Saturday, January 3, 2015

A glance backwards: some highlights of 2014 in my garden and elsewhere...(A-E...a LOTTA highlights!)

Acanthus longifolius
Much hardier, but not nearly as well known as A. hirsutus or A. spinosus--this varies considerably in my experience. I found this to be especially elegant--growing at Denver Botanic Gardens this year.
Agave havardiana
You can see the tips burned in last winter's fierce cold--but it bloomed beautifully for months in late spring and summer. This specimen had an especially dark stem.
Allium akaka
I can never have enough onions. This is a little Turkish and Iranian mite...

Allium beesianum
This one was grown from seed by the Propagation Dept. at DBG.

Allium carolinianum
Sad picture of a terrific onion from Central Asia that I grew from seed myself. Very drought tolerant.

Allium ?karataviense
This looks so different from other forms of the Karatau Mt. Onion...what do you think?

Allium karataviense v. henrikii
This has instantly become one of my favorites--not only is it stunning, but it's named for one of my heros and good friend (whose garden I featured in 2013), Henrik Zetterlund.

Androsace (Douglasia) montana
The finest specimen of our Rocky Mountain endemic androsace (yes they're androsaces!)--and lovely ones at that. It was taken on the Beartooth Highway.
Aquilegia jonesii
We found Jones' Columbine in wonderful form as well, on the Bighorns.
Arenaria hookeri
One of my favorite hikes was on a steep steppe coppie (I'm headed to South Africa in a few days, and the lingo is coming back) near Cody, Wyoming.  I wrote about this in a blog as well..

Arenaria obtusiloba
The alpine cousin of the last species, here growing on Mt. Evans last summer.

Argemone munita
This "dazzling poppywort" (long story) is native to my property. It flashes these outrageous flowers all summer.

Artemisia spinescens
I love all Artemisia (my mother's first name), and this spring blooming shrub from near Moab is near the top of my list. It is sweetly aromatic, and has lots of spines (hence the name): what's not to love?

Artemisia spinescens
I grew this for a decade or more: it carpets vast miles of Wyoming, but I've never known for it to be sold (except when I ran Rocky Mountain Rare Plants). It is one of the most delicate of tiny shrubs. Here growing on that same ridge near Cody.

Arum conaphalloides
This bloomed for me the first time LAST year--and I didn't get out in time to get a picture. This year the picture is photobombed by the foliage of Scotch Thistle--no longer there of course.

Astragalus kentrophyta ssp. implexus
The alpine form of this milkvetch looks different to me up here than in South Park, for instance. I've seen it here and there across the Great Basin...if only it were amenable to cultivation!
Astrantia maxima
Our big colony of Astrantia that I planted several decades ago: it just gets bigger and bigger: Tony Avent and Allen Bush have both expressed surprise at how well this grows for us--reason enough to let the colony flourish! (Anything to impress those two).
Iris (xBelamcanda) x norisii
I love these hybrids--once intergeneric--and now just plain cute! This was at the  Albuquerque Botranic Garden.
Bergeranthus sp. albino
I am not sure which species this white form comes from, but I love it!
Bukiniczia cabulica
Sandy has this self sowing all over her desert rock garden.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Bulbocodium vernum
They may have lumped this into                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       . You have to admit, it looks like one!
Campanula fragilis v. cavalinii
One of my several dozen favorite campanulas, introduced by Vojtech Holubec.
Campanula incurva
A rare species in nature--and a dynamo in the garden,
Campanula x stansfieldii
An old hybrid campanula that loves the green roof garden at DBG

Cirsium scopulorum
An old pictrue of the alpine thistle blooming in September!

Clematis albicoma
There are a dozen or so fantastic miniature bush Clematis. This may be my favorite--and I found a seedling in an old seedpot trhat had persisten a half dozen years!
Clematis fremontii x hirsutissima
Laporte Avenue nursery has introduced no end of native Clematis, and they get these fantastic hybrids between the various species...

Colchicum agrippinum
First time the speckled Colchicum in my garden a red letter day!
Convolvulus compactus (pink)

Cornus canadensis
There is a splendid patch of this in Squaw Pass I visit almost every year.
Corydalis malkensis
It may be white instead of red, orange or blue--but it loves my various gardens--here on the back of the Succulent house at DBG.
Crocus hadriaticus
The happiest fall blooming crocus in my garden..
Opuntia 'Dark Knight' and Cylindropuntia whipplei 'Snow Leopard'
I love the color contrast!

Paronychia sessiliflora
Only rock gardeners would croon over this littre turf!

Enceliopsis nudum
No petals! No matter...there are so many elegant yellow composies--which seem to ve designed to torment students and send teachers into a revery...

2 comments:

  1. I have most of the true alpines you mention above coming along. However, I do not have that dryland Artemisia. I love the woody aspect is possess. Although I am not fond of how surfers use the following word, I think this word best describes the woody parts of the Artemisia. "Gnarly"

    James

    ReplyDelete
  2. My sentiments exactly, James. I'm in Pretoria as I type this--midsummer. AAAAaaaah. Lots of African posts on the way!

    ReplyDelete

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