Re: Image of the day - 2013

Really nice colour form!

Beautiful thing. I grew it for about three years but then managed to lose it. Must try it again. Your picture reminds me just how nice it is.

Mentzelia laevicaulis, Queen of the highway:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/blazingstar_zps3c8f8...

Townsendia spathulata from the Pryors starting to bloom:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Tspathpryors1-1_zps1...

Physaria didymocarpa surrounded by its inflated fruit:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Physariadidymocarpa_...

A cautious Townsendia spathulata 'cottonbal form' on a cold spring day:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/cottonballwild1-1_zp...

all stunning plants and beautiful images, Brian - the Mentzelia is lovely- I've looked at some species on Alplains list, not sure if it's the same one.
That T 'cottonball' is always amazing!

Exceptional plants and images, Brian.

Mentzelia laevicaulis is a late summer favorite of mine. I only wish it would stay open through the day but it is stunning to see at dusk and dawn.

Great pics to start off the New Year!
All these are "allowed entry" into Australia as seed so I'll be on the lookout ;D
Where did I put that link to Alplains? ;D
cheers
fermi

Weiser wrote:

Mentzelia laevicaulis is a late summer favorite of mine. I only wish it would stay open through the day but it is stunning to see at dusk and dawn.

That is something to bear in mind.. in contrast to my days of city life, here I am not out at dusk (or later) much in summer (dawn? seriously? ;) ) since that time of day belongs squarely to the mosquitoes! (winter is another matter, since I often finish outdoor tasks near that early dark).. May be frustrating to have flowers I could never see open....

Greetings,

Alplains has seed from Mentzelia involucrata, a low growing annual from California.  Here in Montana, both Mentzelia laevicaulis and M. decapetala are common on dry rocky roadcuts.  Both are night blooming, although the flowers last longer if the day is overcast.  

A few more photos:

Delphinium bicolor ssp. calcicola

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Delph...

Oenothera caespitosa from the back:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/218_z...

Calochortus nuttallii.  They are primarily pollinated by beetles.  Just a guess ;)

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/caloc...

Argemone polyanthemos:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Prick...

Oenothera caespitosa in the red soils of the Pryors:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/eveni...
Mentzelia decapetala in the evening:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/mentz...

Very nice! :D

Beautiful blue on the D. bicolor ssp. calcicola. Does it have a summer dormancy period?

I love the prickly poppies we have Aregmone munita ssp. rotundata out here. They do live up to their moniker well. With such a prickly nature yet sporting those delicate crepe flowers, another biannual well worth growing.

The Metzelias are another group that live up to their nickname "blazingstar". You took an exceptionally nice photo I must say.

All gorgeous! the Oenothera seems to have very pleasing foliage as well..

A little less warm and inspiring than Brian's series! here's a few quick and  chilly views from this morning... Probably somewhere below -20C when I took these..

.... and here's me finding it difficult to cope with single but high end centigrade figures ;D

My mother would have said that "the trees are in their party frocks"

It's all relative, David, all relative...lol This should be a short cold spell- yesterday and today, high of -10 tomorrow, and forecast +6 by Tuesday- we'll see! We still haven't had anything below -30C- barely that even- so really nothing extreme for us, and just a medium snowfall yesterday (maybe 12-15cm) no blizzard like many places in the last few days..

John- good phrase! It's among my favourite looks for the trees..

Brian, those images are stunning...I am in love with that Townsendia.

Here is an image of Soldanella alpina growing in the wilds of the Pyrenees, Spain.

Nice one, todd- do you have any idea whether those grasses get tall over the summer or whether they are naturally small or even grazed or something?

Soldanella montana is a nice plant and one I actually do grow in my woodland.

But I fell in love with Brian's two Mentzelia species although they possibly are a little too big for the typical rock garden. Brian, have you tried them in the garden? They seem drought tolerant but do they tolerate more rain?

And of course, the Townsendia is lovely and I like the blue Delphinium too.

After 3 weeks with spring weather up to +9C we are back to the realty of winter - and uncommonly sunny, very cold (that is -6C today!) and no wind. No party frocks on the trees though :-\

In lack of motifs in the garden I dug out this Spruce from last summer:

Nice photos everyone.  We recently had a big snow storm, and cohan's photos are perfect.  

John,

Delphinium bicolor ssp. calcicola is endemic to southern Montana and has a similar dormancy as the typical species (although it blooms later).  It is distinguished by its larger flowers, bright blue sepals and petals that lack veins.  

The prickly poppies are one of my favorite plants.  We have A. polyanthemos here, but its not too common.  Last summer I found some beautiful prickly poppies growing in sandy soil.  They were much shorter than A. polyanthemos (but with the same large flowers) and had deeply lobed blue/grey leaves that were covered with fine hairs.  I identified them as A. hispida, a plant that grows in southern Wyoming, Colorado and Utah.  This smaller species would be more suitable for the rock garden.  http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/sites/wrightmanalpines.com/files/A140%20Argemone%20hispida19.JPG

Both Mentzelia species can grow quite tall, but around here M. laevicaulis is usually under 24 inches.  Last summer, I collected seed from M. pumila in the Pryor mountains.  These have lemon yellow flowers and are usually 12 inches tall.  Of course, with the smaller size comes smaller flowers.  http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/flowers/blazing_star/blazingstar_flower2_lge.jpg

A few more:

Stanleya tomentosa weaving its way up through a juniper skeleton:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/318_z...

Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Clema...

Opuntia polyacantha:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/opunt...

Lewisia rediviva in black shale:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/brtbl...

A "cottonball" during late summer.  I think there are about 7 rosettes hidden under the wool:
(Moderator: Townsendia spathulata "Pryor Mountains Form")

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Cotto...

Fritillaria atropurpurea

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Frita...

Beautiful photos, in particular, Fritillaria atropurpurea is to die for, great vantage point looking up into the flowers. 

Brian: I added a plant name to the "cottonball" photo so that the name can be searched on the forum; hope I got the name correct.

Well here some salmon seals which grow in Holland in the dunes
Polygonatum odoratum var odoratum RBGG Dunes Noordwijk
These differs from the more known Polygonatum odoratum var japonicum by having much bigger flowers and berries.
Also the perfume is much stronger
Of-course the names aren't legitimate
but I don't agree with the simple name for both as Polygonatum odoratum
there are to many differences
and they don't exist in an area over 10.000 km

Roland

Editor note: NB. Just adding "Solomon's seal" to allow searching on the common name for Polygonatum.

Re: Mentzelia- the species on the Alplains list right now doesn't have quite the fancy flowers of the big boys, but is still very nice, and at 9cm tall, well within rock garden size!
http://www.alplains.com/images/MentzelInvolu.JPG

Brian, I think you should consider a special thread for your habitat photos- it would be a great resource for the forum for folks to be able to find all/many of your shots in one place- maybe in plant travels, or desert alpines, wherever they seem to you to fit...
The Stanleya is interesting, I've only seen S pinnata..
http://www.alplains.com/images/StanleyPinn.jpg

Roland, nice Polygonatums, I guess these are growing in your nursery?

Yes Cohen
I found some nice selections

Roland

Hepatica  jap asahizuru
Hepatica japonica white
Hepatica nobilis blue with blue anthers.
Hepatica transsilvanica Mrs Elison Spence.

Beautiful Michael, and cracking images too. Same goes for the daffs.

Brian, beautiful plants everyone of them!

Michael, yours too! Hepatica is one of my favorite genera but I have not started to grow any of the more special ones.

Roland, your Polygonatum is very different from those growing here. Yours have a lot more flowers as you can see, here is the common wild form here:

Really interesting to see Stanleya tomentosa. This is mentioned by Dwight Ripley in one of his fascinating articles in the AGS Bulletin some 60 years ago, which bring parts of the US flora to life for the reader. I would agree with Cohan about a special thread for those photos - great to see for a gardener from a little island off the coast of Europe!

Hoy

That's one of the reasons that I don't agree
that all P. odoratum's are the same

Roland

Brian, your pictures are wonderful, but I especially like the combination of Lewisia rediviva with the black shale mulch.

bulborum wrote:

Hoy

That's one of the reasons that I don't agree
that all P. odoratum's are the same

Roland

D'accord!

Greetings,

This is an excellent thread with a lot of plant diversity.

Stanleya tomentosa:  endemic to the Pryor mountains/BigHorn basin desert in south central Montana and adjacent Wyoming.  This species is monocarpic, starting life as a simple rosette of fuzzy blue/green leaves before sending up a solitary inflorescence. 

Flower power:

I think this species would look spectacular scattered about in a dryland garden, or even a large rock garden.  In the pryors, they are common on the windswept limestone plateaus, growing among cushions plants.

Wow, impressive plant!  Brian, just how tall do you estimate that spire is. in that last photo?

Very cool indeed, Brian! Like Mark, I'm curious about the size.. this would be a very interesting plant to try..

Greetings,

The height of Stanleya tomentosa varies depending on conditions.  Usually around 3-6 feet tall is average.  The last one is exceptional and would be toward the taller end of the spectrum.  I sent seed of this species to the Denver Botanical Gardens.  I've been told that Mike Bone has a lot of experience propagating Stanleyas. 

A few more:

Seeing this makes me anticipate spring:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/pasqu...

Ipomopsis spicata var. orchidacea: VERY fragrant flowers

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/038_z...

Astragalus platytropis: a tiny species with wonderful pods

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Astra...

Almost white, with a blush of pink:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/brt2_...

A wee little Townsendia spathulata from the Pryors, rabbit dropping in lower left indicates size:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Tspat...

Escobaria vivipara, photo taken in the glaring sun:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/160_z...

Calochortus gunnisonii:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/085_z...

You really do post the most amazing pictures Brian.  8) 8) Inspirational,  :o ;D Thank you!

Another awesome batch! boy, that Townsendia really is tiny!

Really exiting pictures (and plants of course), Brian!

Glad you like the photos.  Here are a few more.

Oenothera caespitosa worshiping the moon:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/evepr...

Fritillaria atropurpurea, the sunlight makes the flowers glow like lanterns:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Frita...

Astragalus hyalinus in the Pryors:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/110_z...

Gentiana affinis, a common late-blooming woodland species:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/genti...

Castilleja angustifolia in the sun:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/paint...

...and in the rain:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/India...

Stuck in the nectar tube of Oenothera caespitosa:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/fined...

Free at last!

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/fined...

Townsendia spathulata 'cottonball form' at its fuzzy best:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/cotto...

Glorious photos Brian, Well done!! Give yourself a pat on the back for me!!

Pulsatilla patens the harbinger of spring on the Northern Great Plains!! Brings back lots of good memories!

Is Ipomopsis spicata biannual or perennial?

John,

From what I've observed, Ipomopsis spicata var. spicata is perennial and var. orchidacea is biannual.  Both are attractive plants, but I really like the long, tangled hairs on the stem and leaves of var. orchidacea.  

Brian

Kelseya floral explosion  :)

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Kelse...

Wyethia scabra, a plant from the deserts of the southwest, but a population has found a home in the red soils of the pryor mountains, having migrated north through the basin of central Wyoming.  I'll admit a certain fondness for these disheveled beauties:



http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/wyeth...

Penstemon nitidus in a jumble of boulders:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/rockg...

Another prickly poppy:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Prick...

Castilleja angustifolia:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/341_z...

Really great photos! I just want to work out how to transpose a little of the Pryor Mountains into my garden! A very large sand bed in the middle of the lawn? I need to reduce the rainfall by half and increase the light intensity and summer temperatures by 10°C - a glass covered bed might do it?

Penstemon nitidus in the early spring is always a welcome sight. I love the clear blue against the gray of the foliage. I am happy to say it seeds around for me and is long lived were it's roots can reach a touch of extra moisture, from a near by drip emitter.    

Kelseya how wonderful is that!!  :o Excuse me for a minute while I wipe the drool from my chin. :-[ There that's better.  ;)  Your photos of it always get my heart racing. Are you ever able to collect seed or have you ever tried cuttings. The way it clings to the cliff walls is extraordinary, seems to defy gravity!!

And to top it all off, there's a photo of a very nice pink Castilleja angustifolia. I think the syn. is Castilleja chromosa any way that is what we call it. I have encountered pink ones before but we see more fiery reds, bright oranges and lemon yellows

I was in the Bighorns this past July but didn't see anything like that Stanleya..impressive!  I was impressed enough with the Frasera.

I was able to grow Mentzelia decapetala in western Oregon in a bed of sandy loam 10" deep, on the south side of the house.  It's a big straggly thing, but it's one of my favorite plants.  They are biennial here.  But they set tons of seed.  However, the seed is very tricky to germinate, at least in this climate.  It will not self-sow in the sand bed.  I haven't figured out yet what it wants.  It likes to germinate in cool weather, but it's not reliable.  It is extremely difficult to transplant out of a pot, because the big taproot doesn't hold the soil together.

Is it a coincidence that nearly all of my favorite plants are nearly impossible to grow?

John,

Kelseya is a very unique and spectacular plant.  In the Big Belt mountains outside of Helena, it is very common.  I've been collecting seed from it for 7 years now.  It's difficult to get a good quantity not only because of the cliff-side habitat, but also because the tiny seed pods are embedded in the cushion.  I  basically have to wedge myself up against the cliff with one hand holding a coin envelop and the other massaging the cushion in order to free the seed pods.  The seed germinates quite readily once frozen, but the seedlings grow very slow.  I mean VERY slow.  They are a good plant for tufa.

Here in the Big Belt mountains:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/001-1...

A 4 year old plant in cultivation.  A mere 3 inches in diameter, it bloomed last spring:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Kelseya4yrs_zpse1e9e...

Most people in Montana are totally unfamiliar with Kelseya, although there is a local photographer who takes outstanding photos of them.  Please visit his gallery, his photos do them justice: http://eyeinthewild.smugmug.com/Art/Earthscapes/Kelseya-uniflora/11666002_h3tMqk#!i=1273436543&k=qR6nm3X

Todd,

Stanleya tomentosa is mostly a plant of the Pryor mountains, but it can be found in Northern Wyoming.  You have to look for it in the BigHorn Basin.  It is a desert species.

Brian

Gene- surely no coincidence- we've discussed before this inverse relationship between a plant's desirability and it's ease of cultivation!

John- interesting colour range you mention for Castilleja angustifolia- Alplains lists it this way: Castilleja angustifolia (Scrophulariaceae) (16x12,Z4,P,RL3:6w) ......................................... 100 seeds / $3.50
07832.18  (W) Butte Co., ID, 6800ft, 2073m.  A spring-blooming sp. with gorgeous flower spikes in various purple, plum or pink shades.  On alluvial plains of gravelly, loamy soils.

Must be a regional difference..

Brian- 3 inches in 4 years is not as bad as I thought when I heard very slow- though of course it is slow when one is wanting one of those great cushions  ;D is it amenable to transplanting of seedlings or plants several years old? (just thinking once a person had one growing, they'd want to take it along if they moved!)

Thanks for the site, Brian.  What fabulous pictures of Kelseya.  I rmember seeing a cliffside with huge cushions of Kelseya in the Big Horns - unfortunately not totally in bloom.

Cohan
Mark Egger is one of the leading authorities on many of the genera included in Orobanchaceae. He maintains an extensive collection of photos on his Flickr sight. You can find it at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34090482@N03

The sets concerning Castilleja angustifolia  and Castilleja chromosa  are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157618126246340/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157622958231623/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157623099443080/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157623092414012/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157622936648115/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157622992818505/

I hope this clears up some of the confusion. The reason I stated that Castilleja angustifolia  and Castilleja chromosa were synonymous was from my experiences with the Jepson Manual used in California. I guess I was assuming that the same held true across the west. I was wrong.  :rolleyes:

It's always nice to know were to find an expert.  I hope you enjoy his Flickr sight It's a great resource.

Cohan,

Kelseya grows very well in pots, as long as the roots stay cool.  This would be the best way for a person who anticipates a move.  Once the plants are established in the rock garden, I don't think they can be transplanted.

Kelseya is always a plant worth seeking out.  A photo of me in the cliffs:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/kelseyaandi_zps607a1...

I find myself anticipating spring more and more...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/cottonballinbud_zpse...

Weiser wrote:

Cohan
Mark Egger is one of the leading authorities on many of the genera included in Orobanchaceae. He maintains an extensive collection of photos on his Flickr sight. You can find it at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34090482@N03

The sets concerning Castilleja angustifolia  and Castilleja chromosa  are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157618126246340/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157622958231623/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157623099443080/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157623092414012/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157622936648115/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_egger_castilleja/sets/72157622992818505/

I hope this clears up some of the confusion. The reason I stated that Castilleja angustifolia  and Castilleja chromosa were synonymous was from my experiences with the Jepson Manual used in California. I guess I was assuming that the same held true across the west. I was wrong.  :rolleyes:
It's always nice to know were to find an expert.  I hope you enjoy his Flickr sight It's a great resource.

I've spoken to Mark Egger just a little re: my local Castillejas- some of which he felt seem to be some sort of hybrid swarm, though he hadn't had time/ close enough look to make any solid guesses as to what is involved besides C miniata. It is good to hear from someone knowledgeable- since only miniata is clearly in my area on the maps, but the plants seemed extremely varied for that ...
I hope to try some other species in my garden, in particular outside the range of colours of the local plants, which is what drew me to the pink/plum shades mentioned re:angustifolia- the plants here go from cream through scarlet, but none of the bluer pinks/reds etc..

Brian- good tips on the Kelseya, thanks..

Regarding the cultivation of Mentzelia:  Perhaps a person could build their house along the railroad tracks.  We have some monsters that grow along the tracks around here.

Gene's description of them as being  "a big straggly thing" is accurate:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/013_zps2f448cc2-1_zp...
But the flowers are :o

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/021_zpsfd0f0d06-1_zp...

Brian_W wrote:

Regarding the cultivation of Mentzelia:  Perhaps a person could build their house along the railroad tracks.  We have some monsters that grow along the tracks around here.

Gene's description of them as being  "a big straggly thing" is accurate:
But the flowers are :o

"big straggly thing" is quite something for me!

Brian, the photos you are showing are really out of this world in quality and subject matter.  We can't thank you enough!

Gene wrote:

Is it a coincidence that nearly all of my favorite plants are nearly impossible to grow?

Gene, you sure don't seem to have any problem growing those wonderful Lilium spp.  And great articles in the International Rock Gardener, too!

Sedum lanceolatum:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/Stone...

Penstemon eriantherus:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/290_z...

Pulsatilla patens:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/pasqu...

Castilleja angustifolia, this pink form is common throughout the Pryors:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/087_z...

Lupinus sericeus, alpine form from the Beartooth platuea in southern Montana:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/062_6...

Oenothera caespitosa in the morning:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/random%20stuff/041_z...

Brian, your photos are simply outstanding! :o :o

The portrait of Sedum lanceolatum, with red-lined edges to the buds, shows what a remarkable beauty it is, too bad we often give short shrift to sedums.

The natural rock garden with Lupinus sericeus is wonderful; is that Trifolium parryi in the background?  This is the sort of rock garden scenario I'd like to emulate, where comfortable rounded mixed size boulders, rocks, and pebbles provide the backdrop for choice plants.

Greetings,

The Sedum is drought stressed and growing in full sun, and that really brings out the reddish color.  When I first became interested in rock gardening, I would often over look the more common plants in search of something more "choice".  But now I take a closer look at everything.  There are a lot of plants out there that can contribute to the overall scheme.

Yes, that is Trifolium parryi.  Trifolium nanum grows in the same site along with an excellent form of Eriogonum flavum that forms large dense cushions with the flowers nestled in the foliage. http://eriogonum.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=628

Very interesting to see Pulsatilla patens as I planted this out on a sand bed last autumn. Hope it will look as good as this when it flowers! There has been a very stimulating and fascinating debate on the SRGC Forum on Pulsatilla, showing the exquisite yellow form of patens, flavescens. Quite a lot of debate about names. I noticed in the Alplains seedlist that P. occidentalis is listed under Anemone. Is that generally accepted? It seems much more like a Pulsatilla to me.(There are some beautiful photos on the SRGC Forum as well).

Brian- Sedum lanceolatum is a long time favourite of mine- being into succulents from my earliest indoor/outdoor gardening days, and this is one of few succulents actually native to Alberta! Besides that, it has wonderful foliage form, quite distinct among Sedums. I saw it a few times in my teen years, but haven't seen it since I've been back home, and have yet to get it for my garden, but it is a top wish.. I didn't realise the buds were so showy..

Tim, I think someone in North America has decided the native Pulsatillas should be back in Anemone- I think I've seen patens stuck back there as well. I think Alplains had occidentalis listed as a Pulsatilla previously...

Brian, you are an artist!

Tim

Your comment on Pulsatilla/Anemone shows the problems of taxonomy more than anything else. Some people maintain Pulsatilla as a genus, others want to sink the whole genus into Anemone. And some species within Pulsatilla are more Anemone-like than others. John Bradshaw did list Anemone occidentalis but he also listed Pulsatilla patens this year.

I find it a really helpful genus with the species usually listed in it incl. P. patens having more in common with each other than with other Anemone.

Flora of North America (online at http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=101733) include the following comment:

The taxonomy of Anemone continues to be problematic. Anemone occidentalis and A . patens var. multifida (the first two taxa in this treatment) are frequently placed in the genus Pulsatilla Miller on the basis of the long plumose achene beaks, and A . acutiloba and A . americana (the last two taxa in this treatment) in the genus Hepatica Miller, primarily on the basis of the involucre immediately subtending the flower and the lobed, persistent leaves. Recent phylogenetic analyses of Anemone in the broad sense, however, indicate that both Pulsatilla and Hepatica should be subsumed within Anemone .

The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=pulsatilla) is progressively being used by the AGS and RHS as a absolute reference but it is hopeless for such issues with inconsistent treatment, and basing judgement on this is at the moment fraught with problems. For Pulsatilla-Anemone, for example, they maintain Pulsatilla with P. ajanensis, P. albana, P. ambigua, P. armena, P. aurea, P. campanella, P. cernua, P.chinensis, P. dahurica, P. grandis, P. kostyczewii, P. millefolium, P. nigricans, P. sukaczewii, P. tenuiloba, P. turczaninovii, P. violacea, P. wallichiana but not among many others P. patens and P. vulgaris. Major problem with this (and it leaves anybody using it very exposed to error) is that it is being compiled by two different sets of people.

At the ,moment I am keeping Pulsatilla and P. patens is definitely in for me.

I can't see these sort of problems ever being resolved because at one level plants can be genetically fingerprinted and assigned relationships in this way; at another they are viewed and enjoyed by gardeners who look at them in the ways that taxonomists always have (but less rigorously because our experience is of fewer plants); and in another living things are dynamic and evolving and with plants especially there can be immense hybridisation and complex changes in ploidy levels within the same species. When genera such as Cimicifuga and Actaea are made as one a lot of gardeners (let alone botanists) must be confused. From a gardeners point of view it makes little sense to incorporate Pulsatilla into Anemone, even if there might be a lot of debate about individual cases. Philosophically it really comes down to what value and information you gain from a 'name' - as much as what scientific basis it has.

I've come to the conclusion current day taxonomy is "out of order".  Example, where Actaea subsumes Cimicifuga, it makes no sense, I stand by what I said in another topic: "YES I've gone rogue and belligerently maintain Cimicifuga (dry capsules, a follicle) and Actaea (fleshy fruits, a berry) as distinctly separate genera".
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=728.msg11398#msg11398

There is no level of consistency in these taxonomic upheavals. On one hand, North American asters are relegated to 6 or more other genera based on minute differences with involucre bracts, on the other hand two genera are combined into one (the Cimicifuga/Actaea example) apparently ignoring the glaringly bold contradiction that one produces seed in dry follicles and the other makes seed in plump fruits.

When I see bizarre things like Lewisia tweedyi singularly lumped into Cistanthe, the now accepted genus name holding former genus Calyptridium (but with at least one Calandrina thrown in for good measure), it makes one wonder if the taxonomists are sipping peyote tea.

To get back on track with "Image of the Day", I hark back to a fine spring day in May, with Trillium grandiflorum 'Multiplex' flowering with Trillium rugelii leaves to the upper left (white flowers hidden by the foliage in an overhead view)

What a greatclump of Trillium grandiflorum! What is the sessile species to the right of grandiflorum? I remember visiting the original Heronswood Nursery near Kingston WA, years ago and seeing my first clump of mature Trillium chloropetalum in bloom. I've been hunting for a plant of my own ever since! This year I will add plain ordinaryT. grandiflorum and T. luteum to the garden, to live alongside T. erectum and T. kurabiyashi. Maybe this will be the year I discover Trillium undulatum in our woodland?

Gordon wrote:

What a greatclump of Trillium grandiflorum! What is the sessile species to the right of grandiflorum?

That would be Trillium decipiens.  Here are two photos from different angles. You'll notice two different color forms, and variable mottling on all three.  This particular bed, under a large Magnolia 'Forrest Pink', is home to a number of Trillium, and lots and lots of Trillium seedlings coming along from direct in situ seed sowing.

On these two Trillium decipiens forms, the coppery olive color one possessed an unusual aroma that was hard to pin point.  Had a discussion about this point on Pacific Bulb Society, with John Lonsdale (from whence my plants came from), but couldn't remember the exact details, but a google search came up with two short discussion entries on The Scent of Trilliums:
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/2006-May/8q6n241vs4f65f9u6140i...
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/2006-May/kr3vdd09mtmc37vof5h5k...

Here's another favorite, Trillium lancifolium, another southeastern US species.  Slowly but surely it is seeding around a bit.

Love them all, Mark! The mottled leaves are awesome.. the only trilliums I have so far are small seedlings of T erectum and maybe grandiflorum... hope to change that with time..

cohan wrote:

Love them all, Mark! The mottled leaves are awesome.. the only trilliums I have so far are small seedlings of T erectum and maybe grandiflorum... hope to change that with time..

Can't go wrong with grandiflorum and erectum, I think all trillium are supreme creatures for the woodland.  I actually don't have any T. erectum in my garden, still need to add more trilliums. ;)

They're not that hard from seed, but they take 5-7 years to flower, and a few more years to bulk up, all a rather slow proposition. Just came across a photo of Trillium decipiens taken on 4-21-2008; gee, with luck I might see one bloom in a couple years.

The hard part- besides waiting, which doesn't bother me so much- have enough things going on and you aren't too impatient about any one- is getting fresh viable seed! The ones I had so far came from Kristl- the one commercial source I know of offhand that is safe for ephemeral seed. Anyone know other sources that either moist pack or send out ephemeral seed fresh from harvest? (besides private trades, I mean)

I was digging for pics of Spiranthes for the terrestrial orchids thread, and in the same album (from a 2010 bike ride up the road) I found this, among many other Aster spp photos-- many with some pollinator or other..
Another fave, an occasional local, Apocynum androsaemifolium, this is the closest I've come to seeds, and they weren't ripe. The other patch I know of, I have never found seeds on- wonder if it's all one plant? I do want a patch of this on my property (yes, not near anything small and delicate ;) though it is far from the most aggressive plant around here) I like it all year, but it may be at its nicest in its early fall colour while most things are still green..

Cohan - I hadn't heard of Apocynum before though am very interested in species of Asclepias. The fall foliage is as good as Vincetoxicum but I don't suppose many gardeners grow either. It's actually quite an attractive flowering plant from pictures I've looked at on the web - but how much is it likely to spread?

I am inclined to do what Mark does, refuse to use the new Latin names at least for a while. I think we are in the middle of a transition from the old way of using (minute) physical observable traits to genetic ones. Until that is more consistent for all the taxonomy I think it will be a little messy.

Nice Trilliums Mark! I have several pots with seedlings now. They sprouted outside during the mild spell around Xmas and I had to bring them inside. Hope they survive the next 5 years!

Cohan, Apocynum looks exciting!

A word of warning with Apocynum androsaemifolium, take note of its common name: Spreading Dogbane
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=APAN2&mapType=nativity&photoI...

In the USDA link, it says "This plant can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below" (then gives a number of links).

It is a pretty plant when in full flower, but the underground rhizomes run deep, then pop up new shoots several feet away, its not possible to actually get the horizontal root when pulling out unwanted vigorous shoots.  I'm pulling them out all the time.  Here, the plants look pretty as they start flowering, but becomes decimated and unsightly from some sort of caterpillar that devours the foliage.

According to the USDA, there are many synonyms, so perhaps the plant is variable geographically.

There is a large patch of Apocynum androsaemifolium growing just a block away from home. It is one of those plants I prefer to enjoy in situ, rather than adding it to a garden. Mark's caution about its spreading nature is good advice! Now, if someone could share a foolproof way to eradicate Campanula rapunculoides, I'd be a happy camper! I can't believe some seedhouses still sell this thug!

Re: names- the new genetic studies are promising but still have some of the same limitations as physical studies, such as the samples used, the things the researchers are looking for etc; an example I think I've mentioned before is with the Aloids (Aloe, Haworthia, Gasteria etc) in South Africa.There is huge disagreement in this group of plants- Haworthia has been divided into as many as 600sp and as few as 60 or less by various people, and recent genetic studies have done little to clarify the issue. How do you even get adequate sampling in a genus where hundreds of different populations separated by a few kilometres are often very physically divergent and indeterminately related?

Re:Apocynum Mark's cautions are good to keep in mind, especially for anyone looking at growing the plant outside its natural range. Here it's an occasional native, and I have seen a couple of extensive patches in roadsides, but no more so than many other things which are much more common. I suspect planting it in cultivated soil with no competition would turn it into an entirely different beast. I'd like to get some on my acreage, but I would put it in wild open woodland/woodland edge with an intact native flora/sod, where it can happily/hopefully spread a few square metres where it has to compete with other strong plants such as fireweed, asters and various small woodies, and where I also intend to add Anemone canadensis (a fairly common local) and Aralia nudicaulis, another occasional native.

My intention too had been to plant Apocynum in my woodland. Maybe it could compete with the slugs!

It is a long time since I stopped regarding species (and plant species in particular)  as discrete entities. In my opinion life is better regarded as a more or less continuous gene pool with some individuals sharing more genes than others ;D
 

Hoy wrote:

My intention too had been to plant Apocynum in my woodland. Maybe it could compete with the slugs!

Apocynum androsaemifolium is a sun lover; it'll persist at the shady fringes of woodlands, but it wants sun.

There are  two sites fairly nearby that I know the Apocynum from - one is on a modest roadside embankment facing more or less east, most of the plants being right at the edge of a wooded area, at the base of poplars etc, so I imagine they get direct sun only in the morning at most; the other site is another roadside- the one I showed above, and you can see those are mostly in sun, though surrounded with other vegetation.
Here are a few shots from the shadier location; the darkest view is a bit misleading, as the exposure was set for the light coloured flowers. You can see that most of the plants are in dappled sun at this time in mid-afternoon.. I haven't compared flowering in the two sites to see if there are more flowers in the sunnier location.. This is the first site I found (growing up, I knew them from the roadside by my family's farmstead, up the road, but they no longer grow there) and I quite like this little colony..
Also, since I mentioned it earlier, Aralia nudicaulis growing  a little farther down the road from this site, just inside a mostly poplar wood..

McDonough wrote:

Hoy wrote:

My intention too had been to plant Apocynum in my woodland. Maybe it could compete with the slugs!

Apocynum androsaemifolium is a sun lover; it'll persist at the shady fringes of woodlands, but it wants sun.

Shouldn't be a nuisance then ;)  Thanks Mark, I'll keep in mind if I ever get the chance!

1,2 Geranium richardsonii with a visitor (looks like maybe she's rolling up the petals, but not sure)..
3,4 Cornus canadensis
5 Galium triflorum (I think)

Gentianella amarella which we were recently discusssing here:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=365.0

Spent a lovely weekend in the Fiordland mountains with Dave , the Otago Alpine Garden Group field trip members and Harry and Hanni Jans . Unfortunately Dave damaged himself and could only walk at half speed . For the first time ever on a trip we chatted as we went along because normally I only see Dave when we leave , lunchtime and when we get back . The rest of the time he is but a rapidly accelerating figure in the distance .
I will post pictures later on the NZ thread .
Here are 3 from Mt.Burns yesterday

Harry Jans

and a similar image to the one he was after . His will be better

Ranunculus buchananii

Looks like great weather :) Ranunculus wouldn't have been my first thought at a quick glance- lovely plant!

Mmmm, delicious photos of Ranunculus buchananii.  At first glance looking at the thumbnail images, I thought I was seeing Celmisia.

What a STUNNING plant, Steve ... please remember the location until October!!!  I flowered it once ... just once!!!

Cliff, if you just flowered it once, it can't be of the easiest to grow? I don't know if I will try even if I got the chance :-\
Steve it is lovely! Could have spent all day there ;)

A dramatic photo from DH's backcountry ski trip yesterday - The Monarch in Banff N.P.:

(It's a fabulous summer plant destination too.  :))

Beautiful! Hard to believe this time of year that there will be a plant season...

I'm still waiting for spring to arrive.  A photo I took yesterday moments before the snow storm moved in.  That's Eriogonum ovalifolium in the foreground.  

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/a4ddbc2b-4661-47f9-b...

Stunning, Brian!

Both photos are majestic! :o :o

It even looks like the Eriogonum is "flowering" in mid-winter! 
Brian, where is this?  (Always one of the first things I wonder about with nature photos [hint ...] )

Rick,
The area is in South Western Montana, just south of Helena along the shores of canyon ferry lake.  Here is a general view of the area.

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/1828518d-c039-43d8-a...

Magnificent images folks ... many thanks for posting.

Brian_W wrote:

I'm still waiting for spring to arrive.  A photo I took yesterday moments before the snow storm moved in.  That's Eriogonum ovalifolium in the foreground.  

Who isn't waiting for spring?
A desolate but beautiful landscape! Does the ground freeze there or is it too dry? Seems to be remnants of snow in your other picture!

Hoy,

The temperatures are well below freezing in the winter, but the soil is bone dry.  Eriogonum ovalifolium is the only plant that can tolerate the extreme conditions, and it grows here by the hundreds.  The soil often erodes away around the base of the plants and makes them look like silver balls sitting on top of short pedestals. 

Brian

Fantastic view, Brian! I'm not really thinking about spring yet, though Feb has been mild by our standards, still very white here..

Another photo from the area.  Note the mud swallow nests:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/284--_zpsd02a13c2.jpg

A close up of the nests.  They are nature's potters:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/288--_zps843ec36c.jpg

Those nests are fantastic!

NB.  "Mud swallow" = cliff swallow.  They occur here too in breeding season, nesting on banks, under bridges, etc.
Nice photos!

Three photos from my hike yesterday.  I want to take more photos today but the wind is too strong. 

I call this series "Tooth and Stone"

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/036--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/008--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/032--r...

These two were taken Friday.  It was very cold and windy. 

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/025--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/039--r...

Beautiful places and images as usual, Brian! From my perspective, interesting to see all that bare ground at this time of year!

Here is what it looks like here today- luckily the snow seems to have stopped early, though there could be a couple cm more possible tonight- we got at least 15cm/6 inches of fresh snow, and a taste of what folks in warmer places have to deal with- it was wet, heavy snow, glad to be finished the shovelling..... Of course the amount was not that extreme, but the area we have to shovel is extensive- the last view shows only one part of it- maybe 1/4...

It's been very dry this winter, especially in the valleys.  Here are a few more.  If it isn't obvious already, I like things that are very stark:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/019--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/025--r...

Brian, I like that kind of landscape too! It is very different from what I'm used to.

Cohan, I'm glad I'm finished with shovelling snow for now although it is still possible to get some more ;)

Both those sort of extremes are very different to a day spent planting snowdrops here in the sun - last night's low was still only -3°C! So a bit of sunshine - this is a Turkish Crocus, herbertii, unusual in that it is stoloniferous; about the strongest orange of all crocuses. Actually very hardy - Janis Ruksans speaks of growing this under apple trees in Latvia for over 20 years, where winter temperatures can drop to -30°C or lower (and presumably at times where snow cover is erratic). It's a great plant!

Tim, C. herbertii looks great! But does it tolerate a mix of humid and cold winter?

Very nice Crocus, Tim- one to watch for! Yes, planting snowdrops- anything outdoors- does sound very remote to me right now...lol

I'll "see" your crocus, Tim, and "raise" you a patch of Habranthus tubispathus!
;D ;D ;D
cheers
fermi

Beautiful, Fermi! Is that blooming now?

I think you win Fermi! The only thing I can imagine beating that is one of those vivid flourescent cacti, or perhaps a Denver Delosperma; I have neither.

Fermi, brilliant!

I will submit this for image of the day; Gentianella divisa growing on the Rock and Pillar Range, Otago

There is still snow in the foothills of the mountains.  The large ponderosa pines are survivors of a forest fire:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/059--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/065--r...

David wrote:

I will submit this for image of the day; Gentianella divisa growing on the Rock and Pillar Range, Otago

Awesome Gentianella David, brilliant photo.

Brian, Tim, Fermi, and others, been really enjoying the images posted here.

Superb shots folks ... much appreciated.

A simple snowdrop shot from me this time ...

I was going to photograph Eranthis hyemalis in bloom but it's now under a lot of snow.  Oh well ....

Spiegel wrote:

I was going to photograph Eranthis hyemalis in bloom but it's now under a lot of snow.  Oh well ....

I know what you mean Anne, I was going to photograph Colchicum kesselringii which started blooming, now it's under 18" (45 cm) new snow from our surprise blizzard last night and today.

Gorgeous photos, everyone!
Anne and Mark:
Yeah, same thing here... Although bare ground was all I could have offered, photo-wise.   :rolleyes:

Lori wrote:

Yeah, same thing here... Although bare ground was all I could have offered, photo-wise.   :rolleyes:

--- Me too!

Very nice Gentianella, David!

I like those pine trunks, Brian! I have planted one ponderosa pine in my garden. It hasn't reached such dimensions yet.

I heard of the blizzard you had over there - I am not jealous :o
Here it is just sun and cold.

Cliff, is it your place?

Here are some snowdrops in my garden yesterday evening. Too late to catch them open.

Unfortunately not, Trond ... the image was taken in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

Frustrating, it's the weekend, sunny and warm (46 F 52 F), the snow is melting, but there's still a foot or two (depending on drifts) of white stuff.  So, I do some armchair botanizing.  My image for the day is via a single Flickr link, color forms of Calochortus venustus, all found in one location in Fresno, California:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20264760@N07/sets/72157603110884706/

Incredible colour variation, Mark!

From yesterday's hike:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/140--r...

Brian, please tell us where this totally unique and surreal scene is.  How unusual for those vaiously colored boulders to be sitting atop pilasters of apparent sediment, what can you tell us about those formations.  The area looks inhospitable to plants, but can't always tell from afar, does the area support some unique flora?

That is such a fantastical place!  (magical + fantastic)

I'm sure every one of us is anxious for commentary.

Greetings,

The area is just south of Helena Montana.  It is only a very small part that looks like this.  When I first discovered the place, I was amazed by the incredible rock formations.  It seems out of place with the surrounding landscape.  I'm not a geologist, so I can't make too many comments on what type of rock it is and how it formed.  It looks like the floor of an ancient sea that was later carved by a river.  The course of the river changed a long time ago, but it left rocks in the floor of the canyon, and these have slowly eroded away to form the pedestals. 

The area looks barren, but I find plants that are associated with the badlands:  Phlox hoodii, Phlox alyssifolia, Astragalus gilviflorus, Oneothera caespitosa, Penstemon nitidus, Mentzelia decapetala, Oxytropis besseyi,  Eriogonum mancum, Eriogonum ovalifolium, Townsendia hookeri and Douglasia montana (this last species seems very out of place here).  On the hike to this area, there are thousands of Lewisia rediviva.  I will take more photos once things start to bloom. 

Brian

Brian, wonderful place - looking forward to the pictures to come.

Yes, a surrealistic landscape. I believe those pillars is carved by rain? The loose sediment is washed away by rain and only what's protected by the rocks is undisturbed. Here are something similar from Norway: http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvitskriuprestan

A few more photos of the incredible dreamscape.  It's a perfect place for me to contemplate the important things in life--plants, rocks and photography (I have a one-track mind).

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/016--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/060--r...

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/selfpo...

Great spot indeed! Is that a little pine growing a couple of yards in front of you?

That's a young rocky mountain juniper.  The foliage turns reddish bronze in the winter.

Brian

One of the first Columbines to bloom in my garden, Aquiligea jonesii.

Thanks, Brian.
Jim- wow- the young foliage is wonderful!

cohan wrote:

Jim- wow- the young foliage is wonderful!

Who says there is no such thing as "blue roses"?  ;)

May I ask how old your magnificent plant is, Jim?

Great photo of A. jonesii.  It is one of my favorite native plants. 

I visited the Big Belt mountains here in Western Montana Saturday morning to see if Kelseya uniflora was in bloom.  There are buds, but the recent cold spell will stall things for another month.  Attached are some images:

In the morning.  Kelesya habitat in the upper right:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/009--r...

A distant view, bathed in morning light.  I could hike all day here and still not see it all:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/098--r...

Limestone cliff habitat.  It boggles my mind:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/113--r...

An ancient limber pine clings to a chalky, windswept knoll:

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/townsendia/Nikon%20d7000/055--r...

Fascinating !!!!!!!!!!!!

Booker wrote:

May I ask how old your magnificent plant is, Jim?

This colony is around 6 or 7 from seed. In this location they grow in almost pure gravel, no organics at all(that i know of). I do not use any fertilizer and only rarely do supplemental watering. so, pretty harsh.

Nice pictures of the Big Belt mountains, i love that place. i am surprised there is not more snow there still. I took a few pictures of plants that are just now in flower in my garden.

Lomatium columbianum (from seed)

Draba not identified

Merlin wrote:

Booker wrote:

May I ask how old your magnificent plant is, Jim?

This colony is around 6 or 7 from seed. In this location they grow in almost pure gravel, no organics at all(that i know of). I do not use any fertilizer and only rarely do supplemental watering. so, pretty harsh.

Many thanks for that, Jim.  I shall have to be considerably less kind to my tiny plant (purchased from Gerd Stopp in Germany).

Well on the basis that I have a similar plant of Lomatium columbianum in the garden, it means I should have no trouble with Aquilegia jonesii... has anyone succeeded with it like that in the UK?

Nice stuff Brian and Jim!
Good reminder when going through seed lists looking at plants that might be able to take my minimum temperatures- to remember that your growing season starts 3 months earlier (an exaggeration, earliest natives here start in mid-late april, though that is very very few and by mid-may things are really just getting going) - probably goes much later too...lol

Pretty Lomatiums!

One of the things i was concerned about is the ability of Lomatium columbianum to withstand rather cold temps that we can have here in Idaho. This winter we had an extended period of subzero temps(F) that went down  to -15F but this did not seem to have any effect on this plant. I would say that this plant is hardy to at least these temperatures. Another plant that i was watching was Astragalus coccineus. It was my thinking that this plant may not be hardy even though these seeds were from a northern part of the population. i can report that i did not loose one single plant of this species, which is odd since i usually loose at least one over winter. go figure. 

Maybe it prefers some sustained cold rather than up and down temperatures?  Jim, have you ever tried Lomatium martindalii? (not sure of the spelling but a beautiful plant.  Would really love to hear of someone having success with this so I could find out how to grow this.  I do have Lomatium grayi, wich seems to be very hardy and a lovely plant with yellow bloom and an airy cloud of foliage.

Here's a picture of it in bloom (in May).also throws some seedlings every year.

An out of season Pulsatilla ...

Cheers Dave.

Pollin...ater  ;D

Cheers Dave.

Seems she try to drown herself down there :o

my first picture of the spring season. When I was taking the picture yesterday the morning temperature was around -14C. But the sun was out.Today the day time temperature is around 0C maximum.Still 2 feet of snow around the house!!!
The first picture is Eranthis hyemalis at the south side where the snow melted little bit near the house.
The second and the third  is the Townsendia leptotes also from the south side close to the foundation of the house.Last year they flowered at the end of march.

Krish, those are like the five most perfect little alpine domes of foliage (and buds) that I've seen on Townsendia, wow, you are obviously doing everything right in regard to growing what I though of as a difficult species, well done.  Please show us again when in bloom.  Such inspiration!

I'm looking forward to when this blooms.  It's always wonderful to see the new foliage.  Paeonia mlokowitschii is one of my favorites.  Synthyris, maybe laciniata?, is always one of the earliest to bloom.  With the end of the snow and a splash of rain, it's starting.

Mark I did not do anything special for the Townsendia. They are very close to the south side concrete wall of the garage where the temperature is baking hot during the summer and very dry. Also I do not fertilize them at all.
Spiegel your Paeonia mlokowitschii foliage looks stunning. Last year the the seedling of that peony I got from a nursery did not make it through the winter . Can you please tell me the cultural information. I have ordered again this year.

What a beautiful leaf on the Synthyris too - I shall look out for seed of that.

Paeonia mlokowitschii in my garden grows in a very lean scree in full sun and wind.  Each year it gets bigger with more flowers, just so beautiful.  The flowers last a long time, too.

It's hardy here, Krish, so I think it should be OK there as well.  Mine is in the border in regular soil where it seems to do fine.  Your townsendias are indeed looking great!  :)

Thanks Spiegel and Lori.
The Paeonia mlokosewitschii I was told needs lots of moisture throughout the season.I planted in the north side.After the first winter it bulked Up. But after the subsequent winter it started rotting. Maybe more moisture than needed. I am thinking of raising the bed so that the snow will drain easily.

Yes, rotting off would certainly say there was much more moisture than needed.  Not sure if this could have contributed, but "winter mulch" can also be a killer.

Krish and Lori: Paeonia mlokosewitschii is new to our garden, Last year I ordered from Paige Woodward of Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery in Chilliwack BC. Although it was a young plant when it arrived here in late September, it is already sending shoots above ground. None of the other herbaceous peony hybrids are showing any signs of growth yet. We planted ours northeast of the house. This open area gets plenty of sun, mostly direct,  some filtered through maple trees, and a tiny bit of shade from the house. The area is a raised bed, that the other peonies seem to thrive in. Hopefully it will bloom this year, along with the Lysichiton camtschatcensis that accompanied "Molly the Witch" from BC.

I have had several peonies for years (both at home in moist coastal climate and at my summerhouse) including molly-the-witch and I never cover or mulch them. I wouldn't grow any peony where I grow Lysichiton either - as I grow Lysichiton in a bog in my woodland and peonies need more sun and a drier site.

Trond: I agree about keeping Lysichiton and Peonies far apart- only realized now that my last note may have been interpreted as if they were planted next to each other. Lysichiton is happily situated pondside in our back yard - its closest neighbours are hybrids of Iris ensata, Cypripedium reginae, Platanthera lacera, Clethra alnifolia and either Platanthera grandiflora or Platanthera psycodes. Our delayed spring this year has only the Lysichiton showing signs of growth. This year we will make a spot for Gunnera manicata (it will need quite a bit of protection each winter, but it survives in several gardens in the area. Maybe next year I"ll find Lysichiton americanus to add to the grouping. Friends have promised me Symplocarpus foetidus that will go in its own area by the pond.

Can the Lysichiton take sun if it's in a boggy area?

Spiegel wrote:

Can the Lysichiton take sun if it's in a boggy area?

It appears to be how they grow in nature - in wet and sunny forest clearings (much like marsh marigold in the cold northern interior).  Here's a photo from a trip to Victoria, BC at the end of March this year:

Gordon wrote:

Trond: I agree about keeping Lysichiton and Peonies far apart- only realized now that my last note may have been interpreted as if they were planted next to each other. Lysichiton is happily situated pondside in our back yard - its closest neighbours are hybrids of Iris ensata, Cypripedium reginae, Platanthera lacera, Clethra alnifolia and either Platanthera grandiflora or Platanthera psycodes. Our delayed spring this year has only the Lysichiton showing signs of growth. This year we will make a spot for Gunnera manicata (it will need quite a bit of protection each winter, but it survives in several gardens in the area. Maybe next year I"ll find Lysichiton americanus to add to the grouping. Friends have promised me Symplocarpus foetidus that will go in its own area by the pond.

Good to hear that, Gordon ;) I started wondering . . . .
Some nice plants you grow too!

I had Gunnera manicata for several years but it died two winters ago when we had very low temperatures. I have a new one now and am crossing fingers. Although we haven't had biter cold weather this winter it has lasted for much longer time.
Both Lysichiton species are easily obtained from nurseries here but orchids are absent. I have tried Symplocarpus but it seemed to prefere warmer summers than I have.

The Lysichitons have barely started growing so here is one picture of L. kamtchatchensis from 2010 (it is much smaller than its american relative as you can see):

Wish I could find a spot to grow Symplocarpus and Gunnera, but my property is too exposed and dry.

With several days of blissful sunny warmth (upper 60s F), plants are jumping out of the ground.  Here is Jeffersonia dubia Korean Form, with red ovary in the center instead of green, and dark stamens/anthers, which really stand out.  My regular Jeffersonia dubia is a couple days away from flowering. Two similar views, the one on the left in sunshine, the one on the right when overcast.  I have two flats of seedlings germinating right now!

Mark, I'm still waiting here for Jeffersonia dubia.  I can just see them starting.  Your Korean one is lovely.

McDonough wrote:

Wish I could find a spot to grow Symplocarpus and Gunnera, but my property is too exposed and dry.

With several days of blissful sunny warmth (upper 60s F), plants are jumping out of the ground.  Here is Jeffersonia dubia Korean Form, with red ovary in the center instead of green, and dark stamens/anthers, which really stand out.  My regular Jeffersonia dubia is a couple days away from flowering. Two similar views, the one on the left in sunshine, the one on the right when overcast.  I have two flats of seedlings germinating right now!

[attachthumb=1] [attachthumb=2]

Beauties! I think I messed up the seeds I got for this species a couple years back, so will have to try again :(

I'm wondering, Mark, that since Jeffersonia seed is so often "planted" by ants, did you plant the seed deeply?

RickR wrote:

I'm wondering, Mark, that since Jeffersonia seed is so often "planted" by ants, did you plant the seed deeply?

Hadn't thought about that aspect, but covered the seed with a thin layer of soil, then an additional layer of decomposed pine bark mulch (helps prevent soil from being washed out and seed exposed).  They're germinating gangbusters now.

Some more views of Jeffersonia dubia Korean Form with Pulmonaria and Corydalis red forms in the background.

I remember pictures of this form of Jeffersonia dubia from last year - I wonder if anyone cultivates it in the UK? It is a superb plant. A seedling with white flowers and that dark centre would be dramatic too. Here the warming weather is bringing out plants one after the other, but perhaps one of the most choice is this dwarf form of Paris polyphylla which came from the famous Washfield Nursery over a decade ago - slow and small, but completely delightful.

Fantastic foliage on that dwarf Paris, I agree its delightful!  Its another genus that is more obtainable in Europe than in the US.

Regarding Jeffersonia, it is indeed popular in the UK (I'm basing this response from seeing it on the pages of SRGC Forum, and in plant show pictures), but just with J. dubia.  A couple years ago I got seed of the pure white form of J. dubia from Cyril Lafong in England, bust sadly it didn't germinate like beans as they typically do for me, but when I went to dump out the empty flat afters its second year, I spied 1 little seedling, which I planted out, don't know if it survived yet.

Tim, remember this thread, it was started by Rick Rodick, where he shows a splendid multipetalous form of J. dubia with wide overlapping petals.  Rick, did you divide the plant up?  If you're like me, you didn't because it might tempt fate and you lose your plants altogether.  How about seed, you mentioned it seemed sterile, but you thought maybe you'd try some hand pollinating.

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8910.0

Tim, that dwarf Paris is a sweetie!  I suppose the dark leaf coloring is just a spring event, but that make it more interesting in itself. :D

In regards to asexually propagating my most excellent Jeffersonia dubia (if I do say so myself  ;D), see here:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=181.msg22983#msg22983

I still haven't been able to produce seed from this specimen, despite hand pollination and using pollen from a different, regular J. dubia plant that does produce seed.

Rick, your plant is a hybrid, maybe you should try colchicine!

Tim, a fantastic Paris! I have tried Paris on several occasions but it is slugfood as many garden gems are >:(

Mark, a very nice display! You clearly have had much warmer weather than I have had :-\

Hoy wrote:

Rick, your plant is a hybrid, maybe you should try colchicine!

A hybrid?  A hybrid of what?  Or do you mean triploid or tetraploid....

  The unlikely thought did occur to me....

RickR wrote:

Hoy wrote:

Rick, your plant is a hybrid, maybe you should try colchicine!

A hybrid?  A hybrid of what?  Or do you mean triploid or tetraploid....

   The unlikely thought did occur to me....

Well, I vaguely thought of a kind of intraspecific hybrid if you have two ore more clones. Anyway it behaves like a polyploid.

Mark, do you find that Jeffersonia dubia blooms at least a week ahead of Jeffersonia diphylla?

Spiegel wrote:

Mark, do you find that Jeffersonia dubia blooms at least a week ahead of Jeffersonia diphylla?

Anne, exactly so. although there can be 1-3 days of crossover when both species bloom.  The year I was home laid-off (2010), was the year for one reason or another, both species bloomed exactly the same time, and I played with hybridization between the two. ;D

I also find that the J. dubia Korean Form I have, blooms 3-4 days earlier than regular dubia, both are still in bloom now (weather having been very cool). There are buds on J. diphylla, but there will be at least several more days until they open.

Regarding the two species, that's been my experience, also.

Rick, I was wondering if you could have grafted those Jeffersonia side bud cuttings on to roots of the standard J. dubia... sort of how they graft tree peonies onto herbaceous peony roots. What do you think?

Gordon wrote:

Rick, I was wondering if you could have grafted those Jeffersonia side bud cuttings on to roots of the standard J. dubia... sort of how they graft tree peonies onto herbaceous peony roots. What do you think?

An interesting thought.  Maybe I should stop donating my volunteer seedlings to the plant sale for a while and build up some stock. ;D

This picture is of the most stunning clumps of trumpet gentians I have ever seen, in Stanislav Cepicka's garden in the Czech Republic (one of fifteen remarkable gardens in the Garden Tour Programme of the 2nd International Czech Rock Garden Conference). I still have hundreds of photographs to sort through but will add some more later. For anyone who would like a more in depth look at the gardens and plants and people, I aim to put this on the AGS website over the next week or two. It was an unforgetable experience and brought together gardeners from seventeen countries. I now have to work out where we can build a new crevice garden in the lawn! (though several of the gardens utilised 40 or 50 tons of stone, which would probably be a little extravagent).

For all the mothers on the forum- have a great day!
Weingartia sp, flowering indoors a few days ago..

Very nice, Tim.  That must have been a great show with many fantastic gardens on display!  Gentiana acaulis (is that what that is?) tends to be pretty commonly grown here... can't say I do all that well with it, but lots of people do.  There were huge clumps of it, 10" or a foot around, being sold for $25 each at the CRAGS plant sale on Saturday.

Beautiful plant and photo, Cohan!

Hi everyone
For sometime I was not following what is going on here. Recently came back from India after a sad visit to see my terminally ill mother. She passed away three days ago. Looking at the emerging plants in the garden gives me great comfort.Here are the two pictures I took today. The first one is the Townsendia I posted previously.It is full of flowers now. The next one is the aquilegia jonesii seedling in a trough.
Krish

oops no Townsendia picture in my post

So very sorry for your loss, Krish.
----------------------------------------------

Congratulations on the cutest little Aquilegia jonesii!

And those Townsendias are sure floriferous with very nicely formed blooms.
--- Bravo! ;D

Krish wrote:

Hi everyone
For sometime I was not following what is going on here. Recently came back from India after a sad visit to see my terminally ill mother. She passed away three days ago.
Krish

We send you our sincere condolences on your sad loss, Krish.

Maggi and Ian

I'm very sorry for your loss, Krish.

Sincere condolences from this part of the world, Krish.

So sorry, Krish.  It's nice to hear that your garden is giving you comfort at this sad time.  

Your townsendias look wonderful!  And Aquilegia jonesii, wow!  I bought one last weekend from Beaver Creek at the CRAGS plant sale.  I assumed it was one plant but as I was paying for it (well, actually for a whole tray of plants  :rolleyes:), I was told that it was a potfull of seedlings that I should divide up and plant...now I have ten or so scattered around the tufa garden.  Hope they bloom someday!

Hi everyone
Thank you all for the comforting words
Krish

We were out today over the pass to eastern Washington to see cypripediums: C. fasciculatum and C. montanum.  Heavy, wet snow came down yesterday and knocked over many of the taller cyps, but there were still many to see.

-- Cypripedium fasciculatum
-- Cypripedium montanum

We also saw a stunning pink penstemon, delphiniums, and castillejas.

-- Penstemon gairdneri
-- Delphinium multiplex

Here are the castillejas.

-- Castilleja thompsonii
-- Castilleja sp.

Yesterday's trip to Entiat Ridge in the Cascade Mountains found Lewisia tweedyi at its peak bloom.  (Sorry, I can't keep up with the name changes!)

We also found Lewisia rediviva in its white form at the top of Entiat Ridge.

More pictures from Entiat Ridge: a couple of penstemons (P. fruticosus, P. pruinosus), Calochortus lyallii, Castillejas mixed with Penstemon fruticosus and ceanothus.

All are amazing plants Claire.  :o Very special

Any chance of a closer pic of the Ceanothus sp. please? One of our favorites ;D

We learn so much from photos in the wild, Claire.  Thank you so much!

So many good subjects!  Love them all!

Wonderful pictures, Claire.  I'd love to see Lewisia tweedyi in the wild.  There seems to be a lot of variation.  I can't keep up with the name changes either.

Ceanothus velutinus

Thanks Claire,  :)

Many of us have no intention of keeping up with these infernal name changes ... wonderful images, Claire - many thanks for posting.

Just one more plant -- a fairly rare endemic, Valeriana columbiana.

Very nice Claire! I love them all! I wouldn't mind replacing the weed Valeriana sambucifolia I have in my garden with V columbiana!

This has to be the most beautiful of teucriums in flower - T. aroanum.

Agreed, Tim.  Pretty spectacular close up. 

What size are we talking about here - leaves and flowers?

Only a couple of inches high Rick, but the plant spreads over about two feet in deep sand.

I recall growing this one, Tim, and growing it in the sand bed where it did well.  The one I grew was unfortunately much paler in flower, and as a result, rather insignificant.  Glad to see one with better color.

Tim wrote:

This has to be the most beautiful of teucriums in flower - T. aroanum.

Just been doing a bit of research to try to source a plant and find that the sub-species name is actually aroanium.

For anyone in the UK Rob Potterton stocks it.

I grew Teucrium aroanium decades ago in my Seattle area garden, it was charming plant, even is rather pale flowered, almost a grey-lavender with deeper veining.  Googling around, I see some photos labeled as this species, with deep color flowers, but with much more linear green leaves, so probably some misidentified images out there.  Here's a few images from Denver Botanic Garden, click the small "images" link.
http://navigate.botanicgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_DispPl?NAME...

Thanks fpr the link, Mark.  That looks like what I grew.  Good foliage but the flowers were such a delicate and pale color, it didn't make a "statement" in bloom.

This is not in the wild, but a wild corner of my garden! I grow 4 different types of Enkianthus, this is the showiest, Enkianthus campanulatus  var palibinii. Always a reliable bloomer.

[quote=Hoy]

This is not in the wild, but a wild corner of my garden! I grow 4 different types of Enkianthus, this is the showiest, Enkianthus campanulatus  var palibinii. Always a reliable bloomer.

[/quote]

Very pretty.  Are the flowers stinky; whenever I've encountered Enkianthus in a botanic garden and given the flowers a whiff, I think "oh my, them's some stinky flowers".
;-)

Mark, I have not noticed any bad smell! On the contrary I can discern a weak honey fragrance and the bumblebees are very fond of them.

Although this shrub doesn't stink either (not to my nose anyway) it has the bad habit of spreading vigorously by runners: Neillia thibetica. It is a nice filler in a shrubbery though and freely flowering in June.

Another shub in flower now is Rosa roxburghii f normalis - weeks later than most years.

I've seen Neillia thibetica growing well at an arboterum (or sorts), the famous Mt. Auburn Cemetery near Boston, Massachusetts, so apparently it's hardy here.

Cyclamen coum close up .

Cheers Dave.

[quote=Toole]

Cyclamen coum close up .

Cheers Dave.

[/quote]

Nice! My cyclamens suffered badly last winter. Although most survived the flowering was sparse.

Where you find Salix myrsinites you often find other exciting plants too!

A photo from another place with lots of exciting plants, Erigeron aureus:

Unfortunately we have no all yellow fleabanes here only some with yellow disc florets.

Rhodiola integrifolia:

Nice, Lori!

Heading to the mountains on a daytrip last week, these are near home... about 7:30am, misty morning looking at the hills just north of us, then a hazy view on the main highway looking west to the mountains..

.  

Erigeron caespitosum (I think- I id'd this before I had the Flora, haven't gone back to really key it out) with seed capsules of Linum lewisii in the montane zone, near Abraham Lake, Alberta, Sept 4

.

Looks like a gardenworthy plant whatever the name is!

Seems easy to make roads in Alberta!

Given the very late bloom and the general look of it, I wonder if it might not be an Aster?

Just an interesting scene with colourful rocks:

Trond- not all of the roads are so straight, and of course in the mountains it is not so easy, but we do have some places where the roads are on a nice easy grid.

Lori- I could easily be wrong, but this photo is not that representative, just a pretty shot not a botanical one, I'll post some others. Whatever it is, it is very common in these dry montane (if I'm using the term right) areas in the Kootenay Plains, and based on shape and greyish glaucous foliage  and small stature (maybe 30cm tall at most, generally low and sprawling, at least in dry spots) it seems like a good fit for Erigeron caespitosus. I haven't recently gone through all the Erigeron possibilities, but I was going through the Asters yesterday looking for something else, and I did not see any small glaucous white Asters (of course, could have missed it).These flowers were all pretty much white, but I've seen them in the past with a hint of lavender- might be about temperature as well. In the photo this sort of resembles our white marsh asters (maybe borealis or similar) but the plants are not at all alike.

Here are a couple more views- first with an Artemisia, maybe frigida; Second with Heterotheca villosa etc, and third a closer view; no really good shots of foliage, but you can kind of see it...

Lori and I were discussing Zigadenus elegans in another thread:

https://www.nargs.org/forum/mt-hector-banff-np-august-16-2013?page=1#comment-24182

RE: size of high altitude vs 'lowland' plants; here is a photo of mine in July 2010, (planted in the early 80's, in my original rock garden, and one of the few things that survived more than 20 years of inattention, before I rebuilt the whole rock garden around it and moved the plant over to the edge of the garden. I actually don't remmber exactly where I got the original plant in my teen years, but somewhere in the foothills or mountains, in Alberta or B.C...lol More to the point, it has the same size more or less as the plants that grow wild around here, I'm guessing near 2 feet tall, but I'll take a closer look next time I'm out.. It does bloom earlier than the wild plants- I had photos of a wild one in bud just a few days before these shots were taken.

eFlora of North America mentions a size range of 2-8dm - I guess those around here are in the middle of that range, up to maybe 60cm...

Beautiful!  Alpine form or not, I think they are spectacular!

I would estimate the wild Zigadenus elegans in western Minnesota prairies to be about 60cm, also.  Elevation approximately 1100ft (307m).

I actually measured yesterday, and in fact this year's dried stalks on that plant were nearly 70cm tall. I agree, Lori, one of my favourite natives, and looking almost like miniature yuccas in flower. The glaucous foliage is a really nice feature too.

Colchicum 'Pink Goblet' opened today, after 6 years, still just a single bulb, a single flower, lovely nonetheless.

By the way Cohan, love those Zigadenus of yours

It seems very strong and stout for a Colchicum, Mark.

  I expect it holds up better in rainy weather?

Thanks, Mark,

the 'goblet' form seems nice for the Colchicum- a lot of them just seem too floppy and wishy washy to me- but that might just be in photos, I haven't seen them in person..

They can flop in rainy weather, but we've had a long string of the most perfect sunny autumn days.

Flowering nicely now is Vernonia lettermannii. I had to protect this plant, it is rabbit caviar and the last two years it was munched repeatedly, so it is protected by a wire cage this year. The flowering stems are just a smidgen over 2' and with very fine dark green foliage, what a fine plant.

From Arkansas and Oklahoma, but very hardy. It is available in the USA, Plant Delights Nursery carries this gem.

Looks like a good one!-nice colour and foliage. I haven't tried anything in this genus yet..

A couple of views of Physaria didymocarpa with Artemisia- probably A frigida. In the Kootenay Plains in Western Alberta, September 04 this year.

Cohan, what is the substrate they are growing in?

It looks like sand, but then how could it have such stronge "topography"?

It's a cold, bleak and windy spring day here but i managed to capture these images before leaving for work this morning.

Grown from seed from NARGS Seedex 2006 as Leucocoryne vittata, but probably a hybrid as the striping isn't as vivid as it should be,

cheers

fermi

[quote=RickR]

Cohan, what is the substrate they are growing in?

It looks like sand, but then how could it have such stronge "topography"?

[/quote]

If I may offer an opinion, the erosional pattern (forming vertical rills) is characteristic of silt, which in that area, would most likely have been deposited by glacial processes.  

Sorry, I missed the replies here..

Fermi, nice spring flowers- are you getting any moisture to go with the spring bluster?

Rick- as Lori pointed out, that soil is very fine material, and usually very dry, though I suppose it should hold moisture fairly well when it does get wet. Since these dry sections don't get much snow cover, the wettest time is probably early to mid-summer, like here, and I haven't been there much at that time..

Somewhere I had got the idea that some of these soils were loess, deposited by wind (easy to believe when you are there- always windy and nearly always dry), but I can't remember where I got that idea, so I did just a tiny bit of searching.. Found this reference on soils of that region, for anyone really keen on the subject..lol

http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/surveys/ab/ab31a/ab31a_report.pdf

This slightly paraphrased info is from there- land unit 1a, includind the Kootenay Plains;surface material is a relatively thick (16-40inches) deposit of fine sand and silt of alluvial or aeolian origin.  (i.e. from flooding and/or wind; I'd have to read more carefully to see if they distinguish between flooding from glacial melting and other river flooding, but they must be closely related in this area, which they mention having been glaciated twice. This site is more or less valley bottom, and while it is hard to imagine the existing river reaching this high, no doubt much larger watercourses with less deeply eroded channels passed through here in post/glacial times).

Elsewhere in the document, they do mention that soils in the area in general are 'developed at least partially from a 4-6 inch silty aeolian mantle'. They also mention the 'high volcanic ash content in the almost continuous layer of loess...' Hadn't thought of that component... wonder how far that ash had to travel?

For those still interested, and not already knowing this,  here is a brief definition of loess:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loess

and here is a discussin of aeolian processes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolian_processes

Thanks for the question, Rick- made me dig a bit more!

Thanks for the info, Cohan.  It's just hard for me to imagine that "crevices" in fine soil could remain with such steep inclines.  I would have though that earth would be quite unstable and vulnerable to erosions of all sorts.

Even after heavy rains the last couple days, these two alliums look terrific, combined two images into one.  Allium thunbergii - robust white form on the left, stellatum (from Carroll Co, Arkansas) on the right.  Photos taken a couple days ago before rains, but with new sunshine today, they look pretty much the same, although there might be a different bee visiting  ;-)

Rick- I'm sure those soils are indeed quite vulnerable to erosion, presumably lessened a bit in this area by limited precipitation, certainly affected by human activities: the main trail at this site leads across the flats to the foot of a mountain, and then some way up through the forest to a waterfall (I've actually never been all the way, since I am generally much more interested in the xeric plants out in the open areas) and the part of that trail that crosses one of these really dry areas is covered with a boardwalk to protect the delicate soil/plants.

The trail I more often take, which branches out sideways along the river from the main route, is unprotected, and passing hikers, occasional horseback riders and cyclists turn the track to dust, even though there can't be that many people- I don't think I've ever run into another person on that trail.....

Here's a shot that shows these deposits definitely can erode: this mound seems to have washed out from under one side of a colony of juniper, artemisia etc. not sure what all the mechanisms would be- I wonder if the juniper would have held more snow, causing more water damage? I didn't really pay attention to exposures here, but I'm thinking the eroded side should be more or less east, and as you can see, gets some shade from nearby trees-- all factors in this area that would mean more moisture, snow retention.

Maybe Lori would have more insight on this sort of mound and processes involved? I'm assuming this formation (different from the earlier shots) would be wind originated?

Mark- lovely flowers for fall. Would these be in continuing flower from summer, or just flowering now?

[quote=cohan]

Mark- lovely flowers for fall. Would these be in continuing flower from summer, or just flowering now?

[/quote]

These alliums started blooming only recently, they're fall bloomers, many of the thunbergii forms are still just in bud.  Here's how the colony of Allium thunbergii - robust white form looks today, photographed during lunch hour on this gorgeous autumn day, after three days of on and off downpour rain, the somewhat downturned florets are particularly weather resistant (frost resistant too, although we haven't had any yet).

Very nice! I wonder if they'd be hardy here or try to bloom this late when it's likely to be  too cold...

Good question Cohan.  One the positive side, Allium thunbergii is very cold tolerant, not bothered by some degree of freezing temperature and even some snow, they'll go as long as they can. On the other side, I once had a form of Allium thunbergii, and a Himalayan species A. stracheyi, that could never successfully bloom here in New England, because they would try to flower in December.  I had both of these when I lived in mild Pacific Northwest (near Seattle Washington), and in that climate they did indeed bloom in December without problem, but here in New England, by December the ground is frozen and all plant activity is stopped.

Two views of the Seven Son Flower, a small Chinese tree, Heptacodium miconioides (syn. H. jaminoides), introduced to cultivation in North American by Arnold Arboretum (near Boston, Massachusetts), around the early 1900s.  It is very hardy and ornamental, flowering in September with clusters of small white flowers that are scented like jasmine or gardenia (drives the bees into a frenzy), but the real show is after the flowers, when the calyx lobes expand and turn a bright pink to red color.  The tree also has pale shredding bark, and handsome peach-tree-like leaves, a really good tree all around.

In this photo taken on October 5th, the transition where there are still white flower clusters and developing pink bracts.

Two photos of the bracts more fully expanded, the darker one on a drizzly day, Oct. 12. The bright one taken yesterday in sunshine, where the bracts seem to glow.

I guess it would depend what cues are triggering flowering- day length, day/night temperatures, or number of days of growth!

Seven sons looks like a nice addition to the fall garden, atypical colour scheme for that season..

There are still some things flowering here, but they are definitely on borrowed time..

A couple of views on the road yesterday...

Biiiiiiiiiggggg skies there Cohen.

Indeed, David- at least where there is cleared land- my property has trees all around, so we can only see the sky more or less straight up..lol

Potentilla nitida with some  'lost label' semps; the seed batch of P nitida from several years ago has been interesting- plants are quite varied- in greener, more silvery, flatter, taller etc.. Still no flowers :( so i can't comment on those.. This is definitely the flattest of all, perhaps smaller leaves, that would require a closer look.. a bit of fall color on this one.. Oct 07

A different kind of (ex) Potentilla- Dasiphora fruticosa hybrid/cultivar..  I picked up a couple of these (different) late a couple of years back for $1.00 each, and although they are in a dry spot with rare supplemental watering, they have been doing well, if going slowly. I might still have the names around somewhere, if I can find the plastic nursery tags...lol This one is a very nice creamy palest yellow, the other is white.. We have a large typical yellow on the property,  and I still really want a pink flowered variety! Oct 07 some nice subtle fall colours too.

A more standard D fruticosa.. this seems taller and looser than modern cultivars, could be closer to wild forms, or its site which is sunny, but not all day.. this shot from Oct 13. all forms seem to flower well beyond frost...

Crocus speciosus:

Cohan, I think my favorite is the smaller cream potentilla (I prefer that name!) and not the yellow one!

Nice Crocuses, Lori, autumn flowering crocuses often get damaged by the rain here!

Here is a nice plant still flowering. It has been flowering for several months now but only with 2-4 at the same time. It is a perennial here.

Impatiens arguta (I think).

Trond, I agree- the natural bright yellow is nice, but I love that cream colour.. it should get to a decent size in time too- probably faster if I watered it, and I will try to next year, but the spot I have these (the cream, a white, and a Prunus tomentosa seedling) is a bit beyond my hoses, so I will have to carry water- or get more hose! I do make a point of throwing some extra snow on them in winter- they are only a few metres from the driveway, and they have a thick mulch to hold whatever moisture the do get, but the spot is by two old spruce trees, and at the 'high'/dry end of the property..

The Impatiens is nice, seems to have a bit of colour in the leaves too. I planted a few seedlings from my cousins place of one of the big invasive Impatiens, in my first year or so back, but I didn't choose the sites that well, and they didn't grow..lol

This afternoon....

Well, that's your Christmas pic sorted, then!

This was the image of the day for me - a decent clump of Dutch iris 'Thunderbolt' this morning in the drizzle!

cheers

fermi

Another "winter wonderland" here... and to think, I was sitting out there yesterday, basking in sunny, 16 degree C weather...

Wow, 'Thunderbolt' is gorgeous!

Fermi- so many Christmas pics I can never choose...lol

Nice Iris- I do like the cleaner shape of these compared to some of the bloated beardeds..

A view from this morning- prettier today with sun on top of the snow and frost.. I always like the view of this path into the woods on the acreage, especially in winter..

A teaser from a daytrip into the mountains today-- I haven't even looked at most of the nearly 700 images,but here's one... Abraham Lake, Alberta (sorry, no idea of names of mountains!)

I like winter and snow but not too early in the fall!

At home I prefer mild weather and rain until December. This fall has been very fine though and a lot of nice weather and sun. The temperature is still about 12C in the daytime and 8 in the night.

It seems our trend now (last year and this, if that constitutes a trend..lol) is for the snow to stay relatively early: last year the snow came and stayed on Oct 20, this year it was Oct 28.  Some other years, it has not stayed until well into December, after a number of light snowfalls.

Lots of this snow from the other day has melted, with some days of 7 to 10C, but nights well below freezing, but far from all of it melted with days getting short, and shadows long, so many spots do not get much sun and have few hours of melting temperatures.We are forecast another 10-25cm or more over the next couple of days, so that will be lasting all winter for sure...

I'll have you all sick of seeing snow before you even get any...lol We got at least 33cm, probably more  before settling, since it snowed well over 24 hours. I shovelled 2 hours last night, housemate shovelled 5 hours today, and I did another 2 hours, seems to be mostly done snowing now... We still have some paths to the woods, compost area etc that will have to be dug another day... Photos from last night, it still snowed a few inches after this...

 My first semp etc bed in front of the house, with the newer rock bed behind.. the farthest mound is just snow... part of our battery of shovels...

The second  rock bed, closer, you can just see Polemonium boreale at the right-- still green and flowering after it partly melted out of the first snow we had on Oct 28... doubt the plants will see sunlight for months now...

Part of the path between my house and mom's, parking to the left. left to right Arctic willow, apples, Philadelphus etc.

How about a less wintery subject?  Here's Micranthes lyallii ssp. lyallii (formerly Saxifraga lyallii... hard to keep up with these name changes!) from the Katherine Lake area in Banff, about 2500m elevation:

This is another thread I think I tried to post images in the other day- but was not allowed....

Nice plants under any name, Lori.. have you grown these?

No, I'd guess that conditions would be too dry in my yard for it.  I always see it  along streams or in ephemeral snowmelt drainages.

  Whenever I see strata I wonder if a line is 1 year, 10,000 years or a million years?  Guessing it varies? Anyone have information?

The bedding that's exposed in that rock would almost certainly result from deposition on the finer end of the time scale... the months-years sort of range.  

Today was the first day for weeks with a little sunshine. But the wind is still blowing hard.

Rhododendron sutchuenense has been in flower for a while and a lot of the flowers have been torn away by the wind.