Interesting, Rick- the Deinanthe would probably have trouble setting seed here, unless it didn't mind cold- while still having some nice-if cool- days, we've had some good frosts- Rocky Mountain House - my nearest weather reports- have already had  a couple of nights of -6 to -8C, we are presumbably a couple of degrees warmer, but the really tender stuff is mostly done. Always fascinating to see natives/alpines etc still growing and flowering after those nights that turned the tomatoes, squash, beans, potatoes etc to mush.

The Convallaria berry reminds me of Maianthemum- their berries are green then very nicely speckled with dark , going sort of golden before finally hitting red when they are really ripe- and they ripen late in spite of early flowers.

Some shots from Oct 09.. nothing has changed too drastically, except for most trees having dropped leaves... same things still flowering, mostly, though gradually declining with repeated frosts-- there had already been many frosts when these shots were taken...

I've mentioned this Polemonium, and think I've shown it? Received as seed of Polemonium boreale, sown spring 2012,- which it could be, looks like some forms, but not the nice flat Svalbard type, for example :( Plants are 30-40cm tall, and by the end of the season as wide, in this mesic planting, maybe only 15-20cm in a dry bed, and only a couple of flowering stems,  but still too vertical there. I'm moving them from rock gardens proper to berm plantings (and may try naturalising in a semi-dry spot) but left this plant to be sure I got seed (tons). the first photo I can find of it flowering is mid June, so that is over 4 months flowering, with no stop.. Too big for the rock garden spots I gave them, but  well worth growing... Hummingbirds were visiting this plant in view of my front window, this summer. If there are volunteer seedlings at the base of the rock garden, might leave a couple...

Viola elegantula; grown from seed spring 2012. Wow- these have been flowering since mid May, I think, and while not quite in their prime now, still flowering after numerous frosts and temps down to around -6/-8C. Hard to get the exact colour, it is a very red-violet shade. From a few small seedlings planted out last summer, they have grown to cover maybe a meter squared or close... In fact a little too vigorous for the rock garden proper (notice a theme here?) but I didn't have anything else planted in that area for it to overwhelm, so no problem. It will get shifted to a berm or base of the rock garden.. Not sure how perennial the plants will be, but there will be millions of seedlings for sure, even though I've collected quite a bit of seed. I didn't take any shots on that day (though V lutea is part of the mass in the overview shot), but V lutea and V aetolica are also still going- aetolica started earliest, in early May.

Still on pics from Oct 09. Another one that has been flowering since June, though the main flush was early, and a bit of another stronger burst in fall, Penstemon procerus. Not putting on a strong show now, but still nice to see a few flowers.. The overview shot is after I cut off old flower stems to collect seed.

Definitely looking raggedy here, but this self sown wild Erigeron philadelphicus ( I think)  has definitely impressed this year- funnily, it sprouted on the edge of what is supposed to be a xeric bed, but from this plant's success (prefers mesic-moist habitats in nature), maybe not xeric enough! In the wild here, these plants have a short bloom period in early summer, but this plant has been flowering for months, proving to be one of those that do much more in the garden than in the wild. Rather floppy, but I think among other plants of its height it would be better. Classified as biennial to short-lived perennial, we'll see what it does, though in any case, I'm sure I will have its progeny coming up by the dozens, even though I tried to collect as much seed as I could remember to.. I'll have to plant some in a more suitable spot...

Thanks, Lori- I do have some nice things from seed, and those that have germinated have done so mostly in good numbers, though I have to say the percentage of species that have germinated compared to those I've sown is not so high as I'd like.. oh well, room for improvement!

I thought P whippleanus sounded familiar as a dark flowered species I'd looked at on Alplains list, but not got yet. He mentions the seed is from an extra dark flowered population, dark purple to black- check out his photo:

http://www.alplains.com/images/PentWhipple.jpg

That G sanguineum really is red! I have a G sanguineum album, which so far is only turning yellow...

Now a few just for foliage colour..

Here's an irony- native Alberta Monarda fistulosa, but I don't see it in my area, got the seed (wild collected in Alberta) from Kristl in Nova Scotia...lol. The seedlings were planted out late summer, we'd already had some cool nights near freezing (but then, we did all summer) and they had great colour already, and still do many weeks later.. I built an area specifically for these (with some other natives), connected to other dryish berms and rock gardens for mostly native/nativish plants, where I hope they will establish a nice little colony..

Sibbaldiopsis (Potentilla) tridentata; also from Gardens North seed, but I actually sowed this last year at least, but there was no germination till this year, rather late, when I wasn't even paying attention to that pot anymore!.. Just a few, but that should be enough to get a patch  started.. also planted in the dryish native berm area..

This native does grow nearby- in fact my plant comes from a rescue on a bit of land between my driveway and the neighbour's access to a pasture- land that technically belongs to a road allowance, with no indications that road will be built (hope not). During roadwork nearby last year, a backhoe driver stopped in to ask if it was okay for him to park his machine there overnight- of course I have no legal right to say yes or no, he was just being nice, and I said yes, of course, I immediately went for my shovel when he left, since I'd been watching this Potentilla in that spot for a couple of seasons, meaning to get seeds and/or transplants from it- it is very occasional in my area, I just see single plants here and there, miles apart. Knowing he'd like destroy it driving over it, I dug up a good chunk of it and transplanted it to a semi-cultivated spot near the native rock garden. I think it is Potentilla gracilis.. this just shows a couple of leaves with nice, if subtle, fall colour. (the red leaf behind is a wild strawberry which came with the transplant, and grows all over my property anyway..)

Another Rosaceae- Sorbus reducta; these are from seed a couple of years ago, I'd have to check, but they've been planted out I think 2 winters already, looking healthy, but not fast! I have them in a couple of different spots (at the drier and moister ends of the property) and not much difference...I'd estimate the tallest plants are maybe 15cm, 20 at the most..... It is a small species, but still has a way to go... Pretty fall colour, we'll see if that carries on as they get bigger... I'll have to show a pic from the other planting when I find it- those ones may be  even a slightly darker burgundy/plum.