Image of the day

[IMYoung]

The wide "pagoda" shape of the Symphyandra zangezura flowers in PK's photo are scrumptious. Is that typical? I've never grown it...

Maggi

[externmed]

Gardens look a bit shabby, but some plants keep their own schedules.  One year in garden, colchicum in full sun.  Planted about 6  cultivars as are readily available, so far others appear disappointing.  Lithuanian Bulb garden listed some new ones this year, so something to think about in 2012.
Charles Swanson NE MA USA z6A +/-

[RickR]

Wonderful color and nice tessellation on that one, Charles. 

How many bulbs is that, and what cultivar is it?

[externmed]

Ok, sorry I'm terrible with keeping track-- someday I'll do better, I hope.   I'll go digging for the label, hopefully I can find.  Unfortunately there are other diggers in the garden.  Planted one bulb a year ago -- guessing 2 bulbs now. 

I've always grown Colchicums in sun, inspite of the directions for part shade.  Does anyone know how they grow in the wild?  Growing Corydalis solida in full sun too.  Though NE USA springs are hardly "full sun".

Charles

[externmed]

Think it's Colchicum  Disraeli

[RickR]

Well that one, or a cultivar like it, has leaped into my want list.  I only grow C. agrippinum (or x agrippinum), but have a dozen or so little bulbs that now flower each year.  None have emerged this late summer yet...

[gerrit]

Todd: I believe your Symphyandra is armena and not zangezura...
It is a very lovely plant, don't get me wrong. But it is biennial. Symphyandra zangezura is the only perennial I know of in this genus (which has been sunk back into campanula I believe...we can ignore that).  S. zangezura has really distinctive wider than taller lyre like leaves.

I am posting what I believe is the correct S. zangezura first. Second is Symphyandra wanneri, one of my faves...

This is Campanula (Symphyandra) zangezura.
The first 2 pictures are taken in the Botanical Garden, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The last 2 pictures are taken in my garden.
This Campanula is biennial, but easily sowing out in the garden. You will never lose it.
It's origin is Armenia.

[WimB]

Wow, Gerrit, love your third picture, very nice!

[gerrit]

Dank u Wim.

Campanula zangezura is a 'forgotten' species. A plant from 'the good old days', a 'grandmother's' plant. Mine grows for decades in my garden and I nearly had forgotten it. I thought it was as common just like weed, until I discovered, that nobody knew this plant.
Part of the problem, C.zangezura is biennial. Most people don't want that. They prefer the modern perennials with spectacular colors, big flowers and a short flowering period. Many of those new introductions disappear after a few years. The money in the pockets of the breeder.
I can recommend everybody this species. Put it on the edge of an embankment, in order to let the lovely bells hang over. After a rainy period the plant looks somewhat sad, but after some days with sunshine he recovers quickly. Blooming period: several months. Look out for seedlings, you will find them everywhere, store them in a pot and plant them in the fall, for a new generation.
I donated a lot of seed to the SRGC-seeddistribution so you can obtain this easily germinating seed there.

[Tim Ingram]

This is one of the most remarkable plants I have ever seen - Philesia magellanica at the Logan Botanic Garden in south-west Scotland. Logan is exceptionally mild, much like many of the Cornish and Irish gardens and has a wondrous collection of plants, especially species from the Southern Hemisphere. It has a very isolated position on the peninsula pointing down towards the Isle of Man and Ireland and has to be one of the best kept secrets in Scotland, a land renowned for its gardens. A few other highlights are the fine collection of Blechnum ferns, the Andean tree Polylepis australis and some restrained and attractive use of stone. More images on the AGS website.

[Tony Willis]

Tim interesting you enjoyed seeing the philesia in that when we visited Logan about 30 years ago it is one of the plants we remember there. I have it in flower in the garden at the moment where it survived last winter when all my lapageria were killed outside.

[Todd Boland]

I grew C. zangezura last year...I think they came from the AGS seed exchange.  Several flowered this year but others did not, instead they put on a second season of leaves...they should be very impressive next year.  I hope those that flowered this year self-seed.  I never heard of this one but I must say it puts on a great display for at least 2 months.

[Hoy]

All my Colchium flowers are completely damaged by heavy rain! On the bright side: All reservoirs are filled to the brim and electricity costs are all time low - less than a cent per kWh

I remember Polylepis woods along rivers high up in the Andes in Ecuador. They seemed frost tolerant there but they experienced low temperatures during nightime and high temps during daytime. I wonder how they had fared here?

I have tried Philesia several times at home but they succumb in hard winters. Now I have several seedlings waiting for coming to age. They are slow growers.
Philesia seedling:

[Toole]

Seeing the wonderful Philesea pic Tim was a trigger for me consider repotting my plant--i only get a small number of flowers each season ,maybe it needs releasing ......
Cuttings taken from the runners that come up at the edge of the pot I find like your seeds Hoy ,to be very slow.

While weeding the garden this morning i came across a pleasant surprise---a seed pod of Lilium mackliniae which i had over looked during the autumn clean up.........

Cheers Dave

[McDonough]

Great find! And they're already germinating! I'm sure you gave those seeds an assist