alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

But its not; it is Myosotis retrosa. However that is a story for another time.

Very interesting, David.

 We had that topic back in... 2017... remember?  In your article #194 on page 13 you identified this plant as M. glabrescens.
 
It is still the same plant from back then...;-)

[P. Kohn]

Apologies for coming late to this conversation. I haven't yet worked my way through all 45 pages but I noticed discussion of Aciphyllas and Celmisias. In our Scottish garden (Kerrachar) we had a really satisfying bed featuring these two genera but with Hebes, Mysosotidium etc as well and decided it would be good to try to reproduce this in Sheffield. It was fanatastically unchanging for most of the year  and really was almost better without the flowers (especially the Aciphyllas !).  Both genera are hardly available in British nurseries now - 25 years ago it was much easier to source plants. I assume the problem is the difficulty of raising them from seed. Last year I had almost complete failure. This year I have had very limited germinations and although all the eight species of Celmisia I sowed have produced at least one germination, none of them has developed a proper root structure (apart from Celmisia spectabilis ssp magnifica).

Any advice on how to propagate either genera would be much appreciated. (My memory is that we bought in all the plants at Kerrachar -we had no success in raising them from seed there either.)

[David Lyttle]

Very interesting, David.

 We had that topic back in... 2017... remember?  In your article #194 on page 13 you identified this plant as M. glabrescens.
 
It is still the same plant from back then...;-)

That is so. However botanical knowledge has moved forward since then and I will reveal all in a future posting

[David Lyttle]

Apologies for coming late to this conversation. I haven't yet worked my way through all 45 pages but I noticed discussion of Aciphyllas and Celmisias. In our Scottish garden (Kerrachar) we had a really satisfying bed featuring these two genera but with Hebes, Mysosotidium etc as well and decided it would be good to try to reproduce this in Sheffield. It was fanatastically unchanging for most of the year  and really was almost better without the flowers (especially the Aciphyllas !).  Both genera are hardly available in British nurseries now - 25 years ago it was much easier to source plants. I assume the problem is the difficulty of raising them from seed. Last year I had almost complete failure. This year I have had very limited germinations and although all the eight species of Celmisia I sowed have produced at least one germination, none of them has developed a proper root structure (apart from Celmisia spectabilis ssp magnifica).

Any advice on how to propagate either genera would be much appreciated. (My memory is that we bought in all the plants at Kerrachar -we had no success in raising them from seed there either.)

Both Celmisia and Aciphylla germinate readily from fresh seed if you can obtain it. Celmisias are very easily propagated from cuttings (the woody-stemmed ones). However this past summer there was very little seed produced as both genera had masted heavily in the previous year and were not flowering. Celmisias are hard to keep in cultivation especially in warmer climates. They grow better in Scotland than they do in lowland parts of NZ. They tend to get stressed in warmer weather and are very susceptible to root rots. One species of Celmisia that grows well for me is Celmisia mackaui. It is a coastal species from Banks Peninsula near Christchurch and it seeds freely in my garden. I have grown many of the alpine species of Celmisia but tend to lose them especially after a heavy flowering. I have grown several Aciphylla species; my favourite is Aciphylla dieffenbachii from the Chatham Islands. It does not have spines. The larger species A. scott-thomsonii, A. aurea, A. horrida are easy enough to grow but a full size specimen is a very formidable garden subject.

[P. Kohn]

Thanks for these comments, David. I think our bed at Kerrachar was so succesful because we were in a cool area (the far northwest of Scotland and the bed we used was in a cool part of the garden three or four feet from the north end of the house. I will try and hunt out a picture and post it later. It was noticeable that Myosotidium hortensia at Inverewe was really successful in a shady corner of the walled parden but then the then Head Gardener planted them throughout the garden in open sunny sited where they failed to thrive.

[Leucogenes]

My long patience has been rewarded...😍

[Steve Garvie]

Clematis marmoraria -a young plant which has settled nicely into its crevice. It was past its best when I took this image.

[Leucogenes]

Clematis marmoraria -a young plant which has settled nicely into its crevice. It was past its best when I took this image.

As always...  Plants in absolute perfection...I didn't expect anything else from you, Steve...😉

[Leucogenes]

Celmisia angustifolia...;-)

[kris]

Steve as soon as I saw your clematis I googled to see whether I can grow that here in Canada. Looks like I have to enjoy through pictures only!!

[kris]

Steve as soon as I saw your clematis I googled to see whether I can grow that here in Canada. Looks like I have to enjoy through pictures only!!

[Steve Garvie]

Kris, I constantly moan about the Scottish weather. Too wet, too windy, too cold; recently too dry, Sun too strong! 

The truth is that with some adjustment, little interventions (and a greenhouse) we can potentially grow a huge range of plants here. Perhaps it’s about time I started appreciating what we’ve got!

[Leucogenes]

On the outside, the flowers look very fragile...  ...but it's tough enough to endure and delights me every year...  Leucopogon fraseri.

[David Nicholson]

A purchase from Gerd Stopp quite a few years ago now that has never been a profuse flowerer and indeed hasn't shown me a flower for around three years. Yesterday I dug up the clump and potted them individually in fresh compost in the hope that they might improve and eventually will re-plant them somewhere that they might be happier.

The label is long gone so if someone could tell me what sub-species they are I would be pleased?

[Lesley Cox]

I've forgotten almost everything I ever knew about our natives David but I think this one could be C. spectabilis. If not, someone will no doubt correct me.

I hope you are very well David and enjoying spring. Lockdown over autumn/winter has been a bit boring here though seeds are germinating and I'm getting some potting done. This last week we've had the first frosts of the winter but first snowdrops up too so good times to come. Our Alpine Garden Group in Dunedin/Otago has been stopped in its tracks by Coronavirus restrictions and it seems likely that even our annual show in late September may be at risk. But NZ's situation compared with that of many other countries is such that I can't possibly complain. I do wish you well and everyone here on the Forum.