Maggi, you're hurting my eyes! I'm not ready to see so much color yet! (I can imagine the wonderful smells, though. Even just the smell of spring in the air would be welcome here.)
So you made me think harder, Lori, and that is not Lespedeza thunbergii in my previous post (oops!), it is L. bicolor. I guess 16 years can catch up with me, as that was how long ago I collected the seed. ;D And the parent shrubby tree was 9ft. I had it mixed up with another leguminous tree in the same area.
So Lespedeza bicolor did died back to the ground for 4-5 years before it decided to survive the winter above the surface for me in zone 4. Prior to that, I had grown them from seed for 3 years (the poor things), in pots woefully confining. Most of them were donated to our Chapter plant sale. (I wonder whatever happened to them...) But I kept a couple, and now just one since they take up a lot of room. This is the only pic I could find of it in bloom. The flowers aren't that photographic unless you get up close, but the plant has a very nice flowing-weepy look that I like. The wood is not very strong, and I usually get a major branch or stem or two that breaks over the winter. But the plant rebounds very quickly. I collect seed from it every year if anyone wants some.
I did grow Lespedeza thunbergii 'Pink Fountains' for several years, until it got so big that it was taking up far more space than I had allotted for it. This photo was take with a film camera, and the camera had an intermittent light leak, so it is what it is. This pic was taken three years before the one above, and you can see the L. bicolor to the left and behind, and there is a Siberian white pine ([Pinus sibirica) to the right, that the Pink Fountains is smothering, that is somewhat evident in the prior photo also. In its early years, Pink Fountain barely put on a show before the frost took it down for the winter. But with each successive year, it bloomed a bit earlier in the season, and the bloom time was very satisfactory.
The Fargesia rufais pristine as soon as the snow that covers it melts, but like many broadleaf evergreens that are fine to the east or south of me, the more intense spring sun, drier air, and colder frozen soil in my climate degrades their beauty. While it wants to be evergreen, by the time new growth starts, it doesn't look good without some major, judicious pruning.
Both Lespedeza species look good, Rick. I remember the growth habit from my shrub before it succumbed.
And Rick, I would like some seed of Lespedeza bicolor please when possible :) Should be proven hardy seemingly and I can try a plant at my summerhouse with warmer summers.
Today I am manning the NARGS table at a Plant Society Day at one of our better known commercial nurseries. It's a great way to catch up with or meet other people with like minds in other plant societies, as well as spread the good word about rock gardening.
Normally, even this early, I can dig out some overwintering plants for display from my potted collection outside. With the late winter conditions as they are, that's not going to happen this year. All I have that’s accessible and alive is a few things I overwinter inside the house that include Delosperma bosserianum and Corydalis wilsonii. So, along with a sample of an empty styrofoam trough and various books and literature, I have decided to attract some more attention to my table: with a pussywillow bouquet. After all, many small willows are alpine, and the bouquet will be a great segue into the introduction of same for onlookers.
As as another excuse to show, Mark had asked about Salix chaenomeloides…
The arrangement has five different exotic species of willow. All freshly cut today, so their development progression is documented, although in this first photo Salix chaenomeloides is a particularly young blooming sprig. These are my estimates for this cold “spring” season's peak bloom times:
--- Salix chaenomeloides – now, although I have been cutting for enjoyment since early January. --- Salix koriyangi ‘Rubikins’ – another week. --- Salix gracilistylis var. melanostachys – in two weeks. --- Salix cinerea ‘Variegata’ – in 3-4 weeks. (grown more for foliage. The catkins aren't even as nice as our native pussywillow.) --- Salix shraderiana – another 5-6 weeks.
And the bouquet. The black pussywillow has a hard time here, as this is its northern limit for survival, and I only have a dry yard, and the shrub is progressively getting more shade as trees mature. I never seem to get nice long filled sprigs of catkins that are so easy with other species.
Haven't looked under the snow yet for my very tiny pussywillow but am sure it is time to cut a few sprigs to bring indoors. What do I see on my garden walk? Well, for about the fifth time this March, the snow is starting to recede and reveal a few things - mainly a lot of devastation by rabbits and the elements. Daphnes, which were forced into a prostrate attitude by the heavy snow, are snapping back upright. Calycanthus floridus is now mostly broken twigs and suckers and, over near the west side of my back yard, a fledgling Daphne has been severely nibbled. However, I picked up a few sprigs of the Calycanthus and the small Daphne and am "forcing" them inside and, lo and behold, they seem to have developed flower buds. Have also seen healthy Cyclamen hederafolia leaves, lots of Winter Aconite, and a few Snowdrops. Exciting sitings after such a long and cold winter. Fran
I picked up a few sprigs of the Calycanthus and the small Daphne and am "forcing" them inside and, lo and behold, they seem to have developed flower buds. Fran
Wow, I never dreamed Calycanthus could be forced with those big, late spring flowers. I think I'll go and cut some too, and we can compare notes down the road. I am sure we are all interested in the results with your Daphne, too!
Spring must be really here. One Hellebore is in bloom. The flowers look sadly damaged in the morning by cold but by the afternoon they are beautiful. Two days in a row of sun and blue sky.
Anne, beautiful Xmas roses! Mine are somewhat damaged this cold dry winter.
Rick, I like those twigs! I remember when I was a kid and learnt to make flutes of the Salix stems when they got mouse-ears!
RickR wrote:
Hoy wrote:
Right on spot! Pinus parviflora. The other pine there to the right is an American species, P contorta. Between them is a Thuja, maybe T plicata. When you say true cedars, do you mean Cedrus? -I grow three species: C deodara, libanotica and atlantica. They are nice trees. You can get a glimpse of C atlantica 'Glauca' in the top left corner of the 3rd picture, the other green stuff in the left is Sciadopitus verticillata.
The broadleaf evergreen tree is not a tree but Hedera hibernica climbing in a common birch.
Yes, I was alluding to the Cedrus atlantica (which has had a name change, I believe). I did guess the Pinus contorta, but I never would have thought that tree (below) was a Sciadopitys. I would have thought it would have much longer pseudo-needles in your climate. Unless, is it growing in clay based soil?
The Hedera hiberica is impressive, at least to me. We are very lucky to even get Hedera helix (or closely related) to even survive on the ground, let alone climb.
Rick, I almost forgot to show you the Sciadopitys needles as I promised ;)
Btw here's another interesting conifer, Cunninghamia lanceolata:
It's wonderful to see all those gorgeous spring flowers! It gives me hope that this winter might end. :rolleyes: Well, part of the tufa garden melted out today, and what do I see among the weatherbeaten leaves on a Thlaspi kurdicum grown from seed last year... flower buds!! Whoo-hoo!
Looking very good, Lori! The snow is almost melted off my winter box of potted materials, and since the ground is relatively warm this spring, I will be uncovering it as soon as possible. Can't wait to see if anything is happening under there. Troughs are still under snow.
LOL, I was going to post the other day regarding silly plants that want to bloom when they are way too young. I have an Anemone rivularis seedling inside with only two true leaves, and it was sending up what I thought were flower buds. Come to find out that when the leaf is so tiny, each segment of the leaf is individually rolled up (and each looking like an individual bud)! :-[
P.S. Our "Embarrassed" emoticon should be red in the face.
Lori, let us see that Thlaspi when it is in full glorious flower.
Two days ago it was sunny and mild, reaching 54 F (12 C), and the Crocus smiled. A couple photos from left to right: Crocus species, C. sieberi (two forms), C. malyi (first flowers popped open), C. angustifolius - lost of seedlings blooming
A couple rock plants, Alyssum oxycarpum (left) - neat leaf arrangement, Aethionema saxatile (right) - still in winter color.
Now that I have evened up the contest by planting both out on the southwest-facing slope, it seems a couple of Galanthus elwesii have beaten out the favourite, Bulbocodium vernum, for first bloom of the year. No sign yet of Bulbocodium. Needless to say, neither is likely to stop traffic... though at least the Bulbocodium contrasts with the snow!
Beautiful plants, James. Glad to know it's spring somewhere. Went out and photographed this draba starting to bloom, planted in the face of the cliff. It will look miuch better but the forecast was for snow so I took the picture just in case.
Beautiful plants, James. Glad to know it's spring somewhere. Went out and photographed this draba starting to bloom, planted in the face of the cliff. It will look miuch better but the forecast was for snow so I took the picture just in case.
There you are Anne ... all that prodding and delving, grubbing and probing, scraping and writhing, yanking and tearing has proved totally worthwhile when you can post beauties like that growing in your very own cliff!!! :D
Yesterday, after spending a few hours cutting off perennials, it was fun to have a closer look at the rock gardens to see the early signs of life... Purple stem buds on Marmoritis (Phyllophyton) complanatum; Spiky, triangular leaves onArenaria pestalozzae I noticed a few tiny flower buds on Bolanthus/Gypsophila cherlerioides. Campanula topaliana, seraglio Genista delphinensis, Vitaliana primuliflora Buds emerging on Paeonia anomala:
Lori, that's what we were expecting when I went out and photographed the draba. We got a couple of inches and then it turned to rain and washed it away. So spring is still on the way. Noticed some townsendia buds deep in the plant, very cheering. Also Oxytropis multiceps has started to "silver up", a very welcome sight. Nothing stops this plant from blooming in April. Also see the tips of the leaves of Iris 'Katherine Hodgkins' breaking through. Joe has promised to photograph the garden every day while I'm in Nottingham. Still am amazed to be leaving the garden at this time, a first.
Nice to see the flowers--still barely imaginable here--even Lori's beginnings are far beyond anything on my property--a few metres here and there of bare ground around spruce trees, but only native plants (not planted) there, none of which are foolish enough to show any activity yet, no garden beds or pots at all exposed yet.. I think the first area to show may be a spot where I sunk a bunch of pots for winter in my infant veg patch in an old tiny corral--I got just a bit of a glimpse of Taraxacum 'faroense' which was only planted (root piece) in late fall but seemed like it might be ok... that's of course covered again now, and most planted areas still have a couple feet of snow on them before the new stuff fell--we got probably 10-15 cm (prob 10cm overnight, melting from late morning, but continued falling most of the day, maybe done now).. less than Lori, I heard Calgary had 20cm, and expecting another 25 overnight? hopefully not....
Anne, it must be hard to drag yourself away from your garden when everything is starting up... though on the other hand, it will be a wonderful event to attend too. Your draba does look like a snapshot from nature - just what all rock gardeners must aspire to! Our snow here is a little hard to take but realistically, we'll have a lot more snows before it's over. :P You know what I'm saying, Cohan! I love seeing those Townsendia buds - so early yet ready to go!
Yes, Lori, this isn't at all late or unusually heavy for a spring snow here! What is a bit atypical is that usually we would have had some bare times in early december, and often starting in late feb, at least in march, but we still have solid snow cover almost everywhere, that has been in place since mid november! I'm looking forward to at least the sort of spring snow that you don't have to shovel as it will melt.. we shovelled today, and this stuff is heavy! :P I'm going to put a couple of pics in the weather thread...
John, you certainly are cheering me up - but when I see your neat planting in gravel I am getting jealous too ;) Here such gravel beds are covered in moss and grass in no time due to the humid climate. Grass even germinate and grow on moss covered stones and it looks more like a lawn.
Cliff, how many different Ranunculi(?) do you have?
John, you certainly are cheering me up - but when I see your neat planting in gravel I am getting jealous too ;) Here such gravel beds are covered in moss and grass in no time due to the humid climate. Grass even germinate and grow on moss covered stones and it looks more like a lawn.
Cliff, how many different Ranunculi(?) do you have?
Hi Trond, I don't have an extensive collection, I concentrate on high mountain buttercups and try to grow large flowering plants of the ones that seem more difficult in cultivation. I am particularly interested in the New Zealand, North & South American and high European species having limited success with some and great frustration with others. My growing conditions sound very similar to yours with moss and liverworts encroaching into every pot, trough and raised bed.
Thanks for the pictures, John. It definitely must have lifted the gloom for those of us either waiting for spring or trying to fool the antlered rats into thinking garden plants are not edible (barbed wire, chicken wire, netting, etc.). Loved the astragalus pictures, especially that beauty, Astragalus gilviflorus, very difficult for me to keep here in the northeast - seems to be extremely sensitive to winter wet. The flowers are so large in proportion to the plant.
John, you certainly are cheering me up - but when I see your neat planting in gravel I am getting jealous too ;) Here such gravel beds are covered in moss and grass in no time due to the humid climate. Grass even germinate and grow on moss covered stones and it looks more like a lawn.
Cliff, how many different Ranunculi(?) do you have?
Hi Trond, I don't have an extensive collection, I concentrate on high mountain buttercups and try to grow large flowering plants of the ones that seem more difficult in cultivation. I am particularly interested in the New Zealand, North & South American and high European species having limited success with some and great frustration with others. My growing conditions sound very similar to yours with moss and liverworts encroaching into every pot, trough and raised bed.
Cliff, your plant taste seems to be a real challenge!
Enough of this winter gloom. Here are a few shots of spring to Cheer everone up.
Great stuff John! Fun to see photos of the two forms of Ranunculus glaberrimus virtually side-by-side, I had not seed var. ellipticus before. The bright bud color on the Eriogonum buds, and promising yellow buds on Physaria saximontana are cheerful indeed.
But it is Allium parvum that I am so happy to see here, one that I've had seed of a number of times but not yet raised to flowering size. These near stemless Western American Allium can be as concise and desirable as many of the Central Asian species.
Superb Viola trinervata! I see buds on my Fritillaria pudica, and lots of 1-3 year seedlings from sowing in-place seed.
John, you certainly are cheering me up - but when I see your neat planting in gravel I am getting jealous too ;) Here such gravel beds are covered in moss and grass in no time due to the humid climate. Grass even germinate and grow on moss covered stones and it looks more like a lawn.
Cliff, how many different Ranunculi(?) do you have?
Hi Trond, I don't have an extensive collection, I concentrate on high mountain buttercups and try to grow large flowering plants of the ones that seem more difficult in cultivation. I am particularly interested in the New Zealand, North & South American and high European species having limited success with some and great frustration with others. My growing conditions sound very similar to yours with moss and liverworts encroaching into every pot, trough and raised bed.
Cliff, your plant taste seems to be a real challenge!
But worth it when the occasional success occurs! LOL
Ranunculus seguieri - winner of my two Farrer Medals in 2001 and 2003. Please note : This image was taken two or three days after one of the shows and the stems had elongated due to exposure to the heat and poor light in the show venue. The plant looked a lot better on the day! :D
Wish WE could grow those high alpine, tiny white ranunculus....too hot in Denver! But we do grow some other goodies. Just as everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere, things are coming hard and fast. I am appending a few things that are blooming right now I just photographed, mostly from the front of the alphabet...don'tcha love the Spring! You can probably deduce I'm in my Fritillaria phase...
Terrific plants, Trond and Cliff and Panayoti! The (pathetic) state of things here, by comparison... it's not spectacular (or even in focus ;D) but it's in bloom! Alyssum wulfenianum:
And yet, Lori-- far ahead of me :) See-- there is a good reason for me to be on this forum-no matter how cold or inactive anyone's garden may be, it will always be colder and more desolate here (until we get some members from someplace with an even shorter season-ha!.....)
I don't feel sorry for those of you with shorter growing seasons: this summer when we are baking and our rock gardens are parboiled and dreary, your's will be brimming with color! We have to revel in our incredible springs and falls (which are often punctuated by disastrous hailstorms, severe frosts or snowstorms--this year is uncannily wonderful). In fact this is the FOURTH miraculously wonderful spring in a row. I am thinking I might want to move elsewhere: Colorado Front Range does not usually have these interminable, sunny, cool springs where things bloom forever and ever. There are still hellebores and even crocuses and snowdrops blooming in the cooler corners where the snow lingered, but the full panoply of spring glory is rampaging in sunnier spots and lasting forever: I am posting a smattering of other recent highlights below, but those of you who are suckers for punishment can slog through a gallery of almost 100 pictures I posted on Fotki:
no matter how cold or inactive anyone's garden may be, it will always be colder and more desolate here (until we get some members from someplace with an even shorter season-ha!.....)
Yeah, you said it!! Between our gardens and the late bloom in the mountains, it must look like perpetual spring here! ;D
Before I immerse myself in Panayoti's album (drool!), here are few things that were popping up yesterday: Corydalis nobilis, Paeonia mlokosewitschii.... a couple of crocus and a few puschkinia showing buds...
, but those of you who are suckers for punishment can slog through a gallery of almost 100 pictures I posted on Fotki:
PK I didn't slog through that gallery of fine plants at all. I skipped through, lingering here, and there to admire. All the while longing for the day I can boast of growing such jewels. Your garden, as always is impressive.
Very true, Panayotis--no midsummer lull here--mid-summer is the whole season ;D My sempervivum, for example, have good colour all year--or rather the half of it they are not covered with snow ;) Our snowcover is about to reach the 5 month point--longer than usual without interruption, since it stayed from mid-Nov, usually it comes and goes into December... Now I have to go out and gather some firewood--after some nice 'warm' days up to and above 10C/50F, we are back to just barely above freezing, with snow in 4 of the next 7 days forecast.. so far we are predicted less than either south or north, we'll see if that holds-- I think Lori's area already has snowfall warnings?
Some small parts of my future rock garden (pots sunk for winter in mounds of soil from digging) are out of the snow now... for now...
Comments
Richard T. Rodich
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 03/26/2011 - 6:35pmMaggi, you're hurting my eyes! I'm not ready to see so much color yet! (I can imagine the wonderful smells, though. Even just the smell of spring in the air would be welcome here.)
So you made me think harder, Lori, and that is not Lespedeza thunbergii in my previous post (oops!), it is L. bicolor. I guess 16 years can catch up with me, as that was how long ago I collected the seed. ;D And the parent shrubby tree was 9ft. I had it mixed up with another leguminous tree in the same area.
So Lespedeza bicolor did died back to the ground for 4-5 years before it decided to survive the winter above the surface for me in zone 4. Prior to that, I had grown them from seed for 3 years (the poor things), in pots woefully confining. Most of them were donated to our Chapter plant sale. (I wonder whatever happened to them...) But I kept a couple, and now just one since they take up a lot of room. This is the only pic I could find of it in bloom. The flowers aren't that photographic unless you get up close, but the plant has a very nice flowing-weepy look that I like. The wood is not very strong, and I usually get a major branch or stem or two that breaks over the winter. But the plant rebounds very quickly. I collect seed from it every year if anyone wants some.
I did grow Lespedeza thunbergii 'Pink Fountains' for several years, until it got so big that it was taking up far more space than I had allotted for it. This photo was take with a film camera, and the camera had an intermittent light leak, so it is what it is. This pic was taken three years before the one above, and you can see the L. bicolor to the left and behind, and there is a Siberian white pine ([Pinus sibirica) to the right, that the Pink Fountains is smothering, that is somewhat evident in the prior photo also. In its early years, Pink Fountain barely put on a show before the frost took it down for the winter. But with each successive year, it bloomed a bit earlier in the season, and the bloom time was very satisfactory.
Richard T. Rodich
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 03/26/2011 - 6:59pmThe Fargesia rufa is pristine as soon as the snow that covers it melts, but like many broadleaf evergreens that are fine to the east or south of me, the more intense spring sun, drier air, and colder frozen soil in my climate degrades their beauty. While it wants to be evergreen, by the time new growth starts, it doesn't look good without some major, judicious pruning.
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 03/27/2011 - 12:41amBoth Lespedeza species look good, Rick. I remember the growth habit from my shrub before it succumbed.
And Rick, I would like some seed of Lespedeza bicolor please when possible :)
Should be proven hardy seemingly and I can try a plant at my summerhouse with warmer summers.
Richard T. Rodich
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 03/27/2011 - 7:52amToday I am manning the NARGS table at a Plant Society Day at one of our better known commercial nurseries. It's a great way to catch up with or meet other people with like minds in other plant societies, as well as spread the good word about rock gardening.
Normally, even this early, I can dig out some overwintering plants for display from my potted collection outside. With the late winter conditions as they are, that's not going to happen this year. All I have that’s accessible and alive is a few things I overwinter inside the house that include Delosperma bosserianum and Corydalis wilsonii. So, along with a sample of an empty styrofoam trough and various books and literature, I have decided to attract some more attention to my table: with a pussywillow bouquet. After all, many small willows are alpine, and the bouquet will be a great segue into the introduction of same for onlookers.
As as another excuse to show, Mark had asked about Salix chaenomeloides…
The arrangement has five different exotic species of willow. All freshly cut today, so their development progression is documented, although in this first photo Salix chaenomeloides is a particularly young blooming sprig. These are my estimates for this cold “spring” season's peak bloom times:
--- Salix chaenomeloides – now, although I have been cutting for enjoyment since early January.
--- Salix koriyangi ‘Rubikins’ – another week.
--- Salix gracilistylis var. melanostachys – in two weeks.
--- Salix cinerea ‘Variegata’ – in 3-4 weeks. (grown more for foliage. The catkins aren't even as nice as our native pussywillow.)
--- Salix shraderiana – another 5-6 weeks.
And the bouquet. The black pussywillow has a hard time here, as this is its northern limit for survival, and I only have a dry yard, and the shrub is progressively getting more shade as trees mature. I never seem to get nice long filled sprigs of catkins that are so easy with other species.
Howey (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Mon, 03/28/2011 - 4:31amHaven't looked under the snow yet for my very tiny pussywillow but am sure it is time to cut a few sprigs to bring indoors. What do I see on my garden walk? Well, for about the fifth time this March, the snow is starting to recede and reveal a few things - mainly a lot of devastation by rabbits and the elements. Daphnes, which were forced into a prostrate attitude by the heavy snow, are snapping back upright. Calycanthus floridus is now mostly broken twigs and suckers and, over near the west side of my back yard, a fledgling Daphne has been severely nibbled. However, I picked up a few sprigs of the Calycanthus and the small Daphne and am "forcing" them inside and, lo and behold, they seem to have developed flower buds. Have also seen healthy Cyclamen hederafolia leaves, lots of Winter Aconite, and a few Snowdrops. Exciting sitings after such a long and cold winter. Fran
Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b
Richard T. Rodich
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Mon, 03/28/2011 - 6:15amWow, I never dreamed Calycanthus could be forced with those big, late spring flowers. I think I'll go and cut some too, and we can compare notes down the road. I am sure we are all interested in the results with your Daphne, too!
Anne Spiegel
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Mon, 03/28/2011 - 8:13pmSpring must be really here. One Hellebore is in bloom. The flowers look sadly damaged in the morning by cold but by the afternoon they are beautiful. Two days in a row of sun and blue sky.
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 1:54pmAnne, beautiful Xmas roses! Mine are somewhat damaged this cold dry winter.
Rick, I like those twigs! I remember when I was a kid and learnt to make flutes of the Salix stems when they got mouse-ears!
Rick, I almost forgot to show you the Sciadopitys needles as I promised ;)
Btw here's another interesting conifer, Cunninghamia lanceolata:
Richard T. Rodich
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 3:26pmThanks, Trond. Very healthy Sciadopitys!
And I would have thought your winters would be too cold and wet for Cunninghamia. Bravo!
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 10:08am:D In fact do Cunninghamia tolerate stable cold winters better than shifting wet ones!
Reed (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Thu, 03/31/2011 - 6:00pmHere are some of the plants blooming in my yard right now.
Good stuff James! Plant names for the images added so that they are searchable - MMcD.
Chionodoxa forbesii
Corydallis solida
Erythronium japonicum
Fritillaria uva-vulpis
Jeffersonia dubia
Podophyllum delavayi
Anemone nemerosa
Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Starry Eyes’
Trillium "Volcano"
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Thu, 03/31/2011 - 9:50pmIt's wonderful to see all those gorgeous spring flowers! It gives me hope that this winter might end. :rolleyes:
Well, part of the tufa garden melted out today, and what do I see among the weatherbeaten leaves on a Thlaspi kurdicum grown from seed last year... flower buds!!
Whoo-hoo!
Richard T. Rodich
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 7:47amLooking very good, Lori!
The snow is almost melted off my winter box of potted materials, and since the ground is relatively warm this spring, I will be uncovering it as soon as possible. Can't wait to see if anything is happening under there. Troughs are still under snow.
LOL, I was going to post the other day regarding silly plants that want to bloom when they are way too young. I have an Anemone rivularis seedling inside with only two true leaves, and it was sending up what I thought were flower buds. Come to find out that when the leaf is so tiny, each segment of the leaf is individually rolled up (and each looking like an individual bud)! :-[
P.S. Our "Embarrassed" emoticon should be red in the face.
Mark McDonough
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 10:08amLori, let us see that Thlaspi when it is in full glorious flower.
Two days ago it was sunny and mild, reaching 54 F (12 C), and the Crocus smiled. A couple photos from left to right:
Crocus species, C. sieberi (two forms), C. malyi (first flowers popped open), C. angustifolius - lost of seedlings blooming
A couple rock plants, Alyssum oxycarpum (left) - neat leaf arrangement, Aethionema saxatile (right) - still in winter color.
Today, 6" of wet snow, compressed to about 3". :(
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:54pmNow that I have evened up the contest by planting both out on the southwest-facing slope, it seems a couple of Galanthus elwesii have beaten out the favourite, Bulbocodium vernum, for first bloom of the year.
No sign yet of Bulbocodium.
Needless to say, neither is likely to stop traffic... though at least the Bulbocodium contrasts with the snow!
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 5:00pmMore flower buds... Saxifraga sancta var. macedonica:
Anne Spiegel
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 7:03pmBeautiful plants, James. Glad to know it's spring somewhere. Went out and photographed this draba starting to bloom, planted in the face of the cliff. It will look miuch better but the forecast was for snow so I took the picture just in case.
Reed (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 7:22pmGreat Draba!!
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:28pmJames, you have a nice collection of plants in my taste! You are a couple weeks ahead of me though.
Lori, a good starter! You will soon catch up ;)
Anne, that Draba looks as it belongs there ;D As do this one from the wild in Turkey:
Mark, you as always have something flowering.
Cliff Booker
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:29pmThere you are Anne ... all that prodding and delving, grubbing and probing, scraping and writhing, yanking and tearing has proved totally worthwhile when you can post beauties like that growing in your very own cliff!!! :D
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 10:41amYesterday, after spending a few hours cutting off perennials, it was fun to have a closer look at the rock gardens to see the early signs of life...
Purple stem buds on Marmoritis (Phyllophyton) complanatum; Spiky, triangular leaves on Arenaria pestalozzae
I noticed a few tiny flower buds on Bolanthus/Gypsophila cherlerioides.
Campanula topaliana, seraglio
Genista delphinensis, Vitaliana primuliflora
Buds emerging on Paeonia anomala:
And then today... :P
John P. Weiser
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 11:49am:o How disheartening!! ??? Will it never stop. :-\
Sorry Lori. We are scheduled to get more snow tomorrow but not nearly so much.
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 12:28pmNot unfamiliar but more so when I lived in Oslo ;)
Anne Spiegel
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 7:05pmLori, that's what we were expecting when I went out and photographed the draba. We got a couple of inches and then it turned to rain and washed it away. So spring is still on the way. Noticed some townsendia buds deep in the plant, very cheering. Also Oxytropis multiceps has started to "silver up", a very welcome sight. Nothing stops this plant from blooming in April. Also see the tips of the leaves of Iris 'Katherine Hodgkins' breaking through. Joe has promised to photograph the garden every day while I'm in Nottingham. Still am amazed to be leaving the garden at this time, a first.
cohan (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 7:12pmNice to see the flowers--still barely imaginable here--even Lori's beginnings are far beyond anything on my property--a few metres here and there of bare ground around spruce trees, but only native plants (not planted) there, none of which are foolish enough to show any activity yet, no garden beds or pots at all exposed yet.. I think the first area to show may be a spot where I sunk a bunch of pots for winter in my infant veg patch in an old tiny corral--I got just a bit of a glimpse of Taraxacum 'faroense' which was only planted (root piece) in late fall but seemed like it might be ok...
that's of course covered again now, and most planted areas still have a couple feet of snow on them before the new stuff fell--we got probably 10-15 cm (prob 10cm overnight, melting from late morning, but continued falling most of the day, maybe done now).. less than Lori, I heard Calgary had 20cm, and expecting another 25 overnight? hopefully not....
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 7:14pmAnne, it must be hard to drag yourself away from your garden when everything is starting up... though on the other hand, it will be a wonderful event to attend too. Your draba does look like a snapshot from nature - just what all rock gardeners must aspire to!
Our snow here is a little hard to take but realistically, we'll have a lot more snows before it's over. :P You know what I'm saying, Cohan!
I love seeing those Townsendia buds - so early yet ready to go!
cohan (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 8:20pmYes, Lori, this isn't at all late or unusually heavy for a spring snow here! What is a bit atypical is that usually we would have had some bare times in early december, and often starting in late feb, at least in march, but we still have solid snow cover almost everywhere, that has been in place since mid november! I'm looking forward to at least the sort of spring snow that you don't have to shovel as it will melt.. we shovelled today, and this stuff is heavy! :P
I'm going to put a couple of pics in the weather thread...
John P. Weiser
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 11:34pmEnough of this winter gloom.
Here are a few shots of spring to Cheer everone up. ;)
Ranunculus andersonii
Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus
Ranunculus glaberrimus var. ellipticus
Iris reticulata
Hesperochiron californicus
Fritillaria pudica
Astragalus gilviflorus
Astragalus purshii var. lectulus
Eriogonum douglasii var. meridionale (budding up)
Physaria saximontana
Cliff Booker
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 11:44pmWell, you have certainly cheered one old guy up on this side of the pond John with your images of much sought after buttercups in full flower!
John P. Weiser
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 11:58pmDidn't realize I had this many in bloom here are the rest. :)
Allium parvum
Arabis flaviflora (seedling first season bloom)
Draba ? (lost the name to this one)
Dutch hybrid crocus (No matter how common these are, they still thrill me)
Viola beckwithii
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 12:46amJohn, you certainly are cheering me up - but when I see your neat planting in gravel I am getting jealous too ;) Here such gravel beds are covered in moss and grass in no time due to the humid climate. Grass even germinate and grow on moss covered stones and it looks more like a lawn.
Cliff, how many different Ranunculi(?) do you have?
Cliff Booker
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 1:01amHi Trond,
I don't have an extensive collection, I concentrate on high mountain buttercups and try to grow large flowering plants of the ones that seem more difficult in cultivation. I am particularly interested in the New Zealand, North & South American and high European species having limited success with some and great frustration with others.
My growing conditions sound very similar to yours with moss and liverworts encroaching into every pot, trough and raised bed.
Anne Spiegel
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:41amThanks for the pictures, John. It definitely must have lifted the gloom for those of us either waiting for spring or trying to fool the antlered rats into thinking garden plants are not edible (barbed wire, chicken wire, netting, etc.). Loved the astragalus pictures, especially that beauty, Astragalus gilviflorus, very difficult for me to keep here in the northeast - seems to be extremely sensitive to winter wet. The flowers are so large in proportion to the plant.
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:48amCliff, your plant taste seems to be a real challenge!
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:54amToday I planted out a dozen of Fuchsia magellanica seedlings and some other woodlanders :)
I also found a lot of Corydalis starting blooming
- and Rhododendron sutchuense is soon ready:
Mark McDonough
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 11:10amGreat stuff John! Fun to see photos of the two forms of Ranunculus glaberrimus virtually side-by-side, I had not seed var. ellipticus before. The bright bud color on the Eriogonum buds, and promising yellow buds on Physaria saximontana are cheerful indeed.
But it is Allium parvum that I am so happy to see here, one that I've had seed of a number of times but not yet raised to flowering size. These near stemless Western American Allium can be as concise and desirable as many of the Central Asian species.
Superb Viola trinervata! I see buds on my Fritillaria pudica, and lots of 1-3 year seedlings from sowing in-place seed.
John P. Weiser
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 4:53pmThank you everyone I aim to please.
Mark you got the flower color right but on the wrong species. ;) :D
Mark McDonough
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 5:01pmDang, double dang, I'm being careless, it is V. beckwithii. When I think of "sagebrush violets" both come to mind :P
Cliff Booker
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:24pmBut worth it when the occasional success occurs! LOL
Ranunculus seguieri - winner of my two Farrer Medals in 2001 and 2003.
Please note : This image was taken two or three days after one of the shows and the stems had elongated due to exposure to the heat and poor light in the show venue. The plant looked a lot better on the day! :D
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 11:44pmCliff, I had been very satisfied if I had managed to grow anything like that - long stems or not :o
John P. Weiser
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Mon, 04/04/2011 - 12:37amEven when you say it is not in ideal shape , there is no need to apologize for such a lovely plant.
It is a beauty! :D
Anne Spiegel
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Mon, 04/04/2011 - 6:00amStunning plant, Cliff. Hope you see it blooming in the Dolomites this year
Panayoti Kelaidis
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Tue, 04/12/2011 - 11:52amWish WE could grow those high alpine, tiny white ranunculus....too hot in Denver! But we do grow some other goodies. Just as everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere, things are coming hard and fast. I am appending a few things that are blooming right now I just photographed, mostly from the front of the alphabet...don'tcha love the Spring! You can probably deduce I'm in my Fritillaria phase...
Trond Hoy
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Tue, 04/12/2011 - 1:12pmKelaidis, I am not sure that I pity your lack of possibility to grow high alpine Ranunculus species! You grow numerous other enviable goodies ;D
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Tue, 04/12/2011 - 8:18pmTerrific plants, Trond and Cliff and Panayoti!
The (pathetic) state of things here, by comparison... it's not spectacular (or even in focus ;D) but it's in bloom!
Alyssum wulfenianum:
cohan (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Tue, 04/12/2011 - 10:45pmAnd yet, Lori-- far ahead of me :) See-- there is a good reason for me to be on this forum-no matter how cold or inactive anyone's garden may be, it will always be colder and more desolate here (until we get some members from someplace with an even shorter season-ha!.....)
Panayoti Kelaidis
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 4:40amI don't feel sorry for those of you with shorter growing seasons: this summer when we are baking and our rock gardens are parboiled and dreary, your's will be brimming with color! We have to revel in our incredible springs and falls (which are often punctuated by disastrous hailstorms, severe frosts or snowstorms--this year is uncannily wonderful). In fact this is the FOURTH miraculously wonderful spring in a row. I am thinking I might want to move elsewhere: Colorado Front Range does not usually have these interminable, sunny, cool springs where things bloom forever and ever. There are still hellebores and even crocuses and snowdrops blooming in the cooler corners where the snow lingered, but the full panoply of spring glory is rampaging in sunnier spots and lasting forever: I am posting a smattering of other recent highlights below, but those of you who are suckers for punishment can slog through a gallery of almost 100 pictures I posted on Fotki:
http://public.fotki.com/Panayoti/denver-march-2010/
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 5:39amYeah, you said it!! Between our gardens and the late bloom in the mountains, it must look like perpetual spring here! ;D
Before I immerse myself in Panayoti's album (drool!), here are few things that were popping up yesterday:
Corydalis nobilis, Paeonia mlokosewitschii.... a couple of crocus and a few puschkinia showing buds...
John P. Weiser
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 6:14amPK
I didn't slog through that gallery of fine plants at all. I skipped through, lingering here, and there to admire. All the while longing for the day I can boast of growing such jewels.
Your garden, as always is impressive.
cohan (not verified)
Re: What do you see on your garden walks?
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 11:51amVery true, Panayotis--no midsummer lull here--mid-summer is the whole season ;D My sempervivum, for example, have good colour all year--or rather the half of it they are not covered with snow ;) Our snowcover is about to reach the 5 month point--longer than usual without interruption, since it stayed from mid-Nov, usually it comes and goes into December...
Now I have to go out and gather some firewood--after some nice 'warm' days up to and above 10C/50F, we are back to just barely above freezing, with snow in 4 of the next 7 days forecast.. so far we are predicted less than either south or north, we'll see if that holds-- I think Lori's area already has snowfall warnings?
Some small parts of my future rock garden (pots sunk for winter in mounds of soil from digging) are out of the snow now... for now...
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