Flowering now- July 2009

[Brian Ellis]

..of course it helps if you put the last picture on!  It has come to me Amsonia tabernaemontana

[David Nicholson]

It's always a joy to browse this thread, such lovely stuff posted by all. Stunning blue on your Platycodon Brian.

[gote]

Of the hardy gesneriads, I grow Haberlea rhodopensis, and Ramonda myconii here - the evergreen leaves are prone to winter-burn in our low humidity and poor snow cover conditions, however; the Haberlea has been tougher in that regard.  Better gardeners than I grow Jankaea (though I know one uses winter covers over the more precious plants - not something I'm interested in doing).
 

I have grown the Haberlea and Ramonda myconii for many years (decades) without any problem. I grow Ramonda serbica since some ten years too. Jankaea has always died in the winter. What minimum temperatures do you think it can stand ?
Göte

[Lori S.]

I have not yet grown Jankaea myself.  The gardener who I am referring to seemed to have had it for a few years, and it can be counted on to reach -30 deg C on at least a small number of nights in any winter here (and can rarely get -40 C or worse)... but, as I mentioned, this person does cover some choice plants for the winter, including (I believe) the Jankaea.

[Sinchets]

I often wonder if these plants are killed by 'kindness', Jankaea heldreichii does grow on Mt Olympus after all.

[Geebo]

Hi All,
Just some sellection of flowers during June/ July.
Guy.

[Paddy Tobin]

Hi Guy,

Haven't seen you post in ages. Welcome back.

Paddy

[cohan]

Hi All,
Just some sellection of flowers during June/ July.
Guy.

lots of nice  blues! berkeya is one i dont know..

[cohan]

Of the hardy gesneriads, I grow Haberlea rhodopensis, and Ramonda myconii here - the evergreen leaves are prone to winter-burn in our low humidity and poor snow cover conditions, however; the Haberlea has been tougher in that regard.  Better gardeners than I grow Jankaea (though I know one uses winter covers over the more precious plants - not something I'm interested in doing).

Cohan, it's possible your mom's plant is one of the coloured varieties of Euphorbia polychroma, e.g. 'Bonfire' - very commonly grown species, and very attractive... (but all the larger euphorbia species I grow die to the ground here - not evergreen - so perhaps I am not guessing correctly?)

i know wrightmans in ontario lists a few of the gessies, i will certainly try sometime..how do you grow these, lori? shade/sun/woodland/rocks?

i should take a picture of the euphorbia... the fact is i seldom remember it--this time of year you really cant see it without searching, too much other vegetation in that area..i only notice it in spring when i am raking around the apple trees...lol..maybe it wouldnt be evergreen in the open? at least, i think its evergreen--im sure when i am seeing fully leafed stems when everything else is bare it couldnt have grown them already...

[Lori S.]

I don't claim to grow them well at all, but Haberlea rhodopensis, and Ramonda myconii seem to need some shade in our dry climate, so I have a couple of Haberlea under shrubs in regular soil, and one Ramonda in a small rock garden (half grit- half compost) under the shade of a mountain ash (where it burned very badly last winter).  I should move one into the tufa bed, into an east-facing crevice... probably.

Cohan, could it be you are thinking of Euonymus (re. Euphorbia)?

Hot colours for a hot day...
1) Self-seeded California poppies (Eschscholzii californica)... so bright, so dependable!
2) Dianthus barbatus... showed upon its own a few years ago and has been reseeding itself...
3) An odd salmony-coloured Penstemon barbatus hybrid (I assume, from the shark's-mouth flowers)
4) Cooling off a little... native Monarda fistulosa
5) Aaaah, cooler... Allium senescens ssp. montanum var. glaucum
6) Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain'
7) Icy blue... Eryngium planum
8 ) A new tropical, Nymphaea 'Albert Greenberg'
9 ) A new one this year, Scutellaria indica var. parviflora - very small flowers and overall.
10) And, Carduncellus pinnatus -  a different plant -  as it looks with seedhead intact this time!   The plumes will soon expand and push their way open.

[Lori S.]

And... forgive my enthusiasm in forcing all these photos on you poor unsuspecting folks... our season is intense and fleeting!  (I'm getting a little anxious that July is nearly over   )

1, 2) Sunset from 10pm last night, when I had just missed the opening of these flowers... Oenothera triloba.  One can actually watch the flowers open - it takes something less than a minute.  Simply magical!  (I must remember to be out for that other bud tonight!)

[cohan]

I don't claim to grow them well at all, but Haberlea rhodopensis, and Ramonda myconii seem to need some shade in our dry climate, so I have a couple of Haberlea under shrubs in regular soil, and one Ramonda in a small rock garden (half grit- half compost) under the shade of a mountain ash (where it burned very badly last winter).  I should move one into the tufa bed, into an east-facing crevice... probably.

Cohan, could it be you are thinking of Euonymus (re. Euphorbia)?

i might have the advantage of more snow, less dry generally, but it all depends on the year..

you know, i dont remember where i got the idea it was a euphorbia, whether thats what my mother said (will have to ask again what she called it), or i saw it somewhere..a little online searching didnt help much (it does vaguely resemble a stretched out E amygdaloides, but that doesnt sound hardy here from the little reading i did); doesnt look like any euonymus that i know, but i only know the basics which are super common in toronto..i will just have to try to get a picture; doesnt help that i've never seen it flower...

[gote]

I often wonder if these plants are killed by 'kindness', Jankaea heldreichii does grow on Mt Olympus after all.

I might have done that. 
Re Ramonda myconii. The conventional wisdom is that all the hardy gesneriads are plants for shade. This should perhaps be interpreted as "no sun" rather than deep shade. I have always placed them in crevices in sloping positions on the north side and it has worked well. In the wild I have seen R.m. in positions that sometimes were very dry. They shriveled up completely but recovered. Obviously they can take a lot of dryness in an emergency. Could the sun reach those that were burned in the winter??
Göte   

[Sinchets]

I really do think that the hardy gesneriads do need demistifying. They are tough plants and unless you are growing them for show, a few scorched leaves cannot be seen as a cultivation problem. They bounce back from being dried out, as this happens in the wild- frequently. Haberlea rhodopensis grows on almost vertical cliffs- north facing. The seeds appear to germinate in patches of moss along seepage lines. We will go back to the  population we know to check for seed, but I would not be suprised if they are dry for some time in summer. In winter it  is possible that the rock faces they grow on may be too steep to hold much snow cover- in which case they may be frozen into the water seepage lines. We never saw any growing on the tufa deposits in this area- but I assume this is because the tufa 'grows' quicker than they do.
As I have mentioned before my mother still has my hardy gesneriads, as I could only fetch them here bare-rooted at the time- and I didn't want to do that. Apart from rain they are only get water when they show obvious signs of distress and she still has them after 3 years.

[Geebo]

Hi Paddy,

severe Artritish had prevented me to continue posting on the forum for some time,much to long really,and most of my time had to be spend in the nursery due to slowing down,with little or no time left for leisure
Things have not improved ,as I am now complete immobile,and bound inside,with more than time on my hands,and an opportunity to visit the forum again,you might see me around,the replacement of two knees is going to take some time to recover.
I will try to get out there sometimes to get some pics to keep You informed,hope Im not going to get to boring with our Helleborus  
See You soon,
Guy