July 2014 in the Northern Hemisphere

[meanie]

Steve - I cannot possibly allow the Astrantha and Philesia pass by without comment as they're both stunning!
I've looked at Philesia in the past (I'm really drawn to the idea of Lapageria like flowers on a shrub) but passed it over as I have too much tender stuff already. Inspired by your success I' off to look for seed now.

I clearly slept through quite a storm Thursday night and my larger Acanthus was the big loser - half of it was taken out..................


It wasn't a weedy little plant either...................


On the plus side, all my Commelina have survived the winter, although they struggle more with slugs!

[Lori S.]

Campanula raineri; Matthiola trojana, from seed this spring; Adenophora remotiflora? or maybe A. tashiroi? or neither? - I need to find a key for Adenophora;  Heuchera 'Petite Ruby Frills'; Sanguisorba dodecandra:

[Lori S.]

Gentiana parryi; a new tropical water lily in DH's greenhouse, Nymphaea 'Tanzanite', excellent vivid colour; martagon lily cv. 'Amelita'; Allium cernuum and Dianthus fragrans; Trifolium rubens:

[ranunculus]

Such a wonderful array, Lori.

[Maggi Young]

Lori, the breadth of plants you grow and share with us is something  to be admired and congratulate you on.

And as for that waterlily - that is an extraordinary colour - never seen anything like it. Can only imagine the fun of being able to enjoy that greenhouse as well as your lovely garden.

[johnstephen29]

Some plants in flower in my garden at the moment, first is a hosta, I tried an experiment to see if I cut out slug pellets if any natural predators would keep the slug numbers down. Needless to say from the holes in the leaves it was't a complete failure as i have seen it in a lot worse shape. next is a hardy  fuschia, i've had it for years and it never fails to please, next are various hanging baskets and tubs i've planted up with petunias, pelargoniums, sweet peas and French Marigolds. Lastly is a newly planted bed with cosmos at the back, then Nicotiana in various colours, the castor oil plants with there bronze foliage, then Eucomis, then red pelargoniums and at the front begonia semperflorens. Also at the front are some plants which i think are nigella, i'll leave these for the birds.

[johnstephen29]

The rest of the photos from above post.

[meanie]

Solanum rantonetii..................


Albuca shawii.....................


Tulbaghia violacea...................


Finally, Sues Passiflora....................


We think that it's P.exoniensis, but no tag (it was a cutting that I took last year).

[johnstephen29]

Hi meanie do you mind me asking how do you get the big pics on here, mine are small and you can't make them out sometimes. Thanks John

[meanie]

Hi meanie do you mind me asking how do you get the big pics on here, mine are small and you can't make them out sometimes. Thanks John

I embed them from my Flickr, Picasa or Photobucket accounts. Flickr is best as you can store as large as you want but select a forum friendly size (I usually select 800 pixels max) to embed. Flickr also gives 1tb storage for free.

[meanie]

More Salvias;

S.confertiflora....................


"Black and Blue".................


S.patens (Oxford Blue)...................


S.buchananii....................


And Salvia hians (possibly)...................


The Commelinas are looking good at the moment too....................

[Robert]

Cyclamen purpurascens, recovering and looking much better.


Corydalis sempervirens
New for us. So far they seem to do well with our heat. Maybe it will make a good annual / biennial.




Gaultheria milqueliana with nice berries - already.

[Tim Ingram]

The summer cyclamen are just starting to flower here too after a good thunderstorm brought a soaking to the garden! These are two plants probably more appropriate for California - Lupinus breweri growing on a raised bed (these silvery lupins have always been great favourites but have mostly been nobbled by molluscs this year - this one has escaped their depredations and grown away well), and Delosperma cooperi, which grows in an inhospitable spot next to the road and exceptionally dry. A wonderful summer flower.

[Graham Catlow]

Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is in full bloom at the moment. I don't seem to be able to get it to grow vertically it simply leans over when in flower, however it puts on a good show. I have tied it up in former years.
A new lily to me is 'Red Life' which is perhaps a little to close to the colour of C. 'Lucifer' and is a bit lost. Still a stunning colour though.

[Robert]

The summer cyclamen are just starting to flower here too after a good thunderstorm brought a soaking to the garden! These are two plants probably more appropriate for California - Lupinus breweri growing on a raised bed (these silvery lupins have always been great favourites but have mostly been nobbled by molluscs this year - this one has escaped their depredations and grown away well)

Tim,

The Lupine looks very nice! In the photo, it somehow it looks more like L. albifrons. I know that climate can do crazy things with our plants, so who knows. In its native habitat L. breweri generally grows as a mat on the ground. The slugs love the lupines in our garden too. I grow them in a "sand bed" type situation. This cuts down the slugs by about 90% without using anything to control them. They seem to dislike the sand and volcanic rock.