Northern hemisphere June 2010

[Lesley Cox]

The Bletillas are very nice indeed, a lovely change from the harsh magenta forms. And the white Dactylorhiza is also special. Clean foliage John? Unlike, apparently, 'Eskimo Nell' whose foliage seems, by all accounts to be virused. Keep this lovely lady remote from others and DON'T GO NAMING HER, and putting the finger of death or disease on her.

[Maggi Young]

I'd certainly keep the gloriously virginal dactylorhiza away from as many pests as possible!
I'm rather doubtful about all Eskimo Nell's being sickly, though..... see further note here :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5295.msg157412#msg157412

It's good to know there are other white beauties around as well, though

[christian pfalz]

hi all, dry limestone area here in southwestern germany, rheinland pfalz...field trip from yesterday...
centaurea with briza media...

lotus corniculatus

last gentiana lutea flower

gentiana lutea plants...

dianthus carthusianorum

campanula glomerata

salvia pratensis

Anthericum ramosum

 Allium sphaerocephan

Zygaena filipendulae

some piture from the limestones...


cherrs
chris

[cohan]

hi all, dry limestone area here in southwestern germany, rheinland pfalz...field trip from yesterday...

cherrs
chris

nice place! i like the centaurea..
i'm hoping for a fieldtrip into the mountains on saturday, depending on the weather..not sure how advanced things are high up..

[christian pfalz]

cohan, i wish you the best weather and good luck....here at the weekend sunny, and over 30° c...
cheers
chris

[Lesley Cox]

I'd certainly keep the gloriously virginal dactylorhiza away from as many pests as possible!
I'm rather doubtful about all Eskimo Nell's being sickly, though..... see further note here :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5295.msg157412#msg157412

It's good to know there are other white beauties around as well, though

Way back in 1993 when I visited David Sampson in the south of England, he had many whites among the coloured forms and I don't recall that they were named at all, except just as 'alba.' Don't recall any virus either though I probably wasn't as concious of it then.

[cohan]

cohan, i wish you the best weather and good luck....here at the weekend sunny, and over 30° c...
cheers
chris

thanks, the forecast now says mix of sun and cloud with high of 20C down here, 18- 24C for several places in the mountains..

[christian pfalz]

cohan, looks good...for a field trip....
good luck, and many pictures 
cheers
chris

[johnw]

It seems odd this almost white cultivar of Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo' at a friend's should be one of the toughest and so sun tolerant.

johnw

[johnw]

Acer palmatum 'Koto No Ito' is mis-behaving this year. Note the leaf shape compared to what is normal - the leaf on the deck.  Anyone care to tell me why?

johnw

[johnw]

The Mt. Laurels are starting, rather early for here. The whitish one I grew from seed back in the 1970's, it took years to settle in and make roots, it consistently winter-burned for the first 10 years but has never since - not even in our record cold winter.  The other is a true red, as red as any rose but difficult to capture, opening pink within.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo' - I would have expected that plant to be utterly burned and/or dessicated by sun and wind... perhaps the site is quite sheltered from the wind but it seems open enough to the sun? Very odd!

 Acer palmatum 'Koto No Ito'  - one would almost think ithis  was a reversion to a graft stock 

Those Kalmias are scrumptious....the shape of the buds is out of this world.... so decorative in themselves.

[johnw]

One of the best trees to plant, Cornus kousa. The bark on this one, unlike others, has not developed the Stewartia like bark. Growing in a hostile spot in an otherwise desolate industrial park, a lone soul.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

"billowing" bracts on the Cornus.... what a treat of a tree to brighten an industrial site.

[johnw]

Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo' - I would have expected that plant to be utterly burned and/or dessicated by sun and wind... perhaps the site is quite sheltered from the wind but it seems open enough to the sun? Very odd!

 Acer palmatum 'Koto No Ito'  - one would almost think ithis  was a reversion to a graft stock  

Yes Maggi, one would expect Ukigumo to incinerate. Yet through drought, sun, heat  (well as much as we get - earlier in the week it barely hit 13c but today is 25 and we need rain) - and cold it goes without care.  Also it is a very manageable size, note the narrow habit. Maybe the BOD would give you space -    Also a bit of pink splashed around on the leaves.

No, nothing from below the graft, last year in the cloud, wet and coolness it was almost completely narrow-leafed with a few stray larger leaves.  This year it appears as if the first flush was mainly narrow and then continued on wide. Here's a poor shot from the lower interior.

johnw