Plants flowering in the open rock garden- July 09

[cohan]

I never knew there Calandrinias in Australia! Did you see the Calandrinia primuliflora? 

nor did i until i saw this site, sent by an australian member of a c+s forum; for some reason, the aus succulents are not grown much, except a few caudiciforms..

yes C prim is pretty zowie! and did you see C granulifera? entire flowering plant the size of someone's fingertip! though it looks as though it will form patches over time... love it.. and C creethae, and.....

[Lori S.]

1) Papery little blossoms on a very prickly Acantholimon trojanum.
2) Almost equally modest flowers on the recently-planted Calandrinia ranunculina.

[David Nicholson]

Lori, I found the flowers on mine to be quite modest too, but I was frightened to say so

[Lori S.]

Yes, it's not likely to stop traffic...    (I must start researching plants more, rather than buying on whims....! LOL!)

[cohan]

Yes, it's not likely to stop traffic...    (I must start researching plants more, rather than buying on whims....! LOL!)

hmm, yes, not the flash we expect from calandrinia but it DOES  bear a resemblance to ranunculus

[Sinchets]

I never knew there Calandrinias in Australia! Did you see the Calandrinia primuliflora? 

nor did i until i saw this site, sent by an australian member of a c+s forum; for some reason, the aus succulents are not grown much, except a few caudiciforms..

yes C prim is pretty zowie! and did you see C granulifera? entire flowering plant the size of someone's fingertip! though it looks as though it will form patches over time... love it.. and C creethae, and.....

Well I was hoping Paul T would mention that he grows them and has too much seed to keep for himself 

[Paul T]

Er... that would be a no.  I don't even know what a Calandrinia is, except for what has just been mentioned on this forum.  I can ask about though?

[Lori S.]

So, what's the deal with acantholimon flowers?  It seems there are two flower forms, on the same plant - the tiny papery, conical ones shown in my photo above, and the larger showy ones - male and female flowers?

[Sinchets]

Er... that would be a no.  I don't even know what a Calandrinia is, except for what has just been mentioned on this forum.  I can ask about though?

Well they are small, very pretty and not enough people grow then- hint- 

[Maggi Young]

So, what's the deal with acantholimon flowers?  It seems there are two flower forms, on the same plant - the tiny papery, conical ones shown in my photo above, and the larger showy ones - male and female flowers?

That is a most interesting question, Lori...... wish I knew the answer! 

[Sinchets]

The recent rains have brought on a few self sown seedlings of Scutellaria orientalis ssp bornmuelleri in the rock garden  and encouraged a good show on Crepis incana.

[Lori S.]

1) First flowers on a young Dianthus haematocalyx ssp. pindicola... grown last year from seed by a friend (we have exchanged seedlings in spring the past two years!)
2) Dianthus seguieri... or so it was said to be at the plant sale last year by the person who grew it from seed; certainly not the usual colour, if it is... ?

[Ragged Robin]

Delicate and pretty things in your photos Simon and Lori - Crepis incana is such a soft pink 

[Sinchets]

Thanks, Robin. Lori, have you a close up of the flower of your D.seguieri? Here is a repost of mine.

[Zdenek]

Zdenek, thank you for posting that!  Helichrysum milfordiae is wonderful in bloom, absolutely fascinating in bud, and yours is grown so nicely; it looks like something that requires perfect drainage?

Lori and Magnar,
I am just back at my computer and that is why I am late. Helichrysum milfordiae grows in South Africa, Drakensberg and I have heard, if I remember well, that it grows even in some quite wet sites.
In every case my plants grow in quite normal rock garden mix (about 25-30% of drainage material) on a sunny place. I am quite surprized Magnar, that you are not able to keep it alive in such excellent conditions as you have (according pictures of your plants). Try it once more. In my garden it grows well for ages. I must admit however that its cushions after several years gets some died parts but never died in whole. I propagate it by cuttings quite easy.