Image of the day - 2012

Cohan - O.serrulata, probably foot and a half tall, is one of those you can keep indoors at room temperature and enough water to keep the soil fairly moist in winter and then either move the whole pot or else plant it outdoors when the weather warms up.  I move it around a bit in the house - when the sun is literally pouring in through the windows by my kitchen sink, that's where it goes so I can gaze at it will doing the dishes -or else it will stay under lights in the living room.  And when it is in flower I move it to a spot where people who come to the house can see and admire.  Haven't had any problem with bugs either - doesn't seem to need a lot of coddling but gives a great deal of satisfaction nonetheless.  With my lack of luck with many of the seeds I order, I'm beginning to concentrate on the ones that are most dependable - in the garden I can always count on Daphnes and Primroses - oh, I do keep trying a few of the tough ones, just in case I get lucky. Fran

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

I remember Ian Young saying that the plants grow themselves and we just find ways of allowing them to do this as well as we can. Those seem very wise words. When you see plants grown really well at the Shows they just look 'right'. But for me the Shows really encourage growing more of them in the garden where many more species can be cultivated and propagated, and also many can be shown to be good garden plants too, and not just primadonnas. (The opposite is also true, viz: that great Cyclamen graecum of Fermi's. For me this will grow but hardly ever flowers in the garden, but does very well with the summer heat of the glasshouse).

Howey wrote:

Cohan - O.serrulata, probably foot and a half tall, is one of those you can keep indoors at room temperature and enough water to keep the soil fairly moist in winter and then either move the whole pot or else plant it outdoors when the weather warms up.  I move it around a bit in the house - when the sun is literally pouring in through the windows by my kitchen sink, that's where it goes so I can gaze at it will doing the dishes -or else it will stay under lights in the living room.  And when it is in flower I move it to a spot where people who come to the house can see and admire.  Haven't had any problem with bugs either - doesn't seem to need a lot of coddling but gives a great deal of satisfaction nonetheless. 

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

Thanks for the details! I don't put any houseplants outdoors-- just not reliably warm enough for tender plants to be safe, and even for those that could take it, they'd bring too many bugs  with them...lol Might try it as a full time indoor plant if I run across seed..

Todd wrote:

Well it seems that spring has hit in some parts of the world (or fall in Fermi's case).  My garden is still well buried under snow...we had another 3" today. :(

Funny about the comments being made about potted alpines.  I grow several alpines in pots (excluding the troughs).  Lewisia in particular, are all individually pot grown in my garden and overwintered in a frame, sunken in sand.  We alos have an alpine house at work and grow lots of alpines in pots.  I can admit, I actually have just as much difficulty growing them in pots as I do outside.  yes, I can grow some drylanders in the alpine house that can't be grown outside, but overall, I find alpine sin the open are easier...no restricted roots, no watering concerns, etc.  Pot culture is very much an art.  I cannot come close to growing alpines in pots like the UK gardeners do...I am really quite jealous and need to know what I am doing wrong.  I know one problem is that our alpine house freezes solid in winter...that would not be a concern in the UK.  I expect that aspect is my #1 downfall.  I probably do not repot often enough either.

On another topic, I went to a local market today and found potted campanula being sold as a disposable pot plant.  I think it is C. cochlearifolia 'Elizabeth Oliver'.  I picked it up and will plant it in the rockery come May-June.  It's my little piece of spring!

I wonder if water quality issues play a part with potted alpines? With potted cacti, for example, its been realised by many in recent years that alkaline tap water long term is very detrimental to the plants' health, so people who do not have rain water are acidifying their water and fertiliser with great results..
Nice to get a little potted spring  ;D I've seen similar small bellflowers at florists here, I haven't looked at the species/variety names... I should check them out to see if they could be hardy..

cohan wrote:

Nice to get a little potted spring  ;D I've seen similar small bellflowers at florists here, I haven't looked at the species/variety names... I should check them out to see if they could be hardy..

Cohan, I've yet to come across a Campanula sp. that isn't hardy here, if that helps!  :)

Well, that's encouraging, Lori! I'd have to find it close enough to planting out time ....

Speaking of potted spring, here's a couple from this week here....
Gymnocalycium bruchii (6inch pot)
Weingartia sp (3.5inch pot)

Thanks, Todd; Weingartia is a smallish genus from South America, which some authors have lumped into Rebutia (based on seed characters, I think) along with numerous other genera; others do not agree, of course, and another direction sees Sulcorebutia and Cintia(monotypic, I think) being sunk into Weingartia; also considered close to Gymnocalycium by some.
In any case, for collectors, its a fun genus and pretty distinctive- most being floriferous with yellow flowers much like mine, though there are oranges, maybe a red or two, and some variations in flower size, lots of variation in spination, and a division into two quite distinct sub-genera (this plant is from the easier of the two sub-genera).. I have about a half dozen, mostly unnamed, with several that flower from early spring through fall..

Rick, I think the whole point of the acidified water (well, at least a major point) is the absorption of nutrients, so your observation would make sense; many growers are also adding ammonium sulfate to their fertilisation regime in addition to the acidified water..

RickR wrote:

cohan wrote:

Rick, I think the whole point of the acidified water (well, at least a major point) is the absorption of nutrients, so your observation would make sense; many growers are also adding ammonium sulfate to their fertilisation regime in addition to the acidified water..

So my subtle hint was not lost.  Good pick up on that, Cohan!

I do have one indoor common cactus that put on a fair show last month, despite its obvious bad care that it receives:

Nice looking Mammillaria, Rick :) I do like the subtle tone on tone cacti as much as the bright ones (sometimes more, depending...); definitely happy with your care to give you that flowering :)

Saw this on my travels recently in a friends alpine house--South American Nototriche macleanii--largish flowers for the size of its cushion.
Yummy  :P :P

Cheers Dave.

Very cool one, Dave! Thanks Rick for looking it up to save me the effort, I was wondering!

Thanks, Trond- these tender cacti do not go outside here, either! But, unless I lived in the subtropics or tropics, I'd never want to be without plants indoors...

Sounds like fun, Panayoti..
I've been looking at Synthyris on Alplains list for a while.. its on my shortlist, but I'm not ordering this year...lol

Hoy wrote:

What a plant - Nototriche - maybe cold hardy but I suppose not humid and moist hardy :-\ Can't hope of growing this one in my garden!

It didn't survive in our woodland plot either Trond...

Todd wrote:

Nototriche is the stuff of dreams!  Love to get my hands on one to give it a try.

Will keep an eye out for seed for you Todd.

Cheers Dave.

Kelaidis wrote:

This picture is of Synthyris missurica, one of my favorite natives. The photo was taken a few years ago at Denver Botanic Gardens, where we have had a patch for some time (usually blooms in late March early April): I post it now because it was in full bloom in Seattle where I just went to the AGM of NARGS in Everett. There were some terrific talks about the plants of Eastern Washington, and some terrific displays and a really wonderful plant sale where this Synthyris was in full bloom. You can read a bit more about the plant on my most recent blog (http://prairiebreak.blogspot.com/2012/03/mountains-kittentails-synaesthetic.html) but the real reason I am posting is to say that it was a treat to see quite a few old friends, and especially to meet face to face with Lori Skulski, whose postings on this Forum are among my favorite. I didn't have a lot of time to visit, but we exchanged greetings at least, and she actually conducted the rather exciting election of new board members for NARGS at the banquet. I was delighted that Stephanie Ferguson, Lori's fellow Albertan (and another top notch rock gardener) got an award at the same time. I had not attended a Study Weekend or meeting of this kind (except for those I have helped host) for some time: one forgets how much fun it is to meet with fellow rock gardeners. Although my bank account is suffering due to aforementioned plant sales and an awesome book sale as well.

Wonderful plant, will have to try that one. Not very easy to find over here!

Really like the Synthyris - Elizabeth Strangman at Washfield Nursery grew and sold this plant for many years but I never succeeded with it; my favourite is S. pinnatifida, which occasionally is seen at Shows but I think is even more difficult to grow and flower.

A good North American flowering again on my raised bed - Lomatium columbianum. The flowers are even more richly coloured seen close up, and it looks better this year as the bed has had a good renovation and topdressing with fresh grit. (A few new things being planted). Last year the lomatium set seed well, and these were sown in the autumn outside and are germinating nicely now. A few other umbels are on, or going on the bed, including Cymopterus montanus, which was discovered amongst a batch of old seed pots. This looks equally attractive from images I have seen.

Nice Lomatium, Tim.. I had a couple tiny seedlings of Cymopterus planosus last year... hoping they grow.. Alplains has many tempting umbellifers...

Kelaidis wrote:

This picture is of Synthyris missurica... I post it now because it was in full bloom in Seattle where I just went to the AGM of NARGS in Everett. There were some terrific talks about the plants of Eastern Washington, and some terrific displays and a really wonderful plant sale where this Synthyris was in full bloom.

It was a great pleasure to meet you at the NARGS Winter Study Weekend in Everett, Panayoti, and I too wish we'd had more time to chat!  It turned out that there was lots to do with the book sales, plant sales, displays, talks and garden visits there!  
It was terrific too to have gotten to meet and to chat with Peter George and Anne Spiegel... it's so nice to be able to put faces to the names of some of the famous rock gardeners here, and to have gotten to know them a little!
That was the first NARGS event I've attended... it was fun, interesting and educational!

Todd wrote:

I'm so jealous!  Wish I could have attended the AGM.  But then, it's difficult to get plants into Canada from the US so I'm glad I didn't have the temptation!

Not meaning to rub salt in the wound, Todd, but the Western Study Weekend was extremely well organized, with phytosanitary inspections/certificates available for those who needed them!  So, if one could meet the enormous challenge of keeping the number of purchases down to a portable limit, then there would just remain the hassle of wrangling potted plants through cross-continental flight(s)!  I'm sure where there's a will, there's a way!  ;D ;D
Anyway, despite HUGE temptation, I refrained from buying plants (too many seedlings downstairs already!!)  However, don't imagine I got away unscathed... instead, I lugged home about 50 pounds worth of books!

Seems like a cool plant, Mark! Does it leaf out after flowering?

Todd mentioned earlier buying a potted Campanula as a florist plant, I saw some today at Safeway (supermarket), but these were single flowers, on C portenschlagiana 'Get Mee' ( I think that's right, I didn't remember the exact cultivar name, but remembered the 'mee' part, and that one turns up on google searches...
I didn't buy one today (I'd already picked up a couple of tropicals I'd been wanting at Walmart) but I'm thinking it might be good as an Easter present for mom, then it can go outside somewhere later on- I've seen references to it in z3, so it should be fine.. not my favourite as an exciting plant- a bit too green and purple, but it should be nice as a pretty plant, just have to think where.....

Thanks Cliff . I think I spotted an ex-pat in there

Booker wrote:

A brief selection of images from the Alpine Garden Society Show at Blackpool yesterday.  Benches full of glorious plants and some classes that were extremely difficult to judge.  The Farrer Medal (for best exhibit in the show) went to, who else, but the remarkable Geoff Rollinson with his spectacular Saxifraga 'Coolock Gem'.
It is our own East Lancashire national show this coming weekend and we hope we can attract just as many beautiful plants to our hall in Whitworth, near Rochdale.

Some amazing plants- somehow that first white mound is especially cool to me :)