April 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Mariette]

For me everything looks spectacular in the spring, including the 'weed' A. amurense

Thank You Gabriela, but in this case it actually proved to be a weed! Some years ago I found many seedlings under a clump of trillium and potted them. This is what they turned out to be.

[Andre Schuiteman]

1. Aethionema subulatum. Like many plants in my garden, this Turkish alpine is two weeks behind schedule compared to last year.

2. Glandora oleifolia (syn. Lithodora oleifolia). This is a species from the Spanish Pyrenees, where it is apparently very rare. It slowly increases by underground suckers – with emphasis on slowly. Does anyone grow the related G. nitida? This is similar in habit but with much more silky, silvery leaves and even brighter blue flowers. I would love to try that one.

3. Veronica armena. One of the earliest veronicas in the garden and easy in a dry, sunny spot.

[cohan]

Looking good, Kris-- love the Astragalus!
Leena-- I have a couple Corydalis poking up now, not much yet..
Gabriela- I had P mistassinica from west of here for a while in some pots I sunk in winter, they seem to be each short lived, and I think they may have faded away, as some other things in the pots grew too much..
Andre--that Aethionema is lovely!

[Gabriela]

Looking good, Kris-- love the Astragalus!
Leena-- I have a couple Corydalis poking up now, not much yet..
Gabriela- I had P mistassinica from west of here for a while in some pots I sunk in winter, they seem to be each short lived, and I think they may have faded away, as some other things in the pots grew too much..
Andre--that Aethionema is lovely!

I also grew P. mistassinica in a large container for a while Cohan, but I realized it would like more space to self seed and so I planted it in a naturally wet area in the garden.
Even in the wild it grows mostly by itself (or with other small size species), so it makes sense yours didn't like to be overwhelmed by other plants.
Otherwise, it is quite easy, super hardy and it flowers very fast.

[Leena]

Couple more Corydalis, pictures last night in the last sun.
Corydalis cava seeded among Paeonia obovata.
The other picture is Corydalis cava alba, though not white but creamy colour.
Nameless white C.solida in evening sun.

[Leucogenes]

My personal highlight this week... Townsendia spathulata  "Cotton Ball"

[Leucogenes]

Fantastic photos...Andre. I am totally fascinated by Glandora oleifolia. I don't know it yet and will try to get hold of some seed somehow. Endemic species are a special passion of mine.

Thanks for the inspiration.

[Tomte]

I am totally fascinated by Glandora oleifolia. I don't know it yet and will try to get hold of some seed somehow. Endemic species are a special passion of mine.

Strangely, I have not seen it set seed in the many years I have seen it in the botanical garden in MUC. However, it‘s apparently quite hardy as I have a small plant which thrives despite the rather harsh winter conditions in our garden. If you remind me again in autumn I may be able to send a rooted sucker 

[Leucogenes]

Strangely, I have not seen it set seed in the many years I have seen it in the botanical garden in MUC. However, it‘s apparently quite hardy as I have a small plant which thrives despite the rather harsh winter conditions in our garden. If you remind me again in autumn I may be able to send a rooted sucker 

Servus Tom

Thank you very much for your kind offer. I will try to keep it in mind. Even if I am a bit shy in this respect.😉

The flora of the Pyrenees is home to some really gorgeous species.

[Tristan_He]

The cold weather means it's a slow old spring, but the trees and shrubs are starting to come into leaf.



A nice red form of Acer palmatum (probably 'Atropurpureum').



This has made quite a substantial tree over the years. I have decided to plant a few more Japanese maples, this recently planted one below is 'Beni Kawa'



The willows are in full flower.

Salix helvetica



...and S. hastata.

[Tristan_He]

Two native Cardamines.



Cardamine / Dentaria bulbifera. Beautiful...



...but very invasive, it spreads rapidly by rhizomes and bulbils, I spend a fair bit of time controlling it these days. Oddly this is a rare native in Britain.



On the other hand, Cardamine pratensis, the cuckoo-flower is very common in the wild but no trouble in the garden. Here it is self-seeding around the pond. It also pops up in the meadow areas and has been steadily increasing. I like it not only because it's pretty but also because it is the foodplant for the orange-tip butterfly.

It gets its common name because it flowers at the same time the cuckoos arrive back from Africa, and this year the timing is right on cue.

[Tristan_He]

A few other things in flower. Geranium phaeum 'Samobor'



Lathraea clandestina is late this year but flowering well.



Fritillaria acmopetala, only planted last year so we'll see how it does longer term. It's a more striking plant than I was expecting.



Colchicum leaves in the damp meadow area. I know these aren't to everyone's taste but I think they really add something.



Ranunculus aconitifolius is a lovely plant for a border or a damp meadow area. The double form is commoner in cultivation but I am not a fan of double flowers in general, both because I don't like the look of them and because most of them are useless for pollinators as the nectaries and anthers are replaced by petals. This isn't at its best yet, the flower stems will lengthen giving an airier appearance, but at that stage it becomes very difficult to photograph!

 

[ruweiss]

Thanks to all the photographer for their lovely pictures,
let me add some pictures from the house and the garden:
Lewisia is a seedling from last year

[Andre Schuiteman]

Fantastic photos...Andre. I am totally fascinated by Glandora oleifolia. I don't know it yet and will try to get hold of some seed somehow. Endemic species are a special passion of mine.

Thanks for the inspiration.

I have to echo Tom in saying that I have never had seed on this plant. I will go out with a paint brush and try to pollinate it by hand. That said, I have also never seen seed in the common Glandora diffusa (usually called Lithodora diffusa), and yet I have had seedlings coming up from time to time.

[Leucogenes]

I have to echo Tom in saying that I have never had seed on this plant. I will go out with a paint brush and try to pollinate it by hand. That said, I have also never seen seed in the common Glandora diffusa (usually called Lithodora diffusa), and yet I have had seedlings coming up from time to time.

Thank you for the detailed information...Andre. The Glandora nitida you mentioned is really beautiful. Maybe someone here in the forum actually knows sources of supply for it...I would also be interested in it.