Flowering now- July 2009

[Gerdk]

1) View upto Mt.Musala, 2nd highest mountain in Europe

Chris,
So - that's the origin of my Dianthus variety - the name seems to be of Turkish origin?
Dianthus microlepis var. musalae
Fine pics!

Gerd

[Ragged Robin]

Great views, Hristo, and Saxifraga bryoides is beautifully speckled - lots of Saxifraga growing wild here and Sempervivium.

By the way, your Avatar really is an action shot - are you seed collecting?  

[Maggi Young]

By the way, your Avatar really is an action shot - are you seed collecting?

 Theoretically, yes, I expect that was the idea..... but I reckon he's just sitting in the sun, having lunch! 

[wolfgang vorig]

some Gentian's today,

Gentiana gelisepta  (G. gelida X G. septemfida     

Regards   Wolfgang                                                                                                                           

[wolfgang vorig]

Ganzania's in pot's

[Hristo]

Very attractive Gentians Wolfgang!
Cheers Luc.
Gerd, Musala means 'Towards God'. I am intrigued as to where the variatel status for Dianthus microlepis has come from, we have seen this species up many other mountains here where it varies in colour from deep pink to white, as it does on Mt.Musala, what colour is yours?
Cheers RR, yes I had been picking up seed from P.maratimum, this population may represent the most northerly point of this species distribution
( worldwide ) being just 30km south of Burgas.
Maggi, the lunch of Bulgarian rye bread, smoked meat, followed by fresh local melon was a distraction!! 

[cohan]

Nice pics all, interesting to see Digitalis lutea growing in another continent, we saw the true D.viridiflora on Tuesday growing in the Beli Iska river valley below Mt.Musala. Very similar to lutea but with very distinct brown to orange markings on the lips.
Had a great couple of days seed collecting and we were lucky enough to see Aquilegia aurea, Primula deorum, Gentiana frigida, Geum bulgaricum and a host of other high alpine plants in flower at around 2,300 to 2,900 metres. A few pics posted here froim the trip.
1) View upto Mt.Musala, 2nd highest mountain in Europe
2) Geum reptans
3) Saxifraga bryoides
4) View down from the summit area

fantastic views! love the geum and sax too!

[Lesley Cox]

Fresh, local melon. Oh yes.

[Lori S.]

Terrific gentians, Wolfgang!  Your photos reminded me that we did not plant our usual pots of gazanias out this year... an effort to reduce watering chores, I suppose, though I do miss their lovely xeric effect, seeing yours!

Great views and plants, Hristo!

A few recent ones, nothing of great note...
1) Very large flowers on Campanula troegerae x betulifolia, another recumbent plant that I need to position to better effect (temporarily propped up on a birch log for the photo!)
2) I think this is Sedum/Hylotelephium anacampseros? - a quick guess, with the plant marker pulled out long ago - please correct me if I'm wrong!
3) A repeat on Nymphaea 'Marliacaea Albida' - amazing that Marliac's creations are still "the gold standard", and how very clever of him that most are indefinable (and sterile) hybrids!  If only the plant patent notion had been around then, his estate would be invaluable! 
4) A new viviparous tropical, Nymphaea 'Crystal', with variegated leaves (though the variegation fades rather quickly);
5) Symphyandra zanzegura, growing up from under a big spruce bough... (but given its short-lived nature and the legion of seedlings in the area, I won't bother to move it.)
6) A few pretty bells on Adenophora tashiroi;
7) Eryngium alpinum, now in its blue glory;
8 ) And speaking of blue, the delicious tones of Delphinium grandiflorum are abundant now.... I've found, through its self-seeding, that purple, white and a somewhat muddy mauve have also been produced... though the lovely blue predominates, thankfully.  It was very interesting, too, to see it in its natural habitat, Chris - thanks!
9) Eryngium x zabellii
10)  I hope no one's eyesight is permanently damaged by this one... a repeat of Lilium 'Goodnight', while it is in full glorious bloom.  We have such a long period of white or dullness here, that one must have colour in the brief summer!!!  (A "white garden" is for those recovering from breakdowns or such like, who must avoid stimulus by doctor's orders.    )  
 

[Brian Ellis]

I like the bracts on eryngium x zabellii Lori, is the foliage fine or coarse?

[gote]

3) A repeat on Nymphaea 'Marliacaea Albida' - amazing that Marliac's creations are still "the gold standard", and how very clever of him that most are indefinable (and sterile) hybrids!  If only the plant patent notion had been around then, his estate would be invaluable!
4) A new viviparous tropical, Nymphaea 'Crystal', with variegated leaves (though the variegation fades rather quickly);

Absolutely, The majority of my cultivars are Marliac. However, I find that Nymphaeas are easily misnamed and itis difficult to unravel this. It would be difficult to uphold the patent rights.

Is this varigeation similar to that in yellow hardy Nymphaeas and Do you think that it is influence from N mexicana which allegedly is a parent of the Marilac yelows?

Göte

[Paul T]

Lovely, Lori.  My immediate thought was that the yellow Nymphaea have similar markings (although not as strong) and wondered whether it was similar.... but Göte  beat me to it. 

[Ragged Robin]

More gorgeous combinations of foliage and form, Lori - campanula and sedum my favourite, they seem made for each other and I would never have thought it....

Nymphaea 'Marliacaea Albida' looks mystical in your beautiful photos 

[Gerdk]

Gerd, Musala means 'Towards God'. I am intrigued as to where the variatel status for Dianthus microlepis has come from, we have seen this species up many other mountains here where it varies in colour from deep pink to white, as it does on Mt.Musala, what colour is yours?

Chris,
Please look at following pic - the plant came from a nursery with the name mentioned.
Thank you for the explanation of the name 'musalae' - is it of Turkish or Bulgarian origin?

Gerd