April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Leena]

The seedlings you very kindly sent me are coming along nicely but haven't reached flowering size yet.

I like that 'Jacob' very much, but my H.niger from Holubeck seeds from Italy was even better. Sadly it died one winter, but here is a seedling from it, and this is two years older than seedlings I sent you. So hopefully yours look like this soon. Flowers are very big.

[Robert]

A natural 'cloud pine'

(Attachment Link)

Hi Ashley,

The pine in your photograph is amazing. The roots look like something from a Salvador Dali painting. Any idea how this occurred? It was hard to tell, but there appeared to be a great deal of erosion around the roots.

Did you actually see this tree and photograph it? Sorry, I had to ask. There is so much AI fake and maliciousness out there these days. So sad that some do not have anything better to do with their lives.   :'(

[kris]

That is a beautiful Helleborous Leena. It is not hardy in Saskatoon. I had one for the last 8 years closer to the foundation of the house. Comes back every year sickly but never flowered.It is too cold here.

[ashley]

The roots look like something from a Salvador Dali painting. Any idea how this occurred? It was hard to tell, but there appeared to be a great deal of erosion around the roots.

Did you actually see this tree and photograph it? Sorry, I had to ask. There is so much AI fake and maliciousness out there these days. So sad that some do not have anything better to do with their lives.   :'(

The pictures are indeed real Robert, but I understand your caution

Those aren't roots but dead branches now hanging downward.  Recently I came across this group of trees in a mountain valley SW of Fort William, Scotland.  They all looked mature, with no evidence of replacement by seedlings probably due to grazing pressure by red deer.  This particular tree had an enormous witches broom maybe 6-7m wide, which must have been old too given the slow growth rate.  Unfortunately the point of emergence from the trunk wasn't easy to see from my vantage point, but perhaps you can just about make it out from the photo below.  The broom also had small cones.

Witches brooms are apparently not uncommon in Pinus sylvestris (or other pines), and have given rise to various dwarf conifer cultivars, but this was the first time I'd seen one.  They can arise from bacterial or fungal infections but also from spontaneuos mutations in the meristem .  Therefore they tend to occur more often at higher altitudes where solar irradiation is more intense.  However this tree was only about 150m asl.

[Redmires]

Andre - belated thanks for the photo of your Ericaceous container. It's an appealing assembly of plants - they look nicely integrated. I confess I had no idea that there were such dwarf Rhododendron species - I've been slightly prejudiced against the genus as a result of spending time to eradicate the invasive species on various conservation projects. I'm very fond of upland species - and their habitat - but I've never tried to grow any of the specialists. The closest I've got is Myrica gale, which I couldn't resist when I saw it listed by Poyntzfield Herbs - the smell of the leaves is so evocative. I'm hoping to be able to provide it with some suitable but similarly tolerant company.

Ian - thanks also for pointing me to your photograph of P.caerulea  - it looks very at home in Scotland. Some local patch you had then!

[Gabriela]

A natural 'cloud pine'

A very interesting and beautiful picture Ashley. The witches broom looks like a gigantic bonsai

[Gabriela]

I like that 'Jacob' very much, but my H.niger from Holubeck seeds from Italy was even better. Sadly it died one winter, but here is a seedling from it, and this is two years older than seedlings I sent you. So hopefully yours look like this soon. Flowers are very big.

This one has indeed larger flowers Leena. I also have 'Jacob', but it never had so many flower stems like yours and actually is short lived; a new seedling takes its place every 2-3 years. I should probably find another location for it.

[Gabriela]

We arrived at a stage in southern Ontario when many spring plants are in flower at once: Corydalis of various sorts, Helleborus, Primula and of course Hepatica to mention just the regulars.
I always have Erythronium dens-canis leaves but no flowers, so when one E. dens-canis blooms it is a big event! 

[Mariette]

This year, many plants flower 2-3 weeks earlier than last. Lilacs and bluebells flower 4 weeks earlier than in my youth.

Gabriela, I´m surprised that flowering in Your garden isn´t ahead of us. It´s nice to see all these colourful harbingers of spring in Your garden!

This one has indeed larger flowers Leena. I also have 'Jacob', but it never had so many flower stems like yours and actually is short lived; a new seedling takes its place every 2-3 years. I should probably find another location for it.

Helleborus niger isn´t an easy plant in many gardens, it´s great that it does so well for Leena and You!

Thanks to a kind forumist, Hyacinthoides paivae flowered here for the first time. 



In some of our local woods, the bluebells are in full swing, yet another species of Hyacinthoides. This is a bracteate form.



´Long Bracteate White´ is sold as H. non-scripta, but the circular arranged flowers make it look like a hybrid.



Somehow I prefer the charm of bracteate forms of typical H. non-scripta.



The "pink" ones I found show a rather unattractive colour. In my opinion, the bright pink forms owe their colour to hybridisation, though they may look like true H. non-scripta.

[Leena]

I also have 'Jacob', but it never had so many flower stems like yours and actually is short lived; a new seedling takes its place every 2-3 years. I should probably find another location for it.

I have had 'Jacob' since 2011, and I don't think I have ever gotten seeds from it. Many times it starts to flower too early and flowers are damaged, but I'm glad not this year. Maybe because it hasn't had seeds, it is so long-lived here. With other H.niger, I have the same experience as Mariette, they are not easy to please, but they seed around so there is always some. Some H.niger I have are not as good-looking, with only a few flowers and also there are differences in leaves. Some have nicer leaves than others.
Kris, I'm sorry to hear yours don't do well. In Finland H.niger is considered to be hardier than H. x hybridus, but I think it also depends on the strain/type.

[Leena]

Mariette, your Hyacinthoides are so pretty. I sowed H.non-scripta two years ago, so I will see them flowering hopefully in a few years time.

[MarcR]

Gabriella and Leena,

I enjoyed the lovely blooms you both have posted .

Here in Oregon, we are 3-4 weeks behind you.  The nature sculpted tree  was very interesting and strangely beautiful.

Thank you both for posting!

[Robert]

The pictures are indeed real Robert, but I understand your caution

Those aren't roots but dead branches now hanging downward.  Recently I came across this group of trees in a mountain valley SW of Fort William, Scotland.  They all looked mature, with no evidence of replacement by seedlings probably due to grazing pressure by red deer.  This particular tree had an enormous witches broom maybe 6-7m wide, which must have been old too given the slow growth rate.  Unfortunately the point of emergence from the trunk wasn't easy to see from my vantage point, but perhaps you can just about make it out from the photo below.  The broom also had small cones.

Witches brooms are apparently not uncommon in Pinus sylvestris (or other pines), and have given rise to various dwarf conifer cultivars, but this was the first time I'd seen one.  They can arise from bacterial or fungal infections but also from spontaneuos mutations in the meristem .  Therefore they tend to occur more often at higher altitudes where solar irradiation is more intense.  However this tree was only about 150m asl.

(Attachment Link)

Ashley,

It is amazing that this Witch’s Broom developed in the “Floating Cloud” style naturally without any human intervention. Here in California, I do see Witch’s Brooms on pines from time-to-time. Most of them are not very attractive. I have never seen one with the “Floating Cloud” appearance.

It might be worthwhile if someone started propagation this Witch’s Broom?

Thank you for your patience with my questions and skepticism.

[Robert]

Leena, Gabriela, and Mariette –

Thank you for the fantastic photographs from your gardens!

Here are some photographs from our Sacramento, California garden.



Flowering Pac Choi with Papaver rhoeas and Sugar Snap Peas. Maybe only a farmer like me would find beauty and enjoy such a garden scene?



So many of our California native annuals are looking great right now. They are perfect for our climatic conditions. Erythranthe bicolor is still in full bloom.



Erythranthe guttata is blooming throughout our garden. Some I planted, some are self-sown. I am working on developing stronger longer-lived perennial forms of this species.



Layia platyglossa is a must in our garden, and so easy-to-grow. It is so common, yet it is rarely seen in gardens in our area.



This tub full of Layia gaillardioides has been blooming for some weeks now and still has many flowers coming on.

[Robert]

Diplacus kelloggii is new for me this year. It is a tiny species best grown in a container. It will be interesting to see how they develop over the years, especially as I add new accessions to the genetic mix.



We have ongoing trials taking place with Diplacus aurantiacus. This species can bloom for months and is extremely drought tolerant. Many forms can be leggy growers, however we have some very compact forms that we are currently evaluating.



Penstemon laetus var. laetus is very happy in our garden. They seed around here and there, especially in our cinder block garden. Wild plants exhibit considerable genetic variation. Most flowers are lavender-blue, however pink forms can be found. In addition, very compact forms exist that make outstanding garden plants.



Huchera rubescens RMB 887 has proven to be a very adaptable selection of this species. I obtained seeds of this accession from the Rock Bound Pass region of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 8,963 feet. Currently I am conducting trials with this selection and other accessions from lower elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains both in containers and in the open garden. Some forms can bloom profusely and put on an outstanding flower show.



Advanced generation white forms of Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus derived from Coastal forms of this species. I suspect that they have a different chromosome count than our local forms of this species, as the two forms do not easily cross with each other. Many different chromosome counts have been reported with this species.