July 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere

[claykoplin]

And a most pleasant surprise, Gladiolus sp? from seed.  Cast at my lawn border years ago when it didn't germinate in a pot, and hidden in the grass grew to blooming size - narrowly missed being mowed on thursday, to catch my eye amongst the border grass today...

[Tim Ingram]

Trond - I was going to mention bomareas in my 'blog' but my writing disappeared into the ether for some reason (we lost connection to the Web). In the area we have been clearing that has been overrun with weeds for the past few years a couple of Bomarea species (what I know as caldasii and hirtella, but now have become multiflora and edulis - one has to become a botanical linguist these days) have reappeared and are growing away strongly this summer. They must have been planted ten or more years ago when this part of the garden was under more control. So if the tuberous roots go deep and get established they will certainly be hardy to -10°C and probably a good bit below. Several Alstroemeria species I planted around the same time have not persisted. Lobelia tupa - a form that grew to well over 2 metres high, grown from seed from Jim Archibald - also grew down here for many years and was spectacular. Generally we have found Eucomis pretty hardy too in the garden, but rather like crocosmia they don't take heavy frost in pots that freeze through, and they want summer moisture. There are so many plants that are relatively rarely grown by gardeners, and so many gardeners are relatively conservative, and gardens can be so individual in climate, and the provenance of plants can be so varied even for ostensibly the same species, that a lot of tales of hardiness are best taken with a pinch of salt, until you find out for yourself and advise everyone else  - and anyway its pretty exciting when a mild winter or two allow more tender plants to flourish for a while. (Cantua is something I've always wanted to grow, but have had the same experience as Meanie - but in a warm coastal garden [eg: Inverewe? in NW. Scotland, warmed by the Gulfstream] it would probably succeed).

[Maggi Young]

Not sure I have the picture sizing worked out - picture isn't showing in the preview...

Hi Clay! Not to worry, automatic resizing in effect on the Forum now so all you need to do is make sure the original is not HUGE!
Lovely lily, by the way!

[astragalus]

Maggi, can you please define "not huge"?

[Maggi Young]

 "not huge"  is NOT 24MB, Anne - if you've  got pix around 2 to 4 MB that's fine.
My technical understanding of these things is limited - I just bring he news, basically!  But I think that feeding in enormous files of 15MB and the like will take more processing than the system is built for- and perhaps more than the average internet connection will "enjoy" - I hope to get Ian to learn more about all this stuff from Fred so I can find out how things work so I can give a clearer answer.  Certainly the system seems to have no trouble  resizing pix which are around  2MB.

I do know that big files take ages to be sent via email so cannot think that they are not liable to clog up the resizing system rather - I  stand to be corrected on this, of course -  I'm working on instinct meantime.
I  imagine that those with very large files will  be  tech savvy enough to find it reasonably easy to re-size initially to a  batch re-size that might be convenient then use the automatic system to allow a sure "fit" for the forum. 

[Maggi Young]

My technical advisors  tell me that it will  likely be a pain to members to have to post huge  picture files as the uploading of them will take ages. So, if you do have  very large photo files  you might be better off  reducing them somewhat BEFORE you enter them into the automatic resizing system 

[Hoy]

Taxodium  knees  / pneumatophores : "An enduring enigma" 
http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/2000-60-4-cypress-knees-an-enduring-enigma.pdf

Thanks Maggi.

Interesting reading. Seems it is best to say knees until the case is settled

[Hoy]

Trond  - I would guess the base of the tree is about 25cm in diameter.  It was imposssible to get a long shot of the tree without a boat and a shot toward land.  Dave is gradually clearing around the tree now that it firmly anchored in the ground. Next time down I'll get a shot of at least the base.

I may have knees on mine in Lunenburg. I planted it in about 1988 in a bog through which water runs so it constantly sits in water. Last I saw it was about 6 years ago so I must launch an expedition out of mosquito season.

john

Thanks John.

Seems I have to wait some year anyway - my specimen is maybe 15 cm in diameter. It is not boggy either.

How come you haven't visited your tree in 6 years? I look at mine at least once a year

[Mike Ireland]

Maggie
I use a program called TinyPic, http://tinypic.en.softonic.com/ for resizing for your site.

Could not be easier, drag & drop file in & resized file is put back to original folder prefixed with a K so keeping the original file intact.
You can choose between 4 diferent file sizes.  Program is free to download.  Its brilliant.

Mike

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Sounds very good, Mike - I'll add this to the photo thread.

[Hoy]

Tim,

My biggest problem is usually not winter cold although some winters can be cold (-5 - -8C) for weeks in a row but lack of summer heat. Many plant do not develop enough to take a long winter. The fluctuation between cool and wet and dry and cold also is a problem. That said I am not afraid of trying "tender" plants and some do survive But the worst problem is slugs. And that problem has increased the last year. Some of my friends have given up gardening and just have a lawn and some shrubs.

I have one Alstroemeria aurea outside and it has survived many years. I also had a Bomarea for several years but lost it in the very bad winter some years ago. I will try it again!

Seeds are OK, but sometimes very slow and many species are difficult to get in Norway (and difficult to import too ).

[meanie]

................................... Bomarea species (what I know as caldasii and hirtella, but now have become multiflora and edulis - one has to become a botanical linguist these days) have reappeared and are growing away strongly this summer. They must have been planted ten or more years ago when this part of the garden was under more control. So if the tuberous roots go deep and get established they will certainly be hardy to -10°C and probably a good bit below. ................................ Generally we have found Eucomis pretty hardy too in the garden, but rather like crocosmia they don't take heavy frost in pots that freeze through, and they want summer moisture. There are so many plants that are relatively rarely grown by gardeners, and so many gardeners are relatively conservative, and gardens can be so individual in climate, and the provenance of plants can be so varied even for ostensibly the same species, that a lot of tales of hardiness are best taken with a pinch of salt, until you find out for yourself and advise everyone else  - and anyway its pretty exciting when a mild winter or two allow more tender plants to flourish for a while. (Cantua is something I've always wanted to grow, but have had the same experience as Meanie - but in a warm coastal garden [eg: Inverewe? in NW. Scotland, warmed by the Gulfstream] it would probably succeed).

It's good to hear that B.multiflora has a chance of hardiness as I've just been promised some fresh seed.

Eucomis - I just find that starting them in the greenhouse and then sinking the pots guarantees blooming. The biggest problem I have with them is that my leaf cutting venture has produced so many that winter space in the shed is getting limited.

I agree about the hardiness thing. I'm also a firm believer that some plants grown really well during the season will be hardier though. Take L.tupa - I hear of people losing it in milder parts of the country but these are the people who insist on keeping it moist and will cut the stems down in the autumn. Half of the fun for me is finding out what is myth - Iochroma australis is a terrific hardy plant even here but you do need to pick your spot. And I've finally got Tradescantia pallida through the winter in two sites.

Cantua. As long as you can give it space under cover that keeps it no lower than a degree or two of frost it will do well. In bloom the photos do not do it justice. Mine bloomed despite the power failure that allowed the greenhouse to drop to -5°c but the outer extremities were badly damaged. It's right up there with my Tacca as the plant that I've been most pleased with.

[meanie]

Seeds are OK, but sometimes very slow and many species are difficult to get in Norway (and difficult to import too ).

That's a downer. I'm now buying from the southern hemisphere more and more, as much for freshness as anything else.

Anyway, today saw the first bloom on the Lobelia laxiflora that I was sent a small root division of this spring................


It's a bit of a bonus as I was just looking for it to fill the pot out this year.

[Mike Ireland]

Two codonopsis flowering this morning.
C. Grey-Wilsonii top right of photo. Lower left with very dark purple centre is the plant I have no name for, can anyone help.
Dark centre of this plant is not hairy as in C. Grey-Wilsonii.
Leaves on dark centred plant are 8" long & very narrow.

[Maggi Young]

That's an interesting Codonopsis, Mike - not the foggiest idea what it might be! The very dark eye is really lovely and the length of the leaves is a surprise.