May 2012 in the Northern Hemisphere

[hadacekf]

Iris sintenisii

[Hoy]

I have a couple rather similar but not quite Maianthemums. Here are two (any suggestions?) Not as colourful as some other plants shown here but they get handsome berries in autumn.

[David Shaw]

Yes, Northern hemisphere. I obtained this as a small plant many, many years ago and labeled as "Anistome latifolia x Aciphylla dieffenbachii". It bear no resemblance to either of these (is a cross even possible?) and I believe it to be "Aciphylla colensoi" unless anyone has other suggestions.
It was a great surprise to see it start to flower earlier in the month because my book of wisdoms says that it does not, north of Coventry - actually it says in 'cooler climates' but it is the same thing! The same book also says that it needs a male and female to produce seed. I hope that this is correct as I don't want to be weeding babies of this out of the garden.
I wonder if the Gardening Scotland team would like it for the display!!!!!

[Lesley Cox]

Your Aciphylla is very handsome David, a real talking point (forgive me). While Aciphylla and Anisotome are both carrot family, I've not heard of any bi-generic hybrids. Yours looks like pure Aciphylla.

[David King]

The garden is colouring up fast now and here are a few more.

1.  Clematis 'Westerplatte'
2.  unnamed Iris Germanica
3.  Clematis 'Josephine'
4.  Papaver orientale 'Patty's Plum'
5.  Clematis 'The Vagabond'
6.  Cistus x Halimiocistus wintonensis
7.  Verbascum phoenicuem

[David King]

and.......

1.  Centaurea
2.  Aquilegia
3.  Allium
4.  Orlaya grandiflora
5.  An unusual local bird
6.  Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia
7.  Phytolacca acinosa (in bud)

[gerrit]

Growing in my peatbed these beautiful unknown Meconopsis. I wonder if anyone could help identifying.
I got seed from the NTS and they are in the 4th year of growing. I live in Holland and cultivation of M. is not easy, due to extreme weatherconditions.

[Michael J Campbell]

Loasa coccinea. (Caiophora andina) ?

This is a very vicious plant with a sting like a wasp.

[Tim Ingram]

David - what beautifully taken moments in the garden. I've never noticed those darker blue spots towards the centre of the Amsonia flowers? And Michael's Caiophora! I'm not sure stinging hairs work because the flower almost makes you want to hold it! I think this must be the same plant that I once saw at West Acre in Norfolk, quite a big bush. We used to grow a climbing species (acuminata??) which came as seed from Brenda Anderson, and reseeded for several years. Quite a talking point.

These are a few umbellifers flowering at the moment.

    Ferula communis
    Laserpitium siler
    Athamanta turbith

[David King]

David - what beautifully taken moments in the garden. I've never noticed those darker blue spots towards the centre of the Amsonia flowers?

I think we all fail to notice details in flowers whereas the photos give us time to study the detail.  This is a photo of the whole group in the garden.

[annew]

Beautiful, I love amsonias, and can't understand why they are not seen more often.

[KentGardener]

I have recently been given a new SLR camera and am struggling to get to grips with it.  Wasn't going to post this slightly out of focus picture I took in May - but have decided to as it is my favourite Solomon Seal and such a lovely looking thing.

Polygonatum 'Golden Gift'

[Leena]

I'n not sure if this is the right topic, but I wanted to show a picture of my Glaucidium palmatum leucanthemum flowering last may  . I have only these white ones,  I have grown them from seeds bought from jelitto 2006, and last year and this year I have sent seeds from these plants to the seed exchange.

[Tim Ingram]

What a lovely setting for such a beautiful plant!

[Leena]

Thank you.
They are great plants, when they are in flower, I have to go and look at them many times per day.