May 2014 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Roma]

Echium wildpretii from SRGC seed sown in January 2005 - a long wait but worth it

[johnralphcarpenter]

Wonderful! I've been trying (and failing) to grow that for years.

[Giles]

Snaps (of snaps)..  with thanks to Rafa
Antirrhinum barrelieri
Antirrhinum charidemi
Antirrhinum hispanicum hispanicum 'Roseum'
Antirrhinum molle
Antirrhinum siculum

[Giles]

Dianthus cruentus

[Tim Ingram]

The theme is yellow at the moment! Here are Calceolaria tenella, a tiny carpeting species that I am pleased to have found again from Aberconwy; Catananche caespitosa, rarely grown species from the Atlas Mtns of N.W. Africa; Centaurea drabifolia, a Turkish cornflower grown from seed from Mojmír Pavelka; and one of the most extraordinary and striking of umbels, Thapsia maxima, a plant from sandy coastal regions of the Iberian peninsula, but a good long lived perennial in the garden with the habit of a bulb, dying down rapidly after flowering and setting seed in the early summer.

[Tim Ingram]

The following two plants are Ramonda nathaliae, a rather lovely pink form that arose from seed sown from Jim and Jenny Archibald and Globularia incanescens, which I was pleased to find in the Czech Republic last May. Finally two pictures, a plant and an alpine house, both of which I would like for our garden(!) but only the former is likely to transpire: the very beautiful flower of Michelia dianica growing in Tom Wood's garden near Ashford in Kent (Tom was Managing Director of Oakover Nursery, a highly respected plantsman - one of the few horticulturalists awarded the VMH by the RHS - and with a wonderful collection of magnolias amongst all sorts of other choice trees and shrubs); and the Alpine House at Godinton Place in Kent - it would fit nicely in a corner of our garden

[Tim Ingram]

Oops missed the ramonda (which is the best of all...)

[Tim Ingram]

(And the globularia...)

[David Nicholson]

Very pretty Ramonda Tim and also the Globularia if it comes to that. I'd give my right arm for that alpine house (and the space to put it in!)

[Margaret]

I love the Ramonda too. I have tried to grow them several time with no success - only leaves,

[astragalus]

Love the ramonda, Tim.  I've only grown R. myconi.

[Lvandelft]

I like such Umbelliferae like this Thapsia maxima, dying down soon after flowering and having the same habit as Molopospermum?
This one I never saw before and must try to find it here.

[Lvandelft]

Echium wildpretii from SRGC seed sown in January 2005 - a long wait but worth it

Roma, don't you think it looks more like E. russicum (or rubrum)?
Well whatever, I like it anyway!

[astragalus]

Love this long, slow spring - the garden just keeps going with new plants every day.

 Edraianthus pumilio
 Campanula portenschlagiana
 Iris tectorum
 Iris tectorum album

[astragalus]

I would love to hear some opinions on the identity of this cotoneaster??  It is absolutely flat and follows the contours of the rock - it's also spreading and I may have to prune it away from the Genista depressa.  It layers itself and I've managed to cut a couple and plant them.