What do you see on your garden walks? 2012

[Toole]

Yip for sure Lori .

Divisions of 5 different Hosta's are already in, the same number of Epimediums as well --will start on the 'others' tomorrow after work if i have the energy .

Cheers Dave.

[Tim Ingram]

You make it sound so easy Dave! Gives me added impetus to get on clearing some of the overgrown parts of the garden. I have similar plantings of woodlanders under rows of apple trees, several of which need some concerted work.

Michael - I am incredibly envious of that naturalistic background to your garden. We live in suburbia so no such 'genius of the place'.

[cohan]

Lots of work, Dave! Good to have some new planting space- I know I'd have a hard time removing mature shrubs if they were still looking good, but sounds like a good choice.. The only yardwork possible here now is snow removal and tree cutting...lol

Michael- nice views! I forget, is the wooded area at the back, part of your property? Good to hear what you do for winter preparations and the whys of it; My plantings are mostly very new (apart from old perennials here before I moved back) so I'm still figuring out what needs to be cut back etc. So far I have not cut back anything, though I had meant to do a few before the sudden lasting snow put an end to garden activities..

[RickR]

An update from here: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1009.msg20214#msg20214
(Actually, this was a full week ago.)
The end of the Cotinus, Cornus mas, Vv. x'Juddii', carlesii.  Viburnum x 'Juddii' foliage.
        

Now in real time, a painted styrofoam trough makes a nice background for Orostachys iwarenge.  I've never thought of Fibigia clypeata as being polka-dotted.
       

Some things just keep going and going, like the Energizer Bunny.
Syneilesis aconitifolia seedhead with Corydalis ochroleuca and Fargesia rufa in the background.  Digitalis lanata and Bouteloua gracilis.
        

[Tim Ingram]

Really nice to see those seedheads Rick. I've always thought that these could form the basis of a good book on seeds and seed-sowing, but I've never got the camera out and worked on this. The detail of some plants seedheads (like Dictamnus) are fascinating.

[RickR]

Kristl Walek is working on such a book.  I'm not sure what all will be her main emphasis, though.  But I could certainly collaborate if you're in need of examples of various seed receptacles.  A feng Shui specialist would be horrified walking into my house.  "Dead" materials are everywhere...   

      

[cohan]

I Tried to post this earlier today, with no luck- either the snow interferes with internet (cell phone towers) reception, or more people using smartphones and internet due to weather- bad connections .. hopefully will work now..
Nice views Rick! Great to see the texture and colours of the different seasons.
It seems so long ago that we had those autumnal scenes- and in fact its 3 weeks ago today that we switched to winter white - definitely the earliest that has happened since I moved back in 07. We had a little melting this week, but that too is a distant memory now with at least 20cm of fresh snow yesterday and today, and still coming down..(a few more inches on these beds now)
A couple more views from the day before winter,

Ribes I think this is a European plant grown in gardens- denser than native species, but to me inferior in all other ways (flowers and fruit are both tiny even by Ribes standards, leaves usually not that exciting in shape or colour) but this fall it had the best colour I remember..

 

Dasiphora (Potentilla) fruticosa I don't know if this is a cultivar or more or less natural material, planted here years ago by my mom or aunt; part sun location in average to moist native soil, it is around 3-4 feet high sprawling through a fence..



And the way things look now- a couple of views from last night of the rock beds in front of the house; These are taken hand-held with ambient light from the outdoor house lights; not exciting shots, but still impresses me what cameras can do now!

 

[Bundraba!]

Autumn is a beautiful and very important time in the rock garden. Here's just a taste of the splendor!
First; rock is important to rock gardeners. Without the rocky backdrop, this is just another photo of Allium thunbergii. 2: It hasn't bloomed yet but Acantholimon litwinovii is a charmer. 3: Sedum (aizoon?) looks like this all winter. I don't know any other plant that produces this effect as well as this one does.

   

4: A smattering of Androsaces. 5: pink tint in Bailey's Lace Cactus 6: Sage Brush growing points become a soft silvery green and very compact.

   

7: Eriogonum umbellatum 'porteri'. 8: Vaccinium 'Hamilton' in front of Scirpus caespitosus. 9: One everyone in the Northeast should grow and cherish; Hepatica (americana) shown here in an unusual rock garden setting.

   

[Bundraba!]

More autumn colored goodies: Hudsonia ericoides in Spruce Moss; Eriogonum caespitosum; and Pyxi.

   

Kabschia Saxifrages are at their very best now; Seed stems on Orostachys iwarenge; Areneria tetraquetra in front of Eriogonum sp. from Fishlake cow meadow in Utah. The Eriogonum is a fine ground cover but very shy to bloom.

   

I started in spring with a photo of this little patch of mesic alpine turf. Primula 'Peter Klein' was in bloom then. Just autumn hues now, diagonal from bottom left Cassiope sellaginoides 'globularis'; Lonicera crassifolia and Loiseleuria procumbens; Arcterica nana in autumn hue and flower buds ready for spring; Rhododendron williamsianum. The last are Saxifraga 'Foster's Red' and a tiny little Heuchera I found in the Lemhi Mountains maybe H. rubescens. Too many pretty vignettes to ever post!

 

[IMYoung]

Cohan : I thought with  those last photos that you had made contact with the Mars Curiosity project!Weirdly atmospheric in the snow.

Michael: lots still of interest there.




Maggi   

[Gene Mirro]

I put plastic bags over the heads and zip-tied them. Just ran outside (with 50+ mph gusts) and so far they're holding up okay. For a couple other items I wanted seed on, I covered the plants with large heavy inverted pots, weighted down with boulders and bricks.

I use plastic milk crates to protect small plants.  Not the ones that you buy; they will break down in the sun.  The ones that the dairies use are nearly indestructible.  I got dozens of them for free from the local dairy.  The bunnies won't go near them.

[cohan]

Maggi- you're right, there is little of earthly reference in those night snow photos..lol

Michael- still very many interesting things there! Even if I've prematurely entered the part of the year where simply seeing a patch of bare earth is exciting.....lol

[Jandals]

Some of my Anisotome latifolia are flowering in the garden . Their native habitat is on the subantarctic islands far to the south of New Zealand where they are an integral part of the megaherb ecosystem . Unlike their cousins on the NZ mainland (where white is the predominant flower colour ) the plants of the subantarctic islands have coloured flowers as well as interesting foliage . I can only grow a few species as some struggle in our warmer summer , colder winter and drier overrall conditions

[Hoy]

I do like it! Although it looks a bit coarse it is stately and handsome with interesting leaves and flower colour. Is it monocarpic or perennial? What do you mean by cold winters? I wonder if it could survive in my garden where the summers are cool, the climate moist and humid and not too cold winters (usually not colder than -8-10C).

[RickR]

Not a lot of temperature variation on those islands by continental standards.  Macquarie Island's record high and low are 14.4C (58F) and -9.4C (15F) since 1948 when recording began.
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_300004_All.shtml

How old are those Anistome?  Are they still increasing in size, year to year?  How do they look late in the summer... a bit bedraggled?