June 2022, Northern Hemisphere.

[Gabriela]

Thank you Marc and Herman. June is the month when all sun loving, colorful species look the best, and most of them were grown from seeds.
I am particularly fond on Dictamnus albus, it is a fantastic perennial but also for nostalgic reasons.

Few more colors with Iris sibirica, Papaver atlanticum 'Flore-Pleno' (it will flower until fall) and the first flower of P. bracteatum.

[Herman Mylemans]

Thank you Marc and Herman. June is the month when all sun loving, colorful species look the best, and most of them were grown from seeds.
I am particularly fond on Dictamnus albus, it is a fantastic perennial but also for nostalgic reasons.

Few more colors with Iris sibirica, Papaver atlanticum 'Flore-Pleno' (it will flower until fall) and the first flower of P. bracteatum.

Gabriela, in our language Dictamus albus is called fireworks plant.

[Leucogenes]

Hi Robert

As always, I follow your reports in the background.... always with great interest and enthusiasm. As you know I am by now a big fan of the North American mountain flora. During my routine walk around the garden today, I made a whimsical discovery... currently blooming is a specimen of Eriogonum ovalifolium in a charming creamy white. Seeded 2020.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one flower has deciduous leaves forming in the middle of the flower.... exate shape and structure as at the base. I have never seen anything like this before.

Since you are an excellent connoisseur of native flora and have an excellent perception of small details, I would like to know if you have ever observed this phenomenon?

I find exactly these small things and details make gardening so infinitely delightful for me.

Thanks in advance and best regards
Thomas

[Robert]

Hi Thomas,

The somatic mutation on the Eriogonum ovalifolium is very fascinating. Very cool! I have never observed this type of somatic mutation on any of our local Eriogonum species (in the wild or our garden), however each season I always find a plant or two in our garden with a somatic or meiotic mutation. Most often the mutation is just an oddity, however sometimes with a creative mind there can be possibilities. Developing a mutation that takes a line of plants in a new direction is very rewarding, or at least it is for me. Depending on the situation, saving a desirable mutation can be challenging, but this is part of what makes gardening so fun and interesting.

What a keen eye! Thank you for sharing!

I have not been out botanizing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in many months. Hopefully I will be able to get out sometime in July. Now that the constraints of caregiving have ended for me, it is not surprising that I have drifted back into agriculture and plant breeding. My passion for agriculture started when I was very young. My grandfather was the superintendent of West Wind Farms, in Brentwood, California during the Great Depression. When I was young, all my mentors were farmers (Mr. Barrett) or involved in agriculture one way or another (Mr. Jones at the California Department of Agriculture). Mixed in there has always been an interest in ornamental species. Despite my passion for agriculture, I have no intention of giving up my pursuit of ornamental plants.

Yesterday, I was at the irrigation supply store and got into a conversation with one of the employees. He has an keen interest in California native plants species. This is easy to do when this person is not busy with other customers. We had a lively conversation about some of our local native Eriogonum species. Some species clearly thrive in our Sacramento garden and others species have possibilities. The topic of our native Primula species – or Dodecatheon – also came up. The lower elevation species also thrive in our Sacramento garden, however we both agreed that the high alpine species are gems. The question is how to develop these species so that they can actually be grown in our hot, dry, low elevation gardens. This is very much a challenge, but also can be an adventure too. As you say, there is no end to the fascination with plants.

Thank for posting. If possible keep in touch. Here in the USA things are getting strange with expensive petro prices (this partly limits my ability to travel to the Sierra Nevada mountains). 1970’s type inflation in the USA is going to lead who knows where. At least we have not had to contend with war on our own soil since 1865, unless one counts the attack on Pearl Harbor, or maybe 911.

Thomas, thank you again for the very interesting posting. Take Care!

[Leucogenes]

Hi Robert

Thanks a lot  for the quick and extremely helpful reply. How much I still have to learn about the world of plants is shown by the fact that I didn't even know the term somatic mutation until now.

Here in Europe, if at all, the particularly small-growing representatives of the Eriogonum are popular. Admittedly...I also totally like them. But I also find the half-high Eriogonum very decorative...you have to protect them here in the wet winters, of course. But the small effort is definitely worth it in my eyes.

Here's another example of this multi-faceted genus. Eriogonum strictum (sowing 2020, wild seed from Tronson Ridge in Washington, 1700 meters).

[Gabriela]

Thomas - your dedication to the Eriogonums (and others) is admirable!
I only had one in the rockery and perished after about 3 years, then didn't try to replace it. They are beautiful but not too easy in cultivation.

Gabriela, in our language Dictamus albus is called fireworks plant.

Herman, I guess in many languages the common name alludes to its inflammable properties. In English it is called gas plant or burning bush.
Other common names allude to the resemblance of its foliage with that of Fraxinus (ash tree); it is 'frasinel' in Romanian and very similar in French.
I also have young seedlings of the white flowered form, couldn't abstain to produce a few Our hot summers are very much on its liking.

[Leucogenes]

Robert

I have received more information on the mutant Eriogonum ovalifolium from my friend in Vancouver. Originally the seeds were collected in the Grasshopper Mountains near Princeton / BC. He also had this mutation on his flowers (photo).
Apparently it is anchored in the genetic material of the mother plant(?).
So I will take special care to harvest some seeds from it.


Gabriela

I too have lost some Eriogonum due to various influences. But that doesn't stop me from continuing to play the "advertising drum" for this genus. I just like the year-round interesting appearance. The flowers are a nice bonus. I guess that's where my obsession with New Zealand flora comes from, which will suffer especially on this extremely hot weekend.

I think my next step will be to join the Eriogonum Society to learn even more about this diverse genus.

[Robert]

Hi Thomas,

From the information you have provided, it appears that the “mutation” you observed with Eriogonum ovalifolium might be part of the natural genetic variation within the genome of the species. It might also be a meiotic mutation that has established itself within a local ecotype of this species. Whatever it is, the mutation is part of the natural evolution of genomes of plants.

Great eye! Thank you for bringing this to our attention.



I thought you might enjoy some of these photographs from our Sacramento garden.

This is Eriogonum elatum var. elatum from seed gathered in the Monitor Pass region of California. This species has been very easy to cultivate in our garden. The plants are 8 years old and still going strong.



This is a young Eriogonum niveum. I like the silvery foliage of this species. Time will tell how easy this species is to cultivate in our garden.



In our xeric garden Eriogonum grande var. rubescens and Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum are easy to cultivate in ordinary garden loam. The plants are over 10 years old and receive little or no summertime irrigation or rainfall.



Eriogonum umbellatum var. polyanthum is even easier to cultivate. Plants up at our Placerville property are well over 10 years old and still look great. They seem tolerant of xeric conditions as well as summertime irrigation.

Over many years, I have grown many plants of this subspecies from seed. There is some genetic variability within this subspecies. Interesting, but not noteworthy, variations have appeared.



Eriogonum umbellatum var. smallianum is an attractive dwarf plant. Here it is blooming with Clarkia gracilis ssp. traceyi, a perfect California combination.

[Robert]

Other plants from our garden…



Penstemon deustus var. deustus grown from seed gathered in the Rockbound Pass region of California.



This is one of many Lilium pardalinum hybrids in our garden.



More variation within our Lilium pardalinum hybrids.



A gold F1 Erythranthe cardinalis x lewisii hybrid.



This red flowering F1 Erythranthe cardinalis x lewisii hybrid has large flowers and blooms profusely.

[Robert]

Trumpet Lilies are starting to bloom in our garden.



The white Trumpet Lilies are often very fragrant.



This is the first flowering of F1 generation Monardella breweri ssp. lanceolata. I gathered seed of this California native annual on Peavine Ridge, California. The foliage is wonderfully scented of mint and the flowers are very showy. I am looking forward toward incorporating this annual into our Oasis Garden.



We also grow some nonnative species in our garden. Gladiolus dalenii grows well in our garden. I would not mind trialing other species, however I do have my hands full right now. I want to keep garden as a delight and not get overloaded with more than I can handle.

[Mariette]

So many attractive plants shown here! Erythranthe seems to be beautiful in all its forms, I admire Your hybridisation work with so many different species, Robert!

Albuca virens flowers two years after sowing.



Veratrum maackii var. parviflorum is the first of the genus to flower in my garden.



The green flowers are not especially showy, but it´s a plant of graceful habit.



This is the colour I imagine the true Geranium pratense ´Mrs Kendall Clark´ may have had - I wonder if this variety is still in existance.



Robert, You´re perfectly right about our soil, the picture shows the upper layers. The topsoil is dark due to the content of humus, but based on the 7 m clay below, the kind of which tiles were produced here in the past. Therefore, the thin layer of topsoil may store water for a long time, but when dried out, we lack connection to groundwater. This is why, for example, even deep-rooting trees like walnut and cherry had their leaves drooping already in May this year. Plants able to survive under these conditions have to be able to stand extreme drought as well as wet feet for a long time of the year - unfortunately, there are comparatively few. But I like to test new ones every year. For instance, one year I ordered seed of several species of eriophyllum, hoping they might get along in the cracks of our terrace´s pavement, but they didn´t.
I´m always grateful for advice, which is Yours concerning diplacus?

[ruweiss]

Dear friends,
thank you all for showing us all these beautiful plants from your gardens.
We suffered from very hot weather, the peak temperature was 38° at last
sunday - ideal conditions for high mountain plants. Now it is a bit cooler, but
I fear for similar or even higher temperatures in the next weeks.
Is it maybe better to replace most of our alpines with steppe plants and
cactii and other succulents?

[ruweiss]

More pictures:

[Robert]

Hi Mariette,

While viewing the photograph of your soil profile, I thought, what a challenge to garden with these soil conditions. You do remarkably well considering the challenges. Does the clay subsoil and rock impact the growth of the perennial species you grow? It seems like soggy soil conditions during the winter and spring could be an important issue with some perennial species.

The soil at our Placerville, California property has a similar profile. The underlying rock is serpentine and in places the soil drains very poorly. Fortunately the clay is mostly kaoinite. When the soil has a high carbon content it grows good crops and fruit trees providing the areas drain well.

My Erythranthe hybrids are a work in progress. I am working with a number of different Erthryanthe species with different goals in mind. It takes time until good results are achieved. I am so pleased that I have my garden projects up and going again after a 10-15-year pause to care for sick and dying parents. I hope that we can all stay in contact with one another. I think that there will be some that will be interested in the future results. I also work with edible fruits, small fruits, and vegetables and these projects are continuing where I left off 15-years ago. This Forum is about ornamental gardening, however someone will likely want to hear about the results with these plants too.

I like the Geranium pretense ‘Mrs. Kendall Clark’. At one time I grew many Geranium species and varieties. They seemed to do well despite the heat. Recently, I found a few more growing at the Placerville property and have moved them to our Sacramento garden. It is so much hotter now than it was 25 years ago! We shall see how they do.

I have more time on the weekends to write. I will describe how I grow Diplacus pictus and make a posting at this time.

Hi Rudi,

I just saw your latest posting. It is currently 38 C outside as I write this. This is typical late June and summertime weather for us in our part of California. It will not cool until the end of September. It must be very difficult contending with such heat when it comes infrequently and the garden is not set up to deal with the heat and maybe dry weather too? We have irrigation water. I understand in Europe, many garden by what farmers in California call “dry farming” i.e. no irrigation. The new challenges might provide new opportunities; at least this is how I view our situation here in our part of California.

[ruweiss]

Hi Robert,
we are not used to such high temperatures and reduce our activities during these days.
Most of the plants in the garden by th house get watered, but we leave our garden in the meadows
unwatered. Only new planted plants there are sometimes watered until they are established. Early
spring is the best time for it.