Floating gardens, simple hydroponics with living soil for difficult plants

[partisangardener]

In the old garden of my father was under some old willow trees a abundant stand of Cypripedium calceolus.
This is now for about 40 years only memory.
I have started today two hydroponic islands. The fleece material I used was some underwear out of micro fleece which was worn down in different armies.
But got a nice colour
I used the soil from the long gone stand of my fathers Cypripedium. Not much was left of it.
The old garden is no more used and covered with a wilderness of young and rotten wood speckled with garbage.

I hope that the fungi associated with the willow are still alive (the willows are still alive). They are supposed to be beneficial for Cypripedium.

I took some life willow material (roots and rooted sticks) from this stand and different soil-levels to place on my islands.

Furthermore some rotten willow-wood and a lot of mosses grown there on dead tree trunks and garbage.

When I get seeds or small plants from Cypripedium I will add them too. At the moment the willows and moss will grow there. And of course some special Leucojum
Here are the stages.

[partisangardener]

I have now a few not too small deflasced Cypripedium calceolus.
I put some more substrate from the old garden of my late father and planted them there.

Another nice surprise were on one of my new Cypripedium reginae Islands some Trillium pusillum var. alabamicum.
I got some small rhizomes of this species from a friend.
I discovered today 3 plants and two with buds. The leafs are deep violet-black colored and very attractive.
I hope they wont be damaged by the coming frost-period.

[MarcR]

 partisangardener,

You can protect thm from the coming frost by placing a bucket over them until the frost ends.

[partisangardener]

Thank you
I think large cup or something like this, will do it. They are so tiny.
Maybe I find something from a coffee to go.

[partisangardener]

Thank you again it worked and they start to flower. Not yet really open but I can see the white.
Another big problem are the birds.
A provisional solution in my Orchid and Trillium bucket worked with a lot of prickly twigs (Berberis).
The dangerous Mikado with the inch long stings was too much for my clever birds. But I myself turned out to be inadequate for this task.

Finally I had  another solution.
Two 3 meter iron rods bent over the bucket. Connected with some plastic covered wire works quite well and is not too much disturbing.
Taking pictures is now less difficult.

[partisangardener]

Yesterday my first non hardy islands are outside for hardening. Little Trees are Ulmus parvifolius "Hokkaido"

[partisangardener]

Even buckets are suitable.
Some small Primula with Pinguicula longifolia var. longifolia

[partisangardener]

Levisia rediviva germinated on the same island.
It is the wrong soil (tufa) an a bit too wet. Still they look healthy. Drainage on the little tufa rock is excellent.

[partisangardener]

One of my small Pinguicula seedlings has developed beautiful venation.
I thought there are on this island only P.grandiflora and a few P.vulgaris seeds. Maybe some other seeds got there by mistake or the mother was a P.grandiflora hybrid.
A slug had nibbled a bit on this small thing.

[partisangardener]

Another interesting seedling starts its second year. Chimaphila umbellata
This species is a lot more difficult than most other seeds I obtained from Gabriela.
I discovered last Summer in its first year a tiny seedling. Not sure yet that it is the real thing.
Very tiny, but what I read about this species here, there is no natural reproduction at the natural stands here.

[MarcR]

Axel,

Thank you for an interesting and informative thread.  I have learned much!

[partisangardener]

Several Gentiana species did germinate on one Island. Maybe some Rhododendron groenlandicum too.

[partisangardener]

Cypripedium acaule flowers in its third year for the first time. I grow it on an island together with a lot of Sphagnum, a willow and a japanese maple.
'I hope some mycorrhizal fungus is there too.

[Carsten]

Cypripedium acaule flowers in its third year for the first time. I grow it on an island together with a lot of Sphagnum, a willow and a japanese maple.
'I hope some mycorrhizal fungus is there too.

Congratulations, Axel!

[Yann]

Cypripedium acaule flowers in its third year for the first time. I grow it on an island together with a lot of Sphagnum, a willow and a japanese maple.
'I hope some mycorrhizal fungus is there too.

what's the substrat used?