March 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere

[ian mcdonald]

Yes Maggi, it is attracting early bees. Warm and sunny here today, seen this morning was this insect. I think it is a bee-fly, Bombylius major img. 1020287.

[Robert]

The spring season is here in our part of Northern California.

Some scenes from our garden.



Iris macrosiphon - This clump has been in bloom for about a month now, and there are more flower buds that are yet to open. In other parts of the yard some of the other seedlings of this species will be opening any day now. In the background a large clump of Lilium pardalinum that is coming on.



Primula veris - This Primula is long lived in our garden despite our long hot summers. To the side are some of our Erythronium multiscapideum that have already gone over.



Triteleia ixioides ssp scabra -  A pot full of bulbs that I can plant out in the drier parts of our garden. These were grown from wild seed gathered in El Dorado county at a low elevation. I grow forms of this species from seed gathered in various geographic regions in California. Some are quite interesting.



Carex infirminervia - I doubt that this species is used as an ornamental anywhere. I like to experiment with such plants. This cespitose species seems well behaved in the garden and I like its appearance.



More experiments.    Rooted cutting of various Arctostaphylos species: A. myrtifolia (a natural hybrid), A. mewukka ssp. mewukka, A. mewukka ssp. truei, A. patula, and A. viscida ssp. viscida. The Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida is from a site on Peavine Ridge where there is considerable evidence of hybridization and introgression with A. mewukka ssp. mewukka and A. patula. There will be other species and selections that I will be potting up soon. It looks good to me    and it will be very interesting evaluating them in our garden.

[Robert]

A few of our early Rhododendrons in bloom.



Rhododendron minus x dendrocharis - Upright growth, but still fairly compact. Very heat tolerant!



Rhododendron racemosum x polycladum F2 (i.e. selfed) - A dwarf that is heat tolerant and has flower power. Nothing to brag about in the Rhododendron world, however they work for us in our hot climate. 

[Leena]

Spring is advancing very slowly, because nights are still freezing and days only a few degrees above zero.
My earliest Helleborus is H.multifidus, and it grows in a bed here the snow melts first. Ground is still frozen but there it comes up anyway.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, I agree with your view regarding Carex species. They are very variable and garden worthy. A pity more are not available from nurseries.

[Robert]

Robert, I agree with your view regarding Carex species. They are very variable and garden worthy. A pity more are not available from nurseries.

Ian,

The Genus Carex is very common in our high altitude ecosystems here in Northern California. I like plants that bring up images and feelings of the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada and other places I have traveled in California. I use many native Carex species, both dwarf and taller types, as well as native Juncus species and native Poaceae in our garden. I like their "feeling' in our garden, but then I don't mind mixing them with exotic species from around the world. For the most part, our native Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, and many Poaceae are rarely or never used in California gardens. What a shame as many seem very nice.

[Yann]

Robert, you've a nice nursery  This afternoon i'd enough of repotting helloborus seedlings, i decided to see how the Anemona will look in a forest 30mn far from home.

edit: not viola palustris but Viola reichenbachiana

[Hoy]

Robert,

as Yann says you have a nursery! When are you starting to sell plants? 

Primula veris is common in the warmest parts of Norway and take a lot of drought after flowering as it goes dormant.


Leena,

a little sign of spring!

[Hoy]

Yann,

looks nice in that wood!

[Hoy]

Today was the warmest this year so far. Think we hit 13C in the afternoon when the fog lifted.

The last crocuses. C. olivieri. Tiny flowers but strong colour!








Crocus sieberi(?). The first bumblebees for the season. Lots of them today.

[Hoy]

When the crocuses disappear, other bulbs come into flower. Narcissus cyclamineus.




In the woodland - two strange Apiaceae.

Erigenia bulbosa - flower and leaf. It is only 5cm tall.






- and Hacquetia epipactis.

[fermi de Sousa]

Erigenia bulbosa - flower and leaf. It is only 5cm tall.

Hi Hoy,
I love that little umbellifer! It's a real cutie. Is it in woodland on your property or "in the wild"?
Is it cultivated in Norway?
cheers
fermi

[Hoy]

Hi Hoy,
I love that little umbellifer! It's a real cutie. Is it in woodland on your property or "in the wild"?
Is it cultivated in Norway?
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

it is a North American plant. I got seed from Kristl Walek ( http://www.gardensnorth.com/ ). I believe it is rather uncommonly cultivated here in Norway.

[Leena]

Yann, how lovely anemone woods! I can imagine there was also a lot of birds singing.

Hoy, so nice crocus fields, and Erigenia bulbosa was a new plant for me, I had to google it right away.

Colchicum szovitsii 'Tivi' is one of the first flowers to come up here after the snow has melted and seems to be very cold hardy. It grows in quite dry slope, and hasn't increased so perhaps I should move it to someplace more woodland bed.

[Philip Walker]

Romulea bulbocodium
Primula vulgaris 'Eva Constance'
Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Alba'-with a young Draba aspera