Really weird things we grow?

[YakubSigm]

Perhaps the point of rock gardening is just to grow rare, esoteric plants. So, I figured, why not ask?
What strange, bizarre, kind-of pointless things that you waste WAAAY to much time & $$$ on (as judged by an unenlightened one), that you take a delight in its obscene obscurity?

For me, I always wanted to get growing some Oreobolus, but I can never find a source.
http://encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/Oreobolus

How about yall?  :  

[ranunculus]

I once grew a very impressive ten inch pan full of Primula reptans in full flower and exhibited it at a Southport AGS Show… I don't even know if this gorgeous primula is still in cultivation anywhere … would LOVE to try this gem again.

[Anthony Darby]

Take what looks like the green spidery things that are the remains of the sepals from a few tomatoes. Stick them on plain green stalks. Spray them with essence of sweaty sock and them call them a species Narcissus. Woo hoo, one of my favourite plants. 

[Maggi Young]

I once grew a very impressive ten inch pan full of Primula reptans in full flower and exhibited it at a Southport AGS Show… I don't even know if this gorgeous primula is still in cultivation anywhere … would LOVE to try this gem again.

We're not growing this anymore - but, happily, others are. I saw a pot at a display table at an Aberdeen Group meeting this season.
Jenny Wainwright-Klein  ( of the Munich Botanic Garden) has it growing at the Alpine Garden on the Schachen, I believe.   
Good to know it is still being grown - it's such a delightful little thing - but I reckon your achievement of getting a big potful on the show bench is likely to remain a very rare occurrence.

Alan Elliot's pic of P. reptans in the wild :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9543.msg255462#msg255462

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps the point of rock gardening is just to grow rare, esoteric plants. So, I figured, why not ask?
What strange, bizarre, kind-of pointless things that you waste WAAAY to much time & $$$ on (as judged by an unenlightened one), that you take a delight in its obscene obscurity?

For me, I always wanted to get growing some Oreobolus, but I can never find a source.
http://encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/Oreobolus

How about yall?  :  

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1065     Yeah YakubSigm, that's odd!

What I think is odd about my plant desires is that it so hard to just learn to love what you've got!  I'm working on it though and I think I am making progress!

[ranunculus]

We're not growing this anymore - but, happily, others are. I saw a pot at a display table at an Aberdeen Group meeting this season.
Jenny Wainwright-Klein  ( of the Munich Botanic Garden) has it growing at the Alpine Garden on the Schachen, I believe.   
Good to know it is still being grown - it's such a delightful little thing - but I reckon your achievement of getting a big potful on the show bench is likely to remain a very rare occurrence.

Alan Elliot's pic of P. reptans in the wild :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9543.msg255462#msg255462

Looking back through my records, Primula reptans gained me a 'First' at Morecambe Show in 1997; just a 'Third' at Southport in 1997 and a 'Cert' of Merit' (but not a 'First'  ) at Wirral Show in the same year.  It must have been considered to be quite easy and firmly in cultivation in those days!!!  Just goes to show.  Strangely (and frustratingly), I have no photographic record of my achievement … I must have been quite blasé about my abilities in those heady years.  Oh how I wish I could reinvigorate those now fading green fingers.   

[ranunculus]

On the same record cards I discovered a 'First' for Ranunculus enysii, a 'First' for R. haastii and TWO 'Firsts' for R. glacialis … three Red stickers for Myosotis capitata, one for Meconopsis delavayi and one for Androsace spinulifera.  Where did that ability go?

[François Lambert]

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1065     Yeah YakubSigm, that's odd!

What I think is odd about my plant desires is that it so hard to just learn to love what you've got!  I'm working on it though and I think I am making progress!

Lack of space is usually a very strong argument to start being happy with I already have

[YakubSigm]

Maggi, the draw of Oreobolus is it's perfect, dense cushions, such glorious little tussocks... Pacific-islander "alpines" are a fascinating bunch.
Primula reptans is stunning. Maybe something to try one day.
Narcissus vird.- now THATS weird! I wonder if it could be used to get green and/or fall-flowering narcissus without the HS-locker perfume.

Variety and novelty are usually big sellers, but I still have a little space left to squander, so whatever goes!

[jandals]

Maggi, the draw of Oreobolus is it's perfect, dense cushions, such glorious little tussocks...

... that are well known by kiwi hikers . If you want to get across a swamp without getting your feet wet , you use the Oreobolus as stepping stones .

Have just harvested the seed off this magnificent piece of botanical architecture ...

[ranunculus]

OK, Steve … spill the beans … what on earth is that?

[Maggi Young]

Have a look here Cliff : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12515.msg319754#msg319754


 Can anyone explain to me the  difference between P. alpestris and  P. berteroniana 

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=2405.msg54981#msg54981   and http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=225.msg5671#msg5671
 

[ranunculus]

Many thanks, Maggi … how did I miss that!!!!?

[jandals]

… how did I miss that!!!!?

Gallivanting in Italy I suspect . It's hard to keep up with ones forum whilst staggering from one restaurant to the next 

I'm going to send seed to the SRGC seed exhange as Puya alpestris . I don't really know the difference but that is what the plants came as and the leaves are silver not green

[ranunculus]

Gallivanting in Italy I suspect . It's hard to keep up with ones forum whilst staggering from one restaurant to the next 

I'm going to send seed to the SRGC seed exhange as Puya alpestris . I don't really know the difference but that is what the plants came as and the leaves are silver not green

'Galavanting'?  'Staggering'?  How dare you Mr Newall?  Prancing and crawling, please!!!!