Haut Chitelet Alpine Garden (France)

[Tim Ingram]

For an overview of our Kent AGS Group visit to the garden at the end of last month please see:

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Kent/+July+/685/

There are so many plants I missed on looking through Philippe's pictures! I'll just show one artistic one here which catches something of the ambience of the garden.

[Philippe]

July 2015, update 7, part 1





I think these both pics perfectly summarize the whole garden life for this meanwhile memorable July 2015. First, shading at the beginning of the month, by all possible means, when possible, and then soon watering, watering, watering, day after day.

It's been a hard month, a very hard one, coming near to the historic summer 2003 as regards both  heat and drought. And another step on the way to climatic change : maybe 2 hours of rain within the last 4 weeks, combinated to very high night and day temperatures, and only very short moments of less warm or less sunny weather to breath again, before going toward the next heatwave. Just unbelievable.

Depiste watering the beds, some plants suffered hard, just because of the extreme temperatures on the surface of the rocks, or sometimes because of the burn of the sun, when shading didn't come quick enough. The young Megacarpaea species disappeared during the heatwave, going dormant. Let's see if they'll grow again next year, these are plants which hate every kind of too warm weather. Some Primulas also burnt in the sun, and one or another species had to be brought back to the propagation area to ensure somehow better cares there. Some others lost their leaves, and just kept the "overwintering" bud, already ready to expand  it seems ( Primula muscarioides). Don't know if that is a good idea. Cremanthodiums didn't appreciate, but so far no loss. The big Meconopsis generally have a frightening look, and many of the M.baileyi seem to behave exceptionaly as monocarpic this summer. The Megacodon were shaded, showing rapidly burn signs on the leaves otherwise.

Of course there are always a few other plants that went "forgotten", almost dead, through the huge watering task everywhere, but on the whole, the worst is behind us now, with temperatures going down, and above all, 10mm of rain that fell on the garden recently, bringing finally water to almost everyone.

The propagation area is hard to maintain recently, because the pricked out species, young and older ones, have to be almost constantly shaded the whole day since 3 weeks now. Giving the right amount of necessary water to every pot is impossible, and the main preoccupation is not losing species through drying out. This way, overwatering can rapidly become another major problem, and together with few light, few air movement, and warm air, there have been losses here too.

These climatic hazards are the occasion to be surprised too. As I told in the Rheum nobile thread, the plants didn't seem to mind a second with that prolonged warm and dry conditions. I feared only the high temperatures would already have harmed them ( like the Megacarpaea). It's not the case.

I am also surprised that the Nomocharis made it so well through the heat/bright sun. These are 3/4 years old plants, it was their first serious test.

And there are the plants that seem to have even enjoyed the moment ( with watering however). All mediterranean species do well, and most of the north american plants look ok, as do the ones from South Africa or even South America. New Zelanders were more copiously watered, and shaded if necessary, just like the asiatic beds.

The usual walk through the bed now, as there were still plants bravely flowering during the last 3 weeks.




Primula vialii




Saussurea stella

First flowering season for this exceptional plant. It's just curious to see the way it develops. First the many long narrow leaves raising almost verticaly at the beginning of the season, and then letting place later to the closed compact flowering buds in the middle of the rosette, right on the ground. At this moment, the side leaves begin to lay more flat, widening and colouring near the flowers to give this unusual look for a plant.




Androsace lanuginosa

Showing more flowers this year, perhaps due to the warm  and mort dry weather conditions.

[Philippe]

July 2015, update 7, part 2




Primula poissonii

No water-stress for this species of marshy areas in the wild. It is planted near an artificial runnel in the garden.





The Caucasus bed.




Astrantia maxima

A strongly underground runner from the Caucasus. It needs a rich and moist soil to really give its best. It also needs place...





Calceolaria arachnoidea

No matter how strong the sun and dry the air, this Calceolaria didn't suffer from the heat. Just a layer of dried leaves to keep the soil humidity and a cooler temperature, for the roots, and it doesn't need more it seems. I always thought of Calceolarias being not so keen on dry/warm weather, but the species that grow in the garden did all very well, even the tiny delicate C.tenella.





A scene from South Africa.

Athrixia fontana on the left, Helichrysum milfordiae on the right, and Senecio macrocephalus in the background.

[Philippe]

July 2015, update 7, part 3




A close look at Athrixia fontana, because it is such a beautiful plant.




Delphinium oxysepalum from the Carpatian mountains.





Dicentra peregrina

Very generous this summer, in its usual sandy and rather poor soil.





Seseli libanotis

As usual for the Apiaceae family, a very architectural plant, with great presence in the rockery.





Codonopsis subscaposa

[Philippe]

July 2015, update 7, part 4




Astragalus vulneraria





Inula acaulis ssp.caulescens





Campanula thyrsoides ssp.carniolica





Campanula carpatica var.turbinata

[Yann]

Wonderful report Philippe, hope to visit the garden next season.

[Tim Ingram]

Philippe - I can empathise with you about the hot and dry weather, we have been just the same here in N. Kent but expect it much more. Every day is watering on the nursery. But still so many completely fascinating plants in July! I could wish the Alsace was not quite so far - we would come every few weeks  .

[astragalus]

Philippe, I am so happy you showed a picture of your beautiful Astragalus vulneraria.  I had narrowed down my search for the name of my mystery astragalus and your excellent picture was the final proof.
    I also think your Dicentra peregrina is spectacular.

[Philippe]

Winter at ist best for the moment high up in the Vosges mountains.
A very contrasted winter season, with no snow at all during all december, a slowly beginning in January and masses of snow since mid February. Right now the garden is buried under snow,  from 1 meter to over 2 meters according to the areas.
A comparative view of the garden entrance, yesterday, and last year in early June.





Hard to believe there's so much life concealed under that snow

2016 could have a much later vegetation start than the previous years. What would be great for the summer visitors!

Otherwise the garden will celebrate its 50 years this summer.

New : short facebook updates about gardening in the Haut Chitelet should be made regularly during the coming season on the Nancy Botanical facebook page :
https://www.facebook.com/Conservatoire.Jardins.Botanique.Nancy
(in french )
Beside that, the updates will of course be kept in english here on the forum, as often as possible.

[astragalus]

Thanks so much for showing the picture of Astragalus vulneraria.  I've been growing this as my "mystery" astragalus and  now I have picture evidence to go along with my tentative i.d.  It's a wonderful plant.

[Tim Ingram]

Amazing picture Philippe! Will keep an eye out on the Facebook page and will be very nice to watch the garden unfold again this spring and summer. Best wishes from Kent.

[Maggi Young]

 Haut Chitelet Alpine Garden (France)

 a new title for this thread  - with thanks to Philippe for his updates  on the progress at the garden. 

[Gabriela]

I am looking fw to see the garden bursting into flower, there should be even a greater show after such a generous layer of snow.
And Happy Anniversary!   Next time I cross over it will be a sure visit.

[Philippe]

2016 update 1, part 1

Still not much to report from the garden. Snow has melted now everywhere for 2 weeks, but the weather has been mostly grey and fresh since then. Just 3/4 "beautiful" days in May untill now, not enough yet to begin the real vegetative explosion so characteristic of the alpine garden in early summer.
I have no special plants to show for the moment, that weren't shown here on the forum in the previous years' first updates, but I shall not begin the 2016 season without some pic of course



First this view of some late  and impressive snowpatch around 5/6th.May, in the Central Asia rock bed.
As huge as it seems, it didn't take more than 10 days for the meter deep old snow to disappear completely, letting the plants breath the open air again. And enjoying some brief and rare mild days.



Lovely setting for Primula denticulata beside the stream and under snowdome.



Pulsatilla vernalis flowering very generously and showing strong will to conqueer the bed, with many self seedlings seen around on this area. What a good idea isn't it?



Plantago nivalis, from the spanish Sierra Nevada. Interesting plant, though no great floral beauty, but which has found its optimal here, again with masses of self seedlings tending to spread over the spanish mountains rockbed.



Really pleasant surprise in the New Zealand bed after the winter. So far only a very few losses, but many successes. Winter 2015/2016 has been very long to set, and it lasted untill late January for snow to fall and not thawing up till spring, after an incredible mild and very dry december in the mountains.
If lack of rain may naturally not harm alpine plants during winter, the sometimes very wet spells in first half of January were not the best for them. But New Zealand plants didn't mind that too much it seems, and there are hopefully beautiful things to show later in the season.
Meanwhile, here the carpeting Raoulia tenuicaulis, Scleranthus uniflorus, and a small cushion of Myosotis pulvinaris in the middle, which will have to be "weeded"  in order not to be overwhelmed by the Raoulia.

[Philippe]

2016 update 1, part 2



First time flowering for the NZer Ranunculus insignis, unfortunately under rude light conditions.



Vitaliana primuliflora.
Divided last year, and already full of flowers!



Ranunculus kuepferi



Gentiana verna
Nothing now should stop Gentiana verna from growing it seems. It has found good conditions, and has nicely built up since last year. Maybe it can even selfsow around, what would be absolutely great.


So much for this first update!