Flowers and foliage April 2008

[Lesley Cox]

Dear Lesley,

Sorry about my English

Henk

Dear Henk,

Sorry about my teasing 

Lesley

[Lesley Cox]

I'm getting hungry just loooking at it; looks like it's made out of cream and custard and meringue...a real confection.

I wish you hadn't said this Martin. It's just on lunchtime (Sunday) and I was planning to eat just a banana and a bunch of pinot noir grapes I bought at yesterday's market (the grapes NOT the banana). Now I'll be looking for something else.

Some of our fruit vendors from Central Otago also grow wine grapes. The grapes are marvellous. I bought some Shiraz as well, all little bunches of very black, small grapes and intensely sweet but with a little sharpness as well, much better than mere table grapes. If I were not so fond of pinot noir and shiraz out of bottles, I'd say the grapes were wasted on making wine from them.

[Magnar]

Some pics from my garden the later 2 weeks. Snow is slowly disappearing and finllay I too have some flowering to show.

Adonis amurensis


Iris hyrcana Talish


Bubocodium vernum


Corydalis malkensis


Crocus Prins Claus


Hepatica transsylvanica


Coclhicum vernum

[ian mcenery]

Franz thanks for the information about its origins and also your kind comments. I have had the plant for a few years now and it always flowers much better than the other varieties I have. Although this year there aren't so many flowers probably due to the wet summer last year

Anne the tulip is supposed to be 8" but I have had this now for 2 years and  it is about 12" in my scree. It is increasing slowly

Paddy the anemone is a particularly good form which I was lucky enough to get the flower looks as though it has been dipped in Royal Blue ink and darkens with age

Kenneth I wish I could flower my Soldanella 

Magnar good to see you back

[johanneshoeller]

A black Helleborus and Asarum maximum

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful shots and plants everyone !
Nice to see Norway is coming from under the snow Magnar - I bet the stunning Adonis amurensis was quite happy too !

Here's some from my garden the last few days :

1) Dianthus 'Conwy Star' in a trough
2) Erigeron trifidus
3) Coronilla minima
4) Allium karataviense 'Ivory queen'
5) Hepatica nobilis foliage

[Kristl Walek]

Nothing exciting or rare....but it does do the heart especially good to see one's woody seedlings grow up---and now each year another of my hardy Magnolia progeny begin blooming (most of the M. kobus gang only take 5-7 years from seed). At the moment I have 5 small trees in bloom, and here is my most recent; with 72 blooms on a 5 foot plant (7 years old).

[Armin]

What a selection of flower beautis

Below is a Tillandsia in flower. My wife got it as a small present and is keeping them since several years behind a window in direct sun light. It gets one dauther plant after flower has gone over.
Can anybody kindly identify?

[Kristl Walek]

Viola pedata (the bird's foot viola) is not native to my area, but it is one Viola that I would not be without...

Sometimes difficult to establish in gardens; it prefers it hot, dry and sparse.

Such a tiny, lovely plant with huge flowers on a small rosette of divided foliage.

[johnw]

Hans - What a great dark hellebore! One of the best I've seen and it ranks up there with one I saw at Fred Hunt's which was the colour of coal.

Thanks for the posting.

johnw

[Kristl Walek]

Luc,
I am assuming that Hepatica nobilis is a named cultivar--it is wonderful---wonder what would come of it from seed? Have you tried? I'd be happy to try for you, of course 

[Lesley Cox]

I think it's a pity that more of us don't grow trees from seed and I wish I were at least 30 years younger. Even so, I still grow Sorbus, maples and others for the interest and possible variations. Your little M. kobus must give you great pleasure Kristl.

Magnar, welcome back to the Forum, but unfortunately I can't see your pictures, inviting names though they are. They each have the little red cross in a box and usually when I right click then click on Show Picture, they appear, but not here. The little red cross comes up again. Anyone know what the problem is?

[Paddy Tobin]

Oh Lesley,

But there are some who do grow trees from seed. I agree with you it is a marvellous way of getting the more unusual trees and shrubs and, what  many people don't realise, trees and shrubs grown from seed very quickly outpace those purchased from garden centres.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

That's certainly true Paddy, just as small purchased plants outgrow - and become much stronger than - tall trees such as the "Designer" types that are freely available here. They are bought for instant effect by rich and impatient people who forego the intense pleasure of watching young plants grow into healthy adults. More fool them. I know 3 or 4 very elderly people, in their 80s and 90s who still plant young trees knowing full well that others will get the eventual benefit but still thrilled to be a part of a renewal process on the earth's surface. I hope I too, am so far sighted in my old age.

[TC]

Yes, sowing trees from seed is fun but what do you do with them when they germinate and grow ?  I have something like 42 Magnolia wilsonii/sieboldii seedlings with no place to put them.  I have managed to dispose of my quercus cocinnea plants to a Lady member of the SRGC -( I mean the word "Lady" in its titled sense )- who has a large estate and wood.  Very few people have gardens large enough to plant trees.