Winter is a black & white season in this part of the Northern Hemisphere. I patiently await for the invention of suitable glasses that would project on my retina sunny, flowery images all day long.
Meanwhile, I use my indoor light stand as an indoor garden. It is bright and I get to wear sunglasses that adjust to my desired colour*. Today I have chosen pink for Incarvillea (various species, all commonly called Incarvillea or hardy gloxinia).
Hardy gloxinia species belong to the so called ‘warm germinators’ (will germinate at room temp.). They are also easy to grow indoors and, like many other tuberous species, will benefit from an early start, having more time to develop a good size tuber by late spring when they can be planted outside. Some may even flower in the first year, like it happened with I. delavayi. I have already grown from seeds I. delavayi and I. zhongdianensis.
Incarvillea delavayi, a first year seedling flowering
Incarvillea zhongdianensis, a mature plant (alas, not in my garden)
This year I am happy to start two other species: I. mairei and I. younghusbandii. These are smaller species height-wise, the second a real dwarf, but with larger deep pink/magenta flowers; this combination gives them an even more exotic look for our Northern Hemisphere gardens.
Incarvillea mairei, a relatively young plant
Looking at the world through pink sunglasses in late January is pretty amazing!
Then, there will be days for yellows, blues in many shades, purple, orange…
I. younghusbandii – click for google images.
*Such sunglasses of course, do not exist; except in my imagination.
Here’s a very, very short list of others ‘warm germinators’ that can be started early and will grow well under lights indoors.
Anthemis, Arisaema,
Astragalus, Anthyllis
Anthirrhinum, Iris*
Biscutella, Calycanthus
Oxytropis, Sanguisorba, Roscoea
Scabiosa, Hypericum,
Draba, Allysum
Campanula*, Dianthus*, Lilium*
Agastache, Primula*,
* not all species
also, see update from Feb.8
How the moist stored seeds of C. nobilis are looking at the moment. This is the first time I have ‘excess’ seeds and it is interesting to see how they ‘behave’.
The growth of the embryos has resulted in the expansion of the endosperm and splitting of the seed coat. This is not happening in many species and has been reported as well in Corydalis ambigua; I also noted it in Hydrastis canadensis last year (see below).
Corydalis nobilis seeds with enlarged endosperms (January – seeds in moist storage)
Hydrastis
Hydrastis canadensis seeds with split seed coats by early January (germination in April)
These type of seeds, which have an undeveloped embryo when ripen, require warm stratification before embryo growth can occur in late autumn. The root emergence, followed shortly by the cotyledons, will happen then in early spring (somewhere in mid-March-April).
If I’m not wrong, that’s when I expect to see the ‘little lords’ showing up!
UPDATE – Feb.8
I was wrong! – by second week of February I spotted the first radicles!
Corydalis nobilis – germination start
It continues to be very gloomy here, so a bright and sunny picture will do us all good :) And, I repeat again because not many are mentioning; besides being very hardy and beautiful, the lord of the Corydalis is also fragrant!
Corydalis nobilis
Warning!
Germination of Corydalis nobilis from dry seeds it is so poor (better said maybe non-existent), that’s not even worth trying it.
Growing from seeds is always full of surprises, especially for first time sowings, like in this case for Iris pumila.
Iris pumila – a dwarf, early spring flowering, bearded Iris with a wild distribution from Central Europe to the Caucasus. The large flowers can be violet, blue, purple, yellow, or in various combinations like it naturally happens in wild populations; it is super hardy and excellent for the rockery, or a sunny border.
For best germination, most sources suggest soaking the seeds and providing about 4 weeks warm and then a longer (few months) cold period. So, my plan was to keep the sowings the furnace room for 3-4 weeks (+/- 23C day/ 17C night) and then place the pots outside under snow for the remaining of the winter. I sowed on Dec. 19th – and a couple of days ago (Jan. 5)…surprise! I found some pots with the first shoots were out. The plan has changed of course, and my light stand will be up very soon :)
Iris pumila – seeds soaked, sown on Dec.19th at warm – first signs of germination Jan. 5th (few even sooner)
The pots contain seeds of differently coloured specimens, although this little Iris can provide even more surprises colour-wise!
I don’t know if the seeds will germinate in the same way after going into a deeper dormancy, but this is still a good time to sow – and few fresh seeds are still available in the shop!
You can apply the same technique for growing the Asian counterpart of our Jeffersonia, Jeffersonia dubia.
I’ve repotted some fine young Jeffersonia seedlings two weeks ago and now it took me a great pleasure to write this post (year 2016 :). Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf) is a wonderful NA species that should be mandatory for all gardens; the pictures show it in its glory at Aspen Grove Gardens.
A delight from early spring (April) to fall, and notice that although it is a woodland species, it can be grown with a fair amount of sun. At least sun in the spring when it flowers it is best.
Just like other bulbous/tuberous species that form rhizomes, Jeffersonia species need 2-3+ years to develop their root system before they will start flowering. The faster & better their rhizome grows, the sooner they will flower. Again, it is very easy to underestimate the size of a seedling root system. This is why the repotting is very important and can be done either in the fall or spring. Each period has its pros and cons, also depending on your winter storage possibilities.
I will outline the whole process from sowing to repotting the seedlings:
- Sow the seeds as soon as possible after collecting/receiving them. Otherwise, they have to be keep in moist storage at room temperature during the summer, and then in cold/moist storage. One observation is that these seeds don’t keep too well in moist storage, and they are usually available (if) for a short period.
- Sow as usual in individual pots or use my ‘space saving method’ – also very practical for someone who doesn’t want to have one pot sitting around by itself. Sow all the seeds in one larger pot and ‘plant’ the pot in the ground (in late fall I added some mulch on top, removed in early spring).
Tip: ‘plant’ the pot close to a shrub/tall perennial plant that will shelter and shade the seedlings; also close to the house so you won’t forget about it (the seedlings require extra watering during dry spells). Mine was close/beneath an old Peony, unfortunately I don’t have a picture.
- The seeds are germinating somewhere in May, depending on the locality and have very good germination capacity. Foliage wise, not much will happen the first season besides the one shoot with the cotyledon leaves. But keep in mind that underground the root system keeps growing!
Jeffersonia diphylla seedlings
- Use a diluted fertilizer once in a while (only if you remember…), water regularly; nothing else to do till late fall.
- By late October- early November watch for signs of dormancy and let the pot dry out a bit.
- If you want to transplant them in late fall, tip off the whole content and gently separate the seedlings (don’t forget to congratulate yourself, take pictures, eat some chocolate/cake…)
Jeffersonia diphylla: one-year old seedlings ‘extracted’ from the pot
- Repot them in a fresh potting mix (I don’t have any ‘special’ formulas); one or more seedlings/pot. Planting 2-3 seedlings/larger pot will make a ‘clump’ faster.
Jeffersonia diphylla seedlings showing an extensive root system after one season of growth and a well formed bud.
- Water well, and if it’s late November, that’s all they need.
- Winter storage for the pots: in a cold frame, or again, ‘plant’ the pot(s) in the ground and throw mulch/few leaves on top.
Jeffersonia diphylla: repotted seedlings ( I have 2-3/pot)
- Another good option is to transplant the seedlings in the spring or grow them one more year in the same pot; this way the seedlings will be larger in size and easier to handle, especially for those who are not used with transplanting little seedlings.
Young Jeffersonia diphylla plants in late April.
Waiting for the first flowers in 3-4 years! Until then, both species have a very nice foliage, colorful in early spring, then with interesting leaves.
Special thanks to Robert Pavlis @ Aspen Grove Gardens, for growing this beautiful, ‘photogenic’ species and providing the material for this post, i.e. the Jeffersonia seeds :)
Update: More on Jeffersonia germination
A rainy day, perfect to show my young Chinese Podophyllums: Podophyllum delavayi and P. pleianthum x versipelle. They don’t like the cold very much but surely enjoy the moisture whenever possible.
Podophyllum delavayi
The few that I manage to transplant in larger pots in early summer, obviously fared better than the ones left in small ones. This is happening with all rhizomes forming species, which need large pots in order to develop well. Note taken of the ‘thorny’ problem of quantity over quality…
Podophyllum pleianthum x versipelle
Talking Chinese Podophyllum spp., I have the chance to show a ‘freshly’ taken image with seeds of P. aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule.
Podophyllum aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule seeds
Interesting to see how different the seeds are comparing with others (see in the featured image germinated seeds of P. pleianthum x versipelle). This species belongs to Section Paradysosma and it said that combines the leaf shape of Sect. Dysosma (P. pleianthum, versipelle…) with the floral characters of Sect. Hexandra (P. hexandrum). The seeds are very similar with those of P. hexandrum, that’s for sure.
Looking fw to see the ‘youngsters’ next year!!!
And…I have few seeds to spare for those interested, enter the shop here: Podophyllum aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule
Germination for all: clean the seeds from the fleshy fruits and sow right away (late fall); or place the seeds in cold/moist stratification and sow when they show signs of germination (early spring).
Fall has officially arrived and I thought it would be wise to start doing what I call my ‘petit inventory’ :) Lots of seeds have been sown this year and many have germinated. As usual, some seedlings have perished, while others have grown well; a few have been planted in the ground, and some are even flowering! (see Iris dichotoma and Scabiosa caucasica).
An inventory always helps me remember what I’ve grown during the year and it adds to the experience. In most cases, the inventory entails only 2-3 plants, or worse, 1 – truly ‘petit’! I will show a few from the alpine section for now.
Few Caucasian species are my joy and pride: Potentilla divina, Astragalus levieri and Eremogone lichnidea.
Potentilla divina – a bit difficult to grow, I hope to get it through the winter
Astragalus levieri – a high altitude species, easy to germinate but usually hard to establish; the young seedling was planted in the ground in May
Eremogone lichnidea – another new species, I left them as they were in the seeding pot (some alpines react well to this treatment)
As well other species, like Silene jailensis and Paronychia cephalotes, have exceeded my expectations. I also have good hope to finally see the alpine thistle – Carlina acaulis, established in the rockery (seen in the Silene background).
Silene jailensis (a Crimean collection) – seedling planted early outside
Paronychia cephalotes – another new one, the seedlings were looking so nice that I was afraid to prick them out and planted the whole seedlings pot in the ground.
As you notice, I have continued my experiment of planting asap very young seedlings in the ground, and it has proven again to be the better way to go, at least for me. They can have the roots going deep down fast and establish well throughout the season, while the ones left in pots are more difficult to manage water-wise, plus that the pots are not deep enough for their liking.
In the feature image: Artemisia umbelliformis (Alpine wormwood), another little alpine gem I’m happy to see doing well.
Next to come – the Chinese Podophyllum babies from the shady section!
Iris dichotoma flowers, the Vesper Iris, formerly Pardanthopsis, open ‘religiously’ in the afternoon around 4 pm. By late evening, they are already withered. Nonetheless they are beautiful and it is exciting to watch. It makes you wonder – why the short period of flowering?
According with an article from the Journal of Experimental Botany: “flower opening and closure are traits of a reproductive syndrome, as it allows pollen removal/and or pollination”. Although a peculiar species, the vesper iris is not given as an example in the study.
Iris dichotoma – first year flowering from seeds; super easy to grow
Those interested can read about the mechanism of opening and closure, carbohydrate metabolism, hormonal regulation and more here – Flower opening and closure: a review, Wouter G. van Doorn, Uulke van Meeteren.
Note on Vesper
In many Christian denominations, vespers is the name used for the evening prayer service. From Greek ‘hespera’ and Latin ‘vesper’ = evening.
Gentiana cachemirica
As it happens, species that flower successively over a long period of time will often have the first seeds ‘ready’ while still in bloom. Last evening, ahead of another front of thundershowers, I had a look around the garden and, you don’t say, I found the first seed capsules of Gentiana cachemirica!
Not often cultivated and often misnamed in the trade, this is an alpine gentian endemic from Pakistan and Kashmir (hence the proclaimed common name of Kashmir gentian). Let’s see it again:
Gentiana cachemirica
It flowers in late summer, starting in late July-August (don’t believe the ones saying it’s a spring flowering gentian), it has a decumbent habit (best to have it flowing over a wall or on the rockery slope, if possible) and enjoys a part shaded position. It grows from thickened rhizomes and it is long lived after established.
There are other plants flowering in the garden, of course, most notably Clematis heracleifolia ‘China Purple’, a gentle reminder of the slide towards late August //:-o
Clematis heracleifolia ‘China Purple’
At the beginning the year I declared 2016 as The Year of the Thistle, including in this category besides the ‘true thistles’ (Cirsium, Carduus and Onopordum), other genera that don’t have spiny leaves/or are commonly called thistles (Jurinea, Centaurea, Carthamus, Carlina, Rhaponticum, Echinops…).
I wasn’t joking. Some of the new tried out species are doing fine and are already planted out – Berkheya, Jurinea sordida, Carlina acaulis. Probably Centaurea triumfettii would have also flowered if not transplanted too late.
But, another one, a true thistle is flowering! Cirsium canum, in its second year from seeds, proves out to be a most wonderful plant. Everything, from the silvery, bold foliage to the neat, globular flower buds and the soft flower heads continuously foraged by some pollinator – it’s just perfect!
Cirsium canum – An architectural thistle with silver-green foliage and purple flowers from late summer to fall; it will remain in a clump and therefore it can be safely grown in the garden for the delight of the pollinators :)
I wish I had more seedlings! A full sun position suits it very well. In the wild habitat it grows in somehow moist meadows and I think it would like a bit more moisture than it has, but it has fared well so far with very little watering.
Cirsium canum flower head
There are so many more such species to try…
Nelumbo lutea
A bit of a surprise – there is a lotus that grows wild in Ontario! It is found only towards the extreme southern part of the province, and according to wiki it was introduced in various regions by the Native Americans who carried it along with them as a food source (the tuber). It is fully hardy to zone 5, as long as the water is deep enough and the roots won’t freeze.
Nelumbo lutea foliage; yellow flowers in late summer
In warmer regions it is quite a colonizer and also called water-chinquapin. Supposedly, it is the largest native wildflower, at least in wetlands, its leaves reaching more than 60 cm in diameter! The seeds are surely among the largest too!
Nelumbo lutea seeds – 1 mm grid
I cannot abstain from trying to germinate a couple of these seeds. They need to be scarified or nicked and should germinate in water after +/- 2 weeks. For scarification you can use sandpaper or, for large seeds like these, a file. When scarifying the question is always – how much of the seed coat should be removed? It varies from species to species but the general rule is: ‘less is more’. When done well, the seeds will slightly enlarge in a few days; if not, they can be easily scarified some more.
I am sure everyone knows that lotus seeds can remain viable for several decades, given their extremely hard seed coats, so most probably I didn’t file them enough. My short nails, have gotten even shorter.
UPDATE – July 20, the seedlings were planted :)
It was hot today (felt like 38C!) and I noticed the delicate Rock harlequin (Capnoides sempervirens) flowering. I must say, the colours are just perfect to describe such a fiery day!
Capnoides sempervirens
It was sown successively from late winter to spring and older seedlings are the first to start flowering now; a few are still growing up. The key to success with this biennial Corydalis (and also some of the perennials) is to plant it in different spots of the garden and, fingers crossed it will reseed and take care of itself afterwards.
If someone noticed, I call it first Corydalis and then I wrote it as Capnoides. Corydalis spp. used to bear the same name. And then, as it happens, few names have changed. I always hesitate: should I write the older name or the ‘new’ one. Many people will always call them Corydalis (and so do I, privately ;)
To resolve the situation, I made a new category for the seeds shop – Corydalis & all, where they can live happily together…
