What extraordinarily beautiful veronicas Panayoti. I wish I could grow them like that here but have never managed - I suppose not hot and dry and light enough in the summer or cold enough in the winter. Have just ordered seed of bombycina and thymoides so my optimism is not dimmed!
Cliff, thanks for your beautiful mountain photos! I imagine that you, like I, spend the winter looking through them and reliving the wonderful days in the mountains! I especially love seeing Potentilla nitida.
Your veronicas are gorgeous, Panayoti... the intensity of colour is stunning. I've had V. thymoides ssp. pseudocinerea in a trough for many years but not performing anywhere near like yours... clearly your conditions are perfect for it.
As I've said before, Todd, your fabulous Oxalis just kill me! (Whereas, in my conditions here, I kill them... :'( )
Mukdenia rossiiis very seasonal-looking, Mark - a very handsome plant. Cold zone readers may be pleased to note that it has been hardy here in my garden over many years, so is well worth a try in other cold areas. (Note: see split-off topic called "Mukdenia" for references to Aceriphyllum & Mukdenia:) http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=919.0
Here, to brighten a winter day, is a winner from the "seed-starting lottery" of a couple of years ago (i.e. take a wild gamble on acquiring and growing seeds from plants for which essentially no information is available, and see what happens! :D): Hypericum aviculariifolium ssp. uniflorum
(I've shown and talked about this species before but to recap...) I grew this from seed in 2010, and had germination in about 10 days at room temperature (no seed conditioning). The seedlings were planted out in summer, 2010, and the burst into glorious bloom in 2011. Seed came from M. Pavelka and was collected at 2500m, Dedegol Dag, Turkey. I planted all the seedlings out either in crevices between tufa, or on the edges of the tufa garden in tufa gravel (which is where I had room at the time) and they all seem pretty happy, though the plant in the highest part of the tufa mound is best developed.
MMmmm, I love the look of Hypericum aviculariifolium ssp. uniflorum, and I'm a big fan of Hypericum in general. There is a caterpiller here that eats and devastates some of the smaller hypericums, not sure what it is, leaving the plants defoliated.
MMmmm, I love the look of Hypericum aviculariifolium ssp. uniflorum, and I'm a big fan of Hypericum in general. There is a caterpiller here that eats and devastates some of the smaller hypericums, not sure what it is, leaving the plants defoliated.
I sent seeds to both the NARGS and SRGC seedexes, so there's a chance for people to try it! I note that the height of the species is shown as "5 - 7.5 cm" in the NARGS seedlist, however, my plants are totally recumbent and only stand about 2 - 3 cm above the ground surface.
Well, once again I missed something good in this year's NARGS seedlist... I blasted through it so quickly, but there were many other plant species that caught my attention, it can always wait until another year, or two, or three. Besides. I need to be more scientific to find out what eats my smaller Hypericums and see what sorts of defences could be employed to prevent defoliation.
Notice: the discussion on Mukdenia has been moved to its own topic, find it in the The NARGS Forum > Plants and Gardens > Woodlanders > Mukdenia topic: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=919.0
Lori - after seeing your picture earlier on of the Hypericum this is seed I have also ordered from Mojmir Pavelka. Good to hear your experiences with it. I have always liked the smaller hypericums too and remember a good article on the Mediterranean species by Nicholas Turland in the AGS Bulletin many years ago. For a while he distributed seed whilst running Northside Seeds.
Your garden never ceases to amaze me on the Forum. Have you written about it elsewhere? I think Elizabeth Lawrence was right when she wrote that all gardeners eventually aspire to become rock gardeners!
What! No images of late? I hasten to rectify this sad state of affairs! I am posting a picture of Eustoma grandiflorum I took last August in Fort Collins in an area where there used to be thousands. This year there were only dozens (weather? timing?). Always good to see this extravagant gentian relative that tries to masquerade as a Calochortus or tulip. We're not fooled! If only it were perennial and reliable in the garden!
Beautiful Eustoma, Panayoti ... Oh that it were perennial ... !
Happy New Year to all members of NARGS and all members of the rock gardening fraternity from Cliff and Sue.
Not an alpine image this time, but a joyous tree from Brazil ... Chorisia speciosa - image taken in a beautiful public garden on Mallorca. More images from this series taken on this lovely Balearic island can be seen on the following link:-
Haven't really got anything in flower but i love the foliage of Cyclamen, especially graecum though this unfortunately doesn't flower freely in the garden here. This is on a sand bed, growing through a carpet of Raoulia. Good wishes for 2012.
Nothing in flower here either but with each day a second or two longer now, here are some mountain scenes and some local alpines to make us yearn for spring! Happy New Year, all!
What! No images of late? I hasten to rectify this sad state of affairs! I am posting a picture of Eustoma grandiflorum I took last August in Fort Collins in an area where there used to be thousands. This year there were only dozens (weather? timing?). Always good to see this extravagant gentian relative that tries to masquerade as a Calochortus or tulip. We're not fooled! If only it were perennial and reliable in the garden!
It is one of the genera I am totally unfamiliar with although I've seen a picture or two. Kelaidis, what do you mean by reliable in the garden? Is it difficult?
Lori, your pictures always make me feel guilty - guilty of sitting lazy in the sofa instead of getting out there where the diamonds are to be found ;)
Just saw your question, Hoy, about Eustoma: they are essentially monocarpic (although perhaps perennial under ideal circumstances)...rather like Gentianopsis barbata and G. thermalis, they can be coaxed pretty easily to bloom once (like all gentians the seed is miniscule, the seedlings slow and easily fumbled)...but once they bloom, they usually die. And not many of us have the sorts of conditions that make them reseed: the Eustoma is essentially a plant of wet swales. Perhaps it would do so in Scandinavia?
I am appending a picture of Rohdea japonica at Denver Botanic Gardens. Although technically not "blooming", their bright red fruits this time of year are very cheering...
Just saw your question, Hoy, about Eustoma: they are essentially monocarpic (although perhaps perennial under ideal circumstances)...rather like Gentianopsis barbata and G. thermalis, they can be coaxed pretty easily to bloom once (like all gentians the seed is miniscule, the seedlings slow and easily fumbled)...but once they bloom, they usually die. And not many of us have the sorts of conditions that make them reseed: the Eustoma is essentially a plant of wet swales. Perhaps it would do so in Scandinavia?
I am appending a picture of Rohdea japonica at Denver Botanic Gardens. Although technically not "blooming", their bright red fruits this time of year are very cheering...
Thanks, Kelaidis. Wet swales shouldn't be too difficult to find! Maybe I should try Eustomia when I get a chance. . . .
Rohdea also is an interesting genus. Nice berries.
Comments
Tim Ingram (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/24/2011 - 4:22amWhat extraordinarily beautiful veronicas Panayoti. I wish I could grow them like that here but have never managed - I suppose not hot and dry and light enough in the summer or cold enough in the winter. Have just ordered seed of bombycina and thymoides so my optimism is not dimmed!
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/24/2011 - 3:27pmMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the forum members! Pictured is Oxalis 'Ione Hocker'
Cliff Booker
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/24/2011 - 11:46pmMagnificent oxalis, Todd.
Mark, the Aceriphyllum is to die for ... another to add to that ever expanding list. :D
(Moderator note: see split-off topic called "Mukdenia" for references to Aceriphyllum & Mukdenia:)
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=919.0
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 12/25/2011 - 9:58amCliff, thanks for your beautiful mountain photos! I imagine that you, like I, spend the winter looking through them and reliving the wonderful days in the mountains! I especially love seeing Potentilla nitida.
Your veronicas are gorgeous, Panayoti... the intensity of colour is stunning. I've had V. thymoides ssp. pseudocinerea in a trough for many years but not performing anywhere near like yours... clearly your conditions are perfect for it.
As I've said before, Todd, your fabulous Oxalis just kill me! (Whereas, in my conditions here, I kill them... :'( )
Mukdenia rossii is very seasonal-looking, Mark - a very handsome plant. Cold zone readers may be pleased to note that it has been hardy here in my garden over many years, so is well worth a try in other cold areas.
(Note: see split-off topic called "Mukdenia" for references to Aceriphyllum & Mukdenia:)
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=919.0
Here, to brighten a winter day, is a winner from the "seed-starting lottery" of a couple of years ago (i.e. take a wild gamble on acquiring and growing seeds from plants for which essentially no information is available, and see what happens! :D): Hypericum aviculariifolium ssp. uniflorum
(I've shown and talked about this species before but to recap...) I grew this from seed in 2010, and had germination in about 10 days at room temperature (no seed conditioning). The seedlings were planted out in summer, 2010, and the burst into glorious bloom in 2011. Seed came from M. Pavelka and was collected at 2500m, Dedegol Dag, Turkey. I planted all the seedlings out either in crevices between tufa, or on the edges of the tufa garden in tufa gravel (which is where I had room at the time) and they all seem pretty happy, though the plant in the highest part of the tufa mound is best developed.
Mark McDonough
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 12/25/2011 - 10:07amMMmmm, I love the look of Hypericum aviculariifolium ssp. uniflorum, and I'm a big fan of Hypericum in general. There is a caterpiller here that eats and devastates some of the smaller hypericums, not sure what it is, leaving the plants defoliated.
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 12/25/2011 - 10:56amI sent seeds to both the NARGS and SRGC seedexes, so there's a chance for people to try it! I note that the height of the species is shown as "5 - 7.5 cm" in the NARGS seedlist, however, my plants are totally recumbent and only stand about 2 - 3 cm above the ground surface.
Mark McDonough
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 12/25/2011 - 11:00amWell, once again I missed something good in this year's NARGS seedlist... I blasted through it so quickly, but there were many other plant species that caught my attention, it can always wait until another year, or two, or three. Besides. I need to be more scientific to find out what eats my smaller Hypericums and see what sorts of defences could be employed to prevent defoliation.
Mark McDonough
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 12/25/2011 - 9:46pmNotice: the discussion on Mukdenia has been moved to its own topic, find it in the The NARGS Forum > Plants and Gardens > Woodlanders > Mukdenia topic:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=919.0
Tim Ingram (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 12/26/2011 - 5:23amLori - after seeing your picture earlier on of the Hypericum this is seed I have also ordered from Mojmir Pavelka. Good to hear your experiences with it. I have always liked the smaller hypericums too and remember a good article on the Mediterranean species by Nicholas Turland in the AGS Bulletin many years ago. For a while he distributed seed whilst running Northside Seeds.
Your garden never ceases to amaze me on the Forum. Have you written about it elsewhere? I think Elizabeth Lawrence was right when she wrote that all gardeners eventually aspire to become rock gardeners!
Panayoti Kelaidis
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 12/30/2011 - 3:51pmWhat! No images of late? I hasten to rectify this sad state of affairs! I am posting a picture of Eustoma grandiflorum I took last August in Fort Collins in an area where there used to be thousands. This year there were only dozens (weather? timing?). Always good to see this extravagant gentian relative that tries to masquerade as a Calochortus or tulip. We're not fooled! If only it were perennial and reliable in the garden!
Cliff Booker
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/31/2011 - 2:25amBeautiful Eustoma, Panayoti ... Oh that it were perennial ... !
Happy New Year to all members of NARGS and all members of the rock gardening fraternity from Cliff and Sue.
Not an alpine image this time, but a joyous tree from Brazil ... Chorisia speciosa - image taken in a beautiful public garden on Mallorca. More images from this series taken on this lovely Balearic island can be seen on the following link:-
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6405.0
Tim Ingram (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/31/2011 - 11:28amHaven't really got anything in flower but i love the foliage of Cyclamen, especially graecum though this unfortunately doesn't flower freely in the garden here. This is on a sand bed, growing through a carpet of Raoulia. Good wishes for 2012.
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/31/2011 - 11:58amNothing in flower here either but with each day a second or two longer now, here are some mountain scenes and some local alpines to make us yearn for spring! Happy New Year, all!
Happlopappus lyallii:
Epilobium latifolium:
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 12/31/2011 - 4:11pmIt is one of the genera I am totally unfamiliar with although I've seen a picture or two.
Kelaidis, what do you mean by reliable in the garden? Is it difficult?
Lori, your pictures always make me feel guilty - guilty of sitting lazy in the sofa instead of getting out there where the diamonds are to be found ;)
Panayoti Kelaidis
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 03/03/2012 - 1:36amJust saw your question, Hoy, about Eustoma: they are essentially monocarpic (although perhaps perennial under ideal circumstances)...rather like Gentianopsis barbata and G. thermalis, they can be coaxed pretty easily to bloom once (like all gentians the seed is miniscule, the seedlings slow and easily fumbled)...but once they bloom, they usually die. And not many of us have the sorts of conditions that make them reseed: the Eustoma is essentially a plant of wet swales. Perhaps it would do so in Scandinavia?
I am appending a picture of Rohdea japonica at Denver Botanic Gardens. Although technically not "blooming", their bright red fruits this time of year are very cheering...
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 03/04/2012 - 11:22amThanks, Kelaidis. Wet swales shouldn't be too difficult to find! Maybe I should try Eustomia when I get a chance. . . .
Rohdea also is an interesting genus. Nice berries.
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