Sorry for the sketch, but I didn't have a good photo of my own. Will get one this year!
Here one of my favorite wild flowers here in Southcentral Alaska...the wild cranesbill or Geranium erianthum. It's a lovely bit of soft blue in the spring, and it adapts quite well to the flower bed. I had one in my south bed that lived for many years and bloomed twice each season. It is now moved out along my driveway...put to pasture with its native relatives.
It's beautiful! (And, so are all your other natives, posted previously!)Just a thought here,...How'd you like to do some "Natives" trading? You know, my pyrola, for yours,...My geranium maculatum, for your geranium erianthum, etc,? Feel free to drop me an e-mail, if your interested! Dawn (8-)
And how about a trade for my Geranium robertianum, lovely little pink flowers with darker stripes.
Lovely sketch by the way. sometimes the sketch shows more than a photo.
Thanks, Kathleen. I found some great shots on the web, but didn't want to "steal" anything and get Dave in trouble!
Sure, I'd love to trade, but I have no seeds at this point, but will at the end of the summer. I always scatter mine outdoors, since I'm pretty sure they need stratification, but we can check into that later. I think they should do very fine in Zone 5.
I don't have any seeds yet, either, and as you know, it's a waiting game! LOL Stan says I need to quite corresponding with all these southerners - makes me antsy. little snow again overnight, but this is supposed to be a warm-up week, mid 40s, maybe rain.
Yes, I know what Stan means! Maybe Dave's could use a Northern gardener's section! I've noticed that many of the forums that refer to issues I face are not used very often, so I'm assuming most of the active folks at Dave's are from the south, though I see many other areas as well. I find I have a lot of plants in common with the folks from England, and they are a feisty bunch to visit with, as well...are you listening over there? I've visited with some people from the Pacific Northwest, and their climate are similar to mine, only milder.
What is your season like? My temps are colder than yours right now...frozen, but it's been up to forty already this spring. We really can't set out plants til the end of May, and the growing season is essentially over in mid September. First hard freeze is usually some time in October, but it may warm and freeze several times before it really settles into winter.
Actually, your season sounds a lot like ours. There is still frost about an inch down in the ground - I shoveled some 1/2 cooked hay/manure compost the other day, but couldn't go too deep because of the frost. If I plant out much before Memorial Day, I replant shortly after (!), and things are usually done by the middle of September. We get snow early - often in October, a gift from Lake Erie, and late - May 20 is the latest I can remember offhand. Highs in the summer seldom go much above 90, and if they do it is a real heatwave. Lows in the winter can go to -20, but not often and seldom for long. We figure we are on the zone 4/5 edge. I have pushed a few zone 6 plants to their limit with heavy winter protection, but even then they are shortlived.
LOL, those Brits and the Irishman will keep you busy. I haven't been over there much lately, but keep a running dialog with Baa and Philomel and our transplanted English gardener, Louisa.
And the Pacific Northwest - I have an uncle out there and he's always telling us how his daffs are gone by the end of February - I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!
Oh, and a small historical note - Seward, for whom your fair city was named, was from Westfield NY, a town about 30 minutes from us on Lake Erie. His house is still there, although about 6 miles from where he built it. They moved it up to the lake escarpment so Welch's could build a new grape juice factory in the 70s. I think it's a Bed and Breakfast now.
Great pic WZ, three things I've always wanted to be able to do but never will is be a good (or at least recognisable) artist, write poetry and play a musical instrument. I think they are great talents to have.
(Baa now hijacks the thread)
Kathleen
I don't know if you saw the alpine gardening forum lately but I have a 12 seeds of Viola jooi if you are still wanting them, its decided to seed everywhere despite my comments and the seeds I kept back are not needed LOL
LOL, baa almost always hijacks the thread, unless I have already!
Rats, (she said), I bought some from T&M! I also got some V. koreana Sylette - the foliage is supposed to look like that of cyclamen. We shall see if any of them come up. My kind of plant - the more space they take up, the less left for the sheep's sorrel and ragweed! Of course, they will have to duke it out with the johnny-jump-ups!
Kathleen
John Evelyn (herbalist) once wrote of Sheeps Sorrel,'It renders not plants and herbs only, but men themselves more pleasent and agreeable'.
Certainly a plant for a wife methinks! ;)
