Image of the day - 2012

Lovely deep colour in that Brodiaea. We are still unusually mild - normally the really cold weather sets in in January. This plant is not in the first flight of alpines, Draba paysonii, but is already full of flower buds.

Very nice photos, everyone.  
Tim, Draba paysonii is one of 30 or so Draba species that occur here... studying the characteristics of the hairs on the leaves through a hand lens to identify them is far beyond me!  Your photo reminds me that having some captive examples of the native ones for comparison might be a good place to start at least!

Lori, your comments on Draba echo my impressions of scanning the Flora re: the few I have photographed in the wild (re: Alberta Wanderings thread).. in the garden it seems would be a much easier place to study them, assuming one were to get characteristic growth...

Does this count as 'rock gardening'?  I grow a number of Mexican Pings in a terrarium.  It gives me something to look at during winter.  I have quite a collection of little bonsai pots with Pings in them.  I have some growing quite nicely in angular aquarium pebbles.  This is a better drained mix than one would normally use for cactus.  If you have ever seen pictures of Pings clinging to cliffs in Mexico then you would not question their ability to survive dry conditions.  I put them outside and the rain tore them apart.  They apparently cannot handle rain.  They seem to like the humidity of the aquarium.  They must get most of their moisture from the dew of coastal fog in nature.

James      

Moderator Note:  for searchability and for NARGS forumists to know what "pings" are, the reference is to the genus Pinguicula.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=638.0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinguicula
Mark McD.

In the UK at this time of year, all the rage is for snowdrops. American gardeners probably can't understand what we are all going on about! Even with our mild winter so far though they are still to do their thing in our garden (I do grow quite a few but not of the early flowering varieties). So back to a proper alpine and the common but very attractive rosettes of Saxifraga cotyledon. This is tucked in at the base of a lump of tufa and those leaf margins are so attractive! Some snowdrops to come in a few weeks time...

James, I do like Pinguiculas; I was under the impression that (some?) of the Mexican spp  were quite wet during the growing season then dry in winter- are yours dry all year?

Tim, I think snowdrops are quite nice, but have a little trouble thinking of them as a major focus of attention...lol-- however, blooming so early (totally impossible here to think of anything flowering in mid-winter except indoors!) I can see an appeal... Nothing here will show any activity till late April/May....

cohan wrote:

James, I do like Pinguiculas; I was under the impression that (some?) of the Mexican spp  were quite wet during the growing season then dry in winter- are yours dry all year?

When the water in the bottom of my terrarium dries out, I give them more.  I think they like the humidity.  I did not mean that they like it dry in the sense of cactus.  Although, the species that have really small leaves when dormant do need a period without watering.  I was trying to convey their adaptability to various growing media. 

I tried some divisions in potting soil, because I had it handy.  They covered the surface of the pot without sending down roots (if that's even what they are) into the media.  The potting soil must have been too moist for them. 

They would probably creep across the glass in the bottom of my terrarium if there was not standing water present.  Whenever they grow over the edge of the pot all the way down to the standing water they start to rot.  Preventing this from occurring is about the only thing that compels me to divide them.

Even though I given them water every week or two, that aquarium gravel cannot store much moisture.  They would probably be just as happy on a bare rock if I tried it.

James

Very interesting! I had a friend in FL who was growing them for some time, though I don't think she has any any more... I'm pretty sure she grew them in plant drainage saucers, though I don't remember her medium- something simple- she usually has commercial stuff plus perlite.. So basically, yours are growing just as epiphytes- lithophytes I guess, with little moisture taken in by the roots? I'd like to try them again sometime (killed a little offset or two some years ago) but there is a long list, so I'm in no hurry..lol

Here are some pictures showing various pinguiculas growing in aquarium pebbles or calcinated clay.  The largest one is P. gigantea.  The one with the most rosettes is P. laueana.  The last one is just a few small rosettes forming at the base of a leaf which had fallen off a mature plant.  I think this one is P. agnata 'true blue'.  These are all divisions, which is the reason they are so small.

James

A classic rock garden plant, Gentiana verna, native to Europe and Eurasia, that seems to grow fairly happily here in the crevice bed with no special care.  

(Apologies for the slightly fuzzy picture, but it's one of the few I have that captures the intensity and tone of the blue colour accurately!)

Lori wrote:

A classic rock garden plant, Gentiana verna, native to Europe and Eurasia, that seems to grow fairly happily here in the crevice bed with no special care.  

(Apologies for the slightly fuzzy picture, but it's one of the few I have that captures the intensity and tone of the blue colour accurately!)

Great colour :) How early does this flower for you?
I can always tell if I've just come from Facebook-- I'm trying to find the 'Like' button..lol its one of those things that at first seems dumb on FB- but its actually great on forums where you want to express appreciation for something, without any long message...

Hoy wrote:

cohan wrote:

Lori wrote:

A classic rock garden plant, Gentiana verna, native to Europe and Eurasia, that seems to grow fairly happily here in the crevice bed with no special care.  

(Apologies for the slightly fuzzy picture, but it's one of the few I have that captures the intensity and tone of the blue colour accurately!)

Great colour :) How early does this flower for you?
I can always tell if I've just come from Facebook-- I'm trying to find the 'Like' button..lol its one of those things that at first seems dumb on FB- but its actually great on forums where you want to express appreciation for something, without any long message...

Can't you just press the "star" button?    *****
You can see, I have given it 5 golden (didn't find the golden colour though) stars ;)

*******

Well, glad you "like" it!  :D
Cohan, it starts blooming around mid-May here and has a nice long bloom period, to well past mid-June (judging from the dates on my photos).  It's very attractive in bud too:

I bought this plant some years ago from (probably) Beaver Creek. 

On the wood anemone thread, I mentioned our closest thing to the impressive spring forest floral displays elsewhere is some wet woods displays of Caltha palustris.. If I dug long enough, I might find another image in fuller flower (though these plants in shade do not have as dense  flowering as plants in the open), but this will have to do for now!

BTW, these are on the acreage, something like 50 metres (at a wild guess) behind my house...

Here's a pretty Brassicacaea, Smelowskia calycina, in bloom in the first photo.  The second photo has the attractive foliage of Smelowskia calycina in the foreground, a colourful Rhodiola integrifolia in the center, and Saussurea nuda in bud at the back.

Lori,

Three cheers for your photos.  Every time you post a picture of your garden I learn more and more of it's magnificence.  It makes me feel my place, full of never ending projects, is unworthy in comparison.

I also appreciate your photos of wild plants.  If I can't go to those places, at least I can live vicareously through your photos.

Rhodiola integrifolia is a rare cliff plant in the Driftless area of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  It also lives on cliffs along or near Lake Seneca in New York.  This is evidence of a much cooler past.  I always wondered why Midwestern and Eastern rock gardeners have not made attempts to get their local king's crown into regional gardens.  It is a beautiful plant.  Not only when flowing in Spring as your picture shows... but also with it's wonderful Fall color.

James

Something of a contrast to those marvellous pictures in the wild from Lori. I mentioned snowdrops a little earlier, and by way of a taster (all the highly expensive named varieties are still to start flowering) here is a picture of the common snowdrop, nivalis, flowering under our apple trees last February. My technique has been to bury nearly ripe seedpods (while still green) and the result is small 'tufts' of seedlings which have flowered in around three years, and produce a wonderful massed effect. These plants are ideally suited to the British climate and really keep our gardening going through the winter, along with hellebores, eranthis and even, at the moment, a few primroses!

Hoy wrote:

Lori, very nice! Seems to be necessary with more than a raised sand bed to grow these ;D

I suspect that might be the minimum requirement in your very wet area, but the propects would naturally be much better here in our conditions.  Having said that, I haven't tried to grow Smelowskia here yet, but I did pick up a seedling of Rhodiola integrifolia at the local alpine plant sale last year.

Thanks for the comments, James.

James wrote:

Rhodiola integrifolia is a rare cliff plant in the Driftless area of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  It also lives on cliffs along or near Lake Seneca in New York.  This is evidence of a much cooler past.  I always wondered why Midwestern and Eastern rock gardeners have not made attempts to get their local king's crown into regional gardens.  It is a beautiful plant.  Not only when flowing in Spring as your picture shows... but also with it's wonderful Fall color.

James

James, I believe the plant you refer to is Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi (as opposed to Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. integrifolia, which occurs here).  It is noted as occurring in Minnesota and New York, but if you feel you have seen it in Iowa and Wisconsin, it would probably be worth investigating further, and telling the local plant societies, etc. so that the possibility could be verified.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RHINL
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250092046

Note that there is also Rhodiola rosea (and there has been a vast amount of nomenclatural confusion over time between it and R. integrifolia) but it also does not seem to have been recorded from Iowa and Wisconsin:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RHRO3
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200009865

So, either way, it would certainly be of interest to check out.

Lori wrote:

James, I believe the plant you refer to is Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi (as opposed to Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. integrifolia, which occurs here).  It is noted as occurring in Minnesota and New York, but if you feel you have seen it in Iowa and Wisconsin, it would probably be worth investigating further, and telling the local plant societies, etc. so that the possibility could be verified.

I have only seen Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi in New York.  I knew it also occurred in the Driftless Area.  This area includes all the states I mentioned.  However, I did not look up exactly where in the driftless area it had been found.  If they say it only exists in the Minnesota portion of the driftless region, then they are probably correct. 

Irregardless, it is still a plant worthy of cultivation.  Although, the protected status thing would make obtaining seeds difficult.  You would need a permit.  Even if Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi could not be obtained, I have grown the more common Roseroot from seed.  Roseroot is very similar and also beautiful.

James

James wrote:

I have grown the more common Roseroot from seed.  Roseroot is very similar and also beautiful.

James

Yes, very beautiful indeed!  There are a few photos of it here:
http://nargs.org/nargswiki/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=97&offset=0

RickR wrote:

I can't attest to the New York environments , but mimicking the Minnesota environment would be next to impossible in warm climates such as ours.  

¹a very specialized habitat of specific strata where groundwater seeps through the rock and is cooled by air coming from underground air passages in karst topography. This results in a constantly wet, dripping condition, an unusual product of a long geological history.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/profile.html?action=elementDetail&selecte...

So keep it out of direct sun during the hot parts of the year and water it.  I am sure it is not that hard to grow.  It's still a Rhodiola.  

The only reason it is rare is because glaciers came down and wiped out most of the cliffs where it found refuge.  Wait a couple of Millena for erosion to re-carve gorges through the otherwise glacially bulldozed Midwest and this little Rhodiola will spread.  There is a large amount of potential habitat that it either does not occupy, or that just simply has not been searched.  At least this is true of the cliffs along the Finger Lakes.  

I'm surprised there has not been some effort to establish new colonies in the ample unoccupied habitat.  Efforts to establish new colonies would be easy and have a high probability of success.  Collect some seed, sow it on cool cliff faces and see what happens.

James
 

Note:  The discussion about Ribes has been moved to "Plants and Gardens - Woodies - Ribes" where it can continue with the focus it deserves!  :)
Lori

Lori wrote:

Here's a pretty Brassicacaea, Smelowskia calycina, in bloom in the first photo.  The second photo has the attractive foliage of Smelowskia calycina in the foreground, a colourful Rhodiola integrifolia in the center, and Saussurea nuda in bud at the back.

Really great grouping of plants in the second shot :)

Lori wrote:

Note:  The discussion about Ribes has been moved to "Plants and Gardens - Woodies - Ribes" where it can continue with the focus it deserves!   :)
Lori

Thanks Lori! And with the new thread status, I've already added a bunch more photos...lol.. many to come when I remember, including fall colour...

McDonough wrote:

Todd, natural rock garden perfection in that photo, gorgeous foliage :)

I agree as well Mark .

I've raised one or two Rhodiola sps in the past but never been able to get them beyond the first winter :'(

Here's a close up of Lignocarpa carnosula in scree ,seen during last weekends wet soggy NZ field trip ....

Cheers Dave.

Thanks Rick

The plant in question isn't that big ,about the size of a persons palm.

Not sure how old it is ---the foliage breaks off delicately at it's connection with the large fleshy rootstock at the end of each season.....unfortunately i have no knowledge of how many years it takes for the plant to reach blooming size.

Here's a Pic i took a number of years ago of a mature plant ,showing the much divided 'leaves 'and flowers.

One of the specialized scree inhabitants that are easily overlooked because they mimic the colour of the mineral.

Cheers Dave.

Toole wrote:

Here's a close up of Lignocarpa carnosula in scree ,seen during last weekends wet soggy NZ field trip ....

Cheers Dave.

What a thrilling plant! and fantastic shot!
Dave's view is fascinating as well-- so many delightfully strange plants in NZ- if only it were warm enough here to grow such things-- if I ever get that Alpine House....

Toole wrote:

Here's a close up of Lignocarpa carnosula in scree ,seen during last weekends wet soggy NZ field trip ....

Wow, beautiful plant and magnificent photography!  :o

Todd wrote:

Ohhh...I want one of those.  So bizarre but fantastic foliage!

I'd love to have this one, too! It looks hard to grow in my garden, though... :'(

That's a beauty, Todd!  It has quite a different look to it than the Gentianella here.  

I have just looked up paramo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Páramo
Was that in Cotopaxi National Park?   Must have been an amazing trip!  

With that, and Dave's Lignocarpa carnosula, we are being treated to some real exotica lately!

Wow, Todd, you are getting around!
I had to look it up as well, found this page:
http://www.ecuador-travel.net/biodiversity.ecosystems.paramo.htm
Were you in the wet zone, or various spots?
Was it just a trip for interest, or was someone hoping to find plants suitable for cultivation somewhere?
Looks like some really stunning places and plants in those zones...

I'm amazed at the range of genera that contain species that form hard domes like you show. 

Todd, if you want to treat us to a photo essay of the Paramo of Ecuador (hint, hint  :) ), the Travels section would probably be the place to start it.

Todd wrote:

Guess this topic should be moved to the Travels section.  I was in the Paramo east of Quito.  It was wet and cold but the sun broke through in the late afternoon.  I was on a birding trip to Ecuador and we were looking for some high alpine birds.  The birds were scanty but the plants were pretty cool.  Here is a Plantago rigida...not like any Plantago in our area!  It is more like a Bolax (Azorella) and hard as a rock.

Cool Plantago! Good thing you had a back-up interest if the birding was not so successful :)

Inula rhizocephala - easy from seed, hardy, and easy to grow.  Providing very good drainage improves longevity in the garden.

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200024064

Lori wrote:

Inula rhizocephala - easy from seed, hardy, and easy to grow.  Providing very good drainage improves longevity in the garden.

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200024064

Nice one, its a genus I've been interested in, though haven't got any yet... how large has it been for you, the flora shows a bit of size range... I like that it seems from the habitat it could take a bit of shade..