Monday, May 26, 2014

Weird, or not

A first-time-blooming for me, rather tiny but still impressive.
It's also got a nice leaf pattern.

I keep it in a small pot, on the balcony, and it overwintered there. I am not sure how cold it can get.

But I already lost an Aristolochia kewensis... so I am not sure how much risk to take next winter.





Tiny, tiny Lilium... but so cute!

Yes, it's Lilium martagon.
It is one of the tiniest I've got.
Likes a rather shady spot.























Saxifraga stolonifera - gorgeous for shade

One of the cutest ever (leaf, flower, overall impression) is Saxifraga stolonifera.
I have to admit, it's in one of those spots, you know it's there, you don't tend to it too often, and once in a while you remember and just pass by to see what is going on.
I have to get out of the yard, out in the street, and peek through the fence bars if I want to take some pictures.
But it's thriving, despite the neglect.
Sun never shines there, I never water... but...




Delphinium - taller than ever!

Finally!
I can say I have some really nice, tall Delphinium in my garden.
All mostly blue... but it's my favorite color. So...

Here's the bunch!


























And some close-ups!




IRIS

I've always been amazed with the color variety in the Iris world.
And the fragrance...

Here's the tall ones











Monday, April 14, 2014

Just green... or is it ?

I guess people (myself included) usually focus on the blooms. We always seem to take pictures of plants when they are in bloom or just the bloom.
Having a bit more free time in the garden, I also looked beyond the colorful, fragrant, bee-attracting flowers and searched for some nice green.
Here's just some of the green I found interesting.

Saxifraga stolonifera


??? no IDea

Lilium regale ???

Asarum europaeum

Ginkgo biloba

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Fritillaria imperialis

I've got the orange one, and the yellow one... I need a red one!
As I know, there's only 3 colors. One more and I got them all...

Some people think it's a fussy one, but it seems to do fine in my garden. Well, one big bulb decided not to show up this spring. Eaten up? Rotten? No idea.

FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS






Thousands of bleeding hearts

This is just getting better and better each spring.
I've got two plants, but this one is the one doing really great.
Literally thousands of cute little pink/white hearts.
As I noticed in the past years, it doesn't produce seeds. No idea why.

DICENTRA SPECTABILIS




First Iris(es) to bloom ... almost

I was gonna say these are the first Irises to bloom,but I just remembered abut the small blue reticulata irises which bloomed before March 1st.
Well, OK ... these bloom now, a month later.
But they are both fragrant. Differently! I had to lie down on on the ground to get close to the blooms. They are both dwarf varieties, the purple one really small!








Spring babies

Spring is not only about a whole bunch of flowers blooming.
There's a lot of baby animals around. What could be cuter?




Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Good news / Bad news

Last weekend, being a rather warm day, I decided to bring all plants outside (the potted ones, from the cold room and hallway).
Well, I was expecting some casualties. And I had. Three Adeniums, a Calotropis gigantea, and I can't remember what else.
Well, this particular plant made me a big sad.
I saw some damage and I started peeling, and peeling. A lot of layers were rotten.
But closer to the center I made a discovery.
The bloom-to-be was already taking shape!

Crinum (asiaticum?)



Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Lilium Seedling - um

I can't help myself. I have to brag about my cute Lilium (species) seedlings.
In some pots just one seedling (so I need to nurture it carefully) and in some 2,3,...
Well. I am not an experienced Lilium grower.
Anyway. Here they are!

Lilium jankae

Lilium speciosum album x rubrum

Lilium mackliniae

Lilium hansonii

Lilium bulbiferum

Lilium rosthornii

Lilium martagon

Lilium pyrenaicum

Lilium monadelphum

Lilium cernuum

Cardiocrinum giganteum