Mandatory readings

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The first moist packed seeds of the season are flying to various destinations. I want everyone to be successful in germinating and growing these species.
I cannot devise a test but few previous writings are actually mandatory for all purchasing any moist packed seeds:

Moist packing – what’s that?

We got the moist packed seeds – now what?

Hepatica: pollination, seeds and germination

The inventory on Hepatica seeds will be updated tomorrow and few other seeds of warm germinating species will be added to the Spring Shipping rate category!

Until then, I’ll leave you all with the mandatory readings ;) and an image with juicy seeds of Erythronium americanum.

Erythronium americanum fresh seeds

 

Viola declinata

Viola species are not that easy to ID and when collecting seeds in the wild, usually in a hurry there is not enough time for proper observation/pictures.

For this reason Viola declinata, an endemic species from Carpathian Mts., it was offered as Viola cf. declinata in 2017.
Flowering now in the garden, it is a different story :) you can easily take hundreds of pictures and make measurements. The name is confirmed and those few who purchased seeds can label it as Viola declinata.

Viola declinata from E. and S. Carpathian Mts.

June woodland happenings

Now that the Hepatica seeds are all safe and moist and Claytonia capsules are making popping sounds from the paper bags :) we can enjoy a woodland walk.

As the Trillium grandiflorum is coming to an end other species start flowering. The mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum), Trientalis borealis, Aralia nudicaulis, Aquilegia canadensis, Maianthemum canadensis, Maianthemum stellatum, Clintonia borealis and all others are looking very happy after the rainy spring season. Considering the dryness of the last couple of years it is so very pleasant to see the woods looking green, lush and happy! Follow the links to read more about them or just enjoy the pictures.

Hover the mouse or click to open the gallery for the names.

Trillium grandiflorum

Podophyllum peltatum colony, June

Geranium maculatum

Maianthemum stellatum

Aralia nudicaulis

Calla palustris

Clintonia borealis

Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum

Trientalis borealis

Zizia aurea

Aquilegia canadensis

Arisaema triphyllum

Friday’s seedlings: Trillium luteum

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Last year there was only one capsule with few seeds on a Trillium luteum. Nothing else to do but to sow the few seeds.
Easy germinator after warm/cold cycles; moist at all time of course.

Trillium luteum seedlings

Trillium luteum, not only beautiful also with a fresh lemony fragrance!

One picture: just because

Two pictures for today actually (rules are made to be broken right? :)

I want to show this absolutely cool woodland species which flowers for the first time. I grew it from seeds just because someone sent me seeds 5 years ago. I didn’t ask for them, had no idea what the species was and how to germinate it, or if it would grow in my climate.
Nevertheless, I sowed them. And I was patient.

Aristolochia steupii

One picture: Pedicularis

Yes, it is possible. There are also few P. comosa and P. verticillata germinating now, in the second year after sowing.

Pedicularis atropurpurea

One picture: epicotyl dormancy

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Sanguinaria canadensis: seedlings of last and this year in the same pot = keep your pots for at least 2 years.

Cycles require for germination (moist at all times): W + C with about 50% of seeds with W + C + W (W- warm, C- cold). From a small sample of seeds you may never know, they can germinate all at once or in stages.
The epicotyl dormancy can be simple or double simple.

Sanguinaria canadensis 2 generations seedlings

Simple epicotyl dormancy = emergence of the roots in autumn and emergence of the shoots following spring; a germination pattern common for many species.

 

 

 

 

One picture: Glaucidium

A short series on the idea that “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

Glaucidium palmatum: last year seedlings germinated warm and seedlings germinated this spring after the winter cold. It can happen for all seeds to germinate after a cold period (always keep your pots for 2 years).

Glaucidium palmatum seedlings

Friday’s seedlings: primulas

A couple of days ago I started to prick out Primula seedlings when I realized I should take few pictures first. At this time of the year I don’t always get the chance to show the ‘before’ picture.
Featured image with Primula zambalensis already pricked out (easy, warm germinator).

Primula ruprechtii (cold/moist stratification) and Primula glaucescens (done with GA3/ otherwise cold/moist stratification)

Primula ruprechtii seedlings

Primula glaucescens

Primula amoena seedlings are still small, will have to grow a bit more (cold/moist for at least 2 months).

Primula amoena

Primulas are also flowering in the garden in all shapes and sizes & colors. It is good to adopt a relaxed attitude when growing Primula from seeds.
They are among the easiest to grow but keep in mind that some species hybridize easily in the garden; also the cultivars may not be stable (for ex. Primula ‘Sunset Shades’). But they are all wonderful.
Aquilegia nigricans just starts flowering – a reminder that early flowering columbines always make for a good combination with the primulas (A. canadensis in flower as well).

Primula veris ‘Sunset Shades’

Primula veris

Primula elatior hybrid

Aquilegia nigricans

Satisfaction

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It is always a joyful moment to see various species grown from seeds flowering for the first time. No matter if they are common or ‘rare’ species, natives or not, they bring a different feeling than those acquired from a garden center.

Flowering first time from the shaded side of the garden:

Podophyllum hexandrum (syn. Sinopodophyllum)

Podophyllum hexandrum, Himalayan mayapple

Triosteum pinnatifidum, a species grown for its beautiful foliage and fruits; the flowers are not showy but without them we wouldn’t have fruits ;)

Triosteum pinnatifidum

Lathyrus vernus, grown from own wild collected seeds, which adds to the satisfaction!

Lathyrus vernus

Other species that flowered for the first time in early spring in the shade were: Helleborus purpurascens and Pachyphragma macrophyllum.

Helleborus purpurascens (from wild collected seeds, Carpathian Mts.)

Pachyphragma macrophyllum

More to come. And let’s not forget the sunny side!

Out in the woods

Out in the woods yesterday on a cold, windy day. I knew that the trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) flowers are fading; when it’s happening, the large flowered Trillium (T. grandiflorum) starts to flower – it is a given in our region.
And when the white Trillium is flowering, look up and admire the unfolding buds of Carya ovata (Shagbark hickory); the large, peachy cataphylls are hard to miss. It is another given.
Suddenly, the new, reddish foliage of wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is all around, together with the yellow bells of Uvularia grandiflora (large flowered bellwort).

Trillium grandiflorum and trout lilies

Trillium grandiflorum

Carya ovata

Trillium grandiflorum- pink

Aralia nudicaulis

Trillium grandiflorum

Uvularia grandiflora

Everything is interconnected.

Note: due to the cool spring, Claytonia virginica and Hepatica seeds will mature later than usual this season.

 

Fridays’s seedlings: native species

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The germination of various species is slower than usual due to the cold spring we have. Of course the native species are among the first to germinate.
Some were sown because I need more plants: Anemone quinquefolia, Asarum canadense, some to test the germination for older seeds: Dodecatheon hendersonii (2016 seeds) , or first time offered species: Zizia aurea.

Anemone quinquefolia seedlings

Asarum canadensis seedlings

Dodecatheon hendersonii seedlings

Zizia aurea seedlings

For Lilium philadelphicum I wanted to test the germination on smaller than usual seeds we obtained in the last 2 years due to drought conditions. I used the ‘freezing’ method described and it seems – size, it does not matter. All germinated!

Lilium philadelphicum seedlings

In the the featured image: Strophostyles helvola, the Amberique-bean; I found 3 leftover seeds, what else to do with them?