April 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere

[shelagh]

In May 2021 we bought an unusual Campanula F1 Takion blue which flowered beautifully. Late last year we spotted a seedling which put up a very long flowering stem with several buds. It was getting battered by the weather and was lying almost flat on the raised bed. Brian cut if off and brought it is to see if would flower. It has but it was rather a surprise.

[Pauli]

Some kind of persicifolia nitida or a hybrid with it?

[Leena]

Shelagh, very nice Campanula, both the blue one and the white.

Here spring is coming a second time this year, when new snow covered all two weeks ago.
Now snowdrops are coming through snow, and also Leucojum vernum.

[Robert]

Leena,

Concerning your weather, my wife Jasmin this morning said, “With weather like yours we should not complain about ours.”

[Jasmin]:  I too was impressed by the resilience of your Galanthus ‘Mrs. Mcnamara in your temperatures!  I too would be prostrate, and sometimes am, but I am not sure I bounce back yet!  Right at the moment the thermometer says it is a toasty 8 C; however, the wind is straight out of the arctic.

Robert:

Even here in our part of Northern California winter does not want to release its grip. Frost advisories are still being issued for our region and low temperatures in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are still in the -18 C range. We have been complaining for years that there has been no winter and now we are finally getting winter. Winter does not want to leave us quite yet. Maybe when the temperature turns 46 C again this summer I will be justified complaining about the weather.

As pictured above, the development of our garden is progressing, if a bit slowly.



Our redesigned front border is progressing now that some sort of spring is arriving. Eschscholzia lobbii ‘Sundew’ survived all the drenching rain this winter. I planted Gilia capitata at the same time and they all were flooded out. At least I have replacement plants to plug in over the next few days.



Erythroniums are still blooming in our garden. Erythronium oregonum (pictured) bloomed well for us this year.



Nemophila maculata is looking great this season. The plants in our garden are preforming much like the plants I observe in the wild. This is a big step forward toward design success in our garden.



We have many old established clumps of Sisyrinchium bellum in our garden. They are not the least bit weedy for us and they do occasionally seed around. Our other local native Sisyrinchium species also do well in our garden. They are not weedy either.

[Jasmin]:  We have our choice of weeds, some of which we attack ferociously, and others we are more languid about.  We all know the ones that are lovely thugs, that we must reduce their numbers before they drown out any semblance of any other plant life, but are pretty in their own right, as compared to the ones that have no merit whatsoever.  Rather than a Plant of Merit, these are the Weeds of Merit.  Now that the ground is less soppy, it is time for me to tackle the other three clumps of weedy Crocosmia, and there is no shortage of weedy violets; although they are forming a lovely lilac carpet right now.  The weedy Gladiolus relative that made a nice bouquet, so at least it cannot seed around and adds a nice fragrance.  Even dandelions have some merit, being edible.

[Robert]

We are also making progress with Nemophila menziesii var. menziesii in our garden. Although there are a number of excellent varieties of this species, we prefer the wild types and a more naturalistic look in our garden.

Despite the relatively cold weather it is time to return to the garden and get some planting and weeding done. At least the rain has stopped for the time being and the sun is shining.     

[Leena]

Leena,
Concerning your weather, my wife Jasmin this morning said, “With weather like yours we should not complain about ours.”

Robert and Jasmin, though I would love to being able to garden all year round, I don't think I could cope with your summer temperatures.
So there are good and bad in both climates.

Lovely views again from your garden!

[Mariette]

@ shelagh: it will be interesting to learn what Your campanula-seedling turns out to be!

Robert & Jasmin, Your garden is a colourful joy all year round, yet April is the month when we start catching up in our part of the world. March was very rainy (100 mm) and cool, so the development is not as early as expected previously.

Most Scilla / Chionodoxa siehei are almost withered, this year I noticed a white seedling for the first time.



A dark coloured Corydalis cava.



My biggest clump of Fritillaria meleagris is a self-sown seedling growing far away from the others under an apple tree behind the vegetable plot.



Arum maculatum and primulas.



Camellia japonica ´Kuro Tsubaki´.

[MarcR]

Mariette,

My scilla and chiondoxa are just starting. Camellia japonica ´Kuro Tsubaki´ is really intense!
I really like it. My Corydalis cava are paler than yours.

[Mariette]

´Kuro Tsubaki´is also called the black camellia, this plant is more than 50 years old. I saved it from my parents-in-law´s garden when the house was sold 9 years ago. We had to cut it back for transport in our car, and it looks not completely recovered yet, but I´m glad my father-in law´s treasure survived, after all.
In my garden, I grow only white Corydalis cava and some reddish and dark selections. I might collect seed, but if they hybridised, the colours may not be as good.

[Robert]

The weather has finally shifted. Warm, sunny, spring-like days prevail, perfect weather for planting food crops and getting the ornamental garden in order.

The scene above is our front yard side border. Remodeling this border started last autumn. There is still a great deal to do. The new design still needs to grow in, however this border is looking much better.



This is a view of the same border from the opposite direction. Eschscholzia lobbii ‘Sundew’ and Tulipa clusiana ‘Peppermint Stick’ are preforming very well in this border. Erythranthe bicolor, Erythranthe guttata, and Diplacus pictus are coming along well and will be at their prime very soon. My late blooming line of Gilia capitata will start blooming a bit later this spring.



The backyard is a riot of color. This is my attempt to mimic the natural wildflower displays of Interior California. Our main path to the back of the garden is now dominated by Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons in full bloom. Tritelia laxa, Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus, and Triteleia ixioides ssp. scabra are blooming among the blooming Eschscholzia ceaspitosa and Salvia sonomensis.



Here is another view near the same path. The scene is very interior California-like. Heteromeles arbutifolia, Styrax redivivus, various Arctostaphylos species and many other California native species are arranged along the path.



Toward the far back the garden is also dominated by California native species. Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ as well as many Nemophila species, and native Iris species dominate this part of our back yard. Rhododendron luteum ‘Golden Comet’ can be seen blooming in the background. Its delightful fragrance fills the air during the warm afternoon.

[Robert]

Here Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ can be seen with a common Wallflower.



The typical light lavender-blue form of Triteleia laxa can be seen with other blooming plants (Ixia and Moraea).



Our Ethiopian barley is maturing beautifully. It looks like it will be a bumper crop this year. Jasmin and I are now eating the last of last year’s crop. The flavor and nutritional value of our homegrown barley exceeds anything we could possible purchase here in the U.S.A. The flavor of this barley is outstanding!



Up at our Placerville property Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis is coming into full bloom.



Here is another scene of Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis at our Placerville property. I attempt to imitate natural interior California scenes in our Sacramento garden. I have a ways to go, however good progress is being made. I am very pleased how our garden is evolving.

[Jasmin]:  Most days have been 9-11 C.  This past weekend they had predicted 20 C, with a super warm Monday of 25 C; however, what we really had was a day of total intense sun and 27 C.  This intensity really shows in Robert’s pictures.  After so much rain, Robert actually had to water containers yesterday.  It has cooled back down, and is presently 11 C. 

The garden is indeed a riot of color, and everything takes on additional shades from the sheer quantity of pollen coating every surface.  The Quercus catkins are falling, and the pollen coats every available surface, altering the colors with the fine yellow powder.  There is so much going on now, it is difficult to know where to look or where to begin and can be a bit overwhelming after such a long hibernation.  Fortunately, it is amazing how much can be accomplished in just 15-30 minutes, and generates so much satisfaction.

In the higher elevations, winter is still very entrenched under thick snow, but the Placerville property is low enough to have lost her tease of snow, and to start her journey of spring.  Now is the season when fruit and nut farmers fret the most, as the trees begin their bloom, when the return of hard frost is still very much a possibility.  Last year, our entire Placerville orchard had no crop because a hard freeze hit the tender new growth and blossoms.  Early fruits such as cherries and strawberries can be hit hard by rain and hail, and the almond growers are always singing dirges about the almond crops being ruined by frost and rain on the flowers.  We gardeners and farmers are all risk takers, in our dance with Nature.

Now the canaries are mad at me, buzzing by.  With the sun out, they want me to open the door to the aviary.  The passive solar has not yet warmed the space enough for them.  Bossy, impatient birds!

Photographs of specific plants are next...  Soon...        

[MarcR]

Robert,
Your garden is beauitiful, as always. Thank you for suggesting Seedhunt! I planted Diplacus grandiflorus and picta yesterday. they will be starting a bit late but will likely miss the summer heat. I will put them in a window box so I can bring them into an air conditioned room if they arrive later than expected.

[Robert]

Hi Marc,

Thank you for the kind remarks concerning our garden. Obviously we like and enjoy our garden too.

Good luck with Diplacus grandiflorus and D. pictus. I will be very curious to learn how they perform for you. In our area, Diplacus grandiflorus is found growing in the canyons of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I have a great deal of information to share concerning this species. For one thing, it can sometimes be found growing out of rock crevices in dull black rock (nearly a black body). How they endure the extreme heat and drought is simply amazing. Despite its xeric preferences it is not that difficult to grow in our garden, at least if we keep it on the dry side during the summer.

[MarcR]

Robert,
Thank you for the culture advice.

[Robert]

Mariette

The photographs from your garden are fabulous. I especially enjoy the Corydalis cava and Fritillaria meleagris since they are species that have never grown well in our garden. [Jasmin]:  Thank you for the opportunity to have the vicarious pleasure of these lovely plants!

A vegetable garden…?  This sounds interesting to me, but I have to admit that I have always enjoyed growing vegetables since I was a teenager.

[Jasmin]:  I enjoy good food, so that is a major incentive.  However, one year long before Robert and I knew each other and married, I had planted a nice vegetable bed.  I was particularly excited by my kale plants that year.  One day, I looked out at my vegetables to see nothing in the distance!  I looked again, shocked, and there was a rabbit finishing the last of my garden.  It was a neighbor’s escaped pet too, so it was not something I could do anything about beyond capturing it and returning it.  They were happy to have their rabbit, but I never felt they completely understood.

More scenes from our Sacramento, California garden:



This might not be the best photograph, however I like the incorporation of my Ranunculus occidentalis hybrids, with California native Iris species, and Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii. In my mind, this scene is very beautiful when seen in person.



I especially enjoy our California native Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii. There are already many fine named varieties of this species available, however I enjoy this species to the point where I continually grow new plants from wild gathered seed and hybridize them with my existing plants. I enjoy creating tailor-made plants for our garden.



In this photograph Camassia leichtlinii ssp. sukdorfii is growing next to Acer palmatum ‘Red Filigree Lace’.



Acer palmatum ‘Mirte’ with more Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii in the background.



Acer palmatum ‘Beni Fushigi’ is quite striking when its leaves first emerge in the spring.