April 2016 in the Northern Hemisphere

[johnralphcarpenter]

Acers are springing into life, and Clematis armandii 'Apple Blossom' is in full flower.

[Gerdk]

This is Gagea (lutea?) grown as a pot plant - seems to work!

Gerd

[meanie]

I haven't had anything of interest to show thanks to the miserable and ongoing winter. Trond will laugh but I'm cold and had enough of it! Even the following is outside the interest of most members but here goes.

The only Stephanotis floribunda cutting from last year that took is in bloom in the porch...............


This Jasmine is a bit of a cheat as I bought it a few weeks ago as a dried up "specimen" in the bargain bin at my local Homebase but as it cost me all of 50 pence I reckon that I have some bragging rights. All it took was some water and the warmth of the greenhouse..............


Echeveria agavoides has been shy to flower for me over the last three years but this year I've cracked it. What it needs is a cold spell (in my greenhouse) followed by a warmer spell in the unheated porch................


The flowers are small especially when you consider that this is a chunky leaved species...............

[ikizzeki]

Aristolachia lycica in the wild.
And its seed pod (from last year)

[Maggi Young]

Gerd:  I think Gagea are  rather under-rated - which I think is a shame.

ikizzeki : Aristolachia lycica is interesting - great flowers and wonderful  seedpods.

[Philip Walker]

Anemonella Thalictroides 'Oscar Schoaf'
Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy'

[Gerdk]

Gerd:  I think Gagea are  rather under-rated - which I think is a shame.

ikizzeki : Aristolachia lycica is interesting - great flowers and wonderful  seedpods.

Maggi, I can only confirm your comment according the Gagea but also to the most interesting
Aristolochia!

Gerd

[meanie]

Vestia foetida.............


It has been a victim of the mild end to 2015 as it was in bud way too early. Many buds have been lost and these early blooms are discoloured (they should be yellow with green ends and green calyces). A lot of the leaves are blackened too but they will drop soon enough.

[Mike Ireland]

Primula & saxifraga flowering now my tufa wall.  Never had any success before growing Primula allionii unprotected outside.
They seem to like it planted in the tufa.
Trillium kurabayashii, darkest form in the garden.

[Mike Ireland]

Daphne mezereum.
Trillium kurabayashii seedlings 30 months after sowing. The seed had inadvertantly been left in the greenhouse & dried to a crisp.
Seed was just thrown onto the garden & to my great surprise it all germinated within a couple weeks.
Will have to separate sometime soon I think.

[Mike Ireland]

Two fritillaria meleagris seedlings found in the garden today.

[Maggi Young]

I thought you were showing us a rich salad crop with that forest of trillium seedlings, Mike!

The very dark T.  kurabayashii is  super - and how well the Primula allionii look in the tufa - great tight foliage.

[Tristan_He]

Love the tufa wall Mike. Is it outside then? Very nice Primula allionii, perhaps I'll give them another go.

[Mike Ireland]

Maggi, the Primula allionii have really grown well, much better than I imagined.

Love the tufa wall Mike. Is it outside then? Very nice Primula allionii, perhaps I'll give them another go.

Thanks Tristan, the wall is outside, faces due north & has no protection so the plants look after themselves.

[astragalus]

Daphne mezereum.
Trillium kurabayashii seedlings 30 months after sowing. The seed had inadvertantly been left in the greenhouse & dried to a crisp.
Seed was just thrown onto the garden & to my great surprise it all germinated within a couple weeks.
Will have to separate sometime soon I think.

The trillium is amazing.  At what point will you start dividing?