December 2009 (Northern Hemisphere)

[Hans A.]

Not many plants in flower in the garden at the moment - but the few are very welcome actually.

[iann]

Saxifrages and Daphnes   You can just see D. arbuscula at bottom right where the snow next to the house isn't so deep.

[Sinchets]

The snow is melting quickly here in unseasonally mild weather. It has revealed Crocus laevigatus and Cyclamen cilicium. Both in flower since November, though they have had 3 lots of snow on them since then and temperatures down to -15C.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very brave flowerers Simon !

[Sinchets]

It is good to see them again- they are normally hidden from view until late January!

[Geebo]

To All our forum friends our best wishes for the Festive season 2010,and a great gardening time.
Thanks so much for all the beautiful pictures and sound info.

From Guy & Maureen

[Gerhard Raschun]

unusual Campanulaceae: Canaria canariensis, a climber, first buds are open under glass

very easy in pots, seedlings will flower few months after sowing. Tubers are available in summer for exchange.

[Gerdk]

unusual Campanulaceae: Canaria canariensis, a climber, first buds are open under glass
very easy in pots, seedlings will flower few months after sowing. Tubers are available in summer for exchange.

Gerhard,
Nice and unusual indeed!
It seems you are an excellent grower. Long ago I sowed some seeds of this magnificent species and managed it once only to receive a flowering plant from summer to Christmas.
Unfortunately this species needs a little bit more warmth than my other plants in the greenhouse - kept around zero (C ) as a minimum and inside they need more light and space than I am able to provide.

Gerd

[Paul T]

Gerd,

It should survive if your glasshouse is kept above 0'C.  I grow my plant outside (I grew it from seed a number of years ago).  It flowered this year, and of course we had a hard enough frost then to get to it on my front steps.  I still at least GOT a flower this year.  It has been frosted each year eventually, but keeps on coming back each autumn.  I wish I had somewhere to keep it above freezing properly, but I don't so I live with it and enjoy it briefly while I can.    I would have thought if you keep your glasshouse above freezing it shouldn't be a problem for it at all.

Great pics Gerhard!  

[Roma]

I find Canarina canariensis survives with me at about zero.  I have been getting one flower per year  usually late October or early November.  I repotted it in 2007 and it made a lot of growth and had many buds.  Only one flower opened.  The more mature buds aborted because of the cold and the others because the plant enters summer dormancy when the temperature rises in spring.  My greenhouse is not well ventilated so can get quite warm on a sunny day even in February.  It did not grow so well last year and only produced one bud.  I repotted this year and found most of the tuber had rotted away but there were a couple of new shoots with roots beginning so I cut away the dead tissue, shook on some sulphur powder and potted it up. No flower buds this year but the plant looks healthy so far.  I think my plant is about 7 or 8 years old.  I grew a few from seed before I retired when I had access to warmer greenhouses. I only took one home as I was not sure if it would survive.  The ones I left died or were maybe thrown out because Bob(ex boss) did not know about their summer dormancy.
The flowers on my plant are more open than yours, Gerhard.
Pics from Nvember 2007.   

[angie]

Hi Roma, lovely Canarina , never heard of it before now, really lovely colour, what a shame your ex boss didn't know how to look after them.
Hope your cold isn't to bad and you will be able to see the New Year in, I was out your way yesterday it was so pretty, like a picture postcard.

Angie

[Diane Whitehead]

I bought this Eranthis pinnatifida in a pot in the summer
and have it in a frost-free greenhouse (though barely so).

It's hard to get the whole thing in focus as the days are
so gloomy.

I'm going to save the pollen and see if it will cross with
the common yellows.  I haven't seen any reports of anyone
trying this.

[Maggi Young]

I bought this Eranthis pinnatifida in a pot in the summer
and have it in a frost-free greenhouse (though barely so).

It's hard to get the whole thing in focus as the days are
so gloomy.

I'm going to save the pollen and see if it will cross with
the common yellows.  I haven't seen any reports of anyone
trying this.

One of our favourites, Diane.... we've tried a cross but nothing yet.

[annew]

Crumbs - I bought one last year. Now WHERE did I put it??

[Maggi Young]

Ours doesn't show till much later than this, Anne... it's probably fast asleep yet!