September 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Hoy]

John,

That Magnolia had stopped me too had I seen it here

But you can't have much wind over there in summertime

[johnw]

John, But you can't have much wind over there in summertime

Generally that's true Trond, strong summer winds are not terribly common, unless of course it's a hurricane or tropical depression passing by.   But in its native haunts it would be subject to those as well though have only seen them in protected bottomlands.  This M. tripetala is in a sheltered gully.

I assume you have seen M. macrophylla ssp. macrophylla with even bigger leaves and the dwarfer ssp. ashei.  The first is macro growing in full sun & wind near Lunenburg, NS, the ocean is but 30m away.  In the nearby open woodland the tall trees are poker straight with leaves are almost a meter long.  The second photo is perhaps a newly planted ashei in the NS interior, ed. yes it is ashei as I see a big flower bud on it - can flower on a 30cm plant, macro takes much longer to flower.

By the way M. fraseri might be worth a try as I have seen it growing just 10-20m below the balds of the Appalachians w2ith tops sticking up into the sun & wind.  It loves sharp drainage, rocky soils but despises pots.

The sound of rain on these brutes is magical, rather Amazonian.

john

[Yann]

First time flowering for this Aconitum found in Russia, 2009

[Hoy]

John,

Now I have gotten BIG problems

I know they grow M. tripetala in Oslo, and I have seen several magnolias in Florida (where I have been twice) but I have never considered growing them myself. Until now!
It is too windy where I live (even in summer the north wind can be devastating) so my only chance is at the summerhouse. But I need a bigger property

[Robert]

Trond,

One of your fellow countrymen, Mr. Ole Jonny Larsen, wrote an article for the RHS Rhododendron, Magnolia, Camellia Group 2009 Yearbook entitled "Growing Magnolias in Cold Climates. Perhaps this article would interest you.

Also, I understand that he has a web site www.lapponicum.com . I do not know, but there may be additional information about Magnolias in Norway on this web site. It may only concern Rhododendrons, but it may be worth a look.

[johnw]

Here's a link to that article Trond.

http://www.lapponicum.com/uploads/2/6/1/3/26138093/jean_rasmussen_i_norge.pdf

Thanks Robert, it's a good one.

john

[johnw]

If only I could grow the Lewisias like friend Sterling Levy - of Magnolia tripetala fame - just outside Halifax.   Many are grown in troughs under an overhang, they get water when he decides to give it.  This delicious white Lewisia tweedyi was from Jelitto seed, flowering a few days ago.

A pleasant sunny 18c with 86% humidity, a possible 29c feeling like 34c this afternoon - with luck it may not materialize on the coast.

john

[Maggi Young]

Here's a link to that article Trond.

http://www.lapponicum.com/uploads/2/6/1/3/26138093/jean_rasmussen_i_norge.pdf

Thanks Robert, it's a good one.

john

  Is that the right article?

[Robert]

John,

I agree the Magnolia article is a good one.

I have to agree with Maggi that perhaps a mistake has been made. Mr. Larsen sent me the article about Jean Rasmussen. This too is an excellent article.

If the link is not correct, maybe there is a link to the Magnolia article?

Anyway, John, thank you for helping out. 

[Maggi Young]

On Mr Larssen's site the same article is under the link for both the Magnolia article and the Rassmussen piece. I think it might be useful for someone who speaks the language to contact  him ----- Trond??

[Hoy]

Thank you for your help! The article in the link is about the former wife of Frank Kingdon Ward. I have read it before and it is very interesting.

I have just looked at Ole Jonny's site and it seems that two different articles by mistake share the same link. I'll ask him myself.


I also do grow a few Magnolias, but John's pictures struck me suddenly and made me think I wanted to grow one of the really big-leaved ones

[Hoy]

On Mr Larssen's site the same article is under the link for both the Magnolia article and the Rassmussen piece. I think it might be useful for someone who speaks the language to contact  him ----- Trond??

Maggi, I have already sent him an email

[Maggi Young]

  Thank you Trond.

 I wonder if the  large leaved magnolias might behave in your climate as the large leaved Rhodos do here in the East of Scotland - that is to say - as soon as they are large enough to grow above the windbreak of our hedge the leaves get progressively smaller! 

So a Rhod. rex fictolacteum, which might have leaves 50 to 60 cms long on the West coast of Scotland  reduces here till it has a leaf barely longer than an average rhodo plant - about  15 to 18 cms 

[johnw]

Maggi, I have already sent him an email

Oops so did I.

"John, I did not know about this, but I think I can get the right article in place. I have a PDF of it.  Jonny"


johnw

[johnw]

A first bud on the Nerine bowdenii ssp. wellsii seedlings, the seed came from GerdK in December of 2008 so they likely sprouted in January 2009.  Six years not so bad I guess and they all survived.  I think it will be a very important plant for us as it flowers almost 3 months ahead of the type even though it flushes later.

Thanks GerdK.

johnw