What’s next?

With most of the Hepatica seeds ‘out of the way’ (thank you!), we are preparing for the next wave of seeds that are best sown during the summer to ensure proper germination.

These are the Helleborus, maybe a new species this year -Pachyphragma macrophyllum, plus various native species like Sanguinaria canadensis, Asarum canadense, Erythronium grandiflorum and Jeffersonia diphylla.
All these species mature their seeds in mid to late June, and will be offered right away. I should also add to this group Pulsatilla styriaca, which in my experience also germinates best when sown fresh.

A short garden survey revealed seed pods on Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossoms’, Helleborus caucasicus, Helleborus purpurascens, Helleborus foetidus and few others H. x hybridus. Helleborus are easy to grow from seeds and start flowering in 3-4 years, your only worry will be having too many seedlings (not to mention the price of a potted plant at the garden centers nowadays!).

Helleborus caucasicus 2023

Helleborus x hybridus Cherry Blossoms

Helleborus purpurascens 2023

Helleborus x hybridus (2)

Helleborus ex. ‘Cherry Blossoms’ 1

Stay tuned…

From the flowering front, two nice surprises: Castilleja coccinea (Indian paintbrush) is flowering for first time in the garden (seeds were sown ‘in situ’), in sync with those in the wild. Sisyrinchium mucronatum (Needle tip blue eyed grass) is no surprise, but it has a nice flowering this year, and makes a nice pair with Castilleja just like in nature.

Castilleja coccinea garden, June 2023

Sisyrinchium mucronatum

The second flowering surprise is Delphinium nudicaule, the orange or canyon larkspur, hailing from the foothills and canyons of Sierra Nevada! Yes, it is possible. The seeds were offered in 2019, I probably sowed them in 2020/21, and here it is, flowering to the delight of the resident hummingbird and not only.
We only need to dare to grow plants from seeds!

Delphinium nudicaule flowering in June, 2023, SW Ontario

 

Short garden walk

Just a few pictures for today. The collection of Corydalis seeds is on-going ;) and with the current heat wave it will be finished fast.
For the same reason, Paeonia japonica and Paeonia mascula are suddenly in flower and I’ll hand pollinate them to ensure the best outcome from seeds.

Various species are in flower now and it would be hard to name or show them all. Native and non-native, in harmonious combinations: Lathryus vernus in pink and violet which were shown many times, various Primula and Viola, Dicentra, Epimediums, Glaucidium…Trillium grandiflorum and Uvularia grandiflora.

A few, like Callianthemum coriandrifolium, Fritillaria collina and some Primula x polyantha of Violet Victorians strain are in flower for the first time; others are well known garden inhabitants. Helleborus purpurascens foliage has developed overnight (a very companion for ephemeral Corydalis) and Pulsatilla ex. styriaca pink is reflowering (only the seeds from the first wave will be collected).

Enjoy the spring colors!

Callianthemum coriandrifolium

Primula x polyantha ‘Violet Victorians’

Fritillaria collina

Helleborus purpurascens new foliage

Odontarrhena obtusifolia (syn. Allysum borzaeanum)

Pulsatilla ex. styriaca pink

Viola labradorica

Epimedium hybrid

Aristolochia steupii

Trillium grandiflorum

Primula veris ‘Sunset Shades’

Corydalis nobilis

 

More on Jeffersonia germination

Just a quick post to show the start of Jeffersonia germination. There were never leftover seeds of Jeffersonia until last year; the slightly larger seed quantity and early cold arrival in late fall of 2022 contributed to this (we know by now that moist packed seeds cannot be shipped when the temperatures fall too much below zero). So, the leftover seeds were kept in moist vermiculite in the fridge.

Pictures taken today: Jeffersonia dubia and Jeffersonia diphylla seeds showing emerging radicles of various sizes.

Jeffersonia dubia germination 2023

Jeffersonia diphylla germination

For those who purchased seeds last year – this should also happen in your pots, or they should be even more advanced. Don’t start scratching the pots! – it takes a while for the shoots to appear from the soil. First thing first – the roots!

It is always interesting to note how long various seeds kept in moist/cold stratification will ‘wait’ in the fridge before starting to germinate. Most species will start to show protruding radicles somewhere in March-April; others even later. Sometimes there is no germination until they are taken out of the fridge and places at warm temperatures.

Until Friday…

Corydalis 2023

We shouldn’t let the spring go by without admiring and talking about Corydalis species.
Last year’s drought coupled with an April brief surge of temperature resulted in a not so great display of Corydalis solida. Few other species, like Corydalis malkensis (in the featured image with Helleborus caucasicus) and Corydalis paczozkii weren’t bothered as much. Corydalis nobilis is just starting to flower now, as usual.

Every year has its lows and highs in term of flowers display. Even so, the colorful masses of spring Corydalis can hardly be equaled by other ephemeral species. There are a lot of pictures already uploaded on this website (scroll to the bottom of this writing for related posts) so just a few for this spring.

Corydalis paczoskii, 2023

Corydalis solida 2023

Corydalis cava fo. alba 2023

Those new to this website and to the ephemeral Corydalis species can read about Growing Corydalis solida & allies from seeds by clicking on the link.

There is always looking forward to growing more Corydalis species, and early spring is a good time to also boast about our seedlings, thanks to attentive friends :) These were all grown from fresh seeds following the same sowing recipe as described above.

Corydalis ambigua seedlings 2y

Corydalis turtschaninovii seedlings 2y

Corydalis vittae seedlings 1y

The following article about Corydalis ambigua, also remarks the similarity in the germination pattern between various bulbous Corydalis species of temperate climate regions (link) – Ecophysiology of seeds dormancy and germination in the mesic woodland herbaceous perennial Corydalis ambigua in Japan: Tetsuya Kondo, Nori Okubo, Taku Miura, Carol Baskin.
Even more, Corydalis nobilis, albeit not bulbous, also germinates in the same way. Remnant seeds in the fridge have their seedcoats split and would germinate if/when moved outside of the cold storage.

Regarding Corydalis offerings for this spring
I will try my best to collect some seeds, but because the flowering hasn’t been too great, at least for C. solida, the seeds  set will also be reduced. The same can be said about our native Hepatica species; the persistent drought of past years was reflected in poor flowering.
We can only know what and how many such seeds will be available towards the end of May.

April tasks

Greetings to all and welcome to the busiest and most beautiful time of the year: SPRING!
We have waited, waited some more, we have prepared and now we don’t know what to start doing first.

For us seeds growers the priorities are: transplanting and acclimating the indoor seedlings AND  – yes, sowing more seeds!

Phacelia sericea, Ipomopsis rubra, Dianthus deltoides and other seedlings acclimating outdoors

Plus, keep an eye on the fall/winter sowings because many species will start to germinate at this time (newly germinated: Eremogone capillaris, Delphinium andersonii, Hepatica, Corydalis, Erythronium….)

Someone wrote to me once that he couldn’t buy certain warm germinating species because he doesn’t have indoor lights :-)

People have been growing plants from seeds long before the indoor lighting systems came into being!
Maybe there is this wrong perception because most plant addicts use them to pleasantly pass the winter time and get a jump on growing.

Otherwise, the time to normally sow the fast, easy germinating species in Northern Hemisphere is right now! Sow the seeds in pots outdoors and they will germinate with the raise in temperatures; or sow indoors and put the pots outside after the seeds have germinated (keep them protected from heavy rains, usually the space underneath the house’s eaves is a good place).

Also, various species, especially annuals and those resenting transplanting can be ‘direct’ sown in the ground. I have just sowed the other day a few more Papaver species (which are short lived) and sprinkled some Sedum atratum seeds in the rockery.

The Seeds Shop is open offering plenty of species that do not need a cold period for germination: Acinos, Draba, Dianthus, Gypsophila, Edraianthus, Silene, Papaver….to mention just a few. Watch for few new species in the Seeds List, like Rhodiola rhodantha, Silene turgida and Phacelia sericea. Just sow and watch them grow!

Also, the Lilium and Paeonia sections have been updated with the remaining seeds in stock (best to be sown in July/August when the Shop may be closed for fall Seeds List preparation).

In truth, the sowing never ends…in between, we stop to admire the result of our work :) with an emphasis on Helleborus, all seeds-growns!

Helleborus purpurascens, a very early flowering species Helleborus

Helleborus caucasicus

Helleborus x hybridus (3)

Helleborus ex. ‘Cherry Blossoms’ 1

Helleborus x hybridus (2)

Helleborus x hybridus (4)

Pulsatilla ex. styriaca pink

Jeffersonia dubia 2023

Pachyphragma macrophyllum

 * Fresh Helleborus seeds are provided every year, when possible. When sown during the summer (in August-Sept. at the latest), they will promptly germinate in the next spring. Your only worry will be what to do with so many seedlings!

 

Easter flowers 2023

The rainy periods seem to have come to an end, just in time for Easter celebrations; the Orthodox Easter follows next week.

Indoor grown seedlings need to be gradually acclimatized outdoors: Silene turgida, Phacelia sericea, Gypsophila cerastioides and others.

We are told that the night temperatures will remain above zero next week; some garden cleaning becomes urgent for the locations where the Corydalis, Claytonia, Hepatica, Helleborus,  and other early spring species are starting to grow & flower.

Also, it is a good time to start acclimatizing the indoor produced seedlings. Plus, the two-years old seedlings overwintered outdoors are starting to grow…

Enjoy the spring flowers and keep an eye on slugs, they are voracious at this time. The stage of growth and flowering can be noticed in the images below, so it is impossible to say what Corydalis seeds or others will be available later.

Happy Easter to all celebrating, with a message of peace, joy, hope and happiness!

Adonis ramosa 2023

Helleborus purpurascens 2023

Helleborus caucasicus 2023

Primula sibthorpii

Pulsatilla styriaca

Hepatica japonica ‘Cerise’

Paeonia japonica

Corydalis malkensis 2023

Helleborus x hybridus 2023

 

Similarity

Today was a good day to watch the seedlings grow instead of looking out the window. At this time many seedlings are starting to show their ‘true face’ and you can tell, in some cases, that the name on the label don’t match it.

The cute seedlings of Phyteuma cf. nigrum are next to those of Campanula rotundifolia, and I was thinking once again how similar many seedlings of species from the Campanula family are (in their first stages).

The seeds being from a seeds exchange, it is impossible to tell for sure that what I am growing is indeed a Phyteuma nigrum. It could be any other Phyteuma species given that they are not easy to ID. But in any case, it is something from the Campanula family :)

Phyteuma cf. nigrum seedlings

Camp. rotundifolia seedlings

Campanula persicifolia – dwarf cultivar seedlings

Next to Apiaceae: Lomatium sandbergii is starting to germinate (after 2 months of cold stratification). In a couple of weeks the seedlings will be similar with those of Phlojodicarpus villosus. These are for sure what their names implies because the source is known.

Lomatium sandbergii seedlings

Phlojodicarpus villosus seedlings

Things are even more difficult within certain genera. Let’s take Draba for example: look at them – they are all Drabas. I am sure about 2 of them (from my own mother-plants). The other two, I won’t write the names to avoid the confusion, may not be true to names and will need careful ID later. At this stage the leaves are showing all characteristic of the species. If they don’t match, we have to wait for the flowers and sometimes even for the fruits! for correct identification. So, we have Draba #1 and #2 for now…

Draba haynaldii seedlings

Draba dedeana seedlings

Draba #1 2023

Draba #2 2023

The same goes for many other genera. Can you tell what Aquilegia you are growing from seeds in early stages? (unless it is very particular, like Aquilegia scopulorum in the feature image, + that I know the source).

Besides showing more seedlings (true images with seedlings are not easy to find), the message of this post is: please take time to confirm/identify your grown-from-seeds plants at the flowering time (before placing a final label close to them).
Always take into account that “to err is human” and that particularly species received from seeds exchanges could be wrongly identified.

HWT remainder

I had a look at what I was writing in March a few years ago, and in a few years it was about the Hot water treatment. I usually do a few species using this easy germination technique in March; it is a good time for a remainder.

Astragalus purshii ssp. tinctus seeds

If you have species from the Fabaceae family that you want to try, most of them are easy to germinate using the hot water treatment (HWT). The seeds have a simple physical dormancy, but their very hard seedcoats inhibit the water imbibition, which is crucial for the germination initiation. See all the links below.

This time, I will be trying the new Astragalus purshii ssp. tinctus (Woolly-pod milkvetch); it is hard to resist the woolly foliage aspect, plus a redo for Hedysarum grandiflorum, which I had, and it even flowered before I had the unfortunate idea to move it to a ‘better’ place… Most of these species do not enjoy transplanting, regardless if young or mature plants.

Continuing the sowing: in hot water
Updates for the hot water treatment
FAQ – hot water treatment
HWT

Garden wise, it is snowing, again…Despite this, more and more snowdrops tired of waiting for the spring are flowering (or trying to do so).

March & August

March marks the arrival of spring in many regions of the world. Here, the arrival of more snow…True that there are few snowdrops in flower – partially under the snow!
However, no matter how much snow is falling, the daylight is getting longer, new seeds are germinating, and the seedling are growing :)

Not so long ago, I gave an update on Jurinea germination; right now the seedlings are already pricked out. Same goes for Polygala major and Ipomopsis rubra. Various others will follow shortly.

Jurinea mollis seedlings

Polygala major seedlings

Sanguisorba canadensis seedlings

Glaucidium palmatum seedlings – first stage growth with cotyledon leaves

The last experiment with older Glaucidium seeds have gone extremely well and now I am looking at 10 pots with seedlings! I didn’t have the heart to throw away the germinated seeds. I am sure ‘adoptive parents’ will be found.

I never want to hear again about Glaucidium seeds being hard to germinate…

Note: Some of the seedlings will remain at the cotyledon stage during the first year, and some will put up true leaves. They are best NOT to be pricked out; keep them growing well as long as possible because during this time they mostly ‘work’ on growing their roots. At some point the cotyledon leaves will vanish (the seedlings are not dead!). After a short ‘pause’, some will grow true leaves, some may wait until late in the season or next year.

 

Remembering the last year garden –

Last time we started to remember August 2022, with Eupatorium & the solitary wasps. Other species to note from August, this time on the disappointing side, Sanguisorba canadensis, Canadian Burnet, which had an outstanding flowering, but alas, no seeds were formed. But do not despair, from a stash of older seeds, a few have germinated and I will try to add another plant with a different genotype to the mix. I don’t understand why this lovely, native species (in Eastern Canada) is not cultivated more, and/or seeds collected.

From the featured top picture, we have the positive side with the hybrid Gentiana paradoxa x septemfida smiling. There were even a few seeds (for friends), hopefully more will be available this fall. Most likely there is cross pollination with a true Gentiana paradoxa which is growing nearby, but even so, for the better. It is a great Gentiana to have for late summer flowering. The hybrids are very vigorous and take well our hot & humid summers.

For those feeling blue – don’t forget this is a great time to start indoor various easy to germinate species. Time will fly taking care of the seedlings and when spring arrives they will be large enough for outdoor acclimation. Plus, you won’t start roaming the garden centers with a hungry heart  ;)

Remembering July & seedlings

Just a few highlights for a cold and icy Friday, provided by the ‘not so small’ inhabitants of the garden. In the sunny, dry side there are always Delphinium fissum, Delphinium albiflorum and Crocosmia, Centaurea orientalis; in part-shade, a couple of Aconitums and Acanthus hungaricus, plus the first time flowering last summer – Angelica capitellata. Towards the wet side (wet – sort of speaking) Eupatorium perfoliatum and Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus (this one has increased in size quite nicely).

Delphinium albiflorum, July 2022

Delphinium fissum

Angelica capitellata, Ranger’s button

Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus, July 2022

All these species are great pollinator plants with a long flowering time, extended into August. Ipomopsis rubra has been missing from the garden last summer and I’m taking ‘action’.

The ‘germinator’ starts to green up at the moment. From the tried and tested: Ipomopsis rubra, Polygala major, Draba haynaldii. From the new & easy to try for the rockery: Arabis androsacea, Gypsophila cerastioides, Silene turgida and few others.

Ipomopsis rubra, Feb. 17, 2023

Polygala major seedlings, 2023

Draba haynaldii, 2023

Gypsophila cerastioides, 2023

With GA3: Gentiana asclepiadea – excellent germination (see how to prepare a GA3 solution: here).

Gentiana asclepiadea seedlings, Feb. 17, 2023

Also a few seeds of Aquilegia scopulorum and Aquilegia flavescens already sowed last year. When you have a few precious seeds, follow nature’s example and germinate them in successive years; if accidents happen with the seedlings in one year, you get a second chance.

The indoor sowing has only begun!

 

 

Ready, start, go – 2023!

Early to mid- February is a good time for us, in cold Northern Hemisphere regions, to start seeds under indoor lighting. This way, by late April-May the seedlings can be acclimatized outdoors, and in some cases planted in the ground during the summer (fast growing species). Gaining 2-3 month of growth for our short season is a big plus!

This is an update of a 2022 post with few updates; also posted it in the Germination page now.

I have written about indoor sowing with other occasions, but a reminder is always good.
‘Warm germinators’ is the term used in the BotanyCa catalogue to describe the dry seeds that will germinate at room temperature (+/- 17-21C) after a certain period of time (a few days to a few weeks).

Many species will germinate easily after a regular sowing, others require various treatments before sowing in order to germinate at warm.

I think it is a very good method especially for various rockery species which benefit from being planted in the ground at a young stage (various Arenaria, Bukiniczia, Campanula, Dianthus, Draba, Edraianthus Silene, Anthemis, Hedysarum, Oxytropis, Papaver species).
When started in February, they can be ready for planting in the ground by June; some may even produce a flower or two!

Draba haynaldii seedlings by April

What treatments are used for various species, when starting them indoors?
Acid gibberellic treatment – an easy way to prepare a solution: Here
Hot water treatment for species with hard seedcoats: Here
Soaking and nicking the seeds, as well for hard seedcoats: Here
More advice for sowing small/fine seeds: Here

With so many light systems available nowadays, it is worth to try sowing and growing indoors a few species. It is most rewarding and also therapeutic to grow something new during the winter months!  Start with just 4-6 species if you are new at this. They will be perfect for a small trial-out ‘rock container’ planting in the summer.

You know the concept of going to do the grocery when you are not hungry, right? Your ‘plants budget’ will certainly improve when the garden centers start offering perennials in late spring!

*It can happen that species given as ‘warm germinators’ to not ‘comply’ to the rule, and vice-versa, ‘cold germinators’ starting to germinate at room temperature. Every year there is a new surprise. The source of seeds: wild coll. versus garden coll., growing conditions of the mother-plants and other factors, all can influence the germination pattern.
If a known ‘warm germinator’ refuses to comply, move the pot in cold location for 3-4 weeks (fridge OK) and then return it to room temperature. No matter what, it is best to keep your pots for 2-3 years if possible; some seeds can enter a second dormancy and will need multiple alternate cycles of cold/warm for germination.

Silene suecica germinated seeds

Anthemis carpatica, Dianthus nardiformis seedlings

Ziziphora clinopodioides seedlings

Hypericum prolificum seedlings

What can we start indoors?

Glaucidium palmatum (older) seeds germination after GA3 treatment, Feb. 13, 2023.

The list below is not exclusive and it only contains cold hardy genera/species that I have personally germinated over the years at room temperature. I made notes for the species that I have started using GA3 (by habit, otherwise use cold/moist stratification) and those that will germinate best and faster if using a HWT (hot water treatment).

I recently included in the list Glaucidium palmatum – I just treated older seeds (2018/2019) with GA3 and there is almost 100% germination! It is not a fast growing species, but easy to germinate; the same goes for Podophyllum hexandrum.
Some of the species can be found in the SEEDS LIST.

Acinos alpinus
Allium thunbergii and few other Allium
Aquilegia species (with GA3)
Amphicarpaea
Arenaria
Arabis species
Androsace some species
Anthemis carpatica and other Anthemis species
Arisaema triphyllum and other Arisaema
Artemisia
Astragalus (HWT)
Asphodeline lutea, A. taurica
Aster alpinus
Aurinia saxatilis
Baptisia australis (HWT)
Berkheya purpurea
Bukiniczia cabulica

Campanula (C. rotundifolia, bellidifolia, persicifolia, carpatica…)
Caragana (HWT)
Carlina acaulis
Calycanthus floridus (nicking)
Centaurea triumfettii, C. orientalis, Centaurea jankae
Cerastium alpinum ssp. lanatum
Cercis canadensis
Cirsium canum, Cirsium edule
Clematis alpina and other Clematis (some slow to germinate)

Draba, most species
Delphinium grandiflorum and other Delphinium species
Dianthus nardiformis
Dianthus superbus ssp. sajanensis, most other Dianthus species

Echinops crispus and other Echinops
Edraianthus graminifolius and other Edraianthus (not all species though)
Erinus alpinus
Erigeron spp.
Gypsophila spp.
Glaucidium palmatum (with GA3)

Hedysarum (HWT)
Hieracium lanatum

Ipomopsis
Iris dichotoma
Iris domestica

Incarvillea

Jurinea mollis
Kernera saxatilis
Lathyrus (HWT)
Lilium formosanum var.pricei
Linaria spp.
Lychnis ssp.

Erythranthe guttata
Matthiola
Minuartia, most species
Monarda
Oxytropis (HWT)
Odontarrhena obtusifolia
Papaver species
Paronychia
Phyteuma orbiculare and other Phyteuma species
Platycodon
Podophyllum hexandrum (with GA3)
Polemonium
Potentilla (most species)

Primula japonica and other Primula spp. (some exceptions)
Pulsatilla vulgaris, other species, hybrids,
Rhododendron species
Roscoea species
Ruta graveolens

Salvia, various species
Sedum ssp. and Sempervivums
Silene species
Scabiosa caucasica, other Scabiosa spp.
Scutellaria pontica
Symphyandra
Syneilesis (if the seeds are good!)

Thermopsis (HWT)
Thalictrum cf. foetidum, few others  (with GA3)
Thymus species
Viola – some species

 

Wash your pots (best practice for indoor sowing), prepare a sowing mix, labels, the seeds and then go! Start first with those species which take longer to germinate (or unknown) and leave the very fast germinators for early March (for example Papaver, Silene species).
Are you ready? Start sowing – the winter will be over in a blink of an eye and our gardens in bloom again :)

Aurinia saxatilis

Edraianthus graminifolius, Aurinia

Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’

Delphinium grandiflorum

Cirsium canum

Dianthus arenarius ssp. bohemicus

Phyteuma scheuchzeri flower detail

Dianthus moravicus

Papaver chakassicum

Erinus alpinus purple

Scutellaria pontica

Lilium formosanum var. pricei

You can also find more ‘warm germinators’ by checking out the Germination guide of the Ontario Rock Garden & HP Society page: Here

Remembering June 2022: Paeonia peregrina

 

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the reddest of them all?

When something that you grew from seeds flowers for the first time, it is a great event, especially if it takes 4-5 years to happen! (I will repeat, repeat & repeat again: it is worth the wait for peonies).

Paeonia peregrina flowered in early June with its particular redder than red, bowl-shaped flowers and it was a fiesta!
Two plants, one on the left side of the garden and one on the right, flowered. There are two more young plants in different locations (of different ages as well).
One overlooked advantage of growing from seeds is that you can plant the seedlings/young plants in various locations of the garden to see where they perform best. Afterwards, gift away the rest of them. I assure you that no one will refuse a species peony!

Paeonia peregrina grows native throughout SE Europe and Turkey, reason why probably some call it with the common name of Balkan peony and Red peony of Constantinople. It was botanically named and described by Miller in 1768 and the type specimen was based on material from Istanbul. The specific epithet peregrina means ‘exotic, foreign’ and it was probably used because this peony was a newcomer to the gardens in late 16th century.

Records show that it was introduced into cultivation in Austria in the late 16th century by way of Constantinople (hence one of the common name) and by 1629 the “single red peony of Constantinople” was also grown in England (https://www.paeon.de/h1/saun/greece/all.html).

In its native areas it can be found growing in open deciduous, and mixed forests, most commonly in part-shaded locations, but also in full sun locations. It requires calcareous soils and good drainage. If you take into consideration its native areal (Serbia, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece…) it is easy to understand that it needs rather hot summers to perform well. The climate of Southern ON suits it very well; preferably planted in part-shade for the flowers to last longer.

Paeonia peregrina, specimen #2, June 2022. This species is a bit overlooked, some think it is ‘just another red peony’, they are wrong, it is THE RED peony

Paeonia peregrina is often used as a parent in hybridizing programs; apparently it is easy to cross with others peonies. Therefore, seeds of garden origin will not always give ‘pure’ results. A full botanical description here: https://www.peonysociety.eu/species/herbaceous/paeonia/peregrina/

Very brief notes about growing Paeonia peregrina (and not only) from seeds:

Paeonia peregrina seeds

Paeonia peregrina seedlings, 2019

Paeonia peregrina 3-years old plant

Paeonia peregrina young plants foliage, 2021

Sow the seeds in late summer (late July, August) in pots (stop playing with bags unless you know what you are doing);
Use a sowing mix a bit heavier than what’s sold as ‘Sowing mix’ (with too much peat) – add some topsoil, black soil to it….
Water well and keep in a shaded location; protect from critters, keep well-watered, but not in excess (roots will emerge from the seeds); keep away from late fall cold rains.
Store in a cold frame over the winter. In the spring when the first shoots appear, start watering and take care of pots as regular.
Best grown in the same pot for 2-3 years, in part-shade.
You can also keep the pots ‘planted in the ground’ in a part-shaded location in the garden (see picture).

I plant 2-3 year old peony plants in the ground in late spring/early summer (it works well in our climate).
Water and keep an eye on them in the first season until they get established.

That’s it. Enjoy for many years afterwards!

 

Updates on germination & thistles

Campanula rotundifolia
Germination starts in about one week at room temp. The sowing pot was kept at room temperature for good imbibition with the intention to place it outdoors later – the seeds have germinated fast and, of course, seedlings elongated in the process since they were in the dark.
These are seeds from the lot offered in the Shop and to ORG&HP seedex. Seeds of different provenience may have a different pattern of germination.

Campanula bellidifolia – the same, warm germinator at room temperature; keep an eye on the sowing pot and provide light when you notice the start of germination.

Jurinea mollis – it was tried before by using fall sowing (also for other Jurinea species), so I wasn’t quite sure about it. It is a ‘warm’ germinator; germination happened at +/- 8-10C (unheated garage). I will try a few seeds at room temp. as well to make sure it germinates or maybe it needs first a short cold stratification period.

If these species are sowed and placed outdoors right away, it is fine, no worry. They will germinate in the spring with the raise of temperatures.

Germination requirements are not always clear-cut. Sometimes, no treatement is required for fresh seed and/or germination may be improved with only a short period of cold/moist stratification. For the same species, it can happen that seed stored for a year or more may need 60-90 days cold-moist stratification for germination.

Jurinea mollis

I am particularly happy about the Jurinea mollis germination because the seeds were from an older collection lot.
I previously grown seedlings and even had a plant in the garden at some point. Among so many others, I don’t know why it vanished. Same goes for Jurinea sordida; lack of good drainage may have been the reason.

In 2016 I wrote a few posts and declared it to be the Year of the thistle, speaking about the ‘true thistles’ and other relative species. They can be reviewed here:
The year of the thistle
The year of the thistle – update (Cirsium canum)

Since then I managed to also grow a few others wonderful species from seeds: Cirsium hillii (no seeds set unfortunately), Cirsium edule var. macounii, Carlina acaulis ssp. simplex and Berkheja purpurea (didn’t last long) and various thistle ‘relatives’ like Centaurea ( C. triumfetti ssp. simplex, C. orientalis, C. jankae) and few Echinops.

It is hard to find more pollinator friendly species than the thistles and their relatives, and there are many non-invasive species that can be grown without fear. More than this, the thistle seeds are highly in demand by birds, especially the American goldfinch. Goldfinches breed late in the season and time it with the availability of thistle seeds; also the down is used to line the nests.
They become quite territorial and remain close to the plants all day long to watch for intruders (see an older picture I found). They behave the same with most Centaurea. Collecting seeds from these species can only be done by ‘sharing’ :)

Why don’t you make 2023 your year of the thistle and try to grow as many as possible?! Goldfinches will say a big thank you!

Cirsium canum, marmalade hover fly 2022

Cirsium canum, American finch

Carlina acaulis ssp. simplex

Cirsium edule var. macounii

Centaurea orientalis

Centaurea jankae

Remembering June 1

The rainy winter continues and we continue reviewing garden moments from late spring to early summer.
The drought was well installed by June and a lot of time had to be devoted to keeping an eye on various susceptible plants and on the seedlings. It was also a busy time seeds-wise, with early flowering species seeds coming to maturation.

Fast growing seedlings started indoors in February, especially alpine species, can be planted in the ground/rockery in June, sometimes with better results than keeping them in pots. In the featured image: Degenia velebitica, an endemic species of Croatian Mts. requiring a rockery location with a stellar drainage. We’ll see next year if I managed it well; good to have it on record.

From the first time to flower: Linum capitatum. It was purchased from Wrightman Alpines (attention – new catalogue on line!), after I had the occasion to admire it in the wild habitat during a trip to the Pirin Mts (Bulgaria). You can relish again in mountain plants & landscapes in this older post:  A taste of Pirin Mts. – part II.

Linum capitatum, June 2022

Tetraneuris herbacea, 2022

Penstemon cf. saxosorum

Close to Linum, another golden species, Tetraneuris herbacea, the Lakeside daisy, started to flower in May and continued well into June. This is a localized endemic species found only in Ontario (alvars of Bruce peninsula and Manitoulin Island.) and Ohio, US. It can be found on rare occasions in specialized nurseries. It is rhizomatous, so dividing and sharing small divisions is another way passionate gardeners can provide a refuge in their gardens to this threatened species. Because yellow looks wonderful in combination with blue, Penstemon saxosorum was in full bloom, simply gorgeous! A few seeds were shared, hoping for more this coming season.

Dictamnus albus, Gas plant, June 2022

Dictamnus albus, the gas plant is a garden staple of June and it cannot be ignored. Even if it was previously discussed, I still feel the need to try and convey its beauty and usefulness. It is hard to obtain (it dislikes being grown in pots) and slow to grow from seeds, but once you have it, it will increase in size and live on for many years, just like Helleborus.

Besides its attractiveness, it is one of the few species in Fam. Rutaceae that we can grow in this climate to provide hosts for the Giant swallowtail butterfly (others being the hoptree, Ptelea trifoliata and Ruta graveolens).

I will conclude the first part of June with a few cheerful pictures of easy to grow plants which make a smooth transition from May into June, often overlapping in bloom. They shouldn’t be missed by anyone: Dianthus species like the wonderful fragrant D. moravicus, D. arenarius ssp. bohemicus, plus whatever cultivars you can purchase, Phlox subulata and cultivars in various colors which make for terrific borders, Baptisia australis, Iris sibirica, Salvia pratensis and other species, Aquilegia, Phyteuma, Erinus alpinus, Papaver atlanticum ‘Flore-pleno’, Papaver chakassicum, and any other Papaver species…to mention just a few.

Dianthus cv.

Dianthus moravicus

Erinus alpinus purple

Phlox border

Iris sibirica

Phyteuma scheuchzeri

Aquilegia olympica

Papaver atlanticum ‘Flore-pleno’

Remembering spring – May part 2

Paeonia officinalis, May 2022; Corydalis nobilis in the background

In the second part of May, the drought had already showed its face in many locations, but the water reserve from the soil and a bit of watering were sufficient for most plants to grow and flower well.

May is by definition the peonies month, both for species peonies and various cultivars. Paeonia officinalis in particular was gorgeous in flower and had a good seeds set; first time to flower was the seed raised Paeonia officinalis ssp. huhtii.
Paeonia tenuifolia wasn’t at its best flower-wise, but the foliage alone is gorgeous anyway.

New plants of Primula japonica ‘Postford White’ started to bloom extending the Primulas show. P. japonica is a species for moist locations, and therefore not long-lived unless you have a boggy area. Because it is easy to grow from seeds, I like to have it around once in a while.

From the part-shaded side, Iris cristata, Dicentra formosa, Trillium flexipes, Trillium luteum and companions deserve a mention for good flowering (and some seeds setting as well).

Iris cristata

Trillium flexipes, 2022

Dicentra formosa

Trillium luteum, 2022

Androsace villosa ssp. taurica ex. Crimea; seeds were offered in 2017-2018, so others must have it in their rockery

The rock garden kept on flowering with various species in succession. Androsace villosa ssp. taurica enjoyed the sunny, dry weather; also Aubrietia, Potentilla, Armeria, various Dianthus, and my only ‘alpine’ gentian: Gentiana clusii put up a good show.

In a shaded corner, the little New Zealander Viola cunninghamii emerged and flowered a bit, answering the question if it would be hardy enough in our zone. It wasn’t happy about the extensive period of drought; make a note if you have it.

From the ‘first time flowering’ category – the delicate Polygonatum prattii and seeds raised: Woronovia speciosa, Melica uniflora and Arisaema peninsulae ex. Primorye I mentioned last time.

 

 

Polygonatum prattii

Woronovia speciosa, 2022

Melica uniflora

As usual, towards the end of May the first Hepatica seeds were collected. Once that is happening, an even busier time starts; taking garden pictures takes second place, but there are still some worth reviewing from June so stay tuned.

Welcome to BotanyCa 2023

Penstemon saxosorum first time flowering 2022

As we welcome 2023 with the hope of renewal, I would like to express, again, my sincere gratitude to all supporters of BotanyCa Seeds in the past year(s).
 
Navigating the seas of a small business selling low value products, i.e seeds, is not an easy task, to say the least. Especially with the ever increasing restrictions for shipping seeds to various parts of the world, I found myself asking if the effort is worthwhile.

On the balance, the kind words of appreciation received from the customers, and the fact that a large range of North American native species and others not often cultivated can be grown because of our offerings, weigh more, at least for the time being.

Therefore, I invite you all to follow BotanyCa Seeds again in 2023, in the discovery and joy of growing plants from seeds, to learn about new species and various quirks of seeds & germination.

The Seeds List will be as usual ‘in the works’ throughout the seasons, with hydrophilic species offered fresh and moist packed to ensure good germination. Many native species are offered every year; one-time offerings are removed when sold out and new species are added when available.

Jeffersonia dubia first time seeds setting 2022

The simple process of sowing is an exercise in hope in itself. This is the ‘secret’ of the optimism shared by all seeds-coholics. Of course that from the ‘million’ seedlings obtained, a few will grow and flower!

This is another ‘secret’ for having something new flowering every year. There is always something to look forward plants-wise: new seedlings, new flowers, and new seeds!

 

Various species that flowered for the first time in 2022 and hopefuls for 2023 and beyond!

Seedlings 2022

Viola douglasii April 2022

Adonis amurensis foliage

Corydalis ledebouriana April 5 2022

Delphinium exaltatum

Hepatica nobilis cross

Arisaema peninsulae ex. Primorye

Angelica capitellata 2022

*I always sow a few seeds at the beginning of the New Year as an exercise on hope; those who didn’t follow my advice to sow species that need cold/moist stratification in late fall, and/or want to start their tradition, and those who are purchasing seeds currently, please follow the advice for sowing in the winter : Here.