Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: shelagh on April 04, 2023, 11:37:45 AM
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In May 2021 we bought an unusual Campanula F1 Takion blue which flowered beautifully. Late last year we spotted a seedling which put up a very long flowering stem with several buds. It was getting battered by the weather and was lying almost flat on the raised bed. Brian cut if off and brought it is to see if would flower. It has but it was rather a surprise.
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Some kind of persicifolia nitida or a hybrid with it?
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Shelagh, very nice Campanula, both the blue one and the white. :)
Here spring is coming a second time this year, when new snow covered all two weeks ago.
Now snowdrops are coming through snow, and also Leucojum vernum.
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Leena,
Concerning your weather, my wife Jasmin this morning said, “With weather like yours we should not complain about ours.”
[Jasmin]: I too was impressed by the resilience of your Galanthus ‘Mrs. Mcnamara in your temperatures! I too would be prostrate, and sometimes am, but I am not sure I bounce back yet! Right at the moment the thermometer says it is a toasty 8 C; however, the wind is straight out of the arctic.
Robert:
Even here in our part of Northern California winter does not want to release its grip. Frost advisories are still being issued for our region and low temperatures in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are still in the -18 C range. We have been complaining for years that there has been no winter and now we are finally getting winter. Winter does not want to leave us quite yet. Maybe when the temperature turns 46 C again this summer I will be justified complaining about the weather.
As pictured above, the development of our garden is progressing, if a bit slowly.
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Our redesigned front border is progressing now that some sort of spring is arriving. Eschscholzia lobbii ‘Sundew’ survived all the drenching rain this winter. I planted Gilia capitata at the same time and they all were flooded out. At least I have replacement plants to plug in over the next few days.
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Erythroniums are still blooming in our garden. Erythronium oregonum (pictured) bloomed well for us this year.
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Nemophila maculata is looking great this season. The plants in our garden are preforming much like the plants I observe in the wild. This is a big step forward toward design success in our garden.
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We have many old established clumps of Sisyrinchium bellum in our garden. They are not the least bit weedy for us and they do occasionally seed around. Our other local native Sisyrinchium species also do well in our garden. They are not weedy either.
[Jasmin]: We have our choice of weeds, some of which we attack ferociously, and others we are more languid about. We all know the ones that are lovely thugs, that we must reduce their numbers before they drown out any semblance of any other plant life, but are pretty in their own right, as compared to the ones that have no merit whatsoever. Rather than a Plant of Merit, these are the Weeds of Merit. Now that the ground is less soppy, it is time for me to tackle the other three clumps of weedy Crocosmia, and there is no shortage of weedy violets; although they are forming a lovely lilac carpet right now. The weedy Gladiolus relative that made a nice bouquet, so at least it cannot seed around and adds a nice fragrance. Even dandelions have some merit, being edible.
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We are also making progress with Nemophila menziesii var. menziesii in our garden. Although there are a number of excellent varieties of this species, we prefer the wild types and a more naturalistic look in our garden.
Despite the relatively cold weather it is time to return to the garden and get some planting and weeding done. At least the rain has stopped for the time being and the sun is shining. 8) :) 8)
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Leena,
Concerning your weather, my wife Jasmin this morning said, “With weather like yours we should not complain about ours.”
Robert and Jasmin, though I would love to being able to garden all year round, I don't think I could cope with your summer temperatures.
So there are good and bad in both climates. :)
Lovely views again from your garden! :)
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@ shelagh: it will be interesting to learn what Your campanula-seedling turns out to be!
Robert & Jasmin, Your garden is a colourful joy all year round, yet April is the month when we start catching up in our part of the world. March was very rainy (100 mm) and cool, so the development is not as early as expected previously.
Most Scilla / Chionodoxa siehei are almost withered, this year I noticed a white seedling for the first time.
(https://up.picr.de/45466335tv.jpg)
A dark coloured Corydalis cava.
(https://up.picr.de/45466336gz.jpg)
My biggest clump of Fritillaria meleagris is a self-sown seedling growing far away from the others under an apple tree behind the vegetable plot.
(https://up.picr.de/45485315vl.jpg)
Arum maculatum and primulas.
(https://up.picr.de/45485316nu.jpg)
Camellia japonica ´Kuro Tsubaki´.
(https://up.picr.de/45485317zv.jpg)
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Mariette,
My scilla and chiondoxa are just starting. Camellia japonica ´Kuro Tsubaki´ is really intense!
I really like it. My Corydalis cava are paler than yours.
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´Kuro Tsubaki´is also called the black camellia, this plant is more than 50 years old. I saved it from my parents-in-law´s garden when the house was sold 9 years ago. We had to cut it back for transport in our car, and it looks not completely recovered yet, but I´m glad my father-in law´s treasure survived, after all.
In my garden, I grow only white Corydalis cava and some reddish and dark selections. I might collect seed, but if they hybridised, the colours may not be as good.
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The weather has finally shifted. Warm, sunny, spring-like days prevail, perfect weather for planting food crops and getting the ornamental garden in order.
The scene above is our front yard side border. Remodeling this border started last autumn. There is still a great deal to do. The new design still needs to grow in, however this border is looking much better.
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This is a view of the same border from the opposite direction. Eschscholzia lobbii ‘Sundew’ and Tulipa clusiana ‘Peppermint Stick’ are preforming very well in this border. Erythranthe bicolor, Erythranthe guttata, and Diplacus pictus are coming along well and will be at their prime very soon. My late blooming line of Gilia capitata will start blooming a bit later this spring.
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The backyard is a riot of color. This is my attempt to mimic the natural wildflower displays of Interior California. Our main path to the back of the garden is now dominated by Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons in full bloom. Tritelia laxa, Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus, and Triteleia ixioides ssp. scabra are blooming among the blooming Eschscholzia ceaspitosa and Salvia sonomensis.
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Here is another view near the same path. The scene is very interior California-like. Heteromeles arbutifolia, Styrax redivivus, various Arctostaphylos species and many other California native species are arranged along the path.
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Toward the far back the garden is also dominated by California native species. Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ as well as many Nemophila species, and native Iris species dominate this part of our back yard. Rhododendron luteum ‘Golden Comet’ can be seen blooming in the background. Its delightful fragrance fills the air during the warm afternoon.
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Here Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ can be seen with a common Wallflower.
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The typical light lavender-blue form of Triteleia laxa can be seen with other blooming plants (Ixia and Moraea).
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Our Ethiopian barley is maturing beautifully. It looks like it will be a bumper crop this year. Jasmin and I are now eating the last of last year’s crop. The flavor and nutritional value of our homegrown barley exceeds anything we could possible purchase here in the U.S.A. The flavor of this barley is outstanding!
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Up at our Placerville property Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis is coming into full bloom.
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Here is another scene of Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis at our Placerville property. I attempt to imitate natural interior California scenes in our Sacramento garden. I have a ways to go, however good progress is being made. I am very pleased how our garden is evolving.
[Jasmin]: Most days have been 9-11 C. This past weekend they had predicted 20 C, with a super warm Monday of 25 C; however, what we really had was a day of total intense sun and 27 C. This intensity really shows in Robert’s pictures. After so much rain, Robert actually had to water containers yesterday. It has cooled back down, and is presently 11 C.
The garden is indeed a riot of color, and everything takes on additional shades from the sheer quantity of pollen coating every surface. The Quercus catkins are falling, and the pollen coats every available surface, altering the colors with the fine yellow powder. There is so much going on now, it is difficult to know where to look or where to begin and can be a bit overwhelming after such a long hibernation. Fortunately, it is amazing how much can be accomplished in just 15-30 minutes, and generates so much satisfaction.
In the higher elevations, winter is still very entrenched under thick snow, but the Placerville property is low enough to have lost her tease of snow, and to start her journey of spring. Now is the season when fruit and nut farmers fret the most, as the trees begin their bloom, when the return of hard frost is still very much a possibility. Last year, our entire Placerville orchard had no crop because a hard freeze hit the tender new growth and blossoms. Early fruits such as cherries and strawberries can be hit hard by rain and hail, and the almond growers are always singing dirges about the almond crops being ruined by frost and rain on the flowers. We gardeners and farmers are all risk takers, in our dance with Nature.
Now the canaries are mad at me, buzzing by. With the sun out, they want me to open the door to the aviary. The passive solar has not yet warmed the space enough for them. Bossy, impatient birds!
Photographs of specific plants are next... Soon... :) :) :)
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Robert,
Your garden is beauitiful, as always. Thank you for suggesting Seedhunt! I planted Diplacus grandiflorus and picta yesterday. they will be starting a bit late but will likely miss the summer heat. I will put them in a window box so I can bring them into an air conditioned room if they arrive later than expected.
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Hi Marc,
Thank you for the kind remarks concerning our garden. Obviously we like and enjoy our garden too.
Good luck with Diplacus grandiflorus and D. pictus. I will be very curious to learn how they perform for you. In our area, Diplacus grandiflorus is found growing in the canyons of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I have a great deal of information to share concerning this species. For one thing, it can sometimes be found growing out of rock crevices in dull black rock (nearly a black body). How they endure the extreme heat and drought is simply amazing. Despite its xeric preferences it is not that difficult to grow in our garden, at least if we keep it on the dry side during the summer.
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Robert,
Thank you for the culture advice.
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Mariette
The photographs from your garden are fabulous. I especially enjoy the Corydalis cava and Fritillaria meleagris since they are species that have never grown well in our garden. [Jasmin]: Thank you for the opportunity to have the vicarious pleasure of these lovely plants!
A vegetable garden…? This sounds interesting to me, but I have to admit that I have always enjoyed growing vegetables since I was a teenager.
[Jasmin]: I enjoy good food, so that is a major incentive. However, one year long before Robert and I knew each other and married, I had planted a nice vegetable bed. I was particularly excited by my kale plants that year. One day, I looked out at my vegetables to see nothing in the distance! I looked again, shocked, and there was a rabbit finishing the last of my garden. It was a neighbor’s escaped pet too, so it was not something I could do anything about beyond capturing it and returning it. They were happy to have their rabbit, but I never felt they completely understood.
More scenes from our Sacramento, California garden:
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This might not be the best photograph, however I like the incorporation of my Ranunculus occidentalis hybrids, with California native Iris species, and Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii. In my mind, this scene is very beautiful when seen in person.
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I especially enjoy our California native Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii. There are already many fine named varieties of this species available, however I enjoy this species to the point where I continually grow new plants from wild gathered seed and hybridize them with my existing plants. I enjoy creating tailor-made plants for our garden.
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In this photograph Camassia leichtlinii ssp. sukdorfii is growing next to Acer palmatum ‘Red Filigree Lace’.
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Acer palmatum ‘Mirte’ with more Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii in the background.
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Acer palmatum ‘Beni Fushigi’ is quite striking when its leaves first emerge in the spring.
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In this photograph Camassia leichtlinii ssp. sukdorfii is growing next to Acer palmatum ‘Red Filigree Lace’.
Such a pretty combination!
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Robert, I like the scenes from you garden, so full of flowers.
Camassia with iris picture is beautiful! As it happens, just yesterday I got three Camassia leichtlinii bulbs from a friend, I hope they grow well also here. :)
Mariette, your dark Corydalis cava is beautiful!
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Robert, I like the scenes from you garden, so full of flowers.
Camassia with iris picture is beautiful! As it happens, just yesterday I got three Camassia leichtlinii bulbs from a friend, I hope they grow well also here. :)
Mariette, your dark Corydalis cava is beautiful!
Leena,
They are very hardy. Just make sure they have excellent drainage and dry summers.
You may need to pot them and protect them from summer rain.
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Hi Leena,
I am glad that you enjoy scenes from our garden. The feeling is mutual: We enjoy scenes from your garden as well at all seasons. We always enjoy “visiting” other gardens such as Ian and Maggi Young’s garden through the Bulb Log or the many people who share their gardens through this Forum.
I am not sure what Marc is referencing concerning his comments regarding Camissia leichtlinii ssp. sukdorfii, perhaps cultivated plants. The great aspect of this Forum is learning about the many varied conditions plants actually adapt to and thrive in. We can learn so much from each other: our individual experiences and a variety of conditions for these plants is a rich collective wisdom. The following comments address my observations of this species in the wild and in cultivation in our Sacramento garden.
In my field notes I have recorded many occasions where I have observed this species sending up flowering scapes through shallow standing water. During seasons such as the current season, these meadows will remain hydric for the entire season. Our Sacramento garden is much drier, however where our plants are cultivated the soil remains moist for the entire year. This is definitely a mesic environment in our garden. In over 40 years of field studies in the Sierra Nevada Mountains I have never recorded this species in a xeric environment. My guess is that this species is very adaptable to a large range of gardening environments; however I would be extremely reluctant to plant them in a xeric setting.
Most likely Camassia leichtlinii ssp. sukdorfii will be cold hardy in your garden. They are native to the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, northward to British Columbia. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, wintertime low temperatures routinely fall to 0 F (-17.8 C) in their native habitat. Snow cover is generally reliable, but is not necessarily guaranteed. I have recorded soil temperature flux at various sites in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Generally--but not always--freezing temperatures do not penetrate deeply into the soil during the wintertime. Deeply penetrating freezing soil temperatures are more likely to occur during the autumn when the air temperature turns well below freezing and there is no snow cover. Generally there is an upward heat flux once a deep snow cover is established; thus freezing temperatures remain only in the first 10 cm of the soil surface. This might be a consideration in your garden; however we will not know unless you give them a try. I look forward to learning more about your experience with this species in your garden.
Now some close up scenes from our garden:
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Iris tenuissima ssp. tenuissima bracteata has performed very well in our garden. Sorry for the careless mistake. :)
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Iris macrosiphon is a local low elevation native species that also thrives in our garden.
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All of the native California native Iris species in our garden have been grown from seed acquired during my botanical field studies over the decades. I have forms of Iris macrosiphon in a range of colors. Several years ago they were moved to better locations in the garden. Hopefully they will bloom next year and I can share photographs of these unique forms of this species.
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We grow few Pacific Coast Iris hybrids in our garden. They are lovely plants; however we have limited space and concentrate our growing efforts to our local native Iris species.
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I let the Aquilegia species hybridize with each other in our garden. I keep the plants I like and weed out the rest before they set seed. I like this pink seedling, but I also like long spurs. Maybe I will cross it with a plant with longer spurs, or just let it cross randomly and see what appears in the garden.
[Jasmin]: It is fascinating to watch what evolves in the garden. Before we married, the Aquilegia I planted had been a pale pink double flower. When we married, Robert brought a deep indigo blue, and the native red-orange flowers. With his selections and mine, the blues and native reds have been preserved, but the pinks keep evolving. In certain settings, I prefer stronger, richer colors; in others, I enjoy the luminescent qualities of the pastels and white tones, or how the various shades can enhance each other alongside various textures.
At the moment it is 8 C, with a chilly steady breeze, but the sun is out. Another cool down is predicted, along with a slight chance of rain. At this juncture a little rain would spare us watering! It is amazing how drying the wind has been; although it cannot be called truly warm (at least by our standards). Robert was reading some scientific blog validating his prediction that an intense heat is predicted this summer. While such a forecast is not surprising given climate change, it is a prediction I pray is moderated! I do well up to about 37 C; after that, I am like our seasonal dry bulbs—ready to be dormant until cooler weather arrives!
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Robert,
I believe that the reference to Camissia leichtlinii ssp. sukdorfii came from maggi and not from me. I grow Camissia leichtlini but I was unaware of the ssp sukdorfii until Maggi mentioned it.
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Very beautiful irises Robert 8)
Cypripedium Eurasia gx (macranthos x tibeticum)
Wire protects the overwintering buds from bank voles.
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Helleborus x hybridus striped double, ex Barnhaven seed
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Primula x polyantha ex Barnhaven seed
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Wikstroemia (Daphne) gemmata
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Ashley, Your orchids look breath-taking, making me sorry that I can´t grow them in my garden! I do agree, the same may be said for Robert´s irises! It´s a pity that one always desires to grow those plants which will grow better in other people´s garden.
I especially enjoy the Corydalis cava and Fritillaria meleagris since they are species that have never grown well in our garden. [Jasmin]: Thank you for the opportunity to have the vicarious pleasure of these lovely plants!
A vegetable garden…? This sounds interesting to me, but I have to admit that I have always enjoyed growing vegetables since I was a teenager.
[Jasmin]: I enjoy good food, so that is a major incentive. However, one year long before Robert and I knew each other and married, I had planted a nice vegetable bed. I was particularly excited by my kale plants that year. One day, I looked out at my vegetables to see nothing in the distance! I looked again, shocked, and there was a rabbit finishing the last of my garden. It was a neighbor’s escaped pet too, so it was not something I could do anything about beyond capturing it and returning it. They were happy to have their rabbit, but I never felt they completely understood.
Corydalis cava and Fritillaria meleagris are easy here if left undisturbed by rodents. The fritillary asks for moisture, but I wonder why the corydalis and crocusses shouldn´t grow for You.
When I was a child of about 8 years old, I started collecting bottles after high water on the banks of the river Rhine to buy seeds from the deposit cash, for instance seeds of carrots, to grow in my grandmothers orchard. Lacking any advice, it proved a complete failure, but ever since I owned a garden I tried to grow fruit, vegetables and potatoes because I appreciate the qualities of self-grown stuff and its freshness. Once, when meeting a celebrity like Brian Mathew, I was amazed by his statement that he did the same on his allotment.
Leena,
They are very hardy. Just make sure they have excellent drainage and dry summers.
You may need to pot them and protect them from summer rain.
Maybe that´s why I lost many of my camassias - though I´m never sure whether it´s due to the lack of drainage or our busy rodents.
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Ashley, Your orchids look breath-taking, making me sorry that I can´t grow them in my garden! I do agree, the same may be said for Robert´s irises! It´s a pity that one always desires to grow those plants which will grow better in other people´s garden.
Thank you Mariette, although I'm only learning how to manage them here.
So true what you say about our desire to grow plants that thrive in other people's gardens. Claire's and your wonderful trilliums on another thread are magnificent, but I struggle with them and never achieve clumps :'( Fortunately Pseudotrillium seems easier to satisfy.
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Ashley, Your orchids look breath-taking, making me sorry that I can´t grow them in my garden! I do agree, the same may be said for Robert´s irises! It´s a pity that one always desires to grow those plants which will grow better in other people´s garden......
Mariette,
Why do you think you can't grow Cypripedium? You get enough winter chill. Do you have many days above 95 F (35 C)? Grow them in 3 parts shredded pine needles and 1 part potting soil. If you get excessive Summer heat, grow them in pots and put them in an air conditioned room during hot Summer days. Grow them damp but not wet. If you need to cut them {i.e. to remove finished bloom stalks} use a flame sterilized cutter. They are very prone to viruses.
Some California and Oregon natives will accept summer heat.
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Leena and Mariette,
Camassia bulbs were an important food source for Native American people in the far western portion of North America. Rodents will be more than happy to eat the bulbs. >:( :P They are quite tasty, :) especially when eaten in the autumn after frosty weather has started. If rodents are a problem I would recommend caging the bulbs in wire mesh. We divide our bulbs every 5 years or so. Many Camassia species grow in seasonally flooded meadows. Something like growing paddy rice, except it is not necessary to flood the plants. Just keep them moist. This is how they grow in the wild and what works well in our Sacramento garden. If you can keep the rodents away, they most likely will be very easy-to-grow. May it all go well.
Ashey
Thank you for sharing the photographs from your garden. The orchid appears to be thriving and looks great. Impossible to grow in our climate. I am not going to air condition our plants, but we will enjoy viewing those that are grown where they can thrive. Helleborus and Primula x polyantha will grow here, however I have my hands full with many other plants.
It all looks great! 8) Thanks again for sharing.
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Ashley, thank you for the pictures of your beautiful plants. Your climate must be very mild, weare are still waiting
at least for 2-3 weeks for the first flowers of Cypr. macranthos.
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Mariette,
Why do you think you can't grow Cypripedium? You get enough winter chill. Do you have many days above 95 F (35 C)? Grow them in 3 parts shredded pine needles and 1 part potting soil. If you get excessive Summer heat, grow them in pots and put them in an air conditioned room during hot Summer days. Grow them damp but not wet. If you need to cut them {i.e. to remove finished bloom stalks} use a flame sterilized cutter. They are very prone to viruses.
Some California and Oregon natives will accept summer heat.
Thank You for Your detailed information, Marc! Indeed, we experienced temperatures of 40 °C these last years, which may explain a friends failure to grow cypripediums lately, I´ll let him know. Perhaps I might grow these orchids in pots, but due to my age, I tend to reduce potted plants. Also, my garden lacks the amenities of Ashley´s, where these plants look perfectly at home. Something, I regard very worthwhile striving for.
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Dendrobium kingianum grows bigger and bigger, we cultivate it in the open garden
during the warmer season and place it in our staircase in winter. It doesn't mind
these conditions and we enjoy the flowers and the strong scent.
More and more flowers now apppear in the garden and the Alpine House, and give
us much pleasure.
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This is an especially nice form of Iris bracteata blooming in our Sacramento garden.
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Many of our California native Clover species, Trifolium, are very beautiful. Establishing the high elevation species in our Sacramento garden has proven to be difficult. This is my second attempt with the perennial species Trifolium longipes ssp. atrorubens. I am getting good germination with this seed accession from an elevation of 6,657 feet (2,029 meters) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
[attachimg=3]
I find the high elevation Carpet Clover, Trifolium monanthum ssp. monanthum especially attractive. I am getting some germination from this seed accession I made last autumn in the Ebbetts Pass region of California at an elevation of 8,825 feet (2,690 meters). I will be extremely pleased if I can establish Carpet Clover in our Sacramento garden.
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I am extremely pleased that I am getting the tiny carpeting Hypericum anagalloides established in our Sacramento garden. I made this seed accession from a location I call Paradise Meadow, at an elevation of 6,783 feet (2,067 meters). Our plants will hopefully set seed, enabling me to grow second generation plants.
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Camassia bulbs were an important food source for Native American people in the far western portion of North America. Rodents will be more than happy to eat the bulbs. >:( :P They are quite tasty, :) especially when eaten in the autumn after frosty weather has started. If rodents are a problem I would recommend caging the bulbs in wire mesh. We divide our bulbs every 5 years or so. Many Camassia species grow in seasonally flooded meadows. Something like growing paddy rice, except it is not necessary to flood the plants. Just keep them moist. This is how they grow in the wild and what works well in our Sacramento garden. If you can keep the rodents away, they most likely will be very easy-to-grow. May it all go well.
Thank you for your advice, and I hope rodents don't eat my bulbs. We do have voles from time to time, and I didn't cage the bulbs.
My friend from whom I got the bulbs, grows them in moist well fertilized bed where he grows also magnolias (his place has better microclimate than mine so he can grow plants which would die in my garden), so I planted them also here in a spot which doesn't get too dry.
Ashley: you have a very pretty Helleborus! Primula seeds I got from you last year have germinated but Helleborus not yet, but there is time.
Right now Corydalis malkensis is in full flower. It is one of my favourite Corydalis. In the background a green flowering Helleborus multifidus.
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.....My friend from whom I got the bulbs, grows them in moist well fertilized bed where he grows also magnolias (his place has better microclimate than mine so he can grow plants which would die in my garden), so I planted them also here in a spot which doesn't get too dry.........
Leena,
The parts of Oregon and California where Camasia is native get no rain June to October.
They do get frequent fog. A very fine spray from a spray bottle sprayed into the air above them 1 or 2 times a week should meet their Summer water needs.
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Thank you Marc. :)
Here spring is usually the driest, lately summers have been dry too, but from August on we get rain, so autumns are rainy. And unfortunately winters.
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Thank you Marc. :)
Here spring is usually the driest, lately summers have been dry too, but from August on we get rain, so autumns are rainy. And unfortunately winters.
Leena,
If you can keep them dry through August and September, they like to be wet early October to early June.
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Hi Leena,
You might be interested in reading the article by Ed Alverson on the Genus Camassia in Rock Garden 129 starting on page 8, Camassias – A North American Treasure. I personally do not know Ed, however from the few correspondence I have had with him in the distant past, he certainly has the academic credentials and professional experience to write a comprehensive article on this topic.
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Leena,
The parts of Oregon and California where Camasia is native get no rain June to October.
They do get frequent fog. A very fine spray from a spray bottle sprayed into the air above them 1 or 2 times a week should meet their Summer water needs.
That´s interesting, I never thought of the possibility that I might have lost camassias due to wet summers!
Robert, Your irises are very beautiful!
The only native flower in our area I consider worth breeding is Hyacinthoides non-scripta. This is an ordinary one which chose to grow next to Epimedium ´Frohnleiten´.
(https://up.picr.de/45554818bf.jpg)
A white one, in this case with self-sown ajuga in the background.
(https://up.picr.de/45554819oq.jpg)
Breeders are striving for double ones, I do like the bracteate forms better. These are some of my seedlings, flowering for the first time.
(https://up.picr.de/45554829sd.jpg)
Trillium and Lathyrus vernus ´Blaulichter´, a blue-flowered strain achieved by Ingo Kaczmarek.
(https://up.picr.de/45554828rp.jpg)
Forget-me-nots with Convallaria majalis ´Golden Jubilee´and a golden-leafed Polygonatum falcatum.
(https://up.picr.de/45554826nu.jpg)
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Mariette,
Very nice! I especially like the Lathyrus vernus ´Blaulichter´
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Thank You, Marc! Two years ago I sent seed of various species and selections of lathyrus to NARGS, but last year lathyrus was among the genera no more allowed to import into USA. I wonder if You could still receive via SRGC´s seed-ex.
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Hi Leena,
You might be interested in reading the article by Ed Alverson on the Genus Camassia in Rock Garden 129 starting on page 8, Camassias – A North American Treasure. I personally do not know Ed, however from the few correspondence I have had with him in the distant past, he certainly has the academic credentials and professional experience to write a comprehensive article on this topic.
Thank you Robert! :) It was good reading.
I admire how many native plants you have which are worth growing in the garden. I don't find many such here :(, apart from Hepatica nobilis. Or if there is something, it is protected or it's seeds are impossible to find anywhere commercially.
Mariette, very nice Hyacinthoides non-scripta. That is one plant I have now two year old seedlings in pot, so I hope it will grow also here. We'll see.
Corydalis are now in their best flower here.
Last picture is from a shadier spot with crocuses and Eranthis flowering and Hepatica japonica in the background.
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Leena,
Beautiful blooms! I like the way colors flow together and around each other in your garden.
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Indeed, I always admire Leena´s art to keep them in seperate colour-blocks. In my garden the seedlings produce a hopeless mixture.
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Mariette,
Such mixtures emulate nature; and can be very pleasing.
My Garden is much like yours,in that way, by intent. My, well deserved, compliment to Leena did not suggest that all gardens should be that way. I enjoy my unplanned mixture of colors and textures far more than I would a well planned approach. That does not keep me from complimenting someone who has done an excellent job of executing a well planned approach.
Ian Young's garden seems to be a blend of the two approaches. The shape and placement of beds and accents is very well thought out; but within those beds he allows nature to follow it's own plan. In my garden, the placement of walkways is a random attempt to gain access for weeding and planting, with no thought about the shapes they create. There might have been some subliminal planning; because, to me, my hodgepodge still manages to look good.
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Thank You, Marc! Two years ago I sent seed of various species and selections of lathyrus to NARGS, but last year lathyrus was among the genera no more allowed to import into USA. I wonder if You could still receive via SRGC´s seed-ex.
Mariette,
If Lathyrius is restricted it would be destroyed regardless of the source. Thank you for your gracious offer. Restrictions like that usually only last a year or two; so perhaps I could get it from an exchange when the restriction is lifted.
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Thank you Marc and Mariette.
My beds are really not as planned as it looks :). I just take pictures from a good angle and from spots that please my eye. :)
The big clumps of colour are a result of how I used to plant bulbs: 3-5 to the same spot, and when they multiply they form big clumps.
Then seedlings around them are different but nice colours. I have been trying to learn to plant more like what would be in nature (singles),
but also the bigger clumps need to be divided more often than I do it.
I do try to weed out colours which I don't like so much, and also if there is a special colour, then I try to move it someplace to grow and multiply by itself.
Here is another view of Corydalis from a different bed.
Pale pink ('Pink Smile') and one of the reds ('King Arthur') are planted bought Corydalis, and the rest are their seedlings.
I should take the purple-blue ones out, before they seed too much. It is difficult when something is growing well, but I do it anyway.
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Mariette,
Thank you for sharing the photographs from your garden. I am intrigued by your hyacinthoides non-scipta hybrids. Once again the scenes from your garden are very beautiful and inspiring. Your climate is so very different from ours, yet there is much I can learn from your gardening experiences and apply them to our Sacramento garden and our California native plants.
I admire how many native plants you have which are worth growing in the garden. I don't find many such here :(, apart from Hepatica nobilis. Or if there is something, it is protected or it's seeds are impossible to find anywhere commercially.
Hi Leena,
Thank you for the compliment concerning our California native plants. For a number of reasons we are growing more and more California Native Plant species in our Sacramento, California garden. One of the more obvious reasons is that they “look” right in our garden and perform well given our climatic conditions. Another reason to choose predominately California native plant species for our garden is the availability of a highly diverse gene pool to draw upon for our breeding and selection work. This is a very rewarding endeavor. The full potential of California native plants is not being utilized both here in California as well as in other parts of the world where they can be grown.
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This is a very typical scene from our Sacramento, California garden. Here California native species are being used in a naturalistic way, as they would be seen in their native habitat. It is a “quiet” garden scene full of the scents of our local native chaparral plant communities. Salvia sonomensis is richly scented; however the other California native species in this part of the garden also have their subtle scents that combine to create a very pleasant experience that says “home”.
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Phacelia campanularia is a fantastic California native plant species. My original seed came from a cheap package of California Native Wildflower seeds. This species is a “must grow” annual that we sow each autumn for our Sacramento garden.
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I do experiment with various plant combinations. Here Phacelia campanularia has been placed next to an orange Gladiolus species. My attempts at contrived plant combinations generally do not work. When nature takes over, and I control the weeds the garden looks great.
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Most of the time I just attempt to mimic scenes I have seen in nature. California native plants seem to look good with other California native plants but there are plenty of exceptions. Here Phacelia campanularia is growing with common garden stock, Matthiola incana. Stock is a very common plant, but I like the scent of the flowers so I will continue to grow them.
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I confess that I am a complete science nerd. What a scandal!
Here I am pictured after my brother (the real thing, a PhD in Atmospheric Science) and I finished installing a soil moisture sensor at our Placerville property. With data from this sensor, the data from our soil temperature sensors and other meteorological sensors we will be able to construct a surface energy budget for this site. This and other data from other sites in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is being used to create models measuring the response of plants and plant communities to environmental variables. Of course, I integrate all of this into my gardening activities and environmental projects in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Now after experiencing well below average temperatures during February, March, and part of April the weather has turned hot. Record, to near record high temperatures are forecast for the next few days before the weather cools again. Yesterday’s high temperature at our Placerville property was 92 F (33.3 C). La Niña conditions have ended in the equatorial Pacific and an El Niño watch has been issued. Will we have to endure extreme high temperatures this summer? Average global temperatures generally rise during El Niño events and fall during La Niña events. Choosing California native plant species for our garden seem to be a wise choice.
[Jasmin]: On one of our last 11 C days, it was extremely beautiful in the garden, especially because there were high clouds muting the light, so it was bright but not washing out the colors. I did my usual visually random aim and click, and it seems a vast swath of pictures actually turned out. After the 11 C days, it became an instant 22 C. Now it is 33 C. It is all too sudden. When time permits, on another thread I will saturate the Forum with all the glorious color we have had. It has been truly a phenomenal spring.
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Phacelia campanularia is a truly gorgeous blue!
Jasmin: I very much look forwrd to seeing your photos. :)
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Are bracteate bluebells fairly common in wild populations?
I came across a lovely one today in woods near home, with blue tips to the large bracts.
No camera so no photos unfortunately.
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I don´t think so, though I know only our local spots, some in Belgium and some in Britain. I rather think You may gratulate Yourself, as they are sought-after collector´s items. :)
Robert, just by chance I started growing Phacelia campanularia, too: a friend gave me a packet of seeds. Your pics make me very eager to see these exciting flowers here, too!
Today we arrived in Sweden, where I found Fritillaria imperialis flowering in a very odd place: a shrubbery, close to a horse-chestnut.
(https://up.picr.de/45575608mf.jpg)
Hyacinthoides italica is growing there in large numbers, too - a plant very rarely seen in Germany.
(https://up.picr.de/45575614zv.jpg)
(https://up.picr.de/45575627xq.jpg)
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Haberlea rhodopensis Virginalis seems to like its position
in the mossy Tufa.
Anemone nemorosa Vestal grows rather slow and flowers
later than the normal form.