Flowers and Foliage August 2008

[Maggi Young]

Good that you have these strong colours in your garden at this time of year, Wim. Makes me think that we need to find space for some "summer brights" here, too.... now, how do I persuade Ian that there IS room for perennials?

[Lvandelft]

Here two pictures of a Silphium which grew in 2 weeks from 1.50 m to
almost 3 meters and still standing strong winds!

Silphium terebinthinaceum 22.07
Silphium terebinthinaceum 08.08

[Lvandelft]

Good that you have these strong colours in your garden at this time of year, Wim. Makes me think that we need to find space for some "summer brights" here, too.... now, how do I persuade Ian that there IS room for perennials?

Maybe this helps Maggi...?

Perennials

[Maggi Young]

Maybe this helps Maggi...?

Well, it cannot hurt, Luit 

[Paul T]

Luit,

Wow!!!!! 

Wim,

Love that colour of the Echinocereus baileyi.  Gloriously intense!!

[Lvandelft]

Some more perennials then, flowering here now:

Phlox paniculata Junior Bouquet
Phlox paniculata Blue Paradise                 
Phlox paniculata Junior Dream             
Phlox paniculata Junior Fountain           
Phlox paniculata Rijnstroom       
Phlox paniculata Pixie Miracle
Phlox paniculata Starfire               

[Kristl Walek]

I have grown this Cimicifuga for many years as C. rubifolia, but I am now questioning that id.
It has been suggested to me that it might be an Asian, not a North American species.

In bloom it follows C. racemosa in my garden, and is just coming into bloom now, with large maple-like foliage, and strictly upright flower racemes.

It produces seed that more closely resembles the C. simplex types (brown, soft, flat seed) rather than the hard, clumping seed of C. racemosa.

Any guesses?

[Lvandelft]

Here is a Phlox called often Uspech, but according to the only book where it
is described as being 50 cm, cannot be right because it reaches 80 cm.

At the end of the last age several Phlox were imported here in Holland from (?) Lithuania 
and I remember a field with this Phlox. But there were higher ones and lower ones mixed in this field.
The higher ones being useful for cutflowers were kept and the low ones were destroyed.
In this case probably the real Phlox Uspech!

In Germany the higher one is still cultivated as Phlox Uspech and in Holland one
producer claimed with this Phlox a new variety and named it Laura.
I would love to know if there are still somewhere some real low Phlox Uspech
in Eastern Europe.

Phlox paniculata Laura 1             
Phlox paniculata Laura 2

[ian mcenery]

Luit interesting to see phlox growing in lines must make an interesting sight. I have Starfire its colour almost glows in the dark but at the moment most of iy is flat on the ground due to the rain. You can see it in the foreground in the second picture

Here are a few shots from the garden. If you look carefully at the Dierama shoty you can just make out Corydalis Craigton Blue (have I spelt that correctly) still with a few flowers even now. The Eucryphia is now about 20 ft (6M) high and is the best that it has been

[Maggi Young]

Your garden is looking fab, Ian... though with Corydalis 'Craigton Blue' in it, I would say that, wouldn't I? !!!

[Paul T]

Luit,

Beautiful Phlox!!  Love that 'Starfire' one... looks like it would just glow, as Ian says.

Ian,

Great pics of your garden.  Interesting to see L. henryi flowering for you..... I was repotting L. henryi and var citrinum yesterday afternoon, so your timing is right to remind me what they look like.  Thank you!!    That Eucryphia is stunning.  Have seen them on rare occasions here, but never realised that they could be so spectacular.  I guess I've never seen a large one before.  Someone recently was talking about new pink forms of it that they'd seen, and if they looked anything like that pic of your white one I can see why they were commenting.  Beautiful!

[Kenneth K]

The first autumn flowering bulbs are starting. First of them is the tiny Leucojum autumnale.

[Paul T]

Kenneth,

And over on this side of the world it's spring flowering cousins Acis tingitanum and Acis aestivalis are currently flowering!

[Lvandelft]

Ian, the only problem here is that Phlox Starfire is susceptible to mildew.
This year they are on a wrong place, hope to find a more windy place next year.
How is this in your place?
Never seen Eucryphia here in a garden. Does it need acid soil?

[Kristl Walek]

More yellow daisies...this one is Rudbeckia subtomentosa (the sweet black-eyed susan).

Callirhoe involucrata is now in it's 6th (??) week of bloom.

Most of the Eryngium species are already past their prime, but E. amethystinum is just beginning.

The fantastic Silene regia, native of eastern/central USA has opened it's first few flowers and will go on for quite some time. It's a great substitute for the harder to obtain S. virginica, or for those who have trouble growing Lobelia cardinalis. It even tolerates light shade.