June 2016 in the Northern Hemisphere

[David Nicholson]

Maureen's giant Lupin

Campanula portenschlagiana

I have two different Campanulas, neither of which I have names for, and both came with unknown 'passengers' .
The first came with what is, I think, a purple leafed Geranium (it may show up better in the close-up)

The second came with a Saxifrage, the eagle-eyed may spot it. Both are doing well.

[Lesley Cox]

David, your purple-leaved geranium looks like our native G, sessiliflorum in a form often called 'Nigrescens.' Pretty but will seed about so watch it. It also hybridizes with the Chatham Is G. ?(damn, can't remember its name right now, but pink and bluish leaves,) making nice plants with bronze leaves and pink flowers.

Michael, I'm thrilled to see your Blandfordia in bloom. I kept 5 seedlings the same size as the one (2) I sent, and everyone died in this last summer, too much summer wet I think. They didn't get as far as flowering.

[Gabriela]

Yes, very pretty but dangerous The rhizomes spread like a coltsfoot's!

Plenty of mecons here (no mekons though)! "Wet regions"?  Have to bargain with the gods then. I have planted it on the driest place I have

Well, I didn't used the right word but it's surely more rainy than here. I like the Eomecon very much; grew it in a container in my former small patio garden and lost it after a record cold winter (along with many others). I understand other people are growing it 'containerized' on purpose, to avoid having it running through the garden.

A couple of late evening pictures: Papaver alpinum after watering and Primula alpicola var. violacea starting to flower.

[Tristan_He]

My Phyteuma nigrum is flowering too. Such a pretty plant, but short in flower. It does seed around but is never a nuisance.



Geranium palmatum seems to be early this year.




Aquilegia bertolonii, another plant that self-seeds gently around. I only have this and A. vulgaris in the garden to minimise the risk of hybrids.



Enkianthus campanulatus is very popular with the bees.

[Leena]

Here are couple of pictures from last week.
I don't have many big Rhododendrons (but perhaps 100 seedlings too young yet to flower, these are mostly from Finnish hybridizers).
'Pekka' is my biggest Rhodo, it is a Finnish cultivar (R.brachycarpum ssp tigerstedtii x R.smirnovii Seidel hybrid), and very hardy.
I planted it about 8 years ago and it is now about 1,8m high.

In the third picture there is Allium rosenorum, planted last autumn. I'm not very familiar with alliums, but I fell in love with this. It had quite slender leaves earlier in the spring and I like the flower now.

[Hoy]

I have not been as cautious as Tristan so I have Aquilegias of all colours except yellow

i spotted this one among the others. The colour is not special but the flowers face upwards. (And the slugs like it, usually they don't.)

[Leena]

I noticed only now that I posted last night in May thread, please Maggi can you move my pictures to June.

[Tristan_He]

I have not been as cautious as Tristan so I have Aquilegias of all colours except yellow

My mother is a fan of Aquilegias and over the years planted various different plants, which have crossed and self-seeded. Now she has a strain of small-flowered, muddy-coloured plants. Hence my caution. Perhaps I am overdoing things but I prefer to keep things clean.

Out of interest has anybody found that Semiaquilegia and Aquilegia cross readily?

[Maggi Young]

I noticed only now that I posted last night in May thread, please Maggi can you move my pictures to June.

Done, Leena! 

[Hoy]

I got this plant without a name a couple of years ago. Anybody recognize it?

[Hoy]

The first roses have started blooming. This is Rosa roxburghi normalis. The shrub is more than 3m high and wide so I show only one flower




This red Potentilla appeared suddenly as a "weed".





Drymocallis (syn Potentilla) rupestris. It is a rare native but easily grown on dry sites.

[Robert]

A few photographs from our Sacramento, California garden - yesterday 4, June. It was overcast and muggy all day. It was still in the mid-30's C , however it could have been much worse.



Elymus multisetus.

Big  Squirreltail is one of many California native perennial grasses. So far this species has been very satisfactory as an ornamental in our garden. I especially enjoy the inflorescence as it progresses to maturity. This transpires over several months. The species is xeric, however preforms well with some irrigation too. This is one of many native perennial bunch grasses that we are trialing.



Eriogonum umbellatum var. polyanthum

This plant was grown from seed gathered in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This seedling stood-out from among many other seedlings. It is still in bloom after two months of continuous bloom.



One of a number of West Coast Lily Hybrids.

Some were L. pardalinum x occidentlae F1 hybrids. Others were L. pardalinum x parvum var. hollidayi F1, and L. pardalinum x kelloggii F1. Many have not persisted in the garden, however the remaining plants have been very strong growers and have provided an extended bloom period. Lilium pardalinum, as expected, is very dominant in the F1 generation.



A couple of pots of Eriogonum marifolium (foreground) and E. incanum (rear). Both were grown from seed gathered in the Sierra Nevada. Both species are unisexual, the female plants producing the best flowers. The two species also intergrade (hybridize) in the wild as well as in the garden without controlled pollination. I find the hybrids to be interesting and worth growing.



Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides

A California native perennial. Very xeric, and well worth cultivation in the xeric garden. This plant has been in bloom for 6-8 weeks now and even the 35 C, plus or minor, is not bringing its bloom cycle to an end. There is a tremendous variety within the species even locally. Improved selections seem very worth while and is something that I am pursuing.

[Robert]

Hemizonia cogesta ssp lutescens

A California native annual. I do not have many plants this year, however they look great this season. Last year the flowers were half the size. Last year's seedlings may have been hybrids with ssp. luzulifolia which has much smaller flowers (they are also white). I am growing both ssp. this year without any cross pollination protection.    Maybe it is not too late for me to do something to maintain purity if I gather the later seed, but then maybe I have some leftover seed in the refrigerator and will have more time to do control cross pollination next year. 



Corydalis sempervirens

These are growing in pots of various Erythronium species and hybrids. The progression is perfect they germinated and grew as the Erythroniums died back. I hope to repeat this combination in the open garden next year. The Corydalis will look good until after they bloom (about 1 July), then I will have to come up with other species to replace the Corydalis in the open garden scheme.  Something for me to experiment with now. 

[Steve Garvie]

Deutzia calycosa -A form obtained from Glendoick (?wild Cox collection).
If truth be told I am a numpty gardener. Years ago I planted this stunning shrub in entirely the wrong position for it to flourish and be appreciated. Despite this and as a protest it puts on a beautiful display every year.
Can Deutzia be easily propagated from cuttings?

[ashley]

Patersonia fragilis, from Tasmania. 
A kind gift from Lesley C, growing here for a couple of years but not yet thriving.