The bright colours in the rock garden might not be your cup of tea but it’s not meant to be taxing

It wasn’t just the bright sunshine today that might have prompted the wearing of sunglasses, the bright colours in the rock garden were also a sight for sore eyes. Long may it continue, the colours and the sunshine. All pictures were taken on the 27th April. I have deliberately excluded most plants I’ve featured last year, in previous diaries, to showcase the many plants that are available to see at Wisley. Where I’ve not explained the etymology of the plant names, I’ve covered them before in previous diaries.

Around the rock garden the spring colour continues

Rhododendron ‘Wee Bee’ AGM was raised by Warren Berg and is a cross of R. ‘Patricia ‘ x R. keiskei ‘Yaku Fairy’. It flowers in April – May, and has red buds which open to rose pink tubular flowers.

Rhododendron dendrochoris x R. formosum var. formosum Iteaphyllum Group grows to 60cm tall. The specific epithet of the former is from the Latin – tree like and for the latter, hansom, beautiful or well formed. Iteaphyllum is Latin for willow-leaved.

Rhododendron ‘Hatsu-giri’  also grows to 60 cm and has very small dark green leaves . It’s very pink and I always look forward to seeing it in flower. It never fails to lift my spirits after a cold dark winter. A subtle pink it is not. The absence of late frosts has helped to deliver a particularly fine display on all the Rhododendrons this year.

Paeonia mascula subsp. russoi is native to southwest Italy and Sicily. The specific epithet is from the Latin – bold, male and the subsp. refers to the red tinged colour of the leaves, which gives it its common name of the Reddish-leaved Peony.

Tulipa saxatilis is found in the East Aegean Islands, Crete and into Turkey. The specific epithet is from the Latin – living in rocky places. Sedum palmeri subsp. palmeri tetraploid is a long way from its home in Mexico, its common name being Palmer’s stonecrop. It was named to honour Dr. Edward Palmer (1829 – 1911). He was a British born American self-taught botanist and explorer and led several plant expeditions to Mexico. The plant is found in Northeast Mexico and the Gulf. It has four sets of chromosomes.

There are many named Phloxs in the garden, the information on the internet on who raised them and the source of the names is not so abundant. I’m sure there will be a source, I’ve just not found it yet. Phlox subulate ‘Emerald Cushion’ Blue’, P. s. ‘Eye Candy’ and P. s. ‘North Hills’ are three such examples.

Just a couple from the Cushion House today

Asperula boissieri is the name recognised by the RHS but some authorities have this as Cynanchica boissieri. The specific epithet was named in honour of Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885) who was a Swiss botanist, mathematician, explorer and author of the book Flora Orientalis.  He didn’t have the internet or television to distract him. Dianthus anatolicus is known as the Anatolian pink, coming from Anatolia, which was know as Asia Minor, the peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean which now forms part of Turkey,

In the Alpine Display House the riot of colours continue

As the weeks go by the plants on display are ever changing. To many of our visitors it’s just a pretty display that they can admire. Even if they have no specific interest in the plants or where they are from they get the wow factor and that’s OK. The Lewisias were providing splashes of colour as vibrant as the Rhododendrons were outside.

Primula auricula ‘Gollum’ was raised by John Radford in 1996. It was a cross of P. a. ‘Lee Paul’ x ‘Siris’. A later hybrid in 1999, again by John, is P. a. ‘Bilbo Baggins’. They are part of the Lord of the Rings series. The latter has darker edges to the petals.

Four more auriculas from the collection. P. a. ‘Sumo’ is an Alpine type auricula, brown with a gold centre, it also has fragrant flowers and was raised by Derek Telford in 1993. P. a. ‘Cuckoo Fair’ was raised by Pop’s Plants in 1996. The third plant is P. a. ‘Fanfare’ and is a fancy show auricula. It has bright red flowers with a slight white edge. It was raised by Tim Coop in 2002. Lastly P. a. ‘Glenelg’ is a fancy green edged flower with a red body.

Delosperma congestum has semi-cylindrical leaves and its common name is the Congested Ice Plant. It comes from Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. The specific epithet is from the Latin – arranged very close together. Petunia patagonica is the name recognised by the RHS but others now have it as Fabiana australis. The genus name comes from a native name for a tobacco plant– petum, being allied to the tobacco plant. The specific epithet recognizes its home in south Argentina. The flower colour changes over time, they open an almost gold colour and change to a light grey. This could easily make it onto Brucie’s list of favourites.

xCremnosedum ‘Little Gem’ was raised by Mrs and Mr Robert Grim from San Jose, California. It is a cross of Cremnophila nutans x Sedum humifusum. The olive green leaves turn a coppery red colour if exposed to full sun. Tropaeolum sessilifolium was tumbling over the edge of the plunge. Home is in the montane region of central Chile. The stems grow from 15 – 50cm and can be semi erect to prostrate or scrambling. It will tolerate some light frosts but needs a warm dry rest in the summer. Don’t we all. There are still some tulips in flower in the collection but most have passed- this one is Tulipa ‘Magic fire’. I was unable to confirm by whom and when it was raised.

Leopoldia cycladica is the name recognised by the RHS with some authorities using the name Muscari cycladicum. The genus name was given to honour Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria, a botanical enthusiast who contributed significantly to the study of Mediterranean flora. The specific epithet recognises that it comes from the Cyclades, a group of circular Greek Islands that centre on Delos, the birthplace of Apollo.

Iris hoogiana is a rhizomatous Iris and was named to honour the Hoog brothers who managed Van Tubergen Nursery, Johannes Marius Cornelis Hoog (1865 – 1950) and Cornellis Gerrit Van Tubergen (1844 – 1919). Its home is in Uzbekistan and Tadzhikistan, and is claimed to be the easiest of the Regellia species to grow and flower.

Iris aphylla ‘Aslet’s Purple’ is a bearded Iris and is a selected form of the plant found from Germany to central Russia. The specific epithet is from the Latin – without leaves, referring to the flowering stems. I couldn’t confirm with certainty who the Aslet was in the name, but may have been Ken Aslet (1908 – 1980} the superintendent of the Rock Garden at Wisley in the 1950s and 60’s. He certainly has many other splendid plants named for him.

Ornithogalum exscapum is found growing in grasslands in Albania, Greece, Italy, Northwest Balkans Peninsula and Sicily. It shares a common name The Star of Bethlehem, which is applied to all Ornithogalums. The specific epithet is from the Latin – with a stem, and it is very similar to O. sibthorpii.   

Ornithogalum woronowii was named in honour of Georg Jurii Nikolaewitch Woronow (1874 – 1931) who was a Russian botanist. He also has a Snowdrop named for him.  It can be found in Crimea, North Caucasus and Transcaucasus.

Lewisia cotyledon ‘Ashwood Ruby’ AGM was bred at Ashwood Nursery, and is propagated from cuttings. The richest colours are achieved when grown very cool. Triteleia ixioides ‘ Starlight’ is a selected form. The common name of the species is Pretty Face or Golden Star. It is found in California, Northwest Mexico and Oregon. The genus name is from the Greek – treis – three and teleios – complete, the three parted form of the flowers and fruit. The specific epithet is from the Latin – like or resembling an Ixia.

If it’s springtime there must be bluebells. Hyacinthoides vicentina was originally collected near Sarges, Cape St Vincent on the southern tip of Portugal. In 1805 there was a minor naval skirmish off the Cape which is more commonly referred to as ‘Trafalgar’, and where Lord Nelson perished.

Asperula arcadiensis is the name recognised by the RHS but other authorities recognise it as Hexaphylla arcadiensis. The genus name is from the Latin – asper – rough (the leaves). It comes from the central eastern part of the Peloponnese. The specific epithet is from the Latin – Arcadian (Greece) and its common name is the Arcadian woodruff.

Veltheimia bracteata ‘Lemon Flame’ is a selected form of the Forest lily and grows in the Cape Provinces. The genus name is to honour August Ferdinand Graf von Veltheim (1741 – 1801), a German patron of botany. The specific epithet is from the Latin – with large or conspicuous bracts and the flowers can be pale pink, dusky pink, orange pink and greenish-yellow. It grows to 60cm and the bulbs are planted with their necks showing.

Scilla litardierei AGM grows in the Northwest Balkans Peninsula. It is known as the Amethyst meadow squill or the Dalmation scilla. The specific epithet is in honor of Mr. Litardiere, a French naturalist and botanist, but there are several candidates and I’m not certain which one is recognised. There is also an Aquilegia bearing the same name. Leucocoryne vittata comes from Central Chile. The genus name is from the Greek – leucos – white and – koruna – club, the pale club-like sterile anthers of the flowers. The specific epithet is from the Latin – striped lengthwise.

On this day 27 April 1773

There are many examples of the Butterfly effect, were a seemingly small action can lead to a major impact. On this day 27 April the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, to support the East India Company, allowing them to directly export tea to America, without going through the brokers in London. The EIC had borrowed heavily against the Government and they needed help to continue trading and pay back the loan. This was the latest in a number of taxes on the American colonies, such as the 1765 Stamp Act (taxing all paper). This was repealed in 1766. The Declaratory Act was then passed in 1766 allowing the UK government to pass laws on the colonies in all cases. The Americans called these the Intolerable Acts. In 1767 and 1768 lead, glass, paint and tea were taxed, which led to protests in Boston. On 16 December 1773 further protests occurred when 340 tea chests were thrown overboard and destroyed in Boston harbour. On 4 July 1776, thirteen states declared independence from Britain citing in part the Intolerable Acts, passed in response to the Boston Tea Party when justifying their actions. They no longer wished to be subject to a King who obstructed the Administration of Justice, cut off their trade and who imposed taxes on them without their consent. Taxation without representation was unjust. We ignore the lessons of history at our peril. Fortunately gardening doesn’t have to be taxing and after a few hours in the garden you can sit back with a nice cup of tea and enjoy the fruits of your labours. Other drinks and beverages are available but remember to do it responsibly.