August in the Northern Hemisphere

[Gabriela]

When Clematis heracleifolia 'China Purple' starts flowering it's a sign days are getting shorter

[Carolyn]

What a super deep blue. Beautiful.

[Robert]

I can't get used to thinking of Zauschneria as Epilobium, especially as those we have here are filthy weeds (the epilobiums I mean).

Some years ago I had seed collected by Jim Archibald, of the silene above (as S. californicum). When he and Jenny visited NZ for an NZAGS Study Weekend, I was able to produce one flowering in a small pot, to put on their breakfast table. Smiles all round.

Hi Lesley,

I can completely empathize with your feelings regarding some of the plant name changes. One thing that Epilobium and "Zauschneria" do have in common here in California is that even "Zauchneria" can be weedy by way of their rhizomes. One clone, 'Mattole Select' is known for staying put - more or less. In light soil the other varieties can spread, to put it mildly.



This tub is planted with various rock species. Epilobium canum ssp garrettii is planted in the upper right hand side of this tub. Sub-species garrettii may grow a bit smaller than sub-species latifolia, however it is certainly foolishness on my part to plant it in this tub. I feel sure it will take over the whole tub, however I have some wishful thinking on my part that I can keep it small and under control. 



I have to admit that I like the color of the flowers with the various rocks.

One other note, we have our 'willow herbs' (Epilobium) that are terrible weedy, seedy pests, especially with moist conditions. Even some of the other native Epilobium species, such as E. hallianum, need to be used with caution as they can be weedy - mostly from rhizomes.

[Robert]

Robert,
Nice to see your vegie patch as well as the ornamentals
As much as I disdain gardeners who think that vegies are the be-all-and-end-all of gardening (especially during the drought, we had people saying that we shouldn't waste water on non-food plants! ) I wouldn't be without some space for fresh vegies and herbs.
I'm reminded of the saying "If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily" (although, one source does say that in China the lily you would buy would be for eating! I prefer to use the "western" slant on it and think of the esoteric qualities of a lily )
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

There are those that have the same attitude about ornamental plantings here in California. The thinking being that ornamentals are an unnecessary indulgence and a waste of water, especially with our xeric, drought conditions.



I loved your comments about lilies. This certainly brought a smile to my face! 

I guess I could sell one loaf of bread for Scutellaria biacalensis. I enjoy this species in the garden as it blooms off and on all summer. I guess if I had the flue I could dig and eat the roots (they have very strong anti-viral qualities), however I prefer to keep them in the garden and out of my mouth. 

[Robert]

Robert, you grow quite a few showy ornamentals among the vegetables

In addition to the Epilobium canum I also had Silene laciniata in flower this summer

The "pond" was rather deep compared to the diameter when I built it but sediments have filled it up a lot. The depth vary between 30 and 60 cm depending on the rain. I have a pump circulating the water and it also deliver water to a very small watercourse. In dry weather the water sinks rather rapidly. I built a frame of leca blocks and dug a hole in the inside. I used a rubber pond liner and covered the bottom with appropriate soil before filling up with water. The water-lily is too big - I bought it as a dwarf which it certainly isn't!

(Attachment Link)

I am waiting for the walls to be covered by moss. Then I will try to plant in the moss.

Trond,

Thank you for the information about your pond. By the way, I like your set-up immensely. My wife and I have plans for something like this when we remove our 'sun room' (a part of our house that we wish to remove to have more garden space). We need to have a wall and space for our recycling cans, the back of the wall being used to mound soil for an alpine garden (something like a miniature mountain slope).



A few more photographs from our garden.....

Another example of a tub full of alpine species.



A generic Agastache hybrid from a local garden center. It blooms all summer and autumn, and is completely xeric, however tolerant of additional irrigation. I always keep a few around the vegetable garden.



Mimulus aurantiacus var. grandiflorus - still blooming! I found this clone on the Middle Fork of the American River and am very pleased with its performance. 

[astragalus]

Robert, I hope your optimism is rewarded (re:Zauschneria).  Z. garrettii is certainly a vigorous grower and I've yet to find a truly small one. Apparently, if it has 'garrettii' in its makeup it will develop "taking ways". A tub full of it in flower would be quite a show, though. The zauschnerias develop very big roots and surrounding plants are shunted aside. In a large garden they make a great show.

[Hoy]

When Clematis heracleifolia 'China Purple' starts flowering it's a sign days are getting shorter

Gabriela, I have never seen such dark colour of this species! I have two different one in flower now but neither is anything like yours!

[Hoy]

Trond,

Thank you for the information about your pond. By the way, I like your set-up immensely. My wife and I have plans for something like this when we remove our 'sun room' (a part of our house that we wish to remove to have more garden space). We need to have a wall and space for our recycling cans, the back of the wall being used to mound soil for an alpine garden (something like a miniature mountain slope).

A few more photographs from our garden.....

Another example of a tub full of alpine species.

A generic Agastache hybrid from a local garden center. It blooms all summer and autumn, and is completely xeric, however tolerant of additional irrigation. I always keep a few around the vegetable garden.

Mimulus aurantiacus var. grandiflorus - still blooming! I found this clone on the Middle Fork of the American River and am very pleased with its performance. 

Nice plantings, Robert And the Mimulus looks great!

[Gabriela]

Gabriela, I have never seen such dark colour of this species! I have two different one in flower now but neither is anything like yours!

It has a really good colour indeed, but there is more to it, the foliage is thick, dark green and the whole plant is compact; will increase but doesn't start going around the garden like I've seen other heracleifolias doing.

[Regelian]

First time blooming, Dierama erectum, raised from Silver Hill seed. Very late in the season bloomer and a nice break from the drooping 'fishing rod' types. Apparently prefers arid conditions.

I just came back from Madeira, where I documented much of the fire damage in Funchal, as well as simply taking lots of plant portraits.  I'll start a new thread under the Diaries-Blogs section.  If you have never been, this island is a truly great place for a weeks vacation (or longer).

J

[Lesley Cox]

At some time Robert, our alpine nurseries listed Z. californicaum and the ssp. garrettii but I haven't seen either of them listed or in garden for many years. I tried both and liked them a lot but I don't recall finding them easy, certainly not rampant. Maybe our one remaining commercial nursery will produce the goods again sometime.

You are the only person I've come across, with your wife, who is thinking about removing a sunroom to make more space for garden. Usually it is the other way about:-)

[Lesley Cox]

Elsewhere on the Forum but without a reply button, there is news of the death of Paul Ingwersen. I was thinking of him and of Will just yesterday when I realized that I hadn't seen Galanthus nivalis 'Tiny Tim' this year. I bought it from these gentlemen way back in 1981 when I was able to visit their nursery near East Grinstead. What a wonderful place it was and I especially remember troughs solid with the blue of Gentiana verna. Will said they raised hundreds of thousands each year!

Fortunately I found my littlest galanthus but flowering shyly where a large plant of Senecio candicans had overgrown the bulbs. The senecio was small when I planted it!

[johnralphcarpenter]

I  think the site of the nursery is now under the track bed of the reinstated railway, the Bluebell Line extension to East Grinstead.

[Lesley Cox]

That is so sad. Wicked almost. So many amazing nurseries around the world, both large and small, have gone to oblivion because there was apparently no-one to take them on, either inherited or bought and as a result, the pool of plants available to gardeners gets smaller and smaller. Sure, new plants come along, from the wild or bred by plantsmen and women but in our (NZ) case the former are not available to us and for everyone, the latter seem to me to be more and more of the same. (I think this has all been discussed before on the Forum in a long and convoluted thread. Better not go there again.)

[David Nicholson]

I  think the site of the nursery is now under the track bed of the reinstated railway, the Bluebell Line extension to East Grinstead.

Hope the "click-clack' doesn't disturb the residents at Gravetye Manor too much