Lewisia longipetala ‘Little Plum’
The first week of May seems to represent some kind of trifecta of garden flowers, garden chores, and garden harvests. It is at this point where we get to see the fruition of some of the things that we labored on on last year and meanwhile we are tasked to prepare for the coming season. While admiring the Lewisia
Lewisia longipetala ‘Little Plum’
which have come through the winter beyond my wildest dreams, I noticed that the hepatica are already seeding like mad and if you don’t grab those seeds now, then you never will.
Hepatica seeds
This week has also involved tilling and planting the garden, mowing multiple times, hauling in more mulch and compost, and extending garden beds to accommodate our ongoing plant lust.
Looks like a big strawberry crop this year
The strawberries look great but we added another 25 plants just in case.
I was happy to see the emergence of one of our Arisaema taiswanense.
Arisaema taiwanese returns
The Arisaemas are typically very late in emerging but I was getting concerned that these had not survived the winter.
One thing that was an especially nice happening this spring is the first flower on a Gentiana acaulis that I’ve managed to root in tufa.
Gentiana acaulis in tufa
Gentiana acaulis in tufa
There are a lot of other special happenings in the garden right now, like the double flowered trillium
Double-flowered Trillium
and the new Callirhoe
Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba ‘Logan Calhoun’
but I’m leaving for the NARGS annual meeting in Ann Arbor in the morning, so I need to finish packing up.
Let me just share some species peonies photos before I depart.
Paeonia obovata ssp. obovata var. willmottiae
Paeonia veitchii
Paeonia suffricosa ssp. rockii
This last one is the first time for flowering for us. It’s a real beauty…
John, I just planted a Lewisia “Little Plum,” which I bought for 4 bucks at Home Depot. They had a whole slew of them about two weeks ago. I wish I had bought more…… I can’t imagine who will buy them all. At long last I have a rock garden area which I’ve only just begun to plant. So far Lewisia seems happy, though I lost a lot of leaves as I was washing off all the soil it came with…. We shall see if I can keep alive.
BTW, I hope your brother and wife are safe. Didn’t you visit them last fall in Nepal? Such a sad situation. Sarah
Hi Sarah, an eastern exposure for me seems to work very well with the Lewisia, good luck with yours. Thanks for asking about my brother and his wife. They have come through the earthquake in good shape so far, but the whole event has been harrowing. My brother has written it up quite well on his blog, Caught in the Kathmandu Earthquake.
I’m so good at killing lewisia. I’m trying again with more gravel. Try, try again… That gentiana is gorgeous!