Image of the day

[McDonough]

Fascinating comments on Orobanche and such, will return to this subject, but first, a couple new images of the day:

After 3 days of gale force winds and 10" of rain, yesterday the sun came out, and so did a number of Crocus chysanthus hybrid seedlings in their 4th year from seed.  Interesting too, that the chrysanthus hybrids are blooming 2 weeks earlier than in any of the past 10 years, but even with the early date, bees were busy visiting the blooms.  The first two photos show a purplish-beige and yellow combination (showing genes from C. chysanthus 'Advance'), the last photo showing the same plant but with flowers more closed rendering a cream-beige appearance.

[Hoy]

Is this a deliberate cross you have made or just Mother Nature? My crocuses self sow but I have never collected seed. I let them spread in the lawn.

[McDonough]

Is this a deliberate cross you have made or just Mother Nature? My crocuses self sow but I have never collected seed. I let them spread in the lawn.

Mosty Mother nature, but I assist with the effort (pollen painting, seed harvesting then scratching in the seed in situ).  Mother Nature and I, we're a team 

[McDonough]

Tis crocus season here.  One of my very favorite croci is C. gargaricus, a Turkish delight.  It is amusing how the little golden "lipstick" spears show brilliant color as they emerge directly from the soil.  The small golden orange goblets are among the brightest of all crocus species.  Update photo,2 days after the first photo.

[RickR]

My want list just keeps getting longer and longer...

[Kelaidis]

Iris tigridia (I hope I have the name right) is usually the first of the rhizomatous irises to bloom for me, and I notice it was up (glorious weather in the 70's last two days: now several inches of snow are expected today and tomorrow--otherwise it might even have popped). I obtained it from one of the Czechs (Jurasek?) years ago and have grown it under this name: can anyone verify it? It looked a bit like the Iris potaninii I saw last summer in Mongolia, and doubtless they are allied in the same section (Pseudoregelia, I believe). It has a bit of a resemblance to humilis and manchurica for that matter: these little Central Asian miniatures are all lovely: I wish I had lots of collections of all of them to really have a sense of their range of variation (and relationship to one another)!

"Iris tigridia" is sold by Beaver Creek (otherwise perfect in their names), but I am reasonably sure their plant is actually I. bloudowii: will show pix of that when it blooms again in a few weeks: it is more closely allied to humilis: I saw it last summer in Kazakhstan. It grows in more alpine, wetter habitats.

(image renamed to indicate possible identity correction - MMcD)

[Todd Boland]

Wetter habitats!  I'll have to see if they still offer it...I am planning an order with Beaver Creek shortly.

[McDonough]

Iris tigridia (I hope I have the name right) is usually the first of the rhizomatous irises to bloom for me, and I notice it was up (glorious weather in the 70's last two days: now several inches of snow are expected today and tomorrow--otherwise it might even have popped). I obtained it from one of the Czechs (Jurasek?) years ago and have grown it under this name: can anyone verify it? It looked a bit like the Iris potaninii I saw last summer in Mongolia, and doubtless they are allied in the same section (Pseudoregelia, I believe). It has a bit of a resemblance to humilis and manchurica for that matter: these little Central Asian miniatures are all lovely: I wish I had lots of collections of all of them to really have a sense of their range of variation (and relationship to one another)!

"Iris tigridia" is sold by Beaver Creek (otherwise perfect in their names), but I am reasonably sure their plant is actually I. bloudowii: will show pix of that when it blooms again in a few weeks: it is more closely allied to humilis: I saw it last summer in Kazakhstan. It grows in more alpine, wetter habitats.

(image renamed to indicate possible identity correction - MMcD)

Panayoti, I think you nailed it, looking through Jim Waddick and Zhao Yu-tang's Iris of China, I would agree this lovely Iris comes closer to Iris bloudowii; the disposition of the flower components, particularly the sudden erect bifid style-arms at the apex, fit the description, and of course, the yellow flower color. I renamed the uploaded photo accordingly.  Iris tigidia is described as having violet flowers.  We need to get Iris-maestro Jim Waddick over here onto the NARGS Forum!!!

[McDonough]

Helleborus niger is soooo sloooooowwww, taking years to bulk up, but so worth it.  In summer I scratch in the seed that reliable sets, and now have many seedlings growing close by.  This species is much lower growing than many Helleborus species, and hardier too, thus an excellent one for shade to partially shaded rock garden situations.  The deep green foliage always looks great.  The winter-burned leaves evident in the photo are of a nearby Epimedium which needs to have its leaves cut off before the spring flush.

[Kelaidis]

We've had H. niger blooming here and there for several months now, and holding up quite well. I clicked on your picture, and your's doesn't quite look like any of ours (and each one I grow or the dozen or so at Denver Botanic Gardens each has its own character). Yes, H. niger is the queen of Hellebores and certainly one of the most essential garden plants. It's starting to self sow a bit much for me and I hate digging up the seedlings, even if they do go to good homes! You never know if a slightly pinker or slightly larger flowered one might not be among them. Our Lenten roses are now kicked in, and Helleborus thibetanus is almost over. We finally have Helleborus versicarius: there's a picture of it at the bottom of Mike Kintgen's recent blog: http://www.botanicgardensblog.com/2010/03/16/whats-happening-in-the-rock-alpine-garden-this-week-a-few-new-treasures-are-in-bloom/#more-3385
Our sun is so intense that there are daffodils blooming on south walls all over town, while the crocuses in shady parts of the garden have yet to open. Tulipa biflora is blooming its head off at the Gardens (the white Iranian form). Spring is defnitely sprung!

[Hoy]

Our sun is so intense that there are daffodils blooming on south walls all over town, while the crocuses in shady parts of the garden have yet to open. Tulipa biflora is blooming its head off at the Gardens (the white Iranian form). Spring is definitely sprung!

That's the difference between your climate and mine! Although the spring is definitely sprung here too, the sun is low in the sky and not intense at all. Today we reached the 10C mark for the first time this year But H.niger and others of the genus are in flower and a lot of others too.

[Hoy]

No garden plant today but a wild plant I found two or three years ago. First find ever in Norway! It is more common further south and I think it also are found in North America. Summer-flowering.

[McDonough]

No garden plant today but a wild plant I found two or three years ago. First find ever in Norway! It is more common further south and I think it also are found in North America. Summer-flowering.

A pretty plant.  The extent of its distribution seems vaguely reported.

Limonium vulgare, Mediterranean Sea lavender, found in 2 Canadian provinces
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LIVU3
...although disputed in the new online Flora of North America
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=118606

Distribution of L. vulgare is generally attributed to Western Europe and North Africa, although I found Russian web sites that report the species is there too.

Nice photos of L. vulgare here:
http://molbiol.ru/forums/uploads/a001/b007/post-12150-1159887673.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/71/195433996_cd13683c83.jpg?v=0
http://www.zoonar.de/img/www_repository2/f4/d9/58/10_6c96f6f4d8846382bd0a05466edb80e7.jpg

I have tried small rock garden species like bellidifolium and minutum in the past, but none lived long here 

[McDonough]

More open-pollinated Crocus chrysanthus hybrids, I do like these very much (so do the bees, and in this case, a fly).

[Lori S.]

Seeing the suggestion that Limonium vulgare occurs in Saskatchewan and Ontario (a very peculiar and nontypical distribution for Canadian species), I was surprised and had to take a closer look... It's actually introduced.   It's described as a "waif" - "an ephemeral introduction, not persistently naturalized".

I think this (status: introduced) would explain the apparent "dispute" with eFlora of NA.

OK, I can rest easy again... LOL!