June 2022, Northern Hemisphere.

[Leucogenes]

Hello Robert

Thank you for the beautiful pictures of your Eriogonum and all the other stunning plants in your garden.

You will have a lot of pleasure with the Eriogonum niveum...I promise you that. I have this species too. The silvery foliage is very attractive. In combination with the white flowers, it's a really gorgeous plant.

One of my favourites is Eriogonum kennedyi var. alpigenum, which has developed very well with a small cover against winter wetness. The dense foliage forms beautiful cushions.

[Leucogenes]

Hello Rudi

The climatic changes are indeed making it more and more difficult to cultivate the high alpine treasures that we have learned to appreciate and love in the past.

Probably even more so in your hot south-west than here in the north-east.

But just as Robert mentioned, it also offers an opportunity for species that we have hardly tried here so far.

For example, Monardella macrantha from California, which has felt visibly at home in my rock garden for two years.

[Anders]

Shelagh, I totally agree with you. I got Tulipa sprengeri from Copenhagen Bot a few years ago and now is it well established in the garden, I absolute do not mind it seeding around. Likewise for Tulipa sylvestris that spreads both by seeds and stolons.

Anders

[MarcR]

It is now 28.8C [83F] here in western Oregon. I'm irrigating twice a day.
With all the June rain we got, Lupin, Trilliun and other Spring wildflowers are still blooming.

[Robert]

Hi Mariette,

This is how I start the majority of my California native annual species, including Diplacus pictus. For the best results, I sow the seeds late September to late October. In the low elevation areas of interior California, this is when the weather generally starts to cool and the first rainfall after the summer drought begins. In wild habitats, this is when seeds of native annuals would germinate naturally. I sow the seeds in 19 mm soil blocks using a soil blocker. With tiny seeds such as Diplacus pictus, I generally sow 3 or 4 seeds per block. I cover the depression in the soil block where the seeds settle with fine-sifted garden compost. I do not worry if all the seeds germinate; they generally all grow extremely well together. As the seeds germinate and grow, I plug the 19 mm blocks with the small seedlings into 50.8 mm soil blocks. As they grow larger, I transplant them into the ground, large tubs, or other containers. The soil in the containers and the open ground is rich, well-composted loam. This is the same soil in which I grow my vegetables, fruit trees and small fruits, such as strawberries. My soil block mix consists of 3 parts peat, 2 parts perlite, 1 part garden soil, and 2 parts cured compost from our compost piles. To this mix I add some lime, alfalfa meal, bone meal, and kelp meal. This is basically the same soil block mix that Eliot Coleman uses, so you can look it up on the Internet if you want more information. I never protect the seedlings from cold weather. Low temperatures rarely fall below -6.5 C at our Placerville property, and low temperatures rarely fall below -2.0 C at our Sacramento home. In their native habitats, some of the California native annuals I grow endure colder wintertime temperatures and periods of time when snow covers the ground for a week or more.

I have extremely good results growing our California native annuals using the above stated system. I also grow populations of plants, as large as possible. 20 to 25 plants is a minimum; however 50 or more is better. I also save all of my own seed and develop specific seeds lines with characteristics that I like. Saving seeds from just a few individual plants can lead to problems, even with inbreeding plants such as Lupinus. There are methods to get around the 20-25 plants limit; however this would require a lengthy discussion.

Hi Thomas,

You grow some very fine Eriogonum species. With how many species have conducted trials? Do you grow any of the rosette forming species such as Eriogonum nudum? It seems like you have a goodly amount of experience with a spectrum of species. It is rewarding that there is such a variety of Eriogonum species available to gardeners in Europe.

I one have one plant of Eriogonum niveum. I would be happier with a small population to get a better idea how this species preforms in our garden.

As Marc mentioned in his recent posting we too are experiencing hot weather here in Northern California. Daily high temperatures are running about 38 C. This type of weather is not unusual in our part of California during late June. The 00 UTC vapor pressure deficit has been running about 40 g/m³ (I convert the VPD to grams per cubic meter for my own convenience). Last July there were days when the vapor pressure deficit was nearly 60 g/m³. This was extreme and the need to irrigate was great. Currently it is hot, but thankfully it is not extreme.



Currently a number of Lilium henryi x ‘Louise’ are blooming.



Lilium henryi x ‘Louise’ performs well in our garden. The plants are very heat tolerant, resistant to virus infection, and long-lived.



The first of the F2 Erythranthe lewisii x cardinalis hybrids are beginning to bloom.



This chance Digitalis minor x purpurea hybrid is turning out to be a fine plant. This is the second flush of flowers on this plant. Unfortunately, this plant appears to be female sterile. In addition, I lost my line of Digitalis minor. Hopefully I can find more seed of this species in the future. I am hoping this plant will be, at least, a short lived perennial.



Oenothera biennis is weedy in our garden, however I would not want to be without this species. The flowers open in the evening and are delightfully fragrant. In the early morning when I am out checking on the garden, the flowers are still open and fragrant. What a delight! In addition, all parts of this species are edible. The roots are large and very flavorful. The young leaves also taste good, raw or cooked. The seeds can be eaten and also produce a highly nutritious oil.

[Robert]

Many, many years ago when we had a few visitors at our Placerville garden, during the spring a large striking specimen of Ferula sp. would always attract a great deal of attention. I do not grow Ferula in our Sacramento garden, however I do grow Apium graveolens, Celery. For me, Celery is a striking ornamental when it is in bloom. The 2-meter tall flowering plants will bloom for a month or more. I grow and save seed from a select strain I received from Ecology Action. This strain is no longer available so I keep it going myself. The plants produce more seed than I need. The extra seed is quite delicious to eat. When the plants are young, the celery stocks can be harvested all winter into the early spring. Juice made from the celery stocks is very high in minerals and is excellent to use when making salt-free pickled vegetables. I make salt-free pickled vegetables all the time. The seeds are also good in pickled vegetables. In our garden, Celery is an excellent substitute for Ferula.

[Maggi Young]

Many, many years ago when we had a few visitors at our Placerville garden, during the spring a large striking specimen of Ferula sp. would always attract a great deal of attention. I do not grow Ferula in our Sacramento garden, however I do grow Apium graveolens, Celery. For me, Celery is a striking ornamental when it is in bloom. The 2-meter tall flowering plants will bloom for a month or more. I grow and save seed from a select strain I received from Ecology Action. This strain is no longer available so I keep it going myself. The plants produce more seed than I need. The extra seed is quite delicious to eat. When the plants are young, the celery stocks can be harvested all winter into the early spring. Juice made from the celery stocks is very high in minerals and is excellent to use when making salt-free pickled vegetables. I make salt-free pickled vegetables all the time. The seeds are also good in pickled vegetables. In our garden, Celery is an excellent substitute for Ferula.

More useful information from you, Robert - thank you!

[Robert]

Hi Maggi,

Thank you for the kind comment. The integration of edible and ornamental plants in our garden is advancing into new and very exciting territory. There is much for me to share as I explore new plant species as well as reassess common plants and work with them in creative new ways. There is something new and exciting in our garden everyday. Other Forumist have their perspectives and experiences to share too. It just takes an expanding mind. Horticulture can advance into creative new unexplored realms.

[ruweiss]

Thomas,
your Monardella looks beautiful, you can be proud, to have such a plant.

[Rick R.]

Many Lilium bulbs are quite good to eat, too.  I've tried the flower buds, buy much prefer Daylilies.  I am especially partial to the open flowers of Hemerocallis citrina, and the inferior ovary that looks like the flower stem is the best part!

This is my Lilium 'Louise'.


It appears neither of us have the real deal, according to the RHS Lily Register

[Stefan B.]

It blooms beautifully now in my garden.

Petroselinum crispum (Parsley)

[Graham Catlow]

Visited Bo’mains Meadow today to see the Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha.
This is a meadow managed by The Scottish Wildlife Trust and is on the outskirts of Bo’ness and a five minute drive from my home. The Northern part of the meadow is a former reservoir that has been filled in. The Southern part has been undisturbed for many years and has the main population of this butterfly orchid.
The meadow is grazed during the winter by Shetland Cattle and sheep.


The Southern Meadow




Butterfly Orchid with the Common Spotted Orchid

[kris]

Two plants that flower now in the garden
1.Allium carolinianum
2.Cypripedium regina alba

[Robert]

Many Lilium bulbs are quite good to eat, too.  I've tried the flower buds, buy much prefer Daylilies.  I am especially partial to the open flowers of Hemerocallis citrina, and the inferior ovary that looks like the flower stem is the best part!

This is my Lilium 'Louise'.
(Attachment Link)

It appears neither of us have the real deal, according to the RHS Lily Register
(Attachment Link)

Hi Rick,

Dahlia tubers are edible too. I have never eaten any. I will give them a try sometime. I generally have plenty of extra tubers in the autumn. I have eaten lily bulbs. I guess it is good to know that they are edible, however I was not impressed by the flavor. Daylilies are much better. 

All my Lilium 'Louise' are hybrids with Lilium henryi. They date back to the 1990's when I was doing a lot of lily breeding. I will have to see if I can find the records on these hybrids. Right now I have time to work with Oriental Lilies. My goal is to
'go backward' to create tough disease resistant plants that look much more like a wild species. Lilies for the cut flower trade is not my thing at all.

[Mariette]

Kris, Your Cypripedium reginae alba is very beautiful, and I like the wild orchids in their natural setting shown by Graham Catlow equally well. Last Sunday we visited a local site where orchids grow wild, but found only 25% of the species in bloom we noticed 3 years ago. Obviously, spring was too dry.

Stefan, this colourful insect likes to visit the flowers of Myrrhis odorata in my garden, it´s common here since several years, too.Very pretty!

Robert, thank You so much for Your explanations concerning the culture of diplacus! Only one of the 4 seedlings of D. pictus which germinated did well enough to produce some seed, at least I hope so. Following Your advice I´ll try to get more seed to avoid inbreeding.
The first flower of a D. grandiflorus seedling will open the next days, yet the plants look a bit chlorotic. As I found no special requirements concerning pH for this species, I wonder what to do.
Eschscholzia californica self-seeds on my allotment, and the strongest plants are those which germinated in autumn. Usually our winters - I´m living in the area we call Niederrhein - are very mild, so it may work with other Californian annuals, too.
This is a perennial which may be of culinary value, too: Dystaenia takesimana isn´t, of course, as showy as Apium graveolens in flower, but the Korean Celery does well in my garden, with  Thalictrum przewalkii to the left.



Veratrum album is in flower now.



Veratrum syn. Melanthium virginicum as well.



Years ago, there was a kind of June- or July-gap in my garden, too, when my favourites, peonies and roses, finished flowering. Since then I looked for plants to continue the show, in this case Aconitum napellus and Galega x hartlandii Alba.



Robert, what may look like rock in the clay here is actually sheer clay, easily forming into solid structures. There are no rocks in our area, neither above nor below.