Simple Pleasure: Narcissus pseudonarcissus.

andycdn~

I can see how you'd be keen on doing something with the rock outcropping. The shaded area nearby looks inviting too.

What kind of Columbine are they?

I love the light airy look of A. canadensis and the way they spread hither and yon so easily. And the way Columbines cross so easily with one another.......You're always finding a new color or form in the lot! I have a bunc of purples and violet going now, a few pinks, some red and burgundy doubles. Oh, and a pink-tinged white (very) double.

Robert.

Well, this wonderful thread went awfully busy while I was elsewhere.

Susan, that Bronzed new fern growht is excellent- like a fancy Dryopteris erythrosora. Great Bouquet. What is the Tulip? 'Jimmy' or someone similar?

Robert; I want to grow ferns for the sake of in-ground ferns. I seem to have had success with absolutely all of the experiments but the Hayscented fern, which I did not expect much of anyhow. Is on of those a Japanese painted fern in the wall? After not showing for two years, I have Trillium sessile and a "painted." (forgot the latin name)

Andy: Thanks for joining in; That fern garden is a glorious sight to behold from a window, no doubt. Do you have a picture of it at its height? What kind of watering does it get, any? You have a load of potential for that outcropping...

Aquilegias usually look nice here for spring and perhaps fall, but heat and aphids gets them the rest of the time.
I've taken some pictures on my way out of the door of a few narcissus ans such, I'll pepper the thread when I get home to the camera and have time. For now, saving plants is priority.

Kenton

There is a thread running on DG for support for a fern forum, get yourselves over there and put in your request!

Robert would you have any idea on this Narcissus, it's only one flowering from a clump I moved to the base of the tree as it was a congested clump when I moved here 8 years ago, never flowered until now.
The cup looks much too straight to be N pseudonarcissus, and var. lobularis is out . The petals have a green stripe down them.

Both these are here

http://www.mygarden.me.uk/plantofmonth2005.htm

I've put my name in for the Fern Forum! Lovely photo, wallaby1

andy I will look forward to your 23 indigenous ferns!

It was darned difficult to photograph that one, even when not in sun the yellow glows on pics. I love the species, that one reminds me of the Art Nouveau period.

Fern and Narc, eh?

Dryopteris felis-mas.
"Robust male fern" Does the latin name mean "Male cat?"

Robert, here is 'Limbo.'

N. Jenny

Closer.
More later, all.

I continue to lurk and enjoy all the pics. What a diversity of daffodil and garden pics here. Lots of good ideas and great pics..

FYI

Moko posted this great new daffodil datebase link sponsored by the American Daffodil Society, on another daffodil thread and I think it would be of interest to all the posters here, too...

http://frodo.tackettblake.com/query

There are 7500 pics of daffodils with all the details. Have fun. t.

Kenton, the tulip in the bouquet is 'Dordogne' (had to find last year's picture, could not remember). Got it on clearance at Walmart in 2004.

Tabasco, thanks for the link on the daffodil database. I will bookmark that for later!

Fern forum sounds great. I need to go find out where to sign up for it.

We got a bit of rain here today...finally! The pollen is so thick you can barely stand to be outside.

Susan

Have you tried this ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)? It makes so many runners I gave away 30 last year and almost 100 this year! This is a pot I just put in the frog pond...note the frog on the pot rim. It needs plenty of water, so I am trying this method with a few of the extras.

I love 'Jenny'! Kicking myself for not getting those, as I looked really long and hard at them. Recurved petals are so graceful, and I love those elongated "stove pipe" cups.

WB, Kenton.

Susan, Kenton, Andy, wallaby, tabasco, and anyone else~

I've grown "Ostritch Fern" for at least 10 years in pots (never had a good place to let them run wild (take over?) but it seems I lost all of them this past winter (and I now have lots of good spots for them). My neighbor may have it. If so, I'll trade a start of "Northern Maidenhair" for one. And one is all you need, right Susan?

Another favorite is "Tassel Fern" (Polystichum polyblepharum). Have two in pots that are just now showing signs of waking up. They'll go in the ground when they've flushed out. Love this fern!

Felix the Cat Fern? Sounds good to me! If you have any spores to share............I'm starting a fern nursey this year...........Have some nice shoebox sized containers that have lids that are going to be perfect. Can't wait to get started!

In the wall there are two forms of "Japanese Painted fern", one seems to be 'pictum' and the other isn't (tee-hee). I have at least two cultivars of it. Also, there is the "Crested Lady Fern", which differs from what I see depicted in that it is crested only at the end of the frond and not along all the pinnae as seems to be the norm. And of course, the "Ebony Spleenwort". That one and the "Christmas Fern" are the most frequently observed in my immediate vicinity.

But: I just found what may be "Lady fern" growing by the creek. I transplanted a couple to the wall-bed area. Don't worry: they were in danger of eroding into the creek. (It floods its banks regularly, especially when there's heavy rains upstream and all manner of trash and HUGE logs are carried along as well.

Speaking of "the creek": I went waaaaay back into the woods following the creek this past week and had a *wonderful* time! I found and isolated grouping of what I think is Arisaema dracontium (Green Dragon) which I have never seen "in real life" and that's the only place I found it, just one little group waaaaay out in nowhere.

Here's another high point of my excursion: At one point I followed a little side stream of the creek and found a dozen Tiger Swallowtails drinking from the moist sand. I was delighted! This is a big "on" year for TSs here, everyone agrees, so that sighting just confirmed what I had seen in the yard. And I knew from last year, there's always a *lot* of Swallowtails at the creek.

But it gets even better!

Waaaaaay back, just past the Green Dragons, I saw (and I'm *NOT* exaggerating) THREE DOZEN Tiger Swallowtails by the creek!!!!! They were "billowing" up from the sand and then would alite on the sand and would fly up again and so on: It looked like something out of a movie, there were so many! I vowed to go back with the camera (I'm taking my vid-cam as it has a better zoom--the butterflies were a little off from where I was) but it rained (yea!) the next day and I haven't had the time to go back since. I think if I go on a sunny day, the chances are better for them to be out en masse again.......

Another delight: I found a large stand of Trillium grandiflorum! WOW! I was so surprised to find them. They are in an area I've been through, but I never noticed them, I guess. These seem to be one of the grands that open pink much of the time, like the ones by the house.

I'm going back this week (temps back in the 80's again) to get some footage. (Brother keeps taking his still cam back!)

Wallaby1~

Not sure about the stripe down the tepals of your Narcissus.....but otherwise it looks like N. pseudonarcissus to me. The trumpet shae is well within the "standard" form. Sometimes there doesn't seem to be much flare toward the opening at all, not that they flare that much to beging with. There's plenty of variability in them anyway, it seems, so it's possible that it is a variant cultivar. Do the stripes persist til the blossom fades? Does each tepal have one? Every bulb? How prominant is it? Could you post a pic featuring the stripe? (Enquiring minds want to know.....)

Other doings in the yard:

I'm really getting into native and naturalized plants this year. I have been digging up volunteer Woodland phlox from the lawn and potting them to move later to a nice area along with pulling the scattered ones form other areas together there: a huge wash of them is what I plan. MMMmmmmmmm! I'm going to put the pale violety ones to themselves to get a better strain from seed.

I've also been potting up Viola sororia (?) "Freckles" volunteers to mass plant too. Love that lil cutie. Love the way they spread to places far and wide. I had a couple come up in pots of Hosta and wherever I moved those pots, a trail of "Freckles" has appeared.

Have declared war on the Equisetum (the tall rampant spreader) that wanders all over the place, curious as what is going on in the yard beyond its home spot. Diggin' and tossin', diggin' and tossin'.

Have also decided to cultivate the mossy areas in the yard. That is, I'm going to promote the mosses there. I've always splashed water on them (til I get caught and told to quit "wasting water") and will now now be more discreet about that! Some people just don't get the Japanese esthetic of moss gardening. Sheesh!

Have a reaaly large spread of Pedicularis canadensis (Wood Betony or Swamp Lousewort) that has increased form three transplants years ago. They are in an area that got mowed regularly and that dispersed the seeds quite nicely!

Well, I just noticed I've run on again. Sorry. More later, to be sure!

Robert.

Thanks for running on, Robert! Your posts are always informative and envy-producing!

Also inspiring. I've always enjoyed and tried to identify the native plants in my area but not in any 'applied' sort of way so I'm now thinking of properly documenting, starting with the ferns. Too bad all the reference books are at the cottage and out of my reach until I make it up there, probably Thursday of this week.

We have several large stands of ostrich fern, mostly in the area we call the back bay, which is the edge of a shallow inlet on the lake behind our point of land. The lake is a controlled lake, being part of the Rideau chain of lakes running btween Ottawa and Kingston, namely the Ottawa River and Lake Ontario. There are several large lakes linked by rivers and some canals, the latter constructed by Col. John By in the 1860s and 70s to link these towns and waterways. Ottawa was called Bytown for many years until it took on its present name from the Indian word 'odawa'. The Upper Rideau is in the middle of this chain of lakes, mid-way between the two cities, and over the course of the year the canals and rivers are used to control the movement of the water downwards to Kingston in the south and Ottawa to the north. Long way of saying that our lake levels are high in the spring with all the snowmelt and runoff from smaller tributaries, and by the fall the level is way down, around 3-4 feet difference. This results in shore levels and wetland areas with wildly varying water depths over the season. Plant (and animal) life adapts remarkably.

Getting back to the ostrich ferns, they are almost submerged in early spring (now). I'll post photos of their emerging fronds this weekend, if they're up yet. I may have some of the fiddleheads for dinner! Lovely treat steamed with a little butter and lemon.

There's a stand of Christmas ferns I'll also visit. Last fall I spot-counted about fifty of them on a rocky wooded slope, one of which is now adjusting to a spot in my town garden (sprouting now). And the Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern) grows in a swampy area nearby, which I'll also photograph. I also 'borrowed' one of these and it too is surviving. I hope I can keep it going in my non-swampy environment here.

Yes, I think we need a fern forum! Susan, I think it's in the Dave's Garden forum.

Last fall I planted about a hundred tete-a-tetes, which should be out now: one was just opening last weekend. I also put in several clumps of 'mixed jonquils' which I had forced over the winter, hoping they'll survive and naturalize. They weren't identified individually in the package I bought. Some iris reticulata I planted twenty years ago are still popping up and always please my mother, who is so thrilled to see such early bloom. I'll also hunt out the erythronium, hepatica and sanguinarea.

After ten days of unseasonably mild weather, we're back to cold and rainy (10C) which is greening things up nicely. The early tulips are already budding in the mass plantings around the city.

Robert, there is only one flower but a bunch of bulbs which have been here since moving in 8 years ago, 1st time flowered. I should perhaps divide them and try some somewhere else.

To answer your questions, each tepal does have the stripe, and is visible from underneath as well but looks more like a broad section on some tepals. The stripe looks quite prominent on the back, and does persist. The first pic I took was on the 1st April, and it has only just died after 3 days of rain so has lasted a good 3 weeks.

Will post 2 pics close up to give a better idea, this was difficult to take a pic of as it always seemed to glare even with no sun.

The fern subject I must add has my interest, but perhaps we should start our discussion more on the thread on Dave's, that way it would show there is a lot of interest. I might just pop over and do some chatting!

wallaby1~

I think the green on the tepals is normal. What you have seems to be N. pseudonarcissus. Congratulations!

I found it hard to get a good picture of them too. Must be the way the yellow affects cameras or something. I know it's hard to get reds right--they seem to "glow" a bit.......Got that effect when I shot hippeastrum "Red Lion".

All: I agree about the Ferns Forum!

Toxi~

I put your Columbine as wallpaper. So beautiful!

I think what killed my Ostrich ferns was having them go dry in winter. They were potted and I never watered them once they were dormant. If they had been in the ground, they might have made it.

Kenton~

The main problems I have encountered with Columbines are occasional leaf miner damage and aphids *will* find them (this year there's lots of them here--all over the Hemerocallis!) and mildew or gray mold in certain parts of the yard. Sometimes they go blind if they get a frost on them at a certain point in the buds' development or the stem will get bent out of shape but the blooms will open normally.

Filix is Latin for fern and mas means male . Just in case I misread your question.........

Today I transplanted two large concrete plantersful of white Veronica spicata, a garden center hybrid. They were far too long in the planters and were hard to keep watered in our summer heat. Never really performed well in the potting mix or something anyway. I put them in my "moisture-lovers area", such as it is. I have some Lythrum there--(not the rampant re-seeding one. I don't think this one even makes any viable seed. Anyway, I've not found any volunteers) And some Gooseneck Lysimachia (the spreading one of course!), Carolina Phlox, Swamp Milkweed, Yellow Flag Iris, true Marshmallow, several hybrid Hibiscus, including what are supposed to be Lord and Lady Baltimore, but I'm not certain.

Andy~

Thanks for the backstory on Ottowa. It sounds like an area of much natural beauty, especially the wetlands. Are there Pitcher plants there? I'm trying to get some seeds form Shumway to sprout, but so far, not a peep. I wet stratified them cold and so forth, but I don't know.......seems like they should have sprouted by now........

I collected about 80 N. pseudo seed pods today. They're ripe and just beginning to yellow. There's some more there, but seem a little green just yet. Can't wait til they go dormant. The bed needs a lot of work which is being complicated by all the Hemerocallis flushing out. I'm debating just how to get the bulbs out without disrupting the Daylilies too much, or I might just cut the Daylilies back and transplant them anyway and not worry about missing any blooms. Maybe they'll just be delayed a bit. No biggie. Nothing I haven't seen before or can't live without seeing. It *has* to be done this year........

Robert.

wallaby1~

WOW! Just went to http://www.mygarden.me.uk/plantofmonth2005.htm and I am in awe at the splendor! What a glorious Eden!

Have been reading some of the interesting text as well. What a great website.

Robert.

Robert,
Here are a couple more columbine pics for you. No telling what kind of hybrids I will get now...I have about a dozen colors/shapes in close proximity. This one practically looks black from above. I took this picture lying on my back with the sun shining through to show the burgundy color.
Susan

Here's another one

What beauties Susan! That sultry, dark one is sooooo awsome.

Are you a transplanted Welsh person Raydio?

I was hunting for an elusive species in the forest the other day and came across a (very) small clump of N. pseudonarcissus growing by a little stream, unfortunately as it was getting on for 7pm and under the tree canopy the images turned out too poor to post, still it's alwasy nice to chance on these things.

Here's a real Welsh species, N. obvallaris, the Tenby Daffodil

Neil, a little old lady used to bring bouquets of the dark aquilegia to a store in town. I always admired them, and one day the clerk handed me a package of seed that the lady saved for me. Since then, I have grown them for years. Lately, I had dwindled down to one plant, so I saved seed. But only one seedling came true...I also got white (from 'Songbird', assorted pinks, and blue (from 'Winky'). Hope I don't permanently lose this strain.

Baa, that little Tenby is nice. What were you looking for in the woods?

Maybe we should start a new thread?

Susan, what a treasure you have in that luscious burgundy aquilegia. I hope you will be able to continue its strain. These special gifts handed down are worthy of our careful attention.

I hope your mother is doing well, and that you are not wearing down.

I have to report that my vigorous, newly-transplanted osmunda regalis has been all but demolished by the bunny. It is still sending up shoots despite the loss of about a dozen. I erected a barrier around it immediately and I hope it will survive the loss. What remained of the chewed stems were bleeding juices when I spotted the damage.

So far it hasn't nibbled on my other ferns, or the narcissi or aliums just budding; just a few sempervivums. I'll have to start letting the dog out more frequently. He's a cunning rabbit and does not stick to a regular feeding schedule.

I've had more rabbit trouble lately too.

I caught one very small baby the other day and carried him some distance from the house and released him. Yesterday, I found another babe or the same one back (they all look so similar tee-hee) but failed to catch it. Then later. as I passed betwenn two outbuildings, I saw an adult slip under one of them. They've shorn down to nothing my little Woodland Phlox volunteers (in pots now). I hope they'll come back from the roots......

The Tenby Daff is just charming! I didn't know they were so short.

No, I'm born and raised in the US, but no doubt have deep spiritual bonds to all of GB and Eire. Just a love for the Isles that I can't explain. Ancesters on both sides go back to GB, so it may be something in the genes! I know the name Jenkins is fairly well established in Wales. Have been to Scotland and N. Ireland, but would love to see Wales (esp. Land's End area), the English Borders, more Scotland and a *lot* of Ireland.

Wow, Susan that burgundy Columbine is gorgeous! I agree with Andy, try to save the strain.

Right now, I mostly have double and semi-doubles in various deep purples and medium purples (some self-colored and some with lighter "underparts"), in several different heights. The other colors are around back and show signs of much crossing back and forth--a mix of doubles, McCanna's, canadensis, so forth. I'm looking for that nice mix of double that T&M carried and maybe Park's (boy have they gone downhill !!) Gotta add some more colors and I find the doubles most appealing and the McCanna's just too large a flower.....Will try to get some pics, but my brother keeps borrowing back his camera!

We've gone back to temps in the normal range now after having days more fitting to summer. Nights back in the 40s (F) with days in the 60s. I've taken some of my tropicals in for the nights and some bulbs I don't want the sudden "cold" snap to set back. We've finally had some good rain though we're still down 7" for the year already.


Pod count is now at about 100 pods and I think I have them for the most part. If anyone wants some seed to try, you can have some for SASE.

Robert.

My effort to save my Royal fern...

Good luck with the rabbit cage, Andy!
Something just chewed off one of my hostas. Left the leaves lying there. Then one of my houseplants was completely obliterated by a varmint who tried to take the chewed-off pieces under the deck. Had so much it would not go in, so I was able to retrieve a few pieces to root and start over with.
I don't know which is worse: weeds, sprouted acorns (bumper crop last fall), or the varmints!
My mother is breathing better now, with the oxygen, so that is good. We still check in on her 4 times a day, fix meals, etc. Thanks for asking about her.
Robert, I think someone should buy you a camera for the next birthday you have! I can't imagine not being able to run out and capture a new bloom. It is such fun.
Here are my dutch iris just starting to bloom. They all have another bud below the blooms you see. The foliage is not very attractive all year, but the flowers are quite spectacular.

Toxicodendron

I was hunting for Gladiolus illyricus which occurs here.

Raydio

Wales, Scotland and Ireland are beautiful but you would have to visit Cornwall in England to see Land's End. Cornwall and Devon are counties that have a culture all of their own, no doubt they are already putting in the finishing touches for May Day!

Baa~I'm glad I didn't just head out looking for Cornwall in Wales......and yes, I'm embarrassed...........I know better, really.........I'd be happy to be on any part of the British Isles even if I don't know exactly where I am or where I'm going (;-))

I agree, Susan, a camera for my next birthday would be such an appropriate gift! Alternatively, my brother who can well afford a newer, nicer camera and could then pass his old one to me! It's one that requires a 3.5 floppy, so you know it's almost a collector's item as far as technology goes......Maybe I should get some brochures of various cam and leave them in his mailbox........


I made two topiaries Tuesday and wish I had had a camera to do a before and after. I took a "Mop" Cypress (or is it Mops?), the yellow thready one, that was basically a 4-foot cone and made it into a nice two-stemmed umbrella-topped beauty. Then I took a blue-green evergreen (that really narrows it, n'est-ce pas?) that was a stocky squatty thing and made a 12 stemmed "poodle" type topiary. I am very pleased with both! There's another evergreen, about15-18" tall that I'm debating whether to make a mini or wait for it to get some more height. I'm thinking I'm going to go ahead and work on it next week. I'll post pix in the appropriate forum when I can get the camera again........

I have a few German Iris in bloom now and some Siberians slowly perking up, but not in bud by a long shot. There ONE Dutch Iris in a bed that has never bloomed because of crowding. It's on the list to be moved to a better home. (And it's a loooong list.)

I traded a 6" pot of Northern Maidenhair for a nice clump of Ostrich fern today. My neighbor across the road had some extras. I put it in a nice moist-to-ocassionally-wet spot so it should be very happy.

What we have to go through to save our plants from critters! I think you've done quite well, Andy! Any rabbit that gets through that is one mean varmint! I haven't ried to see if the rabbit that went under the "barn" is actually nesting there or just headed into the hole to escape me. I have noticed some of my Oregano has been losing bits here and there. It looks like the work of either a bunny-devil or a cutworm. The stems are just lying there beside the plant. One almost wishes they 8had* eaten what they bit off rather than leave it there like that. How annoying.

Robert.

I didn't mean to embarrass you, only save you from getting lost in Wales!

We were talking ferns once- and I took this picture for it. My friend and I were out rock hounding, and well, she has a good eye. Out in the middle of the desert looking at this split chunk of Basalt, she know immediately that Athyrium 'Ghost' would grow just so...

Wow!

Beautiful pic of nature's perfect garden design.

Robert.

That's gorgeous, Kenton!
I see some nice hellebore foliage behind the fern.

We are enjoying a parade of various types of iris here, along with Hesperis matronalis, poppies, and blue flax. I am looking forward to the daylily season, since I bought a few new ones this year.
What else is blooming in everyone's gardens?

Susan

Ornithogalum nutans (who wants any?) Jack in the pulpit, little yellow orchid, (ferns), violas going nuts before they die, verbena, late tulips, Iris, a Clematis. Dracunculus has buds. My favorite things aren't really flowers, though, at this point. The ferns, Ivy, Bananas, odd-leafy things like Ginkgo and variegated things. The decidious conifers are a kick.

Robert- hire a camera. They are neighbors or gullable friends. I want to see these conifers.

Kenton

I'll just have to borrow my bro's camera again to get pix of what's blooming or in bud now:

Jack-in-the-pulpit (just about over, all green but one very dark maroon one), 1 Dracunculus is opening, 5 colors of Tradescantia, Meadowsweet, Heucheras, "Freckles" violet, "Mid-Knight Blue" Agapanthus, "Attraction" waterlily, "Christmas Gift" and "Dancing Queen" Hippiastrum, Saxafraga stolonifera, Irises, "James Kelway" Pyrethrum, Foxglove (the one that's white with maroon dots), Clematis, Yellow flag iris, Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia, Italian arum (gosh the blooms are BIG this year!), Pink Wood Sorrel (Oxalis) , Rose campion, Opium poppies (purple with darker blotch). I thinks that's it.

There's a HUGE median planting of Shirley Poppies in full bloom near here. Love the DOT sometimes!

Got my rescued Crinums planted out and the one's I divided this spring and the newbies from B&B's. Planted all but three pots of Musella lasiocarpa, a big pot of "Rojo" and the one I think is Musa basjoo.

Planted new ferns: Log Fern (Dryopteris celsa), "Dixie Wood fern" (Dryopteris x australis). Got some potted-for-years ferns into the ground finally: Japanese painted fern, and Autumn fern. Took a couple small Crested Lady Ferns out of the stone wall to grow on for planting in soil.

Hey Susan, I got a Rosy Maidenhair to plant out. Also got a small Holly fern too.

Have been dusting this and that with Johnson's baby powder to discourage the bunnies and it's working. Looks funky but at least there's something there! Now they've taken to defoliating my pink Turtleheads (Chelone lyoni). More work Johnson's BP.......


Put me down for some O. nutans, Kenton !!!!

Later.
Robert.

We are getting drenched here...over 6 inches of rain in about 10 days. Our creek is way up and it washed away one of my huge hostas this morning :(. Oh well. Someone downstream might rescue it.

I want to go out and get some pictures if it ever stops raining long enough!

Robert, I have harvested some mertensia seed for you but I plan to get a few more before I send them.

Susan

Thanks, Susan. No rush.

Nature is not perfect, just 100% natural. Heavy winds and heavy rain *p* me off. I cannot stand to have to bring potted plants in once they're "set" for the season and I get really *po'd* when the wind breaks my flowers! Handg in there.

Do you grow any aquatics? (Ducking for cover!) ;-)

We've had some showers here but for the last week it's been overcast with not much rain, sometimes none. Everything need sun in a big way. Today we got a coupla hours sun, but the forecast for the week, is "iffy".

Oh, yeah, forgotten bloomers: "Goldflame" honeysuckle and both a wild trumpet honeysuckle and an orange hybrid, two roses, some peonies ("Sarah Bernhardt", the double white one with dashes of red, single or semi-double pink with yellow stamens from the rootstock of tree peonies, and a violet and pink (quite eye-catching!) single from tree rootstock. Both roses are old ones. One is a pale shell-pink rambler that gets passed around alot here, it seems, and the other is a bush very double pink (it has that clover-leaf kind of pattern in the center that a lot of heirlooms seem to display. I'll get pix and post on the ID forum.

Current cottontail count is four littl'uns and one adult. Hmmmm, shotgun and a "Hav-a-hart"..........

Robert.

Here's the brand new topiaries.

Close-up of the "Golden Mushroom".

More.