What do you see on your garden walks? 2012

[Hoy]

Rick, so when your Ponderosa pine does keep it's needles it shows a juvenile trait? Makes sense.

Cohan, interesting with all the different Prunuses. We have only two native ones here, P. padus and avium; the latter makes a huge tree.

[cohan]

Trond, we also only have a couple natives- pennsylvanica and virginiana, but I guess quite a few are grown in gardens since many are very hardy.. We also have sand cherry growing (forgetting species right now) and they are very different again- small and floppy, with very different leaves..

[RickR]

Rick, so when your Ponderosa pine does keep it's needles it shows a juvenile trait? Makes sense.

I see what you are thinking, Trond, but it's hard to believe a tree that I planted as a one foot, few year old seedling with no visible juvenile traits would suddenly change its mind.  In the first four feet of growth, it did not do this.  And, if it was a juvenile trait, wouldn't we expect it to be even more pronounced in the branches, rather than the main stem?   I have never seen juvenile foliage of Pinus ponderosa, but I would think it would be along the lines of Pinus pinaster, which are sold here in the complete juvenile stage as decorative little inside pine trees for Christmas time.

[Lori S.]

In Minnesota, Diervilla lonicera is rhizomatous, spreading underground, and grows up to 3ft.  I'm not sure it would be a good thing to have near a rock garden.

Agreed... It gets to about that height here too.  Kind of interesting in fall when it turns bronzey, but the spreading habit is getting to be a bit much where ours is.  It dies back variably through the winters here... sometimes not at all. It can be cut to the ground in spring with no ill effects, if there is a lot of die-back. ,

[Hoy]

Rick, I didn't mean the monophyllic juvenile foliage as seen on those Xmas trees (we have them here too ) but as you say, any such trait if juvenile should expectedly affect the branches too.
BTW I have seen the native pine (P sylvestris) with monophyllic juvenile foliage up to a foot high - but you have to grow it under glass with perfectly controlled environment. The juvenile leaves are the same structure as you find as small scales at the base of the double (or more) needles of mature growth. This pair actually sits on a small twig. Each and every pair of needles also have meristematic cells between them when young and can produce a fullgrown branch if necessary like when a shoot is eaten by elks in spring

[RickR]

Your "By the way" is very interesting, Trond.  I suppose then, that this is also what happens when pine candles are shortened in the spring to reduce annual growth, and new buds appear the same season.  I had never investigated exactly where the new bud begins life, and just assumed it was from either latent buds or the cambium.

[Hoy]

Yes, Rick. All buds are formed in leaf axils by meristematic cells originating from the apical meristem. The (vascular) cambium is a lateral meristem producing secondary growth of vascular bundles etc.
The scales of the young pine candles are modified leaves and as such have meristematic cells at their "foot". These cells produce the bundle of needles on a short twig - and this twig has when young meristematic cells able to produce a new (latent) bud. It is easy to see if you take a closer look

[RickR]

Thanks, Trond.  Always interesting to hear the back-story on things.  
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Late flowering materials always tend to surprise me.  I look at the buds and I think there will never be enough time to bloom, but then, there they are.  Such a plant, this Aconitum sp.  Usually a darker purple shade, It is much lighter this season, I think due to our late drought.  But I like the green tones this year.
        

And I keep saying how beautiful bulbs can be...
Lilium 'Super Tsing', Lilium Gluhwein®, Lilium 'Zeus'
        

              

Anemone hupehensis 'Pretty Lady Emily' probably won't survive here, but I have to try.  Emily was my Mom's name, and in her elder years she was often described with the words: pretty lady.
    

Dianthus callizonus puts out its last flower for the season.
    

[Bundraba!]

Another one from Rowe Mesa in New Mexico; a vigorous woody stemmed daisy about 30 cm. tall. Looks very Heterotheca like.
It does not set viable seed but I was able to break off a chunk of the caudex to perpetuate it.


Allium thunbergii is among the last to bloom before cold weather. Crocus speciosus is another. These are on the flat but
they really do better in a warm raised bed here.
   

Escobaria vivipara fruit will turn a darker red soon.


Areneria alfacariense is a slow growing gem


These three were taken locally: a scant taste of Aster variety in our region: A Pellaea sp.! on Split Rock preserve. I
can't recall ever having seen this genus here despite years of rambling about. Really quite exciting indeed what an any-
old-day hike can bring to light: Adirondacks from Clark Road; first frost last night here; just a touch of snow on the high peaks.
   

[cohan]

Nice Anemone and Aconitum, Rick! The bulbs are interesting- nature is full of beauty, even where no one can see it!

Michael- nice views- you guys still have a lot more than me- just a few flowers here as we are much nearer to all out winter, even though the snow of the other day melted and next few should be warm.. Congrats on finding the Pellaea! I found some ferns this year on the farm that I've never seen before, so I was excited too!

[Spiegel]

Michael, I'm wondering if your heterotheca-like plant could be Heterotheca villosa?  I couldn't tell from the picture if the stems and leaves were hairy.  H. villosa is about 12" tall and multi stemmed and almost bushy looking.  I grew it once from seed and I recall it being extremely floriferous.  A nice plant but H. jonesii works much better for me, perfect size for the crevice gardens.

[Lori S.]

Interesting to get an appreciation of the underground beauty, too, Rick.  From my records, it doesn't look like I've tried Anemone hupehensis here (probably because Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima' was already covering enough ground) -  I take it it's not considered as hardy?

Your garden is still looking fantastic, Michael!  I'm astounded at how much longer the season is down there too.  

Yes, I agree with Anne - the yellow plant covered in flowers does look like it could be Heterotheca villosa, from what can be made out.  It does occur in New Mexico, according to USDA Plants (one can do a State Search - although USDA Plants is too general to say if it occurs in the exact area), although there are also a number of others in the genus that also occur there.  
Here's a closer picture of a much less photogenic one growing along our sidewalk by the alley (out in the worst driest clay, where it's prone to being stepped on... and even driven over.  This spring, I noted that it's woody branches had been broken off at the ground, from being driven over or from shovelling snow perhaps... but it wasn't fazed - it actually branched out much more vigorously and fully from the severed stems.  A very tough plant!  I grew a few of these from a bit of seed collected from along the highway in west-central Saskatchewan.):

If you could post some closer photos, Michael, perhaps it could be ID'd with certainty?

**Another edit:  Here is a site that shows some excellent photos of Heterotheca(Chrysopsis) villosa:
http://em.ca/garden/native/nat_Chrysopsis%20villosa.html

[Bundraba!]

A wedge of warm air from the south in advance of a cold front had bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies all getting a last
taste of summer at the onion; busy plant! Sedum sieboldii is another last bloomer some years struggling on into the snow
but it looks like easy going this year.
   

A third Orostachys in my garden.


Black Bear sighting! And, Mr. Mole is taking control!
   

[RickR]

I wish my Allium thunbergii 'Ozawas' would bloom like that.  It will be another two or three weeks before it begins.  But Allium thunbergii f. album, given to me by a fine forumist here, is blooming nicely.
              

Chosen for its drought tolerance and outstanding fall color, Cotinus obovatus has been in fall color since the third week of September.  This pic taken yesterday  .
              

Aster ericoides 'Snow Flurries' is actually past its prime, but sitll lasts and lasts.  Second pic with some friends: Lilium 'Black Beauty', Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' (Autumn Joy), and the silver seed spires of Echium russicum.
        

[Hoy]

Obviously still a lot of interesting plants on the northern half of the globe!