Another year of severe drought would have created an enormous economic and environmental catastrophe the likes of which nobody has seen. The human portion of the catastrophe will arrive sooner or later unless a miracle happens, but for now it has been delayed.
BTW – Details of our current weather and climatic conditions can be accessed in the Plants, Ecosystems, and Climate – Northern California section of the SRGC Forum.
Thanks Robert, I noticed your new posting; I still have some catching up to do with various threads. Didn't spend too much time here during the fall.
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Rudi, how nice to be able to see flowering cyclamen this time of year!
Our part of California is a horticultural desert. The same boring, commodified plants that were sold 50 years ago are still sold at the few local so-called nurseries that are still in business. All the quality nurseries in our area went out of business years ago.
Robert, it is the same here, and new restrictions to importing plants from outside EU is making even more difficult to get a variety of plants.
I envy that you are able to start your gardening year already, your soil looks so fresh and moist now after you have gotten rains.
I know how most people see snowdrops just one small white flower, but to me they are much more:).
Here is a 13 min video (sorry, I speak only Finnish in it) I took last mid April from my favourite woodland area, where snowdrops were at the peak of flowering, the same with crocuses, and Hepaticas were just starting to flower.
What is more lovely than snowdrops swaying gently in spring sun!
About the video, crocuses are not very naturalistic looking, unfortunately. They have increased well from only a few corms, and I should have divided them, but I don't know where the time goes in the spring.. and then it is too late, and I can't find them anymore. Next spring they need to be divided!
https://youtu.be/YQ8r5ssflQc
Happy New Year!
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Rudi, how nice to be able to see flowering cyclamen this time of year!
Robert, it is the same here, and new restrictions to importing plants from outside EU is making even more difficult to get a variety of plants.
I envy that you are able to start your gardening year already, your soil looks so fresh and moist now after you have gotten rains.
I know how most people see snowdrops just one small white flower, but to me they are much more:).
Here is a 13 min video (sorry, I speak only Finnish in it) I took last mid April from my favourite woodland area, where snowdrops were at the peak of flowering, the same with crocuses, and Hepaticas were just starting to flower.
What is more lovely than snowdrops swaying gently in spring sun!
About the video, crocuses are not very naturalistic looking, unfortunately. They have increased well from only a few corms, and I should have divided them, but I don't know where the time goes in the spring.. and then it is too late, and I can't find them anymore. Next spring they need to be divided!
Happy New Year!
Leena, beautiful video! Thanks for showing. Your Hepatica's are growing very well even the japonica forms. The mix with Hepatica's, Galanthus and Crocus is beautiful. Now it's looking forward to next spring, it will take a while for you.
Today here it was 15°C it feels like spring but that is also too early.
Happy New Year!
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Leena, what a lovely way to enjoy plants at the end of the year - with your beautiful video of those Spring flowers- it gives us great hopes for 2022 to see them again!
Happy New Year!
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Thank you Herman and Maggi:). I took videos just so that I can watch them in winter and dream and plan for spring.
Herman, 15C seems really like spring, I hope your plants don't grow too much during this warm spell, so that they won't be damaged later if it turns colder.
But I guess your plants are used to temperatures going up and down.
Maggi, this time of year everything is possible in a gardeners mind. All plants will be coming through winter well, and spring is full of promise, and nothing has died over winter yet:).
And then when the real spring comes, even if some plants haven't made it, there are so many others which have, that I forget soon any losses.
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... Here is a 13 min video (sorry, I speak only Finnish in it) I took last mid April from my favourite woodland area, where snowdrops were at the peak of flowering, the same with crocuses, and Hepaticas were just starting to flower...
That's a lovely video Leena. The honeybees are busy & plants are all beautiful including your Helleborus niger (?) clone which looks very happy.
Happy New Year to you too.
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Hi Leena,
Great Video!
It is full of ideas and inspiration.
Rudi – Herman,
16 C and 15 C !
Yesterday, 30 December, it was 10 C at our garden in Sacramento, California. Most of last week it was between 5.6 C and 7.0 C for daytime high temperatures with overcast skies and rain. I guess this would be considered mild weather in Northern Europe, but for us it is finally winter after many winters with drought and much warmer wintertime temperatures.
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Beautiful garden Leena, I imagine you’re looking forward to spring. And for me the Finnish gives a bit of extra.
News about extreme weather made the dutch news, Robert but it doesn’t sound to bad at your place. Like Rudi and Herman, temperatures here are (record) high. Ornithogalum sigmoideum sort of exploded. It looks like there’ s also some unexpected seedlings.
Happy new year
(Enjoying a loud but quiet evening at home because of my firework-disliking dog)
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Great video Leena! The long dream of spring has begun :)
I tried to add a video with New Year 'flowers-fireworks' but unfortunately it wasn't possible; I never try to add a video before.
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Thank you, Leena. Such a treat to see your flowers, and hear all the bird songs.
Diane
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Thank you, all :):
plants are all beautiful including your Helleborus niger (?) clone which looks very happy.
It is H.niger or a hybrid of H.niger. I have gotten it as a Christmas present some years ago, and it was bought from a supermarket here without any name.
It has never produced seeds here, not even last year when I know there were bees in the flowers.
My other seed grown H.niger-plants produce seeds every year, but they also start to flower a bit later.
The one in the video starts to flower early, but not as early as 'Josef Lemper' or 'Jacob' which almost always lose their flowers during winter.
This nameless one had big flower buds already in early December when the cold spell started without snow (-22C at the coldest), and I will see in the spring how the buds are then. Now they are under snow.
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Thank you Leena. My mother grew a beautiful old clone shared between small farm gardens in her home area which later decorated our Christmas table every year through my childhood. Subsequently that plant was lost & several replacements from commercial sources disappeared after the first season so I must try again from seed.
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Ashley, I have several clones of H.niger, and there are differences in them. Some are clearly more short-lived than others, and there are also differences in their time of flowering. The first start in December (and get damaged by the winter here, but they may be very good plants in warmer climates, and prolong Helleborus season), and the latest one always starts to flower in late April. I have grown it now for ten years, and it is always late, no matter where I plant it.
One of the best is H.niger which I have grown from Holubeck seeds (from Italy). It starts to flower in April as soon as snow melts (it may flower earlier in warmer climates, but it is cold hardy also here), and always flowers well and grows well. Also it has red tips in carpels (the other clones I have have green tips) which makes it look a little different. It always produces plenty of seeds, and if you want, I can send them to you next summer:).
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Thanks again Leena; that's very kind. With luck I'll have something interesting to offer you in return.
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Ashley, I made a note of H.niger seeds to you next summer, so that I don't forget:).