June 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Gabriel B]

Jamus, I got a book on penstemons, and it says Penstemon smallii is from the southeast United States. So it probably wants more moisture than most.

I like your spirit, and I hope you have success with P. grandiflorus! Do send updates once you get seed and plant it. I'd be so pleased if our local penstemon were grown on the other side of the world.


Lori, I think most penstemons prefer dryness, but P. grandiflorus is more moisture tolerant than most, at least, according to my book on penstemons. Not sure how much moisture it requires, though. I guess we'll find out. It is certainly waxy-leaved, which is promising.


Here's rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum, which started to bloom at the end of June (oh dear, a rhyme) at Gardens of Rice Creek. It's a big plant, but the flowers are small. It looks best when the first white flowers are opening against the pink buds.

[Lori S.]

Penstemon smallii is one that never wintered over for me, or did well otherwise, while several other species seem to do well.

[latestart]

The last photo taken in June of Fragaria vesca, the wild strawberry. The plants colonise every spare in the garden space to exclude weeds and give us lots of tasty fruit in time for Wimbledon.

[johnralphcarpenter]

The last photo taken in June of Fragaria vesca, the wild strawberry. The plants colonise every spare in the garden space to exclude weeds and give us lots of tasty fruit in time for Wimbledon.

Not half! I've got it everywhere.

[Gabriel B]

I've got a carpet of woodland strawberries, as well as Virginia strawberry and alpine strawberry. I don't think you can ever have too many strawberries. However, I'm learning how (very sad to have to use this word) invasive they can be. At least alpine strawberries behave and produce fruit all summer.

[latestart]

I've got a carpet of woodland strawberries, as well as Virginia strawberry and alpine strawberry. I don't think you can ever have too many strawberries. However, I'm learning how (very sad to have to use this word) invasive they can be. At least alpine strawberries behave and produce fruit all summer.

I find them easy to pull out and use in the compost bin. My berries have a decided strawberry flavour. A friend said she had alpine strawberries and she would never give them house room because they are tasteless. Another friend said there are two mini strawberry plants. The difference in flavour is very different. I have not found any info on that. I must look up your Virginia strawberry I have not heard of that one. 

[Gabriel B]

I'm surprised that your friend finds alpine strawberries tasteless. Mine are delicious, with a lovely strawberry aroma. It could be there are different varieties, some with better taste than others.

The Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) are an interesting one. They're one of the parents of the garden strawberry (F. × ananassa), along with the beach strawberry (F. chiloensis). The visual difference is that their seeds are in little pits in the fruit, instead of sticking out like alpine strawberry seeds (if that makes sense). The flavor is kind of peachy, very different from F. vesca. They also often grow in dry and alkaline soil, although they will produce smaller berries with less moisture. You might have a hard time finding a selection that produces good fruit. I once got a plant that didn't produce a fleshy fruit at all, but rather a dry fruit like cinquefoil. However, I haven't looked into it, and you might get good results by growing plants from seed.

[latestart]

I would never need to grow from seed and regularly give away spare plants. I did read somewhere that mashing those dryer berries and adding sugar releases the flavour very well.

[Philip Walker]

These were from June-a bit delayed
Arisaema candidissimum
Erigeron 'Four Winds'