Recent Posts

21

Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Mariette on June 27, 2025, 02:49:16 PM »

Thank You, Jeff! My son was interested to try an eco-friendly way to achieve acidic soil for his bluberries instead of the usual peat. Obviously it works well, also to turn hydrangeas blue. The surprise was that not all flowers of the hydrangea turned blue, but only those closest to the blueberry. Hereabouts, chemicals are sold to achieve blue hydrangeas. Sawdust of spruce and oak might be a good alternative where available. 

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Jeffnz on June 26, 2025, 10:27:36 PM »

Blue berries like an acidic soil, this soil pH also will give blue hydrangeas.

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Pleione and Orchidaceae / Re: Terrestrial orchids 2025

« Last post by Anders on June 26, 2025, 07:43:24 PM »

Winter are also warmer and shorter now here north of Copenhagen, but the largest difference is that spring is much drier than it used to be.

Below two photos of Dactylorhiza praetermissa x iberica. Looks similar to many other Dactylorhiza hybrids, but I hope at least some of the seedlings will spread by stolons like iberica.

Anders

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The International Rock Gardener - Feedback Forum / Re: E-magazine feature on SRGC Website

« Last post by Maggi Young on June 26, 2025, 06:35:52 PM »

IRG 185 for  June is online now.
IRG Link -download it here  -   https://www.srgc.net/documents/irg/250626183157IRG%20185.pdf

Marloes Adamse works in the Rock Garden at Utrecht University Botanical Gardens and has been fortunate to make several trips to areas of interest to such horticulturalists around the

world.  Recently she joined a small group, led by Geir Moen,  to Kyrgyzstan. She shares a photo essay with us of some of the plants she saw there.

The group included folk from Norway,  Czechia, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.  Next  for June 2025,  Alan Ayton gives an introduction to some Australasian plants we might not

know well.  Alan also posts interesting videos on You Tube of his favourite " Adventures in the wild and in the garden"  which are recommended.


Cover image: Trollius lilacinus, photo Marloes Adamse.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Mariette on June 26, 2025, 12:35:12 PM »

Finally two pics from back home. One of my sons made an interesting observation. He prepared the loam in his garden with sawdust of oak and spruce to plant blueberries. The flowers of the neighbouring hydrangea turned from pink to blue, but only those closest to the blueberry.



A campanula trachelium in my garden.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Mariette on June 26, 2025, 12:28:18 PM »

A double Rosa majalis growing by the roadside, knee high due to mowing.



An attractive Geum x intermedium

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Mariette on June 26, 2025, 12:21:03 PM »

In Västergötland, Geranium sylvaticum was flowering in a variation of colours not found in commerce.







Another hemiparasite: Melampyrum nemorosum, aptly named Natt och Dag, Night and Day, in Sweden.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Mariette on June 26, 2025, 12:14:39 PM »

Some orchids on Öland:

Neottia nidus-avis



Orchis militaris



I´m not sure about this one:



An attractive hemiparasite: Melampyrum cristatum

29

Blogs and Diaries / Re: my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

« Last post by ian mcdonald on June 26, 2025, 11:53:02 AM »

I went to a site I know which has a small population of Small Blue butterflies. They are the UKs smallest species of butterfly. Although it was a dull day I saw several on mown gorse by a track.



At another site the Sheeps Bit scabious were just coming into flower.



This is the first time I,ve seen Oyster Catchers swimming.



The Kingfishers are still at the nest site.



This image shows one of the birds entering the nest hole in the river bank.

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Flowers and Foliage Now / Re: June 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere

« Last post by Mariette on June 26, 2025, 11:45:18 AM »

Thank You for the many pics shown in May and June, Knud! Last month, I marvelled especially at the rare Sorbus filipes! Do the leaves set off the white fruits as well as Sorbus fruticosus? I´m very pleased with mine grown from seed.

We spent a few weeks in Sweden, where I found a clone of Lily of the valley with 13 flowers to the stalk - something hybridizers aimed at in the past.



A special feature of Sweden are the remnants of abondoned gardens, this is a double form of Narcissus poeticus growing wild.



On Öland, there are lots of irises growing by the roadside, this is Iris x Flavescens.



Another spot showing an iris called Iris x sambucina in Sweden, together with naturalised oriental poppies.