What do you see on your garden walks?

[cohan]

Carduncellus... Do they elongate the flower stem in seed as many others do?

No, C. pinnatus stays flat as a pancake.  I have been collecting and sending seeds to the seedexes from it, though there was a discussion over at the SRGC forum that suggested that the seed of this species or possibly of a closely-related one was not generally fertile for some reason.  On that note, I did try germinating fresh seed with no success.  I had in mind to cross pollinate the different plants, but as of this spring, the one out in the front yard is gone... so much for that then.   

I think I remember that discussion about the fertility... odd...

[RickR]

Naw, I just do it for fun, mostly.  But the one thing that I am really trying for is transferring the ruffly foliage of L. tsingtauense into the martagon genes.  And one would think anything crossed with L. majoense would be interesting.  Despite the copious pollen production, it hasn't been a very willing partner....

          

[Lori S.]

A worthy goal - that foliage is very attractive. L. majoense is gorgeous too.

A few things today...
Telesonix jamesii var. heucherifolium; first bloom starting on Chaenactis alpina, bought this spring; Ajuga lupulina (seeds from Pavelka: "4500m, Shaluli Shan, Sichuan, China; mat-forming, purple-red bracts, 10-15cm, screes, stoney slopes; very showy; 2008 seed"); Spiraea decumbens:
     

Dianthus petraeus ssp. noeanus is a very nice tight bun; more Asyneuma limonifolium:
 

Elsewhere...
Eriogonum flavum (x2); Gillenia trifoliata:
 

[Peter George]

Lori, by the end of this summer, you'll have shown up photographs of somewhere around 60% of all rock garden plants currently in the hobby. Astounding how well you're growing the HUGE variety of desirable plants.

[RickR]

Lori, tht Chaenactis alpina looks scrumptious.  Just imagine what it will be like if it gets bigger!  I'll bet that Ajuga lupulina is long lasting in color, too.  And the Asyneuma limonifolium is particularly floriferous.  Are they always that way?

[Lori S.]

Peter, the conditions here seem to be quite good for growing alpines... we humans (well, me, especially  ) may gripe about the wretched climate, etc.,  but alpines and perennials (those tolerant of drier conditions) do seem to like it!  
But if only the local experts would show us what they are growing, it would instantly be made clear that I am only dabbling in rock gardening!!! I am utterly astounded when I am so fortunate as to visit those gardens and see the incredible varieties of species and the superbly-grown plants.  Thank you so much for the kind words, nevertheless!   In the world of rock gardening, there are so many interesting species to grow, it seems the possibilities are almost endless.

Rick, yes, I expect the coloured bracts on Ajuga lupulina, which preceded the flowers, will remain showy long after the blooms are gone, too.  I really like Asyneuma limonifolium but I can't tell you much about it.  It bloomed marvellously last year too, in the year after it was grown from seed.  The species is said to like limestone substrates, and it does seems to like growing in the tufa garden particularly.  Some others that I planted in a much less calcareous crevice garden are much smaller and less floriferous.

[cohan]

I also like the Chaenactis.. I remember looking at something in this genus, maybe on Alplains list?

[Lori S.]

Here are a couple more shots of Chaenactis alpina from today for those of us, like myself, to whom this plant is unfamiliar:
 

Scutellaria orientalis ssp. alpina (x2); Anthyllis vulneraria; promising buds on Inula acaulis ssp. caulescens (x2):

     

[Lori S.]

Gypsophila silenoides (x2); Silene alpestris; update on the amazingly hardy Osteospermum barberiae var. compactum 'Purple Mountain':
     

Lindelofia anchusoides (left) and Lindelofia longiflora (right) (same arrangement in the close-ups).  And, yes, I thought they were the same too at first glance but they are actually different in some flower details...
     

Astrantia major; Stachys macrantha:
 

[Lori S.]

It's summer! 
Heuchera 'Petite Ruby Frills'; Dracocephalum ruyschiana; Heuchera 'Canyon Duet'; Ligularia macrophylla:
     

Verbascum eriophorum (x2);  Verbascum x phoeniceum:
     

Fuzzy buds... now opening on Lilium martagon...
 

[Lori S.]

A few things...
Ajuga lupulina update; Stachys discolor, a Caucasus native (x2); Campanula barbata - these "biennials" are now 6 years old - probably safe to say it is a perennial strain!; Saponaria suendermanii:
     

[Tim Ingram]

Apart from campanulas most of the alpines in our garden are coming to the end of their flowering. However, going out to look at the sand bed in struck me how good foliage is in many of these plants, and important in the garden for much longer than the flowers we love so much. So a few (quite a few!) examples:

Arenaria tetraquetra
Raoulia australis
Ewartia planchonii
Stachys citrina
Helichrysum milfordiae
Teucrium musimonum

[Tim Ingram]

Lupinus albifrons collinus
Astragalus angustifolius
Centaurea cineraria (gymnocarpa)
Leucanthemum hosmariense
Salvia cyanescens
Anthemis marschalliana
Erodium celtibericum
Aquilegia scopulorum

[Tim Ingram]

Alyssum strbryni
Callianthemum anemonoides
Dryas octopetala 'Minor'
Petrophyton hendersonii
Androsace muscoidea
Aciphylla aurea
Verbascum dumulosum

All these are on a relatively small bed in our front garden! (Apologies for showing so many but I just wanted to show the wonderful variety, even out of flower - something not often stressed to those gardeners outside the alpine world).

[Hoy]

Trond, I'm echoing the other comments on how nice Galium vernum looks... and the fragrance sounds wonderful.  Does it spread rapidly or is it fairly contained?

Lori, sorry I haven't answered yet but I am on holiday - when I write this I am in Los Rocques, Venezuela. Have visited the tepuy Roraima and will show pictures later. A lot of rock plants but not suited for gardens in cold climate!

The Galium verum spreads when given a free root run but can grow in cracks as well and behave more reasonable. Regarding the fragrance - it is not like lilies but for me - it is summer. I suppose the odor is more like cumarin.