April 2017 in the northern hemisphere

[Robert]

A Rhododendron luteum hybrid. Very fragrant!



We lost the shade for Rhododendron augustinii. It is hanging in there, however it is not as happy as it once was.



Rhododednron decorum - I'm not sure what I will do with this plant.    Someday it will get too big for the garden unless I keep pruning on it. For the time it is quite nice.



Cornus nuttallii - This grows along our back fence. In our part of California Cornus nuttallii can be extremely difficult to keep alive on its own roots. I grafted this plant on to Cornus florida and it is doing very well. The top has overgrown the rootstock, however it is a compatible union. The trees is over 15 years old and is a beautiful sight in our garden.



Iris macrosiphon - A white selection with blue-purple veining. It was grown from seed found on one of my outings.

[Hoy]

Trond,

The Rhodies look nice.   

Hello Trond,


really nice Rhododendrons

Thanks Robert and François 
 

[Hoy]

I managed to get out into the garden and take a few photographs before the latest storm hits.
...

Very nice colours, Robert!

I have to wait a while before the azaleas flower here!

[Hoy]

Primula auricula (or is it lutea?) and P marginata in flower.

[K-D Keller]

Thank you, David. Yes spring is a very lovely time many many flowers everywhere.

Hello Rudi, thank you for asking.  We're all doing fine. I enjoy your plant pictures in this forum, too.

Hello Gabriela, I got the Asarum canadense from a friend. I don´t know the normal look of the flower.



Adonis vernalis
Kelseya uniflora with only one flower. Better than nothing. 
Primula allionii "Crusader"

[Leucogenes]

... As always great pictures, KD.

Special congratulations on the flowering of Kelseya uniflora. Three weeks ago, I received two small copies of Gerd Stopp, one of them came from a flower.

How old is your Kelseya uniflora?

Thomas

[K-D Keller]

Hello Thomas,  the Kelseya is from the same source.

How old is it? Let me lie - 3 years.  Very slow growing plant. 

[WimB]

Draba molissima
Iberis saxatilis 'Pygmaea'
Sebaea thomasii
Uvularia grandiflora, Gold Leaf Form

[Lesley Cox]

The rhododendrons are superb Robert. I have a couple of occidentale forms and like them very much. They are bright red-leaved now, or beginning that and I love the perfume of the flowers.

[Lesley Cox]

Gorgeous plants in bloom for spring. Well done K-D with your Kelseya. It looks very well.

[Cephalotus]

Hello everyone,
on 5.-6. April I visited some populations of Hacquetia epipactis. I have seen this plant for the first time in the wild in larger amount. In the past I found some plans accidentally in Slovakia, but this time I went specially to visit some numerous populations. Wile this two days trip I found more than just Hecquetia epipactis. I found amazing places I have never seen before. Simply amazing. Again I was able to find some nice forms. What is interesting, basically one location was just filled with mutations when other had none, really, none!

My other half and I stopped in every place we felt that was calling us. The first one was a slope covered with Anemone nemorosa. I love that delicate plant, it is really beautiful and Poland could be covered with it in dense carpet. We found there a form that had no petals. I examined the plant carefully and it just grows like that. This species just started flowering in the mountains we visited so it didn't loose its petals. Basically I found two forms:

First that has its stigmas (ovary) strongly regressed:


And second which has no stigma at all. It is... how should I call it? Changed into anthers.


Maybe it is not a showy form, but definitely an interesting one.

In that place we also found a yellow stripped Polygonatum odoratum:


After that we went to out place of destination filled with Allium ursinum and Hecquetia epipactis.
Here are some of our finds and other nice photos of that place:

[Cephalotus]

Mayybe Allium ursinum is a bit invasive plant in garden, but I have a feeling that those forms won't spread that easily as the typical form... plus imagine a salad made of those leaves.

It of goes for Hacquetia epipactis, here are some of more interesting finds:

[Cephalotus]

The last three:







Here are some other photos from that place:









Another day we had to go back home. My time of work was limited to two days, so the last one we just basically visited one place and the second one was just a short glimpse on how it looks like. Here the scenery was amazing, it was so calm and quiet, we just could sunk into that place and sleep there for a wile. Wild hares were hopping around us, but avoiding us with a proper distance. We found there a tiny form of Hequetia and a yellow margined one.





Here are some photos of the scenery and the second place:





In the third place we were chased out by a storm cloud, but before the rain struck the area I was able to make some nice photos:





As for a goodbye we were given the last but not least attractive form of A. ursinum:

[Lesley Cox]

Did you find any forms like the variegated cultivar called 'Thor' Chris?

For some unexplained reason I have always thought Haquetia epipapctis is a native of Japan. Now I know better.

[Cephalotus]

Did you find any forms like the variegated cultivar called 'Thor' Chris?

For some unexplained reason I have always thought Haquetia epipapctis is a native of Japan. Now I know better.

Lesley,
I haven't found such white-green form, just a subtle yellowish-green one, which is not that spectacular as H. epipactis 'Thor'. My other half and I were hunting for such form, but we found none. I regret that I didn't take binoculars with me (and my professional digital camera ), because than I could just sit in one area and search it through like a live scanner. I am most satisfied with the mosaic, that is irregularly spotted with paler and darker green. I wonder what would come out from crossing that one with 'Thor'?

I am glad that H. epipactis is not native just to Japan, I wouldn't be able to have so lovely sights if it was.