August 2011 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, I think most Codonopsis are light twiners and quite delicate. A few grow short stems from the tuber and so look more like regular perennials. The little twiners grow from small fleshy tubers and as Angie says, it is so easy to break off the thin stems which are almost invisible as they emerge with bluish-green leaves, small and fine. The foliage of C. grey-wilsonii and vincaeflora is almost steely blue colour and the largest leaves are at the top of the stems by which time the stems have become a little thicker. They are generally blue shades and some are beautifully marked but there is the occasional green-flowered species and some species have beautiful white forms, such as C. g-w 'Himal Snow.' They are easy from seed but slow going at first. I may be able to get a little seed to you next season. The tubers of e.g. C. clematidea, a shorter species, are like a mandrake-type tuber but fleshy rather than tough and leathery.

I've sometimes had a batch in the nursery, potted individually as tubers but always made the mistake of putting the plants with each other, in a batch. Before I noticed they were through, the little thin stems had come up and leaned over towards the others and in no time at all there was a mass of twisted conjoined stems, utterly impossible to separate and so not able to be sold. I eventually learned to put a pot here, another there and also to put in a small stake such as a 40 cms twig from a peach tree, with each tuber as I potted it. Then they climbed instead of rushing towards each other. The untrained mass looked like a seething snake pit.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Thanks for the offer.  Much as I'd love the seed, probably better to give it to someone who could do them justice.    Probably doomed here in my climate by the sound of it. 

Thanks heaps! 

[Zdenek]

I send a dozen of my plants flowering in the second half of July. I apologize myself, I was not able to send them sooner.
They are:
Allium insubricum
Campanula cashmiriana
Campanula kirpicznikovii
Campanula waldsteiniana
Cyananthus flavus
Cyananthus incanus
Erodium cheilanthifolium
Gaultheria procumbens
Hypericum yakusimanum
Paronychia sessiliflora
Potentilla nivea
Townsendia sp.

Note One: I received the Cyananthus flavus as C. lobatus 'Albus'. In fact it can be also C macrocalyx, I am not sure.
Note Two: I received the Townsendia as T. alpigena var. caelilinensis, it is however quite different from T. alpigena by my oppinion. I think it could be T. jonesii or jonesii var tumulosa. Can somebody help me?

[Zdenek]

I am sorry, the last two pictures are here.

[angie]

One of my favorite plants in the garden today, Romneya coulteri. It just amazes me how it unfolds itself.

Another plant today that caught my eye in the garden was Beesia calthifolia I bought it this year at the conference. I purchased it for its beautiful foliage but I thought the flower and the seed pods looked very attractive.

Angie

[Maggi Young]

Super photos, Angela, especially of the Romneya.

I wonder if your Beesia has made good seeds? I'd love to try a couple if they ripen. 

[angie]

Maggi the pods are like little chutes. I will look for seed tomorrow. Its a lovely plant and growing well.

Angie

[Roma]

Cyananthus integer x sherriffii
Not sure if it's a valid name but got it as this many years ago from Jack Drake's nursery.  It grows in my heather bed but the heathers around it have died off or got so straggly they had to be removed.  Erica arborea used to give it shade but there's not much left after last winter though it has put on quite a bit of growth.  I will have to protect it this winter from weather and deer or there won't be enough of it left to recover.

[Pascal B]

2 Taiwanese Asarum from lower altitudes which often flower several times during the season. Asarum hypogynum is the largest of the Taiwan species, both in leaf (upto 30 cm long) and in flower. A 50 eurocent coin next to it for size comparison. Asarum epigynum comes in a variety of leaf forms and usually occurs in large colonies in the wild due to the ease with which it sets seed, the old flower next to it has lost all its hairs and has a ripening fruit. Unfortunately not hardy enough for the open garden in NL

[Paul T]

Nice, Pascal. 

By coincidence, I have Asarum maxima, splendens and delaveyi in flower here at present in the southern hemisphere.    I've not come across either of your two species before.  Thanks.

[Pascal B]

I've not come across either of your two species before.

Epigynum and hypogynum were both introduced for the first time by Crug Farm but epigynum only in the nettled form as "Silver Web" and looking at their website it is not available at the moment (and not much help for you living on the other side of the world). I have a similar form in my collection but also a lime-green leaved form.

[mark smyth]

Autumn. Ripe berries of the sloe, Prunus spinosa.

excellent fruit! For the last few years the sloes around here have been very poor

[Peter Maguire]

Just a few pictures from a quick trip to RBGE at the weekend - I was with 'non-plant people' (i.e. the family) and we only went in for a coffee at the very busy restaurant so these pictures are all I managed to grab as we walked past. Something for the delegates at the late bulb display to look forward to at the weekend.

1. A tree in flower! Aesculus parviflora
2. Colchicum bornmuelleri - popping up everywhere, and looking fabulous in the sunshine.
3. Roscoea 'Red Gurkha'. I used to grow this 
4. A Rhododendron in flower! Rhododendron beanianum
5. Tropaeolum speciosum

[mark smyth]

Clematis Mary Rose has been looking great for several weeks now

[arisaema]

Another plant today that caught my eye in the garden was Beesia calthifolia I bought it this year at the conference. I purchased it for its beautiful foliage but I thought the flower and the seed pods looked very attractive.

Could you post a picture of the foliage? I've never seen the true B. calthifolia in cultivation, they've always been misidentified B. deltophylla.

ETA: Added a picture of the real B. calthifolia, from Zhongdian, 4000m. The leaves are around the same size as Asarum caudatum.