May 2016 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Leena]

John, very nice Primula vulgaris ssp sibthorpii!

Here are some pictures from yesterday. This is the time of year when I would need more hours in a day than there is, to enjoy the garden and also to have time to do everything (besides real work).
Corydalis are flowering and I love them! Also Hellebores are soon at their best, there are still many buds.

[David Nicholson]

David, this looks very like C. Blue Heron. Lovely plant, good foliage and flower.

Thanks for that Carolyn you could well be right, I'm sure I bought one a couple of a years ago.

[Mike Ireland]

David, very nice plants you have there, all looking wonderful.
Lewisia brachycalyx I think, from seed but no label anymore. Could anyone confirm the name?

[Maggi Young]

Very nice L. brachycalyx, Mike - looks pure enough to me. Mind you, it's a while since I grew many lewisias 

[David Nicholson]

I'm not sure Mike, it looks an awful lot like an old picture I have of Lewisia 'Phyllellia' raised by Joe Elliott in the 1950's (L. brachycalyx x L. cotyledon. Martin Rogerson or Michael Campbell might be better qualified than I to say.

[Mike Ireland]

Very nice L. brachycalyx, Mike - looks pure enough to me. Mind you, it's a while since I grew many lewisias 

Thanks Maggi.  I feed the local blackbirds & they nick my labels.

I'm not sure Mike, it looks an awful lot like an old picture I have of Lewisia 'Phyllellia' raised by Joe Elliott in the 1950's (L. brachycalyx x L. cotyledon. Martin Rogerson or Michael Campbell might be better qualified than I to say.

Thanks David, will wait to see what happens with other comments.

Lewisia Lttle Peach seed was dropped onto my raised bed last year & it has germinated like cress.

[Maggi Young]

That's a good crop of seedlings!
 Yes, Martin R or Michael will know better ..... I'll only put ten bob on it, just in case!

[meanie]

Better late than never, Iris japonica has opened its first blooms..........


The Hippeastrum is looking very blousy now.............

[olegKon]

The season is progressing very fast here. The garden is different with every hour
1. Gentiana favratii gives strikingly blue colour
2. Tiny seed-grown Androsacea matildae

[Steve Garvie]

A superbly coloured wee gentian Oleg!

Paeonia caucasica -The foliage was slightly damaged by a late frost though the flower buds were unscathed.


Notholirion thomsonianum growing in a frame. I find this species flowers best when not re-potted each year.

[Michael J Campbell]

Viola pedata.
Viola pedata bicolour.

[Robert]

Collinsia tinctoria well into bloom now.



Collinsia tinctoria is an annual and native to California. I have these growing next to Collinsia heterophylla. Collinsia tinctoria begins blooming at least a month later than C. heterophylla. This is true even with wild populations.

[Tristan_He]

The garden is looking pretty now.



Lamprocapnos / Dicentra spectabilis, surprisingly completely impervious to the wind here. These were from that well-known horticultural supplier, Morrisons*, and cost me £1 for a packet of 3 plants, all of which looked pretty sick when I bought them. I bought 3 packets on the basis that they didn't cost much, and they have never looked back.

* for non-UK readers this is a supermarket.



Dicentra formosa 'Langtrees' (or Ivorine - are they the same thing?)


The red form of Anthyllis vulneraria is starting to look very nice next to the pond (it has its roots below the liner, which is actually quite dry)

.
Acer palmatum. I need to weed the forget-me-nots from the strawberry patch, but for the moment they look very pretty.

[Giles]

Prunus 'Hally Jolivette'  Small double incisa-like flowers.
Prunus 'Ukon' Flowers change from pure green to purple stained as they age.
Prunus incisa 'Oshidori'

[Regelian]

First rose opened yesterday, Celine Forrestier.  Normally my first is Lady Hillingdon climbing, best know for her comment'when my husband lies upon me, I close my eyes and think of England', which then led to the typical BBC sitcom line 'stuuupid woman', but, never mind, this year I had pruned the girl severely and she needs to recover from having a man have a go at her.

The other shot is of an early Pacific Coast Iris sdl, which has a fascinating mix of tones.  The turqouise in thefalls didn't foto well.

The last is an unknown pogon iris, which I seemed to have gathered over the years.  Obviously a diploid.  Anyone recognise it?

Jamie