April 2019 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Unfortunately only one flower...  but for the production of seeds it should be enough...  Townsendia alpigena (T. montana)

Hi Thomas,

It is nice to see so many fine plants displayed on the forum. I can definitely appreciate everyone’s efforts for produce and save seed.

I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my observations and experiences with seed saving / seed production. Selfing (inbreeding) can be a powerful plant breeding tool, however it is not necessarily a good seed saving strategy, even within species tolerant of inbreeding. Even in the wild there is a fair amount of outbreeding among species that easily self-pollinate, think Fabaceae as an example.

Regardless of where a plant is grown, it is attempting to adjust and adapt to its environment. Evolutionary pressures come from all current environmental conditions: climatic conditions (including greenhouse conditions); predation from insects, bacteria, virus, fungi, etc.; soil conditions, including nutrient type, levels and proportions, heavy metals, pesticides (in 40 years some weeds have developed genetic based resistance to multiple herbicides); and everything and anything regardless if we are aware of these things or not. The jury is still out on epigenetic marks, however it is clear that this process is on the vanguard for a species to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

I hope that seed savers understand that when one selfs a plant, they lose 50% of the genetic variability (it becomes more genetically homogeneous and uniform, great if you want to create a potential F1 hybrid line). Not only does inbred depression become a potential possibility, but much more important is that a genetic bottleneck is being created. The bottom line is, unless one has a specific reason to self a species, the selfed population is losing it genetic ability to evolve and adjust to a new or changing environmental conditions (e.g. your garden).

Other considerations when attempting selfing without the use of controlled pollination are the risks of out breeding. Many gardeners are also collectors. Without some sort of strategy to control pollination, many species will out-breed with related species if their blooming cycle coincides with each other. Obligate out-breeders, such as many Lilium species, will not self, but always cross-pollinate. Clearly this creates a hybrid, which is fine if this is what one wants. However such plants cannot be exchanged as a pure species. In my garden, I even use controlled pollination (bagging, isolation, blooming sequence differences) with species that easily inbreed (Lupinus as an example), as they too can and will out breed.

Wild seed could be a good strategy for introducing new genetic variability into a cultivated population. Using poorly designed seed saving strategies leaves a cultivated population vulnerable to loss of variability, viability and potential disappearance from cultivation. The continued use of wild seed to replace cultivated populations that have died-off, or that is now a hybrid, is counterproductive to wild populations of plants and to the development of strong, viable cultivated populations that are true to type.

It pains me to hear that someone wants “the real thing” from the wild. A wild plant is no longer “wild” once it has been brought into cultivation. Plants and other organisms start to change and adjust in cultivation even without sexual reproduction and are no longer the same as their wild cousins. Many wild populations of plants face extinction based on issues that they could never adjust to (like the blade of a bulldozer). From my perspective the best thing we can do as gardeners that enjoy collecting is to grow populations (not individuals) of a species, learn sound seed saving techniques, and use observant selection to create strong persistent well-adjusted cultivated populations to share with other gardeners.

I have been out in the field documenting changes in our local flora for decades. I have witnessed the disappearance of a number of species from their former range. Gardeners can help preserve portions of a genome by maintaining viable cultivated populations of any given species. It is imperative that we take responsibility to steward our horticultural heritage properly or we will lose much of the variety that can make gardening interesting and rewarding.

[ian mcdonald]

I found several plants of Caltha palustris on the local site last year. A few days ago I went to check them and could not find any. I,ll have to look again later.

[Hannelore]

Fritillaria persica and Epimedium pinnatum ssp. colchicum 'Elegans' and Brunnera macrophylla and some others make a nice group

[Hannelore]

Very beautiful, but unfortunately not wished:



Beerenwanze (Dolycorys baccarum) - perhaps someone can add the English name.

[ian mcdonald]

Hairy Shield Bug or Sloe Bug.

[François Lambert]

The fruit trees are starting to flower, with this prunus domestica 'Sanctus Hubertus' being one of the earlier ones.

[Leena]

Spring is advancing very slowly, this week it is again colder, cloudy and rain, even more snow just 100km north from my place.
There are still some patches of snow in my garden, but most of the snow is gone, and in some places the ground has even thawed, no frost left.
Helleborus x hybridus are coming to flower, but not open yet.
Snowdrops are at their best now, and Corydalis are coming up.

[Leucogenes]

From Leontopodium nanum I have different clones of different origin and altitude. Those in the rock garden are just beginning to grow. A specimen wintered under glass shows the first flower. Altogether 2 cm high. Tienschan mountains, 3900 meters...exactly my taste.

[Robert]

Thomas,

Very 

It is similar in appearance to some of our California native Antennaria species.

Our Sacramento, California garden is looking great now. I you like, I can share some photographs. There is nothing special, but my wife and I like it. 

[Leucogenes]

Thomas,

Very 

It is similar in appearance to some of our California native Antennaria species.

Our Sacramento, California garden is looking great now. I you like, I can share some photographs. There is nothing special, but my wife and I like it. 

In fact, the interior of the flowers of this Leontopodium resembles most Antennaria species.

I think we would all appreciate some photos from your garden...me anyway.   

[François Lambert]

Prunus cerasus 'schaarbeekse kriek' is flowering.  An endemic wild cherry tree - but absolutely not growing like any other cherry tree, growing to max 6 to 7 meter high with pendant branches.  This tree only occurs in a area of about 500 square km.  These trees can be sown, they will come true from seed, but they also make suckers on their roots up to 5 or 6 meter far.  The fruits are very sour, but when fully ripe they will be sweet enough for immediate consumption.  And it are the fruits of this cherry tree that were used originally to make the famous cherry beer that we call 'kriek'.  But right now it's lunchtime for the bees on these trees.

[Robert]

Prunus cerasus 'schaarbeekse kriek' is flowering.  An endemic wild cherry tree - but absolutely not growing like any other cherry tree, growing to max 6 to 7 meter high with pendant branches.  This tree only occurs in a area of about 500 square km.  These trees can be sown, they will come true from seed, but they also make suckers on their roots up to 5 or 6 meter far.  The fruits are very sour, but when fully ripe they will be sweet enough for immediate consumption.  And it are the fruits of this cherry tree that were used originally to make the famous cherry beer that we call 'kriek'.  But right now it's lunchtime for the bees on these trees.

Mr. Lambert,

Thank you for sharing the story concerning Prunus cerasus 'Schaarbeekse'.     Very interesting.


Thomas,

Some photographs from our garden this spring.



Early blooming forms of Rhododendron occidentale from ground zero at the Camp Fire. Most likely the plants in the Feather River canyon burned to the ground. They will likely grow back from the roots, but at some point I will return to the region and find out exactly their status.

I have three clones that I grow in our Sacramento garden. They are extremely heat tolerant (where they grow in the Feather River Canyon high temperatures can exceed 40 C during the summer). They also bloom 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the standard forms of Rhododendron occidentale from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Perfect for hot climates.    They are NOT xeric!



Penstemon rupicola

The seed came from Alplains. I wonder how many plants are still in cultivation from Alplains collections? especially annuals and difficult to grow perennial species.



Triteleia ixioides ssp. scabra

I grow populations of the various subspecies and keep each population true to type.

I also work on species improvement. 



Dichelostemma capitatum

This is my best white form from the South Fork of the American River. I have other white lines from other locations that need to be "cleaned up". When this is accomplished I will combine all the lines. Goal: pure white flowers with good genetic diversity.



Pacific Coast Iris Hybrids

These are great "garden" plants. I focus on long lasting flowers and a long blooming season. These fit the bill! They are very strong plants that bloom for many weeks. Even an open flower can last for 7 to 10 days! I am not that interested in exotic color combinations with a short blooming cycles and short lived flowers. These are being bred for flower power and garden strength.

[David Nicholson]

Nice flowers Robert.

[kris]

Finally spring is slowly reaching us.Today and tomorrow the weather is going to be around -5 at night
Two pictures taken today.
1.Adonis ramosa got from Japan 3 years ago.
2.Bulbocodium vernum

[Leucogenes]

Hello Robert

Thank you very much for the beautiful pictures.  Fantastic Californian Species...  especially great I like Triteleia ixiodes ssp. scabia.  A filigree princess.
 
The spring shows itself with you from the most beautiful side.