April 2012 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

It is Androsace sempervivoides. Beautiful plant.

Do you think it is A. sempervivoides? I thought it looked like a furry plant and wondered if it might be a good form of A. jacquemontii.

First snow today, just falling, not lying. Winter is knocking at the door.

[YT]

Asarum minamitaniana ex. 'Hyuga-Nishiki', stripes and specles on greenish background. The named original plant was found in natural habitat and propagated vegetatively but mine is a self-pollinated seedling from them.

[Lampwick]

I do like troughs...... gardens for everyone!
Do you find the Penstemon pinifolius lives for a decent length of time for you.... it seems to only manage about three years here and there is no seed set.

Yes Maggi, I find that very few Penstemons will be willing to put on a good show much after their third season. As you know, a lot of them eventually become “woody” and brittle and don’t look good. Most are relatively easy to root from cuttings and I regularly do this to ensure I don’t permanently lose a desirable plant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rooted cuttings of penstemons.(cuttings taken – first week in August 2011)

Back 3: Penstemon fruticosus subsp. scouleri 'Albus'
Front 3: Penstemon newberryi subsp. sonomensis

[Lampwick]

Pictures taken today

First picture:On first seeing this growing at the feet of my Jeffersonia dubia ‘Alba', I did think it was something Kai had left in the garden!

Second picture:This shows it as a fungi – photographed in the reflection of a mirror placed between it and the Jeffersonia.
Are there any mycology experts here who can positively identify this?
Hold on!!....I have identified it as a Morel - Morchella esculenta; “…the most sought-after of the spring fungi. Once discovered they can be collected from the same site annually – good sites are kept secret!” (From How to Identify Edible Mushrooms – by P. Harding, T. Lyon & G. Tomblin)
There is a poisonous look-alike; Gyromitra esculenta – the False Morel whose stem is multi-chambered.

Third picture:The true Morels are single –chambered as shown.

Anyhow; I have now eaten them, and quite nice they were too! 

[David Nicholson]

...................Anyhow; I have now eaten them, and quite nice they were too! 

Hope they stay down John!

[wolfgang vorig]

in the garden today

[Mike Ireland]

Lesley - Franz - Wim, thanks for the suggested names.

I'm still not sure, my little grey cells seem not to work so well these days.

Some fritillaria flowering in the garden this week.  Unsure about the ID of two, any help appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

[Armin]

in the garden today

Wolfgang,
your P. flavescens is lovely. I failed growing it from seed. All seedlings, except one, became victims of black frost.
Which type of soil are you using? Any recommendations you can give me?

[WimB]

Asarum minamitaniana ex. 'Hyuga-Nishiki', stripes and specles on greenish background. The named original plant was found in natural habitat and propagated vegetatively but mine is a self-pollinated seedling from them.

Tatsuo,

that Asarum is wonderful! Super-plant!

in the garden today

Wolfgang,

love the Hacquetia. It's the cultivar 'Thor', isn't it?

[fleurbleue]

An other amazing Asarum Tatsuo  Nice to look at these strange flowers 

[YT]

Thank you Wim and Nicole I'll try to pollinate them next season

[ronm]

Lovely well grown Frits Mike.
F. pontica for the last two pictures. Three nice pics on the link below.
Are all of these growing in the ground or pots please Mike?

http://www.bgflora.net/families/liliaceae/fritillaria/fritillaria_pontica/fritillaria_pontica_1_en.html

[wolfgang vorig]

Hello Wim,
the plant shown is Haquetia "Thor".

kind regards,    Wolfgang

[Lampwick]

Pictures taken yesterday.

Epimedium grandiflorum subsp. koreanum. (?) This should have very pale yellow flowers; but I have never seen a hint of yellow in the blooms; hence the question mark.

Haberlea ferdinandi-coburgi. I have had this in this trough for over two decades and this year is not one of its best booming years.

Uvularia grandiflora.

[Maggi Young]

Crikey John, I've just been saying to Wim about how far ahead of mine his Uvularia are... now you're at it too!  Mind you, with some ofthe cold wet windy weather we've been having, perhaps mine are sensible to be going more slowly.