Hepatica 2011

[kalle-k.dk]

They are incredibly beautiful Gunhild

[annew]

Gunhild - congratulations on your very special seedlings.

[angie]

Lovely Lovely Lovely.   

Angie

[WimB]

Wonderful flowers everyone, thanks for showing them.

[Knud]

Hello,
the first Hepatica opened here today. Nothing special, just a H. nobilis, I think, but the anthers are pretty in pink. I only noticed the colours of the anthers as I was looking at the photograph, macro-photography has its advantages. Tomorrow I will bring my magnifying lens out to see if I can see it "in situ".

Knud

[David Nicholson]

Interesting Diary from Diane here

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+March+/336/

[Maggi Young]

Interesting Diary from Diane here

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+March+/336/

.......... there always is! 

[Maggi Young]

By the way, on the subject of hepaticas and Diane.......
 guess what I found in the listing of the AGS  Shropshire Group?

At the meeting on the 21 March 2011 in the Darwin Community Centre, Frankwell, Shrewsbury  (at 7.30pm) the speaker will be none other than.......
 Diane Clement  and her subject will be "Cyclamen and Hepatica - jewels of the garden"


 I'm thinking 'be there or be square' Hep fans!

[Gerry Webster]

I have a number of colour forms of both H. nobilis & H. japonica growing close together in a frame.  Four years ago, for the first time, I collected & sowed several pots of seed  & this year most of the seedlings flowered. I had expected to get some cross pollination & therefore some colour variation. In fact, all the plants came true (i.e., like the seed parent). Is this usual?

[Diane Clement]

I have a number of colour forms of both H. nobilis & H. japonica growing close together in a frame.  Four years ago, for the first time, I collected & sowed several pots of seed  & this year most of the seedlings flowered. I had expected to get some cross pollination & therefore some colour variation. In fact, all the plants came true (i.e., like the seed parent). Is this usual?

I think that hepaticas, when left to their own devices will often self pollinate.  There's not too many insects around at this time of year.  Here's two slides from my lecture to illustrate the point.

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks for the comment Diane. I suspected that lack of insects might be the reason. I should have got to work with the paintbrush.

[kalle-k.dk]

Today opened the first Hepatica nobilis by our own cross, 3-4 and maybe more of them are double. 
Behind the petals there are stamen.

[Graham Catlow]

Three from me

Hepatica nobilis (pink)
Hepatica nobilis (pink close up)
Ditto
Hepatica nobilis (blue)
Hepatica transsilvanica 'Ellison Spence'

[mark smyth]

sadly my H. yamatutai single and double forms died over the winter along with H. n. glabrata and several others. They had rotted at ground level

I have a large pot with 100s of seedlings that have only seed leaves - the same they had when they first came in to grow after I sowed them fresh in 2010. What should I do with them?

[Mavers]

I understand John Massey keeps his hepaticas above zero degrees during the winter.

Mine are under glass during the winter months without any heating & have come through with no losses despite the intense cold.

I move them out into uncovered frames on the north side of my bungalow during April when the sun starts to increase in strength & then gradually increase shading for the height of the summer.

Seems very similar to Diane's method.

Do you prevent your hepaticas freezing Diane?