This year's first blooms

And I think this is primula juliana. She also seems quite happy - she's gotten
to be quite a large clump there near the spring. I vaquely recall a variety called
"wanda" being there. Might this be her?

Tam

And a trio of draba sp. I started from NARGS seed a few years ago
in my rock garden by the barn.

I'll need help with this one. I didn't see the label.

Anemonella thalictriodes (or did it get renamed)

Oh you are killing me! We are experiencing the WORSE spring on record....so far 40 F is the warmest we've been (should be close to 50 by now). Normally I would have the first Draba and Kabschia blooming now but they are still encased in ice and snow. It's all so depressing after such a mild January, we are making up for it.

Cute pink Anemonella, Tammy. It may have been renamed, but it'll always be Anemonella to me. Your Drabas always amaze me. I've never been able to grow them. Yes, I think that is Wanda. Looks just like my Wanda.

This might not look very exciting, but it's the first bloom on a Ramonda I planted two years ago, so I'm excited.

Here's Gypsophila cerastioides.

Oh boo hoo!!! We just got snow. good thing I took the pic's I did Sat.

Zuzu - I haven' done well w/ Romanda's. I guess we each have plants we can
grow and those we can't. You'll have fun learning a whole new palate in
your new diggs when you move. :-)

Tam

It will be great fun, Tammy. I'm glad the Ramonda bloomed this year, because I'm pretty sure it never would bloom if I moved it to Florida. Of course, I never expected some of these to do so well in California either, so I might as well take the alpines with me. It's not as though they're too big to move. All of them together would take up less space in the van than one good-sized rose.

I think you need to think orchids. I can just see all the orchids you can grow there.
Tam

Unfortunately, Tammy, I'll be in the same zone I'm in now, so no orchids, at least not outside. I used to live in Piedmont, though, where we just planted our orchids out in the garden and pretty much forgot about them -- except when they bloomed, of course. It's a far cry from the work they take when you grow them indoors.

Oh well. You'll still have a wonderful time figuring out what you can and can't
grow in your new place. I'm sure even though its the same zone, you'll have
a new palate to work with!

Tam

Zuzu - I totally understand that you're excited about the Ramonda bloom! :-) Very nice. The seedlings are soooooo tiny for such a long time I always manage to loose them to drought ....... one day I'll get one ;-) Oh and what an amazing iris!!! (again! lol)

Tammy - that pink Anemonella is so pretty - it's one I'd really like to get my hands on.

Rannveig - thank you. I bought that one from Asiatica at a sale held
at Winterthur a couple years ago. It was mighty expensive so I'm glad
its back two springs now.

Tam

Here's something else that lost its name tag, but it's surely an Androsace of some sort, right?

And here's another PCH iris, just because the people in the iris forum are too snooty, but this flower is crying out to be posted somewhere.

That Iris is beautiful! The Androsace is A. sarmentosa or primuloides (synonyms). I have it but it is still very dormant...maybe blooms by June.

Thank you, Todd. That certainly is its name. I remember now.

Zuzu - that iris is just gorgeous - can't imagine what people on the iris forum could see wrong with it ..... ;-) Love the androsace as well :-)

Zuzu, your rock garden fascinates me. not that I could begin to duplicate your conditions here. (your zone plus whatever ice cubes you pile on in winter LOL) but what wonderful plants. I love your PCH iris. nobody snooty here :0) glad to here you're taking you're taking the rock garden with you. it would be a shame to have to start that collection over again as well.

those little double primulas are too wonderful to do without. I will have to look for some.

Zuzu,

Your garden is exciting!

Such beauties!

I took some pictures today of the rock garden. An aubretia...

And Lewisia Pygmea back another year.

Lawrence Crocker Daphne

Eythronium (Dog tooth lily)

And how about some primulas?

very nice, Tam. inspirational!

I have some leftover rock from building the wall for my new rose garden. and lots of seeds starting (some gentians, tradescantia, edelweiss, primrose, anaphilis, alpine dianthus, aubretia, and a bunch of baby semps). so I hope to get some work done in the rock garden this summer.

edit for sp.

This message was edited May 7, 2007 8:29 AM

Tammy, what great pictures! Especially that fabulous Lewisia.

I have another primrose open now...P. glaucescens. My japonica won't be open until late June, nor will my Lewisia pygmaea...I'm so far behind everyone!

wow - that's a gorgeous primula Todd!

very pretty, Todd

Hey Todd - very pretty! I just bought that one and P. marginata. I couldn't resist after seeing your gorgeous photo ;-)

Here's Douglasia laevigata that's flowering now.

ooooo... that's a real cutie!
Tam

Oh, Rannveig. What a beautiful little plant!

Beautiful!

And I notice the black rock, too.

You're ahead of me Rann....our Douglasia are not out yet but are showing buds at least.

Rannveig,

That is a fine volcanic rock.

So sayeth my son, the Geologist!

Rann, it's a beauty, and really is set off by the rock. btw...nice to see you :0)

Thanks everyone :-) Funny that you all notice the rock in the background - they're very ordinary here ....... living in the middle of a lava field - there's plenty of them around here ;-) lol

Nice to see you too gram ;-)

Zuzu, the range of plants that you grow astounds me. Those double Primula are superb, but I'm particularly fond of that P. seiboldii. I love the delicate, airy quality of it's blossoms. That first PCH iris you posted is to die for. That color would mix well with some of my more common dwarf bearded iris.

I've got a bad case of Primula envy. Still don't have the garden spot ready where I was going to add some this year, but it's underway. Todd that P. glaucescens is amazing and Tammy what can I say... I'm in awe of the drifts of Primula you grow. That Erythronium is gorgeous too.

Rann, that Douglasia is amazing, as is the rock behind it. What kind of rock gardeners would we be if we didn't also notice an exceptional rock as well. I must admit I look at the rocks in a garden as much as I do the plants growing in them.