Signs of life

Lori, you have lots of plants I am not acquainted with! For instance I have many L. vernus but never heard of gracilis and so on. Do you know how many plants you have totally?

Nice Lathyrus Lori.....I think I have that one too but under another variety name....I'll have to check my records.

Just about to place my order with Wrightman's Alpines.  My order includes Androsace mariae, Arnebia echioides, Dracocephalum imberbe, Hirpicium armerioides, Moltkia petraea, Mertensia alpina, Phlox kelseyi 'Lemhi Midnight', Pulmonaria altaica (loved yours Lori!) and Scutellaria prostrata.

We have had 10 days of sun in a row!  It will come to a crashing halt tomorrow....next 2 weeks is rain, drizzle and fog and only 3-4 C.  Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.  Guess I will still have crocus open in may afterall!

1) Heretofore only the common Anemone nemorosa has started blooming. However, today is calm and warm (for us) so I think A. ranunculoides will open later in the afternoon.
2) Although Impatiens glandulifera is a common pest plant here I like the genus and have some perennials not only for their special flowers but foliage too.
3) One of the first peonies to flower is P. mairei.
4) Soldanella montana preparing to bloom

Skulski wrote:

1, 2)  Yes, Lathyrus vernus 'Gracilis' does have very narrow leaves.
3, 4) Here, too, is my Allium obliquum ... no problem saving seeds for you, if you want some.  It is very tall - about 3' or more.

Mark, your Baptisia sphaerocarpa and Cynanchum ascyrifolium look and sound very interesting, and completely unfamiliar to me.  Can you show us more pix of them?

Lori, thanks for the pics of the ones I asked about.  The Lathyrus is sweet little thing, nice! And yes please on A. obliquum seed some time.

Here are two photos of Cynanchum ascyrifolium.  This was given to me about 8-9 years ago, I had no idea what it was, and it have become one of my top 10 perennials.  It is so well behaved, flowering for many weeks on end with a profusion of clear white starry flowers, and then if given a trim after flowering, it'll flower again later in the summer.  Initially like a globe in growth, to 18", it can open up a bit during the season, and the ends of the shoots are weakly twining.  It has never made seed, not for me, and not for others that have grown it, so it appears that it needs to be vegetatively propagated.  The surprising thing is that the large genus Cynanchum, contains many ugly species and noxious weeds found throughout the world, so it is interesting to have this charming well-behaved non-seeding species.

As for Baptisia sphaerocarpa, I couldn't find my photos of it (I have an amazing amount of photos over the past 10 years, sadly most are still just default alphanumerically named >:(), so I include a link to the Baptisia page at Plant Delights Nursery:
http://www.plantdelights.com/Tony/baptisia.html
Like most Baptisia, this is a "big boy", not overally tall but spready, and with wide-reaching foliage that can smother adjacent plants.... these things just need lots of room.

Hoy wrote:

1) Heretofore only the common Anemone nemorosa has started blooming. However, today is calm and warm (for us) so I think A. ranunculoides will open later in the afternoon.
2) Although Impatiens glandulifera is a common pest plant here I like the genus and have some perennials not only for their special flowers but foliage too.
3) One of the first peonies to flower is P. mairei.
4) Soldanella montana preparing to bloom

Trond, P. mairei is new to me, what is it like?  Look at all those buds on Soldanella... slugs don't go after them?  I too like Impatiens, including the common tall weedy one here, Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).  But as a group, many of the tropic species are becoming tres chic plants for unusual annual displays, such as the sapphire jewelweed, Impatiens namchabarwensis. http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/impatiens-namchabarwensis-sapphi...

McDonough wrote:

Trond, P. mairei is new to me, what is it like?  Look at all those buds on Soldanella... slugs don't go after them?  I too like Impatiens, including the common tall weedy one here, Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).  But as a group, many of the tropic species are becoming tres chic plants for unusual annual displays, such as the sapphire jewelweed, Impatiens namchabarwensis. http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/impatiens-namchabarwensis-sapphi...

I thought I had pictures of P. mairei but found none. I have different plants, some bought from Glendoick Garden, Scotland. Here's a picture:
http://www.glendoick.com/onlinecat/showpic.php?pic=paeonea%20mairei.jpg
My plants have a deeper red color. They flower among the first peonies here. I'll take pictures as soon as possible. They are easy to please and I grow some in morning sun and some in evening sun and in different soil.

I have tried to sow I. namchabarwensis but no luck! The Orange Jewelweed looks interesting . We have a similar one here (more common along the fjords further inland) namely the yellow I. noli-tangere.

Impatiens namchabarwensis seeds don't seem to be as "jump in your face" germinators as other impatiens.  I read somewhere that this species grows tubers, so I dug mine up after the first frost last fall, and brought it inside.  Didn't see any thick structures in the root system, but potted it up anyway.  The plant never revived, but a couple seeds did sprout in the pot.

It is also a reluctant seed setter too, at least for me.  The bees love it, but pods  are hardly ever produced in relation to the number of flowers.  I resorted to hand pollinating with a paint brush.  Not sure if it helped any.  This spring will be first season that volunteers might emerge.  We'll see.

So, you have it, Rick! From seed? When I finally get it I will try some outside in winter, they are supposed to be root hardy.

Yes, from seed.  I have a trade list on Garden Web.  It is all with Latin names, so the people who look at it and find something they want, often have some unusual things too.  Such was how I secured this impatiens seed.  She said germination was low, so she sent me at least a hundred seeds.  She said she seemed to have best luck with sprouting seed direct sowed outside in the fall, but I did get a couple to germinate inside.

Impatiens glandulifera(or glandulosa(?)) and Impatiens balfourii are sprouting now in the garden, but I don't see any namchabarwensis yet, or maybe you can't tell until the true leaves emerge.

Well I'll have little to show over the next 2 weeks...the long range is rain, drizzle and fog for the next 14 days! and top it off with temps just above freezing.  THIS is more typical of April in Newfoundland.    And just when things were going along so nicely...sigh

Boland wrote:

Well I'll have little to show over the next 2 weeks...the long range is rain, drizzle and fog for the next 14 days! and top it off with temps just above freezing.  THIS is more typical of April in Newfoundland.    And just when things were going along so nicely...sigh

I feel sorry for you! The forecast here is not that bad although we will have lower temperatures than we have had the last weeks.

Rick, if you should ever get seed from that blue impatiens, I'd love to try it.  I only got one I. balfourii seed to germinate from those you send, but I allowed it to self-seed...no signs yet.

The two seedlings of nam... I have been growing all winter just kicked the bucket.  The were about 12 inches high and were flowering since about 5 inches.  They are real blooming machines.  This happened to me the previous winter too.  They seem to be very susceptible to root rot inside the house.  Never had any problem with the one surviving one I had last year, once I planted it out side.  I am hoping this season when I get more volunteers in the garden (just assuming they will come), perhaps the cross pollination will be produce more fertile pods.  I tried to collect what I could last year and got a whole five seeds that look viable. :'(  I will harvest all I can.  The species is certainly in vogue now, especially being such a newly discovered taxon.

Impatiens seedlings come up rather early here, but I am not surprised you haven't seen anything. Todd.  Our soils warm quickly compared to yours, and this spring is about 3 weeks ahead of normal years.

Three days ago we had 8 cm snow....all gone now thankfully, but we also had 60 mm rain which helped.  No wonder I can't grow western drylanders!

Helleborus purpurascens is pretty much open now and Petasites albus is showing its buds

Excellent H. purpurascens, Todd.  Puts mine in the doghouse.  I am assuming mine is still purpurascens?  I got it from Arrowhead Alpines.

This is the foliage now.  Do other species have similar foliage?

All the Petasites I know of spread like wildfire with huge leaves. But the early blooms are charming! I have not dared to plant any in my garden.
Scopolia carnicola is charming!

Petasites albus is not as bad as some but it can be , shall we say, robust!

Rick, the foliage on your purpurascens tells me it is NOT purpurascens...seems much too finely cut.

Skulski wrote:

Oh, good to hear, Trond (re. Scopolia)!  Do you grow it?

Yes, Lori, I have some in my woodland. In shade they develop the leaves more before blooming than in sun. But i like the plants and they behave well!
Sorry, no pictures (yet - I am not at home this week).

Todd wrote:

Rick, the foliage on your purpurascens tells me it is NOT purpurascens...seems much too finely cut.

Well then, does anyone have an idea of what it is?  It sure sets seed quickly.  And it is deciduous, Lori.  I bet it would do fine there.

(P.S. Todd: I 'd love some fresh seed of your very worth purpurascens.)

Rick, can it be H. torquatus? or a hybrid?

Rick, I assumed mine was purpurascens since I bought it as such, but now pics I've seen are not as dark as mine, more a dusky greenish-purple and it should be deciduous!  So maybe yours is right after all!  Send me seed!  Mine may simply be an old variety of orientalis!  Mine is VERY evergreen.  If it sets seed (I don't recall it ever doing so) I'll save some.  Perhaps I'll cross it with one of the dark red ones at work.

I've thought of that as a possibility....

Skulski wrote:

Veratrum viride, planted last year, from Fraser's Thimble Farms.  It will be interesting to see how, or whether, it withstands our dry conditions.  (I'm not sure why I am bothering to try to grow this, when I can see this beautiful native plant in all its splendour in the mountains here.    :-\)

I know! I grow many plants in my garden although they grow wild near by. I try to find plants thriving in my garden regardless of they being wild ones or "tame" ones. Veratrums are splendid plants (and slugfood).

My P. turczaninovii (purchased as bungeana) is barely showing a bud.  But I'm delighted to see my P. pratensis 'Nigricans', P. campanella amd P. patens 'Flavescens' all have buds this year!

here is the bud on P. pratensis

It seems I will have lots of seed from the H. purpurascens, Todd, although I couldn't be sure what the parentage would be as it was open pollinated.  My other plant of same did not bloom, and I have two other hellebores: Ivory Prince and Royal Heritage, that can (apparently) easily hybridize.  They are only about 15 ft. away.  I am quite happy with the abundance of bees this spring.  I just love going into the garden and hearing the buzzing.

My Pulsatilla turczaninovii are already past prime, and I don't think I could top last year's photos anyway.  My abreviated springs are even shorter this year.  Besides the photo posted in the Wiki photo gallery, here's a couple more.

The first is a rather young plant, while the second shows the more mature form.

RickR wrote:

My Pulsatilla turczaninovii are already past prime, and I don't think I could top last year's photos anyway.  My abreviated springs are even shorter this year.  Besides the photo posted in the Wiki photo gallery, here's a couple more.

The first is a rather young plant, while the second shows the more mature form.

Note to myself; add Pulsatilla turczaninovii to the must have list ;D  In bloom, with the long nodding stems and flared tubular flowers, the plant almost looks like a fine clematis; very nice.

Not an alpine by any means but thought I'd share my Viburnum X bodnantense bloom..this shrub is now 8 feet and the flowers are super fragrant.  Most books rate this one as zone 7 but I have never had any issues with hardiness.

Nice, Todd.  Is it as fragrant as it looks?

P. turczaninovii from this year.

Rick, do you know if all P. turczaninovii have that blue color? It is amazing!
I have seen white Pulsatillas, red and a kind of blue, but never that special tint.

Hoy wrote:

Rick, do you know if all P. turczaninovii have that blue color? It is amazing!
I have seen white Pulsatillas, red and a kind of blue, but never that special tint.

I can't say.  The seed I received and grew came from the NARGS seed exchange.  I grew five plants to flowering before I donated some to our Chapter plant sale, and all had similar color.  That last pic is actual not the bluest of the lot, and has a bit more gray in it.  The flower color tends to change somewhat depending on the light that engulfs it.  They are "bluest" on overcast days and in the late evening.

I always donate this seed to the NARGS seed exchange.  Being a Pulsatilla, there is always lots of seed if I let it go.  Fresh seed germinates easily.  If you (or anyone) would like some, send me a note.

Rick, that Pulsatilla is stunning!  Mine is not showing any buds this year  :'(

Yes, Viburnum X bodnantense is highly fragrant.

Too sweet one next to each other ;D

Iris suaveolens and Daphne 'Fritz Kummert'.  The Iris flowers got "whacked" by a hard freeze two nights ago.

Podophyllum hexandrum

A nice pair. The sire to the right with his broad shoulders and the dam to the right, modest, with her head bent a little.

Skulski wrote:

Oooh, oooh, here's an interesting one! (To me, at any rate -  :D - exciting because it's new and unknown, but I'm not sure how truly ornamental these really are.)
Sorry, poor photo taken when it was a little too dark out last night, but here's Scopolia carniolica, from Fraser's Thimble Farm last year:

Here's mine flowering now. They come in yellow too.

Hoy wrote:

A nice pair. The sire to the right with his broad shoulders and the dam to the right, modest, with her head bent a little.

Trond, I see it... exactly as you describe it  :D

My Podophyllum have not shown themselves yet!  We started off well weather wise but the past 3 weeks have been mostly abismal.

It certainly is a dark and exciting color!