Flowering in a Swedish Summer

[PaulM]

Hello ! I haven't posted in a while, and have accumulated a large quantity of pictures from the month of August. I really don't think I will be able to post them all tonight, but I hope it won't be frowned upon too much if I post some during the first days of September. Here we start. First off some pictures of Asclepias

1) Asclepias tuberosa. I've had these plants for many years, and they started out flowering in an orange -red tone much like nr 3, but they have turned more and more yellow. I wonder if it is due to the soil, or the location, or if there is some other factor making them change color.
2) Asclepias tuberosa close up
3) Asclepias tuberosa, not as old as the yellow flowered plants, but maybe this will turn yellow in a few years time too ?
4) Asclepias exaltata- almost looking as malevolent as something Sigourney Weaver would encounter in a space ship.
5) Asclepias speciosa spreads some by stolons, but is really stunning in flower and smells sweet
6) Asclepias speciosa
7) Asclepias speciosa even closer

[Maggi Young]

Paul, why not have a little thread for these August and September flowers in your part of Sweden? 

[David Nicholson]

Oh, so that's where they went! I thought I'd been seeing things

Lovely set of pics Paul and yet another plant I haven't had the pleasure of trying. I shall put that to rights.

[cohan]

love the selection of asclepias!
exotic maybe, i dont think i'd go as far as malevolent!..lol

[PaulM]

Okay, Thanks Maggie ! I don't feel as much pressure sitting up all night now, but I will post a few more before I go to bed. My son is sleeping soundly, so I have some speare time now ; )

1) Aconitum heterophyllum var heterophyllum is according to my books the species with purple veined greenish -blue flowers, while var. bracteatum has light to dark blue flowers.
2) It is in the section Sinaconitum stems from NW Himalaya
3) Agastache rupestris is marginally hardy with me, but comes back and this year there are two flowering stems so maybe there will be double next year. It has a fresh bubble gum scent.
4) Agastache cana is definitely hardier and although lacking the scent it makes up for it in flowers.
5) Arnoglossum muhlenbergii ( previously Cacalia ) is a nice foliage plant from E North America.
6) The flowering stalks are red, and the peculiar looking flowers off white, but even though not very decorative they are much appreciated by insects.

[Maggi Young]

Paul, it will be our pleasure to enjoy them as your time permits. 

[PaulM]

1. Calceolaria mexicana from ORG & HPS Seed Exchange has been a very rewarding plant which fast reached flowering and has kept on producing its yellow balloons all summer.
2. Calceolaria mexicana - close up
3. Callirhoe triangulata is a prairie plant from the Malvaceae family. Would probably look much better sticking up through prairie drop seed, blue gama grass and other grasses
4. Callirhoe triangulata - close up
5. Campanula grossekii easily becomes a weed if you don't cut it down before it goes to seed, but it is a tap rooted species which only spreads through seed, so it can easily be pulled. In a moist spot like this where it came up by itself it has grown very big and floriferous.
6. A close up of the hairy flowers of Campanula grossekii which hails from Eastern Europe
7. Campanula versicolor is a more diminutive species which I got through the SRGC seed ex 2007/08. It broke off in the summer but this seem to have resulted in a tighter flowered stem.
8. Carlina acanthifolia forms side rosettes every year with me, and stays perennial. The flowers are the size of tea saucers. I've placed a credit card- sized card next to it for comparison.
9. Carlina acanthifolia needs quite a bit of space in the rock garden.

[PaulM]

 Just a few more pictures this evening of Onopordum bracteatum. I have grown many Onopordum species but I must say that this is top of the shelf, and I will make it permanent feature in my garden. It took about three years to reach flowering size here, but the flowers are bigger than any other Onopordum species I've grown, and the plants are quite slender and dont spread out all over the place like Onopordum acanthium for example.

1-5 Onopordum bracteatum

and a more modest thistle:

6. Cirsium eriophorum is another nice thistlle which self seeds
7. Cirsium eriophorum- flowers
8. Cirsium eriophorum

[Brian Ellis]

Most interesting to see what you are growing Paul, how tall is your Onopordum bracteatum?

[Maggi Young]

While we are on the subject of handsome thistles and their like.... can anyone tell me what the species of Onopordum (?) in this post (from Cliff in Turkey ) might be? 
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3653.msg107617#msg107617

(...particularly seen in pix 7 and 8 of Reply #38  of page 3 of the thread)

[Paul T]

Paul,

Excellent pics of some wonderful plants.  The Asclepias are amazing.  I have A. tuberosa, but the flowers on the other two you've shown are so striking.  Gorgeous!  And that Calceolaria mexicana is a beauty.  Such a lovely clean yellow to them by the look of it. 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Good show Paul !
Don't worry about posting a bit later than the plants flowered - it's just lengthening our Summer somewhat !! 

[Stephenb]

Some seldom seen and well grown plants, Paul!

I’ve tried all these Asclepias myself (and I think you sent me seed at some stage!) but I struggle with overwintering them (any tips?). The only one that I’ve succeeded with is the Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata); picture below.

Agastache  rupestris has overwintered here, but I’ve not succeeded with A cana (but that was a few years ago before milder winters kicked in – must try again!)

Cirsium eriophorum (Wooly Thistle) – one of my favourites, although biannual, it seeds itself. However, yours looks a bit different to mine (better!) with more flattened flower heads and it seems to lack the purplish bracts you can see on mine below. Do you know where you got it from?  Incidentally, although fiddly, try some wooly artichokes, very tasty and not that wooly! Onopordum bracteatum with its bigger flowers looks worth trying! Hope you send in some seed!

Campanula versicolor - I probably got seed from the same source as you, but again it sadly didn't make it through the winter - had been keen to try it as Ken Fern of pfaf.org writes that the leaves have "A delicious mild flavour with a slight sweetness that reminds people of freshly-picked garden peas"

[Gunilla]

Beautiful plants Paul.  I wish I could grow Agastache rupestris as it is such a nice plant with wonderful colour and lovely scented foliage. 

[Anthony Darby]

I must try the asclepias again. I think the stock from catalogues is not suited to my garden? Great for breeding Milkweed (aka Monarch) butterflies (Danaus plexippus).