May 2012 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

The Erythronium is likely a tuolumnense x revolutum ..... though it might be the reverse cross.

That Yucca is growing like a rocket, wonderful detail to it... like a giant asparagus spear.
Great fun to have plants which one can really just sit and watch them grow, isn't it?

[Mike Ireland]

Tim
I could never keep the Asperuls suberosa in a pot, no matter how hard I tried.
The tufa was a last desperate effort to grow what I consider a wonderful looking plant, it worked well.
I now say I do not grow the plant, the tufa does it for me.

[Melvyn Jope]

Checking my plants of Anemone trifolia today I noticed one has leaves with attractive markings, I thought they always had plain green leaves?

[Lampwick]

Tim
I could never keep the Asperuls suberosa in a pot, no matter how hard I tried.
The tufa was a last desperate effort to grow what I consider a wonderful looking plant, it worked well.
I now say I do not grow the plant, the tufa does it for me.

Hi Tim,
I would definitely place Asperula suberosa in my list of top ten favourite alpine plants. It was one of the very first “choice” alpines I bought and arrived in a parcel with several other choice alpines from C. G. Hollett’s Nursery in Sedbergh, Cumbria. That was in1971.

Up until viewing your superb plant which you posted on May 03, the finest plants of A. suberosa I had ever seen growing in the open garden was at the Dower House of Boughton House in Northamptonshire; the home of the late Valerie Finnis. I will now have to amend my above statement Tim. Bravo!

[annew]

Checking my plants of Anemone trifolia today I noticed one has leaves with attractive markings, I thought they always had plain green leaves?

They do! That's really special, Melvyn.

[Lesley Cox]

David and Brian, I think your pink protea is the King Protea, P. cynaroides. It grows in Dunedin but not really happily, more a plant for Anthony's Auckland garden.

After seeing the foliage on Luc's Viola cross, I have real hopes that the tiny seedling which appeared a year ago, and after 5 years, in a pot of 5 seeds of V. delphinantha from Pilous, actually IS V. delphinantha. It gradually grew longer, to about 3cms with sparse leaves along it and very lax, but continued green so I put it outside about 6 months ago and the stem has died back now but there is a tiny tuft of green right at the base. I'll be keeping a close watch over the winter. I didn't throw it out ages ago only because it wasn't a weed I instantly recognised and believe me, I recognise most weeds.

[johnw]

Magnolia 'Galaxy' at Philip's former garden.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

He'll be wishing he'd taken it with him.

[YT]

Viola grayi, albino form

[ChrisB]

What a lovely viola!

[Gerdk]

What a lovely viola!

Yes, it is!  This species (the blue flowering form) is one of the few Japanese violets which did well in my climate.

Gerd

[Mike Ireland]

Nearly lost this Daphne x burkwoodii Somerset variegata two years ago when the heavy snow split the trunk right down to ground level.
Amazing what wooden props and plenty of silicon sealant can do.  Now fully recovered & as good as ever.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful shrub Mike !!!
Love the Viola YT !! 

Some more in flower here :

1 Androsace studiosorum "Doksa" - out in the garden starting flowering
2 Androsace studiosorum in full swing
3 Asperula boissieri looking quite promising
4 Dicentra "King of Hearts" starting its' endless flowering period - well.. that is until frost comes in Autumn... 
5 Erigeron scopulina nestling between rocks - a shame the colour isn't a bit more attractive - this would make it a top alpine..
6 first flower on Oxalis "Ute"
7 Ramonda nathaliae at its' best
8 Jankemonda vandemii flowering for the first time ! 

[WimB]

Superb Viola, Tatsuo! 

Love the Jankaemonda, Luc! 

Some plants in flower in my garden:

Arisaema engleri
Iris iberica subsp lycotis
Iris 'Snugglebug'
Paris sp.
Shortia soldanelloides var. magna
Shortia soldanelloides var. soldanelloides
Trillium luteum
Trillium sulcatum

[cohan]

My first Crocus! (actually first of the year, and maybe the first I've grown, can't remember if I had any as a teen in my previous outdoor gardening life!).
I just planted these last fall, and they were so slow (winter snow has been off the bed probably around a month, though there were several snowfalls after that) and there have been leaves coming for at least a couple of weeks...I was thinking there would be no flowers this year    Suddenly yesterday there was this flower, and now I can see there are more coming..
Mixed cheap bag of C vernus and flavus...