Alpine Photos While Thinking About The 2012 - 2013 Seed List...

[James Mikkelsen]

As I have been thinking of the possibilities of what might be on the 2012 - 2013 Seed List, I decided to check out some of my "in the wild" photos of some alpine and "desert" alpine gems. Here's one of my favorites: Phlox muscoides OR P. bryoides or, or, or... there are several hybrids in the area where I collected the seed.  All of them are sublime specimens of tight, caespitose buns.  Grown from seed, 2nd year and flowering.  This little beauty loves it moist in the Autumn, Winter and Spring but let it have an 8 week dry season in the Summer.  Surprisingly, it doesn't mind several hours of shade during the day.

[McGregor]

Gorgeous phlox ... and that has really done for any chances there might have been of getting any phloxes like that once the seedex opens !!

[Weiser]

James
What a great western phlox!!
Collecting seed from the tight buns must be a challenge. What is your method of collection. I have one species in my area, Phlox covillei that I should collect seed from but I have not come up with an efficient way. I really don't relish the idea of laying on my belly with a tweezers and magnifying glass.

[Whitehead]

a miniature battery-powered vacuum cleaner?

[Lserowicz]

John,

I can't imagine it is that much harder than collecting seed from all those cactus you sent in seed from!

Both John and James sent in lots of great wild-collected seeds, so could distract us for days with photos of what they sent in...I know I've checked out many of the plants they donated and added them to my list of wants. Fortunately, shouldn't be too much longer...

We do have a few Phlox wild collected seed in the list this year courtesy of Alan Bradshaw from Alplains and Mike Kintgen from DBG...

[James Mikkelsen]

Relishing the fact that it is practically a requirement to
a) lay on your belly in the sand
b) next to a sage brush that jabs a broken branch into your ribs,
c) in front of a Bouteloua that tickles your face,
d) while daintily squeezing each capsule with tweezers
e) while holding a small envelope
f) while having sand in your left eye, both shoes and along your belt line
   
and so much more...

is part of the glory of collecting great seed and having
your relatives think of you as a madman while you have dreams
of bunneries in flower.

[Weiser]

Pretty much what I thought it would be like, except for the sand. I guess I'll have to settle for laying on chunky sharp basalt instead.