It has been very quiet on this forum lately. Guess fall is not the time for rock gardens. Habing said that I still have a scattered flower open. This is Allium thunbergii, the last Allium to bloom. If hard forsts hold off, this one will make it well into November.
This Acer japonica 'Sharp's Pygmy' also provides welcome colour this time of year.
and for Jamie and Zuzu, this Oxalis purpurea 'Ken Afleck' will bloom all winter! Its not hardy for me so I grow it in a pot in the window but in mild areas it is a winter bloomer perfect for the rock garden.
Thanks Todd! That allium is very very pretty. Such brilliant color.
And how big is that "Sharp's pygmy" ? It looks tiny! (Probably means
it was aptly named. LOL).
Our local NARGS chapter had Harvey Wrightman and his wife (I can't
remember her name... so embarrassing) here a few weeks ago. We
did his tufa workshop. So cool... I need to get the camera out to take
pic's of it and post it. Keep your eye's peeling for another new thread
folks. Though no pretty flowers & leaves like Todd's. :-(
Tam
What a beautiful Oxalis, Todd. It's so perfect. Not a single blemish on the bloom or the leaves.
I have a few little diehards still blooming, so I'm going to add them on to your thread here. This is the Erodium flore pleno I first posted on May 26th. It has never stopped blooming. This new picture is essentially identical to the one taken in May, except for the condition of the surrounding plants. What a great little plant this turned out to be.
My Cyclamen africanum finally stopped blooming, but it has put out some lovely leaves. I just love the leaves on this Cyclamen.
And this one is just a stowaway. I don't know how this poor Lobelia ended up in the alpine container. It should be growing in a shady bog. It fits right in with the other alpines, however, because the lean soil mixture and blazing sun appear to have stunted its growth. It's only a few inches tall. Doesn't it have a pretty bloom on it?
That lobelia is so short...I'm sure the same one is at our BG and it is 3 feet tall! (and still blooming). I got that Oxalis from Jane McGary, editor of the NARGS quarterly magazine. She grows it outdoors in Oregon where it blooms all winter. She gave me a purple-leaved, pink-flowered version of the same species but it is quite small and probably will not flower until next year.
I have a few true autumn crocus showing buds, so I'll post them once they open.
Maybe I could start a new fad -- bonsai lobelia.
I've contacted some of my Oregon sources to see whether they have the Oxalis Ken Afleck. Oregon nurseries carry so many varieties of Oxalis and they usually have a few squirreled away that never get into their catalogues.
I'll look forward eagerly to those crocus pictures.
Oxalis are sooo hard to get here. If you find any bulbous ones locally, let me know. I'd be interested in making arrangements to have some sent my way.
I'll definitely let you know. We'll work out some kind of smuggling operation.
Nice plants as usual everyone. My allium thunbergii is just coming into bloom now. It has been very mild here - about 20 degrees C so I should get to see the flowers any day.
Oh Todd, that little Oxalis is a dear!! I will definitely grab that one as soon as I find it for sale anywhere....really fresh, and pretty!
J
