January 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Mariette]

Lucky You to be able to grow Calochortus and Prunus mume in Your garden! Both failed to cope with our heavy, wet clay.

All January I was busy clearing withered perennials in the borders, as so many geophytes start to flower unusually early. The first of January, we enjoyed 16 °C and the first primulas.



There were only very few nights with -2 °C, and seldom hoar-frost to grace the garden, in this case Cotinus coccygria next to a flowering Hamamelis.



Helleborus niger contrasting the red berries of Ruscus aculeatus ´John Redmond´.

[Robert]

Mariette,

Yes you are correct; I am very lucky to be able to grow Calochortus and many other fine plant species. It is embarrassing to think how I pined away, wishing that I could grow all the wonderful plants I saw and read about in the gardens of Northern Europe. It is unfortunate that I could not see that there were so many beautiful species right in front of me, right here in Interior California – and they thrive in the heat and many are very drought tolerant. Now, in general, I grow what thrives in our garden and enjoy the other plant species through the Forum. It is such a win-win situation. Thank you for sharing the scenes from your garden.

BTW – The Prunus mume in our neighborhood is still in bloom! A whole month of delightful frangrance! Recently I asked my wife to smell the Viola odorata, and she put it right up to her nose. I was concerned, how she could not smell it well? Her response was, with the Ume blooming, and all the other scents and fragrances, how could she isolate this one scent? She thinks a mix of Ume, V. odorata, earth (geosmin), and a hint of skunk (either Mephitis mephitis, or Spilogale gracilis varieties) would make a nice perfume or eau d’toilette.

Now some more pictures of Calochortus species blooming in our garden last spring – a few are photographs taken in the wild.



Calochortus albus in our garden.



Calochrtus amabilis in our garden.



Calochortus leichtlinii growing in the wild.



Calochortus minimus growing in the wild.

This is a difficult species to cultivate; however seedlings grown from low elevation populations are showing promise.



Calochortus monophyllus growing in the wild.

This species grows well in our garden and blooms each season. Maybe I can get a good photograph of the plants in the garden this spring.

This is a small sampling of the California native Calochortus species that grow in our vicinity. I enjoy thinking about the creative possibilities of exploring the genome.

[Akke]

Mariette, your plants look really colourful, like spring is already here. Your weather conditions are apparently not very different to mine. Tomorrow high temperatures are expected here but strong winds as well, well it might damage some flowers but at least the bulbs won’t be hurt.

Jasmin, I think you’re right to compare the abandoned Narcissus and Iris to stinzenplanten, they are still there even if the stins and the people who lived there have long gone because they’re good at naturalizing in the circumstances. Had another look around knowing there isn’t a universal guide what a stinzenplant is, but they agree on this. They agree on being species as well, but funnily no remarks on the big dutch Crocus. Apparently it started in the northern part of the Netherlands ( and Germany, Ost-friesland most likely?), the western part following much later. Of course this was for rich people and not for the women you describe. Accurate descriptions of unpleasant lives always failed in our history lessons, leaving things to the imagination and empathy.

Robert, I’m taking a leaf from your book. I’m not going to build a greenhouse with oven, I’ll just enjoy (win-win hopefully) your Calochortus and they look stunning. On the useful and pleasant thinking, I can handle a certain amount of plants to hide in the cellar in case of serious frost, digging up bulbs to keep them dry for the summer isn’t a problem (not doing so seems more difficult for now), just trying to keep some sort of balance.

[Akke]

Iris ‘Painted lady’ opened today, I planted a few bulbs around a tree nearby. Maybe they prefer real ground, the ones in the containers are only just showing up.

[Stefan B.]

It's still winter in my garden, but it's fun

[Akke]

It looks like fun to me . Sweet.

[Robert]

Hello Stefan,

Your photographs of the plants attempting to bloom through the snow reminds me of the spring snow melt season in the Sierra Nevada Mountain of California. It is a favorite time for me to go botanizing, as there are beautiful interactions between the newly emerging plants and the melting snow.

I look forward to viewing more scenes from your garden and learning about your gardening environment.

Yes, seems fun to me too.

Akke,

I hope Jasmin’s comments concerning Calochortus luteus did not discourage you from attempting this species in your garden. It is good to know what one is up against when trying a new plant in the garden. The garden here in Sacramento is an experiment – a gardening research and development project. Yes, I want an attractive garden, but I am constantly experimenting with plants in ways that have low probabilities of working. If I were to write a book about plants with the title ‘Hidden Treasures’ it would be about genes and gene expression in under utilized plant species. I am finding ‘hidden treasures’ in our garden constantly. I am continually experimenting. It is exciting to go out to the garden each morning and see what new variation has appeared.



A photograph from this morning. The beautiful cold weather foliage of Clarkia amoena ssp. amoena with morning dew and the reddish tints of anthocyanins.

[Akke]

Just hope to see more of the snow melt season pictures here as there are no mountains in the area and winter comes and goes as it pleases.

Jasmin
I might be discouraged to try Calochortus luteus now or maybe ever, I had a look around and found that the genus has very attractive species that would  possibly feel more at home here. No hurry, but I’ll keep them in mind for future adventures.

Robert
Beautiful foliage, if I understood it well the color is dependent on the wheather?
Walking the park enjoying the rush of flowers and buds, it took a moment to think why they were more special than before, they look so natural and common here, but in other circumstances these are not easy plants. Of course it’s also very considerate that people planted these years ago to please me now  .
I think I will understand your ‘Hidden treasures’ conpletely, given the time to observe and learn. The main thought seems clear. I’m still in the happy-exploring-stage and thought I should leave room and more attention for lucky accidents like this tiny flower.
Just 1-2mm across and I would never have noticed it growing in a garden.

[Robert]

Akke,

The simple answer to your comment concerning the anthocyanin pigmentation in the Clarkia leaves is, yes, the pigmentation is weather related.

A more technical answer deals with the physiology, genetics, and biochemistry of plants. Through biochemical messengers, environmental information is communicated through a plant. With some plant species, in the case of cold temperatures and high light intensity, biochemical messengers signal transcription factors to alter gene expression. For example, during periods of cold and light intensity stress, transcription factors alter the production of anthocyanins in the lower epidermis cells of species such as Mimulus kelloggii. The abaxial leaf surface will appear dark purple, as the lower epidermis cells have high concentrations of anthocyanin. These anthocyanins absorb excessive light energy that would normally overwhelm and damage the leaf tissues. The excessive light energy is dissipated as heat. I see this characteristic frequently during the early spring months with many plant species. As the weather warms, the concentrations of anthocyanins diminish dramatically, the result of the plants ability to process light energy more effectively in warmer weather. Other types of environmental stress can trigger a plant to increase the production of anthocyamins. In some species drought stress is one example.

It might be interesting to know that anthocyanins can play a major role in flower pigmentation. Anthocyanins and carotenoids, are two major biochemicals frequently involved in flower pigmentation. While anthocyanins are most often found in high concentrations in the valcuoles of the epidermis cells, carotenoids are most often found in high concentrations in the mesophyll cells. The absence and/or the combination of these biochemicals will affect the color of the flower. There are a number of different anthocyanins with differing characteristics such as pH and color. Xanothophylls are an interesting class of carotenoids frequently involved in autumn coloration of leaves. They are also involved in NPQ (Non-photochemical quenching) a topic I touched upon when discussing photoinhibition.


Jasmin adds:  Plant cravings can always be fulfilled vicariously through pictures on the Forum.  Anyone who posts pictures of Lilium martagon or Meconopsis receives my vicarious joy.

As for history, which is a topic far from the nature (!) of this Forum, the truth is every nation provides its citizens and potential citizens with what I consider an overview.  The challenge is every nation has events that do not inspire pride, and incorporating knowledge of shameful events remains a subject of debate.  Racism, slavery, genocide, and other wrongs are painful to discuss, although they must be taught. Deciding when, and how much is the challenge.

There really is an amazing amount of information that we know or can conjecture about any time period—be it the insulae (the slum tenements of the Roman era), Haithabu, Jorvic, or Black Pool of Norse-Viking times, 1290 or 17th century, or our stintzenplanten.  One just has to be persistent.  Thankfully as we come close to modernity we have the benefit of literacy, paper (letters and diaries), oral histories (written and recorded), photography, and sometimes just knowing the right person.  Robert had a colleague who was the son or grandson of one of the ranches. He was elderly at the time, but he spoke of the stinzenplanten that were planted and he spread around the area. There were also authors such as Hannibal Hamlin Garland, who was the son of such an immigrant household.  Most information is kept in some archive, at local, state and national levels.  Because The Gold Rush was a pivotal event for the area, the Sierra Foothill communities actually have a number of archives, museums and events to remember and preserve the history of the area.


A few photographs from our Sacramento, California garden taken today, 30 January.



Crocus biflorus ssp. isauricus. I purchased these bulbs locally a number of years. I am nor sure of their true identity. They have consistently performed well in our garden, blooming each spring.



Although the picture is fuzzy, this is the first Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii to come into bloom this season! The first flower opened three days ago. This clone came from our El Dorado County property where they grow naturally in the oak woodland. We grow various forms derived from seed gathered from various locations in Northern California. In addition, new hybrids are in various stages of development. We have a pipeline of new plants coming along, which is very exciting.



Various geographic forms of Erythronium multiscapidium are emerging from the ground. Flower buds are already visible. We are looking forward to this show.

[Akke]

Robert

I had to look up some background information to understand (just translating probably wouldn’t have worked), but your technical explanation makes sense now. Fascinating how plants evolved to fit new or changing circumstances, not very likely to see this kind of adaptation here considering the climate.

Jasmin, your description of enjoying pictures on the Forum is great, I hope this works for everyone. It works for the beautiful flowers you show.

About history, there’s certain things we, the dutch people, rather not know, debate is going on. More interesting on this forum, ‘historical’ Galanthus nivalis (pic 1) likely to have been naruralizing here for over a hundred years.
Leucojum vernum (pic2) in the old churchyard, didn’t see it a week ago.
Pic3, leaves of Allium ursinum already showing, in a couple of months there’ll be (10s of?) thousands.
New history maybe (pic4), a different mix of bulbs was planted in various  places in the
public green away from the ‘historical’ ones. Petticoat Narcissus and a few Crocuses being the first to show, last year followed by Iris reticulata, Chionodoxa, Tulipa turkestanica and Muscari (neglectum?) if I remember correctly. I’m curious if these will naturalize as well.
At my neighbour (pic5) Iris ‘clairette’ and ‘harmony’ are starting to flower now, in between, a purple dot of Crocus sublimus ‘tricolor’ and of course Ipheion which doesn’t go into dormancy there. I wonder if this tub will explode, the plan is to leave it untouched for three seasons.

[cohan]

It is nice seeing pictures and stories of flowers when it is still white here.
Violas are pretty, here I grow mostly Viola odorata and Viola sororia which do well in woodland conditions.. someplace even too well, but I don't mind. They are easy to move, if necessary. Last summer I dug up one clump of V.odorata and was surprised how deep and thick the rootball was, no wonder it seems very droughtolerant here.

I had to google  Eurybia conspicua, and it looked really nice. If there ever are seeds I would be interested.
I have Eurybia divaricata in my garden, and though I read that it can be considered weedy, it is not that here. I have had it for over ten years, and there are no seedlings during this time, but it does spread with roots. It flowers well every year even in quite shady and dry places and it is nice to have flowers in shade also in the autumn. My other asters don't flower in shade.

Sorry to be so late replying! I can easily gather vast amounts of seed from E conspicua every year, though the last few years I have not been trading any seed the last few years since my gardening is sort of on hold, as I expect some kind of move...lol remind me in late summer, and I should be able to do something... E conspicua does not flower here in shade, except maybe very light shade. It does, though, make a great foliage plant in deeper shade- large nice textured leaves, and it turns all kinds of colours in autumn.
As for asters flowering in shade, Symphyotrichum ciliolatum is another  local and flowers in every condition from full sun to quite deep shade, it is also very well behaved in the garden.