January 2012 in the Northern Hemisphere

[johnw]

A few for foliage in the garden today.  Could be a very chilly night.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Scrumptious shortias John. I've at last potted up your babies, 42 of them!

[johnw]

Scrumptious shortias John. I've at last potted up your babies, 42 of them!

Time we visited the family planning workshops Lesley. 

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Seems a bit late for that!

[freddyvl]

Today flowering in the garden:

. Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica: This winter-flowering Majorcan clematis has fragrant, creamy-white flowers speckled inside with reddish-maroon 'freckles' and bronze-tinted evergreen leaves. Best planted against a sunny wall.

. Corydalis ledebouriana: Flowers are purple to violet with a pale pink to white spur bloom in January/March above compact mounds of glaucous foliage. Native to Central Asia. A plant for a well-drained, sunny soil and avoid too much moist in summer.

[Maggi Young]

Today flowering in the garden:

. Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica: This winter-flowering Majorcan clematis has fragrant, creamy-white flowers speckled inside with reddish-maroon 'freckles' and bronze-tinted evergreen leaves. Best planted against a sunny wall.

. Corydalis ledebouriana: Flowers are purple to violet with a pale pink to white spur bloom in January/March above compact mounds of glaucous foliage. Native to Central Asia. A plant for a well-drained, sunny soil and avoid too much moist in summer.

Love the Clematis. Providing a sunny wall here might be too difficult......

[Michael J Campbell]

Helleborus ballard hyb.

[JPB]

At this moment I have Hepatica nobilis, Primula veris and Dianthus gallicus (one flower though..) in flower. Never seen this before. It strikes me that these plants are from warmer area's than they are living here in my garden/pots (P. veris is a clone from Dordogne, France). The species I grow from colder area's are not showing any signs of early growth or flowering. I'm puzzling if there's a reason for this difference???

Any idea's?

[Hoy]

At this moment I have Hepatica nobilis, Primula veris and Dianthus gallicus (one flower though..) in flower. Never seen this before. It strikes me that these plants are from warmer area's than they are living here in my garden/pots (P. veris is a clone from Dordogne, France). The species I grow from colder area's are not showing any signs of early growth or flowering. I'm puzzling if there's a reason for this difference???

Any idea's?

Yes, that's quite naturally. Plants i.e. from Norway isn't that easy to fool - I mean, they can't be awakened too early in the spring because the possibility of frost and snow later in the year is very high. It is not only the temperature that has effect on germination/sprouting but the length of the day too.

[JPB]

At this moment I have Hepatica nobilis, Primula veris and Dianthus gallicus (one flower though..) in flower. Never seen this before. It strikes me that these plants are from warmer area's than they are living here in my garden/pots (P. veris is a clone from Dordogne, France). The species I grow from colder area's are not showing any signs of early growth or flowering. I'm puzzling if there's a reason for this difference???

Any idea's?

Yes, that's quite naturally. Plants i.e. from Norway isn't that easy to fool - I mean, they can't be waked too early in the spring because the possibility of frost and snow later in the year is very high. It is not only the temperature that has effect on germination/sprouting but the length of the day too.

That makes sense. So the consequesces of dying for southern/warmer area plants are less severe than for northern/colder plants. Thus relying on daylength rather than temperature is necessary for colder area plants. Thanks for the insight!

[Hoy]

Yes, quite so!

[Graham Catlow]

An unusual occurence on two counts. There are three very early flowers on this Gentiana acaulis but all of them have unusual white tips to the petals. The first photo is of the patch in the spring showing no white tips and the second is the open flower now with the white tips. The three flowers have appeared at different points in the group, (only one open - two still in bud). I can only think that it has something to do with the weather. I dead head the plants so no chance of seed production to create a new variety.

[ichristie]

Hi all thank you for all the pictures they give us hope for spring. We have super blue skies but very hard frost overnight, I post two pictures of adonis amurensis, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[Tim Ingram]

Graham - my question is the other way round from Hans. We have a few flowers on Gentiana acaulis at the moment but how on earth do you get such wonderful flowering in the spring? Is it something to do with the cooler days of the north? Silene acaulis also only flowers very poorly compared to the wonderfully free-flowering cushions one sees in the mountains.

[Lesley Cox]

I can only think that it has something to do with the weather. I dead head the plants so no chance of seed production to create a new variety.

You could always take a cutting or two from the growth area where the white-tipped flowers are and if it happens to be a sport, preserve it that way, but like you, I suspect it is probably weather-related.

Re cooler days in the north for better flowering of Gent. acaulis, I suspect it is more related to planting conditions or to the particular seedling/clone that Graham grows. I have a lot warmer here than in Scotland (sorry) and get superb flowering on G. acaulis every spring, a few in the autumn as well. Mine is in a raised bed with a lot of grit but also humus and in most years gets well watered which I think has a lot to do with it. It's been in the same place for 12 years now and gets a bit of Osmacote 9 months thrown at it from time to time.