Some plants I encounter in Norway.

[Gabriela]

Nice pictures Trond. Seems like fun to go looking for Cotoneasters

I've never seen Hedera trained like this in a hedge, a great idea I must say! And if the fruits are not wanted you can easily trim them.
In humid/milder regions of Canada it is considered invasive, but otherwise a very useful 'evergreen' for our long winters; little others broadleaves which can resist the cold, drying winds of the winter (on exposed situations Hedera leaves can also dry out).

[Maggi Young]

I've never seen Hedera trained like this in a hedge, a great idea I must say! And if the fruits are not wanted you can easily trim them.
In humid/milder regions of Canada it is considered invasive, but otherwise a very useful 'evergreen' for our long winters; little others broadleaves which can resist the cold, drying winds of the winter (on exposed situations Hedera leaves can also dry out).

It  would  be  a  shame to do that  (anywhere where the  plant is  NOT considered  an invasive)  because  Hedera  flowers  are  a  huge  boom for  pollinators. 

[Gabriela]

I was referring to the fruits Maggi, before they mature.

[Maggi Young]

I was referring to the fruits Maggi, before they mature.

Sorry, Gabriela, my  mistake.

[Hoy]

Nice pictures Trond. Seems like fun to go looking for Cotoneasters

I've never seen Hedera trained like this in a hedge, a great idea I must say! And if the fruits are not wanted you can easily trim them.
In humid/milder regions of Canada it is considered invasive, but otherwise a very useful 'evergreen' for our long winters; little others broadleaves which can resist the cold, drying winds of the winter (on exposed situations Hedera leaves can also dry out).

Thank you, Gabriela.

It was an interesting oting looking for Cotoneaster. We did see many other plants also!

It is not uncommon to train ivy like that. Usually it climbs on a fence though. I have a couple meters of it myself. Although the ivy can be a nuisance it is not regarded as invasive because it is native.

I trim my ivy in spring if necessary but the flowering part do not grow very rapid so it isn't necessary to do anything each year.

[Hoy]

A couple days ago I visited a friend. He has some very interesting plants in his garden. Here are two of them.


Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata'. He has two of this one, and they have both survived for many years outside in his garden.




Olive tree (Olea europea) has also survived several years. The worst enemy so far is not the winter but the roe deer which also like it very much.





Flowering in my garden now is this waterlily (name unknown).




Also several rhododendrons are in flower at this time. Among them is 'Scarlet Wonder'.





This bromeliad, Fascicularia bicolour, seems to prepare for blooming. I have had it outside for 5 years but it doesn't flower each year.

[cohan]

Have to look out for it I presume!

To not walk on it, you mean? It is not uncommon, so I don't worry about it, of course if there is one nice plant alone, I would step around it.. in other places it grows among other plants in denser vegetation, and there the radial form is not so obvious..

[cohan]

Thank you, Gabriela.

It was an interesting oting looking for Cotoneaster. We did see many other plants also!

It is not uncommon to train ivy like that. Usually it climbs on a fence though. I have a couple meters of it myself. Although the ivy can be a nuisance it is not regarded as invasive because it is native.

I trim my ivy in spring if necessary but the flowering part do not grow very rapid so it isn't necessary to do anything each year.

I had no luck with the Hedera seeds I got from you, so I still have not tested the hardiness here...lol Only the one Cotoneaster I've shown.. Are any of the exotic species problematic where they have escaped there?  Here, they are not common, so I don't see a problem-- yet, anyway! they just add to the diversity of understory plants..

[cohan]

A couple days ago I visited a friend. He has some very interesting plants in his garden. Here are two of them.
Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata'. He has two of this one, and they have both survived for many years outside in his garden.
Olive tree (Olea europea) has also survived several years. The worst enemy so far is not the winter but the roe deer which also like it very much.
Flowering in my garden now is this waterlily (name unknown).
Also several rhododendrons are in flower at this time. Among them is 'Scarlet Wonder'.
This bromeliad, Fascicularia bicolour, seems to prepare for blooming. I have had it outside for 5 years but it doesn't flower each year.

Some exotic things! Is it normal for the Rhodos to flower now, or out of season?

[Maggi Young]

Some exotic things! Is it normal for the Rhodos to flower now, or out of season?

There  are  some  Rhodos that will throw  up the  occasional flower   "out  of  season" - and there  are  aslo quite  a  few  which will regularly give  extra  flowers at odd times  of the  year.  I have  a lovely R. saluense  that is  hardly  ever  without  a  flower, and  can have  almost  full flushes a  couple  of times  a  year.
At the  moment, I'm very  pleased  with the  "bonus" flowering on  this  R.  taliense x lacteum hybrid in my  front garden, which I featured  in the  most  recent  issue  of  IRG ....



 The  issue  of  IRG - International Rock Gardener ( published  free  on SRGC every  month since  2010  is  here: https://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2020Sep241600957311IRG129.pdf

[cohan]

There  are  some  Rhodos that will throw  up the  occasional flower   "out  of  season" - and there  are  aslo quite  a  few  which will regularly give  extra  flowers at odd times  of the  year.  I have  a lovely R. saluense  that is  hardly  ever  without  a  flower, and  can have  almost  full flushes a  couple  of times  a  year.
At the  moment, I'm very  pleased  with the  "bonus" flowering on  this  R.  taliense x lacteum hybrid in my  front garden, which I featured  in the  most  recent  issue  of  IRG ....



 The  issue  of  IRG - International Rock Gardener ( published  free  on SRGC every  month since  2010  is  here: https://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2020Sep241600957311IRG129.pdf

Looks like a lovely plant all around Rhodos are not a big thing here, I've seen a few hybrids/cultivars for sale...lol only one on the acreage is wild R groenlandicum (Ledum), a fave but growing in deep shade, so not tons of flowers.

[Hoy]

I had no luck with the Hedera seeds I got from you, so I still have not tested the hardiness here...lol Only the one Cotoneaster I've shown.. Are any of the exotic species problematic where they have escaped there?  Here, they are not common, so I don't see a problem-- yet, anyway! they just add to the diversity of understory plants..

I can send more seeds next spring if you like. Seedlings pop up around here so some of the seeds should be fertile.

Cotoneasters have spread a lot during the last 20 years or so. We have only 2 native species but between 10 and 20 exotic ones. The exotic ones prefer calcareous soil where the native flora is most diverse and it is no doubt that the Cotoneasters displace native ones and also shade out many species. On more acidic soil they tend to just mingle with the natives! Also some lupins (and quite a few others) are problematic but not close to where I live.

[Hoy]

Some exotic things! Is it normal for the Rhodos to flower now, or out of season?

It is the same here like Maggi tells. Some Rhodo species flower every spring and also again every fall, others do not. The spring bloom is always better than the later ones though.

When I moved to the west coast 35 years ago it was just a handfull of different Rhodo cultivars available at the local garden centers. Now it is hundreds.

[Hoy]

There  are  some  Rhodos that will throw  up the  occasional flower   "out  of  season" - and there  are  aslo quite  a  few  which will regularly give  extra  flowers at odd times  of the  year.  I have  a lovely R. saluense  that is  hardly  ever  without  a  flower, and  can have  almost  full flushes a  couple  of times  a  year.
At the  moment, I'm very  pleased  with the  "bonus" flowering on  this  R.  taliense x lacteum hybrid in my  front garden, which I featured  in the  most  recent  issue  of  IRG ....

Looks very good, Maggi!

[Hoy]

Not plants but still attractive!

Cladonia portentosa and Ramaria flava.




Amanita muscaria (and an intruder!).




Sticta ciliata, a very rare lichen.




Betula in the boat. Someone has forgotten to scoop the boat.




Sorbus rupicola, a very attractive small tree or large shrub.