Signs of life

[RickR]

I have to agree, the double forms of galanthus are a little weird, but this clone is a most reliable bloomer. 

[Lori S.]

Wow, you are way ahead of us now, Todd!

[McDonough]

I love this thread! There is nothing as tantalizing as the shape, color and form of new shoots emerging.  Lori, tell me more about Pulmonaria altaica.  Last year, at a late summer NARGS plant sale I bought 6 plants of Corydalis magadanica, which flowered even as young plants with yellow and brown marked flowers, none are up and all look dead >

A few items that caught my attention today:

1.  Dicentra cucullaria surging out of the ground, have these beauties everywhere.
2.  Paeonia wittmanniana leaf buds - taken in low late afternoon light.  Love the look of these muscular buds.
3.  Paeonia wittmanniana leaf buds - taken in brigh morning light, red and lively.
4.  A very tiny Viola species with pointed (not rounded) variegated leaves.. V. selkirkii?

[Hoy]

Things don't evolve fast here even without freezing temperatures. Been away for a week and the snowdrops and many crocuses are finito but new plants slowly emerge. It is still early morning and I have not taken many pictures yet! Here are two:
I like cardamines and one of the first to bloom is C. enneaphylla.
The other is my only palm, still alive seemingly after a harsh winter.

[Lori S.]

Mark, Pulmonaria altaica is an introduction from Siberia by Josef Halda, according to Wrightman's, source of my plant in 2008:  
http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/details.asp?PRODUCT_ID=P077

It is quite lovely - the leaves are finely felted and soft as a black lab's ears, and the flowers are quite large:

[Hoy]

I have several pulmonarias but not altaica. Nice color.
Here are some more plants from the deep woods.

[Lori S.]

You will make many of us jealous with that meconopsis, Trond!  
1) Helleborus cyclophyllus Acck!  It's actually Cardamine enneaphylla... which will likely get snowed on again before winter is over - won't look so perky then.
2) Polemonium confertum, spreading around a bit in the trough
3) Salvia pachyphylla, from seed last year, seems to have come through the winter, though it is in a very exposed spot.
4) Aquilegia laramiensis... very long-lived, and apparently, not inclined to promiscuous hybridizing, unlike its fellow species.
5) Erythronium dens-canis
6) Phlox multiflora, coming back to life
7) Draba acaulis, with buds forming - oops, guess I forgot the picture!
8, 9) Leptodactylon pungens ssp. pulchrifolium, gnarly but alive!  

[Todd Boland]

I don't know Lori...I still think you are ahead of me!  Here is Helleborus orientalis hybrid and niger

[Todd Boland]

Primula marginata, Draba polytricha and Salix cordata

[RickR]

The maiden bloom of Helleborus purpurescens in the oh so dry garden today.  I hadn't expected the flowers to be very spectacular.  It's the foliage that is cool.

[Hoy]

The maiden bloom of Helleborus purpurescens in the oh so dry garden today.  I hadn't expected the flowers to be very spectacular.  It's the foliage that is cool.

Yes, Rick, I have come to appreciate the leaves of the different plants more and more and take the flowers as an extra bonus of course.
To Lori: You all have plants that make me jealous! Often I see (pictures of)  plants I know I can't grow well and that makes me, well, jealous! But then I think if everybody grew all kind of plants to perfection, where were the excitement? Often I try plants that by the books doesn't grow here, and that is right, but then some do grow well and I am happy!

[Todd Boland]

Centaurea epirota, another Helleborus orientalis and Erica carnea 'Heathwood'

[McDonough]

Mark, Pulmonaria altaica is an introduction from Siberia by Josef Halda, according to Wrightman's, source of my plant in 2008: 
http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/details.asp?PRODUCT_ID=P077

It is quite lovely - the leaves are finely felted and soft as a black lab's ears, and the flowers are quite large:

I agree that this is a lovely species, one I've not heard of before... looks almost Mertensia-like in habit.  Lori, could you add this species with pics to the Pulmonaria thread I started, it would be useful to help complete the Pulmonaria picture by adding the info there.  Thanks.

PS.  I'm wondering the if the finely felted leaves are as soft as a golden lab's ears? 

Todd, similarly, if you have any more photos of Pulmonaria montana, maybe add them to the Pulmonaria thread... looks like that species is another reddish-flowered one like P. rubra?  I'm not familiar with P. montana either.

[McDonough]

Todd, how large does Salix cordata grow?  I like the large catkins.  Also cool is the foliage on Centaurea empirota... can I assume it is Turkish?  The Erica carnea 'Heathwood' is a stunner, flowers contrast nicely with black-green foliage.... adding to my list

Lori, a bought about 6 plants of Corydalis magadanica at a NARGS chapter plant sale last September (for about 25 cents each), although small they flowered with yellow brown-marked flowers after being planted out.  None has resurfaced this spring!  I do like the leaves of Polemonium confertum; in the just-emerging stage they look like baby fern fronds... must try some of these again. I have also always wanted to grow Leptodactylon species, including pungens... maybe I should give it a try if it is hardy for you.

Trond, you can grow Meconopsis? It is much too dry and hot here in summer. Can you grow a number of species, or just the ones with spines like M. horridula, where the slugs get impaled trying to eat the plant   I like the look of Cardamine enneaphylla, with fleshy rubber-like leaves when they first emerge... if they make any seed, please spare me a bit (and I'll save some Jeffersonia dubia for you)

[Hoy]

Trond, you can grow Meconopsis? It is much too dry and hot here in summer. Can you grow a number of species, or just the ones with spines like M. horridula, where the slugs get impaled trying to eat the plant  

I can grow several Meconopsis. The molluscs seem not to like them. I have had many, but often they are monocarpic In fact one of the pest species I have is M. cambrica. I am not sure how many I have this year, have to see what comes up. Except M. cambrica they seldom self seed.

I like the look of Cardamine enneaphylla, with fleshy rubber-like leaves when they first emerge... if they make any seed, please spare me a bit (and I'll save some Jeffersonia dubia for you)

That's a deal!
I have other Cardamines too: pentaphyllos, heptaphylla, trifoliata, bulbifera etc. C. pratensis is very common in the wet fields around here.