Haut Chitelet Alpine Garden (France)

[Hoy]

I think blue is my favorite colour when it comes to flowers

[Philippe]

Hello from France again

Drought and quasi heat could resume our spring 2011, which already belongs to weather history here.
The snow melted very early this year in the mountains after a tremendous and promising winter beginning, and by mid/late march it was so far: no snow cover more in the Vosges at 1200m asl. Instead of that, bright sunshine, few rain, and well above normal temperatures.
Vegetation didn't need more to get 3 to 4 weeks earlier than usual. And I still can't believe that our meconopsis will flower in a few days, whereas it's only the case about mid-june in a normal year...

Here some pics taken recently

1. Young lewisia tweedyi
Always carrying flowers the whole 6 months we are at the alpine garden. But this year only beginning particularly early.
It grows very well here, enduring without problem the sometimes pernicious winter wet ( as surprisingly also does L.rediviva)

2. Primula farinosa
I found it sometimes tricky, until the right place was apparently found, at which it lives since 4 years ( plenty of light, facing north west, so the ground doesn't get to warm). I thought it would need moist soil, with water not far away, as I mostly saw it in the wild, but it isn't the case here. It now grows alone, for my pleasure

3. Primula auricula

4. Primula rosea
It was nearly too late to see its flowers. But fortunately it grows also in a north facing bed which was longer covered with snow this spring.

5. Primula scotica
A quite difficult species to please in my mind, never long lived, not always appreciating the growing conditions. If anyone has a good advice?

6. Fritillaria pallidiflora

7. Leptinella dendyi

8. Soldanella pusilla
In the same bed with the primula rosea, which is the only way to marvel at its delicate flowers: where the snow lays the longest time.

9. Viola aetolica

10. Rhododendron fastigiatum

[Lesley Cox]

I'm trying Primula scotica in a cool crevice in a mostly shaded trough, sowing the seed direct onto the soil in the crevice. Too soon yet to say whether that works. I hope it may grow then seed there.

[cohan]

The plants are all looking great in spite of the dry spring... hope you have enough rain over the summer..

[Philippe]

Hi!

Some news from the helichrysum milfordiae, which is this year a real gem, catching every eye that passes by, and both mines at first, of course 

Don"t forget to take a look here:

http://www.alsacephotos.fr/chitelet/site/actualite/actualite.htm

As usual, all in french ( not enough time to translate in english), but with the pics of the plant that flower for the moment in the garden

Bye!

[cohan]

Wow! fantastic plant! I kind of like that the flowers are focussed in some parts of the plants-- still a great floral display, but you can appreciate the fantastic foliage at the same time..

[cohan]

Great photos at the link above--wonderful plants made even more beautiful by the stylish photos..
Silene uniflora and Euphorbia griffithii are especially appealing to me!

[Philippe]

Hi

Time for me to think about giving some news again.
Partly still much snow ( or more exactly watery compacted ice) in this early april in the alpine garden, but also more and more places and beds which begin to look out ouf the old snow layer.
It shouldn't last very long untill it melts completely everywhere, probably not more than 2/3 weeks. I was rapidly upthere this morning to take a look. 4°C (38/39°F), thick fog, and light drizzle. The weather I am loving so much, and that I have been longing for so long in this particularly dry, sunny and too warm spring 2012. Well, I love clouds, fresh air, and humidity you know, only when winter is over

Amongst the very first plants to flower in the garden, as every year, Lysichiton americanus, from NW North America, growing along the river Vologne which gets across the garden. It has been a longer time that the snow has melt here, judging by the more avanced vegetation. We must be very careful by growing this lysichiton as we do in running water, as it behaves quite like a pest in the garden, and is already declared invasive in some countries. The seeds which ripen during summer can very easily escape from the garden following the river, and then colonize the natural environment on lower altitudes. As there are many ponds and smaller lakes at lower altitudes with sometimes threatened indigenous species, this could become problematic and must be avoided above all. Therefore and every spring, we follow the river downstream on several hundred meters to hunt down escaped seedlings, and every 2/3 years make the trip untill those first ponds/smaller lakes 2 kilometers further down to make sure there is absolutely no adult lysichiton anywhere.
Considering we would like to keep the plants in the collections, rip off the spadix when flowering time is over and before seed ripens is the easiest way to limit the risks. To err is human though, and the possibly forgotten seeds which could escape are anyway systematically hunted during the yearly spring seedling inspection trip.
By the way, Lysichiton has an enormous disadvantage which fortunately doesn't allow it to escape discreetly: its yellow spathe at flowering time and huge leaves in summer, both getting easily seen from a distance when hunting for it.
In addition, it takes 3 to 4 years to reach flowering size here.
So far for the little word about the risks of having possible invasive plants in culture.

Some common himalayan primulas, which were obviously sooner snowfree, as other patches at other places still have their winter resting bud look.
Primula denticulata, wandering in the whole himalayan bed, and which would probably like to wander even further in the beds around, as it is very free self sowing. Not giving ripen possibility to all of the seedheads is here again a solution. No invasive threat here though, only a gardener wish, who just doesn't want to see more delicate species and neighbours to be overwhelmed by a beautiful P.denticulata surge.

Primula rosea is also flowering where the snow has already melt, with plenty of water around it. It sometimes even grows in shallow running water, and tends again to sow itself, but pleasantly, without becoming a nuisance.

That was it! We should open the garden by late april, I will try to post then a bit more regularly here in this topic.

[cohan]

The melting time is delightful I love it when there is water everywhere We are at that stage also,  but nothing flowering here yet!

[Hoy]

Think I would feel at home there

[Lesley Cox]

The melting time is delightful I love it when there is water everywhere We are at that stage also,  but nothing flowering here yet!

Don't talk to me about water!

[ronm]

What has happened Lesley?

[Maggi Young]

Oh dear, has the cost of a tanker of water gone up again, Lesley?

[Lesley Cox]

What has happened Lesley?

I hoped you'd never ask but seriously, water is a major problem at present. If it were just that we had run out, emergency supplies are always available. A neighbour even had their tank filled on Christmas day in 2011. In case you didn't know already, we have no town supply here and rely on what is known locally as "tank water" which is storage tanks which take rain from roofs. We have just the one and occasionally have to buy water which comes in a tanker.

No. This is a problem we should have fixed months ago because the pump was acting up and we did nothing about it. The pump was going continuously but not actually lifting any water. Roger fixed a seal and it went OK but obviously it was just a temporary fix.

Friday was OK but Saturday morning first thing when I went to shower before work, no cold water and R found the pump had burned out totally. Easter and no suppliers available, likewise yesterday Sunday and today Easter Monday. Hopefully we can get a new pump and get it going, tomorrow as I urgently need to use the hose.

In the meantime, R is carting water in 20 litre containers from Mosgiel, 9kms down the road, for cooking/drinking, washing (not a shower though) some dish washing (also need to do clothes but they'll have to wait), for the dogs and of course for the loo.

We've been to R's neice's place in Mosgiel for showers and I've filched some from a container for newly potted seedlings and the coolest troughs (after extolling beautiful autumn weather I wish it would rain but no sign of it).

So, roll on the end of Easter holidays. I feel sticky and dirty and am all the time seeing more plants that need a good soak. Just for once, after a wet summer, our tank is almost full. "Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink" as someone said.

[rob krejzl]

No bore water possible?