Image of the day

Come on folks ... let's begin an 'Image of the Day' topic. I'll begin by posting an image of Pulsatilla vernalis.

Who will follow this up tomorrow?

PULSATILLA VERNALIS

Comments

Lori S.'s picture

Sun, 09/25/2011 - 1:36pm

Lovely pix, everyone.

Here are some fall larch scenes from Panorama Ridge in Banff N.P.:
        

Sun, 09/25/2011 - 4:27pm

Wow Lori!! :o :o :o :o Absolutely spectacular! I was out to Yellowstone 2 years ago for the first time and was just blown away by the surroundings! You are lucky to live near such an amazing place as Banff!

Thu, 09/29/2011 - 12:30pm

Lori, yellow larches are better than green rhododendrons!

Rick, are you sure you haven't helped with some Xmas decoration? ;)

Fri, 09/30/2011 - 5:55pm

Spectacular scenery Lori...I'll see it for myself this coming weekend!  I'll be in calgary for Thanksgiving.

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 4:19am

The fall is inexorably upon us. We had 3 days with sun and warm weather with new warmth records for October several places yesterday. Today it is back to normal - rain, but still good temperatures. However the forecasts say snow in the mountains the next days.

At home some plants like the "mini-kiwi" (Actinidia arguta) get the fall colour and ripen fruits while its big cousin the kiwiplant (Actinidia deliciosa) still is green. The third cousin (Actinidia kolomikta) has completely coloured red. Hydrangea anomala petiolaris still bears spent flowers among the yellow leaves. A climbing Clematis (C. orientalis or some relative) still produces plenty of flower buds.

 

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:35am

Hoy, do you have male and female of each of your kiwi species?  If not, do you have females without males that still produce fruit?  (Then cross pollination would be easy between species.)

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:54am

Rick, the "minikiwi" is the strain 'Issai' which is self fertile. The kiwiplant (deliciosa) is from seed and is mostly a male plant but I have got some small fruits on it. (The plant suddenly appeared on the compost heap several years ago and is hardy, growing up to 4m each year.) Kolomicta is a male plant. Males have the best leaf colours. It is impossible to get female plants here!

Sun, 10/02/2011 - 5:36pm

The A. arguta at our BG finally produced some fruit this year.  We had a female for years but no male.  I bought us a male 4 years ago and it prodcued a single cluster of flowers this year.  I was the 'bee' and hand-pollinated the feamle, managing to get 12 bertries.  Unfortunately, our summer was so cold this year, the fruit will never ripen.  Maybe next year will be better.

Fall bulbs are blooming...Cyclamen, Crocus and Colchicum.

Fri, 10/07/2011 - 2:28pm

Wow!  Struck by lightning, I presume.  So the heartwood of the living branch must still be part of the original (dead) trunk, or else it would have broken off long ago.  I suppose it is not so amazing that a new structural trunk has not formed to the ground.  It doesn't need structure with old mast there.  Still, it does look a weird.  Isn't nature grand!

Sat, 10/08/2011 - 11:09am
Weiser wrote:

Tenaciously clinging to life.

Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana - Lodgepole Pine

Fantastic! Shows exactly what the Bonsai masters are trying to recreate with their "jin" technique  8)

Sun, 10/09/2011 - 7:25am

Thought since you like that photo I'd post several of a natural Bonsai growing on a shear cliff face. The cliff is an ancient pyroclastic flow that is slowly crumbling on it's face. Most of these flows are quit acidic and nutrient poor.

Here is a Pinus jeffreyi, that is literally clinging life.

Thu, 10/13/2011 - 7:06pm

All these gnarly trees have prompted me to catch up a tad on image of the day: since many days have elapsed since there was an image...and since I haven't posted in ages....I shall post a flurry of pix I took 2 weeks ago on Mt. Goliath, the Alpine Unit of Denver Botanic Gardens on the slopes of Mt. Evans, one of Colorado's highest peaks (over14,000' and 4000m high). I have had the pleasure and privilege of leading many great horticulturists down this trail including quite a few attending NARGS conferences in 1982 and 1986. Two Britons stand out: some fifteen years ago I took Roy Lancaster down this trail, and two weeks ago I took Adrian Bloom and his wife down that rocky trail: it was a warm, windless day and the aspen (Populus tremuloides) were in golden glory. Needless to say, I was thrilled and I think the Blooms were too. I know this is shameless namedropping, but what the heck! You only live once (at a time anyway)...

You all haven't heard much from me because of a number of trips around the country (California, North Carolina and most recently SW Colorado)... but I am back (with a vengeance) so WATCH OUT...

I know you West Coasters are going to point out that Pinus longaeva is much older and gnarlier than P. aristata...I do not deny this! They were (incidentally) considered identical until some 40 years ago when Dana Bailey, a neighbor of mine in Boulder, distinguished them...I am content to admire our merely 2000 year old behemoths!

externmed's picture

Sun, 10/16/2011 - 5:49pm

Season winding down for many.  Photos from Oct 9
Charles Swanson NE MAssachusetts USA

Lori S.'s picture

Sun, 10/16/2011 - 6:24pm

Lots of colour there, Charles.  What's the brilliant fuchsia flower?  (I thought of Callirhoe but not sure... ?)

Kelaidis wrote:

You all haven't heard much from me because of a number of trips around the country (California, North Carolina and most recently SW Colorado)... but I am back (with a vengeance) so WATCH OUT...

We're all very glad to hear that and can't wait to see some pix!  :) :)
Those are some very picturesque old bristlecones for sure.  

Continuing on that theme, here are some gnarly old limber pines (Pinus flexilis) from a trip to Waterton N.P. in early September... or at least I assume the skeletal ones are the same species as the living ones that were nearby(?)
       

externmed's picture

Sun, 10/16/2011 - 8:48pm

Lots of colour there, Charles.  What's the brilliant fuchsia flower?  (I thought of Callirhoe but not sure... ?)

From a couple of posts up.  Yes Lori, bought as Calliroe involucrata. (one of the more cut-leaved forms)  Much loved by my rodents, but now doing well.
Charles Swanson
MA USA

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 7:42am

I never tire of those Dolomites, rejects or not.

The crags in these pictures look like they have particularly sharp edges!

Tim Ingram's picture

Fri, 10/21/2011 - 10:45am

I remember going to a tree nursery where another customer regularly visited looking for mis-shapen and badly grown specimens: he ran a nursery specialising in bonsai! There is hope for those of us who don't grow perfect plants yet.

Sat, 10/22/2011 - 11:16pm
Booker wrote:

Grown specifically for the manufacture of boomerangs?   :D

Didn't know they used boomerangs in the Dolomites?  ;D
Here such trees were traditionally used in boats as frames or bows!

Sun, 10/23/2011 - 2:09am
Hoy wrote:

Booker wrote:

Grown specifically for the manufacture of boomerangs?   :D

Didn't know they used boomerangs in the Dolomites?  ;D

The Italians have tried repeatedly to get rid of them, but they keep coming back!  ;)

Mon, 10/24/2011 - 1:16pm
Booker wrote:

Hoy wrote:

Booker wrote:

Grown specifically for the manufacture of boomerangs?   :D

Didn't know they used boomerangs in the Dolomites?  ;D

The Italians have tried repeatedly to get rid of them, but they keep coming back!   ;)

Just like slugs.

Lori S.'s picture

Sun, 10/30/2011 - 3:03pm

;D

Here are some pictures of a beautifully-silvery Eriogonum sp. seen in Waterton N.P. in early September, and a pic of the environs with Douglas fir forests in the valleys:
   

Thu, 11/03/2011 - 4:36pm

Lori, I have never managed to time a trip to Alberta to see the E. ovalifolium in bloom...here's a pic taken in June.

youngman54's picture

Sat, 11/05/2011 - 1:00am

Fantastic Image
I have grown more common lilac/purple form but this paler form is stunning.

Will

Sat, 11/05/2011 - 8:33am

Welcome to the forum, Will!

I saw the "Scots Wha Hae" below your avatar, and being both a culture and language buff, I had to investigate.

If any Americans are interested, the first video I clicked on of the song was quite good, at least to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXh4b_jikqU
Although, it was difficult for me to understand (no doubt).

So I found the words, and perhaps a version closer to its original style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMRRQvXXxik&feature=related

We can relate.
Thanks for that!

Sat, 11/05/2011 - 2:49pm

... it is the first link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXh4b_jikqU  that has a more authentic flavour,  it has more power sung quietly. There are not too many Scots words to confuse in the written lyrics, I hope?
The second link sounds as though sung by some pompous drunkard, trying not to sound drunk!!
Great that Will is getting you looking at such things though... nothing like a Scot to broaden one's horizons! ;)

Lori S.'s picture

Sat, 11/05/2011 - 5:42pm

Welcome to the forum, Will!  Rousing stuff from Robbie Burns there!

Todd (or anyone), would you say that the Eriogonum I showed is E. ovalifolium then?  That's what I assumed it was.

Here's a scene from the longer, warmer days when the sun was still high in the sky...

Sat, 11/05/2011 - 9:23pm

Once I saw the words, it was easy to understand. 
A strong and resolute message.  (What else would one expect from a Scotsman?) 
Thanks for the primer.

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 1:19am
Lori wrote:

Todd (or anyone), would you say that the Eriogonum I showed is E. ovalifolium then?  That's what I assumed it was.

It looks like what we grow as E. ovalifolium, Lori..... but from thousands of miles away, that's not saying much!  :-\ 
I like the smaller leaved Eriogonum.... Ian likes them all. They don't flower very well here though..... not enough of those tall skies, I guess.

Sellars's picture

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 6:24am
Lori wrote:

Here's a scene from the longer, warmer days when the sun was still high in the sky...

That's a beautiful picture Lori.  Just the kind of place I like to hike. It looks like the Kananaskis area but where exactly was the image taken?

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 9:29am

Your picture of the Eriogonum, Lori, does look like E. ovalifolium. But the much commoner caespitose alpine eriogonum in Alberta is Eriogonum androsaceum, and they can look very similar. Check out this link:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/321390/

I have not seen either species on my trips to Banff and Jasper--but then I have not covered much territory in the Alpine zone there. Eriogonum androsaceum has been lumped with E. flavum var. piperi, which I have grown, but I believe they are quite distinct (botanists can be hasty and are often wrong). If indeed it is allied to the Eriogonum flavum/jamesii/arcuatum complex, it bodes very good for it: I find these to be the easiest, most adaptable, most long blooming and INDESTRUCTIBLE of buckwheats! Best of all, they bloom in July and August, when our gardens need a boost! So make sure you get a pinch of seed next time you get up there! I have never seen seed of E. androsaceum offered anyhwhere.

Lori S.'s picture

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 10:32am

David, the photo is indeed from Kananaskis... it's Sparrowhawk Tarns in Peter Lougheed Park, one of our favourite places :
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=746.0

Re. the Eriogonum photo... Thanks, Maggi and Panayoti for your comments.
Panayoti, I have been trying to ID the alpine Eriogonum spp. that I see on our hikes.  The photo of E. androsaceum that you linked (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/321390/) is one of mine that I posted after an effort to ID them from the flower characteristics and whether or not a stipe is present:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=738.msg10757#msg10757
I concluded that the linked Dave's Garden photo was E. androsaceum (vs. E. ovalifolium) from the "stipe-like base" - please correct me if I'm wrong (and I'll get that linked photo removed from the Dave's Garden site if necessary).  
If I'm right, E. androsaceum (in the Kananaskis area anyway) seems to have elongated leaves.  Here's some of the discussion around leaf shape:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=493.msg5230#msg5230
The plants I saw in Kananaskis that I concluded were E. ovalifolium (http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=738.msg10757#msg10757) had a similar leaf shape to the Waterton plants, but were not silvery.  We plan to visit Waterton through the bloom season next year, so I hope I can examine the flowers of the silver plants there and see if they have stipes or not (expecting "not" if they are E. ovalifolium).

Thanks for any help you can give me with this.

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 3:41pm

Boy, Lori! I should be embarrassed that I didn't follow the thread and see the picture was yours! Your picture is definitely NOT E. ovalifolium, based on my pretty extensive experience with that taxon. It looks uncannily like some forms of E. douglasii that I have grown, which of course does NOT occur in your area I am quite sure. I have never associated the flavum complex with the douglasii group, but this could be an intermediate! I wouldn't withdraw your picture at all: I have a hunch you are right on the ID...

Lori S.'s picture

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 4:09pm

Good heavens, no need for an apology.  I don't think anyone could follow the twisted threads all through, or be be expected to know that the Dave's Garden photo was mine!  :)
Thank you for the confirmation that the Dave's Garden one is not E. ovalifolium... that helps!

Lori S.'s picture

Sun, 11/06/2011 - 5:38pm

This mosaic of moss, Salix, Petasites, Castilleja, etc. growing in the outflow from melting snow gives a jolt of colour!

Tue, 11/08/2011 - 9:12am

Just now settling in for the winter. This last week I finally finished cleaning seed and sent in my seed donations the exchanges. So now I'll take a look at what I've been missing.

Lori nice Eriogonum shots I'm always interested in seeing good photos of the species.

Here are a couple of shots of Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus taken in late August.

Tue, 11/08/2011 - 1:27pm

Always nice to see Eriogonums! I sowed some this spring and have planted out a few plants at my summerhouse. Now I am looking forward to spring :D

Very nice Ranunculus, John. Is it a desert or a mountain species?

Pages