April 2010 - Northern Hemisphere- Flowering now.

[Armin]

Michael,
Dianthus rivendell is pretty nice. Is it winterhard and suits for garden environment?

[Michael J Campbell]

Armin,It should be ok in a scree bed or trough although I have never tried planting it out.I like to keep it in a pot so I can view it closeup.

[johnw]

Mark - Golden Gift is certainly a good one.  Several people in our group got it a few years back but I haven't followed their progress.  It looks much better than Butterfly (or is it flies?) and some of the others.  On seeing Golden Gift I would advise Butterfly owners to replace it with Golden Gift.  Yellow Bird is a good one throughout much of the Maritimes.

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,
the yellow magnolia is a showmaker. I wonder why it is not offered here widely. Not winterhard enough?

Not sure why this one (Magnolia 'Golden Gift') is not so widely grown, given it's smaller size it is a much better selection for smaller yards than most Magnolias, many of which easily grow 3' (1 meter) a year.  I consider this one "ironclad" hardy, it has never shown the slightest degree of bud blast.  One reason why it is might not be as well known, since it does not grow fast, it is probably not as favored by nursery people who want fast-growing saleable plants.  Also, so far as yellow mags go, this one is quite reliably yellow; some of the so-called yellows are very pale yellow to cream, depending on weather.  Unlike some yellow mags whose flowers fade in color, this one starts out charteuse-yellow and turns a warm mid yellow in a couple days time.  I'll have to try taking cuttings of it, as mentioned before it makes no seed.

This cultivar also has decent fall color (most Magnolias are fairly bland in autumn, maybe a bit of yellow), with russet-orange foliage.

[TheOnionMan]

Mark - Golden Gift is certainly a good one.  Several people in our group got it a few years back but I haven't followed their progress.  It looks much better than Butterfly (or is it flies?) and some of the others.  On seeing Golden Gift I would advise Butterfly owners to replace it with Golden Gift.  Yellow Bird is a good one throughout much of the Maritimes.

johnw

John, if you find out about how Golden Gift is doing for others, post back sometime.  I used to participate in a Magnolia forum, and one expert on that forum swore up and down that there was no such thing as a "dwarf" Magnolia and that 'Golden Gift' will be as large as any Magnolia.  Well, I don't think so, in the photos of the tree in flower now, it isn't much taller than the autumn photo taken in 2005... and this tree has never been pruned. 

Lots of people here plant M. 'Butterflies'; which depending on the weather, will have flowers that are pale yellow, to palest cream yellow or just cream.  There are many dozens of yellow flowered hybrids on the market these days, some are not very good.

[Armin]

Michael,
thanks for the details. I'll check availabilty and try it.

Mark,
thanks for the feedback. Slow growth = high price might be a good reason. Also the fact the 'yellow' is not a reliable yellow for many cvs. might be a main reason.
I keep an eye open if I can find a supplier here.

[Lesley Cox]

Michael your Myosotis from the Eyre mountains looks pretty much like M. pulvinaris. There may be some very closely related plants that have been put into new species, but to all intents and purposes......

[Gerdk]

RR, 'Arisaema', Mark & Armin: Thank you for your kind remarks!

Gerd

[Michael J Campbell]

Lesley,I have no idea, I just copied what was on the label

[Ragged Robin]

In the sun my Alpine rockery is beginning to show its true colours with Euphorbia Cyparissias 'Clarice Howard', Saxifraga and Fritillaria Meleagris rubbing shoulders  

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Looks like a good start of the season Robin !! 

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Luc, it is and I'm really happy seeing everything starting to flower 

[Olga Bondareva]

Another sunny day...

Pulsatilla slavica


Corydalis solida blue selection


Scilla sibirica


Galanthus Ophelia


Crocuses

[Katrin Lugerbauer]

Some pics from my garden in Upper Austria.

[Maggi Young]

Your shade bed is lovely, Katrin... here in Aberdeen we can grow all of these in a sunny spot, shows the weather difference!