Image of the day - 2012

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General Alpines

Moderator note:
With a new year comes a new thread! Here is the first post in "Image of the Day - 2012", which continues on from:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=24.1560
Edit by Lori

Lori wrote:

Nothing in flower here either but with each day a second or two longer now, here are some mountain scenes and some local alpines to make us yearn for spring! Happy New Year, all!

Lovely pics Lori

Hoy wrote:

Lori, your pictures always make me feel guilty - guilty of sitting lazy in the sofa instead of getting out there where the diamonds are to be found ;)

I know how you feel Hoy ...well sort of :) Here i'm stuck finishing off a job for a client spraying with a knapsack around 5000 newly planted natives ,all the while i'm itching to get back up into the hills --anyway regardless of the work situation i've decided i'm away botanizing next weekend.

Here's a wee beauty-- Brodiaea terrestris with thick looking almost succulent like petals .Enjoying the dry warm conditions of the last 3 weeks .

Cheers Dave.

Comments

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 2:16pm

Trond, you couldn't see the Dodecatheon because I still haven't posted photos! I've had so little online time, posting photos has not been an option.. meanwhile the photos pile up...lol
Today I planned a walk and or ride, followed by more digging,  but the rain has been sticking around, and I haven't mustered the ambition to do work indoors I should, an d since my internet connection is somewhat there, I'm doing some catching up!
Love blue Cory!
Jim, love Sphaeralcea and this one is extra nice- is this the really small one that grows with Lepidium etc?

Lori, nice to see the Cyp being unmolested so far...

Merlin's picture

Merlin (not verified)

Sun, 07/15/2012 - 1:15pm
cohan wrote:

Trond, you couldn't see the Dodecatheon because I still haven't posted photos! I've had so little online time, posting photos has not been an option.. meanwhile the photos pile up...lol
Today I planned a walk and or ride, followed by more digging,  but the rain has been sticking around, and I haven't mustered the ambition to do work indoors I should, an d since my internet connection is somewhat there, I'm doing some catching up!
Love blue Cory!
Jim, love Sphaeralcea and this one is extra nice- is this the really small one that grows with Lepidium etc?

Lori, nice to see the Cyp being unmolested so far...

Yes, this Sphaeralcea occurs in the same area as Lepidium nanum and Astragalus uncialis  both in the wild and in my garden :-) looks like a lot of seed set from them this year. This has been a good year for germination here it would seem (if not pollination). Lots of seeds have germinated from seeds tossed in the garden years ago. Surprise of surprises is the dozens of Penstemon acaulis seedlings that have come from seeds of their parents a few yards away, the plant i though least likely to take over my garden is at least making an effort.

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 11:04am

We had a nice ridge hike yesterday and enjoyed seeing this spectacular Physaria didymocarpa, among the other alpines:

                 

Merlin's picture

Merlin (not verified)

Fri, 07/20/2012 - 8:03pm
Spiegel wrote:

Jim, do you have any pictures of Astragalus uncialis you could post?

i have this picture of a small plant in flower from a few years ago. These plants are much bigger now but are out of flower.

Mark McDonough's picture

Mark McDonough

Mon, 07/23/2012 - 6:02pm

Flowering earlier than normal, is the very late flowering hybrid Azalea, Rhododendron 'Late Date' (natural arborescens x prunifolium hybrid, hardy to -15 F).  Normally flowering in August, this year it started blooming mid-July.  The blooms are richly perfumed, pure white flowers with long red styles and pinkish-red stamens are visually compelling as well.  Stands up well to full sun exposure, planted next to my deck stair to enjoy fragrance and flowers.

Panayoti Kelaidis's picture

Panayoti Kelaidis

Mon, 07/23/2012 - 9:33pm

I love the eastern Azaleas: amazing to have them so late! I have found they do much better for us than evergreen rhodies, by and large, so have added quite a few the last few years.

Tim Ingram's picture

Tim Ingram (not verified)

Wed, 07/25/2012 - 1:21am

That is a very beautiful azalea - the Ericaceae are so fascinating but our garden is so dry that we grow very few. It would be great to try this in a pot.

This is a nice plant from Kevock Nursery in Edinburgh - Leontopodium coreanum.

Anne Spiegel's picture

Anne Spiegel

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 5:14am

Jim, thanks so much for posting the picture of Astragalus uncialis.  I've never tried this one and it looks quite nice.  Can you tell me in general the conditions it prefers?  And its eventual size?

Tim Ingram's picture

Tim Ingram (not verified)

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 5:32am

I don't know the leontopodium's origins Rick - must check in Kevock's list; presumably part of its range anyway is Korea. It does seem a nice vigorous plant and the one or two other species I have tried haven't persisted. Edleweiss is such an archetypal name in the alpine world but I wonder how many people actually grow any? (I do grow the New Zealand leucogynes and, touch wood, these are settling down).

The astragalus is very attractive - I would love to have more success growing these peas!

Todd Boland's picture

Todd Boland

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 2:59am

Still sorting through 1500 images taken in the Beartooth and Bighorn Mountains...what spectacular places.  I have never seen so many alpines.  Here is just a teaser shot of the habitat in the Beartooths...still lots of snow around but loads of alpines as well.

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Sat, 07/28/2012 - 12:08am
Todd wrote:

Still sorting through 1500 images taken in the Beartooth and Bighorn Mountains...what spectacular places.  I have never seen so many alpines.  Here is just a teaser shot of the habitat in the Beartooths...still lots of snow around but loads of alpines as well.

Looks very promising Todd! I am looking forward to your photoshow ;)

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Sat, 07/28/2012 - 12:26am

My contribution today actually is from Thursday when we walked down Aurlandsdalen (the Aurland Valley). It is one of my favorite wild flowers of Norway, Saxifraga cotyledon. They usually grow in cracks in very steep walls from low alpine down to the sea along rivers.

Toole's picture

Toole (not verified)

Sat, 07/28/2012 - 2:20am

Nice Saxs Trond.

Here's my contribution for the day as well----Moisture on Galanthus.

Cheers Dave.

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Sat, 07/28/2012 - 10:33am

Nice Sax, trond, always extra nice to see things growing out of rock :)

Dave- nice to see your winter blooms :)

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Sat, 07/28/2012 - 11:37pm

Waldheimia tomentosa; from Holubec  oops! Pavelka! seed, 2010, but only planted in the rock garden last fall; I was disappointed the flower is white, hoping for pink as in the photo from habitat on Holubec's site, but its still very cute :) hoping for seed, as this is my only plant, makes me a little nervous! Still small, only maybe 3inches/7cm across; I'll post a full view in the alpines thread..

Panayoti Kelaidis's picture

Panayoti Kelaidis

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 12:34pm

I think a white Waldheimia would suffice for me! We have tried them again and again, and they melt with the first hint of 90's...

My flower of the day is Platycodon grandiflorus, in a wonderful dwarf form. I have put a number of these strategially throughout my rock gardens (like stiff little sentinels) and they've done a credible job of adding color now in the quiet time of late summer.

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 7:58pm

Our hottest one or two days were probably just below 90F, but really only for a few hours, and always coolish overnight.. there has been a little damage to the Waldheimia leaves, but I think that's from hail... I'll still hold out some hope for viable seed and maybe pink offspring :))

Late summer colour must be very appreciated in a hot dry summer such as you've had there, Panayoti :)

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 10:20pm
cohan wrote:

Waldheimia... I'll still hold out some hope for viable seed and maybe pink offspring :))

Or even that later flowers on the same plant may be pinker, who knows?  A first flower can often be somewhat anomalous, and with some plants (though I wouldn't know how likely it is with this), weather conditions can affect flower colour.

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 10:51pm

The Pavelka description did say white or pink flowers, which I had forgotten since that was read a couple of years ago, and I remembered the more recently seen photo on Holubec's site with pink flowers.. its still fun to have a plant from India growing in front of my house with Sempervivum (and Saussureas!) even if it always flowers white...lol.. Ironically, it is not very tomentose at all, but neither was Holubec's specimen; the green foliage may be just fine with all the coloured semps, anyway!

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 12:05am

Cohan, I have to disappoint you! It is very unlikely that a whiteflowered plant should get pink offsprings - however vice verse do happen! Genes for red/pink usually are dominant :-\

Nice Platycodon, Panayoti, I had some seedraised specimens for several years and they flowered themselves to death :(

CScott's picture

CScott (not verified)

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 3:58am

Lori,
Did you grow the Gentiana verna from seed?
I have obtained seeds, and am wondering at best way of germinating them?

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 8:30am

Hi, Carolyn,
I got it from Wrightman's in 2008.  I haven't germinated that species from seed, but for gentians in general, I have been using GA-3, though cold stratification is also successful.

Fabulous saxifrages, Trond!

Rick, Leontopodium alpinum is easily grown here in regular soil (it just has to be watched for drying out too much in hot, dry weather) - strange that it does not do well there?  Is it the humidity, I wonder?  You normally get more precipitation than here, but maybe it's the timing of the precipitation (hot, dry periods are too long, too hot and too dry?)

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 10:28am
Hoy wrote:

Cohan, I have to disappoint you! It is very unlikely that a whiteflowered plant should get pink offsprings - however vice verse do happen! Genes for red/pink usually are dominant :-\

Oh well! White will have to do  ;D I'll get some more Erigeron and Townsendia for pink..lol

Richard T. Rodich's picture

Richard T. Rodich

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 2:42pm

The Balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) are indeed showy.  The double forms are especially fun as they open, but in full bloom, not as much. :-\
I finally got a hold of some from the Astra series.  They bloomed at 5 inches before I got them planted.

Hakone White, a purple double form and a dwarf that is never more than 1 ft high.

       

       

Regarding Edelweiss, Lori, I speak from other Chapter members' experiences.  (Myself, I just don't see the charm of it. ;D)  They tell me it is the heat and humidity that is problematic here.

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 4:00pm

I'm surprised but I quite like the double form of Platycodon grandiflorus... neat and not distorted, unlike some other double forms.  
Yeah, I get what you're saying about edelweiss and agree... (yet, I am, unaccountably growing other Leontopodium species... go figure.  ???)

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 8:26pm

I'm drawn to many of those Asteraceae with odd flowers, and some in the genus Leontopodium fit the bill for sure.. I haven't tried any yet, but have looked at a number on the seedlists- especially those with white leaves, of course...lol

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Tue, 08/07/2012 - 11:10pm

A brief visit at our summerhouse before going home. Of course, the sheep had gotten through the fence and done some damage to the flowers. Fortunately their freedom hadn't lasted long.

They had trampled in the beds - and not only chewed on the plants. The lilies were almost untouched - just a few leaves nibbled.

Lilium lancifolium is an old garden plant here, growing almost wild many places. The orientalis-hybrid 'Arena' is a newer one though.

Richard T. Rodich's picture

Richard T. Rodich

Wed, 08/08/2012 - 7:01am

Oh my gosh, Trond!  I've never seen an Arena so gorgeous!  :o :o :o
Colors are usually much more muted (due to the heat, probably) and the flower count is stupendous!  That would win Grand Champion at any Lilium flower show here in the USA. 

Lilium lancifolium is a mainstay in old gardens here.  They remain in unkempt gardens (along with daylilies and bearded iris) of old houses in disrepair that have been vacated for decades.

So sorry about the sheep.  If you're like me, I just take it in stride as yet another "challenge" in life.  Lilies are the first things, after hostas, that deer eat here.  Fortunately for me in my suburban-like yard, I have had only one deer in ten years.  That was the night after the 4th of July (our Independence Day), and I am sure the poor animal was scared out of its wits with all the fireworks and loud booming going on.

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Wed, 08/08/2012 - 1:13pm

Thanks Rick :) Luckily I managed to remove all the lily beetles - and the sheep seems to dislike lily flowers, but you never know. What they don't eat they trample down. We used to have roe deer here too but they have not been seen this year.
I feed the lilies with seaweed every fall and this summer they have got water too ;)

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Wed, 08/08/2012 - 7:43pm

Gorgeous lily ('Arena'), Trond!  Can't knock the background either - lovely!

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Thu, 08/09/2012 - 12:13am
Lori wrote:

Gorgeous lily ('Arena'), Trond!  Can't knock the background either - lovely!

Thanks Lori, it's nice when the sea is calm. Not so lovely when the storm comes from north!

Merlin's picture

Merlin (not verified)

Thu, 08/09/2012 - 3:14pm

Well, i cant say have sheep romping in the garden, just a new E. pointer pup that finds that my most prized plants are to be chomped and torn up when possible. i transplanted some enormous Camassia cusickii bulbs some weeks ago only to find them dug up and chomped to smithereens in the morning--the puppy was so proud of himself. here are some pics from today
Talinum of some sort(volunteer seedling)
http://photos.imageevent.com/teita/rgmay132011/large/IMG_1328.JPG 
Oxalis from South America
http://photos.imageevent.com/teita/rgmay132011/large/IMG_1331.JPG
Daphne jasminea
http://photos.imageevent.com/teita/rgmay132011/websize/IMG_1332.JPG
Petrophytum caespitosum (Rock Mat), not exactly the finest flowers in the garden
http://photos.imageevent.com/teita/rgmay132011/websize/IMG_1330.JPG

Merlin's picture

Merlin (not verified)

Fri, 08/10/2012 - 7:32am
RickR wrote:

A really choice Talinum/Phemeranthus, Jim.  Perhaps P. brevifolius?
http://nargs.org/nargswiki/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=96&offset=40
here is the Flora of North America key to Phemeranthus
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=124954
re all phemeranthus North American?

Jim, I was under the impression that Camassia bulbs were relatively small...
How big is "enormous"?

the Camassia bulb was about the size of a  a big grapefruit.  why the dog chomped it is beyond me. Fortunately, i only transplanted half of them. By the way, these plants were about ten years old.

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Fri, 08/10/2012 - 11:11am

Trond- glad the damage wasn't too extensive, the lilies are looking good! I'm still mostly ill-lily-iterate despite the bazillions of them grown by folks in a regional (western Canada mostly) yahoo group I'm on- we still have only one patch of 'tiger' lilies (finished some time ago), plus I know our native species..lol.. I'd just be happy to have some not orange, but with all the ailments around, I hesitate to buy any...

Jim, some nice plants- that Talinum has a great form! Behind it is another Talinum with old flower stems?

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Fri, 08/10/2012 - 2:17pm

Unfortunately the danger isn't over yet >:(  Now nobody is there any longer to tell the sheep's owner that his animals are roaming around. They're almost like goats - climbing vertical cliffs and difficult to keep in place by fences.

Merlin, pups are not without trouble either! My niece brought her this summer but it didn't do much damage except digging in the turf.

Nice plants! I like them all  ;)

Todd Boland's picture

Todd Boland

Mon, 08/13/2012 - 10:11am

Trond that Arena is indeed a knockout!  It would never stand here that close to the sea...hardly stands here miles from the sea!

Todd Boland's picture

Todd Boland

Mon, 08/13/2012 - 10:17am

Leontopodium do well here...I have L. alpinum and here is L. conglobatum.  I started two new species from seed this year.

cohan's picture

cohan (not verified)

Mon, 08/13/2012 - 11:23am
Todd wrote:

Leontopodium do well here...I have L. alpinum and here is L. conglobatum.  I started two new species from seed this year.

Looking good! Looking forward to seeing the others- I've seen lots of species listed on the Czech seed lists, but don't know much about them...

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Mon, 08/13/2012 - 11:07pm

I have tried several Leontopodiums from seed and the seed germinates well enough. But assuming that Leontopodiums are rock garden plants I have planted the seedlings in too lean and dry soil for their liking. Growth is slow and several have died. Now I have only a few plants left and they sulk.

Todd wrote:

Trond that Arena is indeed a knockout!  It would never stand here that close to the sea...hardly stands here miles from the sea!

Todd, it has withstood pretty strong wind even in summer, and some years ago the pine growing next to it fell down in a winter gale and had to be removed. Seems the lily liked less competition ;)
I am more anxious for the sheep now that nobody looks after the garden :-\

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