Notes from Norway

[Hoy]

Back home again and back to work. The garden is a jungle but I don't know where to begin!
The slugs have taken their toll during the summer  However the population of gastropods seems to have declined. Hope it continues that way!

Many plants bloom but not all are worth a picture


 A Campanula lactiflora has grown very huge - my daughter home for a visit though it was a new shrub




A primula has its second flush on the roof.




Also the Fuchsia magellanica is big. No damage last winter.




An American plant, yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica), flowers nicely - a bit later than in its homeland I guess 




In the background is a waterlily flowering for the first time in my very little pond which it shares with four little kois.

[Robert]

Trond,

At one time we grew Fuchsia magellanica in our garden. They did surprisingly well in the hot weather. Unfortunately, after about 5-6 years the Fuchsia mites found them and that was the end of them. 

Yes, I agree, California is very beautiful. Sadly, the Central Valley and the lower elevations of California are under tremendous population pressures. There are important habitats and environments that are under huge pressures. Often even the preserved areas are becoming highly degraded by unregulated activities. From my horticultural view point there are too many species at risk. Even this season I have found a few interesting or unusual variations of species that could be of value in our gardens. This and so much more will be lost if something does not change here in California soon. Sadly, government is overwhelmed with far too many issues. Sometimes I wish that I could help awaken awareness of the situation in our wild places. I am not Gandhi or Buddha, I do not know what to do.

[Hoy]

Individually we have little impact but a group may achieve something.

This is an example:

http://www.osloby.no/nyheter/Humlene-i-Oslo-far-egen-autostrada-8029208.html

http://www.osloby.no/nyheter/Vil-fjerne-ostvest-skillet--for-humler-og-sommerfugler-7905809.html

Sorry, just in Norwegian but it is about this: Oslo city has made a corridor for insects through the city and they build insect hotels in the city.

[Hoy]

We have had some very nice days the last week with sun and temperature around 25C.

yesterday we took the boat midfjords and had coffee out there. Not many plants to see though

Some Hylotelephium maximum in full bloom 1m above the sea caught my interest.




The common ling Calluna vulgaris[/] is at its best now. When I had bees I looked forward to this period. It is a good honey plant. to show




It is a bit late for the bog asphodel (Narthesium ossifragum) but some places it is still showy. The plant grows on very wet and calcium poor sites so sheep grazing here can get calcium deficiency and develop week bones. Also some special cyanobacteria grow in the same places. These are suspected to cause photosensibility in lambs so they develop alveld.





It is aid to be pollinated when dropslets of water are caught in the hairy filaments and pollen float to the stigma. I don't know whether this is true.

[Hoy]

Erica tetralix is common in wet areas but also a bit drier. But it never makes big patches like the next one.
 



Erica cinerea is the showier of the heaths here in my opinion. It also gives an excellent honey.






Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) is among the few other flowering plants in the heathlands.




Also ragwort Senecio jacobaea grows here. It is toxic to cattle and horses.

[ranunculus]

Not convinced that Norway is one of the most beautiful countries on earth?

[Roma]

Beautiful picture, Cliff.

[Robert]

Trond,

Thank you for sharing the beautiful selection of wildflowers. Erica and Calluna look quite nice in their native habitat. I can see why folks plant them in their gardens. Some forms of Calluna vulgaris do okay for us, or at least they have in the past. Erica cinerea were even better, most blooming in the winter or early spring in our area.

Your Narthesium is excellent. We have N. californicum. I was surprised that I did not come across any this season. For us it is a high elevation species.

My favorite was the Senecio jacobaea. We have a number of Senecio species in our area, especially if one counts Packera, which was divided out of the Genus Senecio. Packera cana is a beauty. I have been wanting to post some photographs of some seedlings that I have coming on. They have fantastic silvery-gray foliage in tight compact buns or mats with bright yellow "daisies". It is slow but seems to do well in our heat. I saw many the other day on Peak Lake Peak. No flowers, but the silvery mats looked great mixed with all the other alpine species.

I look forward to your next set of images!   

[Hoy]

From pictures Narthecium californicum looks quite similar to ossifragum. They also prefer the same conditions I assume.

Senecio jacobaea (syn Jacobaea vulgaris) is a pretty plant but kind of a weed! I have some in my garden and they spread to my lawn but are not difficult to remove. It is a common sight along the roads in this area. I like it because it is a lush bloomer at this time of the year. We also have a lot of Hieraciums in flower now.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Senecio Jacobaea is a pernicious weed in the UK and landowners are required to remove it. This from the UK Government website:
"Common ragwort is the most commonly reported weed and can seriously harm grazing livestock, including:
•cattle
•horses
•ponies
•sheep

If you’re a livestock owner you should protect animals from ragwort poisoning. Any feed or forage containing ragwort is unsafe for animals."

It can be harmful to humans too, with excessive contact causing kidney failure. Not a risk for most gardeners or farmers but certainly a risk for researchers into the genus.

[Hoy]

Ralph,

I know it is toxic to animals but here the farmers don't seem to bother. Last Sunday I saw several farms with lots of ragwor in the pasturest but the cattle and sheep didn't eat it so they stood as the only tall plants in the fields.

[Hoy]

We had a walk in the southern part of Karmøy island just off the coast here ( The island is linked to the mainland both by a bridge and a tunnel.) The weather was very nice and warm (that is 25C!).

It is not much soil there, and it is very acidic. So not many different flowering plants. Much of the forest is pine (Pinus sylvestris). It is a rugged landscape with lots of small lakes, tarns and wet bogs.

[ranunculus]

Delightful images, Trond.

[Hoy]

Thanks Cliff

I have to say the same to you!

[ranunculus]

Lotus corniculatus on the Lofoten Islands.  Habitat and close-up of the same plant.