Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Diane Whitehead on March 01, 2016, 02:52:24 AM
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A 40 year old Synthyris reniformis that blooms every year in winter, unmolested by deer which
don't like getting their noses in the dirt.
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Beautiful Diane.
We have them scattered all over our property but none up here at the house. Need to remedy that!
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Lovely plant, Diane.
I got Synthyris missurica stellata seeds from seed exchange this year, I hope they germinates in the spring and grow well here. It is plant which I didn't even know existed until I saw it here in the forum. :)
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Spring has certainly arrived here in our part of California.
A few of the many plants blooming in the garden.
Corylopsis pauciflora - one of a number of species blooming in our garden now. This plant is about 35 years old and makes a spectacular display of flowers each year. I like the foliage too.
Crocus tommasinianus - more like I bought it as such. They bloom a bit later than some of our other Crocus and seem quite happy in this sand bed. Some of the Crocus do not last in our garden. Maybe they do not like the long dry heat of California - Maybe Virus? :-\ Anyway, I grow some Crocus from seed now and enjoy what I can from the purchased plants in the mean time. :)
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A few more photographs from the garden today.
Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn' - 30 to 40 years old and full of flowers right now. I never water it during the summer and it thrives. An excellent variety.
Arctostaphylos 'Sunset' - A good compact grower. The flowers are okay and the coppery-red new growth each spring is very nice. This specimen is about 30 to 40 years old too and about 1 meter tall. This one gets some irrigation during the summer, but I am sure it would be just as happy without any irrigation during the summer at all.
Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii in its native habitat on the farm property. I encourage them to grow and spread. There are thousands now. It is awesome! 8) 8) 8) Now that I have stewardship of the property I am attempting to reestablish many of the other native wildflowers to the farm property.
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A 40 year old Synthyris reniformis that blooms every year in winter, unmolested by deer which
don't like getting their noses in the dirt.
Very nice, Diane! I have tried to establish Synthyris in my garden but they disappear after some years. I don't know why ???
Do I spot a pink Viola odorata to the right?
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Robert,
I like P. hendersonii in the lawn! (or meadow?)
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My synthyris is in a place that is never disturbed - between a camellia and a rhododendron - so there is never the danger of digging it out accidentally.
Yes, for some reason pink Viola odorata does better than purple ones.
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Robert,
I like P. hendersonii in the lawn! (or meadow?)
Trond,
In a meadow. :)
Primula hendersonii, as do some of the other western Dodecatheon, needs to be kept dry during the summer dormant period. They grow in the shade so dryness, but not baking in the sun, is necessary.
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Camellia season is getting underway here (although the Sasanquas have been blooming all winter). I know some people dislike camellias - Christopher Lloyd is reported as one, although they grow at Great Dixter. I like them, and here is Camellia x williamsii 'Waterlily'
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My synthyris is in a place that is never disturbed - between a camellia and a rhododendron - so there is never the danger of digging it out accidentally.
Are you saying this is the original plant and it has not increased or been propagated from, Diane? I will treat my 2 plants with more respect now if that is the case.
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First snow are awaited, so before the 3m snowfall cover the plants ;D i'm taking a walk in the garden.
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Hope there is not too much snow, Yann.
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Finally 0 mm of snow, forecast crews are liars ;D
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Finally 0 mm of snow, forecast crews are liars ;D
But Yann your first post said you were expecting 3M of snow, obviously yor forecast people didn't believe you and did something about it!
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First snow are awaited, so before the 3m snowfall cover the plants ;D i'm taking a walk in the garden.
Finally 0 mm of snow, forecast crews are liars ;D
No, just a little miscalculation. I got it here - 3mm ;) and it melted during the day.
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Ipheion dialystemon in the greenhouse.
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Nice Chris, mine is conspicuous by it's absence this year.
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Thanks, David.
This is a new model. Let's hope I can replicate and duplicate it next year.
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Are you saying this is the original plant and it has not increased or been propagated from, Diane? I will treat my 2 plants with more respect now if that is the case.
Yes. I guess seeds could have been dropping, and I'm not sure about origin of the white one. The relevant page in my garden maps book has disappeared.
Diane
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Today I felt spring has arrived at last! Although not more than 8C it was nice sun and just a gentle breeze.
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It's been fairly Spring-like here today, makes a nice change.
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Today I felt spring has arrived at last! Although not more than 8C it was nice sun and just a gentle breeze.
It really looks like spring there Trond! Seems that southern Ontario is also in a warming trend. Corydalis solida are showing up, also first Helleborus and one of my favourite sign of spring - in the image. I won't say what it is; let's have it as a riddle ;D (hint the violet colour will persist only until the leaves start unfolding; yellow flowers).
Sorry, i don't know what happened with the first image.
[attach=2]
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Skunk cabbage?
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I thought perhaps Scopolia? Though mine are not so brightly colored.
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Camellia 'Cornish Snow' (left) and Camellia transnokoensis (right) have been flowering for weeks.
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Can't speak for Cornish camellias as we haven't been over the bridge for the past few weeks but it seems to me that some Devon camellias are barely getting going yet.
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Skunk cabbage?
Sorry, I should have mentioned it's in my garden.
I thought perhaps Scopolia? Though mine are not so brightly colored.
Yes Leena! It is the yellow flowered S. carniolica var. brevifolia. I grow it mainly for this spring 'violet' appearance, although it has many other qualities, the most important being its super-hardiness :)
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I would never guess Scopolia. My plants are always green even in early spring.
Have to take a look tomorrow!
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Interesting, Gabriela. It's quite a different colour than my "regular" Scopolia carniolica (not emerged yet), which is dark greenish-purple:
[attach=1]
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Interesting, Gabriela. It's quite a different colour than my "regular" Scopolia carniolica (not emerged yet), which is dark greenish-purple:
(Attachment Link)
This one is also nice Lori. In my former tiny garden I had to make tough decisions about what species to have but now I plan to also plant the 'regular' species. Extremely nice plants for early spring in cold regions - and it often happens to see the first bumblebee of the season on Scopolia flowers :)
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This one is also nice Lori. In my former tiny garden I had to make tough decisions about what species to have but now I plan to also plant the 'regular' species. Extremely nice plants for early spring in cold regions - and it often happens to see the first bumblebee of the season on Scopolia flowers :)
Wow, mine doesn't bloom until the end of May or early June. I guess yours must be much earlier?
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Can't speak for Cornish camellias as we haven't been over the bridge for the past few weeks but it seems to me that some Devon camellias are barely getting going yet.
Ralph, we did manage to get over the bridge today for a few hours at Lanhydrock, the wounds it suffered as a result of last Wednesdays storm only too easy to see. There were Camellias out, but I had expected more and a lot of flowers were well weather-beaten. One or two Rhododendron were out with lots more to come as well as some of the taller Magnolias (some of which were over) again with many still to come. I'll add a few pictures:-
Camellia 'Cornish Snow' a larger plant than your's Ralph but a bit sparse in the flowering department. Not an easy one to photograph.
Rhodo and Camellia
unlabelled Camellia
same unlabelled Camellia close-up
Big Rhodo
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Just a few more from Lanhydrock:-
Rhododendron arboreum 'Roseum'
close up of above
tall Magnolias, the very Devil to picture
a view over Lanhydrock
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In the garden today
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Wow, mine doesn't bloom until the end of May or early June. I guess yours must be much earlier?
The yellow variety can start blooming in late April here after a mild winter year (like this one :)
Maggi - nothing says spring better than your images!
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RE: Reply #34 - same snowdrops much more open today - scent is lovely in the warm sun.
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Iris reticulata
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This hellebore came from MacPlants - I love the soft yellow and it is clumping well.
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Crocus herbertii
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Very nice Maggi!
I wish it had been like that over here today but how long was Adam in Paradise? The lovely sun from Friday disappeared in fog and drizzle :(
We went for a walk in stead of gardening.
The biggest freshwater lake; Aksdalsvatnet, is just a couple of km away. It is 3.5 sq km. The surface is just 18m above sea level.
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Aksdalsvatnet. Lots of fish (trout, arctic char and eel. Also an El Dorado for waterfowl.
The surroundings contain a lot of bogs and small creeks.
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Typical wetland area. Good for wildlife but difficult to cross by foot!
On higher ground but still boggy due to the wet coastal climate.
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Tussocks of tufted bullrush (Trichophorum caespitosum) is very common around here. Interspersed with heath (Calluna vulgaris and Erica tetralix)
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The new walking trail was finished 2 years ago. You can see remnants of the old in the 2nd pic in the post above.
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The fence is to keep sheep away from the trail. A lot of people bike and other walk their dogs here.
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Old and new fence.
Polytrichum commune and P formosum are very common, especially in the shadow of the birch trees on moist ground.
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The soil is very poor so mosses outcompete other plants.
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Fine atmospheric shot of the lake, Trond and a good range of colours in the old grasses too.
I think I may have spoken too soon about the weather here - all sunshine gone now - wind rising, temperature dropping fast. :-\
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Fine atmospheric shot of the lake, Trond and a good range of colours in the old grasses too.
I think I may have spoken too soon about the weather here - all sunshine gone now - wind rising, temperature dropping fast. :-\
At least it lasted to take those great pictures Maggi - I had to put my sunglasses 8) Then I took them off for Trond's foggy, moist ones :)
In a very weird turn of events, in same place where in the last years the snow was knee high at this time, yesterday the skunk cabbage was flowering surrounded by bees! (maybe wasps, I'm not good with ID)
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Great pic, Gabriela.
Funnily enough, there's been a recent resurgence in reports of the problems from American Skunk Cabbage** proving to be an invasive alien in the UK. Ian was on the radio the other day being asked about it! He pointed out that there are UK plants causing similar problems in other countries.
Quite a big problem generally, of course , with plants which use waterways so successfully to spread. Main issue is with actual aquatic plants clogging up waterways though, I think.
Around here the main culprits for unwanted plants are Giant Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam.
edit to make it clear - Lysichiton americanus Gabriela's pic was of Symplocarpus foetidus
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Maggi, it is two different species with the name Skunk Cabbage.
I think the one Ian was interviewed about is Lysichiton americanus. Gabriela shows a picture of Symplocarpus foetidus.
Lysichiton americanus:
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At least it lasted to take those great pictures Maggi - I had to put my sunglasses 8) Then I took them off for Trond's foggy, moist ones :)
In a very weird turn of events, in same place where in the last years the snow was knee high at this time, yesterday the skunk cabbage was flowering surrounded by bees! (maybe wasps, I'm not good with ID)
Gabriela, bees I think.
Brown honey bee:
[attachimg=1]
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I cannot be sure what they were referring to on the radio but Trond may be right. Lysichiton usually behaves like that in warm regions.
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That's a great image Trond! (I think we posted on the same time). There was a swarm in a nearby tree but couldn't take a good shot.
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Absolutely, Trond - it was - I forgot to put that! I will now.
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This hellebore came from MacPlants - I love the soft yellow and it is clumping well.
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)
I have the same hellebore from MacPlants. It seems to be sterile, mine never sets seed. Last year I sliced off a corner of the plant with an edging tool and the new plant is forming a nice clump too. I didn't dare dig up the whole plant in case I lost it.
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I don't remember ever seeing seed on mine either. It's a jolly good plant.
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A few pics so far this year.
John B
anemone hortensis
corydalis George Baker
Crocus Heuf. Snow Princess
Juno graeberiana
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Some more
John B
Juno maracandica
Juno aucheri
I. pumila
tulip kauf. Corona
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Cyclamen percisum grown from seed via the SRGC Seed Exchange.
With all of the wind and rain we are experiencing, this is one of the few plants in bloom that has held up well. :)
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Trond,
I enjoyed the scenes from your locality. It looks wet! Even wetter than our farm now after all of the rain, all 250 mm this March.
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Romping away in a corner of the bulb frame is Verbascum arcturus, grown from seed collected from the Aradena Gorge, Crete.
The first flowers outside are Saxifraga 'Allendale' Comet and 'Tvuj Pisen' (= Your Song) and Primula 'Johanna'.
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Looks good, Matt - isn't it great to get some sun?
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It's warm, dry, still and simply glorious. Very glad to be reacquainted with the sun, as are the canine friends who have been basking! Makes me glad to go out to work - wandering the fields looking for birds in this weather will be much more enjoyable than in recent weeks. ;D
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A neighbour has a swarm of wasps in his chimney stack. They were there last year and the warm weather has brought them out again. img 1010075
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That's a great image Trond! (I think we posted on the same time). There was a swarm in a nearby tree but couldn't take a good shot.
:) Forgot to tell, but you probably noticed it - it is a fall picture: Flowering ivy (Hedera helix).
Trond,
I enjoyed the scenes from your locality. It looks wet! Even wetter than our farm now after all of the rain, all 250 mm this March.
Robert, it doesn't just look wet, it is! Fortunately the forecast says no rain for the next week :)
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A neighbour has a swarm of wasps in his chimney stack. They were there last year and the warm weather has brought them out again.
Don't think they are wasps. Wasps start from a single queen in spring. Probably honey bees which hibernate in colonies.
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Thanks Hoy, I have spoken to my neighbour who says they are not allowed to do anything. Looks like they may be bees in that case.
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What may well be a solution to our dream of a hardy Camellia japonica for our coastal areas has opened its first flower this past week. The seed was collected by luck on Daechong Do (Island) in the extreme northeast of Korea, perilously closer to North Korea than home South Korea and the northmost site for this species. What's especially encouraging is the fact that the buds are very slow moving so the full show on the six budded plants of about 12 seedlings may well hold off for another couple of weeks. Seed stratified in the autumn of 2008, sown & sprouted in spring 2009 so it's been a bit of a nail-biting wait. Lots of buds so you can be sure we will be cross-pollinating the lot.
johnw
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Still rather slow going, even in mid March, but the garden is starting to wake up here, especially the bulbs:
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Leucojum vernum. I only discovered these relatively recently, previously I had assumed that these were similar to L. aestivum which tends to be all leaf and not much flower. These aremuch nicer!
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Corydalis wendelboi 'Abant Wine'. Came from Janis and has done pretty well (not all of his Corydalis seem to like our conditions sadly).
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Early bulbs in the spring garden. It will turn blue in 3 weeks or so when the Chionodoxa come up but for now it's mainly pink and white. I really need to have a concerted go at the Cardamine bulbifera which is a real nuisance.
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Galanthus woronowii under a witch hazel.
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Crocus tommasinianus and Cyclamen coum.
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Some great combos there , Tristan. Spring bulbs are just a joy to see aren't they?
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Yes Maggi, they really provide a lift. Decent weather today too, which actually enticed some of the Crocuses to open up!
A few other bits and pieces:
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A good form of Corydalis solida.
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Crocus 'Shock Wave' from Pitcairn Alpines, starting to go over a bit now. Seems to be clumping up which is encouraging.
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Pretty sure this is Saxifraga sancta. One of those things I've had for a while, pulled apart, moved, put bits into gaps etc. Flowering is a bit desultory this year and you can see a lot of brown flower buds which I assume is weather damage from the wet winter. Still a very easy and rewarding little Sax.
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A few photographs from our Sacramento, California bungalow
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Prunus incisa in full bloom. One of my favorite flowering cherries.
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Geranium sanguineum striatum. Our garden has not had much attention for the past 3-4 years. This Geranium seeds around a bit, has a long blooming season, puts up with less than ideal conditions and rarely over-runs other plants. Common? For us a keeper. :)
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Next week the Japanese Maples will have leafed out more and look great.
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For starters - Acer palmatum 'Pixie'
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Said to be a dwarf sport of 'Bloodgood'. It indeed stays fairly small.
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Our animal companions enjoy being in the garden with us. Common and fragrant Wallflowers with our beloved companions.
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Sunflower our canary. He is a rescue. The poor soul was crammed down a night deposit box. Now he has a loving happy home. :)
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Tovi - hand raised as a chick and completely spoiled. ;D
Our bird companions are fully flighted. Our home is very "zen" (i.e. not much stuff - like no TV, radio, furniture, etc.). In the house they mostly stay on their play stations, however they can fly around where-ever they like. They like to follow us around as we do things in the house. This is okay except they are curtained away from the cook stove.
In our main room we have large windows looking out towards the garden. Their play stations are right next to the windows where they can see the garden and the wild birds that come to the feeders. It is nice for us too, being able to look out over the garden from inside the house.
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Lovely spring images!
I really have to give one more try to Cyclamen coum; Leucojum vernum is a good reminder Tristan, it should also do well in our region.
What may well be a solution to our dream of a hardy Camellia japonica for our coastal areas has opened its first flower this past week. The seed was collected by luck on Daechong Do (Island) in the extreme northeast of Korea, perilously closer to North Korea than home South Korea and the northmost site for this species. What's especially encouraging is the fact that the buds are very slow moving so the full show on the six budded plants of about 12 seedlings may well hold off for another couple of weeks. Seed stratified in the autumn of 2008, sown & sprouted in spring 2009 so it's been a bit of a nail-biting wait. Lots of buds so you can be sure we will be cross-pollinating the lot.
johnw
This would be so great John. Fingers crossed that you manage to obtain more seeds this year!!!
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Corydalis transsylvanica
Corydalis solida 'Transylvanica'
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Very nice one, Chris ;) I love this light pink
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Thank you, Nicole.
We have has a few bright days this weeks which has encouraged growth and flowering.
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Lovely spring images!
I really have to give one more try to Cyclamen coum; Leucojum vernum is a good reminder Tristan, it should also do well in our region.
What kills them Gabriela, is it the cold? Here they are a very easy plant, happy to share some seed if you would like some (though mine are very bog standard). I think the silver leaf etc forms can be a bit more picky.
I know mine are pretty cold hardy because about 3 years ago we had an extended period of about 3 weeks of freezing conditions in March-April, day and night with no snow. The Cyclamen in the picture survived that; several other bulbs including Erythronium 'Minnehaha' sadly did not.
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What kills them Gabriela, is it the cold? Here they are a very easy plant, happy to share some seed if you would like some (though mine are very bog standard). I think the silver leaf etc forms can be a bit more picky.
I know mine are pretty cold hardy because about 3 years ago we had an extended period of about 3 weeks of freezing conditions in March-April, day and night with no snow. The Cyclamen in the picture survived that; several other bulbs including Erythronium 'Minnehaha' sadly did not.
My theory is that they disappeared because I had them in a very shaded spot where snow will remain until very long in the spring, in bad years until mid-to late April. And we had a few bad winters in a row. But since I only had few plants, it may well be just a theory. In reality squirrels may be involved too >:( or a combination of both. Anyway I learned my lesson.
I wouldn’t say no to fresh seeds from such hardy plants - thank you, only if I can reciprocate with something.
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Corydalis transsylvanica
This is a most lovely, soft pink Corydalis, my favourite spring flower and I don't want to disappoint anyone - but there is no Corydalis 'transylvanica'. True that some of the most colourful seed strains of C. solida were found in Romania (Transilvania region) but it has never been a distinct species, not even a subspecies.
So probably Corydalis solida 'Transylvanica' - a most beautiful one :)
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This is a most lovely, soft pink Corydalis, my favourite spring flower and I don't want to disappoint anyone - but there is no Corydalis 'transylvanica'. True that some of the most colourful seed strains of C. solida were found in Romania (Transilvania region) but it has never been a distinct species, not even a subspecies.
So probably Corydalis solida 'Transylvanica' - a most beautiful one :)
Garbriela
Thanks for the name correction. I received it as Corydalis transsylvanica (but it may have been intentionally abbreviated). Tebbitt et al, in their monograph note that the name came from red forms found in Transylvania. To try and clarify the situation, the name 'George Baker' was give to the red forms but subsequently also used for the pink forms, creating more confusion.
There is also a question over how many 'ss' there should be in the name? As the region only has one, I will adopt Corydalis solida 'Transylvanica', as you suggested.
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Garbriela
Thanks for the name correction. I received it as Corydalis transsylvanica (but it may have been intentionally abbreviated). Tebbitt et al, in their monograph note that the name came from red forms found in Transylvania. To try and clarify the situation, the name 'George Baker' was give to the red forms but subsequently also used for the pink forms, creating more confusion.
There is also a question over how many 'ss' there should be in the name? As the region only has one, I will adopt Corydalis solida 'Transylvanica', as you suggested.
The English name used for Transilvania is Transylvania, but then in plant names it was written either transsylvanica or transylvanica depending probably on the mood :) As for 'George Baker', I bought some few years ago, then I got other random seedlings with a much nicer red colour. The real one should exist somewhere....
C. solida and other species are quite advance here for this time; tomorrow night down to -9C unfortunately.
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Gabriela, spring seems to come the fast. :)
Here the only plants yet visible are snowdrops, but I think after Easter things start to progress more when the weather warms.
Also I have C.solida which I have bought as Transsylvanica strain. Mine is not so pretty pink as the one in Chris's picture, but more muddy pink.
I have C.solida 'Pink Smile' which is very nice and close the colour to Chris's plant, and also two different 'George Baker'. ::)
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Early spring in the front "lawn." img. 1010092 is Tulipa sylvestris, several weeks early. img. 1010093 primrose, they have been flowering in the lawn since just after Christmas. img. 1010095 wood anemone, A. nemorosa is just in flower. img. 1010096, Daphne laureola, spurge laurel. img. 1010097, a Scilla, or similar. This is a good time for a walk in the woods, especially in a limestone district. The Daphne is easily overlooked with its green flowers, one of two native Daphnes in the UK. The "lawn" used to be just a neat grass area. There has been no fertilizer or weedkiller used for at least 30 years. It is an area to grow some of our native wild flowers of meadow habitat and I think it is better to use it for that purpose. The grass is not cut until the Fritillaries have seeded, making the area look untidy but then again, the countryside is not tidy. The blue flower behind the Scilla is a hyacinth. They are quite hardy and planted in the border after flowering in pots indoors.
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Gabriela, spring seems to come the fast. :)
Here the only plants yet visible are snowdrops, but I think after Easter things start to progress more when the weather warms.
Also I have C.solida which I have bought as Transsylvanica strain. Mine is not so pretty pink as the one in Chris's picture, but more muddy pink.
I have C.solida 'Pink Smile' which is very nice and close the colour to Chris's plant, and also two different 'George Baker'. ::)
Reason is happening is that the ground hasn’t frozen solid this winter. There is even one confused Hepatica americana trying to flower ::) Luckily that there wasn’t much time in late fall and I 'stuffed’ most plants from the previous garden in one place; now I cover and uncover every day with tarps….
Corydalis solida is one of the most 'promiscuous' species that I know :) If you have the chance to see wild populations - the colour variation is most amazing!
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Spring is in the air 8)
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I almost believe you , Yann - but it has been very cold here today again! Your photos do speak of Spring - very cheering. 8)
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Uplifting spring collages Yann :) What is that lovely wooden building? (looks like an mini-church)
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Very nice, Yann. Certainly not spring like here - for the past week we have had an icy wind from north-east, and mostly grey skies, with an air temperature around 7C, but with the wind feeling more like O.
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Gabriela the chapel is dedicated to St Hiltrude, a bit more informations (in french) about the region
http://www.escapades-sudavesnoises.w1w.fr/page/36812 (http://www.escapades-sudavesnoises.w1w.fr/page/36812)
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Ralph i was in Kent 2 weeks ago and it was cold, a gentle breeze!
btw i'll not be present at the AGS show, flying to south of europe....
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Enjoy!
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Gabriela the chapel is dedicated to St Hiltrude, a bit more informations (in french) about the region
http://www.escapades-sudavesnoises.w1w.fr/page/36812 (http://www.escapades-sudavesnoises.w1w.fr/page/36812)
Thanks Yann. I forgot about the many chapels back in Europe, you don't see such here, that's why I call it mini-church :-\ Not many happy stories associated with them usually.
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Yes, in some regions you can find one at each road cross.
Today was cold and windy but i couln't resist going to the nearest woods.
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Fresh pictures Yann. What software do you use for the collages please?
Like the Eskimos having many words for snow, there are quite a few to describe cold days in the spring. So, cold and windy in early spring would be 'fresh'.
Here was 'crispy', i.e. a little above zero and sunny :)
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Nice to see spring flowers, folks :)
At home the first Hepatica was in flower but up here at the cabin it is still full winter! Fortunately not very cold, down to -5C during the night and +4C in the early afternoon.
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Some Central Asian dryland Anemone in flower here (in a frame):
Anemone tschernjaewii
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1692/25930337376_d82aa1fb34_o.jpg)
Anemone baissunensis -from the Kuh-i-Tang Mtns, Uzbekistan.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1701/25327516413_72ce3e595a_o.jpg)
Anemone biflora -has been in flower since late December, the old flowers turn orange-yellow. Unfortunately it gets starggly in low Winter light.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1589/24875436066_0237f1f7e3_o.jpg)
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Picture taken today.
Saxifraga burseriana ‘Gloria’.
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Steve in which kind of compost do you grow Anemone tschernjaewii, i've lost my seedlings due to too heavy compost i guess.
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Hi Yann, I use a gritty sandy mix which has added pumice & perlite with only a small amount of loam. I add powdered dolomitic lime but keep the organic content to a minimum.
The plants are dried-off in late Spring and are kept dry until mid-October. They seem to like plenty of water when in growth but rot easily if damp when dormant.
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Still awaiting the spring up here! Although the snow cover is thinner than usually at this time of the year we have enough to get around with skis.
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The creek is open to show the stepping stones we use in summer.
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The heather looks almost dead but it is the natural colour on this exposed rock during winter.
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Reindeer stuff. We have never seen reindeer at this site but a few km south of here.
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Trond, although I had my share of snow for this winter ;) I admit it looks beautiful in the combination with the blue sky. Love the reindeer lichen (I assume that's what you were talking about).
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.... Love the reindeer lichen (I assume that's what you were talking about).
Gabriela, I take for granted that everybody knows that lichen is the staple food for reindeer in winter ;D
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Hearing of around a foot (30cms) of snow in Denver today ( last night ) -wondering if the Californian mountain tops have had a new covering also?
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Hearing of around a foot (30cms) of snow in Denver today ( last night ) -wondering if the Californian mountain tops have had a new covering also?
Maggi,
Yes, we had another foot (30 cm) of snow in the Sierra Nevada. The storm seemed to intensify as it moved into the Rocky Mountains. The snow in Denver was even reported on our local news.
Trond,
Your photographs are fantastic. It looks much like the high Sierra Nevada Mountain now, except that our mountains are very steep and the flat mountain valleys very small. Generally much more coniferous forest too. No reindeer. ;D
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First year flowering on our tufa wall
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Great, Sue - I'm not turning the recent pictures because I think they are quite "readable" even at that angle!
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How lovely! I've only ever seen dionysias in pots. (when I was visiting a garden club in England, a young man drove up on a motorbike and brought in a boxful of them).
What are the colourful tubes for?
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Gabriela, I take for granted that everybody knows that lichen is the staple food for reindeer in winter ;D
Not everyone lives in the reindeer kingdom Trond ;) Instead of snow we got freezing rains and everything was skating ring- like today. Just one image, I don't think many are in the mood for icy pictures at this time.
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Now flowering in the alpine house:
Dionysias, the plant on the right is D. iranica, growing directly inthe sand plunge.
The other two are hybrids.
Thlaspi zaffranii is an endemic plant from the limestone screes of the White Mountains
of Crete.
Dielsiocharis kotschyi, a crucifer from Iran.
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Ranunculus crenatus
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Young cones forming on Wollemia nobilis.
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On the other side of the Chanel...
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What is the fat beetle like an armoured car, Yann?
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On this side of the world it is getting better after the ice storm, almost beautiful, even some sunshine!
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Excellent photos Gabriela, Maggi it's a female of Meloe proscarabeus, i guess pregnant :D
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A few photographs from the farm and our Sacramento, California bungalow.
>Acer palmatum 'Peaches and Cream' at our Sacramento home. One of many Japanese Maples that are looking good.
>In Sacramento Sparaxis is weedy, however we still keep a few around.
>Varoius Tulipa clusiana types. These are at the farm grown in containers to protect the bulbs from rodents.
>An Iris macrosiphon seedling. There are many more flower buds yet to open.
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On this side of the world it is getting better after the ice storm, almost beautiful, even some sunshine!
Nice pictures and the plants survive I suppose!
Today it is a blizzard in the high mountains and we are planning to cross later if the road is open. It is closed at the moment. At our cabin it is raining :-\
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Young cones forming on Wollemia nobilis.
Nice :) My Wollemia died two years ago (a really bad winter). I had it outside for 4 years!
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>In Sacramento Sparaxis is weedy, however we still keep a few around.
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Nice weed ;)
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Nice iris Robert :D
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All beautiful!
Yann - you caught so well the violet reflections on the beetle's legs and antennae :)
Trond - mostly mechanical damage, broken branches....not too bad this time. I had tarps over the few plants that were up, I'll see better today what has happened underneath.
Have a safe passage back home!
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Maggi it's a female of Meloe proscarabeus, i guess pregnant :D
Yes, the common name in the UK is oil beetle. They have an interesting life cycle - parasitic on solitary bees. See
https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns-and-our-work/oil-beetles (https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns-and-our-work/oil-beetles)
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quick tour in the garden after the work.
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Much better now it's still light after work, Yann, isn't it? Good for relaxing.
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Much better now it's still light after work, Yann, isn't it? Good for relaxing.
It's wonderful, no longer having to check on germination and other happenings in the greenhouse by torchlight ;) ;D
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Spring has advanced also here, and almost all the snow has melted from my garden. Days are between 5-10C and nights around zero. Snowdrops are starting to open, many are still coming up as other plants, too.
Hellebores show lot of buds coming. The earliest are two H.multifidus plants (the two first pictures), but also some of the hybrids are well into growth.
I planted Adonis amurensis last autumn and it was flowering as soon as the snow melted even though the ground is still frozen. :) It is like a little sun.
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1) Well active bees
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2) Bulbocodium vernum
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3) Cardiocrinum giganteum
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4) Small spring trough
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Delphinium nuttallianum
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Ornithogalum sigmoideum - syn. O. sibthorpii. I cultivate this very dwarf and easy growing species in the meadow in my garden. It also survives mowing and increases well by seed.
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Franz - your meadow never ceases to amaze and delight us- thank you! Who would have thought the Ornithogalum could withstand mowing?
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Yes Ashley no more headlight needed for the slugs fight :-\
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Don't know where to post this: last day of March goes out with a fiery sunset.
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That's a good shot - makes me wish I'd been paying more attention here at sunset.
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A few of mine for March
anemonella "cameo"
corydalis "George Baker"
P. tenuifolia plena
John B
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A few more.
sanguinaria, plena left & center, pink right faded now
tulip "Sweet Joy"
20 days since first bloom and my teco's still putting on a show.
several nights below freezing in that time.
John B
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All beautiful!
Yann - you caught so well the violet reflections on the beetle's legs and antennae :)
Trond - mostly mechanical damage, broken branches....not too bad this time. I had tarps over the few plants that were up, I'll see better today what has happened underneath.
Have a safe passage back home!
Came home safely but had a long drive around the bad weather. (8 hours in stead of 5.5).
April started with freezing temps :(
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Magnolias in the garden:
Magnolia stellata 'Waterlily'
Magnolia salicifolia
Magnolia campbellii/2 different
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Narcissus 'W.P. Milner'
Prunus campanulata
Prunus tomentosa
Barnhaven primroses arising from spent potting compost thrown at back of border (there's even a double one in there)
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A perfect Spring day today in shirt sleeves for the first time.I have been very busy catching up with the many outstanding jobs but couldn't resist snatching a few pictures to share.
Acer palmatum KATSURA
Galanthus nivalis virescens (the last to flower with me)
Corylopsis spicata or glabrescens
Corylopsis glabrescens or spicata
Allium abnormis
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finally.
Scilla Spring Beauty giving the Winter Garden its last fling
Last of the hepaticas