January 2009

[Michael J Campbell]

Paddy, the sudden death syndrome is common to all Daphne's when they have aged a bit and is not confined to 'Jacqueline Postill'. It will root from cuttings according to Robin White but I have never tried it. The suckers should root but they are very slow,I would suggest severing it from the parent in early summer but leaving it in place until the following spring and them if it starts to grow move it. For convenience I graft them all, except some of the smaller varieties which root easily enough ,but are difficult to get through the first winter if they have not made sufficient growth. There is a good one called  Transatlantica Jims Pride which flowers in spring and repeats all summer even up to Christmas, it is perfumed and very hardy with no reports of sudden death syndrome yet. I have a few if you would like one, and I will be down your way next week.

[mark smyth]

This is plant again from a different angle

[Anthony Darby]

Crumbs. I think even Vivienne would like that one.

[mark smyth]

If only there wash scratch 'n' sniff internet. Lovely here today and the air is filled with perfume

[Gerdk]

Here is a winterflowering evergreen Ribes species
Ribes laurifolium and (without flowers but with a beautiful glossy foliage)
Ranunculus ficaria Tortoise Shell (received from the ' Galanthus Queen '  Ruby Baker)

Gerd

[Onion]

Grow the evergreen Ribes outside? In the second pic I recognized a pot.
I wait for the flowers of Lonicera x purpusii outside. Need only one or two days with some higher temperature (Today 2 Celsius)

[Gerdk]

Uli, you are right - the plant is in a pot. Most of the time it is outside however - only when temperatures are below zero it was kept in a frostfree room.
Maybe you can grow it in the garden and I am overcautious.

Gerd

[ian mcenery]

Here are a couple from me at the moment. First Callianthemum kernerianum Mt Baldo form not yet in flower but looking promising and Helleborus thibetanus just beginning to emerge. Will post again when in full bloom

[Maggi Young]

Fat buds of promise there, Ian especially on that Callianthemum.  Early, to my mind..... but our chums just over half a mile away, Brian and Maureen Wilson, often have their H.thibetanus up well before ours.....perhaps they'll tell us if theirs is similarly advanced this year?

[Maggi Young]

I don't grow the Ribes laurifolium so I was interested to learn more about its hardiness..... on this RHS page, it  says the plant "is hardy throughout the British Isles".......

http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/gardens/rosemoor/archive/rosemoorpom03feb.asp

[ian mcenery]

You are right Maggi about the Callianthemum I was surprised to see it so forward - a bit worrying though they seem extraordinarily tough. I have been trying these in various areas of the scree and this one seems the most promising. No real sign of the others yet though, hope they have not gone the way of the Norwegian Blue 

[Onion]

Gerd I don't think you are overcautious. My way is to multiply this rare plants by seeds or cuttings and then try it in the garden. Roger Phillips & Martyn Rix write in their shrub book that it is hardy to minus 15 Celsius. Grows in W-Sitchuan at 2300 Meter high. So you can try it too, but multiply it before.

[Anthony Darby]

Must take a pic of my Ranunculus kochi just coming out now.

[Tony Willis]

I have a plant of Helleborus thibetanus in flower,it does not look to good as the flowers are black around the edges. It is too early and I am concerned that it will not  survive when we have a cold spell in the next few weeks.

[Maggi Young]

Will you give it a cloche to protect it, Tony?