Meconopsis delavayi

[Lars S]

I have recently gotten hold of a plant of meconopsis delavayi. The plant even has a flower bud and looks healthy. Now, I have understood that this species is difficult to grow and I would need some advice what to do with it. Should I repot it in a bigger pot in gritty soil and try to grow it that way or should I plant it in a small peat bed that I have in my garden ? Unfortunately I do not have any troughs like mr and mrs Young but I will try to make one when I get time for it.

Thank´s

Lars

[Magnar]

Lars, where are yuo located? I live in Harstad, North Norway, and I grow my M. delavayi in the open garden, not giving them any special care.

[ranunculus]

Lars,
I have grown M. delavayi in pots for the past four or five years - they receive protection from heavy rain in the winter, but not from cold - they flower each year but put on very little annual growth. A beautiful little plant that has featured on this forum previously. Try 'Search' for images, etc.

[ranunculus]

Hi Lars,
The link to M. delavayi is to the old forum...

http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/36/34.html?1163424365

Hope this helps?

[Lars S]

Cliff, thank´s a lot. The link was certainly helpful. I think I will try to plant it in a shady spot of the garden. If I put the plant close to the peat blocks as Magnar recommends on his home page it might help to provide cool and moisture conditions. This species is certainly worth an extra effort.

Magnar, I live in Stockholm. I have heard that you are going to visit our local group of "Trädgårdsamatörerna" the coming autumn. I look forward to meeting you.

Talking about meconopsis, the seeds from the seed exchange (grandis, latifolia, dhwojji and rudis) have germinated well for me. I hope they will grow on well. The present weather conditions here at the moment should suit them well...

Lars

[gote]

I have been warned that this topic has been dead for 120 days. I do not quite understand the warning. If I post, it goes up to the top of the list of unread topics Right???
Anyway.
My delavayiis starts to flower just now. The colour is really stunning. One problem with them is that they nearly disappear completely during the winter so they look as lost. Then very late there is a kind of bud coming up. It is quite easy to destroy them by mistake. They like it in the grouind but not too exposed to the sun.
Göte
 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

What a gorgeous colour !!!! 
Good thing you didn't destroy the plant by mistake Göte... 

[gote]

I MIGHT have done just that.  They were three last fall and two this spring. I had counted all as dead early this year.
Göte

[Luc Gilgemyn]

oops 

[Hjalmar]

Beautiful plant, but I especially admire the neatly written labels!

[gote]

Beautiful plant, but I especially admire the neatly written labels!

I think I have said that before but what I do is that I buy strips of dark brown venetian blind stock from the local guy.
I then spray paint the front olive green using a car repair spray can. I used to cut them with scissors but nowadays i cut the points stacking ten and ten using a band saw and round the upper part on a sanding machine.
I write with an old fashioned pen with nib and use a black ink that was made up for me decades ago by a friend but when I run out of that I will use car paint for that also.
These labels are indestructible by weather - car paint is ver y durable and the aluminium does not corrode. They can of course be bent.
Göte

[Mad]

Gote, the colour of the Meconopsis is awsome! 

Maybe it's not the right place, but is there a Cypripedium in front of it?  What kind is it? Do you keep it outside? 
Thanks!

[gote]

Cypripedium ventricosum which is a natural hybrid between calcaeolus and macranthos.  (At least I think it is that it was bought unnamed)
Yes they are all outside all the year and get no covwering in the winter.
Göte

[John Aipassa]

Very beautiful colour Goete!

It is a stunning plant, which is hardly available in the trade unfortunately. I sometimes get hold on some seeds, but I have never managed to germinate them. May be this is one of these gems unreachable for me 

Cheers, 

[arisaema]

I just potted up 13 of them, so getting rid of one probably wouldn't be such a bad idea... John, PM me in a month or so.