A Great Weekend for Fall Gardening

There is a greenhouse in my area called the Ellerslie Gift & Garden Centre. It's a wonderful establishment that is known not only for its great selection of perennials and trees, but its nostalgic gift shop and, more importantly to me, its offerings of orchids and carnivorous plants, the latter of which is unrivaled by any other garden centre in the city. I love to shop there for these things and also for their relatively inexpensive and high-quality orchid-growing supplies year-round. Every September Ellerslie throws an end-of-season celebration in which all perennials and trees are 50% off, and many other items are also on sale. As well, they serve free refreshments and boast live entertainment, and a number of organizations from the Edmonton area set up information booths and sales tables. This annual event is known as the "Ellerslie Fall Tea". Notable attendees this year included the Orchid Society of Alberta (of which of course I am a member), the Edmonton Horticultural Society (of which I am a former member), the Alberta Lily Society, the Edmonton Naturalization Group (with whom I am associated), the Alberta Bonsai Society, and the Edmonton Reptile and Amphibian Society (which doesn't seem relevant but oh well).

I was very fortunate to pick up some nice plants at this event, including some martagon lily bulbs from the Lily Society. I'll have some photos of this stuff soon. I was also able to get a substantial amount of work done in the yard this weekend - it's really coming along!

Check It Out!

I have created a new website. It is at the URL http://monocotman.tripod.com.

The Orchids Are A-Growin'

I love this time of the year because as the temperatures start to fall, many Paphs start to spike. I grow all my orchids outside during the summer, and bring them in in the fall. Last year my collection suffered some losses from leaving them out too long though; even though they were in the coldframe, an early frost killed off a few of my most beloved plants. Therefore I took extra caution this year and brought all the plants in as soon as it got down to 5 C at night (which was less than 2 weeks ago). Usually it doesn't get this cold this fast, but sometimes it does, obviously. However, the falling temperatures in the second half of August have done some good. I now have two plants in sheath and one in spike, besides the Phrag 4N cross that has been in bloom since May. The two in sheath are Paph Satin Smoke (micranthum x victoria-regina I think) and Paph (Yerba Buena x Golden Days) x spicerianum, a complex hybrid that last bloomed 2 years ago; these are often slow-growing. The one in spike is Paph Pinocchio (primulinum x moquettianum I think), a Cochlopetalum cross which flowers almost perpetually when mature. The last time it flowered was last summer, and it flowered until the spring, therefore it took only a few months break! The first flower already opened on that plant, but it quickly died off due to a mealy bug infestation. Mealy bugs are little white sap-sucking insects which are the sole biggest insect pest for Paphs (which don't get a lot of trouble with pests). These guys love to hide in flower sheaths (as happened here) and in the crevices between leaves. They are easily killed off with insecticidal soap and I think these ones are all gone now. The rest of that plant's flowers should be fine (it will open several more over the next few months). Luckily this was the only plant in my collection affected this time around. This was the third time only in the 7 years that I have been growing orchids, that I got mealy bugs.

By the way, this was my 200th post on this blog!

Another Gardening Season Ending...

...But hey, fall is a great time of the year! It may not be as exciting as spring, but the autumn is a great time to clean up the yard after a long (or not so long) season, maybe make some improvements to it, and buy some bulbs (which is actually pretty exciting). What's more, is if you are into orchids like I am, the fall marks the beginning of the season for many types. And for me personally, September is the month that my orchid society resumes its monthly meetings which I greatly miss over the summer. Bearing all this in mind and as I begin a new stage in my life with university, I have quite a positive mind about fall right now.

I am doing a great deal of work on my garden at the moment and rushing to have it finished before first snowfall, which in my region can happen any time now, believe it or not, although there is an equal chance that it will remain in the 20s Celsius for the next few weeks. I found it very difficult to get anything done outside over the summer as it was around 30 degrees Celsius (often quite a bit hotter than that) almost every day with very little rain - difficult weather to get hard work done in. Now that it is cooling off I am spending more time outside. I expect all of my projects will be finished by the end of the month weather-permitting. This will include new flowerbeds in both my front and back yards, with space for interesting new plants - some of which are already purchased - and some great new yard art and other geographical features. I am focussing now on xeroscaping as much as I can - this means that I am mainly planting low-maintenance plants (specifically drought-tolerant ones), many of which are native. However, of course I can never resist planting finicky exotic plants as well - that's what I'm all about! In the end most of the lawn on my property will be eliminated as I have found it difficult to maintain a healthy lawn in my neighborhood, where people allow weeds to grow in increasingly large ranks and tons of their offspring sprout on my lawn throughout the year. The money and time required to keep the lawn looking good is not worth the return, I think. Instead a thick and healthy planting of low-maintenance flowers will keep weeds out and look impressive.

Aside from projects outside I am looking to refine my orchid and carnivorous plant growing space indoors so that I can get better results and make more room. For years I had a light-mounted three-tier shelf in my bedroom; this has been moved to the kitchen and a smaller shelf put in its place which now holds my larger plants (which were too large to grow well on the tiered shelf). I am also planning to set up a growing area in my crawlspace basement.

I will be uploading some pictures soon, and hope to make a posting every week at least.

Lewisia rediviva

Lewisia rediviva, or bitterroot, is a native plant of arid areas of my province. It is likely the most spectacular rock garden plant you can buy - I think the photos are self-explanatory. The huge 3.5" flowers hide the plant itself! It flowers in May - these photos are outdated. It must be grown in gritty soil with the crown sitting on pure sand or it will rot.

What I Look For in a Cyp

This wonderful Cyp pubescens specimen is in my opinion a model plant for this species. It has five shoots each with a large, perfectly-shaped flower with magnificent color. The shoots are all tall and lean, and very sturdy, not leaning over holding the weight of the flowers. The flowers are also very fragrant. In the future this will grow into a fantastic specimen plant.

Paphiopedilum Magic Lantern

Paph Magic Lantern is a cross between Paph delenatii, a Vietnamese species with delicate pink and white flowers, and Paph micranthum, a Chinese/Vietnamese species famous for its huge inflated pouch. The result is a perfectly round flower in soft pink shades with intricate staminode and tepal markings. This flower has great promise, having nearly perfect shape and coloring in a first-bloom seedling. The flower size will improve as the plant ages as well, but this young plant, having a leafspan of about 8", has a flower about 3.5" in diameter. It also has a second bud forming. Paph Magic Lantern makes a fantastic houseplant and is also a good choice for beginner Paph growers, who often are eager to delve into section Parvisepalum but lack the experience to grow and flower many of the species successfully. This is a very easy plant to grow.

Cyp Season

Here are the Cyps. pubescens and 'Emil' that I posted earlier. The 'Emil''s just finished flowering a few days ago, but the pubescens is still going; they have been in flower for about 2 weeks. The 'Emil' I think is much more attractive than the pubescens, though the flowers are only about half the size. I suppose the 'Emil' would have more competition against a more robust pubecens.

Aquilegia scopulorum

This plant is widely called Utah columbine. It is an uncommon alpine species that I was fortunate enough to be able to source this year. Very pretty pastel blue and creamy yellow tones, attractive blue leaves, what more could you ask for?

Lilium philadelphicum

Lilium philadelphicum, also known as the western wood lily, western red lily, wood lily and wild tiger lily, is by far the most spectacular of the native Lily Family members of my area and the only native member of the genus Lilium. It is, of course, an endangered species as a result of over-picking and habitat destruction. A little bit more temperamental than garden lilies, this plant will thrive in a sandy soil, which I have found is the key to its cultivation. It also prefers a lightly shaded location, but will tolerate full sun if kept moist consistently. It is a dainty plant that only grows to about 16" high, and it has large 4" flowers that really pop out. While it is perhaps not as impressive as the huge OT (Orienpet) or Oriental liles that grow to over 4 feet tall and smell amazing, I still think it is a fantastic plant and am proud to call it native. These usually don't bloom for another couple of weeks, but this guy is early as I just bought it this year. More will be pictured as they open.

My First Phrag Tetraploid Cross

This is Phrag. Eric Young 'Rocket Fire' 4N x Rosy Charm 4N. The 4N stands for "tetraploid" which means that each cell in the plant has four sets of chromosomes. Normally plants have 2N, or two sets of chromosomes (diploid). By doubling the number of chromosomes, there is more genetic material to work with which means that there is more potential for dramatic coloring and better form. These crosses are superior to diploid crosses in general. I bought this plant yesterday at my society meeting.

Update on Cyp Hybrid Study

Top is Cyp. 'Emil', bottom is Cyp. pubescens. The 'Emil' will have three flowers (on 5 stems), the pubescens 1. The pubescens so far is taller than the 'Emil' and has broader leaves, which is because 'Emil''s parents are smaller than pubescens.

...And Yet More Blooms

It's a cool, rainy day and so many of the perennials in the garden are opening their blooms. Dwarf bearded iris (Iris pumila) is a plant that I highly recommend to anyone with a sunny border or rock garden. They come in a variety of colors. This plant grows only to about 6 inches tall max., and it will very quickly form nice clumps that can be divided every 2 years. I bought one plant and after 3 years I divided it into five large pieces and several smaller ones (this was 2 years ago). Then I traded off the smaller ones at the spring perennial exchange held by the EHS, and kept the larger ones. Last year I divided the largest piece again and traded the smaller pieces. This year it doesn't look like I'll have any extra pieces, but I'm sure I will next year. In one of my sunny borders I have four of my five existing clumps, which will put on quite a show this year; these are the first blooms to appear. As you can see these flower a few weeks before other irises (here irises flower in early-mid June).

Ramonda myconi is a very rare plant from the mountainous region of northern Spain. It is often called Pyrenean primrose, or simply Ramonda. Its pretty flowers remind me of shooting star (which is in the primrose family), but the two are not related. It is best grown on a slope or even vertically in rocky substrate, due to its very high susceptibility to crown rot. I just bought this plant the other day.

Lilium martagon is one of my favorite lily species. It has led to a wide selection of beautiful shade-tolerating lily hybrids called martagons.

Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) is so-called because the cross-section of the roots looks like the seal of King Solomon. It is an awesome shade plant that will grow in FULL shade and forms clumps of graceful arching stems over time. The tiny green-tipped white flowers are very difficult to photograph. These will be followed by purple berries later in the summer.

This dwarf daffodil has been struggling to grow in a hot, sunny spot in my garden. Here is pictured the single, cute little flower it has produced.

More Spring Blooms

I have a very pretty clump of daffodils that have been in a shady bed in my garden since I was a little kid. They don't tend to bloom every year; more like every other year. I will never know why (maybe it is the shade) but when they do bloom they are very beautiful. This year the clump made 7 flowers for me.

This brooding black Iris is the darkest one I have ever seen. I just bought it a couple weeks ago. The first two flowers have opened, and as they are squished together, they just look like a mass of black petals. Hopefully I will get a better photo sometime.

Pulsatilla aurea is an alpine Pasqueflower species. The leaves are lacier and less-hairy than is typical, and it has greyish yellow, smaller flowers than other types. Quite a little novelty I think.

Many of the trees in my yard are flowering now, including this chokecherry, which a friend of the family gave us many years ago as a little cutting. Now it is a huge tree, at least 15 feet tall.

Finally we have Pulsatilla vulgaris, the most commonly-seen and grown Pasqueflower species. Its velvety purple flowers never fail to impress.

Meconopsis x sheldonii

Meconopsis, or blue Himalayan poppies, are one of my favorite perennials. It doesn't get any bluer than this. In case you have yet to see one in person, the photo doesn't lie: they are true sky blue. The unfortunate thing about these magnificent plants is that they tend to be monocarpic in my climate, meaning they die after they flower. In cooler, more humid climates, they will live for 20 or more years, flowering year after year. The M. x sheldonii that I pictured in bloom last year I had bought the year before, and it died after it flowered. This new one I recently purchased in flower, and I am going to plant it in full shade, in the coolest spot in my garden, to see if I can get it to survive. I also bought a smaller M. grandis that should bloom next year.

Reptiles of the Garden

Arisaema sikokianum (top) is commonly known as dragon arum, dragonroot, Japanese Jack-in-the-pulpit, and snow rice-cake plant. It is likely the showiest of all the Arisaema species, shown here in its variegated form. The last two photos are of a wonderful Arisaema species that I just acquired today: A. kiushianum, or cobra lily. It is oone of the species with the long tongues - simply astounding.

A Study on Cypripedium Hybrids

Of late, Cyp hybrids have been all the rage with hardy orchid afficinados. According to the lucky Cyp growers who have had much experience with many of these hybrids, they are more robust, more vigorous, easier to grow and have larger flowers than the species. Over the next couple seasons I will do a direct comparison between Cyp. Emil (parviflorum x calceolus, top) and Cyp pubescens (bottom). Both had just one blooming size shoot last year and are growing next to each other. The Emil this year has four shoots, two blooming sized, while the pubescens has just one blooming size shoot, same as last year. I will update my readers on this weekly.

Dodecatheon 'Aphrodite' x meadia

Dodecatheon 'Aphrodite' is a recently-introduced cultivar of shooting star (I believe it is a hybrid between meadia and pulchellum or something like that) which has much larger flowers and is more vigorous than any of the species. This plant here is something I had previously never seen before: a hybrid between 'Aphrodite' and meadia. I just bought it last week. Hybrid Dodecatheons are rarely offered! This one so far lacks the large size of the 'Aphrodite' parent, but perhaps that will change as it ages. It is a pretty robust plant, has attractive leaves, and the flowers somehow seem more dainty and colorful than meadia. I'm happy!

New Plants for the Season

I have been lucky enough over the past few days to acquire a number of plants that I've been eyeing for the past few years. I will be showing them off over the next few days.

Corydalis lutea (top) is the seldom-offered yellow corydalis species (the most common corydalis species are blue-flowered, and the popular C. solida is pink to red-flowered). It is quite different from more familiar corydalis varieties, with smoother-cut foliage resembling columbine leaves.

Sanguinaria canadensis f. multiplex (second) is the rare double form of the beautiful native woodland plant, bloodroot (S. canadensis), so named for the red-colored liquid contained within the roots. I find it rather resembles water lilies, and the foliage makes the plant attractive even when not in bloom. They bloom early in the spring.

Pulsatilla 'Papageno' (third) is actually not a new plant; it is in its second year now in my garden. A delightful Pasqueflower variety, it is the first plant to bloom in my garden this year.

The last photo depicts my favorite iris: Iris germanica 'Chivalry', which I have been eyeing at local greenhouses for a few years and I finally bought it last week. It has the most gorgeous shade of blue, and it produces up to 8 flowers per stem. The flowers are also very large and have a wonderful fragrance.

Coldframe Pleasures

The Cyp pubescens I have been posting about over the past few weeks has pretty much opened its flowers now (all of those Cyps are now in the coldframe). It is pictured in the first pic. The Arisaema sikokianum that has been accompanying the Cyps is also in the coldframe (second pic) and is almost totally opened. The next two photos are of a Cyp 'Gisela' that I just purchased today (not the one I have been picturing - it is darker and is still far from blooming). I very much like this variation and it is a very robust plant. the last photo is of a very uncommon Dodecatheon species, D. dentatum (dentate shooting star). The white-flowered species are always harder to get, and this one also has unique foliage and, as you can see, much shorter stems.