April 2020 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Yann]

Great selection of not so common plants. David i've never heart of A. tetonensis before to my eyes it look a bite like multifida. From which region it comes from?

[David Nicholson]

Hi Yann, take a look at the thread Anemone 2016, reply 33, and all will be revealed

http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14174.msg358289#msg358289

[ruweiss]

Androsace himalaica
Haberlea rhodopensis virginalis
Hymenoxis scaposa
Aethionema schistosum

[ruweiss]

Cardiocrinum giganteum starts to grow
Erigeron aureus Canary Bird
Ledum palustre
Matthiola montana

[ruweiss]

Hosta:

[David Nicholson]

Penstemon 'Six Hills', creeping from under Aethionema 'Warley Rose'



My old favourite, Tulbaghia 'Purple Eye'

[shelagh]

Another glorious day so out with the camera again after Lily beetle patrol.

Anemone coronaria, we bought this pot from our local nursery last year before anything was showing. I was hoping for red but it turned out to have red, white and blue.
Campanula bellidifolia very early this year it was a regular visitor to Southport AGS show in the past.
The front rock corner as you can see facing north gets a lot less sun than the back.
Towards the end of last season we got this little Geranium Apple blossom from Aberconwy, these are it's first flowers.
These seedlings of Lilium Lankongense are now 2/3 years old the seed was from Gothenburg Botanic. I wonder how long before they flower.

[shelagh]

Oxalis Red Eye, I was amazed that it survived the winter in the raised bed because we had so much rain.

I make no apology for this picture I know you've seen them before but they are terrific.

Rosenia humilis. The three small pots are cuttings from the large plant which is itself a cutting from our original plant from Parham Bungalow bought quite a few years ago.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely selection of plants Shelagh.

[shelagh]

Thanks David, I just take the pictures Brian does the growing.

[majallison]

Rosa 'Tigris': I like this, despite the fact that it's a very spiny, straggly, once-flowering shrublet... interesting also that it seems to be the only fertile Rosa persica hybrid & the ancestor of all the new 'eyed' roses...

Helichrysum arwae: this is very vigorous, but I think a cold & wet winter would do for it...

[Robert]

Few nice things from our garden.



I am making excellent progress domesticating Erythranthe bicolor. Going into the fifth generation, they are now starting to reseed and propagate in quantity in our garden without intervention on my part. I have been recording phenotypes and will be ready to start the next phase of the domestication process next year.



Penstemon laetus var. laetus is a mid to high elevation species in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I have selected a pink form of this species from the Peavine Ridge region. It requires special treatment to cultivate this species well in our low elevation Central Valley garden, but is worth the effort. Most forms have been long-lived in our garden.

[Robert]

These are second-generation seedlings of Clarkia gracilis spp. tracyi. I have had some self-seeding of this species in the garden this year, however additional progress is needed until the initial domestication process is completed.



Diplacus pictus is another California native annual. Full domestication of this species has been slow for us, but will be well worth the effort.



Erythranthe guttatus is a very common California native annual/short-lived perennial. My wife and I enjoy this species greatly. It blooms for many weeks in the spring into the early summer. The original wild seed source for this species was the drainage ditch on our farm property.



Penstemon heterophyllus var. purdyi is a reliable local native perennial species.



Castilleja affinis var. affinis has been a star performer in our garden. It is reliably perennial and blooms for many months each growing season. In addition, it is a xeric species that is well suited to our summertime heat.

[shelagh]

Lovely markings on the Diplacus, Robert.

[Robert]

Lovely markings on the Diplacus, Robert.

Shelagh

I am glad that you enjoyed the photographs of the Erythranthe and Diplacus species. 

The genus Erythranthe and Diplacus are well represented in California. Even within the relatively small region where I conduct research in the Sierra Nevada Mountains there are many species. Researching and developing our regionally local Erythranthe and Diplacus species will keep me very busy for a long time. We also have a diverse group of native Viola species in our local area. These too are exceptionally beautiful and diverse, especially the Viola purpurea group. Detailed research and development within the genus Erythranthe, Diplacus, Viola, and other local native species is slow but satisfying.

It is gratifying to know that their beauty is perceived and appreciated.