May 2012 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Brian Ellis]

Just back from a garden visit in North Norfolk (near Cromer) to the garden of John Simmons, Curator of Kew from 1972-1995 who helped establish the Castle Howard arboretum after his retirement!  A fascinating garden developed on former grazing land containing over 300 trees and shrubs, many of which have been used as examples and illustrations in his book on coping with wet gardens (Timber Press 2008).  Several of the plants were collected originally by John in Iran, Turkey, Argentina, and particularly Guizhou (Artemisia lactiflora 'Guizhou' is his collection) and West Sichuan where he collected a delightful Iris confusa and several Lilium sargentiae.  He was presented with this rare Cathaya argyrophylla, now 12 years old by the Chinese.  I think David will post some pictures later.

[Mike Ireland]

Clematis marmoraria with asperula suberosa behind.

[Tom Waters]

Scutellaria alpina 'Arcobaleno'

[Lesley Cox]

Is it the (dark) colour which mor often defines P. campanella or the drooping heads? My P. albana forms usually have an upright flower on a short, stiff stem, but the pics I've seen (haven't a plant) of campanella have all been very dark.

[David King]

A few pictures from John Simmons's garden which we visited this afternoon.

1.  Rhododendron cinnabarinum
2.  Paeonia delavayi var. delavayi f. lutea (Yunnan) not quite out yet.
3.  A monkey puzzle tree
4.  Iris confusa - the bamboo iris
5.  Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'
6.  A fern

[Lori S.]

Is it the (dark) colour which mor often defines P. campanella or the drooping heads? My P. albana forms usually have an upright flower on a short, stiff stem, but the pics I've seen (haven't a plant) of campanella have all been very dark.

I sure couldn't say what defines P. campanella, but I have posted photos here a few times of the plant below and referred to it as "Pulsatilla campanella" and no one has corrected me, so I assumed it was indeed that.     Looks quite different to me in flower form and colour (clearly) from the one Olga posted, though.

[Lesley Cox]

It would not have occurred to me to see your lovely plant Lori, as P. campanella, but as I said above, I don't have it, have only seen pictures here on the Forum. I think there was a very good image at one time on the International Rock Gardener section of the website and I'm sure the flower was almost pendant and just about globular in shape. Memory may be at fault though. It wouldn't be the first time.

[Lori S.]

It would not have occurred to me to see your lovely plant Lori, as P. campanella, but as I said above, I don't have it, have only seen pictures here on the Forum.

If you do a search on the species name, Lesley, I think you'll see that many/most of the photos on the current forum (can't comment on the old one nor on the IRG) of P. campanella were posted by me!  So if you think it's something else, please do let me know!   

[Lesley Cox]

Well I'm not in a position to say what else it could be. It doesn't look like a straight vulgaris form. Maybe Maggi can find the one in the IRG?

[Maggi Young]

There is only a mention of P. campanella in issue 14 of IRG  (February 2011)- no photo!

[Mike Ireland]

Hope this might help with Pulsatilla campanella.  I obtained seed from RMRP in January 2011.
Seed germinated quickly and all plants established well.  A number where planted into my garden last year & have all flowered this spring.
Quite a few have been passed to friends & some were kept in pots as shown in the photos.
The plants are about 4 - 6 inches tall.  Flower colour is the same, no variation as yet.
There is a brief reference in the AGS Bulletin, Vol 58 page 110 in an article, "A fortnight in the Mountains of Heaven" by Simon Davey.

[Olga Bondareva]

Dear all,  I like the discussion on my P. campanella. I collected it's seeds in 2004 in Tian-Shan (that's why it couldn't be P. albana or other species). All plants from the seeds were the same color. Leaves look similar to P. campanella.

I've just tried to search internet and have found a picture made by my friend Ury Pirogov in Kazakhstan.

You can also look at other pictures of the species at Russian botanical forum
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/view/item/30894.html
You can see different flower colors. 

[Olga Bondareva]

 

[Hoy]

The spring has taken steps backwards here! The train from east to west was blocked by wind and heavy snowfall last night, cars blew off the road, hurricane at the coast farther north etc. Several plants are damaged in my garden and the flowers and leaves blown off the rhododendrons.

Some flowers survived though!

Ichtyoselmis macrantha (syn Dicentra m.) is slowly spreading in the woodland.
Rhododendron cinnabarinum Roylei group
An unknown rhodo
Hylomecon vernalis (syn H. japonica), also a slug resistant plant in the woodland.

[Lori S.]

Well, that is puzzling about P. campanella, Olga.  The photos on the site you posted are of rather short-sepaled plants, unlike what I'm growing.

Thanks for posting your photos, Mike; my plants look like yours.

Here is the Flora of China description for P. campanella:, which talks of sepals being blue-violet to lilac:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008052

Flora of China does list some other unusual yellow/white flowered ones though - P. millefolium, P. sukaczevii:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=127637

P. sukaczevii is found both through Russia and in China, however in the illustration, it looks much more like an anemone:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008061