Flowers and foliage May 2008

[Kristl Walek]

I only wish one did not have to keep replenishing Sedum pilosum---what a gem!!!
It has never self-sown for me.

And Lewisia rediviva is totally out of rhythm this year....

[Lesley Cox]

Have you tried the Sedum in your sand beds Kristl. I find it incredible that it hasn't self-seeded. Almost wish it wouldn't, here. I leave many dozens but still weed out many hundreds!

[Kristl Walek]

Lesley, it's a strange thing, for sure, that it has not self-sown---and I am hardly a tidy gardener---the sand beds would not work as it would get eaten up there by too many large, vigorous plants. For years, I've always grown it in this same trough and not a single babe returns. Many non-flowering seedlings don't make it into their flowering year either- so I may be just at the limit for hardiness here.

And as to the Ptilotrichum, the very same clone is in other areas of the garden--where it grows more open and loose, is not as floriferous, and the colour a much more washed out pink. It is *only* in the sand bed that it is the gem shown in the pictures. It gets a better baking there I suppose.

[ranunculus]

Lovely images everyone.

A small collection of photographs from various locations (all taken this week)...

The sunsets were captured over our back fence...

The misty lake shots were from Center Parks in Sherwood Forest...

And the flowers were from a 'kiddies farm' just minutes away from Center Parks.

[ranunculus]

The final few...

[Maggi Young]

I do so enjoy seeing all the treasures in these pages and there is always something new...for instance,
Cynanchum ascyrifolium .....never saw it before! Wonder why it is shy to set seed? Isn't it wonderful/infuriating how these plants can puzzle us?

[Martinr]

Kristl, I'm assuming your Arenaria tetraquarta is grown outside without protection in Winter. Am I correct? I grow it, currently in a pot, and while it is small and neat it is by no means rock hard and is given Winter protection. Any UK growers care to comment on how to succeed with this plant.

[Kristl Walek]

Maggi,
Many of the choicer Asclepias rarely to never produce seed outside of their native habitat- as they have a complex relationship with specific pollinators, so perhaps this distant relative is similar. Some day I might find the time to pollinate (it) myself.

Martin,
Yes, and yes. I am in a very cold winter area and most summers are *extremely* hot and humid- so the plants really bake. I grow them in the sand bed, where the mats have gotten HUGE, in the rock garden in ordinary soil, on tufa, where they get equally rock hard, but don't have the space to get as wide as in the sand. Even in light shade with more moisture the mats are hard.

[Joakim B]

Mr Buttercup  nice pictures and wonderfull how the forum bride flowering times. Here in Portugal the irises are all flowered and in Sweden it has not got fully going. I think not atleast.
Iris number 3 looks like a iris that many old gardens have in Sweden. Survives every thing (almost). Nice to see some more poppies
Kind regards
Joakim

[Lesley Cox]

Some day I might find the time to pollinate myself.

Mmmmmm...Interesting
Sorry Kristl, I never can resist

I must do something about a sand bed here. Meaning to for ages as it does seem to be the answer to many problems and I have a number of things waiting for the right place but nothing seems to fill the bill in the garden proper. I keep thinking of John Lonsdale's amazing onco irises in sand. Perhaps junos would like similar treatment and of course so many native or exotic scree plants. Now might be a good time with winter starting. Roots could get well down before the surface dries out in spring.

Now if only the thought will be father - or mother - to the deed