Chinese Alpines Order
I’ve been meaning to put in a plug for Chinese Alpines. For several years I’ve bought seed from Bjørnar Olsen who lives in China. This spring he sent a letter saying that he was joining together with a friend, August Wu, to form Chinese Alpines. They plan to sell bulbs and plants as well as the seeds which Bjørnar has provided in the past. I received the my first order from them last month and everything is as nice as I would have expected. If bulbs don’t grow I expect it will be my fault, not theirs. I’m particularly interested in seeing if I can grow Fritillaria Karelinii, which is very showy in this image from the Fritillaria Group of the Alpine Garden Society.
Fritillaria Karelinii (from Fritillaria Group website)
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day October 2017
Crabapple in bloom
Well this is a very unusual flower to see in October. In fact, I can never remember seeing crabapples blooming in the Fall. Not only the crabapples but the apples themselves are blooming right now. So for this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day let’s just note that climate change is not just affecting icebergs and glaciers.
It’s been very dry for us with unseasonably warm weather to go with it. Many of the flowers that were in bloom in September are still blooming now, like the lovely Japanese Anemone.
Anemone x hybrida ‘Whirlwind’
And the Toadlilies
Toadlily (Trycyrtis ‘Sinonome’
So I’m going to focus on some of the more unusual individuals flowering around the yard and greenhouse, beginning with a little saxifrage from Far Reaches.
Saxifraga fortunei ‘Select’
Back in the alpine bed is a planting of Lithodora that has been expanding it’s living space since we planted it this spring (from Oliver Nurseries).
Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’
Lithodora has never overwintered with us but this clump seems most likely to do so.
Nearby is the Stachys that we planted this spring.
Stachys lavandulifolia?
Although this was sold to us as lavandulifolia, it looks nothing like what we had seen in Colorado. It could be cultural or it could also be that this is a different plant.
Also in the alpine bed, I should give some credit to the little clump of Erodium that has been flowering continually since spring.
Alpine geranium (Erodium reichardii ‘Roseum’)
It is hard to go into the greenhouse right now without noticing the large Pomegranate which has become a centerpiece. And it’s fruit are starting to literally crack open.
Pomegranate opening up
One of the little treasures in the greenhouse is a small scilla relative from North Africa that was just started as a bulb this year.
Hyacinthoides lingulata
It’s just starting to open up and promises to be very nice at this time of year. Thank you Pacific Bulb Society bulb exchange.
There is also a very nice little Viola that I grew from seed obtained from the Scottish Rock Garden Society seed exchange.
Viola chaerophylloides ‘Benizuru’
I think this one can probably go outside but I may propagate it first.
There is a very nice Cyrtanthus in full bloom and many wonderful Oxalis celebrating their rebirth after a dry summer.
Cyrthanthus branchyandrus
Oxalis hirta ‘Gothenburg’
Oxalis purpurea ‘Lavender & White’
And the last item of the day is a new acquisition from the PBS bulb exchange in June.
Seemania Namatanthodes in bud
Seemania Namatanthodes in pot
This South American plant (Argentina/Bolivia) looks to be a real winner.