Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: Sinchets on April 23, 2009, 06:51:25 PM
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Just some plants in the alpine garden:
Oxytropis splendens
Salvia cyanescens
Taraxacum leucanthum
and an Aubrietia grown from AGS seed A.deltoides (?)
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Unless I'm mistaken, Taraxacum leucanthum should be white, no?
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Well you'd think so yes- actually in real life it's a more buttercream yellow than it is in the pic. I was hoping it would be paler. I once grow T.pamiricum, which was pale pink and very attractive.
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Taraxacum albidum is really white, with some yellow in the very center of the flower. Japanese in origin.
I've grown it outside for years, but have never seen even a single volunteer, though the seed germinates well if collected and pot-sown.
IOW, not a weed.
I amuse myself with dreams of a lawn spangled with dandelions in differnent colors, to the consternation of all who behold it.
I'll try to get a photograph of the next flower to open (if there is one!).
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This one, T.leacanthum, is from 3800m altitude in the Pamir Mountains (according to source) I am not sure whether it will be a selfsowing problem and the flowers are not what i was expecting, but it did spend its winter rest with a fascinating rosette of fleshy red leaves. T.pamiricum was a very small beauty, which I kept going for a while from seed. Sadly the year it died it did so before it had flowered. I think I am like you, I like growing them (dandelions) for the quirkiness of growing 'weeds'.
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We were out 'botanising' yesterday. So today's offerings combine plants which began flowering yesterday as well as today.
An Astragalus species- from Lake Salda in Turkey
Delphinium decorum- usually taller but it has been a dry Spring
Oxytropis tianschanica
Penstemon aridus
Erysimum caricum
Astragalus ceramicus filifolius
Vania campylophylla
and Erysimum atticum
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Just some plants in the alpine garden:
Oxytropis splendens
Salvia cyanescens
Taraxacum leucanthum
and an Aubrietia grown from AGS seed A.deltoides (?)
Simon - is that a Vine Weevil on your Taraxacum? If here, it would be rather early in the year for this pest.
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No sorry to disappoint, it is just one of a large number of ground bugs (family Lygaeidae) we get in the garden. It comes with the territory in a new garden I suppose. ::)
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I love the first Astragalus species, and the Oxytropis. Great pics.
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Thanks Paul, I always think that Astragalus and Oxytropis are underused in Rock gardens.
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I've never seen an actual Astragalus myself, and had never heard of Oxytropis until someone posted a pic of a nice purple one recently. Are they something that isn't common/available, or just something that isn't fashionable at the moment? So many of the pea family are spectacular, but we really don't see that many of them in our gardens (well not here in Aus anyway).
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Well you'd think so yes- actually in real life it's a more buttercream yellow than it is in the pic. I was hoping it would be paler. I once grow T.pamiricum, which was pale pink and very attractive.
This one?
Acquired yesterday at a plant sale in the Grugapark Essen.
Gerd
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They were never very common at nurseries in Britain, but I managed to find a few a various 'members' stands at AGS shows- it was then that I became hooked. I think they have a repututation for being difficult, I am not sure if this is because they are said not to like root disturbance. I have never tried moving one so I don't know.
Mine are all from seed now- some are doing better than others, but I have species from Turkey, Asia and North and South America that have all over-wintered happily outside- and seem happy so far too. ;)
I keep trying with some of the more esoteric ones such as Astragalus asclepiadoides. I have a one year old bush of Anarthrophyllum cummingii from seed, which seems okay so far- if it lives longer enough to flower here it will be champagne time for me ;)
I am currently working on extending the rock gardens, in the hope of having a larger area for true xerics.
If I could garden with Australian members of the family, I am not sure I would know where to stop. Australia is a real treasure trove for this family isn't it.
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That looks similar Gerd. Is it pinker in real life? The oneI had held its flowers closer to the rosette, but that may have been because I was cruel to it at the time and grew it in a pot ::)
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We do seem to have a lot of Fabaceae here in Aus. I've post a few at times in the Australian Natives at the ANBG thread, but that is really a fraction of what I see, even just at the ANBG. We get a lot of the little "bacon and eggs" types locally, including Oxylobium, Dyllwinia etc apparantlly, although I never get a chance to go bushwalking to have a look for them in the wild. Would love to see some of these things in their own environment if I get the time. And that is just locally..... so many others in so many different areas and niches. Amazing variety.
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That looks similar Gerd. Is it pinker in real life? The oneI had held its flowers closer to the rosette, but that may have been because I was cruel to it at the time and grew it in a pot ::)
Simon,
Not much pink inside the open flowers but the fading ones turn to this colour.
Gerd
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I stayed with friends in Melbourne and on the back on their toilet door was a poster of the flowers of Victoria it made very interesting reading. I'd certainly love to grow Chorizema!
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The backs of the petals look great Gerd, they make the same plant doubly attractive. Are you interested in exchanging seed if it sets?
Only one for today, as we have finally had some much needed rain-
Penstemon paysoniorum
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Simon,
Will send a PM!
Gerd
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Fabulous flowers, Simon! What an amazing range of plants you grow! I am curious as to the origin of your Oxytropis splendens - do you know where the seeds were from? The inflorescence, particularly, is much less furry than the ones I see here.
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I have 2 stocks of O.splendens, Lori. This one was from seed of a plant I bought at an AGS show as O.splendens. My other stock is from seed from Rocky Mountain Rare Plants. Do you have a pic of your plants?
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Simon, do the leaves form a whorl around the stem on the one you've shown? It seems as though they probably do but it's not completely clear. The lower lip of the flower of the plant you posted is rather different in form from ours too, it seems. I posted some pics of our native form (though growing in my garden) over on a different thread; rather than interrupt your thread, I'll just post the link, if I can - the photos of O. splendens are toward the bottom of the page and I've added one to show leaf detail:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3214.30
EDIT to add: As I look at the pictures posted at RMRP, I'm becoming deeply confused! The leaves on that plant seem to be arranged sticking out perpendicular along the stem length - or perhaps I should say held in a single plane, perpendicular to the stem axis - there should be at least some that whorl around the stem, but I don't see it; even those close to the inflorescence look perpendicular to the stem, rather than whorled?????
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Lori, I am looking at your pic just now and comparing it to mine. I must say yours looks much like the pic of O.splendens I have just found in one of my Field Guides to North American Wild Flowers. So at this point I am wondering what mine is. As I said mine was from seed of a plant i bought at an AGS show, where it came from I don't know. Your plants is pretty amazing though! :P
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One of my favorite plants! I will collect seeds this summer, if you would like some? (I just checked - I don't have any left from last year.) I'll also send some for the seed exchange (assuming it's allowed to send locoweed seeds to Scotland; I could not send them to the NARGS exchange due to US seed import rules).
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I amuse myself with dreams of a lawn spangled with dandelions in differnent colors, to the consternation of all who behold it.
Rodger, I'm sure the passers-by think I'm a lousy weeder when they see Hieracium villosum in bloom in our front boulevard (though I doubt they notice it when it's not in bloom)... another pretty thing to add to a dandelion-ish collection, with which to frighten the neighbors. ;D
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Lori, I never say no to seed! Is there anything I can send in return?
I had another look at the leaves of my O.'splendens', in the clear light of day, they aren't really whorled-. The best i can describe it is as ,2 leaflets at 90degrees to each other, with another 2 leaflets slightly up the stem on the opposite side. Does this help?
I love Hieracium villosum after the rain. I first grew it as a teenager, when I lived with my parents, they still have in 'hard to weed' cracks in the concrete around the edges of their patio. I have a small patch here from seed and hope it will take over an old brick wall eventually. ;)
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Today the first flowers on Hedysarum pulchrum began to open. A hot colour for a hot garden!
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Today the first flowers on Hedysarum pulchrum began to open. A hot colour for a hot garden!
How extraordinarily fascinating - would love to know more about this hot plant 8)
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Sorry to say that all I know about this plant is that the seed was collected at 3800m in the Pamir mountains by Josef Jurasek. The plants itself is one year old and survived a winter under snow for 3 months following a hot dry summer. :)
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Sorry to say that all I know about this plant is that the seed was collected at 3800m in the Pamir mountains by Josef Jurasek. The plants itself is one year old and survived a winter under snow for 3 months following a hot dry summer. :)
I had a feeling it was extraordinary, thanks simon for the story so far...
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About 20 years ago I bought a packet of seed from Chilterns Seed of Linaria supina. The original plants were pale yellow and some had markings in orange or purple on the lip. Over the years it seems to have shared genes with other Linaria species I have grown, including L.maroccana, L.aeruginea and more recently L.alpina. The resulting plants have been more soundly perennial and every now and then throw up some lovely colour mixes.
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Also just opening today on the xeric garden this Arilbred Iris- identity unknown.
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...and seems to want to remain so Simon ??? Would like to know hich one is the L alpina in your previous post?
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I think the Iris may be 'Vera Olivia' :)
Sorry, Linaria alpina isn't in the pics- it's genes are in a Linaria on another part of the rock garden. I found L.alpina very shortlived- the cross into L.supina gave a flower with a lovely bright lip and a more perennial nature.
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The linarias are very preety aren't they? and because they seed around and don't live too long, are like a little group of ephemeral visitors who come and go and come again, always welcome.
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I agree Lesley- these plants are longer lived than some I have had- I have had plants live 4 or 5 years so far. They are easy to weed out and I just keep the colour forms I like. We have a few we are playing with at the moment which have more orange and red in them.
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A hot broody day here, with the promise of thunderstorms later :)
Interesting flowers, buds and pods in the rock garden today include:
Erodium chrysanthum (Mt Killini)
Astragalus zionis seedpods
Calandrinia caespiosa (first flower)
Centaurea chrysantha (flower bud)
Oxytropis sericea
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Looking good Simon !
I love the Calandrinia - I've tried sowing it a couple of times in the past but never succeeded to flower it in the garden... :'(
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Thanks Luc. It is only 1 small flower just now, but I am happy with it. :)
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Some more plants flowering this afternoon.
Ipomopsis globularis
Aethionema sp1
Aethionema sp2
and close ups of the Aethionema flowers
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Flowering today in the rock garden:
A Physaria species
Erigeron vagus at its best
Geranium malviflorum
Erysimum (suffructicosum?)
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Simon, the plants you are growing in your open rockery are so enchanting, some I have never heard of before or seen like Ipomopsis globularis
and Aethionema species - thanks for sharing them and I would love to see a general photo of the rockery too if possible? :)
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Simon, absolutely wonderful! I'd love to see overall photos of your gardens too!
I'm amazed at how much variation there seems to be in Oxytropis in general... O. splendens, which we talked about, (the local form certainly is a good one), and also O. sericea. The flower colour of your plant is very different, again, from the local form, which flowers in a very soft pale yellow.
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Thank you both for your kind comments. Pics of the whole rock garden area will be taken tomorrow. :)
Lori, my O.sericea was from Ron Ratko (NNS06-384 collected in Utah), I think the pic may be making it look whiter than it is - it is a milky white just now and putting up a few more flower spikes. I rarely thin my seedlings so it is possible the other spikes may be on different plants- I will check to see if there is any variability in colour. Oh and the Lamiaceae are starting to bud, so hopefully I will have some Scutellaria and Dracocepahlum pics soon :P
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Erodium chrysanthum (Mt Killini)
Male or female? Or do you have both sexes?
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There were about 5 seedlings in the pot- and seed was set last year so I suppose both sexes. :)
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Flowering today and happy for having had some rain:
Paeonia mascula mascula
Dracocephalum grandiflorum 'Altai Blue'
Penstemon pachyphyllus congestus
Campanula sp (saxifraga group)
Aquilegia canadensis 'Corbett'
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On the shady boundary wall at the back of the garden:
Geum rivale + rivale album
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As promised, some general views of the rock gardens.
View 1= From the xeric area at the bottom to the back wall and boundary fence. The top left of this area will hopefully be weeded this year for a planned alpine meadow.
View 2= The original rock garden (now 2 years old) where the majority of the bulbs live. This was built on top of the gypsum plaster removed from the house and is fiercely well drained.
View 3= The original bulb beds which were converted into xeric areas last summer.
View 4= From the woodland garden across to the xeric area and then on into this years new landscaping for an area of 'pseudo-maquis'.
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No crevice garden in sight!
There are a few here. From what I've seen, they provide ideal growing conditions for true alpines that can be so difficult in the open garden. If there's a source of sedimentary rock that is easily split into flags anywhere near you, it's worth building one as an experiment.
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Thanks Rodger. There is actually a 'pavement' area of fragmented rock at the transition between the xeric and upper rock gardens. It is built up on top of rubble and is extremely free draining. I am currently experimenting with Ipomopsis and Delphinium cardinale in there just now.
My tiniest plants are mainly in troughs and seem quite happy. This summer we will build a larger bed for them in an area in the shade behind the barn. I hope this will be suitable for higher Himalayan alpines and gentians, which have proved not to like the sun here too much.
Which true alpines were you having problems with in the open garden?
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I don't have a crevice garden myself, and if I try any real alpines, they go into pots of pumice because I'm in a low spot (a former marsh) with heavy damp soil.
But one of the enthusiasts here as a crevice garden. Wow! everything in it looks like it's growing great guns.
It seems to be ideal for, say, Campanula piperi, which is a fairly difficult plant (to say the least).
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I am having a lot more success so far growing alpines here in the mountains, than I ever did in my gardens in Britain. Conditions here are much more amenable to a wide range of plants. There are plants, which I know I will not succeed with here- due to the long, hot and dry summers and possibly also the 3months of snow cover in winter. However these conditions do present me with the possibilities, and challenges, of growing a whole new range of plants, which I would not have tried outside, without protection, in a British rock garden. ;)
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Flowering today on the rock gardens:
Aquilegia caerulea ochroleuca
Onosma alboroseus
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I am having a lot more success so far growing alpines here in the mountains, than I ever did in my gardens in Britain. Conditions here are much more amenable to a wide range of plants. There are plants, which I know I will not succeed with here- due to the long, hot and dry summers and possibly also the 3months of snow cover in winter. However these conditions do present me with the possibilities, and challenges, of growing a whole new range of plants, which I would not have tried outside, without protection, in a British rock garden. ;)
I completely agree, Simon, the conditions you describe are very similar to here in Valais and I only grew a few token alpines in troughs in the UK. Here once alpines are established they flower like mad but establishing them takes much longer - they just have to find their feet! For me the foliage aspect in my raised rockery/bulb bed it equally as important :) I have gained a lot of information from your postings and am very pleased to see your garden views and areas. More rock moving this afternoon!
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What a fantastic place you've made, Simon! Thanks for showing it! How much land do you have? It looks like quite a large expanse.
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Thanks Lori and Robin. the parcel of land is about 4000square metresand most of this is still meadow, which I am slowly chipping into. The area furthest from the house is closest to being a real hay meadow and has a wide diversity of plants- so this area will be kept. Closer to the house the grass was overgrazed and is very rank, so i feel no giult digging this up and doing 'something more interesting' with it.
I must say I do envy your altitude over there in the Alps Robin, but I think winter here is long enough for me with 3 months of snow. How long does the snow last with you? I know Lori's seemed to last forever!
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We've had two whole days without snow flurries now! Break out the champagne!
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:o Sorry Lori, I thought you had finished with the snow!
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I envy the space you have available Simon. Is land cheap to buy in Bulgaria, don't suppose the Bulgarian economy would welcome an influx of retired old Brits (or did I mean 'gits'!!)? ;D
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David, it has already happened! As far as we know there are nor real statistics for how many retired Brits there are here- but there are many! Land on the whole is still cheap, depending on where you buy and who you buy from.
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I can't get Maureen to leave one of our babies (now aged 33!) and move back to Yorkshire so I expect Bulgaria will be out of the question!
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Great looking garden Simon ! :o
It will be most interesting to see how it matures !
May I join David in his envy for your space ... ;D
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David- my mother had it the other way- one child in Canada and one in Bulgaria- I am sure she would agree with your wife.
Luc- it was the plot of land that led us to buy the house. I hope the garden will develop well. The teething problems at the moment are bugs I had never dreaned existed as well as a plethora of grasshoppers, ground crickets, mole crickets and the occasional locust. All of which prefer my babies to the wild 'weeds'. I forgot to mention the snails- does anyone out there eat snails? These are very well fed and the size of golfballs :'(
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Flowering today in the xeric garden:
Glaucium aff. acutidentatum (RMRP seeds)
Linum narbonense
and on the rock garden:
Bornmuellera tymphaea
Globularia trichosantha (?) seed collected in the Big River Gorge 2007
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Now that the builders have started dumping earth everywhere once again I am thrilled to see your successes in your garden, Simon, at least I can dream and hope that one day I can show some beautiful plants thriving in conditions where they like to live like yours, thanks for making me smile :) ..... the colour & form combinations are great
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You'll get there Robin, and as a half of the garden I have shown here so far is on building rubble I am sure the plants will be quite happy too!
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A selection of plants flowering today:
Alyssum aizoides
Anthemis cretica leucanthemoides
Anthyllis vulneraria Red
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Aquilegia scopulorum x caerulea ochroleuca
Astragalus chloodes
Erigeron vetensis
Horminum pyrenaicum (pale blue form)
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Iberis saxatilis (Kaz Dag)
Lamium gargaricum
Penstemon absarokensis
Petrocoptis (pyrenaica?)
Potentilla porphyrantha
Primula species (Chola Shan) with 5 of the seedlings in flower
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Finishing off for today:
Ranunculus species (Crug Farm Plants) I've had this for a long time, but have lost its id
Silene kantzeensis
Veronica polifolia
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A really lovely photo record of your plants today, Simon, they are all interesting and so varied but i think my favourite is Horminum pyrenaicum (pale blue form).... I have never seen it before and it is so elegant.
Thanks too for putting things in perspective viz building works - the plus is that I'm getting more rocks for the garden!!!!!!
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Thanks Robin. The first rock garden bed we had here was built on several tonnes of old plaster and broken bricks it has been a success so far with a wide range of plants.
Oh and by the way the Horminum pyrenaicum pale blue form does comes true from seed. This is the 3rd generation from a plant originally bought from a plant sale at Cruickshank Botanic Gardens in Aberdeen ;)
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Simon, absolutely wonderful collection of plants.
I really like what you are doing with your gardens, can also sympathise with you regarding the bugs.
We have bugs here I have never even dreamed of, and more turn up each year. :(
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Having been to Canada to visit my sister, I agree you have your fair share of bugs over there! Most of them were on me for the 2 weeks I was there. :'(
Flowering today in the rock garden
Dianthus minutiflorus, a native of the Pirin Mountains in SW Bulgaria.
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I really like what you are doing with your gardens, can also sympathise with you regarding the bugs.
We have bugs here I have never even dreamed of, and more turn up each year. :(
Oh, dear, I really thought that it would be hard to surprise an Australian regards bugs, but it seems Canada is doing just that..... I never guessed! :P :-X
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More nice plants Simon.
A question about Silene kantzeenensis. Is is always that shy flowering ?? I just planted one out last week but don't know what to expect ? ???
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Dianthus minutiflorus, a native of the Pirin Mountains in SW Bulgaria.
A creamy, dreamy little dianthus, Simon :)
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Luc, the Silene kantzeensis is just over a year old (sown 16 March 2008 and planted out 20 May 2008). It has made a mat 30cm in diameter, but this is the first time I have grown it. I just had a look and all being well it has about 30 more buds scattered across the surface. I am not sure if they will all be open at once, or if there are clones that are better flowering than others. What was the source of yours? Mine was from seed I bought from Vojtech Holubec.
Robin, I agree the Dianthus has an airy beauty to it.
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Oh, dear, I really thought that it would be hard to surprise an Australian regards bugs, but it seems Canada is doing just that..... I never guessed! :P :-X
Maggi, the only bugs I had to worry about in Oz were mozzies, thrips, aphids, white cabbage moths and that's about it, oh and citrus stink bugs.
Here, there are still heaps I have yet to ID.
Apart from june bugs ewwwww and huge big green ( hard ) grubs, flea beetles, stink bugs ( lots of different types), black flies, mozzies the size of helicopters, deer flies, horse flies, noseeums, yellowjackets, sawflies, trillions of grasshoppers, colorado potato beetles, and last year the wee harlequin bugs turned up.
These are just some I have managed to identify there are lots more!!!!!!
I thought it would be too cold here for bugs, HAH!! >:(
Simon, sounds like the blackflies found you. >:(
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My sister lives on a farm in themiddle of nowhere- okay that could be most of Canada I know- o the 1 day where we left the house for a walk I wore a mosquito proof bodynet- I felt a complete fool, looked a complete fool and still managed to feed an army of biting insects. :'(
I now know never to vist in June again- although it was worth it for the heat, the Cypripedium acaule and the Malachite hummingbirds on the feeders around the verandah. :)
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Simon, that reminds me I think I will get one of those net hoods with jacket this year, the blackflies haven't arrived yet, every day without them is a bonus.
I had never even heard of blackflies until the day we moved into our house, while waiting for the key there were clouds of the rotten things around and they find e VERY tasty.
They bite chunks out of you.
Where does your sister live?
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She lives close to the border between Quebec and Ontario. The farm is stunning a Victorian homestead in acres of recovering mixed woodland. The woods are full of Cypripedium acaule and Medeola virginica- so great to see them in the flesh, but the insects and the six months of snow put me off ever wanting to live there. Is New Brunswick more moderated by the sea?
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Simon, Southern Nova Scotia is more moderated by the sea from what I can gather, your sister's 6 months of winter sounds about the same as we are here.
It is currently 7C here, we had 23C on Monday and then back down to single digit temps.
Before I came to Canada, I couldn't understand why everyone talked about the weather, now I understand :-\
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Helen - Indeed coastal Nova Scotia is moderated by the sea. Here in Halifax it is Zone 6 and on the southern tip Zone 7 though not noted on the Zone map. I even grow a few Zone 7b/8 plants down there. The nice thing about the extreme south is that there are no blackflies, none. There are so many mosquitoes there is no airspace for the blackflies. Speaking of Medeola virginica, my land in the south was covered with them, lovely things, almost a poor man's Paris. I must pay more attention to them, I sent a peck of the white tubers (?) to friends in Europe ten or more years ago and often wonder how they fared.
johnw -also 7c here and dense fog.
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Simon, the hummingbirds you saw in eastern Canada were surely ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only one that occurs there... (Your reference to "malachite" must refer to the green backs and wings of males, females and immatures?) :)
On the subject of insect life, it's spookily absent here... strangely lifeless in that regard, compared to having grown up in Saskatchewan, where there is no shortage! Very few butterflies, a few mosquitoes for brief periods in wet years... no wonder birds are scarce by comparison too! (That and not being on a flyway...) I assume it's the general aridity, and cold nights... who knows?
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I now know never to visit [eastern Canada] in June again- although it was worth it for the heat
Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor! Ontario and Quebec have nothing in the way of serious heat compared with the southeastern USA. Washington DC (where I grew up in the suburbs) regularly gets up to 100F (38C) in the summer, with relative humidity hovering near 100%, and not a breath of wind. And it gets worse as you go further south. In upland South Carolina, where my family originated, the temperature can get up to 100F (or higher) in May, and stay there until September!
Having lived now in coastal British Columbia (Canada's westernmost province) for many years and become acclimated to its cool maritime climate, I couldn't handle that kind of heat even if you paid me. I don't think the people who live in those hot climate areas these days could handle the heat and humidity without nearly universal air conditioning. When I were a boy, no such thing except in some commercial buildings, notably theaters.
Gardening in such hot climates poses real difficulties, but I remember one English hardy plant guru-ess who moved to Virginia and had great success with her garden there, finding that plants that performed only modestly in England throve in the humidity and heat. Campsis, in particular, did so well that it became something of a thug.
Canada, esp. the more northern areas, has an amazing fauna of biting insects. Blackflies that bite a little hunk out of your skin and inject anti-coagulant so you end up dripping with blood. Horse- and deer flies that bite out considerably larger hunks and will persist in buzzing round and round and round you until they spot an opening in your defenses. No-see-ums, biting gnats so tiny you no see 'em, that emerge about dusk and devour you alive. And mosquitoes!
Fortunately, where I am only mosquitoes are an issue (and that a minor one) in urban areas, though out in the bush no-see-ums and deerflies are fairly common.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............chomp!
Do you have ticks in Bulgaria?
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Luc, the Silene kantzeensis is just over a year old (sown 16 March 2008 and planted out 20 May 2008). It has made a mat 30cm in diameter, but this is the first time I have grown it. I just had a look and all being well it has about 30 more buds scattered across the surface. I am not sure if they will all be open at once, or if there are clones that are better flowering than others. What was the source of yours? Mine was from seed I bought from Vojtech Holubec.
Mmm seems like a pretty strong grower then... I'll have to allow it more space than I first planned...
I got mine as a plant from a Dutch grower who I believe had visited China a couple of years ago.. I suppose it might originate from wild collected seed.
Thanks for the info !
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I now know never to visit [eastern Canada] in June again- although it was worth it for the heat
Canada, esp. the more northern areas, has an amazing fauna of biting insects. Blackflies that bite a little hunk out of your skin and inject anti-coagulant so you end up dripping with blood. Horse- and deer flies that bite out considerably larger hunks and will persist in buzzing round and round and round you until they spot an opening in your defenses. No-see-ums, biting gnats so tiny you no see 'em, that emerge about dusk and devour you alive. And mosquitoes!
Fortunately, where I am only mosquitoes are an issue (and that a minor one) in urban areas, though out in the bush no-see-ums and deerflies are fairly common.
Roger - So we don't scare off visitors let it be known that most cities in Canada do not have these nasty rural bugs (aside from the outermost suburbs). Winnipeg, the mosquito capital is the one exception I can think of.
I remember as a teen being caught in a traffic jam for 2 hours in Richmond, Virginia, 100F and very high humidity. No air conditioning and the vinyl seats were so hot we had to keep moving in the car so we didn't stick fast.
johnw
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Thanks Lori, Ithought to myself as soon as I had posted that maybe 'Malachite' was not the right name and wondered where I had got it from. So I guess the green backed hummingbirds. ;)
John W, Medeola virginica has been one of a friend'sdream plants for years- personally I agree with you- a poor man's Paris. It was on sale in the UK from 1 nursery for a few years and then vanished never to be listed again. :(
Rodger, I was there in a hots ummer- the humid heat sat over the area for weeks and even the wildlife was torpid. I am used to heat in Bulgaria, but here it is usually a drier heat. By the way the stories of ticks here are overhyped you have to be 'lucky' to find one. ;)
Maggiepie, my sister says she is still shocked by how much life seems to end in Montreal during the winter and then returnafter the snow has gone building up to a fever pitch of activity for the few months of summer.
Luc, my pleasure.
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Rodger, I was there [eastern Canada] in a hot summer- the humid heat sat over the area for weeks and even the wildlife was torpid. I am used to heat in Bulgaria, but here it is usually a drier heat.
You really ought to try the American southeast some summer. I imagine you'd end up chirping away on the forum about how Canada is a mere nothing when it comes to summer heat and humidity. There's a wealth of wonderful plants in the south, I should add: trilliums in variety, uvularias, Shortia galacifolia, Lousiana irises, all sorts of wonderful things. How many would be hardy in Bulgaria I don't know, but I suspect most wouldn't be.
By the way the stories of ticks here are overhyped you have to be 'lucky' to find one. ;)
From what I've read, it's Siberia where the ticks are truly ferocious and quite dangerous too as they carry encephalitis. We have them here, but the infested areas are rather localized. I've only run across two or three in nearly 40 years.
Maggiepie, my sister says she is still shocked by how much life seems to end in Montreal during the winter and then return after the snow has gone building up to a fever pitch of activity for the few months of summer.
Life in Canada has its moments. I've always been amused how the population here in BC welcomes the first hint of warmth in the spring by throwing off every stitch of clothing the law allows them to (and sometimes beyond what the law allows).
When I lived in Rochester, New York (climate similar to Montreal's, but not as cold in winter), the fall was always the season I most enjoyed being in the out of doors. Crisp, clear days, warm enough for comfort without ever being hot, and best of all no insects once the first frost had come. Plus the glorious fall foliage. Winter in Rochester was long and dreary, and spring came on rather sullenly, but fall was the season of light and the promise of renewed life at the end of winter.
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You really ought to try the American southeast some summer. I imagine you'd end up chirping away on the forum about how Canada is a mere nothing when it comes to summer heat and humidity. There's a wealth of wonderful plants in the south, I should add: trilliums in variety, uvularias, Shortia galacifolia, Lousiana irises, all sorts of wonderful things. How many would be hardy in Bulgaria I don't know, but I suspect most wouldn't be.
We have plenty of Trillium and Uvularia here in the garden. As long as things die back to storage organs in summer and come up late in spring they seem quite happy here.
Never really thought of myself as a chirper, maybe I've been around the crickets too long.
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Flowering today in the garden:
Aquilegia x micrantha (a hybrid of A.micrantha nd possiby A.elegantula)
Aquilegia nevadensis (seed from Jelitto where it wasn't listed as albino)
Aquilegia pyrenaica
Aquilegia atrata
Aquilegia flabellata (tall form)
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Some Penstemons:
P.carnosus
P.kingii
P.duchesnensis
P.absarokensis
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Some more Penstemon:
P.paysoniorum (posted before but the whole plant is in flower now)
P.caryi
P.aridus
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The last ones for today:
Senecio canus
Stanleya pinnata
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Lori you're welcome to all ours!! ;D
John, I didn't realize NS had such variety in zones, sounds like you have one of the best spots.
Simon, I can relate to your sister, I think we must store all our energy during winter.
Your penstemons and aquiegias are wonderful btw.
Rodger, the people here shuck off their clothing as much as possible as soon as the sun comes out and it is above 10.
What I still don't understand totally is why even in winter when it can be -15C, if you are outside in a sheltered position and the sun is out, it feels warm.
I spent 8 months in the UK in 1980, arrived at the tail end of winter and they were the first people I had ever seen pull off their clothes when the sun came out even though it was really cold.
Australians go the opposite way, they rug up when the temps drop below 22 or so. ???
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It's the same here. We might be in T-shirts, as it is in the high 20sCelsius, but are neighbours still have their woolies on until midsummer. It's what you get used to I guess- yesterday we had 25C in the shade today it will be warmer still. We are in the mountains- once you get down into theplains it is like being in an oven there in summer.
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So many great things Simon. Do you collect seed from your aquilegias, and if so how do you keep them 'pure'?
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So many great things Simon. Do you collect seed from your aquilegias, and if so how do you keep them 'pure'?
Same thoughts and question from me...I love the dark/purple aquilegias and had a lovely one that regenerated with slight variations - it was almost black, white double ruffled skirt and no spurs but I never found out what variety it was.... ::)
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I am not sure how pure some of the Aquilegias are now. I have had A.atrata for a long time, maybe 20years. It still grows in my mother's garden, where it throws up different colours- deep purples and reds, but I have only collected seed from the darker ones. A.pyrenaica I have had for at least 10years- they still seem similar to the ones I started with. A.flabellata never seems to change much over time either for me. I am not sure what will happen now I am growing some of the North American species close together, as we also have some McKana hybrids down in the nursery, but I will collect seed from them all and see what happens.
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Well I guess I tempted fate- looking around the garden today I noticed the patch of Aquilegia pyrenaica shown in the picture now has a plae pink plant in with the purple ones. The flowers are the same shape, so I am not sure if this is a result of inbreeding or outbreeding.
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We have had a lot of thunderstorms and rain over the last few days, but flowering now:
Penstemon payettensis
Penstemon virens
Penstemon eatonii eatonii - with Ornithogalum reverchonii to the left
Onosma alboroseum - a week later as flowers turn reddish
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Oxytropis lambertii
Dianthus simulans
Ebenus longipes
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Simon,
Great selection of photographs. I think the texture on the flower of Ebenus longipes is perfectly beautiful.
Paddy
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Thanks Paddy, they are lovely, furry flowers.
Also from today:
Genista lydia (S,KT&V51203)
Silene petersonii
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Simon,
Great selection of photographs. I think the texture on the flower of Ebenus longipes is perfectly beautiful.
Paddy
I agree it looks so soft...does it flower more or is this it?
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The Ebenus will form a mound of foliage with flower spikes coming out from this to about 15cm. It will flower for a few more weeks until it gets too hot here then hopefully again in the autumn. :)
I have another species Ebenus lagurroides, which is more of a mat-former but has similar flowers.
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Very interesting thread. I've been too busy lately to post anything. So here some plants from my gravel beds:
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Hello Magnar- thanks for joining in with your happy looking Saxifragas ;)
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Flowering today:
Centaurea species ex Turkey (bought from Beeches Nursery UK) I bought this one as it was listed as going dormant in summer- I have yet to witness this. The plant is grown from the one fertile seed I had from the plant I bought and had to leave in England just before the move.
A self sown Leptosiphon, looking like a sky-scraper above a Talinum okanoganense. :)
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Pretty little Saxifragas, Magnar, l love the contrasting stamens :)
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In the late afternoon light I was pleased to capture a moment of one of the few plants in my rockery that strives to look beautiful in spite of the chaos!
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Leptosiphon is quite new to me, veryy attractive. More about it please Simon? I just see the little Talinum snuggling in there.
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Great photos from everyone. :)
Eric
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Simon, the silene is very nice, am wondering if you grow any erodiums and if so if you know anything about Erodium Cedrorum.
Magnar, your saxifragas are beautiful.
Robin, your helianthemum is really lovely, I thought it was a poppy at first glance.
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Lesley, the Leptosiphon were bought as Leptosiphon 'French Hybrids' (they are also known as Linanthus androsaceus). They are annual, but self sow and are easy to remove from areas you don't want them. There are a few species in North America. I'd love to have more of them, but have never seen them offered. :(
Helen, I have a few more Erodiums, but they are large pink species, I will hopefully have pics later. Sorry, I do not know anything about E.cedrorum. I read its description at http://www.kadel.cz/flora/e/kvCard.asp-Id=7509.htm (http://www.kadel.cz/flora/e/kvCard.asp-Id=7509.htm) and it does seem rather intriguing. Have you seen it offered somewhere?
Robin, the Helianthemum is a good do-er. ;)
First posts today some shots of the Ebenus longipes to show its growth form.
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Simon, it's great to see your Ebenus longipes in situ - and doesn't it look happy :) nestling in between the other lovely rock plants... is the pale lavender coloured one in front one of your penstemons?
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Sorry I did mean to add that the group shot was with Penstemon paysoniorum and Arenaria cucubaloides.
More from today:
Erodium manescavi(?)
Erodium carvifolium(?) both have been grown from seed for a few generations and I think may have changed a little on the way.
Papaver lisae
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Also from this morning:
Scorzonera (bought as suberosa a long time ago at the SRGC Perth show as I recall)
Aethiopappus pulcherrimus
another Erodium (possibly once castellanum)
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Simon, I have 4 different Erodiums, manescavii, carvifolium, lindavicum and one cedrorum, all grown from seed last spring.
They have all come through winter with flying colours. The cedrorum is the only one that didn't flower the first season. I had forgotten all about it until it started growing this spring.
I am really curious to see what the flower will look like, my main concern is that it might be a weed.
Here's a pic of my E. Carvifolium from last year, not a good pic but you can see the markings are different to yours.
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I am not sure if I should call mine E.carvifolium any more- I have had some of them so long that maybe genes have been diluted. They are all great plant though and real impact colours :)
More from today:
Aquilegia nigricans (GBG form) the leaves are different from our wild A.nigricans
Erigeron ursinus
Erysimum wheeleri (post insect attack- they left just 2 stems from a large plant :'( )
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Penstemon eatoni (I bought this one as it was a hardier form -USDA Zone4)
Linaria alpina (true- no L.supina influence)
more Leptosiphon ;)
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Penstemon eatoni (I bought this one as it was a hardier form -USDA Zone4)
Linaria alpina (true- no L.supina influence)
more Leptosiphon ;)
What a variety of plants, Simon, it great to see and I particularly like the combination of dark plums and burnt oranges which go so well together....Papaver lisae is really lovely and the dark Aquilegia nigricans (GBG form). How many varieties plants varieties do you grow - it seems limitless? ;D
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It is probably about 3000+ varieties- some in very small numbers just now. I saw Papaver lisae at a show a while back and wanted it for a long time, but then again I could say that about most plants ;)
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:o :o :o :P
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Well I have been doing this a long time. I have Helianthemum outside, flowering now and looking fab, which I remember buying the seed of when I was 16. My mother still has the original plants- so that makes them very tough plants!
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Amazing - not so long ago then!
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Well 23 years is a long lived Helianthemum in my books ;)
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Great variety in plants Simon !
I'm seeing new ones to me just about every day ! :D
My "wants" list just keeps expanding and is getting totally out of control... ;D
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........ and mine! ;D
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Thanks Luc and David- glad you like them ;)
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Well 23 years is a long lived Helianthemum in my books ;)
I wonder who has the oldest living plant in the Forum ;D
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Well 23 years is a long lived Helianthemum in my books ;)
I wonder who has the oldest living plant in the Forum ;D
We had this question a few years ago,; I think it was Franz Hadacek who had some really venerable plants..... ???
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I've got some really venerable pants ;D
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LOL!
I don't know where I should post things, but as these are undeniably alpines (I think!), I'll try here...
Gentiana verna, from seed last year, starting to bloom
Saxifraga 'Riverslea', almost done blooming, while Phlox kelseyi starts in the background.
A little bitty Androsace chamaejasme, a very fragrant native.
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Lori, these are real cuties.
What sort of scent does the Androsace have, I hope you are better than me at describing scents. ???
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Some lovely alpines, Lori.
One year from seed for the Gentiana is good going eh :)
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I have a Salix x Boydii aged at least 65 years, but rather the worse for wear now. (Aren't we all? :'()
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I have a Salix x Boydii aged at least 65 years, but rather the worse for wear now. (Aren't we all? :'()
hahahahahhahahahhahaha, Lesley, I wish you lived near me ( near meaning within 50 kms).
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Actually, I understated as I was given it in a large pot for my 21st birthday, by an elderly woman who was giving up her small alpine nursery, to go to a warmer clime. It was known to be at least 30 years old then, so it must be at least 75 years old. I've tried cuttings a few times but they have never rooted which bears out the general nurseryman's knowledge that cuttings of woody plants root best and quickest, from young plants. I only get about 50% to root from my much younger (15 yrs) plant.
Has anyone thought of planting a black garden? I'm thinking about it now, having seen some stunning new flaxes (Phormium cultivars) in a local garden centre this week. One is called 'Black Rage' and it just about is truly black. Add the very darkest heucheras, the black Ophiopogon, a black viola or two and something sinister will be the intersting result. Any further suggestions would be welcome. There are some incredibly black bearded irises of course.
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What sort of scent does the Androsace have, I hope you are better than me at describing scents.
Errr, don't count on it, Helen! ;) The fragrance is certainly sweet... perhaps jasmine-ish? Since they are only a couple of inches tall, one has to hunker down to sniff them... a half-acre of them would smell great, though! :D
One year from seed for the Gentiana is good going eh
Yes, what a good deal! I did rely on the magic of GA-3 though... that's not cheating, is it?? ;D
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Very interesting thread. I've been too busy lately to post anything. So here some plants from my gravel beds:
wow--magnar----i have never seen most of these tiny saxes--amazing!
i havent had time to check out this thread til now, and working backwards!
simon, i also started long ago--but then lived many years with no outdoor space...there are just a few plants that survived here since those days--a few actual plants, and some other re-seeders...--a native dwarf willow (about 3 feet tall, not much wider), a sedum(phedimus), a native heuchera(white/cream flrs, i think), a tiny native bulb i forget the name of, a zigadenus, (i think), some antennarias (hardly counts, as they could have grown where i planted them, anyway) and an artemisia... none look impressive after years of neglect and being overgrown probably 20 years or so, but i'm still impressed they are there at all!
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I've never seen an actual Astragalus myself, and had never heard of Oxytropis until someone posted a pic of a nice purple one recently. Are they something that isn't common/available, or just something that isn't fashionable at the moment? So many of the pea family are spectacular, but we really don't see that many of them in our gardens (well not here in Aus anyway).
this subthread surprised me--i thought Astragalus and Oxytropis were very common in rock gardens--maybe more so in north america? i'm sure i have seen lots of pics of them in gardens, and certainly there are plenty on lists such as beavercreeks and wrightman's here in canada..
locally we have more vetches etc, but i think they have a lot of possibility for the garden too...
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Maggi, the only bugs I had to worry about in Oz were mozzies, thrips, aphids, white cabbage moths and that's about it, oh and citrus stink bugs.
Here, there are still heaps I have yet to ID.
Apart from june bugs ewwwww and huge big green ( hard ) grubs, flea beetles, stink bugs ( lots of different types), black flies, mozzies the size of helicopters, deer flies, horse flies, noseeums, yellowjackets, sawflies, trillions of grasshoppers, colorado potato beetles, and last year the wee harlequin bugs turned up.
These are just some I have managed to identify there are lots more!!!!!!
I thought it would be too cold here for bugs, HAH!! >:(
Simon, sounds like the blackflies found you. >:(
i'm surprised you have blackflies--i thought those were up north in the bush--i've never seen them in person..
we certainly have tons of mosquitoes--they have a much longer season than plants do! in dry years, their breeding spots dry up in mid-late summer, but not since i've been back here--wet!
those are about the only bugs that bother with people, though we certainly have many many others! i havent really seen any on my plants, thus far (apart from sitting, pollinating, chasing each other, that they do in droves..)..but it may come yet, now that i am planting veggies etc... when i was a kid, we never had insect pests in the gardens, but that was at the main farm, not here in the bush..
the one thing i know i will have to use some strong language with is ants! they are absolutely everywhere here--our old house was made with local logs, and the ants ate it... there are a few spots i want to plant where i will have to insist they move out of...lol
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Starting to bloom - very tiny flowers!
Dianthus myrtinervius ssp. caespitosus
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Roger - So we don't scare off visitors let it be known that most cities in Canada do not have these nasty rural bugs (aside from the outermost suburbs). Winnipeg, the mosquito capital is the one exception I can think of.
johnw
thats right, john--i have lived in edmonton, toronto and montreal--no biting bugs in any of them usually--i remember one wet year where there were mosquitoes in dwntwn edmonton, and in toronto i would encounter them in lake and riverside parks;
even here in the bush of west central alberta, we have only mosquitoes from the ravening horde of biters described ;)
we have horse flies, but it is very rare to be bitten; not sure what a deer fly is; no black flies(never seen one as i mentioned); lots of bees, wasps, hornets, and i have been stung, but not regularly...lol
i'm surprised by lori's lack of insects in general though--the air is alive here, and the ground, and anything moving or standing still--just not biting insects mostly, except the mosquitoes... its not the cold nights that keeps them out of calgary--our nights are plenty cold, and there is some kind of small moth, for example, that seems to come out especially in fall when there are nights well below freezing, and there are millions of them! i've seen them backlit by a sunset, and it was almost like snow in the air! it is much drier in calgary than here, however, so that could be an issue;
we do, also, have a lot of birds--this time of year its a positive (joyous) racket with trees and grass full of them, and the never far away sloughs (wet areas from marshes to ponds) full of waterfowl and singing frogs...
ok--i'm moving on to some other thread--too many posts from me here!
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Hey, I'm from Saskatchewan, so I do know bugs, LOL! I swear, there are very few biting insects here (Calgary, and nearby mountains); when people encounter 3 or 4 mosquitoes in an evening, after an unusually rainy period, they start yelling about bringing DDT back! ;D
At home, mosquitoes remain a constant irritation in the evenings, or in the shade. We used to fish "up north" (the boreal forest of Saskatchewan) almost every summer weekend for years in my early adulthood... lovely days fly-fishing for brookies (stocked) on little streams but also a constant plague of blackflies, deerflies, horse flies, and non-biting flies (that, for no apparent reason, had to walk around on you constantly!) Heat and DEET - an unpleasant combination for camping rough, LOL! At night, replace deerflies and horseflies with no-see-ums and mosquitoes... the loud hum of all the insects outside the tent was honestly a little frightening at times. No wonder caribou run like they are mad! (Oh, that reminds me, our first tent didn't have "no-see-um netting", i.e. screening that was fine enough to exclude tiny biting flies; the choices were constant pinpricks of fly bites or asphyxiation/heat prostration with your head under the covers.) Fly-fishing in the foothills in Alberta was an incredible difference... where'd the bugs go? Other than "hatches" (emergences or mating flights) of aquatic insects (caddis, mayflies, etc.), we found very few biting insects; same here along the Bow River. When we hike in the mountains here*, we always have some insect repellent wipes with us, but have only felt the need to use them a small number of times over the years. Strange, but true!
*In the interests of accuracy, I should mention that my husband has complained of bad mosquitoes on some of his marathon back-packing trips... boggy valley trails through northern Banff and Jasper. So it does vary, as one would expect... thankfully, I've missed the bad parts. :)
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I've only had the luck to visit Canada just once and clearly remember a visit to a (for tourists) quite well known little canyon near Maligne Lake (if my memory is correct).
We came out after an hour or so, almost devoured by some kind of mosquito's (?)... never been bitten like that before... (nor later.. ;D)
On a more positive note : your Dianthus is a little stunner Lori ! Thanks for showing it (and so many other things) ! :D
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I like the Dianthus also, Lori- your garden seems to be in real rush to make up for lost time!
Cohan, we lived in a top-floor flat in Aberdeen for 3 years. By the time we left to move south we had to hire a self-drive lorry to move the plants- all in all over 1000 plant pots (mostly terracotta) - the furniture fit in the car. I think this is the reason why I am so happy now to grow plants in places other than pots ;)
Lesley isn't Salix x boydii the plant found but once in Perthshire? Amazing to think that there are plants around the world all as a result of propagation from one plant.
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i'm surprised you have blackflies--i thought those were up north in the bush--i've never seen them in person..
the one thing i know i will have to use some strong language with is ants! they are absolutely everywhere here--our old house was made with local logs, and the ants ate it... there are a few spots i want to plant where i will have to insist they move out of...lol
Cohan, you are welcome to all of ours, they arrived in full force on Saturday, hate smothering myself in DEET.
They seem to find me extra tasty and where I get bitten I swell up and itch, takes days for the swelling and itching to go away.
I also have heaps of ants, the worst ones are huge ( I think ) carpenter ants, they get into pots and eat the roots, they almost killed my favourite clematis seedling last year and they are super smart, I kid you not, they see you and they veer off and hide, very fast too.
I don't think they have nests like most ants but seem to be solitary.
So if you come up with a way to get rid of them, please let me know.
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Errr, don't count on it, Helen! ;) The fragrance is certainly sweet... perhaps jasmine-ish? Since they are only a couple of inches tall, one has to hunker down to sniff them... a half-acre of them would smell great, though! :D
Thanks Lori, maybe I will have to look out for some seed and try them myself, I can relate to getting on your belly trying to smell tiny flowers.
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Errr, don't count on it, Helen! ;) The fragrance is certainly sweet... perhaps jasmine-ish? Since they are only a couple of inches tall, one has to hunker down to sniff them... a half-acre of them would smell great, though! :D
Thanks Lori, maybe I will have to look out for some seed and try them myself, I can relate to getting on your belly trying to smell tiny flowers.
Here we see amply demonstrated the advantages of growing in a glass house!! Plants raised up to the nose and a dry belly ;D Now for MY take on the scent of this little charmer.... musky honey. 8)
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Here we see amply demonstrated the advantages of growing in a glass house!! Plants raised up to the nose and a dry belly ;D Now for MY take on the scent of this little charmer.... musky honey. 8)
Maggi, by musky honey, would you say it is similar to honeysuckle?
Btw, my little viridiflora was fragrant last night just after the rain, it was wonderful, but the scent is too elusive for me to describe it.
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Maggi, by musky honey, would you say it is similar to honeysuckle?
No, not like honeysuckle at all.... I'll give it some thought!!
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Maggi, by musky honey, would you say it is similar to honeysuckle?
No, not like honeysuckle at all.... I'll give it some thought!!
Maggi Deep fried Mars Bars ??????
Derek
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Cohan, I think it just comes down to that we have different frames of reference re. both bug and bird populations, LOL! (My frame of reference is the northern boreal forest (I suspect only the Arctic may be worse!), and for birds, being on a migratory flyway, where we'd see hundreds or even thousands of individuals of a species in a day during migration, and then on breeding grounds (for many) - which kindled a childhood interest in birds into making us both pretty keen birders (daily lists, sighting reports and nesting records to American Birds, etc. - all that bordering-on-the-fanatical stuff ;)). Moving to Alberta was a huge difference for both.)
Here we see amply demonstrated the advantages of growing in a glass house!! Plants raised up to the nose and a dry belly.
Well, if I took over the greenhouse to grow alpines, I'm afraid my husband would pitch a fit - that's where he grows his water lilies (above ground ponds), and summers his tropical fish. I already get accused a couple of times a year of taking over too much space! :o
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Here we see amply demonstrated the advantages of growing in a glass house!! Plants raised up to the nose and a dry belly.
Well, if I took over the greenhouse to grow alpines, I'm afraid my husband would pitch a fit - that's where he grows his water lilies (above ground ponds), and summers his tropical fish. I already get accused a couple of times a year of taking over too much space! :o
Wow, your husband's interests ARE different!! :D
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Yes Simon, you're right about the salix. I believe the single natural hybrid was found by William Brack Boyd, in the 1880s and is thought to be lanata x reticulata. My old one is about 50cms high or was, at its best but in the last few years odd branches have died off and have been trimmed in my hope that new growth will appear but it hasn't so gradually it's getting smaller. The girth at the base of the trunk is 20cms.
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That sounds great Lesley, shame about the loss of vigour though ;)
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Well probably fair enough at that age. Me too by then - or sooner! ???
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After a little snow last night, and cold misty drizzle all day, there is nothing new on the flowering front! (What a climate! :()
But I'm pleased to see lots of buds on Silene acaulis... up significantly from a grand total of 3 last year. ;D
Aubrieta deltoidea 'Blue Indigo' starting to bloom. Hmm, "Blue Indigo"... isn't that redundant?
Salix retusa, or so I am lead to believe... never a catkin on this one either in 10-11 years.
What I assume is Pulsatilla campanella (though it was labelled as P. campanulata, which doesn't seem to exist?) looking a little depressed in the rain... (No, wait, that's me who's depressed in the rain.) Anyway, I will post it again later when it opens fully to confirm the ID.
Sedum roseum, or any of the multitude of names it goes by...
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Cohan, we lived in a top-floor flat in Aberdeen for 3 years. By the time we left to move south we had to hire a self-drive lorry to move the plants- all in all over 1000 plant pots (mostly terracotta) - the furniture fit in the car.
when i moved back here from toronto ( a roughly 3 day drive) i brought a good bunch of cacti and succulents--i should have (and would in future)barerooted them and repotted here--mostly plastic pots, as i simply dont water enough for terracotta, but i use a native loam and grit/gravel based soil which is very heavy!.. we had to leave a lot of other things behind!
i can scarcely imagine a move like kristl's.. or the one you made to bulgaria, for that matter...
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Cohan, I think it just comes down to that we have different frames of reference re. both bug and bird populations, LOL! (My frame of reference is the northern boreal forest (I suspect only the Arctic may be worse!), and for birds, being on a migratory flyway, where we'd see hundreds or even thousands of individuals of a species in a day during migration, and then on breeding grounds (for many) - which kindled a childhood interest in birds into making us both pretty keen birders (daily lists, sighting reports and nesting records to American Birds, etc. - all that bordering-on-the-fanatical stuff ;)). Moving to Alberta was a huge difference for both.)
frames of reference are certainly key, and subjective without actual numbers...lol
we do get migrating waterfowl in the spring especially--and we have a lot of water around which is usually temporary in the spring (not so last couple of years)--i have childhood memories of huge numbers of birds on a slough that would be a lake in spring, pasture with a damp middle in summer, even hayed in many years--the birds there and on other bodies of water are audible for a half mile or more..
i definitely see more water birds nesting now than there used to be--probably just taking advantage of wet years, and in dry they'd go further on again..
i like birding and used to do some moderately intensely...lol...just dont have enough time for that--very time consuming stuff!
happy not to have all the biting bugs of farther north :) but hard to think mosquitoes could be much more intense than here at times--i have photos of a calypso orchid last year, i was coated in repellent, which kept the mosquitoes mostly off me, but they hovered just beyond --in such numbers that as i knelt and put the camera up to the flower, mosquitoes lit on the plant--showing in the photos... a couple other times, if i thought i was just popping into the bush for a few pictures and would realise my mistake very quickly--ending up running between very brief stops..lol
again, they have really profited from these wet years...
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We have had quite windy weather lately, fetching hot dry air up from the Med. Many of the plants have developed 1970's style centre-partings.
Flowering just now in the rock garden:
the children of my original Helianthemum hybrids
Arum apulum
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We have had quite windy weather lately, fetching hot dry air up from the Med. Many of the plants have developed 1970's style centre-partings.
Flowering just now in the rock garden:
the children of my original Helianthemum hybrids
Arum apulum
i need to look at a map to get a better idea of your situation--so from this post i guess you are on the southern side of mountains running east/west, oriented toward the mediterranean?
the arum is great, really wonderful plants they are...
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Hi Cohan. We are on the northern side of the Central Mountains- actually the Stara Planina or Old Mountains. They run east-west across much of Bulgaria. Not high enough here to deflect the winds from the south but high enough to cause a block to some of the rain areas around us get in summer. The mountains in the west are higher and also seem to take a lot of the rain too- all in all it can get quite dry here between May and September.
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Having said that though some plants are enjoying the heat. Flowering today:
Papaver paucifoliatum- from Archibald seed- I read that the flowers should be unspotted- but some of mine are ??? In fact the group has 3 colour forms- orange-red with black spots, orange-red with washed out spots and a plain unspotted more orange. they all opened this morning so it is not an ageing thing.
A better pic of Glaucium aff.acutidentatum
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Also from today
Dianthus plumarius praecox
An Arenaria sp- name lost in the mists of time
Penstemon confertus
Penstemon arenicola
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Flowering today in the garden:
Hedysarum tauricum with Penstemon eatonii eatonii
Hedysarum tauricum with Onosma rigida
Dianthus superbus alpestris
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Also from today:
Salvia jurisicii
Dracocephalum ruyschianum
Dracocephalum sp (possibly heterophyllum) spot the wee beastie!
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The green one with the long legs? :)
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Catching up with some more of your lovely postings, Simon, in your open rock garden - the colours are just gorgeous in the heat vibrant reds and blues and brilliant white of the dianthus .....MMmmmmm
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Simon, here are a couple of pics of the little Erodium Cedrorum I mentioned to you .
The first flower opened today and is already gone, do you think it's a weed?
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It's a beautiful long legged beastie with an annoying habit of cutting half way through a flowerstem before moving on to a new one leaving a trail of wilting stems behind :'(
Thanks Robin- I love the reds too :)
The Erodium doesn't look like one of our 'weeds', but I guess that's not to say it isn't a weed elsewhere. Do you have any information as to the source. It is described here http://www.kadel.cz/flora/e/kvCard.asp-Id=7509.htm (http://www.kadel.cz/flora/e/kvCard.asp-Id=7509.htm) how well does the description fit with yours? As a point of interest:- my larger flowered pink Erodiums can make a flower last a few days, E.chrysanthum lasts 1 day as do our native annual weeds.
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Simon, all I know is the seeds came from Ontario Rock Garden Society's 2007 seedex.
I sowed seeds of 4 different types, the cedrorum is the only one that didn't flower the first year.
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Well it does have interesting leaves- and hopefully it will have lots of flowers even if they are shortlived.
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So many wonderful plants in this topic. Just on this page.... Helen I love the Erodium, and Simon, that Dianthus superbus alpestris is so striking.
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Hi Simon, thanks for showing your super plants some we have never seen I would like to try them sometime, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Thanks Ian. Some of the bulbs out there, especially the Frits, still have labels that were handwritten by you and Ian M- a great way of reminding us of many 'productive' visits to your place in Kirriemuir. :)
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Flowering just now:
Sisyrinchium macrocarpum
Calceolaria purpurea (small flowers but a lovely colour)
Eriogonum gracilipes (flowerhead 1cm across on a 5cm 'cushion' of a plant)
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Also just now:
A Nepeta species growing larger than expected
A Cerastium species (ex AGS SeedEx as Arenaria bertolonii) I planted this in a place I soon regretted in my rock garden in England. When it started to take over, I realised it had to be a Cerastium. Here it is competing with much stronger plants in dry shade.
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Flowering just now:
Sisyrinchium macrocarpum
Calceolaria purpurea (small flowers but a lovely colour)
Eriogonum gracilipes (flowerhead 1cm across on a 5cm 'cushion' of a plant)
I love the (all) Calceolaria(s) but never thought of it as a rock garden plant. Does it survive because of a reliable snowcover for the whole winter?
Gerd
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Flowering just now:
Calceolaria purpurea (small flowers but a lovely colour)
Simon, I love the colour and shape of the Calceolaria purpurea, it's so deep and although small I really like flowers that are suspended in mid air even if you have to grovel to look at them ;D
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The Calceolaria was a trial here. We weren't expecting it to survive as it was rated zone7, but it was under snow for most of the winter. There were af ew occasions where the snow melted enough to expose it, and it looked very sad indeed. It grew back from very small over-wintering rosettes and we are hoping to get seed this year in case an older plant is less likely to survive.
Also from today:
Aquilegia bertolonii (?)
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Thank you Simon,
Maybe a lot of South American plants are worth to try outside.
Gerd
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I agree Gerd- I am trying several other South American species outside from ChiileFlora and JJA. Pics to follow shortly for some of these.
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Wow Simon. I love that Calceolaria purpurea. Is that one of the bulbous types, or "just" a perennial? You mention an overwintering rosette, so I am figuring it was not bulbous, but thought I would ask. I've barely had anything to do with hardy Calceolarias.... rarely ever seen here I think. Fascinating little flowers though, aren't they?
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Hi Paul- I haven't heard of any bulbous Calceolaria. This one I think will be a shortlived perennial with us. It flowered last autumn, but there was no seed set. It probably is quite a confusing flower for insects to get into. So I will try to pollinate it by hand this year. Unfortunately it is hard to take a picture that does the plant justice, as the flowers are quite small and widely spaced.
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Also from today:
Aquilegia bertolonii (?)
aquilegias are long time favourites of mine, but i dont have any small ones... something to be rectified..
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Simon,
I've probably got my wires crossed then. I thought there were some that died back to tubers (rather than bulbs), but I'm probably wrong. :-\
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You could be right, Paul. I've only ever grown shrubby or annual ones though.
The Aquilegia is maybe 10-15cm tall, Cohan. Not as dwarf as some of the North American ones, but very nice.
Flowering today:
Scutellaria tournefortii
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Also from today:
Penstemon mensarum
Penstemon scariosus scariosus
Pyrrocoma clementis
Helianthemum nummularifolium pyrenaicum
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Simon,
I've probably got my wires crossed then. I thought there were some that died back to tubers (rather than bulbs), but I'm probably wrong. :-\
sounds familiar to me, though i dont know much about the genus..
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Also from today:
Silene araratica
Silene viscariopsis
Silene caryophylloides subulata
Dianthus pyrenaicus
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Also from today
Dianthus plumarius praecox
An Arenaria sp- name lost in the mists of time
Penstemon confertus
Penstemon arenicola
Simon,
your lost name "Arenaria" looks to me like "Saponaria ocymoides".
Nice Dianthus plumarius praecox. 8)
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Thanks, Armin. I am sure it is an Arenaria. I've grown Saponaria ocymoides before in my parent's garden. Glad you like the Dianthus.
Also from today:
Dracocephalum heterophyllum (white flowered form)
Dracocephalum multicaule setigerum
Myosotis australis (?)
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Also from today
Dianthus plumarius praecox
An Arenaria sp- name lost in the mists of time
Penstemon confertus
Penstemon arenicola
Simon,
your lost name "Arenaria" looks to me like "Saponaria ocymoides".
Nice Dianthus plumarius praecox. 8)
To me, it seems to be Arenaria montana. Yes?
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Do the hothouse calceolarias have some kind of a tuberous root maybe? I've only grown hardy types which all are herbaceous including the woollly leaved, purple flowered C. arachnoidea.
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A yellow myosotis - amazing! (New to me, at any rate. :))
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A species native to New Zealand Lori. There are several others as well as many whites and some brown/bronze colours too. :)
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Also from today:
Silene araratica
Silene viscariopsis
Silene caryophylloides subulata
Dianthus pyrenaicus
i like the silenes--we have one of the european agricultural weeds, and i rather like it...lol...would be nice to have something a bit less aggressive but with those nice inflated flowers...
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Thanks, Lesley- thanks yes I see it could be Arenaria montana. I've never purposefully grown the species, but had a few (with very exciting names) from a seed exchange. Most of them were lacklustre, this is the seed from one of the better ones. Unfortunately, by the time I came to harvest seed there was no label left to id its supposed parent.
Cohan, the Silene caryophylloides subulata is an interesting one in my books. It grew to form a small cushion last summer, then spent autumn looking like a cross between a bird's nest and a tumbleweed- completely dead looking. As soon as the snow went it 'resurrected' with new rosettes growing from the centre of the old ones.
Flowering at the moment:
Onosma echioides
Verbascum dumulosum
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You just keep pulling the gems out of your secret drawer Simon ;D
Great variation of alpines ! simply glorious !
That Verb. dumolosum (not hardy out here unfortunately :( ) looks superb ! (as do many other plants !)
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Thanks, Luc. The Verbascum dumulosum was outside all winter, but under snow. There were a few thaws when I thought I would lose it as the leaves were very soggy and sad. V.arcturus didn't make it- but I will try it again in a different location.
Flowering now:
Astragalus arnottianus (Flores&Watson 11267)- showing pods aat the front and flowers behind- this one is from Chile via JJA
Hypericum orientale (?)
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Verbascum dumulosum is hardy here for me, in zone 3 with no consistent snow cover; have had it out in the front yard for several years now.
Terrific plants, Simon. I'm amazed to see plants blooming there that will take another 2 months here!
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Stranger and stranger......markings on the seed pods of your Astragalus arnottianus - Would like to see the flower/plant more clearly if possible, Simon, I imagine it is quite small?
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Lori, well done you with the Verbascum- fantastic to hear of it doing well in Zone3! I guess it's the winter wet it doesn't like. I have a fancy to cross it with V.purpureum if possible- just to see if it would work and the colours of the offspring. ;)
Robin, sorry but the Astragalus flowers are too small for a good pic with our camera. If you like those seed pods wait for the ones on Astragalus ceramicus, which are forming just now. They are like something from the scenary of 'Lost in Space'- the original 1960's one. :)
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Flowering now:
Dracocephalum botryoides (seed from aplant bought at an AGS show)
Dianthus hybrid (my own seed collected from a plant grown from AGS labelled as D.subacaulis)
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A super verbascum without a doubt. I've grown it under this name for a number of years but in the finish I think mine may be V. pestalozzae. Apparently the only real difference is that the undersides of the latter have tawny fur (lion-coloured) instead of grey. Mine is tawny.
Simon, do you by any chance have a picture of V. arcturus? I have some little woody plants which I grew from AGS seed as V. acaule (Celsia acaulis) but as soon as the seed arrived I knew they weren't. Hundreds of seeds instead of the expected dozen, tops, that I've previously had. They're dead-looking now but I expect will come away again in the spring. In any case I have some seed to sow. I once had a plant to about 15cms labelled as arcturus dwarf form and it was pretty similar (a bit more woolly) to my present ones which in bloom are about 20-25cms I'd like to know if they're arcturus or not.
Here's a picture, the first flowering. Last spring they were a bit bushier and it responds well to a good trim over after flowering.
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Sorry Lesley, my V.arcturus flowered last summer when we weren't taking pics of anything. It started dieing back in the autumn and winter killed it completely. The seeds were from Goteborg Botanic Garden collected in the Rethimno Gorge, so I assume it was true. It was a short bush with dark green leaves and spikes to 20cm tall of purple-anthered yellow flowers. I remember the foliage was quite sticky to the touch.
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That sounds generally true, though I can't remember the foliage being sticky. I'll have to learn to be more observant but surely I would have noticed that?
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I just remember weeding around it last year and the leaves being quite resinous. Some of my other species are the same even though they look like they should be wooly and soft from a distance.
Flowering now:
Linanthus nuttallii
Talinum brevifolium (tiny)
Talinum okanoganense (tinier)
a Centaurea species I have always grown as C.bella (with Lupinus microcarpus)
Helianthemum croceum
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It's such a nice time for the open rock garden just now. Here are some bits of mine.
No2 shows Silene uniflora and Sisyrinchium macrocarpum. No 3 is Erinus alpinus and Salix nivalis. No4 A very nice little dianthus whose name escapes me, and Rhodiola humilis. No5 a general view of the rock garden, and No 6 a rockrose intermingled with Lathyrus laxiflorus.
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simon--i really like the talinums--a couple are on my lists...lol--beavercreek, if i ever get that order made ;)
anne--the overview is really nice :)
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Lovely shots, Anne. I have a similar problem with Dianthus names too ::)
Cohan, get seed if you can- they are quite quick to put sizeon and in my experience as tough as old boots. These two were brought over bare-rooted and sat in paperbags for several months before I had time to plant them up.
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Talinum okan...is very easy from seed. I raised a single plant from one of the societies then have had many more since, from that one. I like it a lot, in a trough though as it's very small. The other one there is very nice.
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Your rock garden looks full of interesting treasures and textures Anne, is that a juniper bottom left? I am looking to add some structural/colour interest to my rock garden but it has to be miniature and slow growing - junipers grow well here
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Ooops, I have to correct myself!
I have been thinking about that Gentiana verna "from seed last year" lately and wondering, "Was it one of the ones I grew from seed last year... ?!?!?" I just looked through my 2008 seed-starting list, and through my order receipts, and I did grow G. scabra, pannonica, purpurea and punctata from seed with the aid of GA-3 (managing to eventually kill all of the pannonica, however)... but, I'm afraid, not G. verna. It turns out I actually got G. verna from Wrightman's.
So sorry to have misled you all!
Carrying on, with a red face... :-[
Polemonium confertum, and close-up.
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The flowers on this one are relatively large, but are tucked deep into the foliage.... our native Astragalus gilviflorus, which occurs in habitat (dry prairies and rocky outcrops) in the southern part of the province.
Astragalus gilviflorus... and I see I need to do some weeding in the trough. These close-up photos are so helpful that way. ;D
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Lori,
This is an attractive Polemonium - especially compared to the one I grow (coeruleum)!
Gerd
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Carrying on, with a red face... :-[
Polemonium confertum, and close-up.
No need for a red face Lori !! The Polemonium is a really nice blue... ;D
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A really GOOD Polemonium. It's a genus I've tended to avoid as the forms available here are tall, lanky and in general, undistinguished, but P. confertum certainly doesn't fit THAT description.
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Lori, super Astragalus, wish it was also growing in my gravel bed. ;)
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Some Ranunculus.
Ranunculus parnassifolius 09
Ranunculus alpestris 09
Ranunculus glacialis 09
I'm very happy that R. galcialis decided to flower this year, its not at all easy to grow when its not in its homeplace in the mountains.
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Super Ranunculus, Magnar. Robin, I think the plant you are asking about is Picea mariana 'Nana'.
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Stunning Ranunculus Magnar !! They look superb ! :o
You certainly know how to please them !
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Several photos from my rock garden in this spring, taken till today. I have tried to choose some not too common plants:
Aquilegia jonesii
Calandrinia caespitosa
Collomia debilis var. larsenii
Ptilotrichum purpureum
Rhodothamnus chamaecistus
Senecio castoreus
Synthyris laciniata
Viola delphinantha
The flower on Aquilegia jonesii is my only third flower in all my more than 30years history.
The Ptilotrichum is very small plant. It is 4 years old and about 6 cm broad and 1 cm high.
The Synthyris is also small, about 8 cm high and quite early flowering (on 7th April)
Zdenek
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Wonderful show Zdenek ! :D
So many little gems !
The Ptilotrichum is fascinating - the Rhodothamnus looks fabulous.
The Calandrinia surely is an eyecatcher with its vivid colours !
Thanks for showing them !
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Magnificent specimens in your rock garden and the Aquilegia jonesii must give you so much pleasure, Zdenek - it looks very miniature....
I love the little Viola delphinantha colouring too :)
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Simply stunning, Zdenek. I like the Rhodothamnus especially.
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Zdenek,
Congratulations for the flowering Aquilegia jonesii and for the superb grown Viola delphinantha!
Gerd
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Zdenek, thanks a lot for showing us your floral gems.
Attached are some pictures from Waiblingen, the Delosperma is a new introduction
from the Drakensberge of Lesotho, made by J.Holzbecher and the Botanic Garden
of Brno, Czech Republic.
Aubrieta Elsa Lancaster.
Centaurea pestalozzae
Delosperma spec. Sani Pass
Edraianthus graminifolius white
Genista cf. carinalis
Helichrysum sessiloides
Ornithogalum spec.
Phlox Olga
Verbascum x Letitia
Viola stojanovii
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Great to see all these wonderful plants. Here is one that flower for the first time in my garden now: Solms-Laubachia retropilosa.
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What a brilliant collection of little plants, all so strong and healthy and at home in many rock gardens. Thanks to everyone.
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Fabulous plants, all! I especially love the ranunculus, Magnar... breath-taking!
Dianthus microlepsis
Astragalus purshii var. lectulus
Pulsatilla turczaninovii - I've already shown it, but showing it again because the colour is so gorgeous!
Pulsatilla aurea
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Zdenek, thanks a lot for showing us your floral gems.
Attached are some pictures from Waiblingen, the Delosperma is a new introduction
from the Drakensberge of Lesotho, made by J.Holzbecher and the Botanic Garden
of Brno, Czech Republic.
Aubrieta Elsa Lancaster.
Centaurea pestalozzae
Delosperma spec. Sani Pass
Edraianthus graminifolius white
Genista cf. carinalis
Helichrysum sessiloides
Ornithogalum spec.
Phlox Olga
Verbascum x Letitia
Viola stojanovii
A lovely collection of plants, thanks for showing them Rudi - I think the Edraianthus graminifolius white and Helichrysum sessiloides are my favourites but Viola stojanovii is really cute too
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I see this topic has been split but I have no way to find the new bit. Is there a link please? Can't find it in the Index either.
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Lesley,
Here 'tis ===> http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3764.msg95637#msg95637
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Great to see all these wonderful plants. Here is one that flower for the first time in my garden now: Solms-Laubachia retropilosa.
I wonder who invented the terrible two capitals. The Vienna Code and Plant Names Index explicitly present Solms-laubachia.
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Great to see all these wonderful plants. Here is one that flower for the first time in my garden now: Solms-Laubachia retropilosa.
I wonder who invented the terrible two capitals. The Vienna Code and Plant Names Index explicitly present Solms-laubachia.
Quite so, but the average computer prefers a captial after any hyphen and this can easily go un-detected.... :)
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Maggi,
It is a perfect explanation. Nevertheless, the two capitals became for unknown reasons
standard in The Alpine Gardener. It is a pardonable error, but people could
expect that it is correct orthography.
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We have certainly tried to avoid such problems in the International Rock Gardener and the Rock Garden.
Perhaps a note on this matter might be best sent to the Alpine Garden Society, Josef?
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We have certainly tried to avoid such problems in the International Rock Gardener and the Rock Garden.
Perhaps a note on this matter might be best sent to the Alpine Garden Society, Josef?
The AGS publications, such as the Alpine Gardener, have, for a long time, abused the Capital Letter. More times than not whenever the word 'member' or 'show', for example, is mentioned, the words are capitalized. I have no idea why this is done, but it just adds to the sense of pomposity that some feel is associated with the AGS. The capitalization isn't always done, so the AGS should seek out that random-ish Capital Letter generator and put it out of its misery once and for all.