June 2013 in the Northern Hemisphere

[ranunculus]

Now I know what to do to get my gentians to flower - if only I can find the local cow... would sheep droppings work? They are more on the scale of the alpine garden!

I'm only surmising about the cow pats, Tim ... but I have seen crocus thrusting up through large 'deposits' in the Dolomites and in Switzerland.

[astragalus]

The photos were taken in an alpine meadow that was tremendously floriferous with anemones, Primula farinosa, and the gentians in huge clumps.  It may well have been manured in the not too distant past because it's not far from a new ski lift.  Usually they reconstitute disturbed meadows here with a mixture of straw and manure.  The plants that come after this can be superb, including the best Ranunculus seguieri I've ever seen.  (Posted in 2012 or 2011).  I don't know what the effect of so much manure at low altitudes would be but the plants above treeline seem to like it.  The ranunculus will be driven out in a few years by other plants taking advantage of the rich soil, too bad.  Many thanks to Cliff for posting the pictures.  We're here with a tiny computer and no way to resize anything so Cliff went to the trouble of resizing giant photos and posting them for me.  The laptop with all the bells and whistles is home, too inconveniently large to carry. 

[ashley]

Usually they reconstitute disturbed meadows here with a mixture of straw and manure.  The plants that come after this can be superb, including the best Ranunculus seguieri I've ever seen.  (Posted in 2012 or 2011).  I don't know what the effect of so much manure at low altitudes would be but the plants above treeline seem to like it.  The ranunculus will be driven out in a few years by other plants taking advantage of the rich soil, too bad. 

Hmm, interesting.  Other than as a possible emergency response to acute erosion this seems like a bad idea. 

Depending on the source of animal feed, imported manure will probably bring lots of weed seeds from lower altitude or elsewhere.  The flush of nutrients will also disturb the vegetation balance, as you say Anne, to the detriment of alpines unable to compete with taller-growing grasses etc..  Grazing is improved in the short term but ecological restoration is slowed down.

[astragalus]

I don't know how many tall plants would survive this far above treeline.  The plants that come up seem to be plants that are in the area.  In that area, Ranunculus seguieri is there in certain bald spots with no companions other than Oxytropis jaquinii.  The ranunculus seems to prefer its own company, at least any time that I've seen it.  But the spot I'm talking about also had more boisterous plants like erysimums, arabis and saussaureas.  They'll grow much faster and crowd out the ranunculus, I think. The cows graze the meadows up there in the summer, not down below, so I'd assume the manure would have the seeds of the area.
I know a spot in Colorado which had many, many Penstemon teucrioides.  The only other plant was Oenothera caespitosa.  It was a disturbed area and eventually other plants crept in and the last time I went there were no penstemons left.  Another plant that prefers to have no company.

[astragalus]

P.S.  Yes, it was in response to erosion due to machines and also people making new trails to avoid the construction area.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A few bits and pieces still flowering in the garden at the moment :

1 and 2 = Campanula garganica - ideal for covering a wall !
3) Campanula scheuchzeri var. Covadonga is even darker than on the picture
4) Delphinium sp. - a bitt taller than I would have liked but a delightful colour
5) Edraianthus horvatii in full flower

[Luc Gilgemyn]

and a few more...

1) Fuchsia magellanica pumila just started flowering and will go on until the first frosts come !
2) Moltkia petrea
3) Verbascum laetitia attracts the attention from afar
4) Three shades of blue...    From left to right : Delphinium sp. - Campanula garganica and Moltkia petrea
5) Rhododendron nakaharae 'Mariko' - definitely the latest flowering Rhodo in my garden

[Maggi Young]

4) Delphinium sp. - a bitt taller than I would have liked but a delightful colour

 A really good colour, Luc - does it set seed? 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A really good colour, Luc - does it set seed? 

Thanks Maggi ... and yes, it does (lots).
An envelope carrying your name is kept ready ! 

[Maggi Young]

Thanks Luc! 

Have you any idea what it might be? That bright colour is very striking and Ian is scratching his head.......

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks Luc! 

Have you any idea what it might be? That bright colour is very striking and Ian is scratching his head.......

I once grew Delphinium tatsianense (only 30 cm high) and a Delphinium sp from which I only had the information "Pamir" that was slightly higher.
Since then, seedlings pop up left and right of the garden and are all sizes inbetween...  So I think they have hybridized, although this particular specimen is very close to the original "Pamir" sp...
Hope this helps 

[krisderaeymaeker]

Thanks Luc! 
Have you any idea what it might be? That bright colour is very striking and Ian is scratching his head.......

It  is certainly no bulb Maggi 

But the blue is very striking indeed .

[Lori S.]

Could it be Delphinium grandiflorum (or a hybrid thereof)?  I get lots of colour variation from my self-seeded multitudes.

[Maggi Young]

 It has a look of  Delphinium grandiflorum about it - which would fit with the Pamir connection I suppose - gorgeous colour, anyway.

{Note to self : Must get some D. tricorne seed to have some shorter American plants, too. }


Ah, Lori  has the same idea!

Kris:  It  is certainly no bulb Maggi

     yes, I already explained that to him....

[krisderaeymaeker]

Sorry , more blue ..........
Aquilegia einseliana .

Oh and the neighbour ...that's Silene elisabethae ...