July 2011 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Tim Ingram]

Ian, those two plants are quite beautiful! I never forget seeing the white Roscoea for the first time at the Edinburgh Conference in Ron McBeath's wonderful talk (where I think he said he would exchange a bit for 'Red Gurkha') - it is so pure; very lovely. I have failed miserably with Lilium grayi but saw a fine example in the Rankin's garden. It is a most distinctive species.

[ichristie]

Hi Tim, thanks for your kind words, I have grown R. humeana Alba from seed and so far have produced a batch of pure white plants. I have also grown R. humeana from seed quite a few times seed was collected from the yellow form, pale pink and a very dark purple some good seedling and a few rather strange ones with one or two really exciting. Lilium grayi we grow from small bubils which seem to take ages but manage a few worth the effort, I post some Roscoea pictures, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[olegKon]

Beautiful roscoeas,Ian. I wish they were hardy here.
The first flowering of Mentha requenii for me. I placed a match to show the size

[ichristie]

Hi Oleg, we think that our winters are cold here in Scotland with minus 18c all the Roscoe's, Trilliums and lilies we usually plant quite deep to save them from the frost last year it would have been difficult to break the ground with a pickaxe but as all our plants raised from seed survived they must have a degree of hardiness, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[olegKon]

Thanks, Ian. I've tried roscoeas several times. They can survive some winters, but then there is one after which they are dead. Yes it can be quite cold in Scotland as well as in the Himalais, but non for 6 months. This can make the difference. No problems here with trilliums with the only danger being returning frosts for early starters like T. kurabayashi. Not all lilies are hardy here. Some don't survive winter at all, others gradually deminish in size and disappear.

[Gerdk]

Some summer impressions from my front garden + some specialities

1. Eschscholzia californica + Oxalis valdiviensis
2. Eschscholzia + Campanula thyrsoides
3. Papaver aculeatum
4. Salvia patens
5. + 6. Sisyrinchium roseum
7. - 9. Anagallis tenella - last pic with closed flowers in the evening

Gerd

[Lesley Cox]

I really like that paler form of Anagallis tenella. I remember seeing it in the grass on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, years ago but it was the 'Studland' form I was later able to buy.

[Knud]

I was out taking a few pictures during a break in the rain last week, and the bees were certainly making the most of the rare sunny moment. In some plants, like the Aquelegia, the nectar is clearly difficult to get at the usual way.

Knud 

[Knud]

The last picture in my previous post, of the Symphyandra zangezura, brought me on to this post of blues in the garden now. The first is a, by now, somewhat tattered Aquelegia discolor, it has bloomed for a while. The next two are Campanulas, 'Dickson's Gold' and Molly Pinsent. The fourth is a Corydalis, a C. cashmeriana?  After I moved it from a place it did not like, it seems very happy  growing up through a Fuchsia magellanica, and has bloomed for many weeks now. The last picture is of Mertensia pterocarpa, also known as M. asiatica and M. sibirica? A very nice plant, decorative bluish green leaves and many very blue flowers for a long period. They do well here in sun and shade, those in light/dappled shade stay nicer longer.

Knud

[Lesley Cox]

I don't know 'Birch Hybrid' except the name, but your picture looks very like C. garganica 'Dickson's Gold.'  Is that possible? All these blues are very lovely.

[Gerdk]

I really like that paler form of Anagallis tenella. I remember seeing it in the grass on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, years ago but it was the 'Studland' form I was later able to buy.

Thank you, Lesley. Being familiar with the pale form only the darker tinted Studland form seems also very attractive to me. Thanks for the hint!

Gerd

[Knud]

I don't know 'Birch Hybrid' except the name, but your picture looks very like C. garganica 'Dickson's Gold.'  Is that possible? All these blues are very lovely.

Thanks Lesley,
You are absolutely right about the 'Dickson's Gold'. You had me scurrying into the garden this morning, in the rain, plier in hand to pull out the label. I have taken to bury labels quite deep so they won't get lost, but clearly it also keeps me from reading them as often as I should. Thank you again, and my apologies.

Now I have to figure out how to edit my erroneous post. I should have a "Species check" button in addition to the "Spell Check" button. 

Knud

[Tim Ingram]

Knud, I like your 'blues', especially Campanula 'Molly Pinsent' which has very elegant flowers, and the exquisite Mertensia - these have never done well with me but the whole Borage family is particularly fascinating.

[Magnar]

A couple of taller plants here this week: Sencio jacquemontianus, aka Ligularia j. I don't know which name is the current valid one. And Notholirion bulbiferum, which I suddenly discovered in bloom yesterday morning. Can't even remember having planted it. Probably a small seedling that eventually has grown big enough to bloom.

[Maggi Young]

Knud, and other Forumists who are unaware of this facility..... it is simplicity itself to edit your own posts: click on the "Modify" button shown in the menu top right of the post and the text  box will open for you to edit at will. You can also add/delete photos as well as edit text.