June 2022, Northern Hemisphere.

[Herman Mylemans]

As you can see once you have Iberis Masterpiece you are never without it.

Shelagh, what a beautiful garden!

[shelagh]

John I have searched round the Helianthemum for a label, but no luck. Brian feels certain it came from Aberconwy and in their 2020 list they have Hartswood Ruby so it may be that one. It is taller than most with woody stems and grey/green foliage.

[shelagh]

Thanks for all the lovely comments and everyone else's wonderful pictures it seems summer has suddenly arrived.

[shelagh]

Mariette I remember seeing a pink Pyrola on a trip to Alaska. It was on the grave of an outlaw called Soapy Smith.

[Maggi Young]

From Anton Edwards ....


Painting with alpines.

[Maggi Young]

Again from Anton ....


Twenty five years makes a difference to an empty field. Evening sun at Caputh.

[shelagh]

Lovely pictures. Thanks for posting them Anton and Maggi.

[Andre Schuiteman]

1. I think this is Erodium castellanum. Grown from AGS seed (list 69) sown in January 2021. The seed was listed as E. daucoides, which has much hairier leaves. Some sources state that E. castellanum is a synonym of E. carvifolium. I have not tried to get to the bottom of this.

2. It is hard to over-water Trollius altaicus but easy to under-water. The cool, rainy weather we have just had was to its liking and it has produced the largest flower I have seen on it so far, fully 7 cm across.

[Robert]

Shelagh,

Thank you for posting all the delightful photographs from your garden. The plants are beautifully grown and inspirational. We both enjoy your photos immensely.

Redmires,

I enjoyed your comments concerning the “June Gap”. The last paragraph concerning vegetable produce and fruit caught my attention. I was born and raised in California. Our part of California has the potential to be a “Garden of Eden”. I can pick ripe fruit everyday of the year. The same can be said for vegetables. I can double crop grains and calorie crops. A barley/rye rotation followed by Maize/West African Pearl Millet provides grain to eat and a great deal of biomass/carbon for the garden. Potatoes harvested in the late spring followed by Sweet Potatoes harvested in the autumn provide calories. Avocados, Almonds and other nuts provide proteins and high quality fats. Here in our part of California, with land, water, and the desire, anyone can produce an abundance of food. Elsewhere depending on the climate producing a year round supply of fresh food is more problematic.

Akke,

I guess this leads me into a discussion of the “June Gap” in our ornamental garden. Since our California climate is amenable to year round fruit and vegetable production, a year round flower display should be equally possible. I think that I have been looking in the wrong direction for guidance with our ornamental garden. Plant species suitable for our hot, dry climate are a must. Recently, I have turned my attention to the many mountainous Meso American species that are relatively easy to grow in our climate. Salvia guaranitica blooms all summer and looks great right now. Salvia gesneriflora, S. cacaliifolia, and S. sinaloensis are all species I have grown in the past and they too will bloom all summer, or in the case of Slavia gesneriflora all winter. Salvia semiatrata grows in our front yard and it too blooms all winter. I needed to look closer at my seeds in the refrigerator. The other day, I found seeds for two forms of Salvia coccinea, a spectacular tall growing form of Salvia splendens, and Salvia praeclara. These have all been planted and have germinated.  On the subject of progress in the garden…  I have a number of on going vegetable trials this year. Two different lines of Lebanese Light Green Squash that I have developed out produce highly rated hybrid varieties. In addition, they are much more resistant to insect damage, Mosaic Virus, and heat stress. This is an example of the virtues of saving our own seed from plants in our gardens.

I enjoyed your photograph of the ant carrying away a Crocus seed. My attempt to get any of my Crocus to set seed failed again. Bummer! The Genus Tulipa continues to present challenges in our climate. Tulipa clusiana is easy and weedy, however others present more challenges. Slow progress is being made developing hybrids that require little winter chilling and have a high degree of disease tolerance. Another challenge with breeding Tulipa varieties in our garden is finding space to grow the plants that is amendable to their culture and the plants they share space with. Maybe, I can work them into the front yard gardening scheme.

How our climatic situations are different. You have Nemophila and Phacelia flowering. Here I have processed the seeds of our spring blooming California native annuals and have them under refrigeration until they are planted out in late September – early October. Seed of EA Celery and D’Avignon Radish will be ripen soon or is continuing to develop. Our token planting of Rye and Barley was a 100 % success! They have been harvested and the grain is now being threshed. Much more can be grown at our Placerville property next year.

Do you have a location where you can grow food crops? You mentioned strawberries and potatoes. I just did not get a good understanding of your situation.

Earlier in the week the weather was cool and there was some rain. The skies cleared and the weather turned hot and dry. The temperature reached 37.3 C at both the Placerville property and at our Sacramento home. Now, 12 June, it is overcast and raining again.



Mariette,

Your garden is amazingly beautiful, especially the color combinations of flowers and foliage. The soil looks very clay-like. If so, this must present challenges. Is the dry weather continuing? Here in California we have irrigation water for when there is no rain – like all summer into the autumn. During extreme drought even the reservoirs dry up and then it is a complete disaster.

It seems like your Diplacus pictus are now doing well. Diplacus pictus thrives in our garden. I could provide some cultural advice; however it seems that you have the situation well under control.

Rudi,

It looks like your woodland garden takes care of itself. Everything looks lush and flourishing.

Well…  I had a whole set of photographs to post but they disappeared, except one, an Erythranthe lewisii x cardinalis Yellow Flowered Form F1 hybrid. I have a whole range of color forms in the F1 group of plants. The F2 plants have flower buds and will be blooming very soon.

[MarcR]

Robert,

Here in the mid-Willamette valley there is no June Gap. Daytime temperatures in the 70s F nights in the 40s and still getting rain.

[Redmires]

Pollinators on G. psilostemon hybrids?

I've never seen a bee on my G. 'Dragonheart' and I'm slightly puzzled. It's not that they just prefer other nearby plants, they give the Dragonheart a complete swerve, regardless of the local competition. I noticed today that another G. psilostemon-type in a nearby garden was being ignored whilst the bees were all over a nearby blue geranium. What are other forumists' experiences with this kind of geranium?

[Robert]

Hi Mark,

We are having the same general seesaw weather here in our part of California. Statistically this is not an unusual synoptic pattern for the west coast of North American during May and June. Some new changes are currently taking place. These changes are easy to see if one follows the changes in the flow of the jet stream on the 300mb Northern Hemisphere upper air map.

It sounds like there is no June Gap in your part of Oregon. The June Gap in our garden is more a function of my gardening choices and selection of plants. I will elaborate more on this and my solutions over time. Right now my wife and I have a busy day out in the world.

I hope that your garden is doing well.



Redmires,

Here in our part of California accelerating climatic changes are rapidly changing the behavior and populations of many insect species. Other rapidly changing environmental factors are also compounding these rapid behavioral changes and population shifts. Perhaps, similar changes are taking place in the UK. It will be interesting to learn what you discover in this regard. Plants too have to adjust to accelerating environmental changes. This is partly why I am back in agricultural and plant breeding. In California, the rapid changes are alarming. It is an emergency situation for those that understand what is taking place. Ian’s Young’s admonition to save seed and grow plants from our own garden seed is crucial.

[Gabriela]

From Anton Edwards ....

Painting with alpines.

It sounds about right!

Few garden regulars for June; already summer temperatures in SW ON, at times a bit too much.
Aconitum moldavicum, Dictamnus albus, Salvia pratensis and Clematis integrifolia.

[MarcR]

Gabriela,

Very pretty

[Herman Mylemans]

It sounds about right!

Few garden regulars for June; already summer temperatures in SW ON, at times a bit too much.
Aconitum moldavicum, Dictamnus albus, Salvia pratensis and Clematis integrifolia.

Gabriela, nice and happy flowers