Flowering Now - May 2009

[maggiepie]

Thanks Paul, I think mine would top out at 15cms, including the flower.
It will be interesting to see if they come back again next year.

[Paul T]

I had mine for a few years, but probably a milder climate here than yours.  Then again, I think I lost mine during the summer, not the winter, so maybe the heat did it in rather than cold.  Who knows?

[johnw]

Otto - I am obviously no better at size than colour.  About the size of my dwarf mucronulatum,  I measured it today - height 32 inches (81.28cm) with a trunk 5 inches across (12.7cm). It's hard to tell where the trunk ends and root flare begins).

The big plant has not leafed out yet but you can see from the self-sown seedling that they are quite rounded. The leaves of your plant look more like my dwarf pink ones labelled var. ciliatum from Hokkaido. That name seems to be no longer valid and is only to be found in Davidian's book, the Volume Leipodtes. Probably mucronulatum dwarf form would do nicely for mine and yours.

Darn I see another seedling sprouting at the base of the Salix trunk in the seedling photo. They come up everywhere but the only the dwarf form seems to sprout in really gritty mixes, the peat blocks have both forms and intermediates.

johnw

[johnw]

I'm getting a bit nervous about this dwarf mucronulatum and its deviousness.  I found one sneaking into a Draba bryoides var. imbriata of all places!

Also a closer shot of the leaves Otto.


johnw

[johnw]

The old reliable compact Salix reticulata collected wild in Newfoundland, growing in a trough and always looking so fresh in the Sprint time.

johnw

[Mike Ireland]

Degenia velebitica, seedling planted into tufa in open and unheated alpine house.

[Lori S.]

I love seeing Salix reticulata in the mountains here... (and all those other low-growing willows that I definitely can't identify!  I sort of think, most of the time, that I can recognize S. reticulata...  )

Lathyrus vernus 'Gracilis', and a couple of the usual broader-leaved form.
Euphorbia polychroma, very popular here, and spectacular in spring.
Narcissus 'Barrett Browning' - have been in bloom for some time now.
Trollius laxus, wonderful to see in the mountains here.  (Must rescue these from under the bird feeder soon!)
Caltha palustris, another native, with Eritrichium canum var. canum, from seed this spring and blooming indoors under the lights in about 3 months from seed!
Paeonia tenuifolia 'Plena' - with burgeoning buds... also quite popular here.
Muscari azureum, or so it was said to be.

[cohan]

I love seeing Salix reticulata in the mountains here... (and all those other low-growing willows that I definitely can't identify!  I sort of think, most of the time, that I can recognize S. reticulata...  )

you are really in full swing, lori! the trollius have been catching my eye in various photos, i know the name, but not much about them--are they shade plants? will have to look them up....

i agree about the willows...i have a couple of dwarf forms here, but no miniatures yet--one i collected decades ago somewhere in the rockies!! its about 3 feet tall here, and has not spread much (in my old overgrown rock garden!); and an arctic (blue fox?) my mom has planted--maybe about 4-5 feet tall... yesterday i made a garden centre purchase of  a variegated cream and pink salix that is supposed to get 4x4 feet, so i am thinking a little willow area....

still will be watching for the miniatures ( i know beaver creek and wrightmans have some, will see if i order this year)

[cohan]

The big plant has not leafed out yet but you can see from the self-sown seedling that they are quite rounded. The leaves of your plant look more like my dwarf pink ones labelled var. ciliatum from Hokkaido. That name seems to be no longer valid and is only to be found in Davidian's book, the Volume Leipodtes. Probably mucronulatum dwarf form would do nicely for mine and yours.

Darn I see another seedling sprouting at the base of the Salix trunk in the seedling photo. They come up everywhere but the only the dwarf form seems to sprout in really gritty mixes, the peat blocks have both forms and intermediates.
johnw

great little vignette with the seedling and the semps, sedum, etc..

[Lori S.]

Barely starting, Cohan!  
Trollius laxus grows in wet alpine meadows (alpine = above treeline, hence full sun), and blooms just after the snow melts - in this cool climate, though, it makes a pretty good plant for the border in humusy, well-drained soil, and has a long bloom through the summer (which is rather surprising).

[cohan]

Barely starting, Cohan!  
Trollius laxus grows in wet alpine meadows (alpine = above treeline, hence full sun), and blooms just after the snow melts - in this cool climate, though, it makes a pretty good plant for the border in humusy, well-drained soil, and has a long bloom through the summer (which is rather surprising).

thanks for the info i will have to look them up, more, and some anemones have caught my eye too..
that is ONE  advantage we have--dont have to worry about stuff burning up in summer, much
garden violas/pansies can go all summer here!

[Lori S.]

Forgot this one...  The earliest primroses are starting to bloom.
Primula x juliana 'Allure'.

[Lvandelft]

Lori, do you have possibly a picture of Eritrichium canum var. canum? I mean just this plant alone.
I've never seen this before.

[Paul T]

John,

Well you'll just have to harvest the seeds and send them over here so that they are no longer a pest to you.  I wish I had that sort of pest here. 

[Lori S.]

Luit,
Here is Eritrichium canum v. canum... or so I suppose.  (Definitely a Boraginaceae!  It seems to match the little I could find on the internet, but please advise if it is something else.)  I got the seeds from the last NARGS seedex.  The flower stalks are about 8" high.  The flowers are actually a slightly deeper blue - you know, that problem that cameras have with blue.     It is certainly not the cushion-type of eritrichium...