May 2012 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Graham Catlow]

David,
Does your Clematis recta Velvet Night need staking or does it stay upright on its own? It is rather special.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm afraid it has to be staked Graham.

[WimB]

Some plants in flower in my garden now:

Allium komarovii
Geranium cinereum 'Alba'
Iris 'Forever Blue'
Lewisia nevadensis
Ramonda myconi
Iris 'Leprechaun's Purse'
Pinguicula mundii
Delosperma basuticum
Iris 'Eco Little Bluebird'
Echinocereus viridiflorus

[WimB]

And some more:

Arisaema intermedium
Polygonatum huanum
Polygonatum sp. Polygonatum humile. (With thanks to Ulla for the correct name)
Geranium renardii
Phyteuma nigrum

[johnw]

David / Brian - What a colour! It appears to vastly better than 'Purpurea Select'.

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Yes John, it is stunning at this time of the year, as it gets taller I don't notice the new foliage so much, and of course there is so much else around to look at, so this time of the year it is looking it's best in my eyes.

[Maren]

Franz,

your Alpinum looks beautiful, such variety and so well arranged. 

[Armin]

Franz,
I concur to Maren's opinion. Simply great alpinium

I hope the drought will not end up in too early dormacy of your various bulbs followed by a wet summer...(as it happend last year here).

[Michael J Campbell]

Can't find a recent Calochortus thread, so I will just post them here. Maggi will move them if need be.

Calochortus albus
Calochortus albus
Calochortus albus var rubellus
Calochortus albus var rubellus. A cross between the two.

[Michael J Campbell]

Androsace cylindrica x hirtella.

[David King]

Here are a few from the garden this weekend.

1.  Iris 'Tabac Blond'
2.  Iris (unknown)
3.  Iris Hollandica 'Eye of the Tiger'
4.  Thalictrum (white)
5.  Thalictrum (pink)
6.  Iris siberica 'Hoar Edge'
7.  Iris 'Langport Wren'
8.  Maianthemum

[Rogan]

I really do enjoy your Calochortus pictures, Michael. How do you get C. albus rubellus to germinate; I seem to have problems with that one as other species germinate without any trouble?

[Michael J Campbell]

Rogan, I didn't notice any difference in the germination of Rubellus,were you using fresh seed?  I can send some seed if it sets any in a few weeks.  The seed just germinates in the bed where it falls, so I can take no credit for it.

[Michael J Campbell]

Edraianthus graminifolius

[Rogan]

"I can send some seed if it sets any in a few weeks."

That's very kind of you to offer, Michael. I have tried seed from the SRGC exchange this year, so perhaps I should just be more patient. I'll give it a few more months and see if something appears - a spell in the fridge may also help as our winters never get really cold enough to stratify anything at all.

It is such a beautiful plant and certainly worth the effort to grow - if it were too easy we probably wouldn't want to grow it anyway...