Alpines - Image of the Day 2012

[Tim Ingram]

This is the prettiest alpine flowering in our garden at the moment. Very difficult to capture properly on camera. Thalictrum orientale. It runs around loosely on a very gritty sunny raised bed and with T. tuberosum is a good species for dry situations, unlike most species. There is also a nice white form. So far though I have not had good seed set, though once established it is easy to divide.

[Maggi Young]

What a difference a few hundred miles makes, Tim...... no sign of any Thalictrum here as yet.

[Lesley Cox]

T. orientale was introducd to NZ many many years ago, seed sent by the great Roy Elliott, along with other good things. I haven't seen it about for a few years though.

[Tim Ingram]

Another plant flowering very nicely with us at the moment - Iris suaveolens. We also have much smaller plant of the violet-blue form but so far this has not produced many flowers. They both grow well in a very gritty-sandy soil, and will definitely encourage me to try more of the small irises.

[Rick R.]

In my zone 4 climate where summers are hot (compare to Europe), Iris suaveolens isn't picky at all about soil.  Mine grow in fairly rich, but pretty dry, clay based soil.  The "pebbles" you see in the 19 March photo below are bits of dried clay soil, not rocks.  The key to growing the arcing, falcate leaves is full sun and NO crowding.  

[Tim Ingram]

Perhaps the most beautiful plant in the garden when the flowers open like this - Adonis vernalis. This is slowly forming stronger clumps after sowing seed (from Jelitto) probably seven or eight years ago, and there is slight variation in colour between plants. Although it seems to set seed I have only ever had a few germinate.

[Maggi Young]

Wonderful Adonis plant and picture, Tim. Who could resist it with those dark, mysterious looking buds ?

[zvone]

Hi!

Gentiana from My Garden:



Let a day make nicer to you!

MORE PICTURES: http://zvonem.blogspot.si/news/

Best Regards!  zvone

[ranunculus]

Iris latifolia photographed today in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Southern Spain in the most glorious weather.

[Maggi Young]

On your hols, Cliff?
Those lovely Iris are "locally plentiful" it seems 

[ranunculus]

Hols, Maggi ... glorious sun, G&T's and flowers, what more could you want!!!

[angie]

Cliff could you take some of that lovely sun back to the UK. Looks great, enjoy yourself.

Angie 

[mark smyth]

Cliff please tell us more about where you are staying it looks great.

[ranunculus]

Hi Mark,
We are based at Lanjaron in Las Alpajurras - thirty minutes equidistant from the coast, Granada and the high Sierras (where, incidentally, there is a drought at the moment even though snow is still present).  The weather is set fair for the next six days at least.

[Lesley Cox]

Sorry to be picky, but is Iris latifolia not a bulbous iris?, the beginnings of what we know as "English" irises, like larger, more sumptuous "Dutch" irises. Or are the bulbs here growing among another, rhizomatous species, not in flower?

Great holiday though Cliff. Enjoy it and the weather and definitely the G and Ts.