New Images Uploaded to Edgewood Gardens Web Site

Submitted by JohnLonsdale on

Hi,

What were you doing at 7:43am on January 16th 2011? Although the temperature was well below freezing, love was in the air, at least for our resident foxes (http://tinyurl.com/6luovkw). Using an unusual configuration, which I had to validate through Google Images, they didn’t seem to be particularly enjoying the moment, but must have been successful, judging by the fox cubs we had playing in the garden later in the year. On the same page you can also see the fruits of the labors of Mr. and Mrs. Raccoon. Two of the cutest babies you have ever seen (http://tinyurl.com/7ygdk47) played around in the garden for a few weeks in the summer, even though we no longer saw their parents after we put baffles on all the bird feeders. Apart from eating the bird food in very large quantities, they also wore some rather robust paths through large patches of Phlox stolonifera and Anemone nemorosa. We haven’t seen any of them since just after the photos were taken in late July. You can also see the local does (http://tinyurl.com/7pa423h) viewing the garden from the best place – outside the deer fence. Culls in surrounding parkland by sharpshooters have reduced the numbers somewhat, but they still do massive damage to the environment, however nice it is to have them around.

I’ve updated the Edgewood gardens web site (http://www.edgewoodgardens.net) with around 1450 new images. You can choose to view just the updated images, or find them amongst all the others, arranged by family or season. Plants can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/7wnljl9 and general garden views and the family cats are at http://tinyurl.com/8xjct7p. We have a ‘new’ cat that comes here for the weekend most weeks. Kingston has taken on the role of lookout (http://tinyurl.com/7dvl4j5).

I’ve also done some more clearing out of old images. This year I bought two new lenses for my Canon EOS 50D – an EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM fast zoom lens and an EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens. Up to 4 stops of image stabilization with both means I can get hand-held perfectly sharp shots down to below 1/8th. These two lenses perfectly complement the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM telephoto zoom I bought last year and the image quality from all 3 is amazing.

I continue to grow more hardy cacti (http://tinyurl.com/6uh5dq3) in the garden. Not only are the flowers spectacular, their forms and spination are attractive year round. I did have to invest in some new needle-stick proof gloves and long forceps. A combination of twin-wall polycarbonate sheets and row cover keeps the less hardy ones warm and dry in winter, meaning there are hundreds of different taxa which can be grown successfully. They are complemented by some beautiful agaves, yuccas and stunning succulents (http://tinyurl.com/893vwqn), especially the x Aloinanthus hybrids (http://tinyurl.com/6m58mne) offered by Bill Adams at Sunscapes Nursery in Pueblo, CO, and Delosperma Fire Spinner (http://tinyurl.com/7kdyyqw) from Panayoti Kelaidis. Viola pedata (http://tinyurl.com/6vywaaa) enjoys the same conditions. Edgeworthia chrysantha in several forms (http://tinyurl.com/7kdyyqw) continues to be the best shrub in the whole garden and Fritillaria eduardii was lovely this year (http://tinyurl.com/7kdyyqw).

There are a lot of new photos of woodland plants - Anemonella thalictroides continues to seed everywhere (http://tinyurl.com/6u7f4mg), and the ‘orange’ form of Claytonia virginica is stunning (http://tinyurl.com/6pot4yb). The unseasonably warm fall and early winter made for great flowering conditions for snowdrops (http://tinyurl.com/85mcyqq). Galanthus reginae olgae selections like the gorgeous Fotini (http://tinyurl.com/7mmkawj) and early flowering forms of G. elwesii (http://tinyurl.com/6p9gmvn) were especially nice. Spring conditions were especially kind to hellebores, including H. niger (http://tinyurl.com/6rcsbrl) and H. x hybridus (for example http://tinyurl.com/7ovypdv and lots more pages). Some doubles that I raised from seed from a yellow Party Dress strain flowered nicely – in a whole range of colors that included some lovely peaches and apricots (http://tinyurl.com/8493m5h). It was also a great spring for Hepatica acutiloba and jeffersonias (http://tinyurl.com/6rs7asq), with seedlings of J. diphylla flowering well for the first time, with the added benefit of great foliage http://tinyurl.com/6uhnt3o). I got some nice images of Mertensia lanceolata and virginica (http://tinyurl.com/83lsa6o). As usual, there are lots of photos of Trilliums, my favorite being the first flowering here of the yellow form of Trillium decumbens (http://tinyurl.com/6pxfhhk) and the tremendous variation within Trillium cuneatum – often considered a less glamorous species (http://tinyurl.com/6pxfhhk).

Please enjoy the images, feel free to drop me a note with any comments, and let me know if I’ve messed up any of the names.

Thanks and all the best,

J.

Comments

Submitted by Mark McD on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 20:09

Hi John, how wonderful to see you here on NARGS Forum... WELCOME!  When you put out your email message about your web page updates, I poured through the many superb photos, an incredible resource, and I actually took notes with full intention of emailing you with comments and questions, but it remained an intention not enacted upon. I started a new (totally crazy) job in April 2011, and once started, I virtually had no life and no time to catch up with anything.  We must catch up on epimediums sometime.  For forumists who are not not familiar with Edgewood Gardens web site, it is a "must visit" web destination, bookmark it now!
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/

Submitted by JohnLonsdale on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 18:13

McDonough wrote:

Hi John, how wonderful to see you here on NARGS Forum... WELCOME!  When you put out your email message about your web page updates, I poured through the many superb photos, an incredible resource, and I actually took notes with full intention of emailing you with comments and questions, but it remained an intention not enacted upon. I started a new (totally crazy) job in April 2011, and once started, I virtually had no life and no time to catch up with anything.  We must catch up on epimediums sometime.  For forumists who are not not familiar with Edgewood Gardens web site, it is a "must visit" web destination, bookmark it now!
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/

Hi Mark,

Thank you!  I have lurked around here since the new and excellent forum came online, but never posted anything (obviously).  There have been some great threads.  I saw over on SRGC that you got a new job - belated congratulations and commiserations.  I'd love to catch up on epimediums - I have a lot here that need identifying!  I think of you often (hold on there....) and especially when some of the many plants you've kindly given me are in flower.  Allium listera was simply spectacular this spring - the flowers were everything expected but the new leaves were to die for.  The fall-flowering Mexican with the burgundy flowers was also a gem.  The end of summer is something to look forward to - all those choice hybrids have had first and second generation babies and the mix is gorgeous.

More shortly, I'll be back :)

Best,

J.

Submitted by Mark McD on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 06:45

Lonsdale wrote:

I saw over on SRGC that you got a new job - belated congratulations and commiserations.  

Well, the commiserations part is right ;)  It's like being an employee of the Mad Hatters Tea Party, pure insanity; sadly a powerful impediment towards exercising one's true passion (plants).

Lonsdale wrote:

I'd love to catch up on epimediums - I have a lot here that need identifying! Allium listera was simply spectacular this spring - the flowers were everything expected but the new leaves were to die for.  The fall-flowering Mexican with the burgundy flowers was also a gem.

Looked through your epimedium photos again recently, I can probably help out with a few, but it's very hard to be sure when it comes to cultivars.  I will send a PM about these later.  

I also went back to see if you posted a photo of Allium listera, to see if you had a recent photo of foliage, happy to learn the plant is doing well for you.  Since you haven't yet posted a photo of it, here's one showing two of the three clones that were brought back from China by Darrell Probst (see Allium listera photo below); the one at the top has shiny dramatically-hued carnous-coffee foliage when first emerging, then quickly turning green as seen here (has nice pie-crust leaf edges); the clone on the bottom is just plain green-leaved, but virtually identical in flower.  

The record-breaking drought of summer 2010 took its toll on certain plants, and sadly the red Mexican Allium glandulosum (which likes moist soils) barely showed up in spring 2011, mostly died out due to drought, only a couple tiny sprigs appeared, and no flowering, and no sign from a 2nd form I had from Kew.  I was happy that this species had finally started to spread mildly (it is slowly stoloniferous) after 11 years of cultivation in the garden, but it doesn't survive a total summer/fall rainless baking.

All of your cacti photos are delicious... slowly my fear and avoidance of anything prickly in the garden is waning when seeing such beauties.

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Submitted by cohan on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 17:20

McDonough wrote:

cohan wrote:

This is an Allium in the photo?

Yes, as I described in my message above.  Added yellow color text to make it more obvious.

I did read that, but just wanted to make sure since I have never seen an Allium with this sort of leaf -- I meant to express shock more than doubt..lol  ;D Are there many like this?

Submitted by Mark McD on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 18:25

cohan wrote:

I did read that, but just wanted to make sure since I have never seen an Allium with this sort of leaf -- I meant to express shock more than doubt..lol  ;D Are there many like this?

Oh, yes, there are about a half dozen species with wide, petioled, hosta-like leaves, including Allium funckiifolium, the species name referring to the old name of Hosta (Funkia), the Hosta-leaved Onion.  Another good one is A. ovalifolium; Lori grows it, so it will definitely be hardy in your area:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=319.0

There are lots of Allium with great foliage, take a look at A. nevskianum in John Lonsdale's Allium galleries, great foliage and flowers.
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Plants%20-%20%20Comple...

Submitted by cohan on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 18:38

Thanks, Mark-- I've certainly seen broad leafed species, but never quite noticed the petioled leaves- very hosta-like indeed.. I've looked at victorialis pics before, but must not have really looked well! Will have to watch for some of these, esp those that are woodland/edge suitable...