tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285692002024-03-13T14:05:23.601-03:00Peonies - and the RestThis is a diary by photo and comment to highlight the progress of plants, especially peonies, through the seasons at my home near Mount Uniacke/ Lakelands in Nova Scotia, Canada. Some other goings-on will probably also sneak into it.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-37361777369323859352012-08-27T20:01:00.003-03:002012-08-27T20:01:44.151-03:00Squirrels and Roses, Blue Jays and beechesIt seems the squirrels were reading this blog; a day after I wrote the previous entry they were hard at work eating the rose hips off the other clumps of<em> R rugosa</em>, and not wasting any time about it either! Within 3 days there wasn't a rose hip to be seen anywhere on the property.<br />
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Meanwhile, the question about beech nut ripeness has also been answered, with the return on Saturday of the blue jays' vocalizing during beechnutting (or whatever you might call it when they're up in the treetops eating beechnuts.) (American beech: <em>Fagus grandifolia</em>) <br />
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Most people, think of blue jays as being raucous of voice with the typical "jay, jay" scream. That was certainly all that I knew of them before I came to this property so many years ago. And about 11 months of the year that's all I hear from them even now. <br />
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(well, there are also a few of them which have the multisyllable cry of "DO IT!! DO IT!!", which can be funny or annoying if one is standing around in the yard wondering where to start, or even whether to start, working at something. A few times the "do it" jay has galvanized me into getting started, and a few times I have just gone back inside and quit for the day.)<br />
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But then comes summer, and sometimes I'll hear a blue jay fluting, a melodic "toodloodloodloo" sort of thing, which seems to get more frequent as the season advances into August. Very rarely I'll hear this in winter and spring. Or perhaps they use the call more frequently all year round but further back in the woods where I don't hear them. <br />
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Then comes the beechnut season. Suddenly the blue jays don't sound like themselves anymore, when sitting on a branch with nuts. Instead, they chortle softly, whistle softly a bit, sing quietly to themselves, often melodically but sometimes with a bit of a rough quality to the tone like a tenor who has just inhaled a couple of blackflies. Again, I don't know if they do this at any other time or with any other food back in the depths of the forest, but the few weeks of beechnut harvesting is the only time I hear it! And it is truly marvelous to sit outside and listen to it.<br />
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Our beeches are not the most attractive tree, in some ways, as they sucker densely from the roots and the bark is affected by a disease which mishapes it grotesquely; and they hang onto their leaves long after other trees are bare, which makes for a continous raking project in fall if one is into the immaculate lawn culture (I'm not, since long ago). (Once one gets over the lawn litter issue, the beech leaves hanging around in winter is actually quite attractive, sometimes for the whole winter depending on the plant, with the dead leaves gradually fading from coppery brown to pale yellow and losing substance to an almost tissuelike quality). So I admit that a few years after I moved here, when I decided to start letting in a bit of light, beeches were among my target trees to take out. But I did leave a few, and am grateful for it because of the short season of blue jay concerti they bring. In my current tree-thinning projects I am leaving the beech alone, unless one is truly in the way or threatening to fall on me.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-19669116321343025232012-08-15T21:02:00.000-03:002012-08-15T21:03:15.755-03:00When Rose Hips Go All Squirrelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few days ago I was surprised to see some nicely emptied-out hips from <em>Rosa rugosa</em>, a species having large fleshy hips and originally from Japan but very adaptable and salt-tolerant and so now widely naturalized along many sea coasts. Lots of it in Nova Scotia too (but mine were deliberately planted). I had never seen this before, or maybe just one or two and thus of no note.</div>
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However, these two were accompanied by a half-dozen others, so it was not some random tasteing. The empty hulls were lying beneath a small stand of beech and maple trees so I immediately suspected squirrels to have been the culprits, although mainly by default. I've almost always had squirrels over that area over the years, and I couldn't think of what else might be doing this. I only really hoped it wasn't rats!</div>
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The next morning there were twice as many <em>R rugosa</em> hip hulls (not to be mistaken for 'cool boats', ha ha) on the ground there, so I took to assuming that the squirrel (presumably) was stashing the seeds somewhere for winter consumption. </div>
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Then yesterday while striking down wood from the stacks into the basement, I noticed a few empty hulls sitting on a few locations of the woodpile, and noticed that the seeds were in fact being eaten at the time rather than stashed away. The seeds have a pretty thick coat, but no match for a rodent's incisors, and I could see that each seed had had an end nipped off and the embryo removed. Neat work! It also became apparent that they didn't eat the whole missing top of the hip, but ate around it in a circle, since there were a couple of little 'hats' among the debris.</div>
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This morning, early, I happened to be looking out a window and noticed some shaking in the rose hedge. Sure enough, not just one squirrel but two of them, climbing the rose stems and making off with the rose hips. </div>
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Curiously, though they have stripped one set of roses bare of all hips, even the green ones, there are a few other patches of <em>R rugosa</em>, all accessible from the same tree canopy runways (i.e. by running along and jumping on branches from one tree to another they could get to the other patches without having to leave the safety of the treetops; mind you they can't get to the wood stacks without leaving the canopy! so safety doesn't seem to be an issue), where even the ripe hips have not been touched (yet). Whether it's a territorial issue or just lack of exploring to date, I don't know.</div>
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I still don't know why suddenly the rose hips are of interest. Looking around (up, actually), I do notice that a very large black spruce which has traditionally been covered in cones has almost none this year, and the beech trees in the vicinity don't seem to have many nuts on them either. Nor are there many beech nuts on the driveway, although that might just mean that it's too early for them-- I can't remember if it's August or September when the bluejay vs squirrel treetop beechhead battles take place but if I had to put a bet on it, I'd say September as I seem to recall drier, cooler air. I do know the jays haven't been around for beech nuts yet, though, since they put on the most musical and softly expressive voices for the occasion, totally unlike their usual raucous selves.</div>
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So what I am guessing just now is that there is possibly a shortage of the preferred food of squirrels, and the rose hips are being taken out of necessity rather than taste preference. In which case it could be a tough winter to be a squirrel here. (too bad the darn deer don't seem to have the same food supply problems)</div>
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On another note, the flavour of <em>R rugosa</em> hips is quite good, and I've been known sometimes to add them to things like apple pies, but they're a tedious mess to clean the seeds out of. But now I have these little helpers doing that job for me, so a bit of scavenging and a good rinse later... no reason not to enjoy rose hips in volume!</div>
Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-78088228440378595082012-08-12T21:04:00.001-03:002012-08-12T21:08:34.148-03:00Curious SeedsI haven't had much to post about this season, or maybe just lacked the motivation. Today's break from habit is due to a mystery or curiosity of sorts. <br />
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A bit of background: over the past couple of years I have finally had two plants of <em>Paeonia anomala f. alba</em> flower (mind you, not from seed labelled as having been collected from that form). One was planted in a flower bed, the other remained in it's pot but was relocated to sit next to the first, to enhance the chance of white on white cross-pollination assuming the bees to be uncooperatively colourblind. Well, that was the plan.<br />
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As it happened, last winter was disgustingly warm, with sparse snow. As a result, the plant which was in the ground never got it's roots cold enough to make it decide to flower, while the plant in the unprotected, uninsulated pot experienced the colder unmodified temperatures, much more to it's liking (it's a Siberian species) and did flower again. So, no white on white crossing, just the chance of self-pollination or crossing with a normal pink-flowered anomala, a few of which were in the 10-20m distance range from it. <br />
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And, there was seed set, a first for my white <em>anomalas</em> (I often find that peonies do not set seed in their first year of flowering; after all, a plant that lives for decades needn't be in a great hurry to reach full fertility).<br />
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Earlier this week, I noticed that the carpels had opened and went to collect the seeds. Well, they're brown! as opposed to the usual shiny black which graces anomala. The photo shows the half dozen of seeds from the <em>f. alba</em> plant, and one black ringer which is from a normal <em>anomala</em>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyYn0cpZJ0A3s6fJTKs_ulLpgReGrFyVPbexvabyGoN6LtUfQ_mjgPr496yxQHDxewIHcW3AI-AfW-lhXlKK7DLo5D4MVS1I5-avkZDih3AKz41La5I-3fWxLoGleahWSnC9M/s1600/2012_0806Image0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyYn0cpZJ0A3s6fJTKs_ulLpgReGrFyVPbexvabyGoN6LtUfQ_mjgPr496yxQHDxewIHcW3AI-AfW-lhXlKK7DLo5D4MVS1I5-avkZDih3AKz41La5I-3fWxLoGleahWSnC9M/s320/2012_0806Image0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It will be interesting to see what emerges from this small sample of seeds, but it'll be about 2017 or later before they flower. Not sure I'll see it!Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-91031451036509221792011-06-10T17:09:00.007-03:002011-06-10T17:31:31.460-03:00Variants, and something cute<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhZ64VrRDGHwNLBt_fy516T9zNO8UFLweuNcwS221mY0gyh0zj7aiVXqalL34DFNZiShskbWJ2dEZsphLQAF3sVfFZB50Emn31n84lOYi3ubVaawRC98k5rrG34qvYHRPXFxF/s1600/2011_0610Image0029.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616686560617858674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhZ64VrRDGHwNLBt_fy516T9zNO8UFLweuNcwS221mY0gyh0zj7aiVXqalL34DFNZiShskbWJ2dEZsphLQAF3sVfFZB50Emn31n84lOYi3ubVaawRC98k5rrG34qvYHRPXFxF/s200/2011_0610Image0029.JPG" /></a> <em>Paeonia peregrina</em>, usually deep red but varying towards salmon/coral in some populations in the wild. This is the first non-red flower that has shown itself here. Quite a standout.<br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ03TyFNpnQmVRUK9R0S1nFSnK9B1Vj7_XBFYtbc-bfJpipOmbpoC8wQjxuuITH07dTv8mGKZW-DTyvLmuUTb-NxIZmeojw6S8NgfgAw4gYuF83T6V2JKhTScfWULd1Un6E8SL/s1600/2011_0610Image0013.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616686545058370658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ03TyFNpnQmVRUK9R0S1nFSnK9B1Vj7_XBFYtbc-bfJpipOmbpoC8wQjxuuITH07dTv8mGKZW-DTyvLmuUTb-NxIZmeojw6S8NgfgAw4gYuF83T6V2JKhTScfWULd1Un6E8SL/s200/2011_0610Image0013.JPG" /></a>This cute little thing is <em>Arisarum proboscoides</em>, called the Mouse Tail Plant. Its foliage is the arrowhead shaped stuff in the next photo down. The genus name celebrates the similarities of the flower with the <em>Arisaemae</em> (jack-in-the-pulpits and cobra lilies) and of the growth habit with the <em>Asarums</em> (hardy gingers); one really has to dig <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaybu_lTwX5G33NGj3VsmjJVMvhLCJ1yvxkPairiJi8pTwDpQQg5BAA8DdKqPDVJwWLPMAYwwz06_PnvSRUbvZXxmM7vMCOlyIqBpyU3blPSjt2nRUm6HWtngNGexzBkvGF0zV/s1600/2011_0610Image0014.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616686550042386066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaybu_lTwX5G33NGj3VsmjJVMvhLCJ1yvxkPairiJi8pTwDpQQg5BAA8DdKqPDVJwWLPMAYwwz06_PnvSRUbvZXxmM7vMCOlyIqBpyU3blPSjt2nRUm6HWtngNGexzBkvGF0zV/s200/2011_0610Image0014.JPG" /></a>through the foliage to find the flowers. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I would have taken the piece of plastic out of there before taking the picture, but honestly didn't see it!!<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2922bEnG2UpxgZzzGRn79i39I6OhVZKp1zJT3RhJFurLzHbPH5XpxzyqwN7L5wNkwV-damCfqvgME1xUJLIa2sxhxi_gu5g4KkiAM3K2uWyxH6rhxYEFGBly_MsZsAA5jnNQ/s1600/2011_0610Image0027.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616686295184050274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2922bEnG2UpxgZzzGRn79i39I6OhVZKp1zJT3RhJFurLzHbPH5XpxzyqwN7L5wNkwV-damCfqvgME1xUJLIa2sxhxi_gu5g4KkiAM3K2uWyxH6rhxYEFGBly_MsZsAA5jnNQ/s200/2011_0610Image0027.JPG" /></a> Okay, back to peonies. The following 3 photos show variation of flower colour between plants from a single open-pollinated seedlot (collected here) of <em>Paeonia veitchii</em> (Veitch's Peony)<br />The darkest is really somewhat redder than the photo shows, but there is something about the way the camera catches the light which <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3sNxETIzWC_drk0yJbFMNJ4W7Mg7kHhAreMmgwLtHxJRj2wtvzRpVZWBCtZtGEVyetM4bx9DOn-b-6FgrXlCeiW14P8JaN6jpjTJZ46aWRxoCTkACfQcAu7UKpXmlq7Ir4QN/s1600/2011_0610Image0026.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616686293025907202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3sNxETIzWC_drk0yJbFMNJ4W7Mg7kHhAreMmgwLtHxJRj2wtvzRpVZWBCtZtGEVyetM4bx9DOn-b-6FgrXlCeiW14P8JaN6jpjTJZ46aWRxoCTkACfQcAu7UKpXmlq7Ir4QN/s200/2011_0610Image0026.JPG" /></a>overemphasizes the blue tint. (and it has nothing to do with blue sky, because there was none that day or most other days since the start of May!!)<br />The mid-pink is most common, here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD5VdLYGMMF4YuzFUpSS8rc38XJbvgobqeQaJX2-AQhagBR-vxKqxeze5adxeepDIQQXPmSTK33DW0dMzBYIIEHQbXhiAKZROmN1Rd6Bpg-ll6g4RlGPXWxT63ED9g2FT4t62/s1600/2011_0610Image0025.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616686283504023266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD5VdLYGMMF4YuzFUpSS8rc38XJbvgobqeQaJX2-AQhagBR-vxKqxeze5adxeepDIQQXPmSTK33DW0dMzBYIIEHQbXhiAKZROmN1Rd6Bpg-ll6g4RlGPXWxT63ED9g2FT4t62/s200/2011_0610Image0025.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-4256375069519857132011-06-06T16:31:00.001-03:002011-06-10T16:50:56.667-03:00More of White Anomala<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuriYZFaV8TVRzkd6cmPf8aXWc2HEDNNo7IibxdFRKgyBDXiUKEZIsdGMjwCG4hO-kfCfHR2MWVU_RhVMz06RUCP3xCUaW082P7-uWvc8wUUUvhOFtmrh_Tk1jWl4nW1zYCNs5/s1600/2011_0610Image0016.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616676399005893810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuriYZFaV8TVRzkd6cmPf8aXWc2HEDNNo7IibxdFRKgyBDXiUKEZIsdGMjwCG4hO-kfCfHR2MWVU_RhVMz06RUCP3xCUaW082P7-uWvc8wUUUvhOFtmrh_Tk1jWl4nW1zYCNs5/s200/2011_0610Image0016.JPG" /></a> As hoped, a better photo of the flower.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tDNR7NINehPYhA-jnYwlq96B9aHnfp_7Ps_R5ELas-Zd56GV5k10bOZcK0hRWDkR3dnoMsH0lGvivvbw6AVLwAUNkz1OgTO3L4iu6tKQZVV43pw4ODSu71fQiDj1t9vEmIA5/s1600/2011_0610Image0017.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616676409387084370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tDNR7NINehPYhA-jnYwlq96B9aHnfp_7Ps_R5ELas-Zd56GV5k10bOZcK0hRWDkR3dnoMsH0lGvivvbw6AVLwAUNkz1OgTO3L4iu6tKQZVV43pw4ODSu71fQiDj1t9vEmIA5/s200/2011_0610Image0017.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div>And a close-up of the reproductive parts. The stigmas seem very small.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My report of the possibility of a few more coming into bloom shortly was premature. Along the lines of "don't count your peonies until they flower"; <em>all</em> the others were the normal pink/rose. The relative paleness of the early foliage either a figment of my imagination or unrelated to the eventual flower colour. Well, now we know.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My two plants are co-located, but bloomed sequentially this year so no cross-pollination. For that matter no by-hand selfing either, since I never managedto get any pollen onto a brush for transfer. I hope the insects have done a good job for me. If there is a seed set, it will be about 2015 or 16 before I know if I have true seedlings, so don't start writing cheques yet.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tDNR7NINehPYhA-jnYwlq96B9aHnfp_7Ps_R5ELas-Zd56GV5k10bOZcK0hRWDkR3dnoMsH0lGvivvbw6AVLwAUNkz1OgTO3L4iu6tKQZVV43pw4ODSu71fQiDj1t9vEmIA5/s1600/2011_0610Image0017.JPG"></a></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-28252787900356403282011-06-01T20:49:00.002-03:002011-06-01T21:06:49.861-03:00An Anomaly of the Anomaous PeonyAfter years of waiting, and from the wrong seed batch!, blooms of a <em>Paeonia anomala forma alba</em>: the white-flowered form of <em>Paeonia anomala</em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGKy9d6XQ2l-MnDF1niOeZMcQ2SYybrrZuvt0qzTuJkl_5AuGChRufNxGoJFvgT79W7wKBWj6-mBdfjnsaYwiwCmU6VyZxC4IbWTWjuAsY-SgAg1i7z2O1nSwAyE3tb9qywL5/s1600/2011_0601Image0003.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613403124718272146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGKy9d6XQ2l-MnDF1niOeZMcQ2SYybrrZuvt0qzTuJkl_5AuGChRufNxGoJFvgT79W7wKBWj6-mBdfjnsaYwiwCmU6VyZxC4IbWTWjuAsY-SgAg1i7z2O1nSwAyE3tb9qywL5/s200/2011_0601Image0003.JPG" /></a>. One bloomed after a fashion last year, but the flower was stunted and damaged by weather and insects, so this year's is really my first. There is again some insect damage to the outer petals, which I don't ever see on normal pink <em>anomala</em> or any other peony for that matter! This is the first day, and the flower I think is not completely open; should get a fully-open photo added soon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6GNrdDvsrxJyn07zXNFhagFDZh0LeFiHtds9fgmRfHSLbvqMq1r3gec29m3uaPVgmIUvWImf_IgUddxetiD__qPpJng80IKhZXqX8-UXvrc6eGXasSoTtkQnWTXVt3Lk7o4J/s1600/2011_0601Image0004.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613403118699605474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6GNrdDvsrxJyn07zXNFhagFDZh0LeFiHtds9fgmRfHSLbvqMq1r3gec29m3uaPVgmIUvWImf_IgUddxetiD__qPpJng80IKhZXqX8-UXvrc6eGXasSoTtkQnWTXVt3Lk7o4J/s200/2011_0601Image0004.JPG" /></a>The foliage is lighter green than the species normally has (especially when first emerging), and without the reddish stem that marks most of my other anomala's, but is otherwise within the normal range for size, shape and narrowness of segmentation.<br /><br />Two known plants (the bud of the second has coloured up but not yet opened) and a couple of others that I think will be white but the buds are still green. Which means that with a bit of skillful paintbrush hand-pollinating a decent seed set should result (if not this year then soon? I have noticed that some peonies do not set seed in their first year of flowering; and there is always the weather issue!)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-85858958324348675472011-05-30T21:26:00.016-03:002011-05-30T22:21:46.930-03:00A Sudden Outburst of Sun-- and PeoniesThe cold and grey of most of May was good for one thing: watching the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) bike race on tv. The Spaniard Contador, after whose exploits I've named a peony, was in a fine fettle, lit up the race a few times, and won the thing. Great style to watch on the bike, and explosive uphill. Motivating.<br /><br />Finally things warmed up here, outside, although remaining cloudy. Then 2 days of sun and it was suddenly almost hard to hear anything except peonies popping.<br /><br />I had decided to try my darndest to prevent the bees from cross-pollinating the darker-flowered species into the lighter ones. This has meant clipping the buds of many plants while they are well-coloured but not quite open. But what to do with them all? Well, a couple of floating cut-flower projects have evolved. 6 buds of <em>P mascula</em> filled a large glass mixing bowl once all opened, but I'd have needed over a dozen of them. So some clean plastic planting trays sufficed, or will eventually, for the rest, holding about 40 buds each (now working on the third). In addition to mascula, there are a lot of <em>P caucasica</em> and <em>P kesrouanensis</em>, some <em>P ruprechtiana</em> (all 3 of those of the mascula clan and very similar), and a few early <em>P veitchii</em> and <em>P officinalis</em>.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLBRRbhogAtEAtkClIv4stYd8OU6PMXIDEOJ4eELPt-4CxbgEOxCrrjhMcddHj5IPi0A9tZyuotKefVXU_J_qH8dt1JMaCcr9eTEHByUsBwqb8FwlveFbbEWSgVwrzccm4Xu3/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612671044597821154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLBRRbhogAtEAtkClIv4stYd8OU6PMXIDEOJ4eELPt-4CxbgEOxCrrjhMcddHj5IPi0A9tZyuotKefVXU_J_qH8dt1JMaCcr9eTEHByUsBwqb8FwlveFbbEWSgVwrzccm4Xu3/s200/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDFIfO3OvCP4wTZUQDFQuHjjXLlDr1tACoadjNBuGSMusRjOU7pee47ek6q0zljFpQOPw5R3XNzo08GK6LDa1CMBLts93qOvapHCwmRfwhNbbIkowVFYO2LX0564pvt9KXfbS/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612671048684527266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDFIfO3OvCP4wTZUQDFQuHjjXLlDr1tACoadjNBuGSMusRjOU7pee47ek6q0zljFpQOPw5R3XNzo08GK6LDa1CMBLts93qOvapHCwmRfwhNbbIkowVFYO2LX0564pvt9KXfbS/s200/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDFIfO3OvCP4wTZUQDFQuHjjXLlDr1tACoadjNBuGSMusRjOU7pee47ek6q0zljFpQOPw5R3XNzo08GK6LDa1CMBLts93qOvapHCwmRfwhNbbIkowVFYO2LX0564pvt9KXfbS/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So now the yellows and whites are free to be bee'd without muddying their colours, if not exactly keeping their gene pools clean (I'll do some hand-pollinating with a paintbrush to help that aspect). But wait, I also really <strong>need</strong> seed of <em>P triternata</em>, so there is the slight chance of some pink after all. Oh well. And then there's the bright red <em>P tenuifolia</em> in bloom in one location: that colour is welcome to mix with the yellows if it wants!<br /><br />Blogger refuses to insert photos in the order I send them, and moving them around has crashed the blog more than once, so the following are not in my preferred order; but what the heck.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjwYBUJFe9vC_Cq6zontOfs4djtvH_oJh8TidtwmBiCQYcdLnQf_534nx4Hqk2zGuDK1lBSDnwErIrUbaUVmDqPrkY5RYaBaxDIUMpWKssdgvvQ4loxF0oRhTI9D2mFANAJpD/s1600/2011_0530Image0015.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612671038009752338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjwYBUJFe9vC_Cq6zontOfs4djtvH_oJh8TidtwmBiCQYcdLnQf_534nx4Hqk2zGuDK1lBSDnwErIrUbaUVmDqPrkY5RYaBaxDIUMpWKssdgvvQ4loxF0oRhTI9D2mFANAJpD/s200/2011_0530Image0015.JPG" /></a><br /><br />White form of <em>P steveniana</em>, flower and plant. That's about as open as the flowers of this species get.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJC5uaW2pN2ppBVA9zgsJRM03VDfnXcKrwm04x05x_0pzIKL4Yk61SCy7XrIzwJqZPdWvbGy9O9_9JewlDfLulwJYP9xD-AiXX_9c7lFDtappi60c-Z_t9CNGJWu1lpyFaDlh/s1600/2011_0530Image0016.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612671037918918578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJC5uaW2pN2ppBVA9zgsJRM03VDfnXcKrwm04x05x_0pzIKL4Yk61SCy7XrIzwJqZPdWvbGy9O9_9JewlDfLulwJYP9xD-AiXX_9c7lFDtappi60c-Z_t9CNGJWu1lpyFaDlh/s200/2011_0530Image0016.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2qhcI3OFgYnakB1bhXbngS0W_IWgByE5Fgj5bNQxuZnKtthbmPZnTtf5c4ehTaHXL2IXyTslCTT895tRcGJRCKWvB7tnAhmpJVheL37VwMMBqjH2Gsm_DDpguB98uPOP-r6i/s1600/2011_0530Image0014.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612670636697726050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2qhcI3OFgYnakB1bhXbngS0W_IWgByE5Fgj5bNQxuZnKtthbmPZnTtf5c4ehTaHXL2IXyTslCTT895tRcGJRCKWvB7tnAhmpJVheL37VwMMBqjH2Gsm_DDpguB98uPOP-r6i/s200/2011_0530Image0014.JPG" /></a>A very pale form of <em>P mlokosewitschii</em>, which started to open yesterday. There is a subtle blush of pink at the base of the petals. I call this the "Moonlight form". This plant is one year out of the pot, where it had 2 stems last year.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl-KuyKFAqXUt_nHZWralGAb_Dkkxg9sc-RO-5nYtCpoTR9m2Qlxynw-bX_Bh4iNSP0NCkRT4DgpQGzPWd2f1ujQjD6LZjGh-_0PRo8X2LEOdXodiod566P58ePXQ2cCl80Rp/s1600/2011_0530Image0012.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612670629110925986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl-KuyKFAqXUt_nHZWralGAb_Dkkxg9sc-RO-5nYtCpoTR9m2Qlxynw-bX_Bh4iNSP0NCkRT4DgpQGzPWd2f1ujQjD6LZjGh-_0PRo8X2LEOdXodiod566P58ePXQ2cCl80Rp/s200/2011_0530Image0012.JPG" /></a><br /><em>P mlokosewitschii</em> proper, the Golden Peony.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPzYXX-AJhbpqbrGBhDdydI0Ht8bE6iOcwDFG89Gibl0fcDniwrbIZkdoCeWgihOh97SJrsLGGB0C4pmCeebcCuru_CKJjIXzRguw1YAc3sXit0b7KvxOgINvYVxCqFP_0P48/s1600/2011_0530Image0008.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612670619071133954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPzYXX-AJhbpqbrGBhDdydI0Ht8bE6iOcwDFG89Gibl0fcDniwrbIZkdoCeWgihOh97SJrsLGGB0C4pmCeebcCuru_CKJjIXzRguw1YAc3sXit0b7KvxOgINvYVxCqFP_0P48/s200/2011_0530Image0008.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><em>P steveniana</em> proper, a bit paler than <em>mlokosewitschii</em> and a bit darker than <em>P tomentosa</em> (which is done now). And a grouping of 3 plants.</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAhcDYt8id8AaR9jQfa_vUk5CvSYe1Z9DGDU2Y1ELeZ7CglI4ZAqbg4QAmWVOA4nxiu7T_GELF65qmo2G22KUrK2EYwSDU0F-oIAnRCcum0a0y-lhGB_03TUw_jJ2s7SeG8Ka/s1600/2011_0530Image0009.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612670620271103234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAhcDYt8id8AaR9jQfa_vUk5CvSYe1Z9DGDU2Y1ELeZ7CglI4ZAqbg4QAmWVOA4nxiu7T_GELF65qmo2G22KUrK2EYwSDU0F-oIAnRCcum0a0y-lhGB_03TUw_jJ2s7SeG8Ka/s200/2011_0530Image0009.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqt1HU6Ws8gTPV6GjEZxcnoeWLhlgNxvAGTFhabx_jTdIDUuTf6OtapKuOjUNcArGweZwKxm8tCPxe6hPjQSgpAalvwMsJGHIvkgJ0swMa60EIchSloEDHGV_hCMByzWMX1LK/s1600/2011_0530Image0001.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612670614277454738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqt1HU6Ws8gTPV6GjEZxcnoeWLhlgNxvAGTFhabx_jTdIDUuTf6OtapKuOjUNcArGweZwKxm8tCPxe6hPjQSgpAalvwMsJGHIvkgJ0swMa60EIchSloEDHGV_hCMByzWMX1LK/s200/2011_0530Image0001.JPG" /></a><br />And just to prove that I'm not totally against the "pinks" this year, a nice dark-flowered form of P caucasica.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-10986115335184327622011-05-20T22:56:00.003-03:002011-05-20T23:14:14.732-03:00The 2011 Peony Season CommmencesShockingly, an update to this blog. Spring has been wet, and cold until just recently, but plants are either ahead of normal or somewhat behind: no consistent trend that I can figure out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwTBK9zx4-4EPA1-m6zSX2gp227rgUTNX_BAZpSl8QdY-g1anTwCZ6TBNWU3AQ5djuBHurCe63BlE3SVqBbf0gKFJn_TrfvZ2MF1AmYAomft6J90gJ6N5AGnKvQ9C8OXEwneT/s1600/2011_0525Image0079.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608982915138509250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwTBK9zx4-4EPA1-m6zSX2gp227rgUTNX_BAZpSl8QdY-g1anTwCZ6TBNWU3AQ5djuBHurCe63BlE3SVqBbf0gKFJn_TrfvZ2MF1AmYAomft6J90gJ6N5AGnKvQ9C8OXEwneT/s200/2011_0525Image0079.JPG" /></a>Last year I finally planted a <em>Paeonia mairei</em> in a bed, so I now know that it blooms about at the same time as what I had normally considered the first of the peonies. It looks like it suffered a wee whirlwind in its vicinity recently, and one of the flowering stems folded and failed before the bud could open. I didn't take a photo of the one open flower because it is somewhat windblown and ratty, or more precisely I should say shredded by raindrops and well-munched by slugs. A tidy, compact plant. For a good photo of the flower, see entries from previous years.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoCxRCcw4ni2_FeKSE1jSWI47qDyRiQnrByCNYMJbsti9VXtPclhP89GTrF-R-A11MQgB5bIdLvCeJD6-_jOZPITPP91bC5B1Lx0HD2UBiAqxyirBjq9PEz4zuaHKPRhhnY-C/s1600/2011_0525Image0077.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608982924626489938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoCxRCcw4ni2_FeKSE1jSWI47qDyRiQnrByCNYMJbsti9VXtPclhP89GTrF-R-A11MQgB5bIdLvCeJD6-_jOZPITPP91bC5B1Lx0HD2UBiAqxyirBjq9PEz4zuaHKPRhhnY-C/s200/2011_0525Image0077.JPG" /></a> The normal "first", <em>Paeonia tomentosa</em> or the Woolly Peony. Usually the plants down in the shade beds open a week later than the ones near the house, but this year they are opening simultaneously. No real surprise, it truly has been no brighter in the open than in the woods this year!!!! and this plant species proves it.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLi_GSPyGnJDL5C3iKR-oV2rWuiqafuUngkwDCH-2ZIe-y9jhEthjHlptJwtkdkgTawGa9QFy6U1kFKKgPELUxGsr0G05XDCCDPWX2ERu7K0ceolnBAT3V1qO-ABx9pCsB1yI/s1600/2011_0525Image0078.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608982926515975874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLi_GSPyGnJDL5C3iKR-oV2rWuiqafuUngkwDCH-2ZIe-y9jhEthjHlptJwtkdkgTawGa9QFy6U1kFKKgPELUxGsr0G05XDCCDPWX2ERu7K0ceolnBAT3V1qO-ABx9pCsB1yI/s200/2011_0525Image0078.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Pale yellow with a touch of green.<br /><br />Things peony-wise will look a bit imbalanced here this year: in order to get decently true seed without off-colour pollution, I will be removing the buds of the red/ magenta/ pink species plants where they overlap with the yellow species. I tried to interest a florist in them, but couldn't; so I will probably end up with floating dozens of them in trays of water in the house <span style="font-size:78%;">(and hopefully not stepping in one during a middle-watch visit to the wc)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-91695356176245578642010-09-21T21:33:00.003-03:002010-09-21T22:33:58.568-03:00Not about Plants this time-- Jan Lisiecki RecitalThis is worth writing about (and it fits into here better than any of the other blogs I do.)<br /><br />Last Friday night after a recital (good but not outstanding) in Wolfville by soprano Wendy Nielson I found out by accident that the young (15 now) Calgary pianist <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Jan Lisiecki</strong></span> was performing there the next night. I'd heard some of his playing and an interview with him on CBC radio last spring and perhaps even earlier and had been impressed by what I heard musically and also the personality aspect. So out on the bike on Saturday I thought about making another quick raid on Wolfville by car(!!) and although I had used the car every day that week (outrageous, I know it) I decided that it was unlikely he would play the Maritimes again in my lifetime since he was certain to be in worldwide demand very soon if he isn't already, so this was really a chance that I couldn't pass up. So I went. And am ever so glad that I did.<br /><br />At the beginning of each half of the program and at a few points during it, he spoke to the audience about the music and to pass on his gratitude to the organizers. He was well-spoken, had a confident manner, connected well with the audience, and spoke without notes. All to the good.<br /><br />His program started with a couple of works by Bach, then a piece by the Canadian composer Mozetich, and then a set of Chopin Etudes before the intermission and 6 other Chopin works after it. Bach was spoiled for me in my childhood by being forced to play too much of it for competitions. But I enjoyed it as a program opener. Mozetich: well, maybe I had heard the name on the radio but that was about it. But the piece Jan played was very good and I'm grateful to him for introducing me to this composer, and I think he did the composer justice in his treatment of the piece.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">But the Chopin: my God</span>! I can't speak to the technical aspect of his playing; I'm sure there is room for improvement, but there was nothing jarring to this set of ears. Let's just say his fingers were nimble and danced over the keyboard with speed and grace, but also with strength. I very much enjoyed his phrasing of the music with various tempo changes and the full range of volume dynamics from an exquisite featherweight touch to the full force of his body. And he played from his heart, baring his soul and that of the music to the audience. <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>It was fantastic!!</strong></span><br /><br />Of the pieces that I knew from recordings, his performance suffered by comparison with none of the artists I've heard. Of the ones that were new to me, it was just magic.<br /><br />I knew that piano music could make me weep, but when he played the Chopin Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp minor I discovered to my surprise that in the right hands a piano could weep. Cellos, vioins, even horns-- yes, I had heard them weep. But a piano-- I wouldn't have credited it. Now I know better.<br /><br />Following the oh so moving Nocturne, Jan concluded with a tour de force in the Andante spianato et grand polonaise brillante, E-flat Major, Op. 22 with a verve and intensity and brilliance suitable for the evening's finale. Breathtaking, and I was jumping out of my skin.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">For readers of this blog, if you get a chance to go to one of his performances, don't hesitate-- just GO! I don't think you'll regret it unless you truly dislike classical piano as a genre.</span><br /><br />There was an amusing incident at the end of the intermission when Jan, acting as his own timekeeper, stepped out onto the stage ready to commence-- but the lighting/electrical tech wasn't as punctual so Jan caught everyone by surprise, speaking into a dead microphone with the houselights still up and the stage spots off. Good for him! I liked that when he was ready he went for it. May he continue to keep stage managers on their toes!<br /><br />The only disappointment of the evening was in no way the young pianist's fault. It would have been nice if the organizers had put a closed-circuit tv camera on the keyboard for display to the audience on an overhead screen; the piano seems to me to be the only instrument which blocks the view of the performer's hands from about half of the audience, and it would have been nice to see the hands in action as well as hearing the music.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-63910735660803117192010-07-10T22:06:00.002-03:002010-07-10T22:25:20.297-03:00Appropriate Colours<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq23aSTBBUI30NkwcxsCXhPsYacUvq0Vn3Wd9e8m2tfdKS8Uy4YmqjEigl7o6L9oC5dhM3SlRpjg6aNCo_Xd_ISQO6FzEbgfKCEPNxsP5txQDlpIKP_8C57b2skbGi1eMKzZT2/s1600/2010_0705Image0007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492449216018707618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq23aSTBBUI30NkwcxsCXhPsYacUvq0Vn3Wd9e8m2tfdKS8Uy4YmqjEigl7o6L9oC5dhM3SlRpjg6aNCo_Xd_ISQO6FzEbgfKCEPNxsP5txQDlpIKP_8C57b2skbGi1eMKzZT2/s200/2010_0705Image0007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the prime of bloom just in time for World Cup Sunday, the very late-blooming Azalea "July Jester" vibrant in Oranje. A good choice.<br /><br />Somewhere around abouts are flowers of yellow and flowers of red but they're not co-located so the "other side" is unrepresented here.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Although really, I'm not particular about who wins the thing just so long as it is a good and interesting game with lots of skills on display, a good pace, and a referee disinterested in blowing his whistle.</span>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-34108539104072318422010-07-05T21:24:00.007-03:002010-07-05T21:55:02.104-03:00Worth the 17 year wait<div>Okay, first an addendum on the Hen-and-Chicks of 15 June. About a week later our paths converged again! The chicks were about half again as large, and flying by then (sort of)-- short bursts, and not too high, but then again Spruce Grouse are not exactly a tree-top flier anyways. And then about a week after that there they were again. The chicks were now twice the size of the initial encounter, quite a bit more confident and spread out quite a bit over a larger area, and flying quite well. I only saw about a half-dozen, but am not sure if there has been attrition or if I just didn't see all of them (quite likely since they were in thick undergrowth).</div><br /><br /><div>---------------------------------</div><br /><br /><div>In 1993 (give or take a year) I got a pair of tiny <em>Styrax japonica</em> (Japanese Snowbell Tree, or Japanese Silverbell) tissue-culture starts through the Rhododendron Society of NS. They were rated as marginally hardy for NS, but at the price of the tissue culture plants it was worth trying out new things and pushing the envelope regularily. Along with the rest of that year's tissue culture plants they were eventually planted out in a nursery bed back in the woods, where I checked on them from time to time as they continued to grow slowly. One of the pair, meant to be pink-flowered if I recall, was lost one winter after surviving several years, the other just kept growing slowly but didn't flower that I can recall, although I have a vague recollection of a carpet of petals one year when I made a rare visit to that area. Early in June this year I noticed that it was covered with what looked like either buds or fertilized ovaries, I couldn't tell and hadn't been past that way earlier in the spring. Over a few weeks they remained stalled as far as size and apparent development were concerned. </div><br /><br /><div>This weekend I remembered to go back and check on the tree (it's now about 20 feet tall, having shot up with the wetter summers and milder winters of the last few years). Surprise, absolutely full of flowers, with an enchanting fragrance easily discernable from 20metres away. Stunning to most of the senses. So here's some photos; they're not great, it's hard to get the level of detail needed to appreciate the more distant views.</div><div> </div><div>Oh yeah, in the first photo it is NOT the foreground grey stick with the pileated woodpecker excavations... but you knew that...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaGd555VqAwvsVBfGCXDDbH575maPZF_6c50iU4le5X6RhWBDiobWilDPY5OI2jMlNpQtD-OepdI_8ez_ZLMn3z7QPlbAnpfarJpGSpYhhOA2WRNwwr_Rs918CBOIBYCvt7IJ/s1600/2010_0704Image0015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490589092451880898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaGd555VqAwvsVBfGCXDDbH575maPZF_6c50iU4le5X6RhWBDiobWilDPY5OI2jMlNpQtD-OepdI_8ez_ZLMn3z7QPlbAnpfarJpGSpYhhOA2WRNwwr_Rs918CBOIBYCvt7IJ/s200/2010_0704Image0015.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9YB81qxXUC2p7dER6m2tkB1MKVNRLcj-LAJdAGwVlDQpkfj_eSBIHAU59ZEapUknuVFFm6dPdJK2i6Nw4AH1pUIKM7n0G6Ja5FjUSOMZHViSf43LXh-McVsFgmD8lCIWiVXQ/s1600/2010_0704Image0016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490589073511285170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9YB81qxXUC2p7dER6m2tkB1MKVNRLcj-LAJdAGwVlDQpkfj_eSBIHAU59ZEapUknuVFFm6dPdJK2i6Nw4AH1pUIKM7n0G6Ja5FjUSOMZHViSf43LXh-McVsFgmD8lCIWiVXQ/s200/2010_0704Image0016.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtm3lke5nnU0mEdl_GgHnFJGvnXgJX7PsLkgkqsNtDdCKH6QkRp67Mv68sy_CvANzDZM_JwM4hb7TZ_BiIUyfIx8hxXdAeCibBP-ccgq3KgxJGZ85WiRu02ChaphZU8yDZQXJ/s1600/2010_0704Image0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490589072259054898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtm3lke5nnU0mEdl_GgHnFJGvnXgJX7PsLkgkqsNtDdCKH6QkRp67Mv68sy_CvANzDZM_JwM4hb7TZ_BiIUyfIx8hxXdAeCibBP-ccgq3KgxJGZ85WiRu02ChaphZU8yDZQXJ/s200/2010_0704Image0018.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3Xa76tZ82RMTcROHSMXnU3Uvxb3IMY7nnYVw2sIV6VDyZoW8UZ2_3qEihkf9aED4pcyX1b9w7jPlAkElYQ2vSceRJ_2ZRZ47wce07Cixpxu8vb1h2Tg720x2rp5OzKa-OKLM/s1600/2010_0704Image0019.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490589063192600050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3Xa76tZ82RMTcROHSMXnU3Uvxb3IMY7nnYVw2sIV6VDyZoW8UZ2_3qEihkf9aED4pcyX1b9w7jPlAkElYQ2vSceRJ_2ZRZ47wce07Cixpxu8vb1h2Tg720x2rp5OzKa-OKLM/s200/2010_0704Image0019.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Tj8HjPbcjlMWTVa9nOxDNfWRthbNI4CZP92f2BJ1Lj02q_tR5zxgi1PJuKs2UeRW4F-AA-X5TWTK-I-5qCtvyPlrImaeSkeK4txj4uAErdQwbigFu1nxgAljOnX82Ba_eDAW/s1600/2010_0704Image0020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490589055918319202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Tj8HjPbcjlMWTVa9nOxDNfWRthbNI4CZP92f2BJ1Lj02q_tR5zxgi1PJuKs2UeRW4F-AA-X5TWTK-I-5qCtvyPlrImaeSkeK4txj4uAErdQwbigFu1nxgAljOnX82Ba_eDAW/s200/2010_0704Image0020.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-7176213277761891232010-06-28T15:18:00.002-03:002010-06-28T15:35:57.537-03:00The main show of Garden PeoniesA week and a bit ago the <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em>s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz-ziQaZjWNlbPFQ4NE3Ye6LAaxsnI4H5e1N-bz6e8yAkao59q8lLtnfAy4lo4PGY-fpZHwaDbwdY2uu3R3yrXlBbZe8F8msuEO8vTD5-owlNi0o8laCvHAfa4-g2z8hnIwQO/s1600/2010_0627Image0132.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487891466815590770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz-ziQaZjWNlbPFQ4NE3Ye6LAaxsnI4H5e1N-bz6e8yAkao59q8lLtnfAy4lo4PGY-fpZHwaDbwdY2uu3R3yrXlBbZe8F8msuEO8vTD5-owlNi0o8laCvHAfa4-g2z8hnIwQO/s200/2010_0627Image0132.JPG" border="0" /></a> (the Chinese Peony, or what I call the Garden Peony) started popping into bloom in all their variety of forms and every shade of colour from white to red. How many shades of pink are there anyways?!! Here some views of the groups of potted <em>lactifloras</em> (and some hybrids mainly involving <em>lactiflora</em> parentage) which I've been growing from seed, for sale. Most are blooming this year for the first time, and I have so far photographed and labelled (with a personal number) just over 100 of them, with perhaps 15 or 20 with buds yet to open.<br /><br />Of course, this being a main peak of the peony season we have been found by heavy rains. First the mini-deluge out of nothing yesterday evening, and today with an extended rainfall of varying weight but large accumulation. So these photos of yesterday's fine upstanding plants have would today feature bedraggled or mushed flowers with some recumbent stems (some of the plants have double or semi-double flower forms, which are notorious for lax stems)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aKclXnK5rBqoPikg6UTjMKPwSMjyBKrNGiZYO0SGqTYVc4_qqUCHzZPKxPbwRMBXqkr_XSJMcZttG8rg5urz6R5m-rHfhmghiJ-cNajiPfAchyZb-QjIl1zh4UdXb45Ze5qT/s1600/2010_0627Image0124.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487891457222587250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aKclXnK5rBqoPikg6UTjMKPwSMjyBKrNGiZYO0SGqTYVc4_qqUCHzZPKxPbwRMBXqkr_XSJMcZttG8rg5urz6R5m-rHfhmghiJ-cNajiPfAchyZb-QjIl1zh4UdXb45Ze5qT/s200/2010_0627Image0124.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Bj000d8Ajtnh0ANN_0mkxnnf27wyVweuv7pEQ5ZwUWdvCnOh70yOPKCUYTdT7cLCbBwfdNoT8FpBMYm3nWKpI65toiEKMlpmH296BHroaaP8_OpAb_MPWUtkaAjHg_WE35k6/s1600/2010_0627Image0123.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487891450351908850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Bj000d8Ajtnh0ANN_0mkxnnf27wyVweuv7pEQ5ZwUWdvCnOh70yOPKCUYTdT7cLCbBwfdNoT8FpBMYm3nWKpI65toiEKMlpmH296BHroaaP8_OpAb_MPWUtkaAjHg_WE35k6/s200/2010_0627Image0123.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPPGYVn7uztHpkqXj0NceZceOj-pnHxQy4BcgrnYM52DQzgMqrF-H9U_LfA3IdyQOTAXp5vr958nJsApJWmIg29xk_cal9JTzdBP1UAdN91F1OEsSGznuxvJyX1JRvcKnDngh/s1600/2010_0627Image0103.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487891439615111026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPPGYVn7uztHpkqXj0NceZceOj-pnHxQy4BcgrnYM52DQzgMqrF-H9U_LfA3IdyQOTAXp5vr958nJsApJWmIg29xk_cal9JTzdBP1UAdN91F1OEsSGznuxvJyX1JRvcKnDngh/s200/2010_0627Image0103.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-69329383243416338412010-06-27T22:43:00.003-03:002010-06-28T11:42:09.716-03:00A Weather MomentA strange bike ride today, the closest I've ever come to a triathalon session-- and really, I'm not fond of the genre! Felt more than a bit like Joe Btfsplk (per L'il Abner comic) too.<br /><br />Following a dreary forenoon and early afternoon, the weather started to clear per the forecast towards 3-ish. A look at the weather radar website around noon showed no new rain advancing within 300 km. So, at closing time I got ready and went out for a 30km ride. Underway about 1630. On the outbound leg, a wee shower barely wetting the road for a few km at about 1645. From the midway turnaround point, an awfully dark band of cloud ahead. 10km from home, started to get wet. Passing shower, thought I. NOT. The rain got heavier and heavier, eventually exceeding the downpour stage and becoming a deluge. My usually very effective sweat band washed my eyes with several days accumulated sweat salts, which had the left eye and sinus still stinging hours later (or maybe a passing car sprayed me with traces of gasoline or oil from the road or it's own leak, since my right eye recovered from the salt quite quickly). Thankfully (?!) it was at least a warm rain, about 17deg C according to my bike computer- okay for 20 minutes but would have become chilling aver a longer distance. And it was "home roads" so not being able to see much of the road didn't matter too much.<br /><br />By the time I showered (for real, with plumbed water, nice and hot) the sun was breaking through again. Perfect!<br /><br />Now to the interesting part. I called up the weather radar webpage again and looked at 3 hours of history. No weather returns at 1500, or for awhile afterwards. But then just at 1640 a few light blue spots of "light rain" popped up on the radar over the hills just to the west of me, and quickly bloomed into a large patch about 30km north-south by 50km east-west, with green, yellow and even a bit of red intensity in the central area right over my route!! Just came from nowhere and dumped on ME!!!<br />So even if I had looked at the weather radar at the last minute before leaving home there would have been no sign of rain anywhere to the west (and that to the east was far away too and going further). Doomed. Just... doomed.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-69095973225573960042010-06-15T23:01:00.004-03:002010-06-15T23:20:50.524-03:00Hen-and-ChicksNot your plant of that name, the <em>Sempervirens</em> species.<br /><br />A couple of mornings ago when headed towards the woods to do some overdue weeding I created a huge upset amongst the local wildlife. Walking by the bark/sawdust pile the morning exploded into a great commotion consisting of a Spruce Grouse hen running noisily across my feet (almost) and about a dozen chicks (I had never seen more than a half dozen in previous years, but then I had never encountered them on open ground before either) going silently the other way and disappearing into the undergrowth. The hen of course did not disappear, but continued with the noisy fake broken-wing flapping thing, along with squawking away at me. When I wouldn't take the bait of following her, she then changed the vocal repertoire to mewing and crying, sounding for all the world like a lost kitten or puppy. Weird. So I allowed myself to be chased out of the area so the family could regather itself and move on; they seem to be fairly mobile and I've never found them in the same place twice in a row-- not that I go looking for them, just that I stumble across them in different places. This lot had been quite a bit deeper in the woods the previous day.<br /><br />So once they had moved on, I noticed a curious depression about a foot across, in the bark and sawdust, from which all the big chunks of bark and wood scraps had been removed (the picture below). I'm guessing they had been taking a mid-morning nap in the sun. Looking closely, I could see a number of individual smaller depressions in the main one, I suppose where some of the chicks had gone for extra comfort; unfortunately they don't show up all that well in the photo since the sun was close to overhead: but they are there!<br />A couple of breast feathers got left behind in the rush of departure.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTwAmO8TOtLYF_XwO1xVu1myK6dLIH-_4PTAEjtTbMVRV2kUt_IzN2ftzs5R4kvIRMgij-HlrmQdkhy5UwASvfOfoJFYF5fV08FBxdQp6PNeh6yomjNXEkZMVCWRMZZtkkcci/s1600/2010_0614Image0008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483186096277131442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTwAmO8TOtLYF_XwO1xVu1myK6dLIH-_4PTAEjtTbMVRV2kUt_IzN2ftzs5R4kvIRMgij-HlrmQdkhy5UwASvfOfoJFYF5fV08FBxdQp6PNeh6yomjNXEkZMVCWRMZZtkkcci/s200/2010_0614Image0008.JPG" border="0" /></a>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-85219688072929231172010-06-11T22:50:00.004-03:002010-06-12T23:12:08.186-03:00Paeonia peregrina<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis59Zo5dKhUhbIqqM37cINoH9RXTXrGtUrPxnc6UtL29iWhM_BeaLzs-zuf7ArfEm0AYdGak3Tvm0xLa7dOtGrz05MXJMC9O2gpsXxBO1OdRbS4GWwaylxtv3VAtnFKvbYdXWL/s1600/2010_0611Image0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482072048170793586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis59Zo5dKhUhbIqqM37cINoH9RXTXrGtUrPxnc6UtL29iWhM_BeaLzs-zuf7ArfEm0AYdGak3Tvm0xLa7dOtGrz05MXJMC9O2gpsXxBO1OdRbS4GWwaylxtv3VAtnFKvbYdXWL/s200/2010_0611Image0018.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />One of the later species to bloom here, <em>Paeonia peregrina</em> is variably blood red in colour, ranging from quite dark to brilliant. The first photo was taken on a cloudy afternoon, the second two days later in sunshine.<br /><br /><br /><br />Foliage is distinctly different from any other species. This species doesn't bllom in my shade test patch, and the stems are a bit floppy (or lax, if you will) in my partially shaded bed; so I recommend it for full sun only, in Nova Scotia. A plant in the Annapolis Valley of the same seed batch bloomed a week to two weeks before mine.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-vgFEXzeh1VBPp79YaKnotNprTHeoNyDqYtORHoVKnEG1iqSCcJekyTfxWqn2RcumqxMg2tXesy16RK9ZPb_qzrtTTIkVdxMilsg1KKtUGiEFQ8hlLiloJKhKfCq6_niIcYt/s1600/2010_0611Image0020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482070170204725378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-vgFEXzeh1VBPp79YaKnotNprTHeoNyDqYtORHoVKnEG1iqSCcJekyTfxWqn2RcumqxMg2tXesy16RK9ZPb_qzrtTTIkVdxMilsg1KKtUGiEFQ8hlLiloJKhKfCq6_niIcYt/s200/2010_0611Image0020.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Also in bloom here still are a few plants of <em>P veitchii</em> (most are bloomed out), some early <em>obovata</em>'s, a few <em>officinalis</em>, some of the <em>lactiflora</em> hybrids; <em>lactiflora</em>'s are starting to colour in bud and very close to opening-- a couple more days of sun and they'll pop.</p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Hmm, World Cup games, the bike on sunny days-- it will be hard to find time to write posts for awhile...</p>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-89932538325222558302010-06-01T20:30:00.005-03:002010-06-01T20:54:14.618-03:00Seed SurpriseSeveral years ago I bought some <em>Paeonia tenuifolia</em> seed, hand-pollinated from the double form (but the pollen of course from the single form), from a European botanist. Two flowered last year in the "ordinary" blood-red single form, but this year one of three buds was looking very fat quite early on and surprised me by being this bright pink; and then as if that wasn't enough, a fully double form as well. Gorgeous, and almost the size of my hand. Floppy-stemmed yes, but I can forgive it that. The two photos are 3 days apart.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-LvAIllyhNMZyB3BygjBiGZGPHSKS1Lazw_VJK9HyTkWQrfmA2RWyg26PLdPKGe9dr_UPUJvCSn_tTwcbnkzLcBQbdhLdJcgWhTNNxc70n0KO9xSPChSU6mWrezUvL2H_ly5/s1600/2010_0528Image0014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477952538820430738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-LvAIllyhNMZyB3BygjBiGZGPHSKS1Lazw_VJK9HyTkWQrfmA2RWyg26PLdPKGe9dr_UPUJvCSn_tTwcbnkzLcBQbdhLdJcgWhTNNxc70n0KO9xSPChSU6mWrezUvL2H_ly5/s200/2010_0528Image0014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55czCgdt5og4esx8hCemmYlT08arfsU92J6Q0vijpAJBG-KW-SMVKujxnPaX8-HF8L17ZpRUEDA4-LbFbtv0O-SjGHND2NwSnA7zSgwN4PzB94rrnFi_oLLJ-wc0QlRy2bklS/s1600/2010_0531Image0011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477952533140473826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55czCgdt5og4esx8hCemmYlT08arfsU92J6Q0vijpAJBG-KW-SMVKujxnPaX8-HF8L17ZpRUEDA4-LbFbtv0O-SjGHND2NwSnA7zSgwN4PzB94rrnFi_oLLJ-wc0QlRy2bklS/s200/2010_0531Image0011.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>The other two buds this year will be red, and from the size probably single. And there are about a half-dozen plants that haven't shown their stuff yet. So there is still hope for a double red, but even if the rest are all single I'm not complaining-- this plant alone has been more than worth the purchase and the wait. </div><div></div><div>No stamens, but a full set of carpels.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Interestingly, the double red form is said to be a couple of weeks later to bloom than the single form, but this double pink is about exactly in synch with my single reds. It's probably no surprise that it is at its best during the concluding and exciting week of this year's Giro d'Italia bike race!<br /></div><div>Looking at some of yesterday's photos, and today's, how can anyone wonder that I love growing peonies from seed?!</div><div></div><div><blockquote><em>Unrelated to the above: Rain today, so no further developments in the Ugly<br />Duckling department.<br /></em></blockquote></div><div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-1809112473990670102010-06-01T20:06:00.000-03:002010-06-01T20:29:23.714-03:00Variations on the Theme of P. mlokosewitschiiA sampling of some new mloko's from this year; some may be hybrids or they may all be natural variation within the species, I just don't know. There are other variations from previous years that I didn't photograph this time around, for a change. And there were several new "ordinary yellow" ones which do not feature in this post.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin97EI7SFVxyH6IuvO7vKN8IglbkoW2HdYojcfMG5Ro0Tyciz5d5A5DVbIJUHe9yyQCP_tiRfkP6qlkXSxKKwdINkMgrx-_tzQyurTXmBxEve-mAS-WnbW3FS2qZq4jZatMpgy/s1600/2010_0525Image0004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477947238916639666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin97EI7SFVxyH6IuvO7vKN8IglbkoW2HdYojcfMG5Ro0Tyciz5d5A5DVbIJUHe9yyQCP_tiRfkP6qlkXSxKKwdINkMgrx-_tzQyurTXmBxEve-mAS-WnbW3FS2qZq4jZatMpgy/s200/2010_0525Image0004.JPG" border="0" /></a> Nice pink picotee on the petal edges.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKVaX8o05uVILJAy1-7DLYvq1wBBC2DhNIi-VVLOCAJcyeHfGBEyogqEKgvvIF4NoC8PZN_pkhCMRt0H1SQ8DphAAG48jZHb97jwcYqlqratrN3iB8XYhwEupAz132ecvGBto/s1600/2010_0525Image0006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477947244860788866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKVaX8o05uVILJAy1-7DLYvq1wBBC2DhNIi-VVLOCAJcyeHfGBEyogqEKgvvIF4NoC8PZN_pkhCMRt0H1SQ8DphAAG48jZHb97jwcYqlqratrN3iB8XYhwEupAz132ecvGBto/s200/2010_0525Image0006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Faded past it's prime here, this one was a bit peachy in colouration, more reddish than the "apricot" types.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1RnxwmZQXgfL6VxUHOW970OCWukMpr21zjo0zZnu_v0GMPQFEG7dUqDMEcPFdLZVXrVCizcmqlaVLCb6qCZioxpRkQUhUTs_cp9_OwKf6_au2a1lkRrd8i9wA-U6ZVmB4nIF/s1600/2010_0528Image0016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477947247279699682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1RnxwmZQXgfL6VxUHOW970OCWukMpr21zjo0zZnu_v0GMPQFEG7dUqDMEcPFdLZVXrVCizcmqlaVLCb6qCZioxpRkQUhUTs_cp9_OwKf6_au2a1lkRrd8i9wA-U6ZVmB4nIF/s200/2010_0528Image0016.JPG" border="0" /></a>An "apricot" variant faded and past it's prime by a day or two. The apricot forms generally have a more spicey but sweet fragrance than the yellows, in my limited experience.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsmI6uwfZtaXGxfOAB99kvtSfvhKetzDKCBcAGaauY_PjmUWawagIIqOTSJkf6PUQ9tFvteJTZKhi8GYFR_DAqHObFdLWgPdATJxlOD1bq5n0X6I99udU218_m-EpEwqkBVqx/s1600/2010_0528Image0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477947250000291362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsmI6uwfZtaXGxfOAB99kvtSfvhKetzDKCBcAGaauY_PjmUWawagIIqOTSJkf6PUQ9tFvteJTZKhi8GYFR_DAqHObFdLWgPdATJxlOD1bq5n0X6I99udU218_m-EpEwqkBVqx/s200/2010_0528Image0018.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Day one of a new seedling of what I call the "Ugly Duckling" colouration: it buds and opens with a drab dusty rose colour, and then as the days go by becomes more and more yellow except for red veins (which may or may not fade completely on the last day). As it reaches its prime the ugly duckling is revealed to be a lovely swan (per the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale), which I find appropriate for the transformation of the flower too...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI0x8vIlp0pExDvqM5CSyMx7Ifljm5AjNXp2Wzzw4Wiv9NemhESWNtuGbIUypayUckAx5uI5NCQ5zU6R50DSphcBaum6lKr6d0C3vAZOrLeUiKHM89jpA9YdKZQmjqfvunFsX/s1600/2010_0531Image0013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477947254492095746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI0x8vIlp0pExDvqM5CSyMx7Ifljm5AjNXp2Wzzw4Wiv9NemhESWNtuGbIUypayUckAx5uI5NCQ5zU6R50DSphcBaum6lKr6d0C3vAZOrLeUiKHM89jpA9YdKZQmjqfvunFsX/s200/2010_0531Image0013.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />...So here it is again 3 and a bit days later. Unfortunately I didn't get there with the camera until almost 8pm, so the flower is closed and the light is dim and the colours subdued and blued, but you can see that a transformation is in progress!Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-47788734787730828012010-05-23T22:04:00.002-03:002010-05-24T22:36:14.770-03:00Aaaghhh! Everything's Opening at OncePeonies, that is.<br /><br />With the sudden warmth, the garden has been flooded with the fragrance of the Golden Peony, <em>P mlokosewitschii</em>, (no photo today) which is not as sweet as the later <em>lactifloras, </em>different and distinctive but pleasant. <em>P steveniana</em> might be contributing a bit to the overall ambient fragrance of the yard, but it is mostly <em>mloko</em>. And definitely marvelous! I hadn't noticed mloko's fragrance to be so pervasive before-- used to have to get my nose right into it. Maybe all the fresh air from cycling has sharpened my sense of smell. <span style="font-size:85%;"><em>(Or maybe it just takes 20 years to recover from the miasma of fuel, wet paint and dense cigarette smoke which was the atmosphere of HMC Ships back then (I understand they've done away with the ciggies lately, but maybe not))</em></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh155FXfLnK4U4uz1vxSfKO2ptsIn2_AFIG9vUG0cZFyi9RZ61erChtk94SD1_dpsK9kJMYpRWaHtWEWesWz1gBQUYzqJmM9QiyduasR5nJKC3gEqEo424H4TN26xKhX4vlJevP/s1600/2010_0523Image0012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475007990162808130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh155FXfLnK4U4uz1vxSfKO2ptsIn2_AFIG9vUG0cZFyi9RZ61erChtk94SD1_dpsK9kJMYpRWaHtWEWesWz1gBQUYzqJmM9QiyduasR5nJKC3gEqEo424H4TN26xKhX4vlJevP/s200/2010_0523Image0012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Paeonia tenuifolia subsp lithophila</em>, a dwarf form of the Fern Leaf Peony. Single flower, and a group of 4 plants.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1No7Iz1Bqh1VqjqBlsutlP4ZG2goPGvFD3xD0LSKNToDvGJsDcoyFaDY-9LwJlRxo0-3pduo8uqwunEiq4CLpUzWrEPXAE8N1hNCsRP-AG9ASPCQBxMhfJsSV_JEKQDvxXgG/s1600/2010_0523Image0010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475007987274813394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1No7Iz1Bqh1VqjqBlsutlP4ZG2goPGvFD3xD0LSKNToDvGJsDcoyFaDY-9LwJlRxo0-3pduo8uqwunEiq4CLpUzWrEPXAE8N1hNCsRP-AG9ASPCQBxMhfJsSV_JEKQDvxXgG/s200/2010_0523Image0010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkkEwmCNYSUETLBXZRgRGf8osfbuChTU9jtDQyqLRgtfSS4PFbtMAiUpVB0SNYh4tWvrzWUcW0ayl0aWcYJ9mv4qwFRG0TUjuWzXh82dl5AVOvm2GuRNDSRwOwpn6SZIqcmmd/s1600/2010_0523Image0013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475008023679085026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkkEwmCNYSUETLBXZRgRGf8osfbuChTU9jtDQyqLRgtfSS4PFbtMAiUpVB0SNYh4tWvrzWUcW0ayl0aWcYJ9mv4qwFRG0TUjuWzXh82dl5AVOvm2GuRNDSRwOwpn6SZIqcmmd/s200/2010_0523Image0013.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Two flowers this year on the newly-named <em>Paeonia x steveniana</em> cultivar "Contador's Triple Crown". You can read about it at the link below; but it isn't for sale... Due to the sudden heat wave the highlight rose edging of the petals is overly faded, and a better look is at the linked page. <a href="http://plants.chebucto.biz/plants/PeonyContadorsTripleCrown.html">http://plants.chebucto.biz/plants/PeonyContadorsTripleCrown.html</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJsvWrsGsnK_fcmmRuQyiYRGIlfaVi8dYz9Fl3creinvask6C8oGxicWxkZuJovhdl2q-UFJOXc1mlCMXLaHw4a7SuIdf05oX1gkHBmsfsfIVWQm5YaNyR4OptNJ_8Qm7CH8O/s1600/2010_0523Image0015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475008019021722626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJsvWrsGsnK_fcmmRuQyiYRGIlfaVi8dYz9Fl3creinvask6C8oGxicWxkZuJovhdl2q-UFJOXc1mlCMXLaHw4a7SuIdf05oX1gkHBmsfsfIVWQm5YaNyR4OptNJ_8Qm7CH8O/s200/2010_0523Image0015.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />A pale-pink flower on mloko-like foliage. This plant grown from seed labelled as "<em>Paeonia mlokosewitschii/ wittmaniana/ caucasica hybrid</em>"<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1Y-oPUheLF8DKMudtsCVsJwzroS21FvRti7JtsOsFhPff-cYmmKehz47l6t5zEIEvnCuWMs5x0lKOXPtsnxBlOkbp_LmzxWXiz9dJ0n9rFZF3tn3O9YloCjAbs8wzCk5Y-Qq/s1600/2010_0523Image0016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475008005994372306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1Y-oPUheLF8DKMudtsCVsJwzroS21FvRti7JtsOsFhPff-cYmmKehz47l6t5zEIEvnCuWMs5x0lKOXPtsnxBlOkbp_LmzxWXiz9dJ0n9rFZF3tn3O9YloCjAbs8wzCk5Y-Qq/s200/2010_0523Image0016.JPG" border="0" /></a>And a white, or at least dead pale, form of <em>P. steveniana</em>.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-65029051516298532482010-05-19T22:15:00.007-03:002010-05-19T22:36:52.626-03:00More New Openings in the Peony Department<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFSph5ykZAC6EYygBiq8T11_9Av1ICIh1ah8CHrJ4jd9N7b3OQax6PjaT5Fr6lkSIdcJIiIuWR1tJ8PJ2n3EZr3vequr4LYergjYLzWv5M-Zvq-UzMjwMn2-ZJzk154U_08D0/s1600/2010_0519Image0006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473155421244573522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFSph5ykZAC6EYygBiq8T11_9Av1ICIh1ah8CHrJ4jd9N7b3OQax6PjaT5Fr6lkSIdcJIiIuWR1tJ8PJ2n3EZr3vequr4LYergjYLzWv5M-Zvq-UzMjwMn2-ZJzk154U_08D0/s200/2010_0519Image0006.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Paeonia tenuifolia,</em> the Fernleaf Peony, has opened in full sun. The dwarf subspecies in a bed which is a bit shaded in the mornings is not open yet. There are 2 plants in this photo; on the left, a dark red proper species; on the right, the larger plant is probably a hybrid (it has yet to set seed) and has flowers with a more magenta tint.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgKISkjBLYpvVAEoBA51qzNowooD5P4MhMHxP0nuHJfs6tiA04OHPjDiz87vAdR5JLdoyVV_psWt2T7Y8hZWa5fvhyphenhyphenbwMRgW_8a9JvAwCdNljnv283FWb-kQ6FVsJo8o-g19w/s1600/2010_0519Image0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473155411774718098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgKISkjBLYpvVAEoBA51qzNowooD5P4MhMHxP0nuHJfs6tiA04OHPjDiz87vAdR5JLdoyVV_psWt2T7Y8hZWa5fvhyphenhyphenbwMRgW_8a9JvAwCdNljnv283FWb-kQ6FVsJo8o-g19w/s200/2010_0519Image0001.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Paeonia steveniana</em>, Steven's Peony if one must put a common name to it, as open as it will get. A cloudy day today, so the colour is intensified; it is never that intense of a yellow here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLM9Fc-J-p1QeYWuR1TBAv76tqBkwcLkCmuj4icvRvbSGeAvXdijRXTdppi5oMkM_rKBy5GaK6yFmu1JSIIjcG7uzAg4RcFN8kuNi9pavIRyNGf6yiOHh3Sm_ppy8SWdOb__R/s1600/2010_0519Image0002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473155407966256386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLM9Fc-J-p1QeYWuR1TBAv76tqBkwcLkCmuj4icvRvbSGeAvXdijRXTdppi5oMkM_rKBy5GaK6yFmu1JSIIjcG7uzAg4RcFN8kuNi9pavIRyNGf6yiOHh3Sm_ppy8SWdOb__R/s200/2010_0519Image0002.JPG" border="0" /></a> And here it is behind a crowd of <em>Paeonia mascula</em> and some <em>Paeonia caucasica</em> (a subsp of <em>mascula</em> and pretty much identical to my eye.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurRSOgv8F0hsZcwcbC3IKJrIKXJwOdXPIpz7qgoOn8W7BUMrD2ErHEaGcSVLr2dxE5umCcMTaC3Kar6A9VocTjmsfjKFBM6vfKCJGS-dbYXCTVeZJOmzOfjyOKMlX8LGnDRFZ/s1600/2010_0519Image0003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473155397930469810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurRSOgv8F0hsZcwcbC3IKJrIKXJwOdXPIpz7qgoOn8W7BUMrD2ErHEaGcSVLr2dxE5umCcMTaC3Kar6A9VocTjmsfjKFBM6vfKCJGS-dbYXCTVeZJOmzOfjyOKMlX8LGnDRFZ/s200/2010_0519Image0003.JPG" border="0" /></a>A few more buds of <em>steveniana</em>, behind a few plants of another <em>mascula</em> close relative, <em>Paeonia kesrouanensis</em>. (More information about this plant, or any other, by looking up earlier posts in the index.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cILizTgNRXWQoLjFzYop3gF0r_5tU49R-tflZrfnO5jC-J6L5ST4AGpzJvHs-D4JO9GDkeEL-CLfxebZr0j-VtUwu2tTO1VYWnnMNUXmTfHtAWnyhidKu7tcTQnNW7pxDUTT/s1600/2010_0519Image0004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473155393063000482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cILizTgNRXWQoLjFzYop3gF0r_5tU49R-tflZrfnO5jC-J6L5ST4AGpzJvHs-D4JO9GDkeEL-CLfxebZr0j-VtUwu2tTO1VYWnnMNUXmTfHtAWnyhidKu7tcTQnNW7pxDUTT/s200/2010_0519Image0004.JPG" border="0" /></a>And unexpectedly, a plant of the Golden Peony, <em>Paeonia mlokosewitschii</em>, a couple of days earlier than expected. And filling the yard with it's fragrance at an intensity I've never noticed before.<br /><br />Good news for customers, there are about 15 potted plants from seed of this species in bud (will probably open sometime in the next week)-- not all will be yellow-flowered which is why I have to see the flowers before I can sell the plants- at least one looks like it will be magenta (<em>mascula</em> cross), and some may be apricot or very pale yellow, almost white. Can;t wait to see it (but have to!!)Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-57209470159000435492010-05-15T13:29:00.003-03:002010-06-28T11:40:22.592-03:00Return of the Natives<div>It doesn't take long for the pollinated flowers of Red Maple to start showing the little winged fruits. The stems elongate significantly and contribute a lot of colour by staying red for some time while the wings green up a bit earlier. Incidently, the tree whose flowering I photographed earlier has no seed set at all; it was the first nearby red maple tree in flower <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsTYDI_RjQyPHR64qe4vucUc-Q8iBEMfiT_BklbSPcWqFHFZuDpIlg2XOi2iquOvD7W1kFfg75N7hjtztpaJ-z0sMPSnefkarHlrqcmSbWTlNGooQPDMILtDZ9rlICQTgGlfR/s1600/2010_0513Image0009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471535222705896322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsTYDI_RjQyPHR64qe4vucUc-Q8iBEMfiT_BklbSPcWqFHFZuDpIlg2XOi2iquOvD7W1kFfg75N7hjtztpaJ-z0sMPSnefkarHlrqcmSbWTlNGooQPDMILtDZ9rlICQTgGlfR/s200/2010_0513Image0009.JPG" border="0" /></a>(maybe because of proximity to the house?) and the flowers were open when we had our last (hopefully) snowfall of the spring, accompanied by over 45 hours of very cold temperatures. I have to guess that killed the open flowers although I couldn't tell at the time, while the ones still in bud survived to open later and produce seed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdyF2_PqN79mV8LkJ6cwuS1Di833ijOQlgynl56ORSTSbLMziqa8Mb0r4tR27oo2wHBxsIgz4t0aHrlMyVZc9hR6QfWNk71GEKT8xgQeJ3Wo0BIdC-jGDOAA2HgNnlRKBMOsE/s1600/2010_0513Image0008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471535228716793890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdyF2_PqN79mV8LkJ6cwuS1Di833ijOQlgynl56ORSTSbLMziqa8Mb0r4tR27oo2wHBxsIgz4t0aHrlMyVZc9hR6QfWNk71GEKT8xgQeJ3Wo0BIdC-jGDOAA2HgNnlRKBMOsE/s200/2010_0513Image0008.JPG" border="0" /></a> Red elderberry, flowers and leaves pretty much fully deployed. A very open shrub, even in full sun which this one isn't. Showy enough, and easy care since I don't even have to plant it.<br /><br />
<br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyiDEgYeLhljPKsdsQnufwcDJPKipr9BxvpMK6k1zuQ9p54J7ngf3CTUBpuQoFaIp4eH3MwtP9U9DfuCbvon5yJSpJwhoL9sssZjfs9QUExMGJ_FH-x7XxRBKwS55kcjpNy4h/s1600/2010_0513Image0007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471535225395117170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyiDEgYeLhljPKsdsQnufwcDJPKipr9BxvpMK6k1zuQ9p54J7ngf3CTUBpuQoFaIp4eH3MwtP9U9DfuCbvon5yJSpJwhoL9sssZjfs9QUExMGJ_FH-x7XxRBKwS55kcjpNy4h/s200/2010_0513Image0007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />
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<br /><div>Speaking of native things, this year's black fly thermometer is out of calibration. Usually they only show up when the temperature is at or above 13C (by my thermometer in shade). But we've been seeing that so seldom that they're starting to buzz around at about 10C. The wind has seldom been still this year so they only manage to bug me during occasional lulls, which is good for me in the garden but a drag (one way) on the bike.<br /><br /></div>
<br /><div></div></div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-16745186945561153142010-05-13T13:18:00.003-03:002010-05-15T13:29:24.643-03:00The Race for Third<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9w-taQ1yAkVNswu6AoA2FCqauyPVsU4XR4oysnaIQL1tR1Kcy_W8qcFk6v12moLbeN1yyx6ZhZYJnrYg5HipXcVh4AVYxmoKsueqkzFmcxFL053lSUDSdhl1fhpXP5INRwmg/s1600/2010_0513Image0010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471532253440877378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9w-taQ1yAkVNswu6AoA2FCqauyPVsU4XR4oysnaIQL1tR1Kcy_W8qcFk6v12moLbeN1yyx6ZhZYJnrYg5HipXcVh4AVYxmoKsueqkzFmcxFL053lSUDSdhl1fhpXP5INRwmg/s200/2010_0513Image0010.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hard on the heels of <em>P. tomentosa</em> comes <em>P. mascula</em>, the Male Peony. Some years there is no overlap, but this year there is. Which means getting out the paintbrush to pollinate the yellow Woolly one before the bees mess up the genetics. However, down in the shady woodland bed <em>tomentosa</em> rules alone with <em>mascula</em> not even showing colour yet (that is, not yet to the stage of the background bud in this photo). This is a late afternoon photo, with the flower just closing up as clouds move in.<br /><br />Many others of the round-lobed leaf species are showing colour in their buds and are not too far from bursting forth either.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-4150610939572324982010-05-10T19:52:00.003-03:002010-05-13T20:00:03.711-03:00Variation in the Woolly Peony<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b6WsZBPVvq31GJB16VuST3l6sUCRYrRt83mNbbdHKy9E0uTHMLLSlL6kjg_s1Jg1Qu448694VI3W10btCTlREGz61QyLCBARVFh-LXeB3QMzEEwSwSvh8dcNRMy6CS469Hxf/s1600/2010_0513Image0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470891542766547314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b6WsZBPVvq31GJB16VuST3l6sUCRYrRt83mNbbdHKy9E0uTHMLLSlL6kjg_s1Jg1Qu448694VI3W10btCTlREGz61QyLCBARVFh-LXeB3QMzEEwSwSvh8dcNRMy6CS469Hxf/s200/2010_0513Image0001.JPG" border="0" /></a>A plant of <em>Paeonia tomentosa</em> is showing reddish tinges in foliage and in the petals. The foliage tint was more obvious and very attractive earlier in the spring, but even now is noticeable. The buds showed a bit too, but I was curious to see if that remained once the flowers opened. The second photo shows two plants together, for contrast.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYkisfYbxJl7i4fF26CNL5H6B_R132FxR430Y0hi2Jc6CB-i6p7y3dzv_dL_iTwth94vsxK7HfbO381w8v8ux1UnCOPK6l97aDlv-9nm0PGm64mubbEHNBf4ob-V_eU2RZE71/s1600/2010_0513Image0002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470891550612543170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYkisfYbxJl7i4fF26CNL5H6B_R132FxR430Y0hi2Jc6CB-i6p7y3dzv_dL_iTwth94vsxK7HfbO381w8v8ux1UnCOPK6l97aDlv-9nm0PGm64mubbEHNBf4ob-V_eU2RZE71/s200/2010_0513Image0002.JPG" border="0" /></a>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-53359815928662232772010-05-05T20:25:00.009-03:002010-05-05T21:10:48.094-03:00Peony Season Officially Comences here (meanwhile in Edmonton...)Yesterday afternoon (a gorgeous sunny cycling +23C afternoon!) the buds were still tight and showing no more colour than in the photos of 2 days ago. This morning, <em>P. tomentosa</em> the Woolly Peony was a yellow ball but not yet open, but by mid-afternoon the sun (although cooler than yesterday) had worked its magic and the first flower was open. 10 days ahead of 2006, 21 days ahead of 2007 (that's according to the previous entries in this blog).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AL767lYQ4_Gcr31y_tTer-35AbQM6vwNrnNoW5stRobr-mGIUmiLlYuBJSF_nNJoqcjI6zku8xN7T2BDtLyCkoNwQt40QHYY9iOkflhoM-dzBXpTaL0mbQuM5c11hu-SDLKn/s1600/2010_0505Image0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467931532515462034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AL767lYQ4_Gcr31y_tTer-35AbQM6vwNrnNoW5stRobr-mGIUmiLlYuBJSF_nNJoqcjI6zku8xN7T2BDtLyCkoNwQt40QHYY9iOkflhoM-dzBXpTaL0mbQuM5c11hu-SDLKn/s200/2010_0505Image0001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In other good news on the tomentosa front, seedlings of this species are up so in a year or two I will once again be selling this species.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, <em>P. mairei</em> also opened after having had nicely coloured buds for several days (20 days ahead of 2007). However, we can see in the photos that these have some frost damage from the last snow day, more from the temperatures than from the snow itself; this probably retarded the opening of the buds by a few days. The frost damage is apparent in asymetrical petal shapes and in the outer rings of dead anthers (more noticable in the semi-open flower). Stigmas are very small too, as can be seen vaguely in comparison with the 2007 photo.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSDugA7XQRTmiNZW4CDoGoZH1VEz3vCUDRlNN9VxRLkNOp_oB20btfZWOMVpaK_C4FZF8t2JGo6m5w5IhKRuNhjh8oz5Akgxfp_uFJE7jTRk31wOOTGew2URnX0G2kw5XZBti/s1600/2010_0505Image0002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467931530073396098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSDugA7XQRTmiNZW4CDoGoZH1VEz3vCUDRlNN9VxRLkNOp_oB20btfZWOMVpaK_C4FZF8t2JGo6m5w5IhKRuNhjh8oz5Akgxfp_uFJE7jTRk31wOOTGew2URnX0G2kw5XZBti/s200/2010_0505Image0002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzZ9_QABRhzM2J9TEffsNNasQ3TliJCSp1zZJcot4tnRwhxuM_qOrqFdDglt9KA-K4TpMjwj5L5rKClWCIAXDcAiHhN74wp6O53bXxBx89bhRqUeqaCtdBNjKvrE6kE6T9hsZ/s1600/2010_0505Image0003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467931524024423842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzZ9_QABRhzM2J9TEffsNNasQ3TliJCSp1zZJcot4tnRwhxuM_qOrqFdDglt9KA-K4TpMjwj5L5rKClWCIAXDcAiHhN74wp6O53bXxBx89bhRqUeqaCtdBNjKvrE6kE6T9hsZ/s200/2010_0505Image0003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Glaucidium palmatum</em> also opened over the weekend; this is considered by some botanists to be a member of the Peony family, although a different Genus. Horticulturally I find few similarities, but my analysis is only skin deep.<br /><br />Meanwhile my sister in Edmonton posted photos of yesterday's wet snowfall which looks close to 5" deep... Strangely, if I recall correctly (and there's no guarantee of that!) Edmonton was having about +20C temperatures in sun during the last wintery blast here.Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-89746588102612249912010-05-03T21:02:00.008-03:002010-05-03T21:37:57.536-03:00Spring Progresses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-L9tzPRlsLhrP6rWyz_0co_wxTg2h_C1ViRJ2M2sIku8sbTsXxqFAgohMUv0m18j40yA1UphWEfG4y-LukIDpOX_dQousNueNBi3kpczwU76J_Grf9TxyltbbBxUB7hdw2wU/s1600/2010_0502Image0021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467199029617788530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-L9tzPRlsLhrP6rWyz_0co_wxTg2h_C1ViRJ2M2sIku8sbTsXxqFAgohMUv0m18j40yA1UphWEfG4y-LukIDpOX_dQousNueNBi3kpczwU76J_Grf9TxyltbbBxUB7hdw2wU/s200/2010_0502Image0021.JPG" border="0" /></a> Indian Pear, <em>Prunus pennsylvanica</em>, a small native tree which usually paints the roadsides red and white with its' new leafs and flowers for a few weeks starting on the Victoria Day Weekend. But two weeks early this year. Its' flowering also usually marks the beginning of blackfly season, and does so again this year. (But I expect a short and sparse blackfly season again this year.) Can be grown as a shrub; it takes well to pruning (an unintended pun on the Genus...)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DnCOnrdSP3cx-SzVfDYxeXQIEU_HvMdom8-QffGMNYebhm_MtWQz5uj5St_8xWCRwBv2qYA77heKtumLk69KMJsqJSx88k-ZjnHqL7-YndnpR09fcac_NreiKYgfJUVH4fEv/s1600/2010_0502Image0018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467199026172259506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DnCOnrdSP3cx-SzVfDYxeXQIEU_HvMdom8-QffGMNYebhm_MtWQz5uj5St_8xWCRwBv2qYA77heKtumLk69KMJsqJSx88k-ZjnHqL7-YndnpR09fcac_NreiKYgfJUVH4fEv/s200/2010_0502Image0018.JPG" border="0" /></a>Flowers of the Cornelian Cherry, <em>Cornus mas</em>. This is the first time I have seen this shrub flower for me, although it is a bit hidden and I somewhat gave up on it years ago so haven't been looking attentively; for a first flowering it has quite a mass (again a naming pun!!) of flowers on it, most of them out of the frame of th camera. Planted in about 1991 or 2, one of the first tissue culture plants I bought through the Rhododendron Society. It's been a bit of a wait.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-JaeKIMFuGyaRbFvKN_ii796WVEGXp1PnQ3zLDROzbwXSWb8PcDjG_SgUPbQTmfmitIbi-7xKYBmr3b8VTO3MV7FnZbOdhMc1AoGqMUI05UgnPwPRzGlc58hQWOWZN5elAN1/s1600/2010_0502Image0016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467199024664653250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-JaeKIMFuGyaRbFvKN_ii796WVEGXp1PnQ3zLDROzbwXSWb8PcDjG_SgUPbQTmfmitIbi-7xKYBmr3b8VTO3MV7FnZbOdhMc1AoGqMUI05UgnPwPRzGlc58hQWOWZN5elAN1/s200/2010_0502Image0016.JPG" border="0" /></a> Red Barrenwort, <em>Epimedium x rubrum</em>, a fine slow-growing groundcover sub-shrub. Most years there is some old foliage which survives to hide the new growth and flowers a bit, but this year for some reason nothing. Maybe eaten by rabbits or something.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE2B_-8Pv5lIhbCbJhth-FBZ15KuGBdL201mclErv_K0ElxKxgaam8Yx7T3WJ0CPKW_FJbFuDO4N5nqJgLm8MAtxOXFHyUJCv7OvhBUUAp2MCzYtNcELdcENFmwp6cMDemEQw/s1600/2010_0502Image0022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467199019557129938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE2B_-8Pv5lIhbCbJhth-FBZ15KuGBdL201mclErv_K0ElxKxgaam8Yx7T3WJ0CPKW_FJbFuDO4N5nqJgLm8MAtxOXFHyUJCv7OvhBUUAp2MCzYtNcELdcENFmwp6cMDemEQw/s200/2010_0502Image0022.JPG" border="0" /></a>Maire's Peony, <em>Paeonia mairei</em>, the earliest to flower for me, but these are still in small pots near the front of a pot farm so maybe they would be later if they were in the ground. Or maybe not. A fairly small plant, but I no longer attribute that to them being in pots, as they are well-rooted through the drainage holes into the soil beneath.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRZSz6hJ0rIXETstXX7gVnXwxPGy4oq9n991VKDFF0ueeIBF9j-sWwFyjortBZ7DEGOy8HqUR8_cwlUcHyXl4Sy6bp9pRBaAjQ3WmxWordVGnX9P-_NhdGtS8VOdG-3WRsuDZ/s1600/2010_0502Image0014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467199010855300546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRZSz6hJ0rIXETstXX7gVnXwxPGy4oq9n991VKDFF0ueeIBF9j-sWwFyjortBZ7DEGOy8HqUR8_cwlUcHyXl4Sy6bp9pRBaAjQ3WmxWordVGnX9P-_NhdGtS8VOdG-3WRsuDZ/s200/2010_0502Image0014.JPG" border="0" /></a>Woolly Peony<em>, Paeonia </em>tomentosa, buds just starting to show some colour. Before <em>P. mairei </em>showed itself a couple of years ago, this was always the first peony to bloom, with no overlapping species. It's one of the lesser-known yellows from the Caucasus.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28569200.post-90576087696737271272010-04-22T21:29:00.004-03:002010-04-23T21:44:21.403-03:00More Snow!?! Yep, Madison SnowThe small-leafed Rhododendron cultivar "Madison Snow",<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qg_BmzW7rlvWGDHIfyWzZivxL5__G2PLnKl0urgTeBZ3xP_XTHpW71Dl3dDtHoi-Xazhne3E-uf6QpqSiVaaHGbl7XuI9v_Q26fuhvaMxdfj_KmIRkLc5KdatqNaHxdbwvfl/s1600/2010_0422Image0020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463495012890000178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qg_BmzW7rlvWGDHIfyWzZivxL5__G2PLnKl0urgTeBZ3xP_XTHpW71Dl3dDtHoi-Xazhne3E-uf6QpqSiVaaHGbl7XuI9v_Q26fuhvaMxdfj_KmIRkLc5KdatqNaHxdbwvfl/s200/2010_0422Image0020.JPG" border="0" /></a> a selection of <em>Rhododendron dauricum forma alba</em>. Always the first Rhodo to flower here. Planted in 1990 as a 2 in or 5 cm tissue culture sprig, it is now about 6 ft or 2 m high and wide. Usually flowers around the beginning of May. And a close-up of the flower.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVj6ACWJXXF7E-1ggzWxkFZJ-MDbn7ovgl60skEkmZ6WwJSzJyeUsk2Zb_BMQ8ibB7HW_jMQtLOsWZPRpFKWErDz0bconqYIXgSBNg3SB9KmHLsygE-FU7HleLZiLbH-52wHhr/s1600/2010_0422Image0021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463495015321098146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVj6ACWJXXF7E-1ggzWxkFZJ-MDbn7ovgl60skEkmZ6WwJSzJyeUsk2Zb_BMQ8ibB7HW_jMQtLOsWZPRpFKWErDz0bconqYIXgSBNg3SB9KmHLsygE-FU7HleLZiLbH-52wHhr/s200/2010_0422Image0021.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And here, the second day of flowers on "April Rose", a double-flowered <em>R. dauricum</em> hybrid which usually doesn't open<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKL6-nd0dRoYo0DBSPvkyvIUQSi5ugfAxA1S-3z15pZPLTrpYGeJHvgH_t1oXoVnrTbDMAZZQWe_jObUYNoSVrB49f6sg0oVypdjEMn_mxid1fx9mydIhJEJfZzJyl9EaMHNL_/s1600/2010_0422Image0023.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463495022123465074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKL6-nd0dRoYo0DBSPvkyvIUQSi5ugfAxA1S-3z15pZPLTrpYGeJHvgH_t1oXoVnrTbDMAZZQWe_jObUYNoSVrB49f6sg0oVypdjEMn_mxid1fx9mydIhJEJfZzJyl9EaMHNL_/s200/2010_0422Image0023.JPG" border="0" /></a> until the first week of May. Smaller than the above, but the same age. She has two sisters around here, a larger-flowered "April Mist" with lavender blooms, and a double white "April Gem".Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377744324635128104noreply@blogger.com0