December 2010 in the Northern Hemisphere

[johnw]

A few shots from today as I thought forumist might like to see something other than white:

A bit of autumn colour on azalea 'Scotian Breeze', Shortia uniflora in sun, S. uniflora in shade and Diapensia lapponica.

johnw

[fleurbleue]

Amazing foliages John 

[WimB]

Beautiful red coloured leaves, John.

Do you grow your Shortia's in pure peat or in a leafy soil?

[angie]

I had never seen Shortia's before until I went to Maureen Wilson garden, Maureen had some beauties you  would have thought someone had polished the leaves they were so glossy. Maureen kindly gave me some so I shall look for a nice place to plant in the spring.

Angie

[johnw]

Beautiful red coloured leaves, John.

Do you grow your Shortia's in pure peat or in a leafy soil?

Wim - The soil is heavily laced with peat and well-rotted bark, in other words it is very loose.  I mulch with ground oak leaves and pine bark mulch as well.  In the spring I top dress with some well-rotted cow manure.  They seem to grow most happily at the edge of a peat wall into which I bet they send their roots.

johnw

[WimB]

Beautiful red coloured leaves, John.

Do you grow your Shortia's in pure peat or in a leafy soil?

Wim - The soil is heavily laced with peat and well-rotted bark, in other words it is very loose.  I mulch with ground oak leaves and pine bark mulch as well.  In the spring I top dress with some well-rotted cow manure.  They seem to grow most happily at the edge of a peat wall into which I bet they send their roots.

johnw

Thanks John,

I have quite some seedlings I have to plant outside next year and I was wondering if I should try to grow them in something else than pure peat.

[johnw]

Beautiful red coloured leaves, John.

Do you grow your Shortia's in pure peat or in a leafy soil?

Wim - The soil is heavily laced with peat and well-rotted bark, in other words it is very loose.  I mulch with ground oak leaves and pine bark mulch as well.  In the spring I top dress with some well-rotted cow manure.  They seem to grow most happily at the edge of a peat wall into which I bet they send their roots.

johnw

Thanks John,

I have quite some seedlings I have to plant outside next year and I was wondering if I should try to grow them in something else than pure peat.

I should have mentioned that I also used rotten wood from a pine tree in the soil. They love it.  If you can find an old fallen pine in the woods that is disintegrating you'll be in luck.

johnw

[johnw]

One last autumn shot of Helleborus argutifolius which is always showy in winter when not buried in snow.  The centre compact one has been there for 25 years which seems awfully aged for this species (??); H. foetidus sticks around for a fifth that at best.  I wonder if anyone has lifted and divided these two species?

+8c at 21:40 AST and the weatherman has decided it's time for us to have a good storm. So we will have not 30mm of rain, but closer to 75-80mm (this after 30mm yesterday) and 100km/hr winds. We actually saw the sun for a few hours today.  Vinca minor in flower at a friend's this afternoon!

johnw  

[Natalia]

Forest near my garden. Yaroslavl region.

[Paddy Tobin]

A lovely scene, Natalia.

Paddy

[cohan]

Forest near my garden. Yaroslavl region.

very nice--looks quite familiar

[Hans A.]

Beautyful picture, Natalia!

About 15ºC, some plants are flowering: Galanthus elwesii, Iris palaestina, Crocus laevigatus, Narcissus papyraceus and Oxalis lobata -hope last one will have a better behaviour than some of its relatives.

[fermi de Sousa]

..... and Oxalis lobata -hope last one will have a better behaviour than some of its relatives.

Hans,
this Oxalis is very well behaved in our garden and has to be divided to get it to spread! If it gets a cold enough winter it will die down and then start to flower again in spring!
cheers
fermi

[Natalia]

Thank you!
cohan, сovered with snow Alberts ate are very similar to our fur-trees

Hans A. - Enthusiastically admired your plants!

At us-10S and snow. The first flowers will seem only in March.
 And can and later....

 

 

[Hoy]

About 15ºC, some plants are flowering: Galanthus elwesii, Iris palaestina, Crocus laevigatus, Narcissus papyraceus and Oxalis lobata -hope last one will have a better behaviour than some of its relatives.

I am jealous, Hans, you can enjoy flowering plants and I have to live through the coldest autumn in 100 years! November was 5^oC colder than normal. Usually some shrubs and Hellebores are flowering at this time of the year here at the west coast of Norway.