What do you see on your garden walks? 2012

Cohan; I was unable to get Ranunculus ficaria going in my giant sand bed of a yard despite its aggressive reputation. The Mertensia has been around for a while and does reseed. Both probably like wet soil at least in spring. The Ranunculus probably likes it heavy.

I don't think R ficaria grows in a (dry) sand bed :o
They prefere moist soil at least in the spring, then summer drought is no problem. It is two different forms though, one spreads by seeds (no bulblets) and the other by bulblets (no seeds). My plants are mostly the bulblet-type, except the pale one.

Your garden shots are something to enjoy too, Charles! So is your Genista, Anne!

Although all the rhododendron flowers were damaged in early April frost the buds were not.

Here are two. Rh lanatum 'Muncaster Castle' and an hybrid of unknown parentage. The flower truss looks small but that's due to the very big leaves!

For the first time in three years the ivy managed to ripen the berries. They flower late fall and are pollinated mostly by flies etc. The birds do eat the fruits and spread the seeds.

cohan wrote:

This Thlaspi actually looks something like the only one we have here (the weed)  ;D --I know this one is smaller and cuter with bigger flowers, though the one I saw blooming a week or more back was actually very tiny..lol

Many years ago, I almost grew Thlaspi arvensis (our native weed) on purpose, before I realized what it was. :D  I have to say, though, that the seed pods do look nice in a dried floral arrangement.

Anne, those genistas are truly spectacular.  Thanks for showing them off.  It would be a travesty to keep them all to yourself!
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More from the garden:

     Stylophorum diphyllum and Mertensia alpina alba
       

     Convallaria majalis 'Aureo-striatum'
             

     Fibigia eriocarpa and Fibigia clypeata
       [

     An older Fibigia clypeata
             

     Thermopsis fabacea and Pulmonaria 'Silver Streams'
       

     Peltoboykinia watanabei
             

I am usually not fan of variegated plants but the Convallaria seems to be worth an exception!

I also like those Peltoboykinia leaves!!

Aureo-striatum Lily of the Valley is not a very stable cultivar.  Every year I cut out reversions.  Consequently, it increases slowly.

Fibigia clypeata I keep around for dried arrangements.  The seedpod "windows" are quite ornamental.  Fibigia eriocarpa I am trying just to see how it is different.  This is its first year blooming - not too impressive, I might add.

Fran, I also grow Ranunculus gramineus and love the way the sharp yellow flowers seem to float above the surrounding plants.  It introduces a new level in the garden and self sows, but not aggressively.  I used to have Viola aetolica which always self-sowed, but it seems to have disappeared or been taken over, too bad.

Rick: I couldn't see any difference in the Fibigias when I grew them - have now lost them - they self-sowed a few years here..

Thanks for the that, Stephen.  The F. eriocarpa does grow in drier and heavier clay soil than the others.  The photos are not a perfect comarison, and this is only the second year from seed for F. eriocarpa, while I have grown F. clypeata for many years.

Tim (or anyone), PM me if you would like clypeata seed.  I can send it off right now, if you like, rather than waiting for fresh batch of seed.

Some great plants!  You are ALL ahead of me...including Lori.  We have had 1-3 C for a week now and everything is in suspended animation.  After a record warm April, looks like a record cold May!

Rick, love the foliage on that Peltoboykinia...I have a few seedlings up so keeping my fingers crossed.

Only new alpine opening at the moment is Arabis flaviflora...not yellow as you would think but with a lovely yellow centre.

Oh my, Lori!  I had no idea about the Buciniczia!  Somehow, I had the idea that it was only hardy to zone 6.  It is pretty unknown here.  I have only seen it once before in someone annual container garden, and also sold as such at a nursery.

Incidentally, after she saw my post on the Forum, Shirley mentioned that she had kept another in her cold frame for "back up", but the stem rotted at the soil line.
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An update with Fargesia rufa:
The drought that continued from late August until two weeks ago took its toll.  Despite the ridiculously warm winter, practically every leaf dried up.

So this is the first year that I have decided to treat it as an herbaceous plant, and I cut everything to the ground.  As these bamboos do every year, new culms are generated profusely.  

Many of the stalks themselves were still alive and green.  As I removed them, I notice that they would make nice fillers for dried floral arrangements.  

RickR wrote:

An update with Fargesia rufa:
The drought that continued from late August until two weeks ago took its toll.  Despite the ridiculously warm winter, practically every leaf dried up.
So this is the first year that I have decided to treat it as an herbaceous plant, and I cut everything to the ground.  As these bamboos do every year, new culms are generated profusely.  
Many of the stalks themselves were still alive and green.  As I removed them, I notice that they would make nice fillers for dried floral arrangements.  

Had you left them where they were I think they had produced new leaves. But they are pretty in floral arrangements too ;)

Todd wrote:

Some great plants!  You are ALL ahead of me...including Lori.  We have had 1-3 C for a week now and everything is in suspended animation.  After a record warm April, looks like a record cold May!

Rick, love the foliage on that Peltoboykinia...I have a few seedlings up so keeping my fingers crossed.

Only new alpine opening at the moment is Arabis flaviflora...not yellow as you would think but with a lovely yellow centre.

Todd, don't despire! You are in front of me! We had an record warm March but since it has been cold. Last night we even had another hailstorm and it is still heaps of hail out there  (9AM).
Only some of the earlier Primulas have started flowering and many plants are, as you say, in suspended animation. Some hasn't changed much in two weeks.

Yes, Trond.  The green stalks would have produced leaves, and even the brown ones, if they act like other years, turn greener as spring progresses.  But the crispy brown secondary "branches" remain, and are unsightly well into summer because growth is poor, comapared to new culms.  Normally I cut them back the old stalks by about half, and even then in the summer, I often end up removing them in favor of the much fresher, robust, and better looking new culms.

Lots going on in the garden now but I need someone PLEASE to identify this gorgeous astragalus.  Are you listening, Panayoti?

Rick, my Fargesia muriale also took a beating this winter but its not as brown as yours, so I am hopeful it will re-leaf.  I was given a small rufa last summer...I overwintered it in  a coldframe and it appears completely dead...I'll hold on to it a while longer to see if it resurrects like yours.

Lots going on here in May. Here's a few things as they stand right now: 002 is Armeria caespitosa, Aubrieta and Forget-me-nots:

003 is Phlox 'Lemhi Midnight'.

004 is Primula 'Wanda' always a dependable spot of bright color.

010 is Eriogonum umbellatum 'Porteri' recommended to me by Anne Spiegel at the Stonecrop sale a few years ago.

018 is Anemone 'Blue Eyes'. Wood Anemones do good here once they finally get going (2-3 years).

036 is draba rigida 'bryoides'; Erysimum 'Orange Flame' and a little cosmos of Androsace. At the very top are Ajuga reptans amid Cimicifuga 'Brunette'. But there's also lots of Dandelions and the birds have planted Garlic Mustard; dear gentle little creatures.

Looks like you're doing very well with the Eriogonum umb.  porteri.  I see lots of flower heads developing.

Lots of gems there, Bundraba! I have several Erigoniums from seed now but not that one ;)

Cohan, nice Crocus! I think it is a flavus, can't imagine such deep yellow vernus.
BTW, it is still much snowsome places. A couple of hours drive from here it is still more than 1meter!

Penstemon nitidus & Tulipa batalinii

Astragalus newberryi var. castoreus

[attach thumb=2]

Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. albispinus

[attach thumb=3]

Spiegel wrote:

Lots going on in the garden now but I need someone PLEASE to identify this gorgeous astragalus.  Are you listening, Panayoti?

John, Michael, Lori: some great plants being shown here; I've only had time for a quick browse.  Cohan, glad to see that spring has finally arrived in your area and the crocus are blooing. 

Anne, the Astragalus sp is gorgeous, one the more concise and appealing peas I've seen, the foliage is wonderful.  To help narrow down possibilities, do you know the source of the plant, or a seed source.  If it could be narrowed down to a particular State, then searching for an ID would be easier.

I saw your post on SRGC too.  

For a peak at the work Anne is doing expanding her natural rock outcrop areas, take a look here:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=4656.msg245780#msg245780

McDonough wrote:

Spiegel wrote:

Lots going on in the garden now but I need someone PLEASE to identify this gorgeous astragalus.  Are you listening, Panayoti?

John, Michael, Lori: some great plants being shown here; I've only had time for a quick browse.  Cohan, glad to see that spring has finally arrived in your area and the crocus are blooing. 

Anne, the Astragalus sp is gorgeous, one the more concise and appealing peas I've seen, the foliage is wonderful.  To help narrow down possibilities, do you know the source of the plant, or a seed source.  If it could be narrowed down to a particular State, then searching for an ID would be easier

Mark, I wish I knew the source.  It's the only one I have so probably I didn't grow it from seed.  Have checked my records and not found anything I purchased that could be this one.  I've had it a few years and it just keeps getting better and better.  The foliage is furry and fabulous and each year it is more floriferous.  I'm reasonably certain it's not american, but Panayoti might prove me wrong.  The problem is that it hasn't made pods yet so I've not been able to collect any seed.  It makes me very nervous to have only one plant.  PLEASE, someone identify this wonderful astragalus.

Spiegel wrote:

McDonough wrote:

Spiegel wrote:

Lots going on in the garden now but I need someone PLEASE to identify this gorgeous astragalus.  Are you listening, Panayoti?

John, Michael, Lori: some great plants being shown here; I've only had time for a quick browse.  Cohan, glad to see that spring has finally arrived in your area and the crocus are blooing. 

Anne, the Astragalus sp is gorgeous, one the more concise and appealing peas I've seen, the foliage is wonderful.  To help narrow down possibilities, do you know the source of the plant, or a seed source.  If it could be narrowed down to a particular State, then searching for an ID would be easier

Mark, I wish I knew the source.  It's the only one I have so probably I didn't grow it from seed.  Have checked my records and not found anything I purchased that could be this one.  I've had it a few years and it just keeps getting better and better.  The foliage is furry and fabulous and each year it is more floriferous.  I'm reasonably certain it's not american, but Panayoti might prove me wrong.  The problem is that it hasn't made pods yet so I've not been able to collect any seed.  It makes me very nervous to have only one plant.  PLEASE, someone identify this wonderful astragalus.

I have been intrigued by Anne's lovely Astragalus, which I thought was an American species and have been  wondering where I have seen something like it.
Now  with Anne's latest remarks, I wonder if it might be a Turkish species?
Mojmir Pavelka has shown a little furry yellow species which he calls Astragalus pelliger... though I think that is not a fully accepted name... have a look at this plant from Dedegol Dag in  the IRG  #23 - page 7......
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Nov241322170676IRG_23_-_November2...

;)

Penstemon duchesnensis

Echinocereus bonkerae

IMYoung wrote:

I have been intrigued by Anne's lovely Astragalus, which I thought was an American species and have been  wondering where I have seen something like it.
Now  with Anne's latest remarks, I wonder if it might be a Turkish species?
Mojmir Pavelka has shown a little furry yellow species which he calls Astragalus pelliger... though I think that is not a fully accepted name... have a look at this plant from Dedegol Dag in  the IRG  #23 - page 7......
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Nov241322170676IRG_23_-_November2...

;)

In my flora of Turkey it's abad picture of a plant named Astragalus pelliger, not unlike yours Anne. However the flowerheads seem to be larger but they are quite similar. So are the leaves.

Here is my unnamed Tukish Astragalus in situ. Didn't find any seeds :-\

John, you have some really beautiful plants!

Although the weather has been rather cold the last weeks some plants have started flowering about on time.

The summer dormant Geranium macrostylum starts in May and continue about two months before it goes completely dormant. The wallflower (Erysimum cheirii, syn Cheiranthus cheirii) is biennial but selfsow around. The fragrant shrub Osmanthus burkwoodii spread its intoxicating odour all over the garden!

Ribes sanguineum flowers for about one month. So do Chaenomeles japonica. Neither have any detectable scent however. Pieris 'Forest Flame' doesn't have any fragrance either. The tree peony P rockii is "pregnant" with 50 flowers!

Not a bad start, Cohan!
I agree that it is A ranunculoides and a Cardamine. Maybe C. dentaria ;)

Beautiful display Bundraba!

Lori you are right on par with me.  That Rheum is a gem and I love the Arabis androsacea.

Here are some 'woodlanders' blooming today.