September 2019 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Gerdk]

Just a pic of Ipomoea tricolor (perhaps Heavenly Blue)
- only sparsely flowering this season -

Gerd

[Robert]

Our garden is slowly taking shape. My wife and I enjoy color in our garden. In general, alpine species do not supply much color during the summer months, so we grow annuals. Now that the garden is slowly getting cleaned up, there is now enough new space for annuals and vegetables.

We save seed and breed or our own vegetable and flower varieties. For too many years my breeding projects have been mothballed as seed in the refrigerator. Now I can get started again. It is fun and interesting.



This pink pom–pom Zinnia elegans needs refinement.



This is an average semi-double form of Cosmos sulphureus. We have orange and bicolored forms too.



A typical form of Tithonia rotundifolia.

[Robert]

Solanum lycopersicum ‘Freya’s Tears’. This was my first success with breeding tomatoes. It was very popular at the Farmers’ Market. We always sold out before the market officially opened.



I breed a number of varieties of Cucurbita pepo and sold them at the Farmers’ Market. I had some exciting projects going before we moved to Sacramento, and now I can get going again.



Partly because of environmental and disease pressures, I am a firm believer in specific regional varieties and genetic diversity in our food crops. There are plenty of challenges to overcome, but then this makes things interesting.

[Gerdk]

I came along this Tithonia a very long time ago and I was enchanted by ist pastel tones.

Gerd

[Gail]

Just a pic of Ipomoea tricolor (perhaps Heavenly Blue)
- only sparsely flowering this season -

Gerd

But that blue is astonishing in its purity, such a joy. Mine is just starting to flower now.

[kris]

Allium pseudojaponicum flowering in the garden.

[Maggi Young]

Allium pseudojaponicum flowering in the garden.

Lovely  dark colour.

[Rick R.]

I have my first blooms this year from your A. pseudojaponicum seed, Krish.
Thank you!

[Gabriela]

Allium pseudojaponicum flowering in the garden.

Very nice fall bloomer, and a small size too, perfect for the rockery. A. thunbergii 'Ozawa' is still in bud here, we had an extremely cold September start.

Now the warm weather returned and it starts to look like fall. Few pictures from the woods.
I particularly liked the scenery of yellowing Aralia nudicaulis on a background of Clintonia borealis. Weaved through Aralia, a parasitic plant - Epifagus virginiana (beechdrops). Would be nice to reproduce it in a large woodland garden (moist location).


Nearby Mitchella repens (also Medeola, Maianthemum canadense, Trientalis)


Wildlife The red spotted newt -the terrestrial form named eft.


The 'sorcerer' - Medeola virginiana


In the garden - Clematis 'China Purple' excellent bloomer for late August/Sept.

[kris]

Thanks.  I will collect seeds for the exchange . Usually this Allium flowers very late but for the last two years flowering way early. Result of climate change  and global warming

[Edgar Wills]

Some autumn bulbs going into flower at my place now.

Prospero seisumsiana from Janis Ruksans. Very small flower in real life, beautiful up close though.
 

Sternbergia lutea. Saw them at the Acropolis in Athens last year, so nice that they flower well in Holland too.


Acis autumnalis 'september snow', was actually in flower at the start of August.

Now to wait for the Greek snowdrops.

[Gerdk]

Ranunculus bullatus in a multipetalled form

Gerd

[Yann]

I like this species, very nice photo. Solidago cutleri survived the summer drought, it doesn't spread as its big brothers.