June in the Northern Hemisphere 2020

[Maggi Young]

This made me smile. An appreciative audience??
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/jun/22/barcelona-opera-reopens-with-performance-for-nearly-3000-potted-plants-video

    I expect  so - at  least  they  weren't  coughing  or  answering their  phones!! 

[shelagh]

Isn't it grand to be alive with all this colour and diversity of form around us.

[cohan]

Jeepers, I'm really behind, lots of good stuff! so a multi post reply in one...

1. Blackstonia perfoliata. This strange annual or biennual member of the Gentianaceae is a British native. I sprinkled the tiny seeds on bare soil in September 2019 and noticed germination by November. From April 2020 the seedlings started growing quite fast. Each plant has a single stem and the starry flowers only open in sunshine. In the wild it grows on calcareous soil but this does not appear to be a necessity in cultivation.
2. Gentiana septemfida. I have bought this common species in the past as G. altaica and G. sikokiana and the plant here shown is from the SRGC seedlist 2017/2018, where it was listed as G. calycosa. This is the first flower, which opened today.
3. Silene sieboldii, a Japanese woodlander also known as Lychnis sieboldii.
4. Spiraea morrisonicola, a dwarf species from Taiwan. First flowering from seed, ex SRGC seedlist 2018/2019.

Andre-- some great stuff there, congrats on the Blackstonia!

Knud-- re: Sorbus -I've seen something somewhere that gave me the idea the fruits could 'possibly' be pink, but I have no confidence in that-- esp as it is an 'cf' not a sure species wilsoniana.. Autumn colour is absolutely brilliant, already seen since the plants were tiny.
re:white clover-not hitting peak here yet, but this invasive European, planted for forage and probably lawns and widely spread on its own...  along several other non-native clovers, they are very common here, the only plus--besides being popular with insects and good for grazing- is that they at least do not form exclusive stands, and native plants can grow among them... the scent is indeed sweet when they are en masse!

Zdenek-- I have a soft spot for Potentillas, that one is a treat!

Leena-- nice tulips, whatever the name-- the stories of how they end up labelled can be interesting in itself! moving a peony-- someone is ambitious

Graham-- nice troughs- whole miniature landscapes

Gabriela-- for now I do not have to worry about Facebook's shortcomings-- there was some kind of problem with my account-- they never specified, and due to short pandemic staffing, they could not review, and now say it is too late, so no FB!

Ian-- Olearia macrodonta is interesting-- Asteraceae trees/shrubs is something I don't see here!

Rudy-- that's a nice Campanula!

[cohan]

1-Androsace chamaejasme-- a reasonably common native in montane and higher zones west of here-- the tight foliage is one of its charms, it seems the spot in my garden is a bit too soft for that, which I would not have thought for the spot it is in... if it makes seed, I'll have to try to get some in a more exposed site; seed was from Lori
2-Androsace septentrionalis-- not one of the choice rock garden species with tight growth and large flowers, but the sprays of tiny flowers on this monocarpic native are charming nonetheless, and when the plants dry they go red, arguably their showiest phase, if you allow a patch of them to grow! I enjoy the tiny first year rosettes, also.. this one I introduced to my rock garden way back in my teen years, it survived in the overgrown garden for my decades away (probably seed bank) and re-emerged when I started rebuilding after 2007. Yes those are dandelions in the background-- here in agricultural country, where entire fields are yellow in late spring/early summer (now they are white with seed heads, and pink from the flowering stems!!) they will always be around, though I pull thousands annually, esp around smaller plants!
3-Erigeron compositus, pink flowered form, with a commercial Phlox subulata behind

[Leena]

Leena-- nice tulips, whatever the name-- the stories of how they end up labelled can be interesting in itself! moving a peony-- someone is ambitious

That peony is a hybrid grown from seeds and too close to another peony, so I was going to move it already last autumn but didn't get around to it.  It will go to my sisters this year.

Some more peonies from today, and second picture from another part of the garden which is more "wild", but I like this spot.
Aquilegia 'Ruby Port'.

[Mariette]

Lovely pics, Leena! The peonies are withered here, though ´Myrtle Gentry´was still in flower a few days ago behind the budding Veratrum album.



Now that the veratrum is in flower, Veronica ´Sunny Border Blue´joins it.

[Mariette]

Hollyhocks are quite ordinary plants, but I like the subtle tints of this one.

[Maggi Young]

there was a time  when every  garden has  some  hollyhocks, but  we  hardly  see  them these  days. I think because  they are  susceptible  to various rusts etc.  Yours is a  very  pretty  colour, Mariette - I love that soft  shade .

[Leena]

Lovely pics, Leena! The peonies are withered here, though ´Myrtle Gentry´was still in flower a few days ago behind the budding Veratrum album.

Thank you Mariette  , your Veratrum and hollyhocks are also really nice.
My 'Myrtle Gentry' is soon opening it's flowers so we are not very much behind any more. It has been hot last week, +30C and very dry, but today weather cooled down, and it feels so nice when it is not so hot.

Here are some more peonies, the one in the foreground is 'Garden Lace' which in the beginning of flowering is pink, but it has now faded to almost white which I don't remember happening earlier. The white double on the left is 'Shirley Temple' and the one on the right nameless old peony.
Iris sibirica in the second picture is one I have grown from seeds, and it is very nice. It flowers now for the second time.

[ashley]

there was a time  when every  garden has  some  hollyhocks, but  we  hardly  see  them these  days. I think because  they are  susceptible  to various rusts etc.  Yours is a  very  pretty  colour, Mariette - I love that soft  shade .

I agree.  Those hollyhocks are such a lovely colour Mariette, and with the darker veins in the petals.

Your garden looks beautiful as always Leena  
This Iris sibirica (now over) came from the seed exchange too and I really like it.  The dark veins on Papaver orientale 'Patty's Plum' are nice too.

[Hoy]

From my summerhouse "garden". These Rhodohypoxis baurii have been grown here outside for 3 years now. I planted them outside as I was tired of bringing them inside during winter.

[Hoy]

I do grow several succulents here at my summerhouse because the climate is somewhat dryish. Sempevivums are among the favorites.

[Gabriela]

Beautiful pictures from all!
Nice color on the Pattys Plum Ashley, a break from the usual orange/red varieties.

Good success with Rhodohypoxis Trond; we should always be more adventurous with the planting!

Few from the last weeks with warmer weather than usual; it is hard to believe July is only to begin this week.
Clematis integrifolia

Chrysogonum virginianum 'Norman Singer', nice NA species good in the shade or sun, deserves more prize

Roscoea cautleyoides (growing in the ground hence the late flowering for a cautleyoides)

A beauty new to flower, Linum hypericifolium, slightly fragrant as well.

[Leena]

Your garden looks beautiful as always Leena  
This Iris sibirica (now over) came from the seed exchange too and I really like it.  The dark veins on Papaver orientale 'Patty's Plum' are nice too.

Thank you Ashley.  Of course I don't take pictures of spots with ground elder, my enemy.

'Patty's Plum' is very nice colour! I'm not so fond of Papavers but that is special.

Your iris also is really nice, with quite wide petals and dark colour.

[cohan]

From my summerhouse "garden". These Rhodohypoxis baurii have been grown here outside for 3 years now. I planted them outside as I was tired of bringing them inside during winter.

Trond--I knew you were in the subtropics
 some, not all, of the Semps are flowering here now, too..

Gabriela-- opposite here, it has been cool and rather wet! Pouring at the moment, rain forecast nearly every day this week, high of 13 today, we might get a couple of 20's over the week...
That Chrysogonum is lovely-- yellow flowers are not scarce around here, but the foliage sets it off very well..

Mariette and Leena-- peonies still have only small buds here... (I only have a few old ones, they are always latish- mid July probably on average)