March 2007

[Casalima]

Thank you all so much for the wonderful plants.
On the subject of obtaining plants etc, I do sympathise. I sigh over the Hepaticas and have to remind myself of the wild Narcissus here!

Chloë

[johanneshoeller]

Now the first Erythronium have started to flower.
An ordinary E. dens-canis, but wonderful, and albidum.

Hans

[Geebo]

Hi All,
Thanks everyone for the beautiful pcs posted on the forum,it is always a pleasure to see such lovely collection of photographs.
Saint Patricks week end is not what you call a nice springtime,more like a bad wintersday here in Ireland.
Have been busy lately but found some time to take some pics from some springplants in the garden and pots.there is a mistery with some of my Hepatica`s, only started with that Genus a few years ago,my first was Hep nob var Jap as shown on my first pict,notice the licht lavender color on the right,this is only apparing for the first time,was this from a seed buried in the pot when I bought it an lie dormant or do the color of Hepatica change sometime ?? next is a Nobilis white first time flowering tanks to Chris V also had a Pink  flowering out of the same
seedlings.
Next two of my favored Hepatica so far.Pyrenaica + Harvington  Beauty
  the mild weather for the last two months brought the Helleborus to flower very early around here.found a most promising color with golden nectaries,the plant is still small but will keep an eye out for next season flowering>again thanks to Chris V
Further a few more I took today in the freezing cold.
 Cheers,
Guy.

[KentGardener]

Hello

what a weird weather day - one minute was bright sunshine - the next hail and sleet!

Spent the day at my aunts helping to split and replant snowdrops.  The snowdrops were past it for photographing but one or two of her Hellebores were still up for the odd picture:

regards

John

 

[mark smyth]

John dividing now is too early. Remember the bulb has to produce a good bulb for next year. I dont touch any of my bulbs until late April

[KentGardener]

Hi Mark

due to circumstances, it was either now or next year - and some of them like Blewbury Tart and Augustus haven't been touched for the last 10 years so really wanted it.  We both thought it was better to do it while we could.

Thanks for the advice

John

[Maggi Young]

We both thought it was better to do it while we could.

A good point this: there may well be an optimum time/season to carry out all sorts of tasks in the garden but, in the everyday world, sometimes those times are just not convenient or even possible. We always say, well, x may be the best time to move that tree, but if y is when you have the time and the inclination and can give the aftercare etc, then y is the time to do it!

Thus, it was probably not the best time to move our big bamboo the other week.... for now all its leaves have fallen off and it looks awful, but it was when Ian had time to tackle it, so now we just have to try and revive the poor thing!

[johngennard]

John,your aunt has some lovely hellebores,and I am sure that the snowdrops will come to no harm.I have divided most of my snowdrops immediately after flowering for the last thirty years with no ill effects and they continue to flourish and multiply with vigour.Why are people so catergoric that their way is the best ?Likewise with the comments on the use of bark on an earlier page.

[johngennard]

After today's variable weather and the forecasts for the next three days I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to get any better pictures of my pride and joy,Magnolia campbellii.By common consent the star of the family and worth all of the 20/25yrs that it takes to reach flowering stage.Furthermore if I had followed the advise of the experts I should never have planted it in this part of the world,so the moral is,hear what they have to say and follow your own inclinations.Please enjoy this series of shots of thr magnificent Magnolia campbellii.

[Maggi Young]

Oh my word, John, what a beautiful tree! Not much wonder it is your pride and joy, it is a astunner. Perfect, from the overall effect to the substance of the soft pink blossoms...any of us would be proud to have such a specimen.

[Martin Baxendale]

That reminds me, it'll soon be time for our annual trip to see the magnolias at Westonbirt Arboretum. We're lucky to have such a superb arboretum close by, and the various forms of Magnolia campbellii, all of them huge specimens, are glorious. I'll try to bring some pics back. In fact, maybe some of you would like to see a short virtual walk around the arboretum via pic postings? I could do the different seasons - the main seasons of interest are the spring magnolias, rhodos and camellias, and then the autumn colours (especially the japanese acers).

[Anthony Darby]

Wonderful magnolia John. Wish I'd planted one when I moved into my house nearly 20 years ago. Too late now . No room either. Pity I can't afford the house a few doors along the street . It has a huge garden and ginormous study. [Anyone got a spare half million? ]

[Maggi Young]

Martin, your offer of virtual Westonbirt tours is irresistible - thank you!

[Lesley Cox]

then again, you have a wodnerful selection of plants growing in the wild that we would be delighted to have in our gardens.

Paddy

Have them Paddy, take them, be my guest. Just let me have some different corydalis, irises, fritillarias and.....Please!

[David Nicholson]

After today's variable weather and the forecasts for the next three days I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to get any better pictures of my pride and joy,Magnolia campbellii.By common consent the star of the family and worth all of the 20/25yrs that it takes to reach flowering stage.Furthermore if I had followed the advise of the experts I should never have planted it in this part of the world,so the moral is,hear what they have to say and follow your own inclinations.Please enjoy this series of shots of thr magnificent Magnolia campbellii.

For pictures of another Magnolia campbellii see the thread "A visit to Lukesland Garden" in the General Pages.