September 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Respect to your Salvias for hanging in there. What I love about growing them is that as you get "in the loop" with other growers the choice of seed really opens up. Growing from seed allows me to experiment - three S.urica have been disappointing this year compared to last year but the one that I tried in a different spot has really done well. SL411 has been a disappointment in terms of blooms but I reckon that in a good suller it'll make an outstanding plant.

The Eschscholzia caespitosa that you sent me have grown well but steadfastly refused to bloom 

The following was a bit of a surprise when I took the plants off of the top shelf of the greenhouse yesterday - Calydorea (Cypella) amabilis................

Meanie,

  I see what you mean. I am surprised that Eschscholzia caespitosa did not bloom for you.

I will have more on our California Native Salvias at some point. For now, I will be off line for awhile. Other stuff to deal with.

[johnw]

This no-name selection of Liriope platyphyllus is a great improvement in colour.  The source was Weston Nurseries in Massachusetts.

johnw

[ian mcdonald]

img 1000504 is a comma in the garden today.

[Gerdk]

Out today and a big advance for us as standard Nerine bowdenii will not be in flower till November at best. And this one's more winter hardy as well!

Nerine bowdenii ssp. wellsii ex AGS seed 1993 Harry Hay, cw Mont aux Sources, SA.  Thanks to GerdK for that seed in December 2008.
johnw - +20c @ 22:39

Yesterday I opened a bag with dry stored seeds of this species collected late in 2014  in order to prepare them for distribution.
It seems this will make no sense - just planted them!

Gerd

[Matt T]

Some seeds just want to grow!
A nice sight Gerd, if frustrating.

[fermi de Sousa]

Yesterday I opened a bag with dry stored seeds of this species collected late in 2014  in order to prepare them for distribution.
It seems this will make no sense - just planted them!
Gerd

Hi Gerd,
I believe they are called "recalcitrant" and germinate without going into a dormancy so cannot be stored as dry seed. If not planted they either dry out and die or put all the stored energy from the fleshy seed to produce a small bulb. I've discovered similar bulblets!
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

img 1000504 is a comma in the garden today.

 2015 has been a poor year for butterflies in our garden generally - but I don't think I have EVER seen a Comma here. Beautiful butterfly which makes me envious when I see  such photos.

[Tristan_He]

Yes, it's been a lousy year for butterflies in general. Numbers well down and not seen some species at all. 

Wall browns seem to be doing quite well for some reason though. Odd as they are supposed to like warmth!

[Tristan_He]

Nice weather today, and duly rewarded with an explosion of late butterflies. We counted 28 today, mostly on Buddleia. 18 tortoiseshells, plus small numbers of peacocks, painted ladies, red admirals and wall browns.

Not the spectacular numbers we sometimes get, but given the cold wet summer, an unexpected surprise! 

29 Sep Update: now at least 16 red admirals and 22 tortoiseshells.

[Maggi Young]

Wow, I'm impressed by such bounty!

[K-D Keller]

Late September pictures

Arum pictum, an autumn flower of Eritrichium canum, Gentiana sino-ornata, Hypericum kazdaghensis (with a long blooming time) and Sternbergia lutea.

[Giles]

I like your Eritrichium canum..  is it easy to grow?
I've got some seed of it in the fridge for sowing next year.

[Gerdk]

Hi Gerd,
I believe they are called "recalcitrant" and germinate without going into a dormancy so cannot be stored as dry seed. If not planted they either dry out and die or put all the stored energy from the fleshy seed to produce a small bulb. I've discovered similar bulblets!
cheers
fermi

Hi Fermi,
In this case I believe the germination is caused by the higher humidity during storage. In other years storing seeds (in another room) was no problem. I guess building small bulbs just now was their ' reminiscence ' of the plants  SH origin.
I am curious about if they will continue growing.

Gerd

[K-D Keller]

Hello Giles,

it is the first time I grow Eritrichium canum. Sown in January, germination in April, first flowers in June and seeds in July/August. A "highspeed alpine plant"  . But after setting seeds the whole plant dies away. And now in September I have fresh green leaves and flowers.  I don`t know if this is the normal way.  Till now an easy plant, not tricky.

K-D

[Giles]

K-D
'high speed' and 'easy'   
Thankyou