What do you see on your garden walks? 2012

[Bundraba!]

Cohan, the Geranium comes from the Bighorn Mountains quite a bit south of your area. So far all of the seedlings that pop up have been white and I'm wondering if it will cross with any of the other Geraniums in the garden.

John, Great stuff. I'm still trying to do that here!

[McDonough]

My goodness, I am hopelessly behind... been wanting to respond to this topic numeropus times, and I do enjoy seeing everyone's fine plants and garden views (I like the toad pic). After nearly 3 weeks of traveling and cramming for various"events" at work, I have a breather here on a holiday weekend (Memorial Day here in the USA).

Here are three view of a trough at the end of my driveway, backed up by a garden shed.  The winter-tiny foliage of Alyssum oxycarpum gives away to a small billowing cloud of yellow flower.  I didn't notice last year, but today I noticed an unusual characteristic of this species, the flowers stink.  When I kneeled down to take photographs, I detected the smell of skunk, and I thought to myself "oh no, there might be a skunk moved in under my garden shed", but then realized it was the Alyssum!  What an unusual mal-aroma for an Alyssum to have!  Next to it, in the neighboring trough, is Delosperma 'Tiffindell', now in its third year (seems perfectly hardy).  In the last photo, I show a close-up of two plants near the Alyssum, Globularia repens 'Nana' on the left (from Wrightman's Alpines ), the most minute and concise leaves which are near shiny black all winter, but no flowers this year (only 2 flowers last year), although I would grow it just for the foliage, and Erigeron scopulinus in the center (from Peter George), making a dense mat, but also no flowers this year, only a smattering of flowers last year.

[Tim Ingram]

Do skunks really smell as bad as people say? I am not sure if I dare approach a little Alyssum I have in the front garden! Apparently some teucriums are pretty malodorous too. Curious how once someone tells you then you are tempted to test it for yourself - most people go for roses!

I am interested by the comments about Globularia repens 'Nana'. I have this too and it is a super foliage plant, but like the normal form seems very shy flowering. I rather like this genus even so and also grow G. spinosa and probably my favourite incanescens, which I have just managed to find again from seed.

[Lori S.]

Catching up, yet again...
Paeonia anomala, the first to bloom this year:
 

The little bulbs are done (except for muscari), and the narcissus are having their time:
 

More Pulsatilla turczaninovii - I know I keep showing this one but it is fabulous!  Thank you for the seeds years ago, Rick!
     

Phlox multiflora, again... but this time, it's more "multiflora".   


Myosotis decumbens:

[Lori S.]

Euphorbia capitulata... showing somewhat more evidence than usual of a rough winter:
 

Paeonia tenuifolia 'Flore Pleno', ready to roll:
 

I think this is Arnica cordifolia... I hope it's not so invasive as another Arnica I'm currently trying to eradicate, that just romps around and never blooms.  (Will I ever learn?  )
 

Thymus neiceffii:


Pulmonaria vallarsae 'Marjerie Fish':
 

Vanilla-leaf, Achlys triphylla, just leafed out and starting to bloom:


Lush fresh leaves of Peucedanum ostruthium 'Daphnis':

[Lori S.]

Primula polyneura... or so the seed packet from years ago said anyway:


Primula x juliana 'Jay Jay', battling for space among the bulb foliage:
 

Hacquetia epipactis with Dicentra eximia (? - I always mix this up with D. formosa?):
 

Mertensia ciliata:
 

I never imagined I'd be having to weed out Ligularia seedlings but look at this!


Paeonia intermedia:
 

[Lori S.]

Dianthus microlepis and Gentiana verna:


Lewisia longipetala, starting to bloom:


Paeonia mlokosewitschii will have 6 flowers this year!


Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire':


Aquilegia laramiensis:


Phlox hendersonii:


Clematis alpina 'Constance':
 

Update on Eremostachys speciosa, looking more and more intriguing:
 

[Lori S.]

Stuart has been referring to this as horseradish ( >) but it's actually Ligularia macrophylla:
 

Aubrieta canescens:


Lunaria perennis and Lathyrus vernus gracilis:


Valeriana montana, starting to bloom:


Thalictrum thalictroides:


Cerastium alpinum ssp. lanatum, that managed to seed itself up in to a trough with some very prickly company:


Anemone nemorosa 'Vestal':


The last of Adonis vernalis:


Alchemilla alpina erythropoda:

[Bundraba!]

Monday morning greetings of Soapworts and Golden Heathers! The same Golden Heather; Hudsonia ericoides was photographed two days in a row. It will flame out quickly; new flowers each day falling apart before tea time.

I had this thought about the birds, and this one in particular as it is so elegantly colored, that they come to this garden to die (to breed, to steal berries, and to generally pester me); but; perhaps, simply, a cat got it.

[RickR]

It's kinda funny how the wind can whip around the Pulsatilla turczaninovii flowers and rearrange them permanently, until the next group of gales from a different direction rearranges them again.  Almost like an Obedient plant's flowers, except they don't obey me!  Your specimen, Lori, if the coloring is right on my screen, looks intermediary between my most blue flowered plant and a steel gray-blue that I used to have.  (That one mysteriously died.)

Are you sure that is Alchemilla alpina?
Usually with a silver edge, aren't the leaves supposed to be palmately compound and not so heavily toothed?

[Lori S.]

Are you sure that is Alchemilla alpina?
Usually with a silver edge, aren't the leaves supposed to be palmately compound and not so heavily toothed?

Oh right, it's Alchemilla erythropoda.  Thank you!

[Spiegel]

Wonderful pictures, Lori.  Does the Myosotis decumbens stay small for you?

[cohan]

Lori, esp love the Euph capitulata and Achlys
I was surprised some bits of Haquetia I planted last fall just emerged in the last week/few days- so far behind some of the other things (Cory, Anemones, Dentaria)I thought they weren't coming at all, so I was very pleased to see them!

Bundraba- love the Hudsonia! I don't remember if I have seed from Kristl, or just thought about it...
Colourful bird!

[Hoy]

Catching up, yet again...

More Pulsatilla turczaninovii - I know I keep showing this one but it is fabulous!  Thank you for the seeds years ago, Rick!

Lori, you have loads of gems and interesting plants! But I agree, P turczaninovii certainly is fabulous! Is it possible to ask for seed if you have some to offer later?

[Lori S.]

Does the Myosotis decumbens stay small for you?

Yes, the elongated flower stems get to about 5cm max.

I was surprised some bits of Haquetia I planted last fall just emerged in the last week/few days- so far behind some of the other things (Cory, Anemones, Dentaria)I thought they weren't coming at all, so I was very pleased to see them!

Great news, Cohan!

Yes, I always do collect seed from whatever pulsatillas bloom for me, and I'll send you some P. turczaninovii when they are ready, Trond.

Too bad about the dead cedar waxwing, Bundraba... but at least it allows us a close-up view of the beauty.  Cedar waxwings have been busy eating apple petals in our trees, and trilling their songs.  Stuart managed to get a photo of some out the window... (fuzzy but better than any of my bird pics!)


Arenaria kansuensis, with a few buds; this one is looking pristine but another specimen is half brown.


Iris timofejewii and Iris chamaeiris:
 

Scopiola carniolica: