What do you see on your garden walks? 2013

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We are 11 days late on this topic!
A couple views of some of my garden beds in the last couple of days-- not a whole lot to see! but you see some of the 'ridges' of the rock gardens and berms I've been developing, and looking at them this winter under snow, I've realised that these winter shapes should be taken into account at the design phase, since this is what I see for months at a time!

1-3 the rock beds in front of the house which get extra snow, being surrounded by shovelled paths; in #3 you can see a bit of the tallest Sempervivum flower stalk sticking through the snow still..
4,5 a couple of rock beds and berms in a different part of the acreage- these are in the moister part of the property, and (not counting the shovelling mentioned above) get the deepest snow
6,7 the third rock garden area, this is on the drier end of the property, and drier yet between the two large spruce trees- the two taller ridges have had the least snow cover of any of my plantings, so time will tell what plants that will favour (naturally, I am planting things that generally want to be drier in this area)

Comments

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Sun, 05/19/2013 - 10:51pm
RickR wrote:

I usually cut off all the seed pods before they mature, otherwise I think they would take over the garden!  I could send you (or anyone) a boatload, Trond.  I am thinking the seed needs to be kept moist?

How easy do Taraxacum cross the species barrier (e.g. pseudoroseum x officinale)?  I don't think I would ever get true seed without complete isolation.

Not a boatload, Rick but a few podloads had been nice!

Taraxacum is usually apomictic. In Norway we have about 370 "species" (or clones if you like) of Taraxacum, many endemic.
If you added a few of the pink dandelion I would be happy Rick!

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Sun, 05/19/2013 - 11:06pm
Lori wrote:

Love the Pulsatilla vernalis, Trond.  I have a couple out in the dry, exposed front yard but they haven't bloomed in some time.  I thought I'd try again from seed, and managed to get a seedling which I planted in a trough where it would get a little better care... but I didn't count on a jackrabbit eating out the emerging bud.  I think I will finally make some hardware cloth covers for some of my troughs that are outside the fence.

Maybe your front yard is too dry? I think they like a moist spring (if no rain they get snowmelt water) but take a drier summer fine. I will cover mine with chicken wire. Should keep the hares out but hope the elks don't come trampling.
I can send you some fresh seed if I get any - have to be there at the right time or they are gone by the wind. . . .

tropicalgirl251@gmail.com's picture

tropicalgirl251... (not verified)

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 7:17pm

Nice pictures Claire.My Incarvillea did not comeback. #days of holidays and lots of work done at the garden and inside. The weather is fabulous.Here are some pictures taken today .

[edited to add names for searchability- MMcD]
Anemonella thalictroides
Daphne arbuscula
Dryas octopetala
Iris pumila

tropicalgirl251@gmail.com's picture

tropicalgirl251... (not verified)

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 7:19pm

more

[edited to add names for searchability- MMcD]
Primula x pruhoniciana
Primula allionii
Rananculus sp.
Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex'

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 7:42pm

There's nothing I like better than a jungle, Claire!   :D

Fabulous, Krish!  I'm impressed, especially, by your Daphne.  I only have Daphne retusa which struggles, managing only to put out one cluster of flowers in the last couple of years.  (I mean, really.. one cluster of flowers since 2009?  Obviously the wrong choice for my conditions!)  How long did you have the Incarvillea delavayi?  That's one that I found would only last 2-3 years for me.  By contrast, I find that Incarvillea zhongdianensis and I. mairei v. grandiflora are very long-lived and dependable.

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 7:51pm
Hoy wrote:

Lori wrote:

Love the Pulsatilla vernalis, Trond.  I have a couple out in the dry, exposed front yard but they haven't bloomed in some time.  I thought I'd try again from seed, and managed to get a seedling which I planted in a trough where it would get a little better care... but I didn't count on a jackrabbit eating out the emerging bud.  I think I will finally make some hardware cloth covers for some of my troughs that are outside the fence.

Maybe your front yard is too dry? I think they like a moist spring (if no rain they get snowmelt water) but take a drier summer fine.

Yes, undoubtedly.  Maybe I will try to move them.  There is little to lose, since they don't flower.

Richard T. Rodich's picture

Richard T. Rodich

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 6:53am

Very nice Krish!  The sax is so cute and the primula so very happy!
  I'm glad to someone else that gardens on a small lot.  I have a dickens of a time trying to take photos without distracting backgrounds.

---------------------------
Duly noted, Trond. :)

Claire Cockcroft's picture

Claire Cockcroft

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 9:47am

Wonderful pictures, Krish.  I love the juxtaposition of dryas and daphne.  I don't grow Dryas octopetala, but D. grandiflora & D. x suendermannii are rampant growers in my climate, so I don't dare try that.  I have a hard time with Primula scotica.  It germinates, dawdles for a while, then gives up the ghost over a winter or two with little or no flowers.  Maybe I should move some seedlings into the sand bed?

Loris, the incarvillea seed was planted in January, 2009.  So far, several plants have returned every year.  That doesn't mean they'll continue.  ;)

tropicalgirl251@gmail.com's picture

tropicalgirl251... (not verified)

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 12:09pm

Thanks for the comment. Lori try the Daphne with some granite pieces to cover the root. I Had one with roots tucked under tufa rocks. It was not doing well. Moved with roots under granite. Doing very well. I have Daphne lawrence crocker which is in buds now. All my three Daphne gets moderate to high sun.All are doing very well.

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Wed, 05/22/2013 - 11:12am

Very nice plants!
Claire, does the Ourisia coccinea need much sun? or water?
Krish, magnificient Daphne!

After 3 days with record breaking warm weather we are back to normal: cold northerly wind damaging the plants. Not easy to take pics either.

These wasn't too blurred:
Ranunculus parnassifolius waiting for more sun, Maianthemum canadense(?) and Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Erythronium sp

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Thu, 05/23/2013 - 2:47am
Cockcroft wrote:

Hi Trond,

In my garden, Ourisia coccinea seems happiest where it is in part shade and gets ample water.  It spreads by stolons and likes a soil mix with lots of humus, too.

Thanks Claire. It's what I supposed. But I am afraid I have planted mine in too heavy shade.

This is what lots of gardens in the eastern part of Norway (where we have our cabin) look like today:

http://nrk.no/

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/vaer/artikkel.php?artid=10116755

Anne Spiegel's picture

Anne Spiegel

Thu, 05/23/2013 - 2:52pm

Trond, that flooding is really terrible.  I hope your cabin is OK.  What a pity that weather (rain, snow, heat, cold) can't be distributed evenly.  We have been so dry here and today we are finally enjoying a day of rain interspersed with thunderstorms.
Biggest excitement in the garden for me is that Lewisia rediviva alba has a place where it seems to be happy.  I made an overhang of rock which kept it drier during the winter and it has been in bloom for some time now.  I think it's the pink stamens setting off the pristine white petals that really make it special.  There were 5 flowers in bloom today.

Michael Peden's picture

Michael Peden

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 9:06am

The white form of L. rediviva is lovely. I had it as 'minor' several years ago but lost it. Of all the Lewisia, rediviva seems most subject to frost heaving. I've taken to growing it in a trough where it is on the level and can anchor in well. I don't think winter wet here in the Northeast will ever be a problem for Lewisia. I sense they might even enjoy it  ;)

Anne Spiegel's picture

Anne Spiegel

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 2:39pm

It's one I've had difficulties keeping in the past.  Maybe the alba form is easier.  Lewisia tweedyi seems to be the easiest and lasts for years.  L.cotyledon, grown by some people like dandelions, for me seems susceptible to being wet at the wrong time and the leaves quickly show their distaste, becoming orange or yellow, and in extreme cases, turning to jelly, yuk.

tropicalgirl251@gmail.com's picture

tropicalgirl251... (not verified)

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 3:58pm

Hi Anne
nice Lewisia.I have a clump of Lewisia rediviva alba for the last three years.It flowers every year but not increasing in size. I got some seeds from NARGS which are germinating now.Hopefully more will be there.Two years ago I visited a Calgary garden where they had it on the vertical stone wall flowering nicely.

Gene Mirro's picture

Gene Mirro (not verified)

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 9:45pm

Lilium mackliniae:

[attachthumb = 1]

Lilium pyrenaicum:

[attachthumb = 2]

Molopospermum peloponnesiacum (try saying that three times quickly):

[attachthumb = 3]

Two sturdy stems of Nomocharis:

[attachthumb = 4]

Nomocharis flower:

[attachthumb = 5]

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 1:48pm
Spiegel wrote:

Trond, that flooding is really terrible.  I hope your cabin is OK.  What a pity that weather (rain, snow, heat, cold) can't be distributed evenly.  We have been so dry here and today we are finally enjoying a day of rain interspersed with thunderstorms.

Anne, my cabin is fortunately safe. It sits on higher ground and the flooding are worse in the valleys. Although the weather is better now the water is moving down the valleys and flooding new places.

Lewisia is one of my favorite genera but I have decided to wait growing them till I get a usable place for them!
Nomocharis too is a fave, but you know, the slugs . . . . .

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 9:02pm

Castilleja integra!  Fantastic, Krish!  How did you acquire it?

The Nomocharis is mouth-watering, Gene.

It started raining on Thursday morning and continued through Friday - 3" by our gauge.  It had been very dry but, after that, we should be good for a while.
First peony in bloom out in the front yard; a slightly rain-soaked Iris sp. ex. Burdur, Turkey - purchased from an expert member at the CRAGS sale earlier in May; Gentiana verna is suddenly looking rather sad this year and is only putting up a few blooms:
   

Muscari and Linum; Penstemon nitidus is starting to bloom in the front yard:
   

The glaucous foliage of Zigadenus elegans with Muscari and Hieracium villosum in the front yard:

The first, modest bloom on Astragalus loanus, from NARGS Seedex seed in 2012:

Anne Spiegel's picture

Anne Spiegel

Sun, 05/26/2013 - 9:33am

Lori, the bloom on Astragalus loanus may be modest, but it's a start.  Maybe there's even a chance it will set a seed pod.  The pods are really nice on this astragalus.  In my climate, I can get astragalus and other dryland peas to live and flower but very rarely to set seed.  My early summer/late spring weather does not seem to be to their liking.  It's stopped raining after several days - back to planting and setting new rocks!

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Sun, 05/26/2013 - 7:03pm

You must have great arm muscles, Anne.  ;D  The beauty of your gardens makes all that exercise worthwhile.  I hope you will post lots of photos of the existing gardens and the new areas.

A few from today...
Erigeron leptophylla; Erigeron nanus; a funny fasciated Townsendia parryi (BTW - the odd purple one beside it died; I should have known that imminent death was the reason for the weird colour):
   

I'm pleased that last year's Penstemon pumilus seedling will bloom this year!

Pyrethrum leontopodium in bloom (flowers a bit messed up from the rain):

Alyssum sp. from seed last year - the flowers are very tiny; collected by Mojmir Pavelka at 1500m in Tahtali Dag, Turkey, from limestone hills.  I think it will be very nice and densely-flowered as it matures.

Erigeron compositus var. discoideus:

Pulsatilla halleri, or so it was said to be... although I am starting to mistrust all Pulsatilla IDs (until the experts have passed judgement!)

Eremostachys speciosa (the plant that bloomed last year  http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1088.msg18070#msg18070) will have two stalks this year!  :)

And switching gears completely... water hawthorn, Aponogeton distachyos:

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Sun, 05/26/2013 - 7:09pm

There is not much in bloom yet after that cold April.  Finishing off...
Eritrichium pauciflorum ssp. sajanense; Asperula boissieri has recovered now from the hard winter of 2012 and will have lots of flowers:
 

Paraquilegia... ONE flower?  Oh come on!  :rolleyes:  (Well, I'm glad it survives at least.  Maybe someday it will turn on the charm.  ;D)

Gene Mirro's picture

Gene Mirro (not verified)

Sun, 05/26/2013 - 9:40pm

A group of Corydalis scouleri, which loves water, growing in my blueberry patch:

[attachthumb = 1]

Edraianthus serpyllifolius major, sown January 8, 2013, grown under lights, transplanted into 5-inch deep bands:

[attachthumb = 2]

Edit 5/27/13:  I don't think this is Edraianthus serpyllifolius.  Does anybody know what it is?

tropicalgirl251@gmail.com's picture

tropicalgirl251... (not verified)

Mon, 05/27/2013 - 1:13pm

Love to see all the pictures from the garden. Lori i got the castiileja seeds from Alplains. Did not know it needs companion plant and lots of seedlings died.Just in time to save the last one.

Lori S.'s picture

Lori S. (not verified)

Mon, 05/27/2013 - 8:18pm

Iris taochia and Iris taurica:
 

Androsace chamaejasme; Pulsatilla ambigua:
 

A tiny forest of Mitella nuda stems under the canopy of Betula apoiensis in the acid bed:
 

Gene Mirro's picture

Gene Mirro (not verified)

Mon, 05/27/2013 - 10:41pm

Krish, how do you grow the Phacelia sericea?  What soil mix?  I have never been successful with it.  Maybe it's because my climate is too wet and dark in Spring.  But I don't know what the problem is.

tropicalgirl251@gmail.com's picture

tropicalgirl251... (not verified)

Tue, 05/28/2013 - 9:29am
Gene wrote:

Krish, how do you grow the Phacelia sericea?  What soil mix?  I have never been successful with it. 

Hi Gene
I grow them at two different places. One in the rockgarden where  the soil is lean,sunny and dry and the other one in a less sunny regular soil. Both came back and flowered for me for two years. The one in regular soil grew more and loose inflorescence. In fact I want to grow them very lean with tighter inflorescence.I am going to change the place to more harsher environment. In my climate it looks like it is easy to grow.

Mark McDonough's picture

Mark McDonough

Tue, 05/28/2013 - 3:05pm

Good reminder Maggi, I had actually edited a number of previous posts to add in names, but I'm on another of my blitz training efforts and working all hours day and night before an upcoming trip for work.

Krish, earlier I added names to some of your posts here:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1239.msg23498#msg23498

Also see the topic "FAQ - Images - Adding image names to the body of a post" in the "Announcements from Moderators and Administrators" board.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=401.0

Cheers,

Mark

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