June 2014 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Tony Willis]

First time flowering for me

Sinocalycanthus sinensis

[Maggi Young]

First time flowering for me

Sinocalycanthus sinensis

Very nice it is too, Tony.

 For some notes on  this plant  see here  and for news of some hybrids - here  and UK sources : here

[Tim Ingram]

This is a wonderful erodium hybrid that came from Jean-Pierre Jolivot (Le Jardin d'En Face, near Pleurtuit and not far from St. Malo). Unfortunately I have lost its name but this is a superb and long flowering genus for hot and dry gardens like ours. We have it on a new raised bed planted with Mediterranean-climate species which I will feature in my blog in the future. A lot of these are flowering now after the more traditional range of rock plants.

[Brian Ellis]

What incredible marking inside the flower Tim, isn't Nature amazing.

[Maggi Young]

What incredible marking inside the flower Tim, isn't Nature amazing.

Those markings are like bird feathers - lovely!

[Chris Johnson]

Those markings are like bird feathers ...

Really? Must be flightless ...

[Maggi Young]

Really? Must be flightless ...

Got it in one :

kiwi feathers   

( pic from http://kiwi2011.wikispaces.com/ )

[Chris Johnson]

Got it in one :
kiwi feathers   

Priceless.

[Matt T]

This is a wonderful erodium hybrid that came from Jean-Pierre Jolivot (Le Jardin d'En Face, near Pleurtuit and not far from St. Malo). Unfortunately I have lost its name ...

Beautiful markings.

Looks similar to E. 'Stephanie': http://www.pottertons.co.uk/pott/view_product.php?pid=1845

[Chris Johnson]

Beautiful markings.

Looks similar to E. 'Stephanie': http://www.pottertons.co.uk/pott/view_product.php?pid=1845

It's a very attractive plant but they could have described it better than with a 'dark purple blotch'.

[Tim Ingram]

Ah but Chris it is hard to be a nurseryman and a poet too! It's curious but erodiums are not particularly popular nursery plants, perhaps in a similar way to species pelargoniums - gardeners often don't look closely at the detail and beauty of individual plants. hence the way breeding often leads to drama and colour at the expense of form.

[Philip Walker]

Arisaema candidissimum
Tifolium ochroleuca
Trifolium rubens
Onosma nana

[Chris Johnson]

Ah but Chris it is hard to be a nurseryman and a poet too! It's curious but erodiums are not particularly popular nursery plants, perhaps in a similar way to species pelargoniums - gardeners often don't look closely at the detail and beauty of individual plants. hence the way breeding often leads to drama and colour at the expense of form.

I take your point, Tim. Running your own business is demanding and it's not easy to be good at all aspects of it. I've seen many small, practical businesses struggle because of a lack of knowledge, and even less aptitude, for the paperwork.

The point I was making was, having taken the trouble to mention the 'dark purple blotch' it would have been easy to make it sound attractive and turn it into a selling point. 'Attractive purple marking' or something similar would have sounded better. Not sure I'd let a poet loose on it though.

Chris

[Paul Cumbleton]

Mutisia decurrens flowering today. Orange is my favourite colour, so this to me is fabulous flower! I grew the seed from Chileflora - just two germinated. Hopefully, if both plants flower together I might get some seed of my own.

The plant is outside, scrambling up a conifer. This species definitely prefers some shade and dislikes hot sun (in the wild it is often found as a woodland plant, particularly in Nothofagus forests). It has yet to experience a cold winter, so I can't comment on hardiness, though they are supposed to be able to take at least a few degrees of frost. I over-winter the second plant under glass as a safeguard.
Paul

Mutisia decurrens

[Maggi Young]

That flower is summer-coloured, Paul     We haven't managed to keep M. decurrens alive here - but our attempts were at a time before the winters took a milder turn.
 A Mutisia oligodon hybrid ( soft pink) is much hardier and does well- we've even had a few self-sown seedlings though we have just the one plant. Perhaps there may be hope for you to get seed sometime from your orange cheerfulness.