Flowering now- July 2009

[Darren]

Onion,
As requested here are some other pics of the Cistus 'ladanifer'.

The whole shrub with my camera case for scale. I guess it is now about 1.5m high (so not a flat species).

A close up of the foliage, which is extremely sticky. The gum is really hard to get off your hands too!

My original pic was a bit misleading and I realise that the flower does look a lot like C salviifolius when not seen to scale it - is actually about 10 cm in diameter.  One of its siblings from the same seed (it was left behind when we moved) had flowers 15cm across and also pure white.

I have often wondered if the seed was hybrid? What do you think? I'd be interested in getting an opinion on this. The foliage and habit resemble ladanifer but the flowers are not quite right. It is a lovely plant anyway! It seems very hardy here and never suffers frost damage.  It often sets seed which germinates very freely whilst still in the capsule, which makes it a challenge to collect.

I just checked to see if I still have C salviifolius and can confirm it is still there but does really badly for some reason and rarely summons enough energy to flower!

[arisaema]

Great pics everyone!

Wim; I think your Deinanthe is the "bifida x caerulea"-hybrid 'Blue Wonder' - IMHO a more floriferous and nicer plant than both species

[WimB]

It could be, I bought it a couple of years ago as Deinanthe bifida which it clearly is not...

[annew]

I bought one the same as caerulea, but some of the leaves are bifid, so I think mine must also be the hybrid.

[Onion]

Onion,
As requested here are some other pics of the Cistus 'ladanifer'.

Daren,
I recognized the following page, because we (in the nursery I work) have the same problem with the correct names.
http://www.cistuspage.org.uk/Photo%20gallery.htm

I compare the pictures and it may be Cistus x oblongifolius . Or send a mail to the holder of the page.

[Lesley Cox]

4) Dianthus erinaceus (the real thing)

Yes.

[Lesley Cox]

Robin, Dianthus erinaceus is not especially rare but several other dianthus species or hybrids are often distributed as "the real thing" when they are not. The very sharply pointed and exceedingly painful leaf tips are the giveaway in Win's picture. If you don't howl on contact, it isn't erinaceus.

Gorgeous Deinanthe.......Yum yum.

[Lesley Cox]

Wim - Envious that you get Dianthus erinaceus to produce flowers evenly spread like that. Now my plant is mounded up in the middle it only flowers on the southern side, and sparsely too!

In my experience, D. erinaceus flowers best if well watered in the month before buds set (Sept here). If I don't water it or if we don't have lots of rain (my plants are outside) the buds set, usually hundreds of them on my big plant, but they abort and don't fully develop. Well watered they will flower really well, but like yours Darren, on the warmer side first then gradually going over to the cooler side. A potted plant needs to be turned half way every couple of days from early spring until flowering.

[Sinchets]

Flowering now:
Campanula takhtazanii- the only information I have is that it is Caucasian- it has a very Symphyandra pendula type flower
Salvia nemorosa 'RosenWein'
Nepeta nuda albiflora
Nepeta lanceolata

[ruweiss]

Some pictures from the last days, the Gentians flowered for me for the first time from
Chinese seeds collected by J.Jurasek.
Sempervivums are now at their best.
I lost the label of the Lilium and hope, that the name is correct. If not, so let me know it.

[ruweiss]

Now the Sempervivums:

[Lori S.]

Those troughs are breathtaking!  What an inspiration, Rudi!

[cohan]

Some pictures from the last days, Sempervivums are now at their best.

nice stuff--is the pterocactus grown indoors/in  a pot? really nice plant
the sempervivum carpets are amazing! very inspiring, though i have doubts i can grow them so exposed here..will be experimenting for sure..

[Lesley Cox]

Grown in crevices like that, the sempervivums are outstanding.

[Ragged Robin]

Now the Sempervivums:

Congratulations, Rudi, your Sempervivums look magnificent bursting out of the crevices and pouring like larva down the rocks