January 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Meanie,

Or a "weed weed" type of plant. ;-)  Only in warmer areas of course.  I'd be a little nervous if every leaf that dropped off produced plantlets.  At least here the frost would cull them.  So not as tall an elegant outside then, by the looks of it?

[Robert]

With relatively warm weather the plants are moving along - a lot sooner than I would hope.  We could easily get a wicked frost that burns everything down.

1-2.) Geranium macrorrhizum in winter mode. A good, easy plant even in our hot climate. Give it a bit of afternoon shade and a little bit of irrigation during the summer and it is happy.

3.) The first good flowers on Cyclamen coum. Around here they throw a few blossoms in December. The container plants will start looking good now to March or so. The plants in the ground start later.

[meanie]

Meanie,

Or a "weed weed" type of plant. ;-)  Only in warmer areas of course.  I'd be a little nervous if every leaf that dropped off produced plantlets.  At least here the frost would cull them.  So not as tall an elegant outside then, by the looks of it?

.

The leaves remain on the plant but the plantlets drop off the leaves.

The height is limited by where it had got to before spending the winter in a cold greenhouse. But not as elegant. However, it bloomed in the ground from late April through to July. Useful to add early season colour to the succulent area - as it finished the Aloe striatula started followed by the Echeveria.

I am getting more interested in easily propagated houseplants that make good annual bedding plants. There is a lot of tat sold over here annual wise that is cheap but a very average Impatiens niamniamensis will sell for anything up to ten pounds. Yet it is so easy to strike cuttings of and it is twice the plant in the right spot outdoors................


Towards the end of the season I chopped it up and got twelve plants for next year and for friends. Next year it will be joined by Impatiens kilimanjarii.
So whilst I believe that perennials are the mainstay of any garden I also want to see something that is out of the ordinary too. Seasoned gardeners have come here and seen it and said that they "had no idea that it would grow well outdoors".

Apologies for going off topic!

[Robert]

I'm with you, I like annuals.

For me it is our California native annuals and those from similar climates. Around here there are many native wildflower books that go around with wonder scenes of beautiful California native wildflowers. I like to see them in the garden rather than a book.    I will admit that the natural scenes in the books can often inspire some good planting ideas. I have one of them right now and am busy taking notes.

I was cleaning up in the garden today and saw the first Galanthus of the new season. I can't believe it got along so far without me noticing it.

[Tony Willis]

A colchicum species I collected at Nemrut Dag in Turkey,the one with the heads not the extinct volcano.I have no idea what it is?

[Hoy]

Although it isn't cold here it's very gloomy and wet so plants don't grow much. The days are short too so it's dark when I leave home and dark when I'm back so no chances to take any pictures!

Robert, Geranium macrorhizum is very good here also and I don't need to irrigate it! I use it as a groundcover.


Meanie, I have never seen any annual Impatiens for sale here except the common I. walleriana cv. They do good here in the humid climate.

Here's Impatiens kilimanjari growing in the Kalimanjaro rainforest, one I think is a I. pseudoroseus and one unknown from the same place.

[ruweiss]

Our weather is much too warm for the winter season until now.
Today I measured 14°C, the forecast for tomorrow is colder with
shower weather.
I was amazed to find this ragged Ranunculus calandrinioides flower
today;the usual flowering time for my garden is in march.

[ian mcenery]

One of the most unusual looking plants to show at this time Gymnospermum albertii

The second picture shows young plants raised from Kurt Vickery seed

[Corrado & Rina]

Lithops optica rubra has kept the proper biological rhythm.



Corrado

[Uli Lessnow]

Hi Ian,
your pics look very good, I like Gymnospermium albertii very much.
This week I got seeds and I hope you can give me some information how to sow.
Uli

[ian mcenery]

Hi Ian,
your pics look very good, I like Gymnospermium albertii very much.
This week I got seeds and I hope you can give me some information how to sow.
Uli

Hi Uli

I used my normal method of sowing  for this seed , so nothing special, first soaking them for 24 hours  then sowing with just a light covering of compost and topped with 1.5 cm of grit. I then left them outside in a well ventilated frame until I saw germination. I then brought them under cover in the greenhouse. These are 4 year seedlings

good luck

[Lori S.]

One of the most unusual looking plants to show at this time Gymnospermum albertii

Fabulous plants!

[johnstephen29]

I am getting more interested in easily propagated houseplants that make good annual bedding plants. There is a lot of tat sold over here annual wise that is cheap but a very average Impatiens niamniamensis will sell for anything up to ten pounds. Yet it is so easy to strike cuttings of and it is twice the plant in the right spot outdoors................


Towards the end of the season I chopped it up and got twelve plants for next year and for friends. Next year it will be joined by Impatiens kilimanjarii.
So whilst I believe that perennials are the mainstay of any garden I also want to see something that is out of the ordinary too. Seasoned gardeners have come here and seen it and said that they "had no idea that it would grow well outdoors".

Apologies for going off topic!

Hi meanie I have just read your comment about house plants as bedding, have you thought about spider plants? I have used them for the last couple of years and they look great. You have to keep an eye on them though, slugs and snails like them as well.

[meanie]

Meanie, I have never seen any annual Impatiens for sale here except the common I. walleriana cv. They do good here in the humid climate.

Sadly that is all that we ever see here as well. The good thing about the taller species is that they seem to do well in a tricky but prominent shady spot. And grown indoors over the winter they never get too leggy and are keen to start blooming once the winter solstice has been passed. Baby I.kilimanjari started blooming almost as we were speaking...............

Hi meanie I have just read your comment about house plants as bedding, have you thought about spider plants? I have used them for the last couple of years and they look great. You have to keep an eye on them though, slugs and snails like them as well.

Not really as bedding but I do use them in my one hanging basket along with Lotus berthelotii.

One of the most unusual looking plants to show at this time Gymnospermum albertii

What a wee gem of a plant!

Lithops optica rubra has kept the proper biological rhythm.

Corrado

That is a beautiful form! Sadly Lithops are one houseplant that I am truly proficient in killing 

[Hoy]

Sadly that is all that we ever see here as well. The good thing about the taller species is that they seem to do well in a tricky but prominent shady spot. And grown indoors over the winter they never get too leggy and are keen to start blooming once the winter solstice has been passed. Baby I.kilimanjari started blooming almost as we were speaking...............

I had a couple of plants for some years but lost them during the winter (inside). They did very well outside in our humid climate during the summer. Do you know of a seed source (kilimanjari)?