Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: ebbie on April 01, 2019, 04:10:13 PM
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Iris bucharica
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Asphodelus acaulis
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Incredible! Is the plant growing outside? with shelter of a piece of glass?
Anyway - congratulations for growing this tricky plant so successful!
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Thanks Gerd. Asphodelus acaulis is in my small alpine house. It really blooms very abundant this year.
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Asphodelus acaulis
What a brilliant plant!
Thanks for sharing,
cheers
fermi
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Anemone pavonina from Northern Macedonia
Gerd
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Asphodelus acaulis
Very beautiful indeed!
Anemone pavonina from Northern Macedonia
Gerd
And so is this Anemone Gerd.
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Thank you Gabriela!
Gerd
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Spring is advancing steady but slowly. Every night it's been below freezing but days have been sunny and almost +10C. Snow is melting, and more snowdrops are coming, and also early crocuses. Adonis amurensis is flowering as soon as snow melted. Hellebores are mostly still in bud just above ground, but some H.niger is already flowering, besides early H.multifidus. I don't mind the cold nights (as long as they are not too cold), it prolongs spring for me. :)
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Real spring today, +15C this evening.
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Caltha palustris
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Skunk cabbage, Lysichiton americanus
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Sanguinaria canadensis - bad photo!
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Erythronium dens-canis cv.
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Shortia uniflora
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Real spring today, +15C this evening.
Yup, touch of moisture about too? ;D Nice plants Trond.
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Yup, touch of moisture about too? ;D Nice plants Trond.
No, not in the air. For once it is dry and the forecast says dry weather the next week! But the soil is saturated!
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Hi Trond,
Your plants look great. 8)
I have seen Lysichiton americanus growing in the wild in Western Washington State, U.S.A. - Always in extremely moist, bog-like sites. It is defiantly not a plant for our summer hot, xeric California garden, but I get to enjoy your plant here on the forum. Shortia is another great plant. Beautiful, but not for us. Too hot and dry.
Right now it seems hard to believe it will be hot (>38 C) in a month or two at our Sacramento, California garden. Currently we are getting much rain. It will not be a drought year! :) If the rain stops I hope that I will have an opportunity to photograph some of the blooming plants. California native Alliums, Themidaceae, Frillaria, annuals (Layias looking especially nice and are reseeding around). I am especially pleased with our native Lathyrus sulphureus, but there is so much! Some of our native Ranunculus species are blooming, native Salvias. Our xeric (for the most part) garden is starting to take shape! :)
Thanks for sharing the plants from your garden.
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Unfortunately only one flower... but for the production of seeds it should be enough... Townsendia alpigena (T. montana)
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Also,only one flower
Townsendia hookeri
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Unfortunately only one flower... but for the production of seeds it should be enough... Townsendia alpigena (T. montana)
Hi Thomas,
It is nice to see so many fine plants displayed on the forum. I can definitely appreciate everyone’s efforts for produce and save seed.
I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my observations and experiences with seed saving / seed production. Selfing (inbreeding) can be a powerful plant breeding tool, however it is not necessarily a good seed saving strategy, even within species tolerant of inbreeding. Even in the wild there is a fair amount of outbreeding among species that easily self-pollinate, think Fabaceae as an example.
Regardless of where a plant is grown, it is attempting to adjust and adapt to its environment. Evolutionary pressures come from all current environmental conditions: climatic conditions (including greenhouse conditions); predation from insects, bacteria, virus, fungi, etc.; soil conditions, including nutrient type, levels and proportions, heavy metals, pesticides (in 40 years some weeds have developed genetic based resistance to multiple herbicides); and everything and anything regardless if we are aware of these things or not. The jury is still out on epigenetic marks, however it is clear that this process is on the vanguard for a species to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
I hope that seed savers understand that when one selfs a plant, they lose 50% of the genetic variability (it becomes more genetically homogeneous and uniform, great if you want to create a potential F1 hybrid line). Not only does inbred depression become a potential possibility, but much more important is that a genetic bottleneck is being created. The bottom line is, unless one has a specific reason to self a species, the selfed population is losing it genetic ability to evolve and adjust to a new or changing environmental conditions (e.g. your garden).
Other considerations when attempting selfing without the use of controlled pollination are the risks of out breeding. Many gardeners are also collectors. Without some sort of strategy to control pollination, many species will out-breed with related species if their blooming cycle coincides with each other. Obligate out-breeders, such as many Lilium species, will not self, but always cross-pollinate. Clearly this creates a hybrid, which is fine if this is what one wants. However such plants cannot be exchanged as a pure species. In my garden, I even use controlled pollination (bagging, isolation, blooming sequence differences) with species that easily inbreed (Lupinus as an example), as they too can and will out breed.
Wild seed could be a good strategy for introducing new genetic variability into a cultivated population. Using poorly designed seed saving strategies leaves a cultivated population vulnerable to loss of variability, viability and potential disappearance from cultivation. The continued use of wild seed to replace cultivated populations that have died-off, or that is now a hybrid, is counterproductive to wild populations of plants and to the development of strong, viable cultivated populations that are true to type.
It pains me to hear that someone wants “the real thing” from the wild. A wild plant is no longer “wild” once it has been brought into cultivation. Plants and other organisms start to change and adjust in cultivation even without sexual reproduction and are no longer the same as their wild cousins. Many wild populations of plants face extinction based on issues that they could never adjust to (like the blade of a bulldozer). From my perspective the best thing we can do as gardeners that enjoy collecting is to grow populations (not individuals) of a species, learn sound seed saving techniques, and use observant selection to create strong persistent well-adjusted cultivated populations to share with other gardeners.
I have been out in the field documenting changes in our local flora for decades. I have witnessed the disappearance of a number of species from their former range. Gardeners can help preserve portions of a genome by maintaining viable cultivated populations of any given species. It is imperative that we take responsibility to steward our horticultural heritage properly or we will lose much of the variety that can make gardening interesting and rewarding.
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I found several plants of Caltha palustris on the local site last year. A few days ago I went to check them and could not find any. I,ll have to look again later.
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Fritillaria persica and Epimedium pinnatum ssp. colchicum 'Elegans' and Brunnera macrophylla and some others make a nice group
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Very beautiful, but unfortunately not wished:
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Beerenwanze (Dolycorys baccarum) - perhaps someone can add the English name.
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Hairy Shield Bug or Sloe Bug.
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The fruit trees are starting to flower, with this prunus domestica 'Sanctus Hubertus' being one of the earlier ones.
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Spring is advancing very slowly, this week it is again colder, cloudy and rain, even more snow just 100km north from my place.
There are still some patches of snow in my garden, but most of the snow is gone, and in some places the ground has even thawed, no frost left.
Helleborus x hybridus are coming to flower, but not open yet.
Snowdrops are at their best now, and Corydalis are coming up.
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From Leontopodium nanum I have different clones of different origin and altitude. Those in the rock garden are just beginning to grow. A specimen wintered under glass shows the first flower. Altogether 2 cm high. Tienschan mountains, 3900 meters...exactly my taste.
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Thomas,
Very 8)
It is similar in appearance to some of our California native Antennaria species.
Our Sacramento, California garden is looking great now. I you like, I can share some photographs. There is nothing special, but my wife and I like it. :)
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Thomas,
Very 8)
It is similar in appearance to some of our California native Antennaria species.
Our Sacramento, California garden is looking great now. I you like, I can share some photographs. There is nothing special, but my wife and I like it. :)
In fact, the interior of the flowers of this Leontopodium resembles most Antennaria species.
I think we would all appreciate some photos from your garden...me anyway. ;D
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Prunus cerasus 'schaarbeekse kriek' is flowering. An endemic wild cherry tree - but absolutely not growing like any other cherry tree, growing to max 6 to 7 meter high with pendant branches. This tree only occurs in a area of about 500 square km. These trees can be sown, they will come true from seed, but they also make suckers on their roots up to 5 or 6 meter far. The fruits are very sour, but when fully ripe they will be sweet enough for immediate consumption. And it are the fruits of this cherry tree that were used originally to make the famous cherry beer that we call 'kriek'. But right now it's lunchtime for the bees on these trees.
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Prunus cerasus 'schaarbeekse kriek' is flowering. An endemic wild cherry tree - but absolutely not growing like any other cherry tree, growing to max 6 to 7 meter high with pendant branches. This tree only occurs in a area of about 500 square km. These trees can be sown, they will come true from seed, but they also make suckers on their roots up to 5 or 6 meter far. The fruits are very sour, but when fully ripe they will be sweet enough for immediate consumption. And it are the fruits of this cherry tree that were used originally to make the famous cherry beer that we call 'kriek'. But right now it's lunchtime for the bees on these trees.
Mr. Lambert,
Thank you for sharing the story concerning Prunus cerasus 'Schaarbeekse'. 8) Very interesting.
Thomas,
Some photographs from our garden this spring.
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Early blooming forms of Rhododendron occidentale from ground zero at the Camp Fire. Most likely the plants in the Feather River canyon burned to the ground. They will likely grow back from the roots, but at some point I will return to the region and find out exactly their status.
I have three clones that I grow in our Sacramento garden. They are extremely heat tolerant (where they grow in the Feather River Canyon high temperatures can exceed 40 C during the summer). They also bloom 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the standard forms of Rhododendron occidentale from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Perfect for hot climates. :) They are NOT xeric!
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Penstemon rupicola
The seed came from Alplains. I wonder how many plants are still in cultivation from Alplains collections? especially annuals and difficult to grow perennial species.
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Triteleia ixioides ssp. scabra
I grow populations of the various subspecies and keep each population true to type.
I also work on species improvement. :)
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Dichelostemma capitatum
This is my best white form from the South Fork of the American River. I have other white lines from other locations that need to be "cleaned up". When this is accomplished I will combine all the lines. Goal: pure white flowers with good genetic diversity.
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Pacific Coast Iris Hybrids
These are great "garden" plants. I focus on long lasting flowers and a long blooming season. These fit the bill! They are very strong plants that bloom for many weeks. Even an open flower can last for 7 to 10 days! I am not that interested in exotic color combinations with a short blooming cycles and short lived flowers. These are being bred for flower power and garden strength.
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Nice flowers Robert.
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Finally spring is slowly reaching us.Today and tomorrow the weather is going to be around -5 at night
Two pictures taken today.
1.Adonis ramosa got from Japan 3 years ago.
2.Bulbocodium vernum
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Hello Robert
Thank you very much for the beautiful pictures. Fantastic Californian Species... especially great I like Triteleia ixiodes ssp. scabia. A filigree princess.
The spring shows itself with you from the most beautiful side.
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Finally spring is slowly reaching us.Today and tomorrow the weather is going to be around -5 at night
Kris, it is the same here, still cold nights, but it is nice to see, that there are plants which can cope with that.
You have a very pretty Adonis. For some reason, I have lost almost all my Bulbocodium last year, maybe they didn't like the very dry and hot summer, I'm not sure.
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Mr. Lambert,
Thank you for sharing the story concerning Prunus cerasus 'Schaarbeekse'. 8) Very interesting.
Hello Robert,
I'm proud of this unique 'gastronomic heritage', unfortunately these trees are under pressure because it's no longer economically viable to grow these for the fruits - other varieties of sour cherries can be pruned & harvested mechanically. There used be lots of big orchards of these trees, but nowadays they are more & more confined to private gardens where old specimens are remaining. In the wild they suffer of habitat loss. But there is some hope. The brewery Oud Beersel http://www.oudbeersel.com/ (http://www.oudbeersel.com/) planted an orchard for their own usage - seedling trees - and the agronomic research department of Pamel is trying to select clones that can be pruned & harvested mechanically. And I have a potfull of seedlings to plant out next year.
Here's another piece of fruit trees heritage : Pyrus Communis 'jeskespeer', named after the gardener who took care of this tree in the garden of the deanery of Ninove and who made this tree popular in the region (his name was 'Jozef'). That was before the French revolution, so it's already an old variety, but still vigorously growing and very productive. And I have two of these trees in the garden. It's one of the earliest varieties to ripen.
I love the blossom of the fruit trees and look forward to the apple trees getting covered by the blossom.
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Mr. Lambert,
When I was young I worked in agriculture grafting fruit trees. On occasions, I was called out to commercial orchards to top work the fruit trees to newer varieties. There were often old fruiting varieties that where brought over from Europe (back when it was easy to do such things < 1920). There were some interesting stories surrounding those old trees. Thank you for taking the time to share the stories and history of your local heirloom fruits. For me it is incredibly fascinating and I enjoy the history and stories greatly. :) 8)
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Thanks Thomas.
Kris, it is the same here, still cold nights, but it is nice to see, that there are plants which can cope with that.
You have a very pretty Adonis. For some reason, I have lost almost all my Bulbocodium last year, maybe they didn't like the very dry and hot summer, I'm not sure.
Leena I have the same experience with the bulbocodium. Three years ago I had 3 clumps with more flowers.
Here is the picture of one taken in 2016
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I planted years ago an orchard with old varieties of plums, pears & apples. Unfortunately I lost the plan of the orchard, but anyway, most trees are mislabeled in the nurseries so that in the end you still don't know what you have planted.
Anyway, in particular for pears many of the old varieties were wild seedlings found in nature and the variety was often named after the finder. Quite famous over here is the'Légipont' pear, found in a hedge by Mr Légipont. This pear was at the origin of a thriving industry of apple/pear syrup near Liège.
I continued this tradition when I found two seedlings on the courtyard when we bought the house, and I transplanted them to the orchard.
One is a weak growing tree producing masses of rather small fruits very similar to the Conference pear.
The other one looks very promising, is more vigorously growing and gives very late in the season large delicious pears. We had our first fruits last year.
Of course, both trees were named by us, this one with larger fruits we call 'Duchesse de Kwatem'. Duchesse after one of our cats, Kwatem because that's the geographic name of our place.
And the tree is flowering for his second year, much more flowers of course than last year, mostly on the higher branches, but that is very normal for seedling trees compared to grafted trees. When a new variety is started from a seedling they always take grafting material from at least 3 meter high in the tree. Lower branches tend to be spiny and less productive.
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This is Draba bryoides - selfseeded in a tufa block
Gerd
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Fantastic Gerd... with me this beautiful Draba will probably need at least another week, up to the bloom.
But I have just discovered another tiny one... Androsace caduca, Tajikistan, Anzob Pass, about 3000 meters...sown 2017
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Both very beautiful 8)
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Both very beautiful 8)
I'll second those.
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Our Leontopodium nivalis hasn't made it through the winter. Went to the compost heap today. :'(
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Thank you Ashley and David...
Shelagh...I regret your loss of Leontopodium nivale. There are several subspecies of it. Which ones did you have? From the Eurasian Alps or the Pirin? I have already lost some. The particularly beautiful form from the Italian Abruzzi likes it very dry...I will harvest some seeds for you...when the time comes.
One should actually give these "queens of the mountains" their own theme. 😎
Despite the cold weather Douglasia laevigata "Gothenburg" shows flowers for the first time.
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Verbascum arcturus is blooming non stop for several days, each flower as a short life.
I already pollinated many flowers ;D
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I planted years ago an orchard with old varieties of plums, pears & apples. Unfortunately I lost the plan of the orchard, but anyway, most trees are mislabeled in the nurseries so that in the end you still don't know what you have planted.
Anyway, in particular for pears many of the old varieties were wild seedlings found in nature and the variety was often named after the finder. Quite famous over here is the'Légipont' pear, found in a hedge by Mr Légipont. This pear was at the origin of a thriving industry of apple/pear syrup near Liège.
I continued this tradition when I found two seedlings on the courtyard when we bought the house, and I transplanted them to the orchard.
One is a weak growing tree producing masses of rather small fruits very similar to the Conference pear.
The other one looks very promising, is more vigorously growing and gives very late in the season large delicious pears. We had our first fruits last year.
Of course, both trees were named by us, this one with larger fruits we call 'Duchesse de Kwatem'. Duchesse after one of our cats, Kwatem because that's the geographic name of our place.
And the tree is flowering for his second year, much more flowers of course than last year, mostly on the higher branches, but that is very normal for seedling trees compared to grafted trees. When a new variety is started from a seedling they always take grafting material from at least 3 meter high in the tree. Lower branches tend to be spiny and less productive.
Mr. Lambert
Another great story. Thank you for sharing. :) 8)
Yes, I have one heirloom pear from Europe. I cannot remember its name, however it is a fairly small pear with a long narrow "neck". The flavor is the best of any European pear I have ever tasted!
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More blooming plants from our Sacramento, California garden.
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Many of our native California Iris species are in bloom now, or will be coming into bloom shortly.
This is Iris tenuissima ssp. tenuissima. It is a bit slug eaten, but more flowers will be opening soon.
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Another Pacific Coast Iris hybrid from our garden.
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Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii. In my mind, this species has a great deal of untapped potential.
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I cannot imagine our garden without Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons. Once the correct conditions are met, it is a long-lived species. The silvery foliage is outstanding during all seasons. The flowers are great! With effort, selections can be made that are truly outstanding.
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This is the large flowered flower form of Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum from the California Channel Islands. All parts of this plant are larger than the typical forms of this species. It may have evolved through semi-domestication and selection by Native Americans (the bulbs were an important food source) or it could be a natural auto-tetraploid – maybe both.
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In some parts of my garden snow is only now melting around peonies, while in more early part of the garden Crocus abantensis is flowering (picture from yesterday when it was sunny). I planted it last autumn and it is such a wonderful colour! Also snowdrops are still flowering. :)
Nights have been very cold this last week so spring is advancing very slowly.
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Hi Leena,
I enjoy the scenes from your early spring garden immensely. 8) It always reminds me of early spring in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Next week I will be hiking in the higher terrain of the Sierra Nevada. There will be much snow still, but it will also be very beautiful. In the bare spots where the snow has melted there will be new growth.
Thank you for sharing your garden with all of us. :)
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Another set of blooming plants from our Sacramento, California garden.
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Triteleia laxa has been blooming for a number of weeks now.
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The first Calochortus amabilis opened its flowers.
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Good forms of Sisyrinchium bellum produce many flowers over a long period of time. Some Sisyrinchium species can be weedy. I now only grow our California native species and avoid the weeds. The genome of Sisyrinchium bellum, S. elmeri, and S. idahoenese var. occidentale, our 3 local native species, is under utilized. I find great pleasure working with these 3 species and discovering their hidden treasures.
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Castilleja affinis ssp. affinis is long lived for us and blooms all spring and summer. What a fantastic species! I have even had success growing some of our annual Castilleja species, such as Castilleja attenuata. I just checked my seed pans this morning and found Castilleja nana has germinated. We have so many fine California native Castilleja species to trial in our garden.
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I have a great passion for many of our California native annuals. There are a number of challenges maintaining some of them in our garden. One way I measure success is when a species starts reseeding itself in our garden without my help. After 4 generations of selection it appears that I have finally achieved success with Layia gailardioides. There are other success stories with our California native annual species that I hope to share this season.
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Robert what a striking lupinus :o
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Lots of colour there Robert.
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Robert what a striking lupinus :o
Yann,
Yes, Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons is very striking! :)
One plant in our garden must have 30 flower spikes on it right now. Sadly, that photograph did not turn out well.
By the way...
You often have very fascinating postings. 8) and I sometimes have questions.
A while back you had a posting of wild? Galanthus growing near your home. If you remember, were they indeed wild or just naturalized? Did you know the species or maybe they where hybrids? I was very curious and know very little in this regard. If you remember that would be great, if not, that is okay too. I am sure I will have questions in the future.
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Flowering everwhere in spite of the rather low temperatures we have now.
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You often have very fascinating postings. 8) and I sometimes have questions.
A while back you had a posting of wild? Galanthus growing near your home. If you remember, were they indeed wild or just naturalized? Did you know the species or maybe they where hybrids? I was very curious and know very little in this regard. If you remember that would be great, if not, that is okay too. I am sure I will have questions in the future.
Robert all the Galanthus we find in the region are naturalized, most of them are nivalis or elwseii hybrids. Near my home it's elwesii.
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Flowering everwhere in spite of the rather low temperatures we have now.
It's may be cold but the colors are warm ;)
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Yes, lots of colours from Europe and California :)
Here spring is very slow, just like in Finland. Crocus, Eranthis, few reticulate irises and other buds just showing. Spring cannot make up its mind, few days are with 10-12C, then we go down to 1-2C again.
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Helleborus purpurascens - first time to flower, from wild coll. seeds
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Galanthus (nivalis?) a small gifted clump two years ago, it does very well (I know I should divide it)
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Hepatica acutiloba knows is time to flower, but...
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Hi Leena,
I enjoy the scenes from your early spring garden immensely. 8) It always reminds me of early spring in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Next week I will be hiking in the higher terrain of the Sierra Nevada. There will be much snow still, but it will also be very beautiful. In the bare spots where the snow has melted there will be new growth.
Thank you for sharing your garden with all of us. :)
Thank you Robert. :) It is so different here from what it is in your garden, but also I enjoy your pictures, and especially your hikes in the mountains (though I don't comment much).
Here spring is very slow, just like in Finland. Spring cannot make up its mind, few days are with 10-12C, then we go down to 1-2C again.
It is just like that also here this year. This week it's been barely above zero and cloudy, next week the forecast says it will be sunny and +15, but we'll see. Actually I like it when it is not too warm, though I hope the freezing nights would end soon.
How pretty furry H.acutiloba. :) Here is a picture of my just germinated H.acutiloba from your seeds. :)
Also two Helleborus pictures, H.x hybridus are still in bud waiting for the weather to warm up, but H.multifidus just keeps on flowering, and H.niger from wild collected seeds (from Italy by Holubec, sown 2013) is going to flower for the first time. This plant has the prettiest leaves than any of my other H.niger, and the flowers look like they are also going to be really nice.
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A couple of native saxifrage, S. granulata (with Primula farinosa in the background). S. cespitosa. Lady,s smock, Cardamine pratensis.
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S. granulata, Meadow Saxifrage.
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S. cespitosa, Tufted saxifrage.
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Lady,s smock, Cardamine pratensis.
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It is just like that also here this year. This week it's been barely above zero and cloudy, next week the forecast says it will be sunny and +15, but we'll see. Actually I like it when it is not too warm, though I hope the freezing nights would end soon.
How pretty furry H.acutiloba. :) Here is a picture of my just germinated H.acutiloba from your seeds. :)
Also two Helleborus pictures, H.x hybridus are still in bud waiting for the weather to warm up, but H.multifidus just keeps on flowering, and H.niger from wild collected seeds (from Italy by Holubec, sown 2013) is going to flower for the first time. This plant has the prettiest leaves than any of my other H.niger, and the flowers look like they are also going to be really nice.
Yes Leena, I also wait for the freezing nights to come to an end. Glad the H. acutiloba is germinating well, I got feedback from others and also kept samples and it seems all varieties are germinating very well, including some of two years ago.
I cannot tell why some seeds will gerimnate in the second year even if sown fresh/moist kept.
Very nice Helleborus species:) H. niger looks special indeed! I have a very poor flowering specimen only (or it may be it's planted in a bad spot).
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Robert all the Galanthus we find in the region are naturalized, most of them are nivalis or elwseii hybrids. Near my home it's elwesii.
Yann,
Thank you for the information. 8) I have very little knowledge concerning native and/or naturalized plants in Europe. It seems that Galanthus are widespread both as native species as well as naturalized populations beyond their native range.
Yes, lots of colours from Europe and California :)
Gabriela,
Spring is well advanced here in the lowlands (Sacramento Valley) of California.
From what I see, it appears that the snow has just melted in your area. You grow some interesting plants, things that most likely would not be very happy in our hot, dry summer climate. It is a pleasure to see such plants. For me it is a bit of a vicarious gardening experience. Thank you for sharing the photographs.
Thank you Robert. :) It is so different here from what it is in your garden, but also I enjoy your pictures, and especially your hikes in the mountains (though I don't comment much).
Leena,
I enjoy the postings from your garden. For some reason they remind me of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I guess this is kind'a strange as Finland must be very different from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.
I am happy to hear that people read my plant diary from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For me, writing the diary is like flying the "Spirit of Saint Louis" (an airplane without a front windshield). I really cannot see where I am going with the writing and just hope for the best. I will be getting out next week and I will be adding to the diary soon.
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Mistletoe, Viscum album, is not at all common in Ireland. Here flowering at the National BG in Glasnevin.
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I guess that it is the peak of the blooming season here in our Sacramento, California garden. So more photographs…
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A bit slug eaten, but a nice peach – pink Pacific Coast Hybrid Iris.
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Something I get excited about. One of my best seedlings of Iris macrosiphon from seed I gathered in Colusa County, California. It has a very deep rich color and attractive markings.
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Another Iris macrosiphon seedling from seed I gathered in Lake County, California. Each year brings a new crop of seedlings into bloom with many pleasant surprises.
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Another “happening” that gets me excited. Mimulus (Erythranthe) bicolor. These are self-sown seedlings that have survived and are blooming without any help on my part. This is a major step forward in establishing this California native annual in our garden.
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A pot full of Phacelia purpusii. I never sowed the seed. They just came up on their own, including in the soil around the pot. This is a very unusual form of this California native annual. I am extremely please with the results. I will be spreading the seed around various locations in the garden this autumn.
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"Gabriela,
Spring is well advanced here in the lowlands (Sacramento Valley) of California.
From what I see, it appears that the snow has just melted in your area. You grow some interesting plants, things that most likely would not be very happy in our hot, dry summer climate. It is a pleasure to see such plants. For me it is a bit of a vicarious gardening experience. Thank you for sharing the photographs."
Robert - yes, it's been quite a long winter here this year, and now we have a cool early spring. You also grow interesting species that I'm happy to see pictures with, knowing that I would most probably not grow.
But it is possible that with careful positioning and grown from seeds, some species may survive in our climate and vice-versa, you may never know until you try!
In any case, just so you know, this year I have seedlings of Calochortus tolmiei and C. leichtlinii. I got seeds and I wanted to test the germination, so I said why not sow a full pot? Maybe in few years you will see me posting Calochortus flowers :))
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"Gabriela,
In any case, just so you know, this year I have seedlings of Calochortus tolmiei and C. leichtlinii. I got seeds and I wanted to test the germination, so I said why not sow a full pot? Maybe in few years you will see me posting Calochortus flowers :))
Very 8)
I hope this is a successful venture! :)
I see Calochortus leichtlinii all the time in our portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They have a bit of an altitude range. Winters (temperature range) can be pretty chilly at the upper end of its altitude range and somewhat mild at the lower end of its range. They are always found in site that are very hot and dry during the summer.
It will be great if you have success and we will hopefully see future photographs of blooming plants. :)
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Very 8)
I hope this is a successful venture! :)
I see Calochortus leichtlinii all the time in our portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They have a bit of an altitude range. Winters (temperature range) can be pretty chilly at the upper end of its altitude range and somewhat mild at the lower end of its range. They are always found in site that are very hot and dry during the summer.
It will be great if you have success and we will hopefully see future photographs of blooming plants. :)
Thank you Robert. Even if I won't be successful to see them flowering I'm happy to grow them for a while at least - same like with other species.
There is always something to be learned from the process.
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This Fritillaria imperialis has been in the same spot for 30 years.
Flowers beneath a Medlar tree.
Looks to be spreading a bit.
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A few scenes from our Sacramento, California garden before I get busy again.
[attachimg=1]
The garden actually looks great, however this is the best that I can do with the camera.
[attachimg=2]
One of my best deciduous azalea hybrids. It is part of a grex that we call 'Tatiana'. Its growth is very compact, about 1 meter in 20 years. Very floriferous!
[attachimg=3]
Another one of my hybrid azaleas. Nothing to get excited about, but I keep it anyway. I no longer have space to breed azaleas, so all the azalea breeding lines in our garden are a dead end. This does not bother me, I have plenty of other creative breeding projects to work on. :)
[attachimg=4]
Dichelostemma capitatum is blooming throughout our garden. Populations representing different ecotypes will often bloom at different times. This extends to blooming season over a 2 month period.
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What a pleasant sight - and a lemon tree!!! :)
Gerd
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This Fritillaria imperialis has been in the same spot for 30 years.
Flowers beneath a Medlar tree.
Looks to be spreading a bit.
Nice. Mine gets smaller and smaller every year so I have to plant new ones. Is it planted deep?
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A few scenes from our Sacramento, California garden before I get busy again.
The garden actually looks great, however this is the best that I can do with the camera.
It really looks great, Robert! You didn't do bad with the camera either :)
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Contrast to Roberts California garden: Central south Norway, between 1000 and 1300m. The winter still rules!
[attachimg=1]
Looking south.
[attachimg=2]
Looking north.
[attachimg=3]
Looking down. A freeze dried Russula from last fall.
[attachimg=4]
The only "flowers" with colour: Cladonia bellidiflora among Flavocetraria sp.
[attachimg=5]
A few small trickles are open.
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Warm and sunny here today which coincided with a day off work and the arrival of two boxfuls of plant indulgences - mostly primulas...[attachimg=1]
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In any case, just so you know, this year I have seedlings of Calochortus tolmiei and C. leichtlinii. I got seeds and I wanted to test the germination, so I said why not sow a full pot? Maybe in few years you will see me posting Calochortus flowers :))
Good Luck! I have also germinated many seeds of various Calochortus species, but wasn't willing to coddle them over winter, and they resided in my "pot box" outside that seems to be a half zone warmer than my normal winter. Never had any of them survive a winter. Claude Barr tried very hard with Calochortus, and even with heavy mulches, wasn't successful. He surmised that the bulbs couldn't tolerate freezing temperatures.
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Hoy:
It was planted so long ago I can't recall.
It gets much leaf litter every year.
Under a medlar and near some large European beeches, I never remove any leaf litter in that spot.. I can have a peak at the bulb tomorrow to see something about the dept.
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we are having very nice spring here. last week there were still some nights below freezing but now temperature at teens in the day time.
Here are two pictures taken yesterday .
1.Bulbocodium vernum
2.Puschkinia scilloides
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Hello Krish
Great plants... Pushkinia scilloides germinated successfully with me. Your photo makes me happy for the future... ;D
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Hoy:
It was planted so long ago I can't recall.
It gets much leaf litter every year.
Under a medlar and near some large European beeches, I never remove any leaf litter in that spot.. I can have a peak at the bulb tomorrow to see something about the dept.
Thanks Arnold. I suppose I ave to feed them more! The soil is a bit lean but good for small bulbs.
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A few scenes from our Sacramento, California garden before I get busy again.
One of my best deciduous azalea hybrids. It is part of a grex that we call 'Tatiana'. Its growth is very compact, about 1 meter in 20 years. Very floriferous!
Another one of my hybrid azaleas. Nothing to get excited about, but I keep it anyway. I no longer have space to breed azaleas, so all the azalea breeding lines in our garden are a dead end. This does not bother me, I have plenty of other creative breeding projects to work on. :)
The deciduous azaleas you show every year are very beautiful Robert!
Now that there is more space I will add one if it happens to find available. There is a line of cv. called Northern Lights series, very beautiful. The Rhododendrons, even if hardy, can look horrible most winters with burned foliage.
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Good Luck! I have also germinated many seeds of various Calochortus species, but wasn't willing to coddle them over winter, and they resided in my "pot box" outside that seems to be a half zone warmer than my normal winter. Never had any of them survive a winter. Claude Barr tried very hard with Calochortus, and even with heavy mulches, wasn't successful. He surmised that the bulbs couldn't tolerate freezing temperatures.
I know that C. tolmiei is out of question to grow here but I will give it a try with C. leichtlinii. Like Robert mentioned, it often grows at high altitude.
There must be few Calochortus species that can tolerate freezing - for example I don't see any reason we couldn't grow C. apiculatus which I saw it flowering last summer high up in the Lizard Ranges in SE BC.
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I know that C. tolmiei is out of question to grow here but I will give it a try with C. leichtlinii. Like Robert mentioned, it often grows at high altitude.
There must be few Calochortus species that can tolerate freezing - for example I don't see any reason we couldn't grow C. apiculatus which I saw it flowering last summer high up in the Lizard Ranges in SE BC.
Gabriela,
Calochortus minimus grows at very high elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There are a number of others, such as Calochortus nudus. I have a great deal of climatic data for the areas in which they grow in the Crystal Range, California.
Too all Forumist,
However, it is a little more complicated than just winter low temperatures. Snow field species have very distinct characteristics that need to be considered. I will have more on this in my botanical diary as time progresses. Also, I wish that everyone on the forum would consider that too often attempting to get a first generation plant to adapt to their garden is like trying to win the lottery (i.e. especially a species from a location where climatic conditions are very different from the home garden). Protecting first generation plants and then growing on to the 3rd or 4th generation can bring amazing results. I do this all the time and am now able to cultivate species that would never work in my garden from 1st generation plants from the wild. There is much more to this too. All the topics above would require an essay or maybe even a book, but the bottom line is that all sorts of things are possible with the correct techniques.
Very busy right now, but I will get back to things soon enough. :)
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[attachimg=1]
Hi Trond,
There is plenty of snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains too.
At 5,500 feet (1,676 meters) there is still 96 cm of snow on the ground. And it is wet snow! The snow has a moisture content of 18.30 inches (464.82 mm). At the higher elevations there is even more snow!
The snow cover changes dramatically with elevation. At 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) there is basically no snow (generally a few traces in shaded areas). With the warm temperatures and increasing solar radiation the snow at 5,500 feet will last about 2 more weeks. At the higher elevations there will be snow into June and at the highest elevations there will likely be snow fields that never melt this season.
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Every life cycle of a plant has its charms... A nice example is the seed stand of Townsendia leptodes. I like such details... nature is the best designer.
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so pretty, i'm not able to keep them alive...
Far away from its forests Arum dioscoridis (or an hybrid as suggested by Oron, the spots do not spread more than 4cm inside the gorge) in the drought
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There must be few Calochortus species that can tolerate freezing
Gabriela,
I saw lots of Calochortus macrocarpus growing in the B.C. Interior. Gerritsen and Parsons wrote this about it:
In the wild, Calochortus macrocarpus thrives in extreme conditions - cold down to - 35C, heat to 43C, and less than 38 cm of rain most years.
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Freezing nights seem to be over now, and everything has started to grow.
Some pictures from yesterday.
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Leena,
Lovely to see ALL the spring flowers blooming together, while in the UK they are spread out over 3 - 4 months. I'm sure you must savour every moment now that winter seems to be over.
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Behind the house the orchids started their show and the aerial Paris quadrifolia attract insects.
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(Attachment Link)
Hi Trond,
There is plenty of snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains too.
.....................
Robert,
Here the amount of snow are quickly disappearing due to the nice weather. Much of it just sublime.
The snow on the knolls has already disappeared. It wasn't much to start with either. But in the birch woods there are still much - 1m or more.
[attachimg=1]
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Freezing nights seem to be over now, and everything has started to grow.
Some pictures from yesterday.
Very nice Leena! Your plants look very healthy :)
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Gabriela,
I saw lots of Calochortus macrocarpus growing in the B.C. Interior. Gerritsen and Parsons wrote this about it:
In the wild, Calochortus macrocarpus thrives in extreme conditions - cold down to - 35C, heat to 43C, and less than 38 cm of rain most years.
Thank you Diane. I also have on my 'possibly cold hardy' list - C. lyallii and C. nuttallii. I would like to see them in their habitat first.
This is not a genus that interests me much, but when there are seeds, they get sowed :)
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Lovely to see ALL the spring flowers blooming together, while in the UK they are spread out over 3 - 4 months. I'm sure you must savour every moment now that winter seems to be over.
Thank you Trond and Carolyn. :)
I would rather have a longer spring like you do, but I do savour every moment and every spring flower! I'm taking a little time off work so that I can just be outside in the garden every hour. :) Spring is so special time.
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Rhododendron vaseyi - just flowering
Gerd
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It is the peak of the blooming season for our deciduous azaleas.
[attachimg=1]
The ‘Tatiana’ grex started out as a good idea. My wife would come up with a name and an idea of what the flowers would look like. I would breed the plants to see if I could match the idea. ‘Tatiana’ was the name of a tiger at the San Francisco zoo, thus the “striped” petals. Well, this seedling had the perfect flower type to match the ‘Tatiana’ name. Unfortunately, the plant habit was tall, leggy and sparse with foliage. My wife likes the plant so we have kept it. I am glad that we did, despite the leggy plant habit.
[attachimg=2]
As breeding progressed, some of the other ‘Tatiana’ lines turned out extremely well, but no tiger stripes. This “keeper” has flower power! It blooms densely every year, and has a compact dense growing habit. In 20 years it is 1 meter tall.
[attachimg=3]
Here is a close up of the flowers.
[attachimg=4]
During this same period of time, I was working on some of my own breeding ideas. This azalea is less than 1 meter tall after 20 years. Rhododendron atlanticum and flammeum are in the parentage.
[attachimg=5]
Here is a close up of the flowers.
In our new garden, I no longer have the space to do this type of breeding work, but I can enjoy the results of the past efforts for many years now.
At this time, I have new and very exciting breeding goals that will work in our small spaced garden. In my botanical work in the Sierra Nevada Mountains I have identified a number of ecotypes of species that interest me. I have identified (and continue to identify) unique phenotypes that are being incorporated into new breeding lines. A top priority in this project is to transform difficult to cultivate species into easy-to-grow (or much easier-to-grow) garden worthy plants with beautiful qualities not seen before in the garden. FUN! :)
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[attachimg=1]
This is a nice looking Eriogonum ursinum seedling. I am hoping for more flowers next year. I find this species in the southern portion of the mountain region I work frequently.
[attachimg=2]
This is one of the best Eriogonum umbellatum var. polyanthum seedlings that I have grown to date. Some seed accessions produce plants with a large variance in characteristics.
[attachimg=3]
Penstemon hetrophyllus var. purdyi is a beautiful species. There are a number of cultivated clones, some of which are interspecific hybrids. I still see a tremendous untapped potential within this species.
[attachimg=4]
This is a nice pot full of Triteleia ixioides ssp. anilina, which will be planted out in our garden this coming autumn. It is one of 3 subspecies that are found within the botanical region that I work on a regular basis. This species is gorgeous in our garden and 100% xeric. 8)
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This picture shows my special preference for small Leontopodium... Leontopodium fedtschenkoanum...Kyrgyzstan, Pamir Mountains, 3800 meters.
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The Eriogonum ursinum looks great... Robert.
A question...have you ever been to the Klamath Mountains? There are said to be occurrences of Eriogonum diclinum. Another flat species with beautiful silver foliage.
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The Eriogonum ursinum looks great... Robert.
A question...have you ever been to the Klamath Mountains? There are said to be occurrences of Eriogonum diclinum. Another flat species with beautiful silver foliage.
Hi Thomas,
From 1995 to 2000, I made a number of botanical outings to the Klamath Mountain region. At the time my focus was on the Marble Mountains and the Salmon Mountains to the south. This is a huge area and although I saw many fantastic plant species, including some beautiful Eriogonum species, I never encountered Eriogonum diclinum.
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Very nice all indeed Robert, I particularly liked the Penstemon.
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Sanguinaria canadensis 'Flore Pleno', or is just S. canadensis?
[attachimg=1]
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I have a feeling we're supposed to call that S. canadensis 'Multiplex' now, David.
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In our new garden, I no longer have the space to do this type of breeding work,
At this time, I have new and very exciting breeding goals that will work in our small spaced garden.
Robert,
You could enlist the cooperation of other gardeners to grow out your hybrid seeds. This is done by amateur vegetable breeders, mostly of tomatoes, but also other vegetables too. Information and seeds are shared for a number of years. It would not be so quick for rhododendrons, though I have occasionally had flowers in three or four years, and cuttings would then be shared.
Diane
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Thanks for that Maggi so it shall be. Sounds a bit like going to the 'flicks' ?
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Anemone tetonensis
[attachimg=1]
Ptilotrichum spinosa 'Roseum'
[attachimg=2]
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Very nice all indeed Robert, I particularly liked the Penstemon.
Hi David,
Thank you for all the encouraging comments.
There are some excellent clones of Penstemon hetrophyllus, however I believe that there is still a great deal of untapped potential in this species.
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Robert,
You could enlist the cooperation of other gardeners to grow out your hybrid seeds. This is done by amateur vegetable breeders, mostly of tomatoes, but also other vegetables too. Information and seeds are shared for a number of years. It would not be so quick for rhododendrons, though I have occasionally had flowers in three or four years, and cuttings would then be shared.
Diane
Hi Diane,
This is a great idea, however water, among other things, is becoming a critical factor in our region even when there has been above average precipitation. In addition, I am currently doing the most creative and fascinating work with plants. For me it is fine to let go of something and move on. My current projects are going to keep me busy for several life times. :)
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Hi Thomas,
From 1995 to 2000, I made a number of botanical outings to the Klamath Mountain region. At the time my focus was on the Marble Mountains and the Salmon Mountains to the south. This is a huge area and although I saw many fantastic plant species, including some beautiful Eriogonum species, I never encountered Eriogonum diclinum.
Robert... Thank you for your quick answer. The fabulous variety of the Eriogonum could fill many a garden. Some I have sown and have already germinated successfully. I have to prick soon.
Two more of countless newcomers to the Alpinum...
Physaria arctica & Androsace kosopoljanskii. I don't know how many plants I planted today...I am already dizzy ...😅
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Robert,
you really have some nice plants! I like your azalea hybrids :)
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Some plants in flower here today. Almost summer, 20C.
[attachimg=1]
Rhododendron 'Taurus'
[attachimg=2]
Flowering Nothofagus antarctica
[attachimg=3]
Cardamine waldsteinii
[attachimg=4]
Rhododendron dendrocharis-hybrid, growing in the moss on a rocky outcropping.
[attachimg=5]
Tulipa pulchella
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[attachimg=1]
Sanguinaria canadensis (apparently now) ‘Multiplex’
Taken some time to settle in from the move four years ago.
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Sanguinaria canadensis (apparently now) ‘Multiplex’
Taken some time to settle in from the move four years ago.
But looking stunning now Graham, I hope that mine builds up as well.
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Robert,
you really have some nice plants! I like your azalea hybrids :)
Hi Trond,
Your garden is so different from ours! 8)
The plants are looking good and a very different selection. 8)
It was 30.5 C yesterday and is going to be warmer today. It is that time of year for us. In a month it will be 40 C and bone dry.
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Robert... Thank you for your quick answer. The fabulous variety of the Eriogonum could fill many a garden. Some I have sown and have already germinated successfully. I have to prick soon.
Two more of countless newcomers to the Alpinum...
Physaria arctica & Androsace kosopoljanskii. I don't know how many plants I planted today...I am already dizzy ...😅
Thomas,
You have an amazing selection of plants! 8) And very well displayed and cared for. I look forward to the next selections.
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Sanguinaria canadensis (apparently now) ‘Multiplex’
Taken some time to settle in from the move four years ago.
Nice patch there Graham, mine grows only slowly I think I have had it for around 7 years.
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Nice patch there Graham, mine grows only slowly I think I have had it for around 7 years.
Hi David,
I think I’d be moving mine or improving the growing medium if mine was as slow as that. :)
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Hi Trond,
Your garden is so different from ours! 8)
The plants are looking good and a very different selection. 8)
It was 30.5 C yesterday and is going to be warmer today. It is that time of year for us. In a month it will be 40 C and bone dry.
Robert,
we have a woodland garden. The plants look good now but if we don't get rain . ..... Several wildfires in the south part of the county after the driest April for many years. And a warm one also - for us, 3C above average for the last month.
A few more of the plants:
[attachimg=1]
Ranunculus bilobus
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana acaulis
[attachimg=3]
My lawn! Veronica filiformis.
[attachimg=4]
Lysichiton americanus
[attachimg=5]
Arisaema sp
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Trond,
Your plants look great, especially considering the warm and dry conditions you are having. 3 C above average! And very dry! You must have a seep on your property. Lysichiton americanus would dry up into nothingness in a nanosecond with the drought and heat in our part of the world. But I have to admit that I enjoy gardening here and would not want to be any other place. It is great to get a garden tour of your garden and see plants that would never grow here. Thank you so much! 8)
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Nice plants Trond, cracking pictures too.
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Nice plants Trond, cracking pictures too.
Hi David,
[attachimg=1]
This is what happens to many of the Penstemon species in our garden. My wife puts up with this. :)
Now more photographs from our garden...
[attachimg=2]
Castilleja affinis ssp. affinis looking great. It does this every year now, with more flowers opening throughtout the summer and early autumn.
[attachimg=3]
Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' covered with flowers. 100% xeric. :)
[attachimg=4]
Triteleia hyacinthina. I have another patch near a red-leaf Japanese Maple. The photograph is difficult for me and did not turn out, however the light - dark contrast is striking.
[attachimg=5]
More Azaleas from our garden. This one I call 'Raspberry'. It was definitely a "Bob Ross" "Happy Accident".
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Here once again two tiny ones from the very top...
Androsace adenocephala, Tibet, 4500 m
and
Primula pamirica, Tadschikistan, Pamir, 3900 m
By the way... many thanks for the nice words, Robert.
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Trond,
Your plants look great, especially considering the warm and dry conditions you are having. 3 C above average! And very dry! You must have a seep on your property. Lysichiton americanus would dry up into nothingness in a nanosecond with the drought and heat in our part of the world. But I have to admit that I enjoy gardening here and would not want to be any other place. It is great to get a garden tour of your garden and see plants that would never grow here. Thank you so much! 8)
Thank you, Robert.
It is very dry now. We have had several wildfires the last week and they struggle to quench them. (They are nothing like your wildfires last season though) Yes, I have a seep on my property and a small boggy area but most of the property has only a thin layer of soil above the bedrock. Another warm day today but we got a few mm precipitation this evening. Hopefully we will get more!
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Nice plants Trond, cracking pictures too.
Thank you David.
You show some yourself too!
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Thank you, Robert.
It is very dry now. We have had several wildfires the last week and they struggle to quench them. (They are nothing like your wildfires last season though) Yes, I have a seep on my property and a small boggy area but most of the property has only a thin layer of soil above the bedrock. Another warm day today but we got a few mm precipitation this evening. Hopefully we will get more!
I will have to ask a few questions about the drought conditions you are currently experiencing. But first I have to get some work done and then get back into town. But thank you for filling me in concerning the drought, and I guess well above average temperatures too.
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Here once again two tiny ones from the very top...
Androsace adenocephala, Tibet, 4500 m
and
Primula pamirica, Tadschikistan, Pamir, 3900 m
By the way... many thanks for the nice words, Robert.
Thomas,
Once again I am amazed by the variety of plants that you cultivate! 8)
No wonder I stick to our local native plant species. I would have nothing in my garden if I attempted to acquire rarely cultivated species. Your collection is very impressive. And you keep pulling more and more "out of the hat." Keep this up! It is very fascinating but way beyond my means.
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Thomas,
Once again I am amazed by the variety of plants that you cultivate! 8)
No wonder I stick to our local native plant species. I would have nothing in my garden if I attempted to acquire rarely cultivated species. Your collection is very impressive. And you keep pulling more and more "out of the hat." Keep this up! It is very fascinating but way beyond my means.
Hello Robert
Too much praise for a "bloody rookie"... I'm not striving for glory... you know that. I am only a small light here...but my enthusiasm for the alpine flora is limitless. I didn't grow all the shown plants myself from seeds...logically.
Maybe I'm exaggerating all this a little bit...today, for example, it took me forever to produce a suitable location and the right mixture of substrate for three tiny specimens of Aquilegia jonessii. To give such jewels an appropriate environment is the attraction of the thing. However, I am also very lucky that my dear Antje gives me the necessary leeway for these experiments.
Again many thanks for the nice words from profound mouth. 😎
Thomas
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The weather is very dry here but that does not bother the townsendias.
It is in full bloom now.
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How unusual to see daisies in early spring. Most daisies seem to be summer or fall flowers.
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Towards the end of last year Brian and I had major changes made to the garden to make access easier and hopefully less work. I thought you might like to see how it is progressing.
First a picture of the raised bed just after it was finished and Brian had replanted most of the plants he had saved before the removal of the rock garden and scree bed.
Cytissus ardoinii Cottage
Daphne arbuscular
Erodium
Geum Totally Tangerine.
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Heuchera Silver Celebration
Some colourful favourites
Rhodanthemum
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Sax. Butter Cream
An across view of how the bed looks today, filling up nicely.
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Looking very good, Shelagh - and aren't the plants settling in well?
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Here's a bloom on Cydonia sinensis, which in a former life was known as Psuedocydonia sinensis.
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Nice to see it in bloom, Arnold. I wonder when my seed grown plant will flower, it is a bit taller than me, now.
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Gordon:
My tree is about 35 years old. It was doing very nice for years until the Oriental fruit moth got a hold of it.
Practically killed 50 % of the tree before I realized what had happened.
Compounding it I hired a pest service that was treating the tree with the incorrect pesticide at the wrong time.
I now hang pheromone traps and monitor the population and treat only when necessary with Spinosad which has done the trick.
Tree has filled in most of the damage but doesn't look like it once did.
I use this site to guide my use of organic pesticides. http://newa.cornell.edu/index.php?page=weather-station-page&WeatherStation=kteb (http://newa.cornell.edu/index.php?page=weather-station-page&WeatherStation=kteb)
Find the closest airport and it will tell you what you should be doing for insect control.
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Diapensia lapponica is one of the biggest challenges. It is probably almost hopeless to create the ideal conditions here... but I have tried. (picture)
I hope the Nordic gods will have mercy on me. ;D
Trond... I always forget to express my enthusiasm for your pictures from the wilderness...sorry. I like the boreal flora of the northern tundra and Mountains very much.
In the next days I will plant Polemonium borealis. The seeds reached me via detours from Spitsbergen. Wonderful healthy young plants have been created. Do you have any tips for the successful cultivation of this Nordic species?
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That's a great site, Arnold. I never knew there was such a thing. Thanks so much for sharing it!
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Rick:
The insects that plague us and our plants all develop based on temperatures.
You can track an insects growth and maturation based solely on ambient temperatures.
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Diapensia lapponica is one of the biggest challenges. It is probably almost hopeless to create the ideal conditions here... but I have tried. (picture)
I hope the Nordic gods will have mercy on me. ;D
Thomas, I think your summers are too warm!
You have to grow them in a fridge :)
Trond... I always forget to express my enthusiasm for your pictures from the wilderness...sorry. I like the boreal flora of the northern tundra and Mountains very much.
In the next days I will plant Polemonium borealis. The seeds reached me via detours from Spitsbergen. Wonderful healthy young plants have been created. Do you have any tips for the successful cultivation of this Nordic species?
Thank you, Thomas.
I have never tried cultivating P borealis. It is a plant for the extreme north, growing wild some places in Finnmark and in Svalbard (Spitzbergen). I have seen it growing in sandy, stony soil among grass and in a rocky riverbed in Spitzbergen. Also for this the summer heat may be a problem.
Polemonium borealis from Svalbard (July some years ago):
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A few plants from the garden yesterday.
Rh. wardii - a pale yellow form
Arisaema unknown sp
Arisaema sikokianum
Magnolia stellata and Clematis montana
Rhododendron 'Haba Shan'
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A few more:
Cardamine pentaphyllos white form
Geranium tuberosum
Rhododendron - forgotten the name long ago!
Lysichiton americanus x camtschatcensis
Epimedium perralderianum(?)
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Trond, your white Cardamine is very pretty! Wild rabbits ate my Cardamine glanduligera before it had time to flower.
Over here last week was unusually warm, more than +20C which is a lot in April. Plants are coming up fast and snowdrops are almost over now, only the late ones in more shady places are still flowering.
Hellebores are at their best now.
It is funny how plants are catching up and some are now flowering here the same time as in more south, like Sanguinaria canadensis.
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Corydalis are also flowering now, but they don't like this too warm weather. Flowers go over fast and in many cultivars red fades to pink, or purplish shade. :( Hepatica nobilis is also flowering right now.
Red Corydalis solida in the first picture is 'George Baker'.
In the second the pink one is 'Pink Smile', and in the background shorter 'King Arthur'.
Dicentra cuccularia 'Pink Punk'
My best beds are shady, but I have one dry slope and Pulsatilla halleri subsp slavica 'Alba' (grown from seeds many some years ago) grows bigger there every year, it seems to like that place very much, and it is such a pretty plant.
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Wonderful plants and photos Leena. You have a lovely woodland garden.
That pulsatilla is exquisite and obviously very happy.
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Thomas, I think your summers are too warm!
You have to grow them in a fridge :)
Thank you, Thomas.
I have never tried cultivating P borealis. It is a plant for the extreme north, growing wild some places in Finnmark and in Svalbard (Spitzbergen). I have seen it growing in sandy, stony soil among grass and in a rocky riverbed in Spitzbergen. Also for this the summer heat may be a problem.
Polemonium borealis from Svalbard (July some years ago):
Hi Trond
Many thanks for the quick answer and the helpful information. These are the same as my previous research. Last year I made some extra temperature measurements...to find the coolest point in my alpinum...as already mentioned, I may be exaggerating. 😉
The two specimens of D. lapponica were in a high pot. I opened the pot very carefully at the bottom and sank it very deep into the ground. If I notice that the plants are not doing well, I will probably install a water-cooled underground cooling system...a little fun.
Polemonium borealis I will plant in the same area...at a proper distance. There are also garden worthy breeds...but you know my personal preference for wild forms.
There are really some great tiny plants from the far north. I think for example of a few Douglasia from Alaska or Synthyris borealis...an absolute dream.
I will report about this little experiment again...no matter whether successful or not.
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I am also excited about the great pictures from your woodland garden...Leena. Especially beautiful I find the play of light and shadow. Also great is how the many colorful plants are surrounded by the old foliage of the trees...very natural...👍
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Lovely photos for all your gardens!
In august 2014 i sown this paeonie, Paeonia obovata var alba, it's flowering for the first time.
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Good images of your gardens everyone. Thomas, I have tried to grow D. lapponica without success, I wonder if it needs snow cover in winter?
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Some great garden photographs everyone! 8)
Over here last week was unusually warm, more than +20C which is a lot in April. Plants are coming up fast and snowdrops are almost over now, only the late ones in more shady places are still flowering.
Leena,
Our temperatures cooled yesterday, however for the previous three days we have had record breaking high temperatures in the 31 to 32.2 C range.
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A few more photographs from our Sacramento, California garden.
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Azalea Pink 'Nightlife', part of the Nightlife grex. They are all Rhododendron occidentale hybrids.
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Azalea 'White Nightlife'
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Unnamed 'Nightlife' azalea. It is a chimera that throws lined pink against white flowers much like a Satsuki Azalea.
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Allium falcifolium with Salvia sonomensis.
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Allium unifolium with Layia
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No flowers yet, but I am having a great deal of success with this batch of Viola douglasii seedlings.
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Viola purpurea ssp. integrifolia. I am still hoping it will flower this year. I am finally having a great deal of success cultivating our California native Viola species. I am thrilled about this. :)
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Towering deciduous azaleas in our garden. A few are over 3 meters in height!
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My wife Jasmin in among the azaleas.
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Thank you Ashley. It is so rewarding to find a place for a plant where it loves to grow. Not always so easy for me, a learning process.
I am also excited about the great pictures from your woodland garden...Leena. Especially beautiful I find the play of light and shadow. Also great is how the many colorful plants are surrounded by the old foliage of the trees...very natural...👍
Thank you :). Light was very nice yesterday when I took the pictures.
My beds are surrounded by trees, and also I add some dry leaves for winter protection (because you never know what kind of winter is coming), and the leaves are left in the beds and disappear during summer. They also help to keep moisture, but the downside is that they may give also shelter to snails and such. Blackbirds like to throw the leaves around when they look for food under them.
Leena, Our temperatures cooled yesterday, however for the previous three days we have had record breaking high temperatures in the 31 to 32.2 C range.
You must be used to so hot temperatures! :)
And your azaleas seem to love it and flower to abundantly. They are really great, so tall with colourful flowers.
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In august 2014 i sown this paeonie, Paeonia obovata var alba, it's flowering for the first time.
P.obovata is one of my favourites, so easy to grow here, but it flowers quite a short time. :(
Opening seedpods in the autumn are like a second flowering for it.
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Hi Robert and Jasmin...
I remember a photo of Jasmin in the snow during a snowball fight. Now in a sea of colors. Great
Your variety of colors is impressive...
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How lovely to see Jasmin in the flowers - such a beautiful smile!
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Good images of your gardens everyone. Thomas, I have tried to grow D. lapponica without success, I wonder if it needs snow cover in winter?
Hi, Ian,
Please excuse the late answer... I just discovered your question.
I don't have much experience with Diapensia lapponica yet...but I suspect that covering it with snow comes very close to the natural conditions. Some parts of the plant (both in the centre...but mainly at the edge) die off in winter. The living part has a red colour in winter, which then changes relatively quickly back to green at higher temperatures. These are my personal experiences. But I think that a snowless winter is the smaller problem. It is the high temperatures in the Central European summer, which probably also makes me join the ranks of the "desperate". But I'm still trying...I've had few other small successes with difficult cases.
The also very beautiful Diapensia purpurea is in this year's sowing season...but no germination yet...but hope dies last. 😉
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Last night came the long-awaited rain. During the day it was dry... Time to take a quick picture of Androsace robusta ssp. purpurea from northern India. Now it rains again quite easily... perfect timing. :-)
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whouah nice species! yes the rain finaly came it was too dry.
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Thanks to all of you for wonderfully varied Spring flowerings, they certainly cheer you up on a dull morning.
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How lovely to see Jasmin in the flowers - such a beautiful smile!
Hi Maggi,
Jasmin says "Hello", the other half that you do not hear much from. :)
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Hi Maggi,
Jasmin says "Hello", the other half that you do not hear much from. :)
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8) :)
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Trond, your white Cardamine is very pretty! Wild rabbits ate my Cardamine glanduligera before it had time to flower.
Leena, you are catching up! We have also had very warm April and the vegetation looks more like late May then April.
Sorry for the glanduligera. Hopefully the roots survive!
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Robert,
you have many beautiful flowers in your garden including Jasmin!
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Thomas,
Diapensia lapponica is not always covered by snow in winter as it often grows on the summit where the snow blows away during winter.
Like here, growing in a crevice with some moss. (June 2013.)
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Thomas,
Diapensia lapponica is not always covered by snow in winter as it often grows on the summit where the snow blows away during winter.
Like here, growing in a crevice with some moss. (June 2013.)
Thank you... Trond. If anyone knows for sure, it's you. Fantastic pictures...a beautiful little treasure of the north.
As I said before, it will be quite difficult for me to keep this Diapensia alive successfully. I found the coldest point in the rock garden and have to wait.
Wish me luck...I can use it. 🤞
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Another experiment...Globularia spinosa. Here actually something for the AlpinHaus...if you manage to keep this plant alive at all. Friends, very experienced gardeners have advised me against...it would be unsuccessful. I have had these two specimens outdoors for exactly three years. A small cover is available. Two years were the two as petrified. Today I see massive growth of the beautiful foliage...therefore I have this Globularia from southern Spain.
...salute ;D
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whouah nice species! yes the rain finaly came it was too dry.
Hi Yann
I hope you've had enough rain. More rainfall is predicted for tomorrow.
The rain of the last two nights has done very well here. All the plants are exploding with life. Examples...
☆Androsace jacquemontii from Nepal...much smaller and hairier than A. robusta ssp. purpurea.
☆ In large parts of North America widespread...Androsace chamajasme var. carinata.
☆Geranium erianthum var. pallescens from the tiny Japanese Rebun Island. Already in the half-opened state the drawing does not look bad.
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The flowering cycle in our Sacramento, California garden is shifting gears as we approach May.
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The last of the Rhododendron occidentale hybrids. The parentage of this hybrid is different from the Nightlife grex. This hybrid has a wonderful fragrance.
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Rosa woodsii ssp. ultramontana has now started to bloom. This is from seed I gathered on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Alpine County, California. The fragrance of this rose is divine.
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This is a very unusual form of Phacelia purpusii from El Dorado County, California. These are first generation self-sown seed. I am extremely pleased to have this California native annual established in our garden.
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A nice little group of Penstemon heterodoxus var. heterodoxus in a large tub. They look nice, however for me, they need some improvement.
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One of those happy accidents. Stipa lemmonii var. lemmonii with Ixia viridiflora hybrids. Stipa lemmonii var. lemmonii is one of our California native perennial bunch grasses. I have this Stipa, other California native Stipa species, as well as other California native grasses planted throughout the garden.
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Shelagh... this weekend, I remembered your words about your loss of Leontopodium nivale.
Here, the selected form of the Gran Sasso brings new life. As you can see, this form is already completely white hairy in the bud. Two specimens already show a beginning of flowering. It will be a pleasure for me to send you some seeds after successful pollination. It can be reproduced reliably.
Perhaps a small consolation... ;)
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Thomas I am looking forward for the Leontopodium nivale seeds you gave to germinate.
This year the Astragalus lutosus flowered very early.It is nicely spreading also.
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Corydalis repens is flowering now and I like this particular one. The plant never produced seeds. It is hardy here in Saskatoon!!!
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Two wonderful plants... Krish. I am always overwhelmed by your collection.
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Thanks. Here is Clematis tenuiloba in bud