Flowering now May 2007

[Mark Griffiths]

I have some nice pics of the comma caterpillar's which I had not seen until last year.

To get this back a little more on topic, the only species I have a problem is with Yellow Underwing, last two winters a number of the Cyclamen where eaten in the greenhouse until I found the caterpillars by going out at night. Now slugs and snails, that's adifferent matter. I cannot grow any Campanulas outside, even the common ones. In the past week the slugs and snails have eaten Daphne arbuscula flowers, Rhodohypoxis and even the flowers of the common alpine phlox hybrids.

[Anthony Darby]

Mark, if you're not wanting to go down the slug pellet route, going out at night with a torch and an old pair of sharp scissors to snip 'em is quite satisfying. The local birds and other slug eaters can remove the corpses in the morning.

[hadacekf]

Geir,
Primula grignensis was described in 1998, but was already know for a long time as one of the P. hirsute- types living on dolomites. P. grignensis is a very tiny plant. I had seen it 1990 in shady places in fissures, where the air humidity is high in the Grigna Meridionale. ( Como province. Italy)

[gmoen]

Hi Franz

Thanks for your reply. I add another picture showing the size and the very marked petioles that are supposed to be found in this species.

My plants are grown from seeds, and after having a closer look I have reason to believe that the first picture I posted not are the true species. Even if the leaves have marked petioles (not so easy to see at the picture), I find the petals a bit to flat. After what I know they are supposed to be more erect as in the picture added to this post (even that a bit hard to see in the picture....but they are). The size of the first plant is also a bit bigger, even if it is smaller than my other Primula hirsuta plants.

Any comments ?

[Maggi Young]

I can add nothing to aid your researches, Geir, I merely say that I am unfamiliar with this very tiny plant and see why it would be desirable... such small treasures are a real delight. I hope it grows well for you, it is showing every sign of doing so, so far!

[hadacekf]

Geir,
Here is a short description of P. grignensis.
The rosettes only 2 – 4 cm diameter in the wild. The leaves are roundly oval. 15 – 20 (very rarely up to 35) mm long and 5-20 mm broad; the base of the blade is very abruptly narrowed into the petiole. The glands are large and brownish, reddish or yellowish. The scape is 1.5 to 5 cm long and carries one to seven, light pink flowers, each with a white centre and a diameter about 2 cm.

[gmoen]

Hi again Franz

Thanks for you description, I will study my plants closer to see how they fit to what you wrote.

Here are some habitants among boulders. Some of them are postet one by one before, but here you can see the whole neighborhood.

Dicentra peregrina x oregana (a fertile hybrid made by Botanical Garden of Gothenburg)
Cytisus ardoinii
Physoplexis comosa (not so big yet, but with a few more sunny days........)
Paraquilegia anemonoides
Clematis columbiana ssp. tenuoloba
Callianthemun anemonoides ( with hundreds of small seedlings in the gravel below )

[Lesley Cox]

Callianthemun anemonoides ( with hundreds of small seedlings in the gravel below )

That is so unfair

[gmoen]

Lesley

Would it help if I sent you some fresh seeds 

[Kenneth K]

Here some new pictures from my woodland garden. Most of them taken today.
First a couple of different Anemonella:
1. Anemonella thalictroides 'XXL'. Supposed to be large flowers. Well, everything is relative".
2. Anemonella thalictroides 'Betty Blake'. Green flowers can be nice too! A small new plant but already flowering
3. Anemonella thalictroides 'Cameo'.

Then a couple of Schizocodon (Syn Shortia). I have the privilige to live near the Botanical Garden of Gothenburg where they really know how to grow those. Good for me you are able to buy plants as well!
4. Schizocodon ilicifolius
5. Schizocodon ilicifolius purpureiflorus
6. Schizocodon soldanelloides 'Magnus'. A little later so it is not quite open yet.

And at last one of my favourites that I think ought to be in many more gardens.
7 Uvularia perfoliata.

[derekb]

 The first time I have grown the Bee Orchid.
   Ophrys apifera.

[johanneshoeller]

Here are 2 photos of P. grignensis (Grigna, 2000m). A difficult Primula like recubariensis.

[Anthony Darby]

The first time I have grown the Bee Orchid.
   Ophrys apifera.

Beautiful flower Derek. I remember seeing these while on holiday near Cromer (Norfolk) over 30 years ago.

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley

Would it help if I sent you some fresh seeds 

It certainly would Geir, though I promise you, I wasn't fishing. Not this time anyway I'll send my address privately.

[Gerdk]

Here are some pics from today - unfortunately most of the violets (my favourite genus) are post flowering
1. Meconopsis cambrica 'Frances Perry'
2. close up
3. Paeonia officinalis - Monte Baldo type
4. Ramonda myconi
5. x Rhodoxis 'Hebron Farm Cerise' = Hypoxis parvula x Rhodohypoxis
     bauri
6. Viola cazorlensis
7. Viola spec. (aff. biflora) - Birang Gorge/China
8. Viola portalesia - a shrubby violet from Chile