Flowers and Foliage September 2008

[Paddy Tobin]

What an extraordinary shape and colour, beautiful in its own way.

Paddy

[Thomas Huber]

Another beautiful fungus - found on the Edersee last weekend.

The Edersee is also home for Dianthus gratianopolitanus - we found some out-of-season flowers.

[ArneM]

In summer I planted a strong plant of Crinodendron hookerianum in a some larger pot with an acid soil and put all in a shady place. It grew very good during summer and also started producing flowering buds but they still remain small and are not getting bigger. Is this normal or do I make mistakes?

Thanks,
Arne

[art600]

Thomas

Does that beautiful fungus have the added bonus of being edible?   

[ashley]

In summer I planted a strong plant of Crinodendron hookerianum in a some larger pot with an acid soil and put all in a shady place. It grew very good during summer and also started producing flowering buds but they still remain small and are not getting bigger. Is this normal or do I make mistakes?

Hi Arne,

This plant makes tiny flower buds a year in advance, so you should have a nice display next summer.  Patience

[David Nicholson]

Here is one from the garden today, Gladiolus callianthus formerly Acidanthera. BUT, I thought I had seen the same plant at Wisley with a different name that I can't bring to mind.

[ArneM]

Ashley, thanks for this information, I didn't know that before.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Beautiful Gladi David - how tall is it ??

[David Nicholson]

Luc, about 80/90 cm, as much as I can get away with in my windy garden.

[Maggi Young]

Arne, I hope you will enjoy your Crinodendron.... it is a super plant.... good foliage and the buds, which last a very long time, before becoming the fully formed red waxy textured blossoms are a perfect contrast to the foliage. When I first "met" the plant I did not know about the early bud formation either... there are just SO MANY things that are NOT in the books!

We can have some damage to the plants in a very bad winter, but the plants can be cut down hard and still regrow if the worst happens. It is only sometimes though, that we get the really cool seedpods.... but I don't think I have a photo of those, sorry!  

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

Amazing the difference in our weathers. Crinodendron hookerianum is one of the toughest old reliables here, growing to over 3metres and needing to be kept in check every few years. It is obviously happy here as it sets seed.

Also, doing well in the garden and I really must take a photograph before the flowers are gone is Crinodendron patagua (that's fairly close to the name, I think) which has white flowers with a flared opening to the petals. It is more spreading than C. hookerianum but seems equally hardy, certainly no trouble over the past five years I have grown it.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Well, now, Paddy, that IS interesting....... and would this C. patagua set seed too, or does it come f readily from cuttings?? 

[Lvandelft]

Here is one from the garden today, Gladiolus callianthus formerly Acidanthera. BUT, I thought I had seen the same plant at Wisley with a different name that I can't bring to mind.

Gladiolus murielae.
But when I see it, the name Acidanthera always comes first in my mind.
Aaah, it is not so easy for us seniors, isn't it David? 

[rob krejzl]

Maggi,

C. patagua is self-fertile for me. Perhaps less graceful in flower than hookerianum, which also has the advantage of flowering several times during the year in our climate. Were you wanting seed then?

[Maggi Young]

Rob, if you have seed, that would be terrific, thank you!  I'll pm you postal address