Excellent New Resource: A Midland Alpine Gardener's Diary

[Diane Clement]

My garden is full of colour at the moment.  Off to the conference shortly, so not much time for words, just a quick look round with the camera.  Hope to see lots of you at Nottingham.

Midland Diary No 41 - April in the garden

[David Pilling]

The hylomecon japonica looks good, but  it doesn't look like the so called ones I grew from AGS Seed Ex 8/9... (flower at a different time, different leaf, not as attractive).

[Lesley Cox]

Diane, do you send seed in to the exchanges of the soft yellow primrose? I know so many people, including me, who grow from seed or buy the plant only to get orangey or pinkish sahdes, and we're all terribly disappointed. Some "Genuine" seed would be much appreciated.

David, I can't see a pic here of the Hylomecon. Where is it please? Maybe you have had the same experience as I have had, with, I think, 4 attempts from seed exchanges, to grow this lovely golden poppy but every time it has been one of two Stylophorum species. S. diphyllum is a good plant, under its own identity, the other has been weedy for me but I still want the true Hylomecon.

[Gunilla]

Maybe you have had the same experience as I have had, with, I think, 4 attempts from seed exchanges, to grow this lovely golden poppy but every time it has been one of two Stylophorum species. S. diphyllum is a good plant, under its own identity, the other has been weedy for me but I still want the true Hylomecon.

I could send you some fresh seeds from Hylomecon japonica later on if you want. I have never thought of collecting any before but I suppose it sets seeds.

[David Pilling]

David, I can't see a pic here of the Hylomecon. Where is it please? Maybe you have had the same experience as I have had, with, I think, 4 attempts from seed exchanges, to grow this lovely golden poppy but every time it has been one of two Stylophorum species. S. diphyllum is a good plant, under its own identity, the other has been weedy for me but I still want the true Hylomecon.

This is a direct link:

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/image_files/diary/sizedDSC_147116168.jpg

it is half way down the latest blog:

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/servlet/diaryservlet?command=viewentry&category1=midland&sitearea=diary&articleid=342&category=midland

Thanks for the suggestion of stylophorum, but I don't think that's what I've got. (later, change of heart, looked at more Google images, it might be this...)

I saw hylomecon on the TV, and thought that looks nice, got "it" from the seed ex, and was not impressed. In a garden full of meconopsis cambrica whatever it is does not impress, although it flowers later and has surprisingly survived from year to year, it has also set seed, which to my (now) shame I have fed back to the seed ex (small round shiny black seed). On the TV they said "japanese poppy" and it's like that, so I thought no more about identifying it.

As to primroses, a garden awash with them, but in all colours, big and small flowers, polyanthus. As they say, the results of the seed are interesting, but I don't think there's a seed ex catagory. Or maybe you've just told me 'primula vulgaris'  

[David Pilling]

I'd couldn't find a photo from previous years, but the plants were making good progress yesterday, so here is a photo.

[Lesley Cox]

David, yours is definitely a Stylophorum and I think it is S. lasiocarpum, which is inferior to S. diphyllum. Both seed around quite prolifically but are easy enough to remove. There are plenty pictures of both if you Google.

Gunilla, if you get seed on your genuine Hylomecon, I would love to have some please. That's a kind thought. It is listed on our Biosecurity Index so it's OK for me to receive it.

Many thanks.

[David Pilling]

Lesley - thanks for the id.

Gunilla - I suspect you offered the seed to Lesley, but if it should turn out you have more than enough for Lesley, maybe I could trade something with you.

[Diane Clement]

It's been a while and I've no excuse, but here's my latest diary entry:
End of a dry spring

And the usual few spoilers:

[art600]

Diane

Always a pleasure to read your diary.

How do you get the Roscoea to increase - do you give it special treatment, or is it just a very good clone?

[Diane Clement]

Diane  Always a pleasure to read your diary.
How do you get the Roscoea to increase - do you give it special treatment, or is it just a very good clone?  

Thanks for your comment, Arthur.  Absolutely no special treatment to the Roscoea.  The big one lives in a raised bed on the (relatively) sunny side of the garden (that's still not much sun by most peoples' standards).  It might have had some Osmocote a couple of times but it thrives on neglect.  Your remark has sent me back on a (short) voyage of discovery to find out how long I have had it.  I think it came from Paul Christian in 2005 and I think it is Roscoea cautleyoides "Reinier".  In 2006 (sorry, poor scanned slide) it was a young plant but the four spikes were already producing good numbers of flowers.  I can't find a picture for 2007 but in 2008 it had made a good clump.  2009 and 2010 were both excellent years. This year it's not quite as good as previous years, and is certainly not as tall.  I think this is due to the dry April as other plants in the same raised bed are not quite as good as usual.  In the past it has produced dozens of seedlings at a distance where the seed pods touch the ground when the flowers fall but nearly all the seedlings have been killed by the previous two bad winters.  This year, there’s one flowering seedling which I am going to move in the autumn to another site.    

[Diane Clement]

My other Roscoea cautleyoides is quite different.  The tall one does get some sun (although our garden is not a very sunny site) but my smaller one is in shade for most of the time.  I think this came in 2007, also from Paul Christian and I think it is probably "Jeffrey Thomas" (thanks to Ian McE for jogging my memory on this one).  It is a much small plant than the other and has bulked up slower.  Again it was better in 2009 and 2010 than this year.   

[Lesley Cox]

I didn't rrealize there is so much variation within Roscoea cautleyoides but I suppose that's because I have just one form and keep on raising seed from that one. They're all lovely.

I think your peachy Meconopsis is very nice Diane. Hopefully that pod will develop so you can keep it going. And I'm very impressed by the Leucogenes. They are tricky things at the best of times, especially in dry conditions.

[Diane Clement]

I think your peachy Meconopsis is very nice Diane. Hopefully that pod will develop so you can keep it going. And I'm very impressed by the Leucogenes. They are tricky things at the best of times, especially in dry conditions.

Dry? we don't do dry in this garden.  Damp and shady in summer, dark and soggy in winter.  The Leucogenes has only been in a few weeks, so time will tell.  
The peachy Meconopsis continues to flower but it's not improving in my eyes.  The seedlings could be interesting, as I presume the parent is a red crossed with a yellow and I assume that any seedlings will be selfed (do Meconopsis produce viable seed from one parent??)

[Diane Clement]

June is the time I repot hepaticas.  To see how I do it, take a look at my latest blog

Diary Entry No 43 - Repotting hepaticas