A few more views,  some of the woodies-
1-5 several crab/apples and a Philadelphus, which always seems to hold enough snow to look interesting, but never bends..
6-Then a Tilia cordata, one of our very few non-native trees, still smallish, after quite a few years (15? longer? mom doesn't remember) and I hope it stays that way, but I really like this tree; only non-native/wild plant in this view.
7- a piece of old stump I dragged out of the bush for my future stumpery!
8-a partly shaded spot surrounded on two/three sides with wild trees and shrubs- the mid-foreground had a pile of branches on it for a couple of years that suppressed most of the grass etc, so I will be taking advantage of that to plant some woodland/edge plants- it is already ringed with wild asters which I may leave as is, or dig out to remove grass and replant...(much of the yard unmowed would have asters)
9- a 'Blue Fox' Willow (may be S brachycarpa) with an old shed behind..

Cohan, at the moment I am actually envying your snow cover! The dry freezing we have now is bad for the plants. The forecast says more of the same the next 10 days :-\ Although it is sunny with no clouds at all, the sun is so low in the sky that it doesn't provide any warmth.

Well here we had yesterday a dry day , it is here wet sins weeks
whole days drizzling , so impossible to work with pleasure in the garden
It seems we will have a few frosty days
I hope we don't get a winter like last year
so warm all the time (like now) and then heavy frost in February
Here where over 10,000 plants dead in pots last winter :(

but I like your snow-cover
we had that two years ago
no problems at all with the plants
they  love it

Roland

Trond and Roland- I'm sure the snowcover is good for some plants, though most things here also need to be able to handle at least -20C without cover. (Small)  Pots exposed over winter have very little chance here- even with snow. Also, I'm sure most of the plants you guys grow could not survive my low temperatures even with the snow cover...lol

10,000 is a lot of plants to lose!  :o

A January thaw has removed restrictions on rock garden doting, at least temporarily; I notice this morning three Mediterranean species: Bupluerum spinosum looking nice and green. The seeds it set, upon dissection, would appear potentially viable. I rubbed a few into the surrounding grit: The blue broom -E. pungens had sloughed (stepped on by dog, cat, chicken, or donkey?) a couple of green spines which appear to have callused -perhaps. I stuck those in the wet mud near the plant: Convolvulus cneorum from last years seed-ex is spotless and quite vigorous right at the south foot of my porch foundation. The one on the crevice garden doesn't look too bad either. all of these were under good snow during below zero (F) spat. all of the Agaves are "go" it seems. I looked for new seedlings of Draba etc. and did not see any. There's still a little snow where I expect it to be; and hope it remains. This weather is not untypical of my region and is not good for a lot of alpines as severe cold can re-enter the region upon bare, recently soggy ground. Yesterday temperature was same at noon in Saranac Lake, NY as in Los Angeles, CA! Freaky for both regions.

Nice to be able to see how things are in the garden in mid-winter. Interesting when you get those odd temperature comparisons..

Here in Philadelphia, winter still hasn't really begun. Corydalis ochroleuca has put out a few new flowers. My fall-blooming camellia (the Ackerman hybrid 'Winter's Snowman') had all its flowers killed by frost last night, but it hasn't given up hope of opening more buds. Meanwhile, spring flowers are coming into bloom. Besides Galanthus elwesii and a couple crocuses, I have Helleborus thibetanus in bloom.

Wow, Janet- subtropical!  :o Is this within your normal range or has it been an exceptionally mild/dangerous season?

Can't say we are so lucky here as having flowers in the garden although some hellebores and snowdrops are persistent in bud.  It is still clear and cold but it seems to end in the weekend when we are expecting rain.

Southeast Pennsylvania winters are pretty mild, but this is definitely milder than normal. The temperature has not yet gotten down to 20 F (-7 C). Consequently, some of the summer and fall flowers are still hanging on. Corydalis ochroleuca, which is consistently the champion in my garden for duration of bloom, has been in bloom for 311 days and counting....

It's nice to have flowers into January, but I do hope we get a real winter eventually!

Janet - that's an interesting flower on Helleborus thibetanus with such strong veining. The plant I have is much more like the picture on the front of Burrell and Tyler's book - a soft-pink overall. It would be interesting to know how much variation there is in this plant? Unfortunately in our garden the flowers open at ground level and are badly munched by slugs; I must remember next year to protect it.

Tim, it certainly would be interesting to know about the range of variation in H. thibetanus. This is actually the very first time my plant has bloomed, so for all I know the strongly pink veins could be an environmental effect of blooming in atypical weather. Though a google image search does show that other flowers with more-or-less white background and pink veins.

My plant is plain white. Picture from last spring.

A few Helleborus in flower today.

Helleborus Ashwood hybs

A few more.

Helleborus niger, battered by the rain.

Michael, beauties each and every one! 

The difference in climates is amplified this time of year, when seeing plants in bloom during the dead of winter, when everything is quite frozen and dormant here, thankfully with a layer of snow still present. But its a pleasure seeing such magnificent Hellebore blooms, even when it seems off season to us in New England.

Michael, I have to echo Mark: They are beautiful! You seem to have escaped the winter cold so far?
Although some of my plants showed colour at Yuletide the last 3 cold weeks brought a stop to that. And now we have gotten 10cm of snow but today it is raining :-\

Hepatica  Japonica  Kosino maboroshi,
Hepatica japonica Kuukai
Hepatica Purple  Nidan Saki
hepatica nobilis dark blue.

Lovely hellebores, Michael! I really like those that are single but with striking colours, ditto for the last Hepatica. We are still 2-3 months away from seeing the ground let alone signs of plant life outdoors ;)

The snowdrops have stood like this for about a month now but the snow has disappeared and come back several times. The last inch of snow came yesterday.

They are waiting patiently!

For me it is amazing that around the bulbs
it seems to be warmer or they reflect the warmth ???

Roland

I can think of two explanations for the snow melted around the snowdrops. First, the plants will be actively metabolizing, which generates heat. Second, plants -- and anything else that isn't white -- will absorb more sunlight than the snow, causing them to be warmer. 

I know nothing about whether the plants give off heat, but I can say for sure that any dark thing sticking out of the snow- soil, rocks, sticks, etc- will cause faster melting of the snow compared to undisturbed smooth white areas...

I think Janet's last explanation is the right one. They do indeed absorb heat also when it is cloudy. Even dead twigs get a similar area of no snow around them and they certainly have no metabolism ;)

Well whatever it is
It looks funny
I know Symplocarpus "produces " heat in the flower

Scilla cilicica collected in Cyprus at Smiyies start flowering here
also Scilla aristides and Leucojum vernum var. carpaticum

Roland

Michael, I just visited your Lewisia and alpines site.  What a feast for a new englander midst snow and cold!  Your pictures are superb and I loved the Daphnes you showed.  I noticed almost everything seemed to be in pots.  Do you grow these (Lewisias, daphnes) outside as well?  What is your usual minimum temperature?

Quote:

Do you grow these (Lewisias, daphnes) outside as well?  What is your usual minimum temperature?

I live in town and  don't have a very big garden so about 60%of my plants are grown in pots. I have both Daphne and Lewisias planted out in a scree bed and some Daphne's in the shrub border.see pic below of one in a scree bed.
Winter temperatures from about -5°C to +14°C (  23°F to  57°F)  summer temperatures from +16 °C to 24°C (60.8 °F to 75.2°F) Annual rainfall 1000-1400 mm  (40-55inches)

Daphne x susannae cheriton

bulborum wrote:

Well whatever it is
It looks funny
I know Symplocarpus "produces " heat in the flower

Roland

Yes, some plants do, I know, but I think they produce heat to mimic rotten meat and attract insects. But I checked yesterday and the thawed circles are much bigger around snowdrops than around anything elseincluding crocuses except Cardamines ;) However I didn't meassure the temp.

Michael, what a nice and tidy plant!

[attachthumb = 1]

Cyclamen coum red form, one of my favorites.

Nice Cyclamen, but it's not red, looks like a good deep pink.

I did discuss colours with Lori once so I won't say anything whether it is red or pink but it is a fine plant! Does it flower now?

Yes, it is flowering now.  All of the hardy Cyclamens stay green through the Winter here.

They stay green here too and often flower at this time of the year but now it is too cold and 1 inch snow cover. This winter has been much colder than normal :-\

15" of snow here so nothing to see but deer tracks through the garden (sigh...).  It could be worse - they could be elk or moose tracks.  Lucky people to have things actually in bloom!

2ft snow here at our mountain cabin. Nothing but snowclad birches, pines, spruces and junipers. A lot of hare tracks. Hope they leave before spring. Last spring they devoured all the Pulsatilla vernalis buds.

Spiegel wrote:

15" of snow here so nothing to see but deer tracks through the garden (sigh...).  It could be worse - they could be elk or moose tracks.  Lucky people to have things actually in bloom!

We have a recent set of moose tracks- not sure what they did this time though - I thought they'd already got all the tender woody branches when they came at the beginning of winter (fall)
I'm more worried about what the voles might be doing under the snow- they will have had such a long season by spring that it could be bad.. I had wanted to try some repellents this year, but the first snow caught me offguard- I knew it was going to snow, but didn't expect it to stay! Hopefully they stick to the 'grass' mostly....

Helleborus Harvington yellow

Since we're on a roll with yellow flowers with lots of anthers, I give you Adonis amurensis. Just opened up today.

Beautiful, Janet!
Adonis is one of my favorite genera but I have never had any luck with them :(

Michael, that's a good one! I'm looking forward to see my yellows ;)

It isn't much green to see here, and certainly not any flowers, but snow.
We are spending some days skiing at our mountain cabin which sits in the subalpine birch forest at about 1000m in S Norway. Some spruces and pines also grow here.

We have only seen two flocks of ptarmigans, they used to be very common. We have not seen any live animals but lots of tracks of elks, foxes, hares, martens and relatives and small rodents. The latter prefere to move under the snow cower. We are almost alone here and do not meet any other people during our daily cross country ski tours.
A little snow has fallen every day and we have barely seen the sun. It is about -12 - -16C (10-3F) during daytime but absolutely no wind!

The dim winter light really shows in your pics Trond.  Of the winter snow covered areas in the U.S., Minnesota is one of the sunniest areas in winter.  There are lots of woody evergreens that can easily survive cold temperatures that we get here, but winter burn severely because of the relatively strong winter sun.  

These pics taken this morning in my backyard.
-- Amelanchier sp.
-- Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa Lutea' with my "box" of potted materials covered for the winter.
-- Salix schraderiana, Picea asperata
     

-- Chamaecyparis thyoides
-- Betula nigra
-- Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Heatherbun'.  Chamaecyparis are incredibly flexible.  Heatherbun is is normally upright, and it will regain this stature when the snow melts off.  The dwarf plant is normally as high as it is wide in the photo.
   

-- our wild Juniperus virginiana, a volunteer under the tulip tree
-- Pinus strobus 'Wintergold', Betula nigra
-- Pinus strobus 'Wintergold'
   

Rick, as you say, no chance for sun burning here, neither plants nor people - yet!

A real winter day in your backyard! Where are your skis?
The yellow leaves of 'Wintergold' looks nice in the snow. Some of the spruces here do get yellow in winter, especially the last year's growth.
You have to pay attention Rick or else your trees end up like this: (Betula pubescens var czerepanovii)

A few more pictures from yesterday. Today we are going home. My wife and daughter in action in the dim winter light!

Nice winter views!
Trond- those are chilly days- we haven't had any that cold for a while..
Rick- lots of nice woodies there!

I don't have skis these days, but I have been running again, started just after Christmas- much of the time I am running on a road that my relatives built through the bush on the farm to connect a couple of different relatives farmsteads at opposite ends of the farm that would be much farther to drive by road. The loop I run is a little less than 2 miles, I think, and of course rarely any traffic (just a relative or visiting neighbour once in a while  ;D) but lots of tracks from coyotes, and some deer, rabbits, etc.
This day in January was a bit chilly to run with my low tech running gear, and a bit too much fresh snow for my running shoes (the relatives plow it regularly) so I just went for a walk with the camera..
First shot is a path I use for hauling firewood out of the bush with a toboggan, the others are on/from the bush road..

Cohan, seems to be a nice walk through the woods! And the sun is high in the sky ;) and shining too :o
Should be manageable to haul firewood in that depth of snow ;D

Helleborus black Hyb

Michael- that is stunning!

Trond- it's a lovely route for a walk or a run - just me and the coyote tracks...lol The snow depth is not bad, and certainly less than wetter cold places- in the part of the bush where I am getting wood, the snow depth varies from virtually/none in some spruce stands to more than a foot in other spots. Fortunately much of my wood hauling route is the same- only at the farther points I have to branch off in new directions- so a lot of the walking/hauling is on packed paths that I have been using all winter, like the one I showed in the first picture...the (cheap plastic) toboggan was the best purchase I made all year! Previously we used a wheelbarrow when possible (not in the deeper snow!)and mostly carried it out by hand...

Michael wrote:

Helleborus black Hyb

Very beautiful Michael! Is it your baby? What's the name? 'Black Velvet'?

Cohan, I have a spare toboggan (we call it akebrett) which my daughters used when they played in the snow ;)

Quote:

Very beautiful Michael! Is it your baby? What's the name? 'Black Velvet'?

It is my own seedling but the parents a couple of generations back came from Ashwood seed. No name, just black hyb seedling.

Michael wrote:

It is my own seedling...

Now that makes it REALLY special!  :o :o ;D

Hoy wrote:

Cohan, I have a spare toboggan (we call it akebrett) which my daughters used when they played in the snow ;)

Mine is more basic ;) I was looking at bigger 'sleds' used for pulling calves in winter (when they are born outdoors in cold weather and need to be moved) but they are wider- good for getting more wood on them, but not good for squeezing between trees, so I'm glad I got the narrow one...

A few things have melted out of the snow...  Needless to say, those that are evergreen are much more interesting than those that are not!

Gentiana verna; Draba acaulis; Dianthus scardicus:
   

Gray on gray... clockwise from lower left, Achillea umbellata, Artemisia caucasica, ??, and for some green, Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Pearl Bells'

Cotula hispida; Armeria juniperifolia and blackened stems of Satureja montana illyrica (the bases will still be alive); clockwise from lower left, Townsendia parryi, Erigeron sp., Campanula topaliana:
   

Eritrichium howardii - alive or dead? - with Salvia pachyphylla in the background; my wizened little specimen of Petrophyton caespitosum that survived transplanting and somehow keeps hanging on without growing or blooming; Achillea holosericea:
   

This Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy' in the back yard tufa garden looks okay (although there's more winter yet to come).  The other one planted in a trough out front looks awful - yellow and burnt.

Trachelium rumelianum;  Bukiniczia cabulica:
 

Cottony Pyrethrum leontopodium with Sideritis phlomoides on the left and the spiky skeleton of Lactuca intricata on top - wonder if it's still alive?

Silene caryophylloides ssp. echinus on the left and Saxifraga sp. on the right; I'm really looking forward to seeing the Silene this year; seeds were started in 2011; collected by Pavelka at 2100m, Darvaz Dag, Turkey (description:  "very dense spined cushions, solitary pale to dark pink flws, 5-15cm, screes, stoney places. 2008 seed").  I have not been able to find any photos of it.  Correction:  If I spell it correctly (as opposed to the spelling in the seed list), I can find a couple of photos, though mainly herbarium specimens.

Some really nice stuff there Lori ---Hope they have all survived and come away.

Here's a bit of colour here at the moment---Oenothera ,(fruticosa subsp. glauca ??), 'blood yellow' .Not a particulary large sized bloom however i love the colour combination when you get up close.

Thankfully i planted it in a double wash tub where i can keep a check on it's numerous seedlings  :-\ ....

Cheers Dave

Great colour combination on that Oenethera,T00lie - might it be O. falklandica?

Lori, I am more optimistic for your plants than for mine :-\

Dave, a special Oenothera, nice colours!

I would put money on the Eritrichium still being fine Lori - it somehow looks OK even though nary a sign of green. I would love to grow this again, the only Eritrichium I ever grew to flower and such great foliage. I had no idea how variable it is until seeing pictures on this Forum. The Salvia pachyphylla looks exactly the same as one I have on a raised bed, viz: not successful over winter! But I am surprised to see Pyrethrum leontopodium looking so good. It is very interesting to watch plants like this over the winter and see what tolerance they do have in the garden. Will be exciting to see everything growing away in the spring.

Exciting to see stuff exposed, Lori- I'm a way from that yet- my dryland beds might be out sooner, but they aren't densely planted yet, so wont be much to see..
That Pyrethrum is amazing- I forget, have you seen flowers yet? I have seed for one of the droopy (ray) flowered species that I really like, but I don't think it has exciting foliage..

Just looked at the weather forecast for the week-- 5-10cm snow tonight then later in the week daytime highs of 3-9C, though still below freezing overnight, of course, from -4 to -14C So some of those beds might be bare sooner, not the ones in front of the house or in the wetter end of the yard, yet- still deeply buried...

Lori, I grew Silene caryophylloides ssp. echinus back in late 1970s and early 1980s, grown from MacPhail and Watson seed collecting expedition to Turkey.  It was a very good plant, quite distinctive and flowered well.  All the plants I grew from that expedition are long since memories, although a few plant species made it into general horticulture, like Veronica liwanensis.

Dave, I don't think your colorful Oenothera is O. fruticosa or a variety of it.  Was intrigued to see Maggi's suggestion of E. falklandica; never heard of it, and could only find one photo of it (use the link below, scroll down to find it), showing similarly colored blooms. Searching on The Plant List, IPNI.ORG, and Tropicos, indicate that Oenothera "falklandica" is not a validly published name, possibly a horticultural invention, there are a good number of such non-existant species out in horticulture-land.  Now I'm interested in finding out what this plant really is!
http://www.buytech.biz/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_OENOTHERA_1219.html

...and the same photo in another link, but you can compare with a few photos of O. fruticosa and vars.
http://www.cgf.net/plants.aspx?genus=OENOTHERA

cohan wrote:

That Pyrethrum is amazing- I forget, have you seen flowers yet?

Not yet - this is its first winter.  I'm not overly concerned about the Salvia pachyphylla just yet despite its bedraggled appearance - I had one out front in regular soil that looked about the same coming out of winter.  Unfortunately, it never amounted to anything and got broken off (from being raked over, I think).

Hoy wrote:

Dave, a special Oenothera, nice colours!

IMYoung wrote:

Great colour combination on that Oenethera,T00lie - might it be O. falklandica?

McDonough wrote:

Dave, I don't think your colorful Oenothera is O. fruticosa or a variety of it.  Was intrigued to see Maggi's suggestion of E. falklandica; never heard of it, and could only find one photo of it (use the link below, scroll down to find it), showing similarly colored blooms. Searching on The Plant List, IPNI.ORG, and Tropicos, indicate that Oenothera "falklandica" is not a validly published name, possibly a horticultural invention, there are a good number of such non-existant species out in horticulture-land.  Now I'm interested in finding out what this plant really is!
http://www.buytech.biz/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_OENOTHERA_1219.html

...and the same photo in another link, but you can compare with a few photos of O. fruticosa and vars.
http://www.cgf.net/plants.aspx?genus=OENOTHERA

Thanks Trond /Maggi

I had queried the name i gave earlier as when Googling Oenothera i came across pictures of my plant labelled as O.fruticosa ssp glauca which under 'The Plant List' is an unresolved named.

And just to add to the confusion the name should be blood orange not as i have called it ,blood yellow--duh !!!....... :-[

Sorry i can't help you further Mark.

Cheers Dave.

Toole wrote:

IMYoung wrote:

Great colour combination on that Oenethera,T00lie - might it be O. falklandica?

McDonough wrote:

Dave, I don't think your colorful Oenothera is O. fruticosa or a variety of it.  Was intrigued to see Maggi's suggestion of O. falklandica; never heard of it, and could only find one photo of it (use the link below, scroll down to find it), showing similarly colored blooms. Searching on The Plant List, IPNI.ORG, and Tropicos, indicate that Oenothera "falklandica" is not a validly published name, possibly a horticultural invention, there are a good number of such non-existant species out in horticulture-land.  Now I'm interested in finding out what this plant really is!

Thanks Trond /Maggi

I had queried the name i gave earlier as when Googling Oenothera i came across pictures of my plant labelled as O.fruticosa ssp glauca which under 'The Plant List' is an unresolved named.

And just to add to the confusion the name should be blood orange not as i have called it ,blood yellow--duh !!!....... :-[

Cheers Dave.

Right, I hadn't cottoned on to the fact that the Blood Orange was a name and not just a description.... a search for  OENOTHERA 'BLOOD ORANGE' doesn't get us much further though....

http://hobbykafe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1388&start=15  =Bulgarian site

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imberhorne-Lane-Nursery-OENOTHERA-ORANGE/dp/B006... =seeds for sale

http://members.gardenweb.com/members/exch/audrey  = seed swap

I've written to Bob Brown of Cotswold Garden Flowers to see what else he can tell us of is "falklandica"

From a brief search, I find there are a number of orange Oenothera species/cultivars going around, the one that comes up the most is Oenothera versicolor, with cultivar names like 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'Endless Orange'.  Just google images for Oenothera versicolor and you will see lots of these.

Now, O. versicolor is considered a synonym for the accepted name of O. campylocalyx.
The synonym list for O. campylocalyx include:
O. coccinea
O. curvifolia
O. fusca
O. scabra
O. versicolor
O. weberbaueri
Onagra fusca
This is a species from South America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia).  Some "garden web sites" report Oenothera versicolor as a Californian annual, which it is not, just more unsubstantiated garden lore. Google Oenothera campylocalyx, and you'll see many of the same orange cultivars.

I think Dave's "blood orange" evening primrose or O. "falklandica", is probably some other South America species of Oenothera, it has rather different leaves than the long narrow leaves of O. campylocalyx (syn. versicolor). The trouble is, its so hard to find botanical information for Central and South America.

Regarding O. fruticosa and ssp. glauca recognized by USDA Plant Profiles, they're good entities in my book, The Plant List has a surprising high percentage of "unresolved" plant names.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OEFR

Got a reply from Bob Brown about Oenethera falklandica :
He tells me the seed was " bought from North Green Seeds. It must be somebodies made-up name maybe for something collected on the Falklands"  - he knows nothing more. 

Ugh!!!

Yes, of course, I should be more respectful of March  :-\

Makes you wonder how the Dwarf Alberta Spruce does in Alberta....?

Actually, I didn't think you had that problem out east.  You have much more humid winters and springs than us in Minnesota.

Is it normal that one has to protect from winter sun there, too?

Yes, I do wonder about Alberta.... Cohan; are you out there? I'm not sure covering plants for winter could ever be considered "normal" behavior  :o  but in some cases it might forestall burning. A burlap wrap might have prevented the burn but this plant will likely recover anyway. I just have to look at it for a few more weeks  :(  This common landscape plant is sometimes put right next to south wall in full sun where the burn really can do some serious damage. They're fine with any shading though.

Dwarf Alberta spruce are a pretty poor bet around here in this dry chinook belt - most of those cute little green cones in the one-gallon pots are doomed from the moment they leave the store - but like everything, there is an exception here and there.  DH says there's a house in our neighbourhood with 2 of them in a sheltered front entrance that have been there at least 15 years and are head-high.  The backsides are dead (whether due to climate conditions or whether it's needle drop due to be being up against a wall or other trees is unclear) but the fronts look good, apparently.

I don't have any personal experience with dwarf conifers, so can't add much. I'll try to keep my eyes open for them when I am in town...As Lori suggests, I'd tend to think most people don't care for their planted conifers that well in the first place- neither do a lot of big box garden centres, for that matter- they may be on the way out before they even leave the store..
I don't see many wrapped shrubs here- I think it is done sometimes for some cedars (? not really sure what they are- but little pyramids very popularly sold  here, with a very very low survival rate!)..
Where in Alberta must make a big difference to woodies as well- more freeze/thaw farther south, colder farther north etc, besides vagaries of exposure in a particular property- eg my place is quite sheltered by trees, greatly reducing winter winds- my aunt up the road with a more exposed site feels we can grow many things she couldn't..

I didn't really mean to suggest that it is due to poor care that dwarf Alberta spruce tend not to do well, but more that it seems to be poorly suited to surviving in our conditions generally (usually becoming fatally dessicated over the winter, if they last that long)... a bit of a mystery as Picea glauca var. albertiana is said to have been collected from nature in Alberta.  This site claims that all plants of it are derived from "a natural dwarf specimen that was collected at Lake Laggan, Alberta, in 1904. That specimen was brought to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston and has been the source of all subsequent specimens and cultivars".
http://www.floridata.com/ref/p/pice_gla.cfm

Stuart was thinking about this a while back too... One wonders about the location of the mysterious "Lake Laggan".  Does it refer to Lake Louise in Banff National Park?
http://www.lakelouisestation.com/history.php
The name "Laggan" lives on in the name of this bakery cafe at Lake Louise townsite:  
http://laggans.ca/

Given how poorly the modern descendants of the plant do here generally, Stuart figures the original plant (or population if there is or was one) must indeed have been dwarf - maybe dwarf enough to stay completely covered by snow for most of the year?  Failing that, it  must have been located in some very mild, BC-like micro-oasis... but where?

Anyway, something of a mystery... Can anyone shed any light on this?

A few more things melting out of the snow... visible now but that may be short-lived if the predicted storm due to start tomorrow night comes to pass.

All looking pretty much as they did last fall, here's Marrubium globosum (bottom) and a little Acantholimon kotschyi ssp. laxispicatum (top); Anthemis creticum ssp. leucanthemoides; Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus (and of the mysterious gray things that I failed to label on the map!):
   

Astragalus loanus still looking OK, and Lupinus breweri appearing lifelike:
 

It's amazing how fast some plants get going as it warms up - there appears to be a new leaf on this Centaurea epirota (and some old battered ones from last year):

Lupinus wyethii:

Lori, Interesting you note no "Lake Laggan" the reputed home of the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I think there must be a huge difference in climate where you are versus the windward/seaward side of the Rockies which would be cloudier and moister, conditions the little spruce seems to require. So nice to see things emerging from snow. It's still "March"  :( here; cold with flurries or sprinkles but mostly just gray. If you get sun and warmth you will notice Eritrichium howardii beginning growth if you look very closely. Miracle!

Bundraba! wrote:

Lori, Interesting you note no "Lake Laggan" the reputed home of the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I think there must be a huge difference in climate where you are versus the windward/seaward side of the Rockies which would be cloudier and moister, conditions the little spruce seems to require. So nice to see things emerging from snow. It's still "March"  :( here; cold with flurries or sprinkles but mostly just gray. If you get sun and warmth you will notice Eritrichium howardii beginning growth if you look very closely. Miracle!

Yes, it seems the only "Lake Laggan" must have been what is now called Lake Louise, and you've defined the mystery exactly... Given the climate difference between the east and west sides of the continental divide, where in the drier, east-side rain shadow would one find a little pocket of conditions where this fussy little thing (or even a population?) could have existed naturally?

I'll keep an eye out for the Eritrichium howardii!  Is it actually herbaceous then?

Thanks for the info on Silene caryophylloides ssp. echinus, Mark.  It's interesting to hear the history of its introduction.

I'll add to the emerging from snow theme. Yes, I've taken my winter withered hide out into the cold and clammy to search for signs of life on the garden. Not all is in hideous estate and primary to the inclusion of cheeriness into my rather brief garden walk is the note that the Snowdrops are pushing above ground where the snow has melted. Below is a photographic sampling, with my ramblings, of just a few of the plants that are showing now. There should be later, an account of conditions that some of the more controversial things here find themselves in upon winter's passing:

Lewisia tweedyi appears to have survived at the south drip of a conifer (ground level aspect). It was exposed to winter low of -12F and arid sunshine. It now sits in a cold mire along with everything else in the garden. It could well be a case of "just doesn't LOOK dead yet" but I don't think so.

Acantholimon hohenackeri on a well drained version of mire (south face of The Rock)

The white form of Penstemon caespitosus as above and like the Lewisia must yet face even hotter(April) sun than befell it in January and iffy precipitation.

I stuck the camera right down into this old Moltkia petraea. Like Satureja, Lavender... I like to leave all old growth on over winter to help keep sun off of buds lower in the bush. Ideally new growth will overtake the old in summer, but judicious clipping is OK in spring. Looks OK but I can't say if this is alive or not.

Packera from Red Mountain, Montana seems completely unfazed; tough little Rocky Mountain steppe plant. Wonderful; tough is here!

Echinocereus triglochidiatus in hairless form, has winter shrink capacity, is also unfazed. I note that my Agaves (also hairless, glaucus, hardy succulents) do not seem to posses sensible shrinkability but the ones I planted out, now seem to display a good deal of shrinking. Better late than never or just plain dead? Time will tell.

Kabschias grow any time the ground is not frozen and there is moisture: Aetheonema oppositifolia will bloom real early but I think I should have fed this one (?); not many buds showing: and Y'all've seen this Areneria/Eriogonum; not much change.
   

Finally, these Yucca harrimanii/nana really could be the walking dead. It wouldn't be the first time I'd be hoping for any regeneration from the buried roots come summer. The well known preservative effects of refrigeration must yet come to light!

The other plant is Aethionema grandiflora an excellent rock garden get-around hardy enough to reseed it's self and thus be glorious for many years.

Things are looking great there, Michael.  The eriogonum is fantastic!

Bundraba! wrote:

Ugh!!!

Yes, of course, I should be more respectful of March  :-\

Or February? This didn't happen in one day?

Picea glauca var albertiana 'Conica' is widely grown here but some branches oftens revert back to normal form. That make me assume it can't be from a stable population of dwarfs but from a sport. Or the plants grown here are not the same as you are talking about!

I have had one in my garden for more than 25 years. It is still less than 2m high. I've never experienced any sun burning though, not even this winter that have damaged other plants.

Lori and Michael, I wish my plants looked as good as yours after the winter!

Lori- interesting about the missing/uncertain original site for the collection-- I think it's very easy to find habitats in Alberta that a dwarf spruce could be sheltered in over winter- depending how dwarf! Does  it seem unlikely that it could have been a dwarf population ? Surely it would have been seen again? More likely one individual sport, and then even more reasonable that  it could find a sheltered and/or snowy spot. More of a mystery is why a sport of P glauca would be so fussy?
That makes me think of things like the firs (forgetting which sp just now) which grow in foothills, mountains and some river valleys in Alberta, but are not supposed to be terribly well suited to other areas,I read of them being killed above the fence line in chinook zone yards!  and Douglas fir which grows in just a couple of montane zone sites, not sure if anyone is growing those or not...
Important for those outside of Alberta to remember that many woody plants in general have a harder time of it (so I've read!) in the chinook belt- south/western Alberta in particular, where there is unpredictable  snow cover, and more freeze/thaw than other parts of the province. Lori is in the heart of that zone, I'm on the edge of it- we get much more of the moderating Pacific air than does, say, Edmonton, but our snow cover is more secure than Calgary's- and no doubt other issues of importance to woody plants. The natural vegetation around Calgary is grassland except for low or sheltered areas, river valleys etc, and in my area the natural vegetation is boreal forest, so there must be some important distinctions!
That said, I have no idea whether anyone is successfully growing dwarf Alberta Spruce around here- I'll be watching for them now :)

cohan wrote:

That makes me think of things like the firs (forgetting which sp just now) which grow in foothills, mountains and some river valleys in Alberta, but are not supposed to be terribly well suited to other areas,I read of them being killed above the fence line in chinook zone yards!  and Douglas fir which grows in just a couple of montane zone sites, not sure if anyone is growing those or not...

It's good question. I've planted Douglas Fir here, one of them sourced from Cathey Peak overlooking Alamogordo, New Mexico a stones throw from the Mexican border. I know of one quite large specimen (or knew of; haven't visited it in a while) so they are planted here (Christmas trees too) but I don't know to what degree or from what geographic area they hail or if they are "good" plants. So far the New Mexican plant seems to be taking OK. Another thing I planted and watch closely is Thuja plicata sourced from northern Idaho. this one has burned in the past but in recent years seems to be getting along better almost like it's adapted. I would think our climate quite foreign to both of these specimens so I watch them with interest.

The last couple of days have been more like normal. It's no snow left and the ice  on the fjord has disappeared, at least here. The soil is still frozen though and only some snowdrops show colour. But they are very late and so are the winter aconites too. Only one crocus has showed its head. Last year they were in flower now.

Picea glauca 'Conica' shows no winter damage, however competition from shrubs isn't to its liking. Some of the Rhododendrons show damage from the cold though.

Snowdrops and winter aconites are late but welcome harbingers of better times. The Witch Hazel 'Pallida' has flowered for tat least one month although the flowers are easily overlooked when it is cold. Today they brightened the day considerably!

cohan wrote:

That makes me think of things like the firs (forgetting which sp just now) which grow in foothills, mountains and some river valleys in Alberta, but are not supposed to be terribly well suited to other areas,I read of them being killed above the fence line in chinook zone yards!  and Douglas fir which grows in just a couple of montane zone sites, not sure if anyone is growing those or not...

From the descriptions, I wonder if both of your references might be to Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)?  

There are said to be 3 stands of Douglas-fir in Calgary - I believe they are all in NW Calgary along the Bow River (I know of 2 of them and think I know of the third).
http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Douglas-Fir-Tr...
http://www.woodshomes.ca/douglas-fir-site.htm

A local native tree/shrub nursery sells them:
http://www.bowpointnursery.com/online-catalog/trees/douglas-fir/

This source refers to a Douglas-fir on a dry ridge in Banff that would be ~700 years old now, assuming it is still alive:
http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pubwarehouse/pdfs/24075.pdf

Subalpine fir appears to have a pretty restricted range - high elevations and the relict population in the Swan Hills.  I have a government-published pamphlet called Native Trees of Alberta that shows a population somewhere in the Edmonton area(?) and Native Trees of Canada (Hosie) shows two population dots in that area (as does Trees in Canada (Farrar)),  but it looks like this more recent survey checked those areas specifically and didn't record any:
http://www.abmi.ca/abmi/biodiversitybrowser/speciesprofile.jsp;jsessioni...

Sorry, I shouldn't have been so lazy and looked up the tree I was talking about- Actually balsam fir Abies balsamea- looking now, Flora of Alberta only shows it farther north, though someone (on another forum, I haven't visited in some time, so I have doubts I could re-find the reference) had told me they could be found in the Red Deer River Valley; However, now looking at the maps, I wonder if they meant A lasiocarpa, alpine fir, which seems from the map to have a broader distribution coming some distance away from the mountains along the North Saskatchewan River (and more so farther north), and a short way along the Red Deer River. I know driving west from Rocky Mountain House we start to see some unfamiliar conifers quite soon, but I certainly haven't keyed them- something beyond the P glauca, P mariana and Larix common here, and not pines..
I find many plants with that sort of map representation actually make it right into my area, but that is harder for trees, since we have lots of forest here, but none of it is undisturbed longer term.
Lori- I'll have to take a look at those links- I'm curious to know what Douglas Fir in Alberta look like- I've seen them in coastal B.C., but that must be quite different! There is supposed to be  a stand on the far side (vs the highway) side of Abraham Lake, but I have no idea how accessible that is...
I have a small sapling growing from something given to me by an aunt- it was a seedling from a tree grown by a friend of hers east of here- some sort of Cedar from B.C., she's been growing it near Alberta for decades, I think; no idea what it really is, and its still very small after planting several years ago in a sheltered spot.. I'd love to grow a Douglas Fir here..
Michael, hope yours do well- interesting to find out what tolerances plants might really have...

Trond, good to hear you are getting some almost spring! Nice to see those early flowers, even the non-flashy ones..
We had lots of melting going on here, byt now we have 15cm at least fresh snow, and still snowing...

Lori wrote:

cohan wrote:

That makes me think of things like the firs (forgetting which sp just now) which grow in foothills, mountains and some river valleys in Alberta, but are not supposed to be terribly well suited to other areas,I read of them being killed above the fence line in chinook zone yards!  and Douglas fir which grows in just a couple of montane zone sites, not sure if anyone is growing those or not...

From the descriptions, I wonder if both of your references might be to Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)?  

There are said to be 3 stands of Douglas-fir in Calgary - I believe they are all in NW Calgary along the Bow River (I know of 2 of them and think I know of the third).
http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/SW-parks/Douglas-Fir-Tr...
http://www.woodshomes.ca/douglas-fir-site.htm

A local native tree/shrub nursery sells them:
http://www.bowpointnursery.com/online-catalog/trees/douglas-fir/

This source refers to a Douglas-fir on a dry ridge in Banff that would be ~700 years old now, assuming it is still alive:
http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pubwarehouse/pdfs/24075.pdf

Subalpine fir appears to have a pretty restricted range - high elevations and the relict population in the Swan Hills.  I have a government-published pamphlet called Native Trees of Alberta that shows a population somewhere in the Edmonton area(?) and Native Trees of Canada (Hosie) shows two population dots in that area (as does Trees in Canada (Farrar)),  but it looks like this more recent survey checked those areas specifically and didn't record any:
http://www.abmi.ca/abmi/biodiversitybrowser/speciesprofile.jsp;jsessioni...

Going through those links- if the figures are correct for the largest Douglas Fir in Alberta (now dead and felled) they said it would have been about 6inches /15cm tall at 50 years old! Maybe I wont try to grow one...
That park in Calgary looks like a pretty cool place to visit (first link)..
The notable trees of Alberta pdf was quite interesting!

In the Alberta Trees of Renown booklet, it's interesting that the notably-old black spruce doesn't exactly stand out from its companions - all look equally (characteristically) ratty!

That's what I thought about several of those trees- you wouldn't necessarily know they were old unless you were measuring or looking for some key features..

Do some of those conifers spread vegetatively by layering? Here the common spruce (Picea abies) makes stands of several trees which all stem from one original tree. Such a clone can be very old. The oldest living spruce in Scandinavia is a Swedish one C-14 dated to be 9550 years old. It is the root that is old, not the stem.

From this site: http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article3620934.ece

Interesting spot- why is it so bare- is it high? Doesn't seem so because of the flatness...
I've seen spruces root  from branches- or at least have branches growing along the ground, haven't checked for roots- but have never seen those branches grow vertically and amount to anything much...

Hoy wrote:

Do some of those conifers spread vegetatively by layering? Here the common spruce (Picea abies) makes stands of several trees which all stem from one original tree. Such a clone can be very old. The oldest living spruce in Scandinavia is a Swedish one C-14 dated to be 9550 years old. It is the root that is old, not the stem.

I have no proof of it but it wouldn't surprise me if some of the little groups of subalpine firs that one sees around here at timberline are actually colonies of clones from layering.  They sometimes have that look about them - lots of prostrate growth with leaders rising up here and there... ?

cohan wrote:

Interesting spot- why is it so bare- is it high? Doesn't seem so because of the flatness...
I've seen spruces root  from branches- or at least have branches growing along the ground, haven't checked for roots- but have never seen those branches grow vertically and amount to anything much...

The flatness is a typical Norwegian (or Swedish) mountain plateau (we call such a geological form "vidde"). It's no alpine formation at all but the bareness is due to harsh climate and no soil, just moss covered rocks. The tree is located at about 1000m.

Firs are foreign in Norway but commonly planted and I've often seen low branches rooting where they touch the ground. It is very common among spruces but I've never seen it on pines.

There are certain bog areas in Minnesota where Picea mariana proliferate from root sprouts.  There is a small industry that has built up because of them.  Workers go out and cut the little 2-4ft trees in the late fall to sell.  The harvest is heavily regulated by our state's Department of Natural Resources.  City folk  buy them as winter decoration for their outside pots and window boxes that they grow flowers in during the growing season.  Non-Minnesotans always say they have never heard of such a thing until they come here.  Apparently, it's just a Minnesota thing (?).  I'd be interested to know if this natural phenomenon or its economic use happens elsewhere.

RickR wrote:

Apparently, it's just a Minnesota thing (?).  I'd be interested to know if this natural phenomenon or its economic use happens elsewhere.

I've never heard of this use for black spruce!

Interesting, Rick! I don't know if times have changed, but certainly when I lived in Edmonton, I didn't see anything like the amount of container gardening- and especially those containers that are re'planted' seasonally, that I saw living in Toronto, so I wonder if there would be the same sort of market for those mini-trees here?
Also, as I mentioned,  I have not seen rooted branches growing up into trees- only forming skirts around the parents, but I certainly don't claim to have seen any vast amount of territory! Picea mariana is common here, however, I think there are some even right on my acreage, and many of them in the slough just beyond our fence...

Picea mariana is planted around here but it is not common. Neither this nor other spruces are used like you describe, Rick.

Here we usually buy seedlings of some pine with juvenile foliage for winter decoration indoors!

I don't think I've ever heard of pines rooting from cuttings, whereas most other conifers do slowly, so that probably explains why natural pines don't layer. I don't know enough about the taxonomy of conifers but pines do seem a race apart, and a lovely one.

I visited a friend's garden a day or two ago, just south of Maidstone on the escarpment of the North Downs overlooking the Weald of Kent. She has a great collection of hellebores and snowdrops, some of the latter given to her as wild collections by the botanist Martyn Rix many years ago. Some of them are pretty amazing foliage plants (forms of G. elwesii) with very broad blue-grey leaves. The garden dries out significantly in the summer and grows these plants as well as I've seen them anywhere.

Lovely, Tim.  What is the yellow tree in the first photo?  Are those leaves or flowers?

It's actually a form of Pittosporum tenuifolium, which must be borderline hardy in many gardens - especially this yellow leaved form. I think the position of the garden on a high ridge must mean frost is moderated by continuous breezes. It is not an alpine garden in any way, except for a nice variety of woodlanders, but still has that feel of a garden where the individual plants come first.

Interesting place, Tim. Those are some great leaves on the G elwesii for sure!

Nice to see a real spring, Tim. Here everything is still frozen solid. Even at midday in full sun the temperature only barely reaches +1C :(

Actually the weather has turned very cold here too with snow in the south of Kent, and not much in the way of any sun. The great British (and Scandinavian) spring weather! Janis Ruksans (on the SRGC Forum) is talking about -20°C in Latvia so I shouldn't complain.

+1 daytime with -20C nights- that is springtime!  ;D any more than that and it's summer!

Gee -- we could do with some moisture and cooler conditions as large areas of the North Island have been declared drought regions ---the most severe in history.
Even the normally rainy South Island West Coast is dry, and here in Southland river levels are of some concern with Fish and Game officials being forced to rescue stranded trout.

Gardening on a shady woodland property has helped somewhat moderate the continual need to water plants in pots although a number of the Primulas especially, are showing stress.

In the garden some plants have coped well including Linum x gemmels hybrid.

Cheers Dave.

Seems the weather isn't quite what it should be. Today a lot of airports are closed to to snow storms :-\ but we have sunny and calm weather but cold of course.

Dave, a pretty Linum anyway! Hope the Primulas survive!

Dave,
droughts and floods are a way of life here in Oz, :-\
Whether it's climate change or just the cyclical nature of things we still have to cope with it.
This is another bulb which looks after itself in our garden - Lycoris elsae
cheers
fermi

It would be really interesting to know what native plants were doing in some of those dry then flooded areas- eg. will there be whole new generations of plants that haven't been able to germinate/have seedlings survive for years?

Fermi, I wouldn't mind having such plants looking after themselves in my garden!

Beautiful Lycoris; I have tried a couple times to establish Lycoris in the garden, all I ever got was sparse foliage a couple years and then gone.

Fermi wrote:

Dave,
droughts and floods are a way of life here in Oz, :-\
Whether it's climate change or just the cyclical nature of things we still have to cope with it.
cheers
fermi

Currently a bit of moisture falling from the sky here Fermi and cooler conditions ,unfortunately it's ,(so far) ,not as much as promised and we are forecasted to be back into sun and the low 20c's later next week.....

I guess i shouldn't complain as it's been simply wonderful working outside in my day job for the last couple of months :)

Here's a pink form of the dwarf Platycodon currently in bloom --my blue one finished flowering two weeks ago.

Cheers Dave.

I like this colour of Platycodon!

cohan wrote:

I like this colour of Platycodon!

So do i Cohan although these days i seem to be drawn to any unusual or new colour break ,of just about any horticultural worthy plant ---now if i could only get my hands on some yellow Galanthus   :-*;) ;D

The pink is a bit darker than what my pic shows.

Cheers Dave.

Yes, I tend to perversely like any atypical colour for a genus or species- if they are usually yellow, I like the pink species, if they are pink I like the yellow species...lol Less true for me with hybrids, but I'm okay with sports....lol

Nice colour of that Platycodon! I have only grown the common blue one, have to look for this now!

Toole wrote:

...these days i seem to be drawn to any unusual or new colour break ,of just about any horticultural worthy plant ---now if i could only get my hands on some yellow Galanthus   :-*;) ;D

Cheers Dave.

Dave, what you might be looking for is one of the "non-white snowdrops" ;D (this is a real term used by some Galanthophiles).
See this topic:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1287.new#new

The latest passion is for 'green' snowdrops, and they are very fascinating for the cognescenti but another example of the 'non-white' snowdrop that might bewilder some gardeners.

Not much to see, still very cold but some of the spring plants do show a little more!
Corydalis bracteata (I think), Eranthis hyemalis and Crocus tommasinianus :-\

The garden is coming alive, though the weathermen are forecasting a "final winter blow" for later today.  I snapped a couple of pictures before everything gets trounced.
-- A double hellebore from Ernie and Marietta O'Bryne (2004), whose seedlings are all double
-- Olsynium douglasii grown from Ron Ratko seed (sown 2007)
-- Crocus vernus albiflorus from Jerry John Flintoff, peeking through Trillium kurabayashii leaves

A really exquisite form of hellebore, Claire.

The happy looking Olsynium clearly shows its relation in the Iris family, with its stigma and 3 anthers.
No luck when I tried it from seed last year. :(

McDonough wrote:

Toole wrote:

...these days i seem to be drawn to any unusual or new colour break ,of just about any horticultural worthy plant ---now if i could only get my hands on some yellow Galanthus   :-*;) ;D

Cheers Dave.

Dave, what you might be looking for is one of the "non-white snowdrops" ;D (this is a real term used by some Galanthophiles).
See this topic:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1287.new#new

Very interesting Mark.
I think I'd need to see the 'apricot' snowdrop in person before i could pass a judgement.

I admit to having a few common 'drops' however I've decided my pockets are too shallow and my horticultural interests too wide to worry about aquiring every little variation that pops up ....(other than a good yellow).That being said i can perfectly understand the frenzy that occurs when a so call colour break occurs because i'm exactly like that with Trilliums--( i know I'm not well  :D ).

Cheers Dave.

Here Anemone blanda Muriel de Curel start flowering in the poly-tunnel
A found on a castle at Paris called Saint Jean de Beauregard

Roland

Toole wrote:

Very interesting Mark. I think I'd need to see the 'apricot' snowdrop in person before i could pass a judgement.

I admit to having a few common 'drops' however I've decided my pockets are too shallow and my horticultural interests too wide to worry about aquiring every little variation that pops up ....(other than a good yellow).That being said i can perfectly understand the frenzy that occurs when a so call colour break occurs because i'm exactly like that with Trilliums--( i know I'm not well  :D ).

Cheers Dave.

That's the problem Dave, waiting for a "color break" to occur in Galanthus. So far I haven't seen evidence of any "color breaks", aside from white drops with variations of green or yellowish markings, and in the case of so-called "yellow snowdrops", pea greenish yellow peduncles.  I love snowdrops, but I do believe there is a large degree of wishful thinking out there in the Galanthus community.

Roland, as I've already mentioned in your Facebook posting, I really like that green Anemone, its a color break ;D

I thought you would like to see the picture from this new one here too :)
I made a typo in the name and corrected it
It must be Muriel de Curel

That Anemone blanda would blend well into my woodland!

They will be available soon
I have already one :)

Here is Eranthis hyemalis which started blooming and has been on and off covered with snow ever since.  Unlike Crocus tomasianus it's no worse fpor the wear.

Beautiful pink glow inside Edrianthus pumilo is remedy

but the cure for March is:

:)

It seems the cold weather has slowed things down in my garden. Here are a few in bloom on March 27.
Douglasia nivalis

Townsendia spathulata (i think)

I thought this was interesting; nothing quite like the various colors plants take on when they yet again experience the sun. This Vitaliana primuliflora has become an oddish brick red orange (with variations!).

I posted several pictures of this area last year; 'The Rock'. I think the gorgeous large foliaged Acantholimon at the upper left corner of the photo did not come through winter well. The best looks to be A. litwinovii (far right center) this year. Perhaps the small needles and pedigree got it through an exposed winter. Among the green things in the middle left of the photo is Gypsophila aretiodes that nearlly died of drought last June. I threatened to move it away from The Rock but did not. It survived. Water is important!  :) The darkest plant pictured is a Globularia pretty well burned up but the color is not that of charcoal. It is still alive. A smattering of Androsaces (bottom of photo) will cheer everyone up in a bit. Not the coldest, but a tough winter was had by all.

Certainly not the coldest winter, Michael, but it does seem to be dragging on.  I think the birds have migrated back to their winter quarters.

We have had and still have the coldest winter - and nothing better in sight but sun, no wind and freezing temps. In fact I am longing for a real spring shower! (But the soil has to thaw firstly!)

Here finally the snow is gone
it's still around zero and hardly flowers
It's here the coldest March sins 1930
also never seen so much snow in March

Erythronium dens-canis Snowflake start flowering here in the poly-tunnel

Roland

Merlin wrote:

It seems the cold weather has slowed things down in my garden. Here are a few in bloom on March 27.
Douglasia nivalis

Jim, that's a really nice Douglasia nivalis form.  It's one of the earlier things here to blooom, but nothing is happening yet.

Here are some views of the rocks at Snowdrop time. The only thing blocking critical veiw of the Great Ranges at this time of year is an old Fothergilla. I may begin to slowly piece it out of there this spring. I may not. There's a couple of young Sugar Maples too along the back of the property I consider cutting for the benefit of the rock gardens; but, then again, most people alive today would prefer the maples (syrup; of course!).....choices. Choices. It won't be long before larger perennials obscure the rock works and it will be summer.

Snow that slides off the north eve of the house tends to linger. I think this is when the Saxifrages that live here are happiest. The first photo is a large pieced S. irvingii-jenkense. The second photo is from directly above a crevice bunnery.

It's again time to get things done in the garden.

Great to see the wonders of spring, all.  Here's Bulbocodium vernum on a southwest-slope in the front yard, complete with honeybee:
 

Nice, Lori. I had Bulbocodium for several years but they disappeared. Think I have to try again!

A bed of Tulipa turkestanica:

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A bed of marsh marigolds:

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Erythronium revolutum:

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Sanguinaria canadensis:

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Narcissus cyclamineus:

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My first Arisaema of the year, A. sikokianum:

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Narcissus bulbocodium:

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First Dodecatheon to bloom, D. hendersonii:

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Some NW native shrubs:  Ribes sanguineum in foreground, Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian plum) in background:

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Two acorn-bearing shrubs from northern California:  Lithocarpus densiflorus on left, Quercus sadleriana on right:

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Kalmiopsis leachiana:

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Tulipa humilis (?):

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Epigaea repens, started from seed about three years ago:

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Crocus from NE Massachusetts- NE USA. The best, Crocus tommasinianus roseus was planted in hard clay sod, by chipmunks, but after they ate 97%. Paeonia cambessedesii is in a frost-free room and put outdoors in morning sun for the summer.  Forecast 63F high 23F low this week.  17.5C/ -5C  Somewhat normal unsettled spring weather.

Gene, I am impressed! Especially of the Epigaea from seed, I have tried a few times without success :(
Does the Ribes sanguineum flower before the leaves emerge?
Your spring is well ahead of mine. We struggle with the same kind of weather we have had for months: sun, dry desiccating air and night frost. All my evergreen plants suffer badly although I have started watering them in the frozen soil :-\

externmed, nice crocuses and peony! is the peony from seed?

Hoy, we are having a very dry warm spring in the Pacific NW.  The previous three springs were very wet and cold.  So I am getting caught up on a lot of gardening chores this spring.

The Ribes sanguineum flowers before the leaves emerge.

Gene, you are not that far away from me but your plants are at least a week ahead of mine.  Gorgeous displays!

Hoy wrote:

externmed, nice crocuses and peony! is the peony from seed?

Hi Hoy,
Sorry I think the Peony was from a commercial source.  I have some Peony seeds doing a warm treatment now.  The only Paeonia I have germinated myself are from seeds I collected  (seeds die relatively quickly?).  Even then it's a long warm treatment followed by 3 + months at cold then growth at warm.  Paeonia cambessedesii, from warmer Southern areas including Crete, might take less stratification?

externmed wrote:

Crocus from NE Massachusetts- NE USA. The best, Crocus tommasinianus roseus was planted in hard clay sod, by chipmunks, but after they ate 97%. Paeonia cambessedesii is in a frost-free room and put outdoors in morning sun for the summer.  Forecast 63F high 23F low this week.  17.5C/ -5C  Somewhat normal unsettled spring weather.

Wow! Crocus here are well and truly gone before the peonies are in bloom! Amazing to see them together like that!
It's autumn here and it shows

Sternbergia sicula
Lycoris aurea
Nerine fothergila "Major'
Brunsvigia gregaria
Crossyne flava in seed
Lycoris elsae
cheers
fermi

externmed wrote:

Hoy wrote:

externmed, nice crocuses and peony! is the peony from seed?

Hi Hoy,
Sorry I think the Peony was from a commercial source.  I have some Peony seeds doing a warm treatment now.  The only Paeonia I have germinated myself are from seeds I collected  (seeds die relatively quickly?).  Even then it's a long warm treatment followed by 3 + months at cold then growth at warm.  Paeonia cambessedesii, from warmer Southern areas including Crete, might take less stratification?

Yes I think peony seeds die in a year or less. At least they germinate easily the first winter when sown fresh but are difficult to germinate later. When I sow peony seeds I either place the pots outdoors or in a cold greenhouse.

Gene wrote:

Hoy, we are having a very dry warm spring in the Pacific NW.  The previous three springs were very wet and cold.  So I am getting caught up on a lot of gardening chores this spring.

The Ribes sanguineum flowers before the leaves emerge.

We are still in the spell of winter :-\ We have had one of the coldest and driest springs for 160 years. A lot of sun though but very cold nights like a montane inland climate.
Got one inch of sleet tonight - the first precipitation for several weeks. A lot of evergreens are badly damaged and even Crocuses struggle to survive with very small flowers.

My R sanguineum always has started leafing out when flowering.

Fermi, I am jealous! I don't think any of those gems are fit for y garden!

Gene, some good stuff there, although it is Ribes sanguineum that really catches my eye, its now on my "shrubs list" :D

Charles, pretty Crocus shots, attractive with the pine needle thatch.

Fermi, what festive floral fireworks to finish the fall season, fabulous! :o

Mark, I second your opinion on Ribes sanguineum, both the standard pink/red cultivar, and the alba form such as 'White Icicle'. Joy Creek nursery in Oregon carries several cultivars:

http://www.joycreek.com/Ribes-sanguineum-White-Icicle-526-017.htm
http://www.joycreek.com/Ribes-sanguineum-King-Edward-VII-526-010.htm
http://www.joycreek.com/Ribes-sanguineum-Brocklebankii-526-015.htm
http://www.joycreek.com/Ribes-sanguineum-Variegata-526-011.htm

Brocklebankii strikes me as a bit too bright, though I haven't seen the plant in person. Somehow have to find a source for King Edward VII and White Icicle,  here in Atlantic Canada (or find a way to become a source!).

Although the redflowered flowering currant is quite common here, the other forms are totally absent. Can't understand why. I would love to get 'White Icicle' in my garden!

Lapageria rosea (Chilean bell flower) is in full bloom here --not as many as last season when i gave up counting after reaching 300 flowers  :o ..... but not bad all the same  :)

Cheers Dave.

What with Fermi's Lycoris and Dave's Lapageria it feels like summer might not be too far away after all (although I've never had success with either of these). Spring is at last on the move, with the star plants probably being some of the tuberous anemones that seed around on the sand beds, and I couldn't resist showing the American Synthyris stellata too, which has been in bud since mid-February waiting for warmer weather.

I think spring has sprung.  It will be 70 today.  We seem to have gone from 40s and skipped over the 50s and 60s.  It is also very dry.  We really need some rain.  In bloom today in the garden.
Helleborus niger
Helleborus 'Pink Teacup'
The first is always the earliest of the hellebores.  The second seems to be quite as tough but blooms a couple of weeks later.

Dave, the Lapageria is beautiful! I can't grow it outside but once I had a plant from seed in my greenhouse. It lived and flowered for many years but nothing like that! Unfortunately if froze to death some years ago (and so did a pretty Callistemon I had there too) :'(

Tim, I can't grow Anemones like that although I have tried! I haven't had much luck with Synthyris either so far but I am still trying!

Anne, beautiful Hellebosus! All mine have lost their bud this winter and spring in the freeze-drying weather we have had for 3 months.Seems we will have a change tomorrow!

Nice to see the flowers, all! Nothing yet here- I was excited to see some exposed soil for a while, though it was all covered up again the other day...lol
I did have some busy days working on a long area on the forest edge behind the house that is going to get some development for food gardens (hugelkultur and other permaculture approaches) as well as some native and dryland plantings.

Anne - love the hellebores- I managed to kill the free ones I got as supermarket leftovers last year, before I could get them outside, but I just got three more yesterday the same way, so I will have to be more attentive with these ones until it's warm enough to start hardening them off outside- many weeks of frost yet here...
Tim- interestng Anemones! what do they do foliarly?

A group of mixed Erythronium species and hybrids:

[attachthumb = 1]

After you've grown Erythroniums from seed for a while, you will need a place like this for mystery plants.

Some of them have very dark mottling on the leaves:

[attachthumb = 2]

Does anyone know if this is a named hybrid?  I looked up White Beauty, and it does not have mottling this dark.

That's a wonderful mix of erythroniums, Gene.  Here's a little patch of self-sown bulbs that found a place to their liking under an Edgeworthia chrysantha.  The leaves in the background are all Trillium sulcatum seedlings that need a new home.

The second picture is of 'White Beauty' in my garden.  You are right, the mottling is not nearly as dark as yours.  Your form is gorgeous.

Gene and Claire - wonderful plantings of erythroniums. After many years I am beginning to get them self-sowing a little and hope to get drifts like that in a few years time. I do have one plant of E. californicum, grown from seed, with really good leaves just as they start growing. Great plants.

Cohan - the anemones have palmate cut leaves but go summer dormant very quickly, so never make large plants - effectively they are 'bulbs'. A few people have managed to establish them in short turf (at Blackthorn and Ashwood nurseries for example) and they look stunning like this en masse.

Trond - I've also tried Synthyris a couple of times before and not kept it in the garden - so fingers crossed - but it's a very lovely woodlander (would have thought it would do well with Clintonia?).

The saxifrages are in a cool crevice trough in a friend's garden - I find they burn off very easily but these are sited perfectly. In another part of the garden is probably the best plant of Helichrysum coralloides I've ever seen - I wonder how it compares with plants in Nature?

Tim, those leaves are a match for mine, no question.

You do know how to tease me, do you, Gene and Claire! All those beautiful erythroniums :o None of mine has emerged yet :-\  However I have some nice potfulls of seedlings thanks to a generous forumist!

Tim wrote:

Trond - I've also tried Synthyris a couple of times before and not kept it in the garden - so fingers crossed - but it's a very lovely woodlander (would have thought it would do well with Clintonia?).

Tim I do agree - but I suspect that the slugs are to blame and not the climate.

Tim, the sax. in the crevices was beautiful.  Any idea which one it is?  Not that that will make any difference here - they seem to hate drought plus wind.
If you can't water them, they're very quickly gone.

Spiegel wrote:

they seem to hate drought plus wind.
If you can't water them, they're very quickly gone.

Anne, how did you make out with Saxifraga cotyledon I gave you years back and suggested you might try it in your new woodland/brook area by road in well rotted wood chips? these things are tough as nails. I just snapped this photo of a trough, among the most neglected on the property, where S. cotyledon (hyb?) seeded itself years ago. The trough is right at the west wall of my house so it does not get sun all day. I watch this thing turn yellow in the heat of August thinking it will dry up and die. It doesn't! Two more toughies here: Arabis bryoides and Sedum aizoon(?). The Potentilla nitida did finally throw in the towel last summer, which was very hot and dry. There's also a second seedling Sax.

Each brief, hopeful period of melting has been followed by another snowfall here... another 20cm is forecast for today, phooey!  
Bulbocodium vernum is looking bedraggled from all the repeated snows and melts.   There have been a few scattered crocus, scilla and puschkinia in bloom over the last 3 weeks... at least that's some encouragement!  
Puschkinia; Corydalis nobilis; pretty rosettes of Townsendia parryi (the colour difference between these seed-grown plants is interesting);  buds on a saxifrage planted last year:
     

This early-bird Pulsatilla vulgaris has been in stasis the last week... I'm sure it would open if the sun would just come out!

Far ahead of here, Lori! I've realised, though, that all of my spring flowers so far are in rather slow, or at best, medium-late to melt parts of the property-- I'm giving a lot of thought to those south/west edges of spruce trees/woods through the property, which are free of snow many weeks before the middle, and weeks more before the shady places.. Of course early exposure means much more exposure to cold, but worth experimenting.. I did notice some bulbs poking up today- crocus or snowdrop- they seem very pale, so I think they may have actually started before the snow was gone over them! Meltwater from the rock garden above must have thawed the ground.... And I think I see signs of growth on a couple of Polemonium boreale in various beds- not sure if they will be ready to flower this year...
It's been snowing here all day, but just starting to accumulate, as it was melting on the ground (except on the still significant white areas!)
They've reduced our forecast now- to 5-10cm today and flurries for the next 3 days (was for up to 25cm by tomorrow..)...

And ahead of me in Minnesota, too.  Only some Corydalis solida, a few snowdrops and Hellebores peaking, and of course they're all under snow again now.  Though everything is late by the calendar, things actually seem to be emerging earlier than normal here according to temperature.  (We are consistently running 15-20F below normal.)  Usually nothing happens until all traces of snow disappear because the soil freezes so deeply. But the ground has already thawed, and I actually have snowdrops emerging while there is still lingering aged winter snow.

Those Townsedia parryi are wonderful, Lori!

Every year I buy one plant that shouldn't survive in the open here in Iowa; as a result I have a secret cigar box containing labels I no longer need, but also have some pretty odd plants growing in my garden. Maybe my biggest surprise is the return this spring of last year's flyer: Scoliopus bigelovii, endemic to wet spots in coastal California. I lived for a number of years in Berkeley and San Francisco, and hiked a lot in Marin County, where there are a number of colonies. I have it growing in peaty soil in a large tub with some drain holes drilled in the bottom. It was up this spring while there was still some patchy snow on the ground, and it smells like a dead mouse that had rolled in orange zest. There are always a few gnats flying around it. It's pretty (very) iffy for this climate (especially our hot summers), so I'm calling it a guest for now.

I grow Scoliopus too and they like the climate here but slugs like the plants so it isn't that easy to grow them. I am anxious now with the weather we have had this winter though. With no snow and a lot of frost and sun all my hellebores are completely dead above ground. The ground is still frozen solid in many places and even the toughest plants struggle. The snowdrops have mostly been fine (they're over the peak now) and the crocuses are in flower with much smaller flowers than usual and almost no leaf out. Iris 'Katharine Hodkin' opened yesterday on the ground with no leaves at all - very pretty and probably more "natural" but very unusual here.

It's great to hear that Scoliopus is hardier than one might expect, Don.  It's a very intriguing plant and one I'd certainly give a try to (despite the odds against) if I ever come across it.

Scoliopus is one I'm interested in too, so we're rooting for you!

Some overviews of my rock gardens today- some of them were free of snow recently before a couple of new snows, other parts had not yet fully melted out.
Several of these were just built last year, so not many plants, or only very small ones.
I've put them in a couple of distinct parts of the property- dry and wetter especially- to hopefully suit different groups of plants.. album here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151562468549015.1073741827.5...
I'll just select a few shots for here..

1- part of the 'Rockies' new 'dry' beds- sharply sloped and in the dry end of the yard; berm at the back (left) for non-rock plants and to help shelter from the north.. this area was mostly bare some time ago, except for some of the lowest areas. excavated between beds to hold water temporarily as a reservoir.
Interesting: Polemonium boreale planted on a high dry spot emerged green weeks ago, then old leaves all yellowed, seems to have new growth in core, last I looked; same species on beds in front of house, which did not melt as soon and so missed the coldest nights, have remained mostly green since emerging from snow.
2- in the front of the high beds are lower but gravelly 'foothills' and dryland beds
3- view of 'Alp 1' semp etc bed in front of house planted year before last; this bed was bare before
4-Jovibarba allioni in Alp 1
5-Waldheimia tomentosa in Alp 1- doesn't look like much now, but seems to have lots of live growing points..
6-Townsendia parryi in Alp 1; this one was just flowering in mid/late October when the snow came; not sure if that means it will die now?

Looks good, Cohan.  The rounded "river rock" gives a different sort of character; looks very much like glacial washout - I like it!  Looking forward to seeing it again when more is visible.

cohan wrote:

6-Townsendia parryi in Alp 1; this one was just flowering in mid/late October when the snow came; not sure if that means it will die now?

Townsendia parryi has been perennial for me (which is good!) so I assume the same for your plant.

Continuing,
1-Alp 2, also in front of the house, and based on Sempervivum et al, but this time named forms. This was also  bare before recent snow, though the bottom/back only very recently.
2- One of the Polemonium boreale in this bed
3-Prometheum (Rosularia) aizoon - couldn't find much hardiness info on this when I got, but it has survived outdoors here for several years, first year in the ground now..
In the wetter end of the yard, these beds have not yet been fully exposed, though the upper parts were before recent snows.
4-Himalaya 2 built last year, lightly planted, but there are several Viola species, Geum montanum etc.. some (most?) of the Violas flowered last year already, so hoping for a nice show this year..
5-Looking toward the north side of Himalaya 2 (dimpled look where rocks had melted out before surrounding soil; I'm looking more at how the beds will look buried in snow as part of the overall design!); foreground is a combination berm/trench where I plan to plant some mostly native wetland plants and meadow species mixed with edible plants; the branches are part of winter cover to keep mulch/soil in place on the steep sides

Thanks, Lori! This is the kind of stone left here by glaciers, so that's what I have to work with without spending money, and so I've tried to aime for sort of a glacial till/moraine kind of look.. Visually I'd rather have even more rocks, but I have to make them stretch...lol
Good to hear about the Townsendia- esp since it came from seed from you :)

Cohan, I see you're growing Waldheimia tomentosa.  Please give me some specifics.  I'vehad no success.  Isn't this a very high alpine plant?  It may be my warm, muggy summers doom me to disappointment

here are some pictures taken today from my garden. Still lots of snow around  to the house. These pictures are from the south side where the snow is gone a little bit.
Dianthus simulans
Dianthus haematocalyx
Draba aizoides

more pictures

It's really encouraging to see how things are progressing in various gardens that more closely mimic my own growing.  We all know from experience the joy we get from our own, seemingly little successes, even though a photo might not convey our level of enthusiasm.

I say, kudos to you all!

I second that motion, it is indeed encouraging to see spring slowly inching forward, in this very slow spring.  Here it has been slow too, with bright starts then stops with cold spells.  Overall, I'd say it is a delayed spring but with some good results.

Crocus suaveolens is one of the slowest growing species, taking almost ten years to build up into this small patch. Beautiful nearly stemless flowers, striped on the outside, opening into sumptuous rose-purple chalices.

The rarely seen Crocus kosaninii, with small narrow flowers of medium purple with dark purple stripes at the base of the perianth and tube, with golden Crocus angustifolius in the background.

The tiny spring blooming Colchicum doerfleri, in its third week of bloom and still looking good, in this view the hairy leaves of the variant on the right is visible.

Iris 'Sheila Ann Germaney' on the left, and I. 'Frank Elder' on teh right, with Galanthus nivalis behind.

Jasminum nudiflorum really flowering well this year.  In past years, the first flowers opened in February; this year they were delayed a whole month and a few blooms opened in March, but it's really putting on a show here in mid April.

Helleborus niger making a great show. On the left is a very old plant, in this form the flowers age a deep ruddy pink color.  On the right is a 4-year old seedling (from my scratch-and-sown-in-place technique), also showing the deep pink coloration; only one seedling plant so far has shown white flowers that are lightly tinged pink.

Corydalis solida is popping up all over, the very color weather holding them back somewhat, but here are two nice ones that caught my attention today.  On the left is a unique very deep cranberry colored form.  On the right is what was sent to me as "blind dug" bulbs of C. solida 'Penza Strain' selected from a light blue form, although I got other colors, this one a lovely pure white. It is just starting to bloom, many flower spikes are at the ready.

Spectacular, Mark!  Lovely to see what spring, delayed or not, brings to your garden.  The dark purple Corydalis is extraordinary.

Really nice stuff, Mark.

  Love the Corydalis for its unusual color, but I am especially fond of the Crocus suaveolens, with its short stature, wide petals and defined pencil marked tepal backs.

Anne- I grew the Waldheimia from seed from Pavelka (without looking it up, hope that's right...lol) I think the data is:Zanskar, Baralacha Pass, 4800m (again without digging for the info, that's from an email from someone I sent seed to...lol).. so yes, high alpine.
I got exactly one seedling from the original seed, it was planted out in 2011, a tiny thing, and flowered (1!) last year and did very nicely, apart from being munched by slugs for a while till I realised what was going on and put some bait out. It's in a pretty basic bed with a lot of semps etc, built from sod and native clayey loam with rocks and gravel in upper layers, and sloped for further drainage, so I hope it doesn't stay soggy, but at the same time I doubt it ever really dries out. Of course it doesn't have to deal with heat- we just barely hit 30C a few times last year, although the bed is in front of the house, so it should be warmer than some spots. Sun most of the day in summer, but probably not early morning, nor late afternoon/evening.
Panayoti has mentioned they have not been able to grow it there either... I got some seed from that one flower, so I will try to start some more, but wish it had been a pink flowered form :(

Krish- good to see spring coming there- sounds like much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have had a much colder and snowier winter than us.

Rick- enthusiasm is the word- just to see plants exposed from the snow is a big deal here- growing and flowering can come later...lol

Mark- nice collection of Crocuses you are getting there! The colour on that Cory is very nice too!

Cohan,nice "rockies" and other mountains you have! Reminds me of the moraine landscape often seen here.
Krish, hope the snow melts quickly! Hope to your plants in flower soon ;)
Mark, nice colour of the Corydalis!

Here some pictures taken today in my garden, no rain at the moment!

The earliest Corydalis is this C. bracteata(?) but the yellow flowers are almost invisible against the background.
Iris 'Katharine Hodkin' is the earliest Iris.
An unnamed primula.
The first rhodo this year seems to be Rh. sutchuenense, about a month late. It's from seed several years ago.
Not a green grass in the lawn! The snowdrops are finished and some of the crocuses too but other have just started. The soil is still bone hard.
I have dared to put the Tulbaghia outside now :D

Trond- glad to hear my beds remind you of moraines- that's what I was aiming for :)

Good to see your spring is finally getting going, even if late.. the 'dead' grass is what we always have in spring..

Cohan, thanks for all the great info re: Walheimia.  Pretty low germination rate.  I hope it does well this year so you can photo again.

Wonderful to see spring really getting going and I go with all the comments about Mark's garden - some beautiful bulbs (I've never seen a form of Corydalis solida so dark), and what is it you need to grow Helleborus niger? Most gardeners here fail with it although its hybrids do very well.

In the last few days the temperature has soared to nearly 20°C in the shade and it is as though plants have been released from hibernation! The first flower opened on Pulsatilla grandis on Sunday, Trillium hibbersonii is flowering demurely on a raised humus bed, and for the lovers of the weird the Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) is doing its thing. A new plant to me, Scopolia carniolica (just obtained from Beeches Nursery) also has a few flowers. Roll on the alpines on the sand bed which should be getting going before too long.

cohan : good to see your beds making some appearance from the snow. Hope they stay uncovered soon.

Really interesting photo subjects, Tim.
I'd like to see the mandrake in full flower.
I know nothing about it, but it has such a cool name! ;D

Anne- the seed for the Waldheimia may not have been that fresh, the ages of the seed are listed by the Czech vendors, but I don't remember now what it was for that one; that one seedling was tough though- survived indoors for some time, and a long time in the pot outdoors before I got it planted in ground.. I haven't yet sown my own seed to see how that is..
Maggi- thanks- its nice to see the plants emerging, should be some more evident growth soon :) I do have crocus noses in one bed :)

Tim- great stuff- I have seed outdoors of Scopolia-hoping for good things.. I agree with Rick- the Mandragora is interesting.. I remember some discussion about it on SRGC, but I don't have any clear mental image of what the plant overall looks like.. will have to look into hardiness etc..

RickR wrote:

Really interesting photo subjects, Tim.
I'd like to see the mandrake in full flower.
I know nothing about it, but it has such a cool name! ;D

From this site:http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Mandrake

Regarding the mandrake, look here Rick:

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Mandrake

http://www.avramdavidson.org/mandrake.htm

Great stuff Trond! I remember that excerpt from Harry Potter very well. There is an autumn species (M. autumnalis) too, but I don't know it, and an extraordinary plant from China, M. caulescens with black flowers that may just hover in cultivation.

A few things in bloom:
     

Allium ovalifolium var. ovalifolium emerging:
 

And a cute little mouse who got tired of waiting for the birds to drop seeds in the composter and, instead, is getting his sunflower seeds right from the source:
 

The nerines are starting and the most vibrant is N. rosea
cheers
fermi

Fantastic color on the nerine, Fermi.  Seen this morning in the garden

Anne - I've just been reading about Epigaea repens growing at Camla (a garden made in the 1930's near to Ingwersen's Nursery). Very beautiful to see it growing in a garden now. Most UK growers must keep it in a pot.

For Rick - this is a close up of the Mandrake flowers now they are fully opening. Really quite attractive for a relative of the potato!

Lori- nice leaves on the Allium! is the bird feeder right up against a fence? Does that mean you don't have squirrels?

Anne- you are in full swing now :)

Tim- very nice flowers on the mandrake :) looks like nice foliage too- seems flat? I still have to look it up, I chose not to refer to Harry Potter for botanical information..lol

Lori,
seems you have a lot of thing going now!

Fermi,
I had Nerine bowdenii in the garden for several years but I dreamed of growing other species!

Anne,
I particularly like that Epigea! Have tried it several times but not been lucky :-\

Tim,
I have planned to try mandrake for several years and now you have inspired me once more ;D

Although the freezing weather has left us it is still rather low temperatures so the plants develop very slowly.
Some of the early crocuses have finished but a lot of others are coming now - sorry without names. Some are seedlings appearing everywhere. Also the Hepaticas are in flower. Here is a wild collected redflowered seedling.

Really nice to see crocus naturalising like that - looks like a perfect spot on a sunny slope. I will try to remember to save seed from the Mandragora.

Ooooh, the dusky blue-grey is really fitting on the mandrake.  And the leaves flatten with age?

And the color on that nerine!  Oh my gosh!

Trond, that crocus meadow gets better and better!

cohan wrote:

Lori- nice leaves on the Allium! is the bird feeder right up against a fence? Does that mean you don't have squirrels?

The bird feeder is suspended overtop the composters which are against the fence... Seems a good way to manage all the sunflower seed shells and spilled seed.  Yes, we do have introduced grey squirrels -black phase mostly - and unfortunately don't get any native red squirrels (i see them in the coniferous woods along the river).  They don't do any significant harm, in any case.

Cohan, the dance is starting but not yet in full swing.  We're still getting cold and not that much sun - a lot of cool, gray days.

Hoy, it took me years to establish the Epigaea repens.  Linc Foster suggested that the first year I cover it with pine needles and the next year to remove half of the needles etc.  It worked.  I don't have a really natural area for this but have manufactured one at the north end of a large rock.  The rock seems to keep the roots cool and the worst of the sun away.  It has survived our hot and humid summers this way.

Trond- nice crocus patches! Love the pink Hepatica too :)
Lori- I have often thought the mess under a bird feeder- esp but not only sunflower seeds- would be a pain on a city lot, so over the composter is a great idea. I didn't know there were grey squirrels in Calgary- there were lots of them in downtown Toronto, and they could be troublesome there, far more than the native squirrels here, but then they didn't have the semi/wild areas to feed in there, had to eke out a living from the postage stamp yards and street trees, apart from parks of course.

Tim wrote:

Really nice to see crocus naturalising like that - looks like a perfect spot on a sunny slope. I will try to remember to save seed from the Mandragora.

Thanks Tim! Hope you get some seed ;)
In fact the slope isn't perfect. It is facing SW and I have some trees to the south casting long shadows in early spring. I cut down two of them last winter to get more sun. But it is very good drainage.

Rick, this year the crocuses flower over a longer period and with less leaves due to the persistent cold weather we have had.

Spiegel, I don't think hot summers will ever be a problem here. I have lost plants twice and I am not sure why but I'll try again! Have to find the right spot seemingly.

A cold April so far, with snow continuing every weekend.  Why does it have to be on the weekends?  :rolleyes: Enough already!! 
But, despite that...
Buds and flowers on Arabis androsacea; Primula vulgaris; Tulipa tarda foliage; first Chionodoxa, with  Puschkinia:
     

First visible bud on Hepatica transylvanica; Primula algida in bud; crocus x2; Pulsatilla grandis 'Best Blue' (assuming that really is a cultivar name?); Primula scotica in bud with yesterday's lingering snow:
       

Cancrinia tianshanica; one of last year's Pulsatilla patens in bud; buds on Androsace lactea and on a small Saxifraga oppositifolia:
     

More crocus:
   

And in Stuart's greenhouse, Nymphaea 'Helvola':

Lori, your spring is about as advanced as mine!
How deep is Stuart's waterlily pond?

Looking great, Lori! I have signs of growth on a few things, and crocus noses, but that's it so far..
Snow only on weekends? It's been more like every day here! Still tons of it unmelted too, in  many places.. We are a couple days past 6 months of uninterrupted snowcover, now, with some time to go yet- many bare spots, but  a foot to several in others..

Daphne cneorum 'Lila Haines' :

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Tulipa hageri 'Little Beauty' :

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Tulipa saxatilis:

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I think spring has sprung, no ice in the dog's water dish this morning.  Despite nightly frosts the plants have been gearing up in the crevice gardens.
Just a few pictures of things starting to bloom or bud.  Such an exciting time of year.

Nice tulips, Gene! Those are some of my favorite from that genus!

Anne, pretty peas! I try to establish some in my garden too!

The plants haven't geared up much here despite the lack of nightly frost! The daytime temperature isn't much to boast of although today was not bad +10C and sun but cold northerly wind.
Some plants though do flower, like this Sanguinaria canadensis and Cardamine enneaphylla (40 days later than last year!). and also this Saxifraga oppositifolia.

Haberlea rhodopensis, started from seed in 2008:

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Lewisia leana, in the greenhouse:

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Wow, things are looking great all over!
Gene, you certainly have some beautiful plantings - love the species tulips.  The only ones that have naturalized well here are Tulipa tarda and T. urumiensis.  It's interesting to see that your wonderful Lewisia leana have the same old basal growth as I see on the one out in my tufa garden; I was wondering if it was something to do with the conditions but as it seems to be the same even in ideal (greenhouse) conditions, I guess it's a characteristic of the plant.

Buds on Synthyris platycarpa; Saxifraga oppositifolia - not a very nice form, though; Puschkinia; Corydalis solida; Scilla mischtschenkoana:
         

Galanthus; Phacelia sericea; Pulsatilla patens bud; Smelowskia calycina; crocus:
       

And more...
The seedlings of Lupinus lepidus var. utahensis that I moved around last year are looking good;
 

The crocuses and other small bulbs (Puschkinia, Chionodoxa, Scilla siberica)are putting on a show:
             

And yet more...
 

There are flowers on a couple of teensy, self-seeded Androsace carnea:

And in hopes of flowers to come, here's Paraquilegia grandiflora emerging:

Gosh Lori, you are leaps ahead in zone 3 than me am in USDA zone 4 !  

In my little hot garden on the south side of my brown house, the first couple individual Corydalis solida flowers opened yesterday.  All my others are (mostly) not even showing, with a few a couple mm's peaking.  

What is this one
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1239.0;attach=43336...
and what is that lavender "ball" behind the blue bud?

RickR wrote:

What is this one
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1239.0;attach=43336...
and what is that lavender "ball" behind the blue bud?

White chionodoxa and a bud of Scilla siberica - sorry, I was lazy, I should have labelled it!

Looks like most everyone's garden are starting to pop. It has been a cool spring here in Idaho so things are a bit behind this year. here are a few photos i took yesterday afternoon.
Hogepog of various stuff, castilleja scabrida showing it's incredible red

Second generation Penstemon acaule

Astragalus coccineus

Colomia debilis from Wyoming

Trifolium Owyheense

High altitude form of Clematis columbiana, non vining

Marvelous pictures, truly inspiring, Jim!

Sandbed in NE Massachusetts USA
Charles S  Z6A  sunny and breezy -- sort of "normal" unsettled spring for a change, early winter more of a new normal, warm early, then cold. Lost the more hardy of 2 Delospermas in this bed; but John Proffitt still covers a too large swath.

Corydalis nobilis:

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Podophyllum pleianthum:

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Trillium ovatum:  the flowers change color as they age:

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Wow- miss a couple days and almost too many photos for my internet connection to load!
Lots of beauties everyone!
Anne, great to see the Oxytropis and others;
Jim- great stuff, the A coccineus is always stunning;
Lori- your bulbs are spreading nicely :)
Gene- love the tulips!
Took so long to load the pic I forgot to add-- Trond- love the Cardamine :)

Here a total of 4 Crocus flowers yesterday (today back to snow!) but I'm pleased to see the increase in the plants in only their second spring-just cheap garden centre stuff;
Some C solida shouldn't be too long, though that bed is much later to come out of the snow than the Crocus in front of the house. I was amazed when I pulled back the mulch to see shoots a couple of inches tall, in frozen soil!

Great plants, Jim.  Love the Astragalus coccineus but most of all, loved the Trifolium owyheense, unfortunately no longer in my garden thanks to some nameless marauder.  Even when not in bloom it is so attractive with its silver marked leaves.

After snow on the weekend and two nights of -7 deg C, these flowers are unfazed... Iris danfordiae and Muscari azureum:
 

... however a potted skunk-cabbage is lying in a heap - darn thing didn't even bloom.

Glad to see you have at least some flowering plants in your garden, Cohan!

Some very eye-catching plants you have folks! I am envious. Here the winter will not recede. Still no leafing out - the birches should have been green by now :(

Dodecatheon pulchellum:

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Camassia quamash ssp azurea, with Dracunculus vulgaris in back:

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Trillium cernuum:

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Cypripedium ? :

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Corydalis scouleri:

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Some from the 'more formal'  :rolleyes: part of our garden today. If anyone can add names it would be appreciated.

Excellent images, everyone.

Ron,
Photo #1:
The iris looks like the yellow form of I. suaveolens if it is a species.  It does seem to be more hefty than most.  Perhaps just very well grown, as you Brits (and Europeans) are know for.  My four accessions of the species are look more "wild" in my more austere garden.

The yellow primula is P veris:

The tulips appear to be Tulipa hageri 'Little Beauty' or similar.

Thank you, Rick, Trond and Lori, for putting me straight on those species.  8)

I noticed this one today in an area that needs a good weeding,  :-[ . It is I think Anemone nemorosa, although we don't remember planting it (but of course we must have done), and it is usually an early species.  :-\

I think your last one is Anemone nemorosa 'Bracteata Plena'. Take a look here: http://www.pottertons.co.uk/pott/view_product.php?pid=2999

Thanks Trond, I'm sure you've called that one correctly  ;D . Much appreciated.  8)

Calochortus tolmiei, perfectly hardy in NW Oregon and Washington, if given sandy soil that dries in summer:

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Nice Calochortus! Seems to be something to look for!

Here are some plants from the garden today - the first day with some decent weather for weeks :-\
Saxifraga caucasica (I think). a dwarf Narcissus struggling in old grass, an Ornithogalum - it is not umbellatum which is much later and another selfsown Rhododendron.

That Calochortus tolmiei is way cool.  I didn't realize they got that hairy.

Good size ovaries already, too.

Arenaria montana, one of my favorites, even though it's not very exotic or difficult:

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Spring is finally here!

Fritillaria meleagris
   

Dodecatheon media alba
   

Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex'
   

Helleborus Royal Heritage
   

Taraxacum pseudoroseum (Thanks, Wim!)
   

Jovibarba heuffelii
   

Dirca palustris - tiny flowers, but quite attractive to insects.
   

While all my other Salix spp. are pretty much done, Salix schraderiana is just starting.
   

The garden was open Sunday for the Garden Conservancy and it was perfect weather and a wonderful turnout.  It's still early days in the garden with recent warmth forcing bloom so that early and middle bloomers are seen together - unusual, but that seems to be the new normal.

More beauties- Gene- some great clumps you have, including the Dodecatheon!
Longma- Ron? - love the Irises with Salix! Still no really dwarf Salix here, but high on my list- haven't had a chance to buy plants and never see seeds available or in the wild, but still watching :)
Anne- bet the garden visitors really enjoyed your property :)
Trond- that little  Crocus patch has really been performing- especially some of the flavus with five or six flowers on one little plant. First flowers are done, but still new ones coming. A few things in other spots now too- Townsendia, Pulsatilla etc. Last couple of days were summer- mid 20's to almost 30C yesterday, back to spring today with 15C, rest of week from 13 to 27C, and nights from 0- +9, some of my many pots of seed outdoors should start sprouting, was only Draba up to now..

Viability is lost very quickly with Salix seeds.  Some purportedly in just several days!

Gene, why did you think Calochortus tolmiei is unimpressive?
See here:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=1110.msg25659#msg25659

Rick, compare the color of tolmiei to the ones in that SRGC post.  It's a nice collector's plant, but let's face it, it's pretty homely compared to the California species.  It's like wearing a burlap sack to the Emmy awards.  But you'll notice that I still grow it.  That's because it has the usual qualities that tempt me:  it's very difficult and slow; almost nobody can grow it; and it has at least nominally interesting flowers.  Sure, a plant like that may be impressive to us, but we make up about 0.001% of the gardening marketplace in the USA.

Now here are some plants that are very difficult and slow, and which almost nobody can grow, but which are VERY impressive:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1090.0 . 

Well then, I can still say that you took a very impressive photo of C. tolmiei!  :o :o ;D

I finally have a couple batches of seedling Nomocharis growing now, along with one from last season, that hopefully will emerge again.
Wish me luck!

Nomocharis in Minnesota, eh?  You make me look like a slacker.  Let's see, what does Minnesota's climate have in common with a Himalayan meadow?  Um...um...hmmm...

I never would expect Nomocharis to survive our winters.  (But wouldn't it be cool if it did?)

However I did have a small L. mackliniae bulb that was given to me that survived for several winters before I accidentally massacred it. :'(
It never bloomed, though, so I can't verify its identity.

If I were growing Nomocharis or Lilium mackliniae in Minnesota, I would probably try the following:
1.  Heavy mulch in winter to slow the rate of freezing and thawing.  
2.  Shade cloth in summer, and/or grow them where they get morning sun and afternoon shade.  
3.  Mulch in summer to keep the soil cool.
4.  Herbaceous companion plants to shade the soil and control soil moisture.  No shrubs or trees; they are too competitive.
5.  Try to adjust soil pH to around 6 - 6.5.

This assumes that you've got some decent sandy loam soil, and you've got your animal and insect pests under control.

I've found that the conditions for keeping these plants alive (cool, shady, soil not too wet or rich) will also slow them down a little.  So patience is required.  The dryland lilies of the western US are an extreme example of this.  Push them too much with water and fertilizer, and they are gone.

There are some good lily growers in the midwest.  Have any of them tried Nomocharis?

By the way, there is something funny going on with germination of Nomocharis and Lilium mackliniae from the seed exchanges.  Germination in the first season is consistently terrible, maybe one or two seeds out of ten.  But another one or two will come up over the next two years.  So keep your seed flats.  Don't let the seed flats get below 25F or above 80F, keep them out of the sun, and don't let them get too dry.  The only way to build a population of these plants is one or two at a time, over a period of years.  Or you could buy bulbs.

Thanks, Gene!
My experiences with seed ex seed is the same, or worse. Little if any the first season with more the next.  I don't think I've had any emerge the third year.

I don't know if anyone up here has tried them.  If anyone in Minnesota has had much success, I'm pretty sure I would have heard about it.

"My experiences with seed ex seed is the same, or worse."

Either people are sending in old seed, or the stocks of these rare plants is badly inbred.  I think they are inbred, and Judith Freeman of lily hybridizing fame agrees.  Someone really needs to get serious about controlled propagation of rare plants, and restoring some genetic diversity.  Why can't the plant societies do this?

An interesting thought.

  When Peter Korn was here doing his speaking tour, I had dinner with him.  We got to talking about lilies and he asked me if I had tried any Nomocharis.  I told him I had the dickens of a time getting good germination, and he suspected seeds were not viable.  He never mentioned inbreeding, but he thought fresh seed worked much better.  He said he had observed Nomocharis seed germinating while still in the pod.

A few more plants in the garden.  I'm excited that the Darmera peltata has apparently made it through the winter.

Adonis vernalis - I thought this was really great until I went on a garden tour last weekend and saw those grown by others - huge plants with gigantic flowers!!!!   :o

Draba acaulis; some of the last of the crocus; Primula algida; Tulipa turkestanica; Pulmonaria altaica:
         

A little Synthyris platycarpa planted last year; Hacquetia epipactis:
   

What I grew as Pulsatilla grandis 'Best Blue" (valid cultivar name??):
 

Another shot of Pulsatilla grandis 'Best Blue'(?) to show the dark petals:

Compared to the other photo of Taraxacum pseudoroseum posted here recently, it seems the leaf shape can vary a lot:

Hepatica nobilis 'Flore Plena Rosea'; Pulsatilla vulgaris; Corydalis paczoskii planted last year; Corydalis nobilis:
     

Chionodoxa 'Pink Giant'; a little Primula marginata planted last year; Androsace lactea; Thlaspi kurdicum:
     

Wonderful Hepatica nobilis 'Flore Plena Rosea' Lori S.  ;D ;)

I have the Hepatica nobilis sp. , i have divided one plant ..and now i have tree plant !! Very cool !

One of them.

You know that your seeds germinate well ! ..I have many pots in the garden..I participated (in June) to the Plant exposition and exchange of SAJA (French Apline Association).

See you soon...

Lori, your adonis is beautiful.  Did you grow the Synthyris platycarpa from seed?  Do you recall where you got the seed?

Thanks, Anne.  I wish everyone here could see the Adonis I saw last weekend - they were stunning!  I bought the Synthyris platycarpa from Rundlewood last summer but it looks like Alplains may have seeds for it:
http://www.alplains.com/Catalog12.html

Lori, lots of stuff going on there now.  It looks like I lost my Adonis 'Fukujukai', so you're still one up on me! ;D

Does Primula algida take some different conditions than other primulas?  It looks so happy all by its lonesome in a rock bed....

My Taraxacum pseudoroseum have not bloomed yet, so perhaps they are not what I think they are.  Buds coming....
       

But the seedlings of these exact same plants do look more like yours...
         

Love the Corydalis paczoskii.
And this is Corydalis nobilis in my garden as of today.  Zone 4 Minnesota is way behind zone 3 Alberta!
   

Clematis montana rubens on the fence:

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Ourisia coccinea:  they will not tolerate dry soil at this time of year:

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Penstemon cardwelli, extremely vigorous in this climate:

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Polygonatum humile, with Podophyllum emodi in back:

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Arisaema triphyllum, doing well in full sun in my cool climate:

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Iris ruthenica nana
Meconopsis delavayi

Love that clematis, Gene, not to mention the other lovely things.
Ooh, the meconopsis envy is starting, Claire!

Adonis vernalis, as good as it got this year... while Adonis x amurensis 'Fukujukai' looks like it will only produce a couple of flowers this year for some reason.

Jeffersonia dubia - I guess I missed the best part of the bloom.  Oh well, at least I caught the tail end!

I always enjoy seeing the big, burly leaves of Ligularia macrophylla emerging:

This dwarf rhubarb, Rheum rhizostachyum will have at least 6 flower stalks... it may not be the showiest thing, but it will certainly be trying hard to make up for that this year.

Iris reticulata (excuse the unsightly soaker hose) and my last Anemone blanda (seem to have lost most of them the winter before last):
 

First of what I have been thinking of as Pulsatilla turczaninovii... but after the recent, lengthy and very detailed thread on Pulsatilla IDs over at SRGC, I'm kind of afraid to blurt that out without looking a lot more closely first.  Correction:  It is Pulsatilla ambigua.

Eriogonum caespitosum, bought at the CRAGS plant sale on Saturday from Beaver Creek; it may never look so good again.  ;D

Lathyrus vernalis 'Gracilis' and a little clump of Tulipa tarda that was especially starry-looking:
 

Goniolimon cf. speciosa, from Holubec seed in 2011, will bloom this year; the rosette is 10 cm across:

Androsace albana - apparently, it's monocarpic (grrr!):

Iris taurica, a division I bought at last year's CRAGS sale; quite a different colour from the darker clump I had:

Androsace incana, grown in 2012 from Pavelka seed collected in 2007; showing some flower size variation:
 

Primula elatior ssp. meyeri, bought last year from Rundlewood; Caltha palustris; Anemone ranunculoides; Lathyrus vernus; Paeonia tenuifolia 'Rubra Plena', looking muppet-like:
       

And, a last couple...
Primula 'Jay Jay' with Hacquetia epipactis:

Fritillaria meleagris with Epimedium x rubrum, Mertensia ciliata and Pulmonaria altaica in the background:

Claire, to my mind Meconopsis delavayi is the most beautiful of its family. Be sure to keep taking seed from it.

Lori, your Rheum rhizostachyum may be small but it is perfectly formed - I do like these little rhubarbs.

M

Gene, your garden looks fabulous!  Lori, you're growing marvelous things.  I start to wish I had more garden space but then common sense prevails.  :)

I was able to collect a small amount of seed from Meconopsis delavayi to share with friends.  Some additional seedlings are growing this year, so hopefully I will get enough seed to share more widely.

Seems I am the last one to have flowers in the garden! The cold weather does continue . . . . even the slugs stay inside.
A few plants do cope with the low temperatures though. Glaucidium palmatum comes up late but very nicely. An unknown primula flowersin the woodland and Rhododendron roxieanumvar oreonastes has taken the dry cold winter without a single harmed leaf. Paris (Kinugasa) japonica flowers for the first time! However the flower doesn't open fully in the low temperature.

Aethionema saxatilis ssp. oreophila; Pulsatilla campanella (again I need to check that ID against the recent SRGC
Pulsatilla thread); Draba ventosa:
   

Counterclockwise:  Vancouveria hexandra, Sanguinaria canadensis Multiplex, Lilium martagon in bud:

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Sturdy stems of Lilium sargentiae and henryi citrinum:

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Cornus canadensis, Smilacina stellata, and Peltoboykinia watanabei, all from seed:

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Gene and Lori, seems you have full summer! You both display a lot of beautiful plants!

Hope someone can i.d. my allium, label lost.
More and more blooming every day.  Garden is late and very dry already.  April was a disaster, no rain.

There seems to be a problem posting pictures.  I haven't been able to get on the Forum for days and this morning I could, but the pictures don't seem to go through.  Trying again.

Some more plants in the garden now.

Anne, you have some gems there! Seems the pictures came through after all!

Not much to show from our mountain "garden". Allthough the snow has disappeared from the meadows except a few patches, not much green are to be seen.
The lake is still covered by ice and the higher terrain is still snowclad. The last "heap" of snow by the cabin is of course in front of the main door!
Only the "mogop" Pulsatilla vernalis is in flower - or almost so. The hares and some European elks have been visiting and nipped a few buds. It is still cloudy and some rain but the forecast for tomorrow is much better!

Trond, how wonderful to have Pulsatilla vernalis.  Wish I could grow this one, it's so lovely.

I'll throw out the suggestion of Allium akaka, Anne, but I'm sure Mark will be along soon.  :)
What a beautiful, lush garden you have, Gene.

So much to catch up on, but I'll chime in on the Allium ID, I think it's Allium karataviense.

Spiegel wrote:

Trond, how wonderful to have Pulsatilla vernalis.  Wish I could grow this one, it's so lovely.

Anne, what is your problem, too hot summers?
It is not difficult here - it is a native although I have helped it a bit establishing in our meadow. The main problem is foraging animals like hares and elks. When my wife was a girl it was abundant down in the valley too growing on sandy flats and pasture along the river. And that is one of the warmest places in all Norway.

Although the pasture and meadow still is bleak with old dead grass some colours do appear here and there.
The leaves of several plants that developed under snow cover often show red colours like the docks and sorrels (Rumex spp).

Also the alpine pennycress (Noccaea caerulescens) do sometimes adorn itself with reddish leaves. It is one of the early birds often starting blooming under the snowcover. However I don't think people will make a stampede to get hold of any ;D But it is a charming little one now while later it looses its spell.

The cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is is another making interesting new growth with its filigreelike leaves. A kind of mushroom live on the dead grass.

Trond, this is a very dry garden without watering possibilities and mostly in sun and wind.  We have heat (in the 90sF) and high humidity during the summer and cold winters, often without snow.  I have tried the Pulsatilla vernalis and it has always died.  Too bad, it is such a lovely plant.  I count on a wet April to supply water for the garden and this year April was extremely dry.  The eriogonums have been happy and many astragali have had a great year.

Mark and Lori, many thanks.  The minute I saw the name karataviense I remembered.  It's really nice.  Now to find a similar allium with more color in the flowers.
Any ideas?  This one is a size to blend well in the rock garden as a single plant, and elsewhere in a group.

Wow, Anne, April may have been dry, but you sure show a lot of happy healthy plants!
Yours is the first Genista to ever make it to my want list. 8)
------------------------------------

Those tiny little sparks of life in the early,early spring are really a joy when hiking the cold and seemingly lifeless landscape.
  And you always find things that most people never see....

Phlox multiflora; a divison purchased at last year's CRAGS sale - I believe it's Phlox kelseyi, a little more vivid colour than the one I already had:
   

Astragalus loanus will bloom this year - ooh, exciting!

A perfect green dome again this year, Arenaria kansuensis:

Forgot one...  I'm very pleased that Eremostachys speciosa has chosen to be perennial (as it is supposed to be... but who ever knows?) and that last year's blooming plant will flower again this year:

(Link to last year's flowers: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1088.msg18070#msg18070 )

Anne,Lori and Trond very nice pictures from the garden. Lori is the Eritrichum from seed or bought it. It is fantastic.Anne your Genista is beautiful. I got one plant last year but it died.
Here are some pictures I took twodays ago and tried to post it but not successful.

more

more. The Douglasia is from my friends fabulous garden

Rick, Genista depressa is a fabulous plant.  When the flowers (which are large) go over they slowly turn to shades of rust and brown, most decorative.  The pods are narrow and almost black.  I'd add Genista carinalis to your list as well.  It's a bit more difficult for me - the central trunk gets woody quickly, but it has a wonderful shape.  Right now the garden has changed to purples. blues and yellows and whites.  The yellows are mostly genistas and cytisus and chamaecytisus, all good.

Krish, the Douglasia Montana is unbelieveable!

Lori, PLEASE post many photos of Astragalus loanus when it blooms.  Mine has yet to bloom and probably won't this year.

Astragalus chloodes doesn't really show up well in the picture but it'swonderful, almost like a flowering grass.  The grassy leaves are a pale blue-gray and the flowers are purple, small but numerous.  I really like this one.

Tradescantia x andersoniana 'Purple Profusion'.  The emerging sprouts are purple.  Not sure if this is the reason for the moniker, but the plant is a division (not in vitro propagation)  directly from the originator, Wesley Williams.
   

Hacquetia epipactis
May 3, May 13 and May 16
   

Hepatica americana, native from the Minnesota/Canadian border.
   

Fritillaria meleagris is such an easy frit, but really rewarding, nonetheless.
   

Mertensia alpina
   

Uvularia grandiflora (Helleborus purpurascens to the left)
   

Spiegel wrote:

Krish, the Douglasia Montana is unbelieveable!

Ditto!  I must move mine into more sun... maybe it can look like that one then!

Yes, I certainly will post photos of Astragalus loanus in bloom, when the time comes.  
Astragalus chloodes - what a strange astragalus!  I can't make out any leaves at all along the petioles. Wow, you have everything, Anne!  :)

Looking great, Rick!  I love Hacquetia epipactis - what an unusual plant.  Mine look like big green daisies now.  I'm going to start moving seedlings and/or divisions around... moved a seedling a few days ago and it looks fine.  What a magnificent stand of uvularia!

Great display Rick!  been a while since I've posted...been too busy on the alpine group of facebook.  Here are some shots taken in my garden this morning.  Dpahne retusa and Pieris 'Brouwer's Beauty'

Long time, no see, Todd!  Things are looking great there!

Erigeron trifidus(?);  Androsace chamaejasme; Taraxacum pseudoroseum - with leaves getting toothier and stems longer... just like yours, Rick (for some reason, I was thinking of the leaves as being almost entire, but looking back at my photos, I don't know where I got that notion :rolleyes:):
     

Primula scotica; Cancrinia tianshanica; Potentilla frigida:
   

Those wee little things are the cutest plants, Lori.

I had completely missed Anne's last photo of A. chloodes, until Lori mentioned it.  A strange and wonderful plant!

My Taraxacum pseudoroseum grows in the fairly hot dry garden, which probably accounts for its flattish growth.
Regarding leaf variations, these Taraxacum albidum are the same age from the same batch of single source seed.  I had transplanted them last year, and they almost immediately died, but in fact they just went dormant!  They are planted in the same garden, but perhaps in a little less hot place.
   

Taraxacum pseudoroseum - morning, next day, two days later.

The Uvularia grandiflora is also from native stock here in Hennepin County, Minnesota.  A big wild clump consists of perhaps a dozen stems, but in the garden, it really takes off.  From the one pictured above, I removed a forth of the plant (when sprouts were 1-2 inches) for divisions for our Chapter plant sale.  
   

For me, Leibnitzia anandria seems to prefer a more woodland setting.  This self sown seedling grows in dappled shade all day.
   

Corydalis nobilis, Convallaria majalis 'Aureo-striatum' and Hosta 'On the Marc'.
       

Spiegel wrote:

Trond, this is a very dry garden without watering possibilities and mostly in sun and wind.  We have heat (in the 90sF) and high humidity during the summer and cold winters, often without snow.  I have tried the Pulsatilla vernalis and it has always died.  Too bad, it is such a lovely plant.  I count on a wet April to supply water for the garden and this year April was extremely dry.  The eriogonums have been happy and many astragali have had a great year.

It is always a pity not to be able to grow everything you would love to! I know that feeling ;) But as you have shown you do grow plenty of other things very well!
And I have the opposite problem - too much water. This April has been a disaster.

Calgary is ahead of me Lori, but then this week is nothing but cold drizzle and temps barely reaching 40 F...that is really slowing things down.

This dwarf Iris appears to be performing well for us this year. { Fritillaria affinis provides a scale  ;D }

First lilies to bloom:
Lilium mackliniae:

[attachthumb = 1]

Lilium pyreniacum:

[attachthumb = 2]

Mouthwatering plants folks!
Rick, I have tried Uvularia several times but it is very vulnerable when germinating - (foraging hungry slugs if you have forgotten my no 1 pest!).

My specimen of pink dandelion died after flowering last year, seemed to rot. Maybe the climate is too humid. However common dandelions do very well!

Here at the cabin it is still only the Pulsatilla vernalis that shows up. In the early morning they are closed but soon open when the sun get hotter. Yesterday we had a very warm day and even a lot of butterflies found a reason to take a flight. The Small Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis urticae) found the pulsatilla interesting. Actually they were two. The very hot day (in the city of Bergen they measured all time high temperature for May) ended with a thunderstorm and the flowers tried to hide their better parts as best they could.

Hoy wrote:

My specimen of pink dandelion died after flowering last year, seemed to rot.

Mine have a pretty good bloom going this year... I should be able to send you some seeds if you want to try it again.

Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Papageno':
 

Spiegel wrote:

Rick, Genista depressa is a fabulous plant.  When the flowers (which are large) go over they slowly turn to shades of rust and brown, most decorative.  The pods are narrow and almost black.  I'd add Genista carinalis to your list as well.  It's a bit more difficult for me - the central trunk gets woody quickly, but it has a wonderful shape.  Right now the garden has changed to purples. blues and yellows and whites.  The yellows are mostly genistas and cytisus and chamaecytisus, all good.

I'm sure we'd all love to see how Genista depressa changes through time, Anne... and Genista carinalis too!

Love the Pulsatilla vernalis, Trond.  I have a couple out in the dry, exposed front yard but they haven't bloomed in some time.  I thought I'd try again from seed, and managed to get a seedling which I planted in a trough where it would get a little better care... but I didn't count on a jackrabbit eating out the emerging bud.  I think I will finally make some hardware cloth covers for some of my troughs that are outside the fence.

I'm having a great time gardening this Victoria Day holiday long weekend - lots of challenges distinguishing the dead from the just mostly dead.   ;D
I kept checking Lactuca intricata oh-so-hopefully but had to admit that it looked thoroughly dead.  So, mourning period over, I finally started cutting off last year's dried skeleton when I noticed green shoots at the base - quite a surprise.  It's not a great beauty (more of a mildly interesting oddity: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1137.msg19157#msg19157) but I'm pleased that there is one less thing to replace.

Gene, I didn't know L. mackliniae bloomed that early.  And I also didn't realize L. pyrenaicum could be orange!
Cool plants. ;D

Longma wrote:

{ Fritillaria affinis provides a scale  ;D }

Hah, hah!  Yes, we all know that that is the choice plant in the photo. :D

Hoy wrote:

Mouthwatering plants folks!
Rick, I have tried Uvularia several times but it is very vulnerable when germinating - (foraging hungry slugs if you have forgotten my no 1 pest!).

I usually cut off all the seed pods before they mature, otherwise I think they would take over the garden!  I could send you (or anyone) a boatload, Trond.  I am thinking the seed needs to be kept moist?

How easy do Taraxacum cross the species barrier (e.g. pseudoroseum x officinale)?  I don't think I would ever get true seed without complete isolation.

RickR wrote:

I usually cut off all the seed pods before they mature, otherwise I think they would take over the garden!  I could send you (or anyone) a boatload, Trond.  I am thinking the seed needs to be kept moist?

How easy do Taraxacum cross the species barrier (e.g. pseudoroseum x officinale)?  I don't think I would ever get true seed without complete isolation.

Not a boatload, Rick but a few podloads had been nice!

Taraxacum is usually apomictic. In Norway we have about 370 "species" (or clones if you like) of Taraxacum, many endemic.
If you added a few of the pink dandelion I would be happy Rick!

Lori wrote:

Love the Pulsatilla vernalis, Trond.  I have a couple out in the dry, exposed front yard but they haven't bloomed in some time.  I thought I'd try again from seed, and managed to get a seedling which I planted in a trough where it would get a little better care... but I didn't count on a jackrabbit eating out the emerging bud.  I think I will finally make some hardware cloth covers for some of my troughs that are outside the fence.

Maybe your front yard is too dry? I think they like a moist spring (if no rain they get snowmelt water) but take a drier summer fine. I will cover mine with chicken wire. Should keep the hares out but hope the elks don't come trampling.
I can send you some fresh seed if I get any - have to be there at the right time or they are gone by the wind. . . .

The garden is turning into a jungle as the temperatures warm up (slightly) and the rain eases off.

Brimeura amethystina with Iris siberica nana alba in the background
Roscoea cautleyoides
Incarvillea delavayi 'Snowtop'
Ourisia coccinea

Nice pictures Claire.My Incarvillea did not comeback. #days of holidays and lots of work done at the garden and inside. The weather is fabulous.Here are some pictures taken today .

[edited to add names for searchability- MMcD]
Anemonella thalictroides
Daphne arbuscula
Dryas octopetala
Iris pumila

more

[edited to add names for searchability- MMcD]
Primula x pruhoniciana
Primula allionii
Rananculus sp.
Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex'

more

[edited to add names for searchability- MMcD]
Saxifraga sp.
Viola jooi
Primula denticulata

There's nothing I like better than a jungle, Claire!   :D

Fabulous, Krish!  I'm impressed, especially, by your Daphne.  I only have Daphne retusa which struggles, managing only to put out one cluster of flowers in the last couple of years.  (I mean, really.. one cluster of flowers since 2009?  Obviously the wrong choice for my conditions!)  How long did you have the Incarvillea delavayi?  That's one that I found would only last 2-3 years for me.  By contrast, I find that Incarvillea zhongdianensis and I. mairei v. grandiflora are very long-lived and dependable.

Hoy wrote:

Lori wrote:

Love the Pulsatilla vernalis, Trond.  I have a couple out in the dry, exposed front yard but they haven't bloomed in some time.  I thought I'd try again from seed, and managed to get a seedling which I planted in a trough where it would get a little better care... but I didn't count on a jackrabbit eating out the emerging bud.  I think I will finally make some hardware cloth covers for some of my troughs that are outside the fence.

Maybe your front yard is too dry? I think they like a moist spring (if no rain they get snowmelt water) but take a drier summer fine.

Yes, undoubtedly.  Maybe I will try to move them.  There is little to lose, since they don't flower.

Very nice Krish!  The sax is so cute and the primula so very happy!
  I'm glad to someone else that gardens on a small lot.  I have a dickens of a time trying to take photos without distracting backgrounds.

---------------------------
Duly noted, Trond. :)

Wonderful pictures, Krish.  I love the juxtaposition of dryas and daphne.  I don't grow Dryas octopetala, but D. grandiflora & D. x suendermannii are rampant growers in my climate, so I don't dare try that.  I have a hard time with Primula scotica.  It germinates, dawdles for a while, then gives up the ghost over a winter or two with little or no flowers.  Maybe I should move some seedlings into the sand bed?

Loris, the incarvillea seed was planted in January, 2009.  So far, several plants have returned every year.  That doesn't mean they'll continue.  ;)

Thanks for the comment. Lori try the Daphne with some granite pieces to cover the root. I Had one with roots tucked under tufa rocks. It was not doing well. Moved with roots under granite. Doing very well. I have Daphne lawrence crocker which is in buds now. All my three Daphne gets moderate to high sun.All are doing very well.

Always 'eye - catching'  8) Dodecatheon pulchellum.

Very nice plants!
Claire, does the Ourisia coccinea need much sun? or water?
Krish, magnificient Daphne!

After 3 days with record breaking warm weather we are back to normal: cold northerly wind damaging the plants. Not easy to take pics either.

These wasn't too blurred:
Ranunculus parnassifolius waiting for more sun, Maianthemum canadense(?) and Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Erythronium sp

Hi Trond,

In my garden, Ourisia coccinea seems happiest where it is in part shade and gets ample water.  It spreads by stolons and likes a soil mix with lots of humus, too.

Cockcroft wrote:

Hi Trond,

In my garden, Ourisia coccinea seems happiest where it is in part shade and gets ample water.  It spreads by stolons and likes a soil mix with lots of humus, too.

Thanks Claire. It's what I supposed. But I am afraid I have planted mine in too heavy shade.

This is what lots of gardens in the eastern part of Norway (where we have our cabin) look like today:

http://nrk.no/

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/vaer/artikkel.php?artid=10116755

Trond, that flooding is really terrible.  I hope your cabin is OK.  What a pity that weather (rain, snow, heat, cold) can't be distributed evenly.  We have been so dry here and today we are finally enjoying a day of rain interspersed with thunderstorms.
Biggest excitement in the garden for me is that Lewisia rediviva alba has a place where it seems to be happy.  I made an overhang of rock which kept it drier during the winter and it has been in bloom for some time now.  I think it's the pink stamens setting off the pristine white petals that really make it special.  There were 5 flowers in bloom today.

The white form of L. rediviva is lovely. I had it as 'minor' several years ago but lost it. Of all the Lewisia, rediviva seems most subject to frost heaving. I've taken to growing it in a trough where it is on the level and can anchor in well. I don't think winter wet here in the Northeast will ever be a problem for Lewisia. I sense they might even enjoy it  ;)

Even though I struggle with Lewisia rediviva (and under glass too) I covet L. rediviva alba ;D

It's one I've had difficulties keeping in the past.  Maybe the alba form is easier.  Lewisia tweedyi seems to be the easiest and lasts for years.  L.cotyledon, grown by some people like dandelions, for me seems susceptible to being wet at the wrong time and the leaves quickly show their distaste, becoming orange or yellow, and in extreme cases, turning to jelly, yuk.

Hi Anne
nice Lewisia.I have a clump of Lewisia rediviva alba for the last three years.It flowers every year but not increasing in size. I got some seeds from NARGS which are germinating now.Hopefully more will be there.Two years ago I visited a Calgary garden where they had it on the vertical stone wall flowering nicely.

Certainly that wall has well spit those plants out by now! The Lewisia in the wall idea is drifting.... drifting.....

Today it is raining all day. Did not go out to take pictures.These once are taken yesterday

Michael the wall was not really vertical but slanting slightly.I thing it as a very good idea for drainage.

Lilium mackliniae:

[attachthumb = 1]

Lilium pyrenaicum:

[attachthumb = 2]

Molopospermum peloponnesiacum (try saying that three times quickly):

[attachthumb = 3]

Two sturdy stems of Nomocharis:

[attachthumb = 4]

Nomocharis flower:

[attachthumb = 5]

Arisaema heterophyllum:

[attachthumb = 1]

A spathe within a spathe:

[attachthumb = 2]

First time I've  ever seen that.

The lilies and nomocharis are fantastic, Gene.

Strange arisaema!

Spiegel wrote:

Trond, that flooding is really terrible.  I hope your cabin is OK.  What a pity that weather (rain, snow, heat, cold) can't be distributed evenly.  We have been so dry here and today we are finally enjoying a day of rain interspersed with thunderstorms.

Anne, my cabin is fortunately safe. It sits on higher ground and the flooding are worse in the valleys. Although the weather is better now the water is moving down the valleys and flooding new places.

Lewisia is one of my favorite genera but I have decided to wait growing them till I get a usable place for them!
Nomocharis too is a fave, but you know, the slugs . . . . .

Castilleja integra!  Fantastic, Krish!  How did you acquire it?

The Nomocharis is mouth-watering, Gene.

It started raining on Thursday morning and continued through Friday - 3" by our gauge.  It had been very dry but, after that, we should be good for a while.
First peony in bloom out in the front yard; a slightly rain-soaked Iris sp. ex. Burdur, Turkey - purchased from an expert member at the CRAGS sale earlier in May; Gentiana verna is suddenly looking rather sad this year and is only putting up a few blooms:
   

Muscari and Linum; Penstemon nitidus is starting to bloom in the front yard:
   

The glaucous foliage of Zigadenus elegans with Muscari and Hieracium villosum in the front yard:

The first, modest bloom on Astragalus loanus, from NARGS Seedex seed in 2012:

Lori, the bloom on Astragalus loanus may be modest, but it's a start.  Maybe there's even a chance it will set a seed pod.  The pods are really nice on this astragalus.  In my climate, I can get astragalus and other dryland peas to live and flower but very rarely to set seed.  My early summer/late spring weather does not seem to be to their liking.  It's stopped raining after several days - back to planting and setting new rocks!

You must have great arm muscles, Anne.  ;D  The beauty of your gardens makes all that exercise worthwhile.  I hope you will post lots of photos of the existing gardens and the new areas.

A few from today...
Erigeron leptophylla; Erigeron nanus; a funny fasciated Townsendia parryi (BTW - the odd purple one beside it died; I should have known that imminent death was the reason for the weird colour):
   

I'm pleased that last year's Penstemon pumilus seedling will bloom this year!

Pyrethrum leontopodium in bloom (flowers a bit messed up from the rain):

Alyssum sp. from seed last year - the flowers are very tiny; collected by Mojmir Pavelka at 1500m in Tahtali Dag, Turkey, from limestone hills.  I think it will be very nice and densely-flowered as it matures.

Erigeron compositus var. discoideus:

Pulsatilla halleri, or so it was said to be... although I am starting to mistrust all Pulsatilla IDs (until the experts have passed judgement!)

Eremostachys speciosa (the plant that bloomed last year  http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1088.msg18070#msg18070) will have two stalks this year!  :)

And switching gears completely... water hawthorn, Aponogeton distachyos:

There is not much in bloom yet after that cold April.  Finishing off...
Eritrichium pauciflorum ssp. sajanense; Asperula boissieri has recovered now from the hard winter of 2012 and will have lots of flowers:
 

Paraquilegia... ONE flower?  Oh come on!  :rolleyes:  (Well, I'm glad it survives at least.  Maybe someday it will turn on the charm.  ;D)

A group of Corydalis scouleri, which loves water, growing in my blueberry patch:

[attachthumb = 1]

Edraianthus serpyllifolius major, sown January 8, 2013, grown under lights, transplanted into 5-inch deep bands:

[attachthumb = 2]

Edit 5/27/13:  I don't think this is Edraianthus serpyllifolius.  Does anybody know what it is?

Lori, the paraquilegia foliage looks so healthy.  The flowers will come eventually, but the plant is looking happy and settled.  Congratulations.

Love to see all the pictures from the garden. Lori i got the castiileja seeds from Alplains. Did not know it needs companion plant and lots of seedlings died.Just in time to save the last one.

Iris taochia and Iris taurica:
 

Androsace chamaejasme; Pulsatilla ambigua:
 

A tiny forest of Mitella nuda stems under the canopy of Betula apoiensis in the acid bed:
 

My garden is slowly awakening. Took lots of pictures. Some are posted here

more pictures

last of my pictures

You're growing lots of interesting things, Krish!  Love the daphnes!

Krish, how do you grow the Phacelia sericea?  What soil mix?  I have never been successful with it.  Maybe it's because my climate is too wet and dark in Spring.  But I don't know what the problem is.

Two reliable species today - very different in their requirements though.
Corydalis buschii spreading in the woodland and Ranunculus parnassifolius on the roof!

Gene wrote:

Krish, how do you grow the Phacelia sericea?  What soil mix?  I have never been successful with it. 

Hi Gene
I grow them at two different places. One in the rockgarden where  the soil is lean,sunny and dry and the other one in a less sunny regular soil. Both came back and flowered for me for two years. The one in regular soil grew more and loose inflorescence. In fact I want to grow them very lean with tighter inflorescence.I am going to change the place to more harsher environment. In my climate it looks like it is easy to grow.

Krish, might I ask you to return to your previous posts to ad the plant names to the text of your post? - this enables the search engine to find the pictures.  :)

sorry Ian I will do that.I did not realize that the search engine wont pickup the names of the plants if I do this way

Good reminder Maggi, I had actually edited a number of previous posts to add in names, but I'm on another of my blitz training efforts and working all hours day and night before an upcoming trip for work.

Krish, earlier I added names to some of your posts here:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=1239.msg23498#msg23498

Also see the topic "FAQ - Images - Adding image names to the body of a post" in the "Announcements from Moderators and Administrators" board.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=401.0

Cheers,

Mark

Krish wrote:

sorry Ian I will do that.I did not realize that the search engine wont pickup the names of the plants if I do this way

Cheers, Krish!  ;)
Maggi

Edraianthus pumilio

Michael wrote:

Edraianthus pumilio

Michael, have you picked off all the leaves :o  Just kidding ;)

Michael wrote:

Edraianthus pumilio

Wow  :-* :-* :-*

Cheers Dave.

;D ;D ;D

Spectacular edraianthus, Michael.

First Galanthus sps of the season down here.

Cheers Dave.

Toole wrote:

First Galanthus sps of the season down here.

Cheers Dave.

Yup, after the Jandals were famously jettisoned by Steve the other day, I was expecting the snaadreeps to begin! :D

What an incredible Edraianthus, Michael!   :o

Lots of promise with buds or growth on last year's seedlings...
Lactuca intricata; Dianthus scardicus; Silene bolanthoides; Mathiola anchonifolium; Silene nigrescens:

     

Edraianthus vesovicii; Edraianthus niveus:
 

And various sights from here and there in the garden...
First flower on Lomatium nudicaule; Pulsatilla pratensis x 2; Aubrieta canescens; Phacelia sericea - let's see if this lasts more than the usual one season!; Townsendia parryi - or so it was supposed to be - they never look like this in the wild here; update on Astragalus loanus:
     

Rosy-bloom crabapple; 'Evans' sour cherry:
 

Rheum palmatum v. tanguticum:

Nymphaea 'Colorado':

Roses - 'Sheila's Perfume', 'Full Sail', 'Dolly Parton':
   

A couple of last year's seedlings of Lupinus lepidus v. utahensis starting to bloom:
 

Fritillaria acmopetala; Thymus neiceffii with Sempervivum 'Oddity' and Jovibarba:
 

A native plant, Lithospermum ruderale:
 

I was hoping to get all my pots of seedlings planted out into the garden this weekend, but after a lovely Saturday, there's been a constant, soaking rain since Saturday evening.  Still have almost 2 trays to go, but at least I've put the big plant stand back in the garage, so it feels like progress.
A few more...

Of the two plants of Lithospermum ruderale, this one has larger flowers (I showed the smaller-flowered one earlier):

Front yard in the rain, with 'Royalty' crabapple and the bur oak in bloom; 'Royalty' flowers; 'Amsterdam' rose was set outside at the corner of the house last weekend:
   

IMYoung wrote:

Yup, after the Jandals were famously jettisoned by Steve the other day, I was expecting the snaadreeps to begin! :D

Steve will probably have them back on again now --Saturday, 1st day of winter, temps reached 15c on the coast here --warm enough for me to tip out some of my clumps of potted Trilliums and carefully divide them.

Cheers Dave.

Wow, what a horticultural feast Lori! I have a few of those growing well, including Lactuca intricata which must be on the verge of flowering. I like the Lithospermum particularly - a very interesting genus with so many good rock plants. There were some intriguing matthiolas in the Czech gardens, including this one in Vojtech Holubec's, with soft brown flowers (I'm not sure if this is M. alchemilloides?).

Hi
here are some pictures of the flowers and garden taken today. Nice weather and I diligently added all the names of the plants on the body of the text  ;D

Phlox subulata sp
View of part of my rockgarden
Aquilegia scopulorum-from NARGS seed

since i cant fit all the pictures in the first post I am sending another one

Erigeron aureus canary bird
Physaria didymocarpa
Delosperma nubigenum

Krish wrote:

Physaria didymocarpa

Wow, Krish, I've  never seen one with so many flowers :o
cheers
fermi

Great plants and such a variety, Krish and Lori.  Here it's dianthus time.  They've been allowed to seed themselves in this area and now there are all sorts of intermediates in color and size.  Will have to introduce some darker ones and see what happens.
Also, Paeonia peregrina, one of my new favorites.  The flowers are incredibly shiny and a brilliant red.  Go to the Scottish Forum to see a picture of a hillside of it in bloom in the wild, spectacular.