July 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere

[meanie]

My goodness - nearly 2m tall!!  Surely this must be something of a record? Does anyone know of a taller example of this plant, Ornithogalum candicans /Galtonia candicans ?

I can get close but I assumed that it was because they grow in the shadow of the Taxodium.

[Robert]

That is one of my favourite hardy bulbs of the summer. Quite a prolific self seeder here.

meanie,

This is the first year the Ornithogalum have bloomed from seed. I will keep an eye out for self seeding. Ornithogalum candicans is certainly beautiful here, however I am not interested in having it become weedy. Thank you for the insight!

[meanie]

meanie,

This is the first year the Ornithogalum have bloomed from seed. I will keep an eye out for self seeding. Ornithogalum candicans is certainly beautiful here, however I am not interested in having it become weedy. Thank you for the insight!

Whilst the seed here will survive a mild to average winter the resulting bulbs will not get through their first winter unless it is exceptionally mild or I lift them.
That said the seed is slow to ripen so you should be able to harvest them and sow in pots if you prefer. One seed pod is more than enough seed.

[meanie]

First blooms on this seed grown Salvia radula.........

[David Nicholson]

Lovely Salvia meanie but maybe a little tall for my windy garden.

[meanie]

Lovely Salvia meanie but maybe a little tall for my windy garden.

It does have strong stems. I have seed for it (the seed is five years old but Salvia seed remains viable for several years as a rule) if you want to try.
I'll also toss in seed for this (taken last week)...................




It's S.greggii (orS.x jamensis) "Raspberry Royale". Low growing shrubby Salvia, hardy. May not come true but the seed germinates freely.

[Robert]

Whilst the seed here will survive a mild to average winter the resulting bulbs will not get through their first winter unless it is exceptionally mild or I lift them.
That said the seed is slow to ripen so you should be able to harvest them and sow in pots if you prefer. One seed pod is more than enough seed.

meanie,

This past winter I protected the seedling bulbs of Ornithogalum candicans. I was uncertain how cold hardy they might be at the farm in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I am sure they would over-winter easily at our Sacramento Valley bungalow. So far no sign of any seed, however for the most part the plants are still blooming. I have a number of blooming plants so I may get some cross pollination.

Beautiful Salvias!

[Hoy]

Meanie,

I like the red blooming salvia (or do you call it pink - I once had a discussion with Lori about colours ). It looks nice.

[David Nicholson]

It does have strong stems. I have seed for it (the seed is five years old but Salvia seed remains viable for several years as a rule) if you want to try.
I'll also toss in seed for this
It's S.greggii (orS.x jamensis) "Raspberry Royale". Low growing shrubby Salvia, hardy. May not come true but the seed germinates freely.

Meanie, I will PM you.

[meanie]

Meanie,

I like the red blooming salvia (or do you call it pink - I once had a discussion with Lori about colours ). It looks nice.

I'm the last person to get colour names correct  I would call it scarlet.

A couple more Salvia;
Salvia glutinosa................


It grows to a good size............


And my favourite hardy Salvia - S.dolichantha............

[johnw]

The first of the Isoplexis canariensis to start flowering.  I trhought they'd be massive plants.  Reckon you need a dozen or more plants massed for a good show.

johnw

[Robert]

Eriogonum grande var. rubescens looking good in the garden.

Native to the Northern Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa Islands), California. An easy xeric species with colorful flowers. Selection of the best seedlings pays-off.

[Brian Ellis]

The first of the Isoplexis canariensis to start flowering.  I trhought they'd be massive plants.  Reckon you need a dozen or more plants massed for a good show.

johnw

Well done John, I wouldn't have thought they would be easy for you to grow, presumably they are overwintered

[Maggi Young]

Two great colours there from John and Robert on the Isoplexis canariensis  and   Eriogonum grande var. rubescens - the weather is very grey again here and these colours are just  what the doctor ordered!

[Hoy]

What do you call those colours, I have a limited vocabulary for colours (in Norwegian too  ): Red, yellow, blue; green, orange; brown - and of course black, white and grey

It is grey here also. We have had a couple of rainy days now.