March 2010 Northern Hemisphere

[angie]

Hans, lovely pictures of your plants, they look so happy in the sun. Today I cant see much its pea soup here ( fog ) so I am happily sitting at the computer catching up with all these delightful images, its great.. coffee and a large slice of chocolate cake at my side;D.

Angie

[Hans J]

Thank you Angie 

that was my idea to give all this poor people in Scotland a little fun and some impression

here today 22° ...
T -shirt + shorts + bare foot

[Sinchets]

Also does anyone know if this Adonis is A.amurensis?

Thanks, Lesley.

I'd say it is Simon, both leaf and flower look right.

[Gail]

One in flower today:

Cardamine glanduligera

Nice one Wim.  It looks similar to C. pentaphylla (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4771.msg128674#msg128674) but more delicate with 3-part leaves instead of 5-part leaves on pentaphylla.  Where does C. glanduligera come from? The genus Cardamine is one that deserves more notice, every time I encounter a species, they are such choice woodlanders.

Like Mark Wim, I liked your Cardamine glanduligera.  I've actually just bought a plant of this species and was wondering where to put it.  Mark suggested that it looks similar to C. pentaphylla but in my garden at least pentaphylla is a very well-mannered species that forms neat clumps.  I have a suspicion that in growth habit C. glanduligera will more closely resemble C. quinquefolia - a lovely plant but not something to allow in the garden if you like to keep some semblance of control.  I don't mind it spreading and it dies away quickly after flowering so doesn't bother other plants but I do think in another 10 years or so it will have covered our acre and be making inroads into the farmer's field!

First picture shows C. glanduligera in pot compared to C. quinquefolia which is just starting to flower here.  The glanduligera is a deeper colour, more like honesty (Lunaria annua) Second pic is of quinquefolia making it's escape from another bed.  C. pentaphylla is not open yet (and rabbits have been digging my best clump) I've also got a couple of other later flowering sp.

[David Nicholson]

Thank you Angie 

that was my idea to give all this poor people in Scotland a little fun and some impression

here today 22° ...
T -shirt + shorts + bare foot

Can I share in the fun please Hans. 11C and pouring down now. No T shirt, no shorts, no bare feet, but a cosy jumper.

[Hans J]

 

David :

Do you have still wintertime ?

my idea was always that England has a much more mild climate than we ....
Maybe go in your cellar and look for a nice bottle of wine 

[Alberto]

Hans, it looks like spirng arrived first in Germany than in Italy!
Alberto

[Hans J]

Alberto ,

It is always importent to have good connections 

look on your profile : north of Italy
look on my profile : south west Germany

...maybe thats the difference 

[WimB]

One in flower today:

Cardamine glanduligera

Nice one Wim.  It looks similar to C. pentaphylla (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4771.msg128674#msg128674) but more delicate with 3-part leaves instead of 5-part leaves on pentaphylla.  Where does C. glanduligera come from? The genus Cardamine is one that deserves more notice, every time I encounter a species, they are such choice woodlanders.

Hi Mark,

C. glanduligera is a European native but I don't know where exactly in Europe you can find it in the wild.
I got it from the owner of a small and very nice nursery here in Belgium called 'Epimedium'. She loves all shade plants and especially Epimediums (Duh!! ). She received this plant from a friend who is known in Belgium for her garden skills (Mia Gevaert) and who collects Cardamines.
It grows in loose colonies and spreads by rhizomes.

[WimB]

Some in flower today:

Anemonella thalictroïdes 'Green Hurricane'

Wim, what is the source on Anemonellla thalictroides 'Green Hurricane'?  The reason I ask, there is some confusion over the green flowered cultivar names.  See the following two links showing plants on Barry Yinger's Asiatica Nursery site:
http://www.asiaticanursery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/801/index.htm
http://www.asiaticanursery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.viewCategory/catID/37/index.htm

The confusion historically has been between two names, 'Green Dragon' and 'Jade Feather'.  In the top link, you see the rather different looking plant, not the same as yours, with green bracts and twisting whitish staminodes.  It was a surprise to me, to see the additional name thrown into the confusion on the Asiatica nursery link... namely 'Green Hurricane'.

I recounted the story to Barry, that I saw this odd form of A. thalictroides (the green one with white twsity staminodes) in the garden of Linc Foster back in the 1970s.  I suggested to Linc that this special form should become distributed, he agreed and gave me a few pieces.... but we needed a name.  Linc came up with 'Green Dragon'.  Shortly after, within a week or so, while I was working on an article with Linc's wife Timmy Foster, editor of the American Rock Garden Society at the time, Timmy wrote back telling me that she thought the name 'Green Dragon' was too harsh, and they decided instead to call the plant 'Jade Feather'... Linc & Timmy agreed.  The plant was distributed (by me) as 'Jade Feather'.  Years later, one could encounter plants under both names, the assumption being that Linc hence gave out some plants labeled 'Green Dragon' forgetting about the 'Jade Feather' name.  So, I'm quite convinced I know the answer to the controversy, this plant is properly called 'Jade Feather', as I was party to this naming transaction.  Barry isn't so convinced yet, as he requests proof that it was first published as 'Jade Feather', but I don't have the Connecticutt and New England Chapter ARGS/NARGS newsletters going back 32 years or more, nor can I find the personal letters from Timmy Foster... the letters possibly still existing in boxes someplace in my messy basement.

Now, back to 'Green Hurricane', I do not know anything about that cultivar name... it was not a name discussed with Linc or Timmy, and is probably unrelated to 'Jade Feather' and likely is a different plant.  Your single green-flowered Anemonella is very sweet thing isn't it.  And you'll see in the second link above, there is a popular light-green double flowered form known as 'Betty Blake', it was being sold at the NARGS Eastern Winter Study Weekend last week in Devens, Massachusetts, but unfortunately I did not buy one.... trying to hold the line on expenditures while still unemployed here

Mark,
Thanks for pointing that out.

I bought it from an alpine plant nursery in Germany (here's the link: https://www.alpine-peters.de/shop/). At the left, you can see a link to the Anemonella's they sell.
If you look at the picture of the flower of what they are selling as 'Green Hurricane', it looks as if it is 'Jade Feather' and if you click on the picture, you get a bigger picture of something that looks like a different plant (?). Maybe the staminoids get longer as the flower matures and it is 'Jade Feather' after all? What do you think?


I have 'Betty Blake' also, but she's just popping up from under the soil.

[WimB]

Like Mark Wim, I liked your Cardamine glanduligera.  I've actually just bought a plant of this species and was wondering where to put it.  Mark suggested that it looks similar to C. pentaphylla but in my garden at least pentaphylla is a very well-mannered species that forms neat clumps.  I have a suspicion that in growth habit C. glanduligera will more closely resemble C. quinquefolia - a lovely plant but not something to allow in the garden if you like to keep some semblance of control.  I don't mind it spreading and it dies away quickly after flowering so doesn't bother other plants but I do think in another 10 years or so it will have covered our acre and be making inroads into the farmer's field!

First picture shows C. glanduligera in pot compared to C. quinquefolia which is just starting to flower here.  The glanduligera is a deeper colour, more like honesty (Lunaria annua) Second pic is of quinquefolia making it's escape from another bed.  C. pentaphylla is not open yet (and rabbits have been digging my best clump) I've also got a couple of other later flowering sp.

Gail,

I was a bit afraid of it's spreading power also but the nursery from where I got it has it growing in their borders, and it spreads alright but it's not really obnoxious, it leaves nice open patches for the other plants.

[Maggi Young]

Regarding those plants which have a tendency to "spread" themselves happily around a garden.... or a county or  even a whole country......I suggest we take a moment to celebrate them for their usefulness where other plants might not grow at all

[David Nicholson]

David :

Do you have still wintertime ?

my idea was always that England has a much more mild climate than we ....
Maybe go in your cellar and look for a nice bottle of wine 

I don't know what it is Hans but it certainly doesn't feel springlike and after this week I've started to rust. Now, if I had a cellar...........

[Kenneth K]

A picture of Cardamine glanduligera from the Rhododendron Valley in Gothenburg Botanic Garden. It certainly is spreading. The picture was taken in early april 2008.

[Armin]

Two pics from yesterday -
Anemone caucasica and Primula megaseifolia
Gerd

Gerd, two beautiful species!