Garden Visits - what inspires you!

[McDonough]

Stunning imagery Cliff!  The Meconopsis and orchid colonies are spectacular, as are the Allium and Phlomis masses.  I like the positive/negative composition on the Ness Rose.  In the red and blue color combo, is that Corydalis elata/omeiana and Phygelius?

Cliff, if you're ok with the idea, I'd like to move your postings on the Ness Garden to the Garden Visits thread, what do you think?

[Booker]

Cliff, if you're ok with the idea, I'd like to move your postings on the Ness Garden to the Garden Visits thread, what do you think?

No problem whatsoever, Mark ... I have quite a number of images still to post so it would probably make sense!

Thanks for the kind comments.

[McDonough]

The Ness Garden topic started by Cliff Booker has been merged with this topic; Re: Garden Visits - what inspires you!
Portions of responses from Hoy (Trond) and Skulski (Lori) are reproduced here, sorry about them being out of sequence, I'll have to hone my Moderator skills at reassmbling portions of one topic into another.

Message by Hoy (Trond):
Cliff, when I look at the picture of Ness Garden and then look out of my window I get a bad conscience! Anybody willing to give a hand? I can keep the food!

Message by Skulski (Lori):
I love those first 2 troughs, particularly... The first is wonderfully craggy, and they seem so nicely aged, with all the lichen and moss on the sides.  (Ugghh, I must redo my own pitiful efforts!  )

[McDonough]

Following up with the garden of Peter George in Central Massachusetts, Northeastern USA, I get a chance to see and photograph Peter's garden when we team up to drive out to the western edge of the Massachusetts to attend Berkshire Chapter NARGS meetings. In a recent visit, several species of Orostachys were making a weird and wonderful show.  What's not to like about these fascinating hardy succulents, of similar effect in spring and summer as Sempervivum, but with more airy and effuse rosettes of subtle earth tones.  But it is the otherworldly flower spires in autumn, with bumble bees seemingly glued to them, that really set these plants apart.

1-2   Orostachys aggregata - long slightly sinuous spikes of white flowers flushing to rose once fertilized.

3      O. fimbriata - bright colored rosettes in sunset shades, and long flower spike with orange-tipped spikey cauline leaves
                          along the stem. Peter tells me this species is a biennial and should seed around to perpetuate itself.

4-8   O. iwarenge - a familiar plant but a total pleasure in the garden, small rounded glaucous leaves make a forest of little
                          creamy yellow rocket-like flower spikes in autumn, these peppered with dark anthers, holding irresistible
                          fascination for bees.

9-10 O. iwarenge - for comparison, two views of the silvery olive rosettes in mid August... for some reason they remind me of
                          swarming ant colonies.

[James R.]

Great Pics!!! 

[Hoy]

...and great plants! 
I have never seen those in any Norwegian garden. You say they are completely hardy, Mark? Strange then nobody seems to grow them here.

[Peter George]

Orostachys are among the hardiest of plants. There are 13 species, of which I grow 5 at the moment, and one species, O. spinosa, can survive down to -40 F. They are even able to photosynthesize under snow cover! All you need to grow them successfully is a small amount of soil/sand (they grow successfully in 1 inch of soil, some sun and intermittent moisture. They are an Asian genus, originating in Japan, China and Mongolia, so water is not a big issue. They are monocarpic, and most develop offsets so you always have plenty of rosettes that are not blooming. O. fimbriata does not make offsets but seeds around quite nicely, giving you plenty of new plants the next year. Over the years the only problem I've had with them is keeping them under control. They are so beautiful and strange, that I have a lot of trouble disposing (that means composting them) of the excess. You should have absolutely no problem growing them, especially on your shed roof.

[Hoy]

Orostachys are among the hardiest of plants. There are 13 species, of which I grow 5 at the moment, and one species, O. spinosa, can survive down to -40 F. They are even able to photosynthesize under snow cover! All you need to grow them successfully is a small amount of soil/sand (they grow successfully in 1 inch of soil, some sun and intermittent moisture. They are an Asian genus, originating in Japan, China and Mongolia, so water is not a big issue. They are monocarpic, and most develop offsets so you always have plenty of rosettes that are not blooming. O. fimbriata does not make offsets but seeds around quite nicely, giving you plenty of new plants the next year. Over the years the only problem I've had with them is keeping them under control. They are so beautiful and strange, that I have a lot of trouble disposing (that means composting them) of the excess. You should have absolutely no problem growing them, especially on your shed roof.

Thanks Peter. What you tell make me wonder why these very fine plants are not more grown here. I have never seen them, neither in gardens nor in nurseries. An internet search gave some Danish retailers but no Norwegian.

What a tragedy to compost such plants! Put them in an envelope and mail them to me!

[James R.]

I was just wondering are they as temperamental to winter wet as I have heard. I rains here all winter we rarely get snow and if we do, "it is for a day or two" just intermittent frosts all winter with rain, rain, rain and more rain then no rain all summer (well except this summer  .Thanks

[Peter George]

I have them growing in three different locations with 3 entirely different soil mixes. In the shady areas of my garden (which are very rocky and on a fairly gentle slope), they are growing in pure sand. In my large, relatively flat area which gets sun from 8 to 7 during the late spring and summer, the soil is a gravelly mix with very good drainage. In my tallest bed, which has large rocks and a 5 foot drop on 2 sides, they are growing in about 1-2 inches of gravel and sand on top of a 5 foot slab of granite, about 1 foot off the ground. Regardless of the weather they all have thrived. We have had virtually snow-less winters, and winters which have started in late Oct. and no melt until late March. And the Orostachys have always come through. Given their low cost, and the fact that you can keep a few in a pot indoors to make sure you don't lose them all, I'd try them in a gravel/sand mix in full sun in an elevated situation. I think you'll do fine.

[RickR]

I grow Delosperma nubigenum and D. basuticum in the same place as Orostachys spinosa.  While I have at times had winter wet problems with the Delosperma, the Orostachys always comes through fine.

[Howey]

I like the idea of overwintering Orostachys in a pot indoors for various reasons - like preventing too much winter wet, having a temporary closeup view on the kitchen table during meals before replacing them outside and, I do this when something seems to be dwindling away, like my Orostachys spinosa.  My present little stand is situated under a dwarf Elm, in gravelly sand on a south facing slope but, after 5 or 6 years, appears to be barely hanging on.  I do love them - they look like little soldiers all in a row. Another one that puzzles me is Zauschneria californica which, after several years of bloom in what I thought was the perfect spot, also seems to be dying out - not a single bloom this year. Perhaps it is time to dig up and divide some of these or - if that doesn't work, starting them again from seed - although I don't think I have come across seed for O. spinosa on any of the lists?  Fran

[Hoy]

Garden Visits - what inspires me! I have to say that mother nature herself inspires me as much as any garden I visit.
I do not remember if I have showed this before but I came across it when looking for another picture.
Picture taken on a walk on Mt Nemrut, July 27 2009 not far from Lake Van, Turkey.

[Booker]

The picture could do with a bit more colour, Trond!!!   

Absolutely magnificent sight (and site)!

On my 'must visit' list now ...

[Hoy]

I did my best, Cliff, here's near by: At least the sky is blue!