Eranthis pinnatifida

[Diane Clement]

"Looking at John Lonsdale's site, he is presumably growing them in the open garden.  I would think his winter temperatures in Pennsylvania are not so different than ours"

We are USDA zone 6b.  Our low this winter so far has been -16C without snow.  Eranthis pinnatifida and stellata are grown in raised beds and the open ground and are quite hardy, so I doubt cold is your problem, unless drainage is less than excellent.  I noticed E. pinnatifida just coming through at the weekend.  Seeds germinate without trouble the first spring after being sown fresh.  Best, John   

Thanks, John, I assumed you would be a notch colder than us, although not so much.  Your conditions clearly suit them well.  If they were outside here, winter drainage would be less than excellent (distinctly soggy) so pots are easier to control.  If they are coming through now, what's your temperature at the moment?  (here about -4C by night, maybe +4C by day, with no sun)

Your pictures are fantastic, by the way (and the whole site, one of my favourites)

[JohnLonsdale]

Hi Diane,

Plenty of sun here, highs in the 30s to 40s, lows in the 20s, although there's plenty of time for that to change.  To give some perspective, it will be 3 weeks before we have any hellebores in flower, Cyclamen coum is a couple of weeks away from first flower, snowdrops are just up and the first is flowering; early crocuses, Iris rosenbachiana and Iris histrio are flowering in the warmest part of the garden.  In the greenhouse I have Fritillaria striata and the Rhinopetalum group in flower.

Best,

John