Flowers and Foliage July 2008

[gote]

Derek,
Ls rosthornii and henryii both have leaves of different kind on the same stalk. The upper ones are shorter and wider.
The flower could be any of them. Rosthornii has stiff stems and linear lower leaves. henryii is higher with weaker stems and has more elliptical lower leaves.
I have never been able to see the difference in the seed pods since it is so late here that the frost prevents any seed to form.
The picture is rosthornii. It is easy to see the difference. henryi has much wider lower leaves.
Göte

[gote]

Maggie,
Please get well quickly.
Göte

[David Nicholson]

David Nicholson sent me seed of Lewisia cotyledon hybrids about a year ago.  I sowed half in the autumn, the rest in the spring under his tutilage and I swear they all germinated.  Many are now awaiting the N Northumberland AGM and grant plant sale and I'm sure some will be in bloom by the time it happens.  This one was the first of the bunch to bloom for me.  Many thanks David, I doubt I would ever have tried growing them without that kindness from you.

Glad to see they did well for you Chris.

I've just been adding to my stock of Lewisa cotyledon hybrids, with some colours I didn't have, in the hope of producing some different colour breaks in the future. Some pictures below. I bought these last week whilst visiting friends in Scarborough (seaside resort on the East Yorkshire coast) from a Nursery situated between Filey and Bridlington called Reighton Nursery, just outside Reighton village. Not the tidiest of nurseries but a wonderfully eclectic range of plants, alpines and perennials, most of which cost 50p per pot. My five Lewisias, plus a couple of Salvia patens and a little white Phlox douglasii cost me £4.00!!

[ChrisB]

Quite the bargain hunter aren't you  ?

But there you are getting close to my old stomping grounds, David.  I'm a Yorkshire woman you know.... I know of this nursery but have not been there.  Sounds like they might as well be giving them away. 

I have the pale blue S. patens, it is a permanent resident in my garden.  Had the dark 'Oxford' blue once, but somehow managed  to lose it.  Also have the one they call white but isn't really, just a dirty bluey white.  Don't like it but it likes me....  One of my favourite salvias is S. elegans, red, long, thin screaming red flowers and pineapple scent in all the foliage.  Wonderful.  And another that sticks around here is S. chamaedryoides, bright blue flowers on grey foliage.  Very nice.   Here is a picture of the S. elegans taken the other day, and one of S. chamaedryoides taken last year.

[Lesley Cox]

The lewsias are certainly beautiful with their lovely silken texture. One small gripe however. One above is labelled Pinkie, and while it's definitely pink, it isn't 'Pinkie' which is a recognized hybrid, soft, flesh-pink and sterile, propagated by cuttings. I'm sorry I can't find a reference for its parents and nor do I have a picture. Someone?

[Lesley Cox]

The pale blue form of Salvia patens is S. p. `Cambridge' and so, I suppose, and according to some, should be called S. `Fens Polytech.'

The lavender 'Chilcombe' form is very nice too and I have a very large form (taller, larger flowers of the deeper shade of blue, and with a purple central marking on the larger leaves) called 'Guanajuato' It comes true from seed.

[ChrisB]

Just looked that up in my Plantfinder, Lesley.  Its Sunday name is S. p. 'Cambridge Blue'.  Interesting that the dark blue one is just plain old S. patens  guess it was the first to be found or something like that.  The white one I have is called Trophy White, but its a dirty white at best, but I cannot be bothered to dig it up now.  Haven't seen the others you mention.  I do like salvias, the range of bright colours they give are wonderful.

[Lesley Cox]

I like them too Chris. In the summer/autumn I'll send seed of S ? (but in the microphylla group) with hot, magenta flowers. It flowers for months and the foliage smells like meat paste, which I also like.

[Kristl Walek]

Aralia continentalis takes up a nice big corner under one of my sugar maples--and I love that it flowers at this time of the year.

I used to grow Epilobium canum garettii as Zauschneria---surprisingly hardy considering it's western USA origins. It blooms for months.

Salvia glutinosa.

Cardiocrinum cordatum glehnii, a northerly, robust form of the species from Japan and the only species in the genus I can grow here. It has survived -40C in the past, and now self-sows in the woodland. Spring foliage is also nice. I am fighting with the lily beetle over this one too.

[Lesley Cox]

Do you seriously mean that Zauschneria cana is now an epilobium? I'll be emigrating too - to Lalaland

Super foliage on the Cardiocrinum. Reminds me of Rumex sanguineus, but nicer.

[Otto Fauser]

Rob,
  Ken Gillanders [Woodbank Nursery] ,near you , listed 2 xGaulnettya xwisleyensis forms in his swansong catalogh 2002,one named 'WHITE PEARL', the other 'PINK PIXIE', maybe if you contact Ken , he may just have a plant for you. As Lesley already pointed out all Pernetttas are now Gaultherias ,
     Otto.

[Lvandelft]

Enjoying daily temperatures of over 25 Cº flowering abundantly:
Acis  autumnalis             

[David Nicholson]

The lewsias are certainly beautiful with their lovely silken texture. One small gripe however. One above is labelled Pinkie, and while it's definitely pink, it isn't 'Pinkie' which is a recognized hybrid, soft, flesh-pink and sterile, propagated by cuttings. I'm sorry I can't find a reference for its parents and nor do I have a picture. Someone?

Where was the one labelled 'Pinkie' Lesley? According to Brian Mathew's monograph 'The Genus Lewisia', 'Pinkie' arose at Ingwerson's nursery and was originally thought to have been a Lewisia cotyledon selection but Mathew thought it more likely to be L.cotyledon x L. longipetala.

[Lvandelft]

David, Pinkie was in Shelagh's posting, 3 pages back.
And that one looks like a normal L. cotyledon.
Pinkie has very different leaves, not so broad as in cotyledon and the flowers are
a real Pink, not reddish.

You've got some nice colours for a nice price! 

[Paul T]

David,

Fantastic colours on the Lewisias, particularly that first one.  It positively glows!!  So do those wonderful pink ones as well.  Great Salvias too, something else I love growing here.

Kristl,

When I saw the Epilobium I was going to ask whether that was related to Zauschneria or not, because it looked similar to me.  I grow Z. californicum or something like that (I think) and love the strong colour in combination with the silvery leaves.  Fantastic foliage on the Cardiocrinum.  Must try to get more species as I only grow (and love) C. giganteum.  Great to see your wonderful pics.