Plants From My Garden

[parvi_17]

Snow in May just ain't my bag...so enjoy!

Trust me, I don't enjoy it . I can't see myself staying here for long after I'm done school.

 

[parvi_17]

A couple of my Cyps are now in bloom... check out my new thread in the Cyp section to see them (I will post it right after this) .

For today's update...

A semi-albinistic form of Iris versicolor, blue flag iris. Or at least, that's what the tag says...



And here's the regular form of blue flag. This is the floral emblem of Quebec. The iris was dubbed the "fleur-de-Louis" by the French king Louis VII. It is now called the fleur-de-lis, and its symbol is on the Quebec flag. Because blue flag is an iris and is native to Quebec, it makes the perfect floral emblem for that province of Canada.



Aquilegia flabellata, Japanese fan columbine, is next. This is a dwarf species with a nice mound of foliage and very pretty blue flowers. The inside (I think it's called the corona) is cream, but you can't see it because the flowers are nodding. The leaves of my dead yucca I haven't pulled out yet are partially obstructing the view .

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Come on Joe! You don't like freezing to death most of the year! :rollhappy: No offense to die hard Canadians....

A little Japanese plant wandered into your garden - nice chunky flowers for a columbine. You just can't beat blue flag iris, gorgeous flowers!

 

[goldenrose]

:clap::clap::clap: Lovely!
I have a dwarf columbine, I love it! In fact I'd love more, does yours self seed? Has anyone tried propagating from a seed pod or could they be sterile?

 

[parvi_17]

:clap::clap::clap: Lovely!
I have a dwarf columbine, I love it! In fact I'd love more, does yours self seed? Has anyone tried propagating from a seed pod or could they be sterile?

They do self-seed, and some columbines in my garden are surrounded by lots of little seedlings, some of which are now flowering.

The flowers almost always become seed capsules if you don't snip off the ovaries after the petals fall off. If you harvest the capsules in the fall (when they're dry), you can store the seeds dry until February and then sow them. They require a 4-6 week cold-moist stratification period before they will germinate.

 

[SlipperFan]

I have Columbines all over my garden, also. But they are the tall kind, not cute little ones like yours.

 

[goldenrose]

.....The flowers almost always become seed capsules if you don't snip off the ovaries after the petals fall off. If you harvest the capsules in the fall (when they're dry), you can store the seeds dry until February and then sow them. They require a 4-6 week cold-moist stratification period before they will germinate.

Thanks Joe, that's the info I was looking for, I'll give it a try! My little guy has been planted along side a sidewalk for years & although there's plent of room in the bed, I've never had babies pop up. Hmmm ... sterile???? or need some help?
My big guys self seed all the time.

 

[parvi_17]

Thanks Joe, that's the info I was looking for, I'll give it a try! My little guy has been planted along side a sidewalk for years & although there's plent of room in the bed, I've never had babies pop up. Hmmm ... sterile???? or need some help?
My big guys self seed all the time.

Do you get seed capsules? If you do, why don't you try seeding them yourself? As long as they get stratified they should germinate.

 

[goldenrose]

Pods/capsules - one and the same? Some have turned brown now, I snipped one off & opened it up & little black seeds! I would think I could plant them now or does it take till fall for them to dry?

 

[parvi_17]

Pods/capsules - one and the same? Some have turned brown now, I snipped one off & opened it up & little black seeds! I would think I could plant them now or does it take till fall for them to dry?

Yes pods and capsules are the same thing (at least as far as I know - I use them interchangeably). If the capsule is dry and has opened at the tips, just sprinkle the seeds in your garden. That's the easiest way to do it. They should germinate next spring.

 

[parvi_17]

Time for another update...

I'm quite proud of my modest Iris collection. The tall bearded (Iris germanica) varieties are starting to bloom now. This first one I thought was 'Stairway to Heaven', but it is too white. It looks like 'Immortality' but with a slight blue tinge.



Here is 'Immortality', a nice pure white. It's not 100% open yet, but it's probably going to rain for the next several days so I won't be out taking more pictures for a while.



A lousy shot of wild columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. It was hard to get at!



Saline shooting star, Dodecatheon pulchellum, is a species native to my area. It is often found growing with Cyp. parviflorum var. pubescens, and that's who it grows with in my garden.



This late-blooming tulip is the only hybrid tulip blooming for me this year (it reliably does, unlike the others). I don't remember what it's called, but I love it!



My old faithful alpine columbine, Aquilegia alpina. I bought this at Wal-mart of all places, mislabelled as a pink variety, almost 10 years ago now. It is now surrounded by seedlings, many of which are flowering.



At the base of the alpine columbine is Myosotis sylvatica, forget-me-not. I got a small piece from my neighbour a few years ago, and the bloody thing has spread like crazy! It is borderline a weed, but it's pretty when in bloom.

 

[JeanLux]

you really have some beautiful Iris!!! Jean

 

[smartie2000]

that tulip is very unique! I wish that you knew the cultivar

 

[parvi_17]

that tulip is very unique! I wish that you knew the cultivar

I looked it up - it's called 'Spring Green'.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Cool! Nice fat flower on the alpina.

 

[SlipperFan]

More lovlies.

 

[parvi_17]

Update

Quite a few photos to post today. Here we go...

Iris germanica 'Picasso Moon'. This has HUGE flowers! Great fragrance, too.



An unknown cultivar of Iris germanica, flowers still opening:



This next one is relatively famous in western Canada. It's Lilium philadelphicum, western wood lily. Native to Alberta, and the floral emblem of Saskatchewan. These are not all that easy to grow. When you get it right though, they form clumps fast! Very showy little lily. They supposedly grow to 3 feet tall when fully mature, but mine have never grown taller than 18". I've never seen them in the wild before - they're more rare than yellow lady's slipper! I'll post another photo when all the buds are open.



Delosperma congestum, ice plant. These are not technically hardy in my area, but this one has done very well over the past 3 years in my garden. I really like it.



I think this is an alpine species of Lychnis (campion); I lost the tag. It could also be a Silene. Very pretty rock garden plant though.



Another unknwon cultivar of Iris germanica. Everyone in the city has these for some reason. I didn't plant them; they were here when we moved in 18 years ago.

 

[cnycharles]

nice pictures! ... think waterproof camera body! I headed up to the tug hill region last night because it was the day between rainstorms, unfortunately the orchids there aren't advanced two weeks, actually right on time. there were tons of tall, dark blue some lighter purple and some pinkish white-flowered ones growing right along the dirt road. I don't know what varieties or escapes they might be, but they were pretty

 

[smartie2000]

Guess what, I own that unknown cultivar of Iris germanica!
it propagates like crazy! I got a piece from a friend when I was young and I still have chunks of it that I brought over to my current house.

 

[parvi_17]

Guess what, I own that unknown cultivar of Iris germanica!
it propagates like crazy! I got a piece from a friend when I was young at my old house. I still have chunks of it that I brought over to my new house.

Which one - the yellow and burgundy one or the white and purple one??