April 2014 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

Maggi, may I please have a definition of "bosker" to go along with "gobsmacked" and Banjaxed"?

Happy  to help with my definitions of these words, Anne ......
 a bosker  is.... an outstanding specimen ;  a "cracker" ; something quite magnificent, possible very luxuriant in some way . Perhaps  you may be familiar with the phrase - "the cat's pyjamas"?   it's like that.

gobsmacked - astonished; flabbergasted (another great word!) ; taken aback and rendered speechless.

banjaxed  - ruined; trashed; damaged; sabotaged; jinxed .
That any help? 

[ArnoldT]

Maggi:

Reminds me of the first time I heard an Englishman  talking about playing soccer.

Get your kit to  have a kick about on the pitch

[astragalus]

You're right on the mark, Arnold.
Many thanks, Maggi. I've added bosker to my list of words learned from the Forum.

[ian mcenery]

"Bostin" is  another fine local way of describing the same thing

Iris attica not enjoying the weather but having a good year for me

[Maggi Young]

I've heard  of "bostin" too.  Funny how some of these words get around in different guises - I believe  bosker is used in Australia, too.

Your damp Iris are charming.   Iris are not really built for wet weather, are they ?

[greenspan]

@ian

are you shure about your Iris attica? i had one some years ago. i remember, that one distinguishing mark of attica is the long pedicel, longer than others e.g. mellita/suaveolens or reichenbachii. here a photo of my attica, but not shure whether this was correct (grown from seed labelled as attica). the long pedicel you can see also on this photo of attica on the signa-website. because of the long pedicel, the attica-flower snaps easily by bad weather/wind.

Trillium kurabayashii in my garden

[ian mcenery]

I've heard  of "bostin" too.  Funny how some of these words get around in different guises - I believe  bosker is used in Australia, too.

Your damp Iris are charming.   Iris are not really built for wet weather, are they ?

Unfortunately no but lovely when they are here

[ian mcenery]

@ian

are you shure about your Iris attica? i had one some years ago. i remember, that one distinguishing mark of attica is the long pedicel, longer than others e.g. mellita/suaveolens or reichenbachii. here a photo of my attica, but not shure whether this was correct (grown from seed labelled as attica). the long pedicel you can see also on this photo of attica on the signa-website. because of the long pedicel, the attica-flower snaps easily by bad weather/wind.

I think its OK it came from a good source (Gerd Stopp) but I'm no expert so would welcome other comments. If you look again at the Sigma site and click on the pictures you will see that they are very variable. If they were snowdrops or crocuses they would be divided into a lot of separate species

[Mike Ireland]

Trillium rivale x 2
Iris attica
Androsace muscoidea brevicapa
All putting on a good show at the moment.

[Leena]

Wonderful Trilliums, Mike and Greenspan!
How old are they and is there one plant or several plants in the same clump?

[Mike Ireland]

Wonderful Trilliums, Mike and Greenspan!
How old are they and is there one plant or several plants in the same clump?

Thanks Leena,
my patch of Trillium rivale was a potful of seedlings just planted outside in the garden.

[Gene Mirro]

Trillium albidum (maybe):



Narcissus 'Geranium':



Muscari latifolium, Dutch hyacinths, Fritillaria meleagris:



Shortia galacifolia:



Sanguinaria canadensis:

[ranunculus]

Gene, that shortia is EDIBLE.  Lovely images.

[Leena]

my patch of Trillium rivale was a potful of seedlings just planted outside in the garden.

Thanks Mike, this was helpful, because I have one pot of seedlings and I was wondering if they needed pricking out, and what would happen if I just grew them as a clump. Of course if I separated the seedlings I would get more plants, but from your example it is possible to grow them together for a longer time and they don't suffer from it.

[Gerdk]

Here are two red flowering violets

1-3. Viola sororia rubra - in the garden bed and (together with the magnificent weed Oxalis valdiviensis) between
          paving stones
4.    Viola rupestris rosea

Gerd