Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Gabriela on September 01, 2016, 08:18:57 PM
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I'm swamped with seeds right now so the following images fit well in the situation.
Pontederia cordata, the pickerelweed, starts flowering somewhere in late June, now coming to an end and already with seeds.
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A spotted turtle baby lost between Nymphaea leaves.
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And Nymphaea odorata - probably the last flowers.
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Beautiful photos, Gabriela. Does the Pontederia stay in its place for you? I'm trying to be very careful when introducing new things into the stream garden. Ranunculus ficaria is perfectly well-behaved in my garden because the garden is very dry. I'm afraid to put it in the stream garden, though.
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Pontederia cordata, the pickerelweed, starts flowering somewhere in late June, now coming to an end and already with seeds.
This past summer a friend found a white-flowered form here in Nova Scotia. He was able to dig a bit of it.
john
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Beautiful photos, Gabriela. Does the Pontederia stay in its place for you? I'm trying to be very careful when introducing new things into the stream garden. Ranunculus ficaria is perfectly well-behaved in my garden because the garden is very dry. I'm afraid to put it in the stream garden, though.
Thank you Anne. I should have mention that Pontederia was growing in the same place with Nymphaea - quite a common view in the many lakes around the region. My city garden is no place for such things; although not recommended for small ponds is not more invasive than many other species that grow in similar situations (emergent sp.). If necessary, it can be contained in a container planted at the edge of the pond.
Plus that you can keep it in check by removing some of the shoots/rhizomes - and eat them ::) :) (no kidding, it's edible, and so are the seeds).
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This past summer a friend found a white-flowered form here in Nova Scotia. He was able to dig a bit of it.
john
I've only saw the white form in pictures; I think it's very handsome either way and seems to flower forever during the summer.
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Beautiful photos, Gabriela. Does the Pontederia stay in its place for you? I'm trying to be very careful when introducing new things into the stream garden. Ranunculus ficaria is perfectly well-behaved in my garden because the garden is very dry. I'm afraid to put it in the stream garden, though.
That is dry! R. ficaria is a bit of a thug if happy, increasing rapidly by seed and tubers. The only positive is that it's only up for a short time in spring and then dies right back, so I can tolerate it. It's really a woodland plant though (or sometimes grassland). I'd say keeping it out of a stream garden is very wise!
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Adiantum aleuticum planted in a tub. In the wild I generally find it growing on shaded, wet, rock faces or very steep rocky slopes. Until we can create our "rock" garden, cascading over the edge of this tub will have to do.
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We will see how happy it is with Corydalis as a companion as well as a climbing Codonopsis.
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The "Phoenix" - one of our garden beds rising from the ashes of neglect. Helleborus, Digitalis species, seedling Aquilegia and a few other items. Many bulbs grown from seed have been planted too. We will see how it looks this coming spring.
Given the name, "Phoenix", blood-red flowers or Sanguinaria might seem appropriate. :o ::) ;D
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Correa 'Marion's Marvel'
Dahlia coccinea
Hydrangea cv
Morina longifolia
Papaver somniferum
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Rhizomatous begonias near the end of their summer holidays in the garden, incl. B. rex cvs, 'Limeade', Black Fang', 'Silver Jewel'.
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Rhizomatous begonias near the end of their summer holidays in the garden, incl. B. rex cvs, 'Limeade', Black Fang', 'Silver Jewel'.
My! They've enjoyed their summer outing, haven't they? Haven't you had enough sun to risk them scorching? They look perfect.
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Beautiful September light :) catching in your pictures Ashley.
I like to have a container with rhizomatous Begonias every year but not always manage to overwinter them in the garage.
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The begonias are in dappled shade under some leggy rhododendrons Maggi, which seems to suit them. You're quite right though; our sun is rarely strong enough to scorch them & summer here was 'dull' this year ::)
Gabriela, mine overwinter on windowsills in the house where they grow on more slowly & we can enjoy the foliage.
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Flowers get rarer at this time of the year, but we are amazed by Daphne x transatlantica Eternal Fragrance:
After the main flowering at the end of April there were rarely some days without the showy and fragrant flowers.
We are not quite sure, but think, that the Codonopsis is C.convolvulacaea.
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Something cute :) They are feeding more often now in preparation for the flight back to their winter home.
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Hadn't realised Hummingbirds would /could find nectar from Delphiniums! How delightful for you to have them around.
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They are fun to watch humming around Maggi. They love all species with nectar spurs. In spring and summer Aquilegia spp. are favourites (among others of course).
Very frustrating to photograph, it was just pure luck I got this one.
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You can be lucky to have such wonderful and fascinating creatures in your country and garden, but I must
say, that almost all kind of birds are interesting and beautiful.
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You can be lucky to have such wonderful and fascinating creatures in your country and garden, but I must
say, that almost all kind of birds are interesting and beautiful.
You are certainly right Rudi, all birds have their particular charm, colours, song....the hummingbirds here are not too colourful, comparing with the ones in South America, but the tiny size makes them very attractive to me :)
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Some cheery plants from the Placerville farm. Nothing rare or exciting, however very pleasing for me. :)
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Origanum vulgare 'Betty Rollins'. An outstanding dwarf cultivar from an outstanding plantswoman Betty Rollins. She is long gone, however many of her wonderful plants remain. This form is also excellent for culinary purposes.
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Most of the garden is overrun with weeds. This Rudbeckia nitida seedling looks great with Epilobium canum ssp. latifolia - at least after I pulled all the weeds out and away.
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This is one of my best selections of Epilobium canum ssp. latifolia from wild seed. Very floriferous! They do not all turn out this way.
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Another great surprise from under the weeds. Seedling pansies from F1 hybrid plants. Aaahhh, once again a "hybrid" that appears to come true from seed. Back at home I have started my heirloom pansy strains. If all goes well I will share photographs when they start blooming this autumn, winter, or most likely next spring.
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A species Thymus creeping down one of the rock walls. I wish that I remembered its name! :-[ :P
I will see what else I find from under the weeds. :)
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It's September, but the weather makes me more think of a normal month of July right now. Subtropical temps here, bright sun from dawn till sunset, and what better than an exotic strongly scented ginger lily to enjoy this. Hedychium Gardnerianum flowering almost a month earlier than last year and a real delight for the senses.
First pic is the opening of the flowers last week, next 2 pics were taken this morning.
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Pulsatilla grandis ssp grandis, spring is now in september :o
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:o Here as well Yann - took this yesterday
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Oh yes anyway...
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Some seedlings of Sedum telephium atropurpureum
Does anyone grow Nicotiana sylvestris as a perennial? I was given some seedlings two years ago. They were too small to do much but did produce a few flowers on rather short plants. One did reappear last year but too slow to get to flowering size. Here it is again this year. Too slow again to do anything. The season is too short here and the spot it is in gets very dry at times.
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Some seedlings of Sedum telephium atropurpureum
Does anyone grow Nicotiana sylvestris as a perennial? I was given some seedlings two years ago. They were too small to do much but did produce a few flowers on rather short plants. One did reappear last year but too slow to get to flowering size. Here it is again this year. Too slow again to do anything. The season is too short here and the spot it is in gets very dry at times.
Hi Roma,
Here in our part of California Nicotiana sylvestris is more or less a short lived perennial. Up at the farm where it frequently gets below -7 C they can die-out during the wintertime (dry cold, not damp cold). Down in the Sacramento Valley where winter low temperatures are warmer they are perennial however they do better if they are renewed from seed every year. They enjoy well composted soil and tend to "run out of steam" after a few years. Virus infection will bring them down in a short time too. I have seen them thrive in the maritime Pacific Northwest (more like your climate), but always as first year plants in well composted soil. It is very difficult to ascertain from the photograph, but a 2 to 3 year old plant may be virus infected. That could explain the stunted growth. I am sure you were waiting for the 2 meter plus growth and huge leaves. Seed is easy to come by and just as easy to save. I know that it is unlikely that you have any virus susceptible tomato plants around. ::) They get many of the same viruses as tomatoes and it is very easy to virus index them, but not worth the effort unless one likes experiments like that. If infected, a susceptible tomato variety will show symptoms very quickly!
Anyway...., more of an answer than you likely were requesting, however good luck with them. I love their fragrance in the garden and usually take the time to grow a few. In good ground they will reseed themselves easily and they can be dug and move where they are wanted, I guess like Meconopsis in your climate. :)
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Hi Roma, we had a plant of a N. alata cultivar that persisted in our greenhouse from a number of years and would put up new shoots from runners. Because it was under cover it did manage to flower each year, but eventually gave up the ghost.
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N. sylvestris is perennial here under cold glass but has never survive the winter outdoors (wet rather than cold?).
It 'volunteered' in the floor of my greenhouse a few years ago, but unfortunately the place it chose wasn't very convenient because of the size and large sticky leaves so I pulled it out. However, new shoots appeared from the broken roots and now reappear every year. I must try to dig it out properly and transplant to a better place because the flowers and scent are wonderful.
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I have two difficulties with growing Nicotianas. The first is snails, and the second is slugs. >:(
Wind doesn't help either. Ah well, if I could grow Nicotianas I probably would not be able to grow Mecs.
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It's the daisy season here:
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Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'. Don't be fooled by the picture - I did not pay attention to the plants properly this year and so there isn't much of a display. Unfortunately most of the later flowering plants need full sun and to be kept clear of competing plants earlier in the year. I neglected this this year, and the Rudbeckias have been nowhere near as good as a result. I need to move some blue Corydalis which is competing with it.
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Helenium 'Moth' . I do not find Heleniums easy to grow well here. The oceanic climate probably doesn't suit them well, and the large populations of snails and slugs certainly don't. I've also had serious problems with a nematode which has killed most of the varieties in one bed. But they are beautiful plants and brilliant for insects. I tend to grow them with other slug-prone plants such as New York asters, and try to be disciplined enough not to crowd them.
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Helenium 'Eldorado'. This is an earlier variety that is going over now. I really rate it as a garden plant.
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Another option is to grow them in large pots, like this H. 'Salsa'. I am starting to do this these days as a way of bulking them up before planting out the next spring. It also acts as a quarantine against nematodes.
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Some other daisies:
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S. x herveyi 'Twilight'
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A. x frikartii 'Moench'. This is a mess this year as it was overgrown by a (now removed) Geranium palmatum. But the flowers are pretty.
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Anthemis 'Sauce Hollandaise'. This was in a pot for several years but I've planted it out in the garden recently, which it seems to appreciate.
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Trichostema lanceolatum
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Oenothera elata
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Asclepias fascicularis
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Here are two photos from today a North American Area.
edit by maggi to add plant names to the text so the search engine can find the photos
Liatris punctata (Colorado 2030m)
Solidago cutleri (east coast)
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Oenothera elata
Hi Travis,
A nice set of photographs. 8) They are fairly common native species here in our part of California. I take it that the Oenothera elata is subspecies hookeri? This can not be ascertained by the photograph but it would be interesting to know. A general location would be interesting too?
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I was home at our Sacramento, California garden for a few hours yesterday.
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Cyclamen hederifolium is blooming everywhere in our garden in a good range of colors. For some reason the raccoons like to dig them up? They do not eat them so I do not know what the attraction is. ::) ???
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Dryopteris arguta
One of our native dryland fern species. It is an easy grower in our garden and generally always looks good throughout the seasons.
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Impatiens capensis
An easy annual that reseeds in our garden along with Impatiens balfourii. There are never many flowers at any given time on this species, but they are easy so I let the seedling grow here and there throughout the shady parts of the garden.
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Aster variety ? Pretty. :)
Our front border has been neglected for a number of years now. This and a few other perennial species are all that remain, but this is not surprising. There are also many spring and summer bulbs in this border. When I get home the first project will be to completely dig, enrich the soil with compost, and replant (hopefully before any of the spring bulbs have started into root growth). I will try to photograph my progress and the results as the border comes back to life next season.
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A few nice plants in bloom at our Sacramento garden.
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Cypella peruviana Each flower lasts about a day at the best, however they are so beautiful they are worth planting anyway. This flower was blooming near a deep red Dahlia and the two looked fantastic together. Sorry the photographs of them together did not turn out. They were too far apart for me to get both in focus. :'(
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Impatiens balfourii A great little annual that reseeds itself throughout our garden.
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Deinandra corymbosa A native California annual. This species has started to reseed itself in our garden. I am extremely pleased as they will bloom most of the summer and well into the autumn.
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One of our tall border Dahlias starting to bloom. I did not get their soil prepared this spring so they not up to par, however I am thankful for the flowers they are starting to produce now.
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Our front border at our Sacramento home.
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It has not been worked on for at least 3 to 5 years and there is not much left. This will be part of a before and after series. I will start working on renewing this bed in the next week. I hope to have it looking good by next spring.
I guess something useful I learned from farming is the production of large numbers of annuals very easily and efficiently. I will be using a soil block maker to product a large quantity and variety of annuals for our garden. The flowers are nice and the flowers will also attract birds, beneficial insects, butterflies, and a host of other good things.
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Seems you have many nice plants in flower, Robert, although you claim that your garden has been neglected for some years!
We visited the beach the other day just for a walk in the nice weather. (We have had a week of unseasonally warm and sunny weather!) Not much in flower there though as most plants have started preparing for winter.
Plantago maritima at Åkrasanden beach.
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A foreigner - a common sunflower, possibly from a bird feeder.
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Atriplex laciniata with silver colour in seed. The flowers are insignificant.
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Atriplex prostrata. A weed but the fall colour is fine!
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One of the few plants in flower: Cakile maritima.
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Autumn is definitely here. I missed my reliably-flowering Sternbergia lutea / angustifolia whilst I was away recently. Crocus speciosus ilgazensis was also over before I could appreciate them. Acis autumnalis goes on and on, with Allium callimischon to follow soon. There are lots of Crocus pushing up noses, promising blooms soon, with Crocus kotschyanus cappadocicus leading the way and Sternbergia greuteriana also in bloom. I have a lot of trips away in October, so I just hope I don't miss all the autumn bulbs! :-\
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The flowers in the gardens get rarer, but Mutisia spinosa is a big surprise for me.
Raised from Argentinian wild seed it survived our (rather mild) winter and flowers
well; hope, that the resulting seeds are fertile.
It seems, that Campsis radicans enjoyed our hot, dry and long summer, it flowered
profusely like never before and forms many seed pods.
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Seems you have many nice plants in flower, Robert, although you claim that your garden has been neglected for some years!
Hi Trond,
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This garden bed can be viewed from our kitchen window. It has received some attention and is at least cleaned-up. In addition to being weeded, I dug most of the bed to remove tree roots and add compost from our compost pile.
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This is the view from the kitchen. A few of the older plants were remove or transplanted elsewhere in the garden. On the left is a volunteer Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red'. It looks awkward in this location, however I decided to keep it as I ponder its future use in the garden.
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I have added a few plants, however I am disappointed that I do not have any annuals ready at this time to plant. In California many of the natural floral habitats that I enjoy combine trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals. So for me a landscape without annuals is incomplete. I never do mass plantings of annuals as typically seen here in California. I also use seldom used annuals, such as in the case of this bed, Collinsia sp. , Corydalis sempervirens, Mimulus guttatus, etc (from the spring-long gone now). Their seed has fallen in this bed and they will germinate when the weather cools.
This bed will most likely look good this spring, however now without annuals is seems very incomplete to me. There are many early spring bulbs such as Iris reticulata, Camassia, and Erythronium that will come into growth this winter/spring. I also have used many, but not exclusively, California native species. Iris hartwegii, I. macrosiphon, Heuchera micrantha, Lilium pardalinum, Polemonium californicum, Potentilla flabelliflia, Dryopteris arguta are a few. Anyway for me, this garden bed is a good start.
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The flowers in the gardens get rarer, but Mutisia spinosa is a big surprise for me.
Raised from Argentinian wild seed it survived our (rather mild) winter and flowers
well; hope, that the resulting seeds are fertile.
It seems, that Campsis radicans enjoyed our hot, dry and long summer, it flowered
profusely like never before and forms many seed pods.
I have seen a few Mutisia in Argentina and always wanted to grow them at home but never managed to get flowers.
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Hi Trond,
This garden bed can be viewed from our kitchen window. It has received some attention and is at least cleaned-up. In addition to being weeded, I dug most of the bed to remove tree roots and add compost from our compost pile.
This is the view from the kitchen. A few of the older plants were remove or transplanted elsewhere in the garden. On the left is a volunteer Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red'. It looks awkward in this location, however I decided to keep it as I ponder its future use in the garden.
I have added a few plants, however I am disappointed that I do not have any annuals ready at this time to plant. In California many of the natural floral habitats that I enjoy combine trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals. So for me a landscape without annuals is incomplete. I never do mass plantings of annuals as typically seen here in California. I also use seldom used annuals, such as in the case of this bed, Collinsia sp. , Corydalis sempervirens, Mimulus guttatus, etc (from the spring-long gone now). Their seed has fallen in this bed and they will germinate when the weather cools.
This bed will most likely look good this spring, however now without annuals is seems very incomplete to me. There are many early spring bulbs such as Iris reticulata, Camassia, and Erythronium that will come into growth this winter/spring. I also have used many, but not exclusively, California native species. Iris hartwegii, I. macrosiphon, Heuchera micrantha, Lilium pardalinum, Polemonium californicum, Potentilla flabelliflia, Dryopteris arguta are a few. Anyway for me, this garden bed is a good start.
Robert,
You certainly have many different ones! And also many native ones :) I do use some natives but I do not have that many to choose from.
In the garden I do not like to move plants and the result is that some plants (the ones that the slugs don't destroy) completely swamp other. The slugs always take their toll and I never know which will survive when I plant out new ones.
When you say .".. annuals ready ..." Do you sow them in pots and plant them out? I usually sow annuals in situ to avoid root disturbance.
What are your worst weed? Here species of Epilobium always pop up en masse everywhere and in my woodland Circaea lutetiana is a pest. I also use ferns in the garden and Dryopteris filix-femina is also a weed!
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Trond,
I sow many annuals by scattering the seed. This brings many surprises that I like. I also make and use soil blocks and transplant annuals this way too. Soil blocks have little or no root disturbance and I can very easily produce many transplants this way. With soil blocks I can place the plants where I want them and often the plants are large enough to survive the slugs (we do not have them like you do!!!!!).
In our Sacramento garden Bermudagrass is a problem. The rhizomes can get under large trees roots or a concrete foundation and can be nearly impossible to remove. The rhizomes and stolons can resprout from the smallest pieces too. :P
In the fall-winter Allium triquetrum, Oxalis pes-caprae and Oxalis purpurea are major pest. The 2 Oxalis + Oxalis corniculata (a container pest) are such pest I would never dream of planting "ornamental" Oxalis species. I sure this is my loss, but I have dug so many Oxalis bulbs I never want to see another again. :P
Clearly I put much effort into our garden and play around with different combinations to find plantings that I like. I do like informal gardening schemes. I have never liked mass plantings or straight lines of boxed hedges, but then there is something for everyone. :)
I enjoyed your photographs from your beach hike! :)
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autumn starts obviously.
Hannelore
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I've been absent for a few weeks thanks to a work trip and holiday so I've a bit of catching up to do. It was interesting (and surprising) to see a mini discussion on annuals going on.
As far as N.sylvestris goes it will survive a mild'ish winter but frankly the results are disappointing. Far better to sow seeds under glass in April and grow on as an annual. The trick seems to be not to plant them out too early - mid June is time enough for them to flourish.............
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3871/15366125075_e9e44bb291_z.jpg)
I planted N.glauca (Tree Nicotiana) out in my brothers garden last year and that has done pretty well this year. It lacks any fragrance but the glaucous stems and foliage look good complemented by plenty of interesting (to my eyes) blooms.............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8718/28543416365_92a294140d_z.jpg)
Annuals are good if they're unusual enough to warrant the effort but not so fussy that they consume too much time. At the moment I have the following looking good;
Salvia urica. Dead easy late blooming Salvia that can reach 1.5 to 2 metres in height............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8172/29127107221_5806d8d452_z.jpg)
This unidentified Amaranthus germinated alongside a plant that was sent to me by someone on another forum..................
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8861/29161553713_943e6d1ce4_z.jpg)
Amaranthus look especially good planted alongside Cleome and I will make the effort next year to return to that combination.
Salvia splendens "Yvonnes Giant". The garden is heavily sloped so the trellis on top of the fence starts at two metres to give you an idea of the size of it...............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8164/29787117415_d093ba56dc_z.jpg)
Schizanthus pinnatus...............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8332/29205715570_2f39709a6e_z.jpg)
Salvia coccinea is a cracking Salvia to treat as an annual...............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8001/29159542354_ff98d9b6c3_z.jpg)
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Other stuff looking good at the moment (largely in my parents garden which I am slowly taking over and is better for many of my Salvia) includes;
Desfontainia spinosa..............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8399/29239122331_ecbe594b8d_z.jpg)
Brugmansia 'Grand Marnier'.............
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7526/29161386140_b882199e69_z.jpg)
Solanum rantonnetii...............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8311/29494658535_9ba5efabc0_z.jpg)
Cyrtanthus elatus..........
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8515/29410331980_2862e9a8a4_z.jpg)
Calydorea amabilis...........
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8363/28618373723_b4fc7d35f9_z.jpg)
This cheeky little Abutilon has barely grown since the seed was sown in April but it has the nerve to bloom!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8437/29619964001_8f6cdecf22_z.jpg)
Eccromocarpus scaber..............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8759/29495312600_bd853a182c_z.jpg)
Commelina tuberosa...............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8419/29675161172_05005e3804_z.jpg)
Canna paniculata.............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8453/29162232563_2f7215b076_z.jpg)
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Finally, some Salvia;
Salvia microphylla "Pink Blush"..............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8813/29751764136_b280eb2c3a_z.jpg)
Amistad is a phenomenal doer and still going strong...............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8386/29705251381_54de82633c_z.jpg)
Salvia "Black and Bloom"..............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8110/29705251861_99df222eed_z.jpg)
And to close, yet another photo of S.oxyphora which is a firm favourite of mine............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8175/29675166992_811d76bbcd_z.jpg)
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I have seen a few Mutisia in Argentina and always wanted to grow them at home but never managed to get flowers.
Trond,
I had also a copy of Mutisia oligodon this summer. Unfortunately it was too sunny and hot, and died after flowering. I'll try to get new plants.
Should i get what you also?
Greetings Thomas
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Annuals are good if they're unusual enough to warrant the effort but not so fussy that they consume too much time. At the moment I have the following looking good;
Hi Meanie,
I completely enjoyed your selection of photographs! 8)
I have to admit that I also grow "common" annuals too. Heirloom Pansies and my own strains of Zinnia elegans are two of my favorites, however there are others. :o I missed sowing Salvia splendens this year. I grow a hot pink strain that gets a meter tall or more. I love your red Salvia splendens! Very 8) Salvia coccinea 'Brenthurst' is a good pink variety that I first obtained from Ginny Hunt (Seedhunt). I save seed on this line too and hope to have a good crop next year.
As a vegetable farmer, i.e. I think that I will continue being a farmer, it is important to be very efficient at growing annuals. For me it is very easy to grow a large number of annual transplants using soil blocks. I am just get this system set up at our Sacramento home. Once the system is up and going it is very easy for me to grow hundreds of annual transplants and plant them out very quickly and easily. Without a good system I can understand completely why growing a large number of annuals is not worth the effort.
Cyrtanthus elatus and Calydora amabilis look quite nice. 8)
Thanks for sharing!
By the way.... I stated that I do not like plants planted out in straight lines. We this is a mistake. Check-out Eliot Coleman's fall lettuce plantings at Four Season Farm. Gorgeous! (Four Season Farm.com) :)
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Trond,
I had also a copy of Mutisia oligodon this summer. Unfortunately it was too sunny and hot, and died after flowering. I'll try to get new plants.
Should i get what you also?
Greetings Thomas
Thomas, I have sent you a PM.
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Meanie,
you certainly have plenty of good-looking plants!
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Robert,
I have seen Bermuda grass in action! However, it is not an issue here. We also have a few Oxalis weeds but they are annuals and easily removed. Dandelions and Meconopsis cambrica are other weedy plants that self-sow everywhere but they are easily removed when small! Takes time though >:(
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Hi Trond,
Dandelions seem to be weeds everywhere! ;D
Having Meconopsis cambrica as a weed does not seem so awful. Up at the farm Verbena bonariensis is weedy. I always keep a few around and I am considering allowing them to grow down at our Sacramento garden. They bloom spring-summer-autumn and are very attractive in bloom. Verbena litoralis is also weedy up at the farm. It is so ugly that I try to eradicate them. Verbascum thapsus is another common weed up at the farm. I will generally let a few grow in waste areas as they do not need any irrigation to survive. The worst weed pest up at the farm is Bromus diandrus. It grows everywhere and germinates thickly and repeatedly in the autumn and winter. In the late spring the dried seed heads get into ones clothing and one can look like a porcupine after doing weed control with seed heads sticking out of ones clothing everywhere! :P
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Hi Meanie,
I completely enjoyed your selection of photographs! 8)
I have to admit that I also grow "common" annuals too. Heirloom Pansies and my own strains of Zinnia elegans are two of my favorites, however there are others. :o I missed sowing Salvia splendens this year. I grow a hot pink strain that gets a meter tall or more. I love your red Salvia splendens! Very 8) Salvia coccinea 'Brenthurst' is a good pink variety that I first obtained from Ginny Hunt (Seedhunt). I save seed on this line too and hope to have a good crop next year.
As a vegetable farmer, i.e. I think that I will continue being a farmer, it is important to be very efficient at growing annuals. For me it is very easy to grow a large number of annual transplants using soil blocks. I am just get this system set up at our Sacramento home. Once the system is up and going it is very easy for me to grow hundreds of annual transplants and plant them out very quickly and easily. Without a good system I can understand completely why growing a large number of annuals is not worth the effort.
Cyrtanthus elatus and Calydora amabilis look quite nice. 8)
Thanks for sharing!
By the way.... I stated that I do not like plants planted out in straight lines. We this is a mistake. Check-out Eliot Coleman's fall lettuce plantings at Four Season Farm. Gorgeous! (Four Season Farm.com) :)
Thanks!
For me it is a space issue. As our spring seasons lean more towards long and cool I need greenhouse space to coax many of my Salvia back into growth. So a few choice annuals nurtured until the ground has warmed up sufficiently is what I'm limited to. Next year will see Cleome added to the list for the first time since 2008.
Meanie,
you certainly have plenty of good-looking plants!
Thanks Hoy. One "good-looking plant" that I somehow forgot yesterday is my Alstroemeria isabella "Fred Meyer". It continues to bloom quite well and it is one of my plants of the year.............
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8479/29806497545_0094162baa_z.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8048/29806495835_f9ce5917a8_z.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8038/29693802222_0b1d134016_z.jpg)
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Must come back and watch this thread more often - some really striking pictures! This is a good large flowered form of Schizostylis coccinea growing in Sue Bedwell's garden just outside Oxford; seems very early. Not sure of the variety but Sue said it came from Ingwersen's Nursery so I must look in an old catalogue. The second plant is a Mexican abutilon Phymosia umbellata, new to me, which came from Nick Macer at Pan Global Plants. Wouldn't mind growing both of these :), but our summer drought wouldn't suit the schizostylis. Sue's garden was a relevation (she was trained at Waterperry), so I've written a short description of it on my Kent Diary on the Alpine Garden Society website (a visit to the Oxford Group of the AGS).
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Lithrope muscadine in full bloom near a hydrangea, it does really well here.
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Lithrope muscadine in full bloom near a hydrangea, it does really well here.
Do you mean Liriope muscari, John? It's one of the plants I bought, planted and never saw again!
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Hi Maggi yes it is, predictive text strikes again >:(, you should try it again Maggi. I have it in a moist soil next to a hydrangea, so it gets shade as well, I have had it for a few years now, so I'm doing something right. Like Carole Klein said in her plant series on gardeners world, the right plant in the right place or something like that.
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Do you mean Liriope muscari, John? It's one of the plants I bought, planted and never saw again!
Another difference between N & S Maggie?
I lifted a large clump of this 3 or so years ago and threw it in a very large pot (18" diameter?); no additional soil rarely watered. Flowering now, poorly, but flowering. Tough as old boots here. Must pull it apart and find a home for it.
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Must be - personally cannot understand any plant that doesn't want to grow in cold wet Aberdeen!!
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Allium callimischon var. haemostictum:
(http://up.picr.de/26938117nx.jpg)
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The second plant is a Mexican abutilon Phymosia umbellata, new to me, which came from Nick Macer at Pan Global Plants.
What an outstanding looking bloom. Another to add to my wishlist.
Is this a garden that opens up to the public at any point?
Must be - personally cannot understand any plant that doesn't want to grow in cold wet Aberdeen!!
Add me to that list - two things that I loathe.
Nerine bowdenii...............
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7667/29823708252_329fff6e53_z.jpg)
Mirabilis jalapa has been in bloom for months yet I've just realised that I haven't even taken a photo of it!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8198/29823707622_e7861bafbc_z.jpg)
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Yes, she opens for the NGS.
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Allium callimischon var. haemostictum:
(http://up.picr.de/26938117nx.jpg)
What a fantastic display!
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Clematis flammula is valuable for late seasons interest.
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Allium callimischon var. haemostictum:
what a bundle in a single pot!
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Allium callimischon var. haemostictum:
(http://up.picr.de/26938117nx.jpg)
Servus ebbie,
as always...fantastic plants
Yesterday in my rock garden...Convolvulus boissieri ssp. suendermannii...iIn September ...crazy
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A couple of recent pix from Zdenek Zvolanek who has been visiting Fritz Kummert.......
[attachimg=1]
Fritz and ZZ
"Great Austrian breeder and collector Fritz Kummert was able to show me his garden full of rare plants (he does not grow common ones). I was impressed with hardy Fuchsia gracilis ´Arauco´which can be quite decorative in rock garden (not in the bone dry one)"
[attachimg=2]
One example of Fritz Kummert's skill is the hybridizing two cultivars of Roscoea purpurea -this is ´Ghose´x ´Red Gurkha´
[attachimg=3]
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Must be - personally cannot understand any plant that doesn't want to grow in cold wet Aberdeen!!
Cold you may well be Maggi, but I'd say you are [url http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gfnt07u1s (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gfnt07u1s)]on the dry side compared to many other parts of the UK[/url] (admittedly many of them are uninhabited!).
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No question that other places are wetter - but it is true that we have lost more plants to summer wet over the years than winter wet, or cold. Here is one of the yearly weather reports prepared for the local Aberdeen RGC newsletter by my friend John Lupton.... he lives just outside the city and has kept weather records for many years....
[attachurl=1]
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"One example of Fritz Kummert's skill is the hybridizing two cultivars of Roscoea purpurea -this is ´Ghose´x ´Red Gurkha´" - This is quite a Roscoea!!!
End of September in Ontario woodlands - a short 'search and retrieve fruits' mission yesterday ahead of some rainy days. Trees are not too colourful, it hasn't been cold enough yet but fruits and mushrooms are beckoning everywhere in the forest.
Moss patches with the partridge berry (Mitchella repens) without the red berries unfortunately.
[attachimg=1]
Euonymus obovatus
[attachimg=2]
The 'sorceress' Medeola virginiana, looking nice even without the fruits.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Something ID as the Orange Witch's Butter, and I forgot to charge my camera so that's about it.
[attachimg=5]
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A couple of recent pix from Zdenek Zvolanek who has been visiting Fritz Kummert.......
Fritz and ZZ
"Great Austrian breeder and collector Fritz Kummert was able to show me his garden full of rare plants (he does not grow common ones). I was impressed with hardy Fuchsia gracilis ´Arauco´which can be quite decorative in rock garden (not in the bone dry one)"
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Fuchsia gracilis - it looks very similar to magellanica except for the flower colour?
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End of September in Ontario woodlands - a short 'search and retrieve fruits' mission yesterday ahead of some rainy days. Trees are not too colourful, it hasn't been cold enough yet but fruits and mushrooms are beckoning everywhere in the forest.
Moss patches with the partridge berry (Mitchella repens) without the red berries unfortunately.
Euonymus obovatus
The 'sorceress' Medeola virginiana, looking nice even without the fruits.
Something ID as the Orange Witch's Butter, and I forgot to charge my camera so that's about it.
To forget charging camera battery is one thing but to be unable to do it because of lack of infrastructure is something else!
I have successfully established one small partridgeberry in my garden! I had one Medeola seedling in a pot but it disappeared early. Hope the roots are still alive.
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Fuchsia gracilis - it looks very similar to magellanica except for the flower colour?
Yes, I think this plant is sometimes given a F. magellanica var. gracilis, and is shown as a synonym of F. magellanica by the Kew Plant List.
Rather attractive colour I think?
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To forget charging camera battery is one thing but to be unable to do it because of lack of infrastructure is something else!
I have successfully established one small partridgeberry in my garden! I had one Medeola seedling in a pot but it disappeared early. Hope the roots are still alive.
Yes, I know about this 'little' problem ;)
I also wanted to check out if indeed Medeola forms colonies in an octagonal pattern, but there were too many 'babies' around, couldn't tell if from seeds or rhizomes.
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Yes, I think this plant is sometimes given a F. magellanica var. gracilis, and is shown as a synonym of F. magellanica by the Kew Plant List.
Rather attractive colour I think?
Very attractive. Wouldn't mind growing it!