What do you see on your garden walks? 2012

[Hoy]

Somebody has to start a separate trough thread Or does it exist already? Then make two: What does my trough look like now! and How I make my troughs

I am collecting ideas for my own trough(s)

[Tim Ingram]

That's a great idea - we are only just getting more seriously into growing plants in troughs, and Anne's example (and the plants in it) is wonderful. I am especially interested in trying more ericaceous species this way, which don't do well in the garden but could be much better located and looked after in troughs. There are interesting examples in old AGS Bulletins, including edging paving slabs with rocks and actually cementing rocks together to make containers!

[Spiegel]

Tim, that's the great thing about troughs.  You can make a specialized mix that will keep certain plants happy.  That's really difficult to do in the garden if what the plant needs is contrary to your natural soil conditions.  I like to group plants that need similar soil, water, and exposure.  The only other qualification is that they are plants that really please me and that I want to grow.  It's rare that I'm able to water troughs so most of mine feature dryland plants.

[Bundraba!]

Goat Plant! I found this Prenanthes-like plant in the Magdellena Mountains but it varies widely in the Southwest. Its foliage smells decidedly like billy-goat, so; Goat Plant it is. I clip the 25 cm stems back in fall and each time there is hard frost this interesting winged pattern appears on the stems. The next photo is a view from east to west along the spine of the Great Cordillera. from a recent spreading of shale back to the white garden is some 70 feet or so.

   

R. 'Ken Janek' and 'Springwood White' Erica are two plants that will be fantastic come spring but only if the winter is kind.

   

[RickR]

Funny how even a dead looking prenanthes like plant can be interesting - and not even in relation to the aforementioned winged patterned frost (which is fascinating): I assume the leaf blades senesced, fell off and blew away, while the petioles dried and remained...
I don't think I have ever seen that on a herbaceous plant before.

[cohan]

Nice views, Michael! As a bit of a composite aficionado, I'd love to see a photo of the goat plant in growth/flower if you have one..

This time of year, its just exciting to see bare earth/rock, so the cordilleran view is nice too   When you mention spreading shale- do you regularly re-top the area?

[Spiegel]

Finally got out and photographed the irish trough, or stone sink.  It was delivered by a pickup truck and 4 football players (using a coouple of 2x6s), moved it into position.  It is in this position to stay.  Not a good time of year to photograph it and it's only half planted still.

[Spiegel]

Sorry, I don't know what happened to the photos.  I'll try again.  Computers are a mystery to me.

[RickR]

Masterfully done, Anne, and befitting of your awesome garden as a whole.  

     Kinda peaceful and Zen like, too.

[cohan]

Beautiful trough, Anne! the planting is looking good so far- I do like the outcropping, it is rather zen at this stage as Rick says..

[Spiegel]

I really l;ike the outcropping,too.  It's necessary since this is a shallow trough.  I'm convinced that the deeper the trough, the better, like a mini raised bed.  In my climate everything freezes solid.  The irish trough has such thick walls but that's still not enough protection from freezing.  I use rain covers on some of the troughs, designed by Mark Mazer of NARGS.  They are open on the ends and arched over the trough.  They get lots of sun and wind but no drenching rain.  You do have to brush the snow off the top or it will bow down.  The top is made of plexiglas (I think).  I wish Mark would weigh in.  They are so marvelously designed and I'll put a picture on soon.  I haven't installed them yet for the winter.

[Bundraba!]

Funny how even a dead looking prenanthes like plant can be interesting - and not even in relation to the aforementioned winged patterned frost (which is fascinating): I assume the leaf blades senesced, fell off and blew away, while the petioles dried and remained...
I don't think I have ever seen that on a herbaceous plant before.

Rick; I recall the leaves and petioles do not fall from the stem. As I said, I clip all back so what remains is the (older seasons growth) stems. This is doable because all top growth dies, only buds on the caudex remain. The ice wings seem to emanate from the dead stem itself which really is weird as I cannot figure where all the water comes from. It must be coming from the earth below; a sort-of "frost finger" effect. I had a picture of the plant but computer ate most photos (that weren't posted to NARGS!) prior to June. I was out this morning shooting frost formation on a few other plants so may post those. If my goat-plant survives winter; I'll strive to get a photo up. It is interesting, I think, botanically and that it thrives here being from such a southern area.

[cohan]

The redundant hardiness of some plants is quite fascinating- hinting at interesting pasts!

Speaking of interesting pasts, I was looking at Dasynotus daubenmirei in the Alplains catalogue,
Dasynotus daubenmirei (Boraginaceae) (40x40,Z4,P,L,3:8w) ......................................... 15 seeds / $6.00 15083.12 (W) Idaho Co., ID, 4920ft,1500m. A superb member of the Borage family producing multiple stems clothed in sparsely-hairy, oblanceolate leaves and beautiful clusters of snow-white, inch-wide flowers
photo:
http://www.alplains.com/images/DasyDauben.jpg
This plant is discussed in the Jan 2012 issue of the International Rock Gardener online magazine, where it is mentioned that it is believed to be a relic of Cenozoic forests, a 'paleoendemic'
Quite fascinating, though from a little google searching, I did not find out too much about what sort of ancient forests those would have been- the Cenozoic is a long period! and I don't imagine the reference is to the sub-tropical forests that would have covered the area early on.. still, very interesting, and enough to make me want to grow this forest opening plant .. maybe there should be an 'armchair botanising for Boraginaceae' thread

[Lori S.]

... maybe there should be an 'armchair botanising for Boraginaceae' thread

Well, you could start one. 

[cohan]

lol-- not sure I'd have any further entries, though...