Haut Chitelet Alpine Garden (France)

[Philippe]

May 2014, update 2, part 5




Ranunculus traunfellneri

From the eastern Alps.




Rheum delavayi

Just before flowering, when it is the prettiest.




Soldanella pusilla




Trollius ranunculinus



The next update should follow normaly quite soon, as there is more to see now.

[David Nicholson]

As usual Philippe very interesting and very colourful.

[astragalus]

How tall will the ranunculus get?  It looks lovely.

[Philippe]

How tall will the ranunculus get?  It looks lovely.

It should be very similar in size to Ranunculus alpestris. First time it's flowering, plus a bit dryish conditions, so the plant pictured might be smaller than it would be in more suitable conditions I guess, as it is really tiny for the moment.

[astragalus]

Thanks, Philippe.  Your plants all look very happy.

[Philippe]

Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 1

It's been far too long since last update, once again...Sorry.

The obligatory weather report to begin. June 2014 was normaly warm on the whole, but unusually dry. After the first 7/8 days which brought some rain, it was finished for about 20 days in a row. It  began right with a strong heatwave on Pentecost ( 29°c by us,  37/38°c in the lowlands), that brought us nearly our highest high temperature of the last 15 years. The heat lasted 3 days, with no thunderstorm in the end, and then it went desperately totally dry for the following 15 days.

Another howling proof of the onsetting climatic change. Something similarly exceptionnal already happened just last year in July, with almost 3 rainless weeks too. All this extremes are not random events anymore that would happen only a few times in a decade, and more than ever, they will have to be expected more regularly, and even perhaps frenquently, in the years to come.

So daily watering was once again the main task in the garden during the biggest part of June. No weeding of the beds, or only here and there, no pricking out or plantations at all for the whole month, a pity, as June with its long days is the best time to do such things. No old bed removing either.

Fortunately, July brought the hardy sought-after weather change, back with rainy days and cool temperatures, so that much was done again to try to catch all the lost time in June.

The plantations in the new southern hemisphere bed could begin, the last and older of the oldest north americain beds was renewed, and a part of the Caucasus and Balkans beds were planted out to improve the soil-mix and give the plants a new breath.

The creation of a bed for the central Asia mountains is planned now, and should be achieved this season to welcome plants such as Trollius ledebourii, Hegemone lilacina, Eremerus altaicus, Cortusa turkestanica, Thalictrum petaloideum, Pulsatilla campanella...

Place to the pics now.

Primula to begin.



Primula watsonii



A charmant little chinese Primula with unexpected almost purple-black corolla and calyx. If the plants don't make great impact in a cultivated rock bed ( or should they be planted really en masse), closer look will reveal superb features



Primula tangutica



Another stunning Primula, shown here in 2 beautiful forms. I guess the seeds were all collected at the same place in the wild, but this great variability could also be the sign of two very close species.



Primula reidii var.williamsii together with Corydalis cashmeriana, both from the western part of Himalaya.

[Philippe]

Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 2

Let's stay in Asia with some other plants pics from there.



Lilium lophophorum

I patiently waited since the sowing in 2009 to see the first blossom, which happened this year. Simply a delight, and there can be no greater reward for a gardener to see such miracles happen



Incarvillea forrestii.

An interesting plant at flowering time with its huge bright pink flowers, somehow reminding the same flashy pink of Primula rosea some weeks earlier.



Cremanthodium arnicoides

Another plant I couldn't wait to admire the first blossom, and it was well worth it. I love Cremanthodiums. These could be simple alpine sunflowers, but they are of course much more than this, and the fact that much of them grow in the monsoon wet places of the Himalaya has an immense attraction on me. Probably it's also because I love that weather so much ( as long as one can shelter from it )



Meconopsis horridula



Meconopsis baileyi

[Philippe]

Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 3

Into the european Alps now



Campanula thyrsoides

A truly magnificent species of Campanula which should be found in every rock garden if climatic conditions allow its irreplaceable presence.



Cirsium spinosissimum ( in the background)

Reminiscent of some of the strange himalayan alpine Saussureas species. Another unavoidable far more easier species to grow.



Oxytropis campestris



Papaver rhaeticum.

A wild collected plant, which needed hand pollination to prevent too much crossing with the P.alpinum that grow in other parts of the bed.



Paradisia liliastrum.

Together with Lathyrus leavigatus and Paeonia officinalis in the background. It's only a shame that Paradisia liliastrum blosson doesn't last much longer. I have already said it in the previous years'updates, I couldn't live without it.

[Philippe]

Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 4



Silene vallesia

Still from the european Alps, a delightful ground covering Silene species with flowers held straight  isolated on each stem



Carduus carlinoides

From the Pyrénées now. Heads of pink flowers like an usual thistle, but with a very interesting silvery foliage



Lilium pyrenaicum

Out in the Caucasus, with Centaurea cheiranthifolia



Centaurea cheiranthifolia.

Very useful for a somewhat wild place in the beds, associated with taller growing species, as it will generously spread with underground shoots, rapidly covering an increasing surface. The abondant blossom is a first class spectacle. The very sweet colour allows many combination with other flowers, and I hope I can show in the years to come some breath taking associations



Sedum pilosum

Also from the Caucasus, for a crack in the rocks, far away from every other possible plant competition to keep it its condensed habit.

[Philippe]

Update 3, JUNE/JULY 2014 , part 5

Last part of the update, with a look at some southern America plants.



Calceolaria uniflora

Still grown in pot in the propagation area, as the sowing from last year didn't give anything. This is the last living plant, the other one died in fall last year. Carefully hand pollination was made again in June on every flower, and it seems 4 of them are producing seedpods, which should be ripe very soon, allowing another sowing. This time hopefully with germination results!



Oxalis enneaphylla, from southern Chile and Argentina. Another plant retractable to spontaneous local insect pollination. Bulb division is however a good mean of propagation, as soon as there is enough to play with.



Polygonatum hookeri

A forgotten from China.

And a last trip in Japan.



Schizocodon soldanelloides var.illicifolius



A view from the Japan bed, filled with perennial rather than true alpine plants.  Iris setosa with Primula japonica and Rhododendron japonicum in the background.

[Matt T]

Philippe, these posts are a feast for the eyes. Looking forward to visiting your garden one day. Excellent photography too, really shows of the plants to best advantage.

[Maggi Young]

Considerable difficulties for you, Philippe, to cope  with challenging weather conditions.  Remarkable to see just how many fine flowers  you can still show from the garden even in these times.

[astragalus]

Beautiful plants!  The color of the Schizocodon could only be described as electric.

[Tim Ingram]

Some truly wonderful plants beautifully presented Philippe! It makes our plans for visiting the garden next summer more and more enticing: we have a lot of interest and any other gardeners in Kent who might like to join us (the East Kent AGS) please let me know.

[Philippe]

Well the difficulties are first of all for the plants themselves. It's all about adapting the soil mix and the precise plantation site of the new plants. But it's going to be more and more difficult. We now try to make a not too light soil for the new beds, which can hold a bit moree water during these increasing drought periods, but that's very risky at the same time, as a wet winter could also mean too much humidity staying too long in the soil.
When planting now, I really think about if I should find a place near water or not too far from the shadow thrown by a tree in some distance. These are good choices for some plants, but once again, if the weather stays wet or  cloudy too long even in summer, these plants would surely better prefer an open place in a drier place.

I have to admit that this June has been sometimes really tough and stressfull to hold the garden in good conditions at a time it needs the most cares, awaking many questions, and giving more doubts than ever. For some species, and if the climate goes on changing so rapidly, I feel we are getting near the point where cultivation totally in the open is going to be harder and harder, and later maybe even impossible.
I don't dare looking at the weather forecast for next week-end. Another 36/37°C in the lowland could be in preparation. Of course we're not going to get so much here, and anyway most plants have passed their growth peak and highest watering needs, but here it is again, without clouds or thunderstorm, we are going to approach the 30°C again.
The week before seems to stay totaly dry, and after the heat, it looks like we could get all the rain we can get in a few days. Or will it stay too dry for the rest of the month?
Relative weather-regularity definitely seems a lost thing in this climatic change context.

Thank you anyway for the kind words