Bye bye 2020!

                                                Bulbocodium (Colchicum) vernum

This reduplicative year, which everyone is so anxious to see in hindsight, wasn't all doom and gloom in my world. I regret that a plant exploration expedition to Uzbekistan with special colleagues from Longwood Gardens and Gothenburg botanic gardens was postponed, and my long dreamed for trip to the fabulous mountains of Sichuan was likewise siderailed. But I had time to get to things long put off--and enjoy (and photograph) my garden fully. Perhaps too fully: I had a devil of a time honing down this images....but the ragged robin flowers of Bulbocodium are a good start!

Adonis amurensis

This is what really kicks off the new season--often in January...this was the first year I didn't divide any of these--so there should be some very showy clumps in 2021. I shall not comment on every picture because....well, just because. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, no?

3 of 9 Mule deer visitors

I shall never forget my shock the morning of February 21 to wake up and look out over my garden and see NINE mule deer hanging out. After taking quite a few pics (and waking Jan up to join in my hissy fit) I ran them off. Beautiful things--but as the great Hudson Valley gardener Ann Spiegel will aver--they're basically rats with long legs.

Colchicum soboliferum on March 30

This was the year of colchicum for me--nearly two dozen species blooming from early spring to late fall (with a pretty long hiatus in the growing season of course) This was a gift of John Baumfalk--I think it's starting to spread from underground runners!

Colchicum szovitsii

This I believe traces to Kenton Seth--a Caucasian/Turkish species that also blooms early (March 10). I have several clones--quite distinct from one another.

Crocus flavus & Paeonia tenuifolia emerging

The crocus are dandy, but it's the young stems of the peony I find exciting! Forgot to photograph them in full bloom (what we forget--even when we're practically house bound!)

Cyclamen coum

Erythronium caucasicum

Fritillaria stenanthera

Galanthus nivalis 'Hippolyta'

Iris x reticulata 'North Star'

Iris x reticulata 'Sea Breeze'

Scilla mischenkoana

Iris cf. ruthenica (Tall)

Asplenium fontanum

Ferns are so hard to photograph--but the tender new fronds unfurling do show up: one of the best Asplenia in my experience--It's lasted for years and keeps getting better!

Chrysosplenium alternifolium

I know I featured this on a long post on the whole genus, but have to show it again

Colchicum hungaricum 'Valentine'

Coluteocarpus vesicarius

Hard to believe it's been almost two years since we saw this in seed in the Lesser Caucasus of Georgia.

Corydalis kuznetsovii

Corydalis ruksansii

Corydalis solida (red shades)

Fritillaria crassifolia

Fritillaria sp. ign.

Iris 'Katharine's Gold', Scilla mischenkoana

Paeonia officinalis 'Flore Pleno'

A gift from a local rock gardener, Michael Barbour, whose wondeful garden I featured once...

Pediocactus despainii

One of the tiniest and rarest native cacti: this must be 15 or more years old--a gift from David Salman.

Pediocactus cf. simpsonii

This strange little plant is from a sky island in southern Utah: I think it could be distinct from P. simpsonii--compare it to the size of its neighbor. This one has been growing in this trough for over a quarter century.

Iris cristata 'Navy Blue Gemt'

One of a half dozen or more accessions of our wonderful crested iris from Joe Pyeweed's garden this spiring: how have I lived without these?

Androsace sarmentosa

Hope you noticed Fritillaria pontica looking down behind the rock jasmine.

Ranunculus gramineus

A plant I can't live without: I had an extensive colony overgrown by shrubs and weeds. Won't let that happen again!

Tulipa cf. chrysantha

Obtained from Gothenburg decades ago--several colonies of this are ramping through my blue gramma grass meadow.

Tulipa cretica

Surely one of the best bargains ever: I got some ridiculous number of this bulb for a ridiculously modest price: and it is from my ancestral island!

Agave albopilosum

We're in late May and the succulents have finally wandered outside for their summer roosts...this being not my least favorite.

Allium maximowiczii

Another gem from Arrowhead Alpines: I bought it two years ago as well: now I have two!

Arisaema flavum

I admired this all over Tibet--especially growing abundantly all around the Potala in the middle of Lhasa. I had to have it. And now I do! Even set seed.

Trough with Aster (Machaeranthera, Xanthisma) pattersonii

I have an ax to grind about this plant: and I have done so.

Chrysanthemum ex Morocco

Cirsium acaule x acanthium

Not EVERYONE can boast a designer weed: a cross between two distinctive thistles produced this intermediate. Unfortunately, it's fertile.

Conifer madness

I helped host a Conifer Club importation of several million conifers (felt that way anyhoo).

Cyancum ascyrifolium

 First seen in Allen Bush's impeccable garden in Louisville, Kentucky. I had to have it. And I do!

Daphne oleoides

I've admired this on many mountains in Greece and Turkey: I never seem to have enough of this species!

Delphinium tricorne

I think I'm going through a Delphinium phase...a wonderful Midwestern ephemeral.

Dianthus microlepis

Fritillaria pontica

Delphinium transversale

Hosta cv.

Escobaria missouriensis

Rhamnus pumila

Rhodohypoxis baurii

Salvia smyrnaea

Tetraneuris herbacea and friends

Tulipa hageri

Acis nicaensis

Arisaema candidissimum

Arisaema ciliatum

Asclepias asperula

Bergeranthus jamesii (albino)

Campanula trogerae

Catanache caespitosa

Swallowtail on Centaurea gymnocarpa

Papilio glaucus

Clematis integrifolia 'Mongolian bells' and Orlaya grandiflora

Clematis mandschurica

Convolvulus boissieri ssp, compactus

Dactylorhiza majalis

Delphinium cardinale

Dianthus erinaceus

Dianthus cf arenarius

Dictamnus angustifolius 'Albus'

A young plant of the Central Asian gas plant--subtly different than the European form below.

Dictamnus albus

Echinocereus coccineus

Lilium 'Orange Marmalade'

About here in the blog I usually place a mysterious neologism ineluctably for my friend, Mark McDonough to discover.

Origanum acutidens

Phlomis oreophila

Each plant has such a saga: we grew this decades ago, and I put it in the wrong spot and it died (at Denver Botanic Gardens). I eventually found it in Central Asia, and this is is progeny from that collection: it is much nicer than the picture shows.                                    

Scutellaria pectinata and Co.

Silene waldsteinii

Platycodon grandiflorus 'Dwarf White'

Venidium fastuosum 'Zulu Prince'

A spectacular new annual for me: thanks Tim (T. Morgan-a neighbor and wonderful gardener)

Verbascum bombyciferum

Several mulleins at Quince and also on Yates Street did this fasciation business.

Adenium obesum

I probably grow too many tender succulents in pots: this one is worth it!

The dry side

Lobelia cardinalis

The lovely dark brown leaf form blooms before our Rocky Mountain forjm.

Mentzelia nuda

Veratrum formosanum

Acis autumnalis

Ariocarpus retusus

Begonia evansiana 'Alba'

Eupatorium altissimum

One of my favorite novelties this year is from John Rembetski, a keen gardener in Albuquerque--this is an mid-Western meadow wildflower that blooms in late summer for weeks on end. I accidentally planted it in front of purple Cotinus. I'll pretend I intended to do that, Okay?

Leuchtenbergia principis

One of everybody's favorite cacti: I have got to put it in a less toasty spot so it can recover from my harsh treatment this year! But it blooms nonetheless (and did last year too).

Colchicum pyreneicum

Origanum dictamnus

I just noticed the cobweb on the upper flower, with the birchleaf caught in it.

Zauschneria (Epilobium) septentrionalis

My favorite Zauschneria (which you may call Epilobium if you wish).

Crocus speciosus

There were still Crocus blooming in early December!