Hepatica 2011

[johngennard]

You are right Anne this has been covered on several occasions and there isn't a definitive answer.Personally I favour the removal of the leaves as I consider that they detract from the floral display,and if their are a lot of leave as in some vars.the stems of the flowers become distorted and elongated as they strive to emerge through the leaf cover.Each year I resolve to leave the leaves on but by the time of flowering they are beginning to look quite tatty and one by one they get removed.There are one or two exceptions but by and large I remove almost all the leaves.Chris would say that the japanese would never show a plant without its leaves but from what I have seen of their shows in photographs they seem to be showing small plants with minimal noses that don't produce many leaves anyway and are therefore are not such a great detraction.They seem to be more interested in the individual perfection of a single flower than an abundance of flowers which is my preference.Everyone perfect of course!!

[annew]

Thanks, John.

[Gerhard Raschun]

just a few Hep jap in flower too

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hepaticas surely seem to be waking up for Spring ! 
Very nice series Gerhard !!

[Kenneth]

Gerhard, what a wonderfull H. Japonica flowers  I'm really looking forward to spring now! Thanks!

I think these plants are more hardy, than first expected. I have started to plant them straight in the
grown now, and it seems like they are fine with it ! Last winter we had - 30 C for many weeks, but
here in Norway we have great snow cover though ( and no snails in the winter to eat our plants)

[Maggi Young]

Hi Kenneth,
 welcome to the Forum!
Just having a little cry here....    .... still too many hungry slugs and snails to eat our plants.... even in the winter. 

[Gerhard Raschun]

Gerhard, what a wonderfull H. Japonica flowers  I'm really looking forward to spring now! Thanks!

I think these plants are more hardy, than first expected. I have started to plant them straight in the
grown now, and it seems like they are fine with it ! Last winter we had - 30 C for many weeks, but
here in Norway we have great snow cover though ( and no snails in the winter to eat our plants)

Yes, japanese Hepatica are hardy, but only with protection for moisture. In nature they are covered with snow, and there is only a short time of snow melting , when soil contain more moisture. Now winter is back, so it `ll need some time for the next blooms....

[Gerhard Raschun]

just a few picts from glasshouse

at the moment there is only one hour sun on the glasshouse No. 2 , to few to get good picts of all flowering plants....

[johngennard]

Hepatica maxima doesn't get much exposure and I must admit that I wasn't attracted to it at first, but after seeing a fine plant of it at Ashwoods a few years ago I decided to give it a go.It dosn't have the same charm as the japonicas,being more of a wallflower than a peacock but it does have its attractions with the fine large foliage retained in good condition right up to the new glossy green foliage emerging at the same time as the flowers which are dominated by the particularly large stamens.
The first picture shows the plant with the old leaves still intact,the second showing the emergence of the new leaves and the third illustrates the disproportionate stamens in relation to the flower.
The last picture is one of my jaonica seedlings flowering for the first time.

[Natalia]

johngennard, the last photo - your seedling from Hepatica maxima?

[johngennard]

Thanks Natalia,I have corrected the text to read japonica seedling.

[Natalia]

johngennard, read that Hepatica maxima - the best pollinator for Japanese pechenochnits. Is it really so?

[johngennard]

Sorry Natalia I have never heard of pechenochnits,perhaps Maggie can throw some light on to it or Dianne.

[Natalia]

Sorry  johngennard, I wrote the name Hepatica japonica in Russian with English letters ...

 Hepatica - pechenochnitsa ... 

[Diane Clement]

Sorry Natalia I have never heard of pechenochnits,perhaps Maggie can throw some light on to it or Dianne.   

Not me, I have never heard this word.  Natalia, are you saying it means Hepatica japonica?  So are you asking if H japonica is a good pollinator for H maxima? 

I think that John Massey of Ashwood Nursery has tried to hybridise every species with H maxima.  I think he has had very good success with some species and I hope that some of the plants will be available this year for sale.