The October half-term school holiday enjoyed a sunny start

A riot of colour and scent in the Alpine Display House

Not only did the sunshine bring out lots of young visitors to the rock garden, it brought out lots of wonderful scents in the Alpine Display House.

This is a feature which my camera was unable to capture. Someone is probably working on this deficiency as I write. It will no doubt be available on all smart phones, in a few years’ time. All pictures for this diary were taken on 27 October.

A bounty of South African plants on display

Oxalis hirta ‘Gothenburg’ is a cultivar raised by Swedish botanist Henrik Zetterlund (b1953), at the world famous Gothenburg Botanical Garden in Sweden. It has very large bulbs that need to be planted deeply to get them to flower. The specific epithet is from the Latin – hairy or shaggy. Oxalis obliquifolia can be found from Ethiopia to South Africa. It can have flowers in a range of colours from white and pink to purple. The specific epithet is from the Latin obliqua – unequalled sided / oblique and folia – leaved.

Oxalis imbricata va.r violacea hails from the Cape Provinces. The specific epithet is from the Latin for overlapping. The variety name is also described from the Latin for violet coloured.

Oxalis purpurea yellow-flowered is unique amongst dicotyledonous plants in that it forms true bulbs which are often buried deep underground. It grows from Namaqualand to Overberg in the western Cape with flowers which can be yellow, pink, purple, white, lavender and salmon. The specific epithet is from the Latin for reddish-purple.

There were many nerines to enjoy

Nerine humilis is a winter rainfall species found in the mountainous fynbos areas. This includes the Western Cape Province and the southwestern part of the Eastern Cape. It is a dwarf species with spikes of delicate rose-pink flowers, with narrow wavy perianth petals. The species is considered polymorphic (several different forms) with a wide range of flower and plant sizes. In the wild it can be found in large colonies of thousands of bulbs. That would be a sight. Of all the winter growing nerines, this species is considered to be the easiest in cultivation. They are grown under glass at Wisley and kept frost free as they don’t like cold winter wet. The bulbs multiply readily in cultivation and flowers are partially self-fertile, if you are lucky. The advice is to plant the bulbs with half of their necks exposed. Divide the bulbs in early autumn right before growth commences. It takes 3-4 years to flower from seeds, depending on it being a dwarf or larger form.

Nerine humilis from Du Toitskloof was found at the location which in turn was named for Francois Du Toit, a 17 Century Huguenot pioneer who settled there in the western Cape Province. The Afrikaans word kloof translates as a pass or gap (in the hills).

Nerine humilis from Bonnievale. Bonnievale is located 150km due east of Cape Town in Free State, the former Cape Province. The name for the location comes as a result of Christopher Forrest Rigg (1861-1926). He was born in Phyton, Scotland, but emigrated to South Africa with his parents when he was two years old. Rigg bought the farm Mooiplaas from a Mr. Van Zyl. He divided the land into 5 acre plots and named the development “Bonnievale”, in memory of his grandfather’s home in Scotland.

Nerine humilis from Pietenierskloof is a location 5km west of Citrusdal in the Cedarberg Mountains, northwest of Cape Town. The name comes from the Afrikaans for piquiniers (pikeman) who crossed the mountains at this location in pursuit of a band of locals. Kloof as explained above.

Strumaria truncata is known as the Namaqualand snowflake. It is found in western parts of the northern Cape provinces of South Africa, growing on south facing slopes in sandy or clay soils. This helps us to identify its requirements in cultivation. The top of the neck of the bulbs should be above ground level, with a free-draining growing media. Water infrequently and sparingly is the general advice. It can be propagated by seeds as it produces off-sets slowly. The specific epithet is from the Latin for blunt ended.

From a little further afield in eastern Australia, an orchid Pterostylis truncata that has the charming common name of little dumpies, or brittle greenhoods. The genus name comes from the Greek pleron – wing and stylos – pillar,  post or column, referring to its winged column. It is described as having green, white and brown flowers. The specific epithet, as above, is from the Latin for blunt ended.

Petrocosmea minor is endemic to Yunnan in south central China, it came into cultivation in the 1990’s. A lithophyte growing on shaded limestone rock faces at 1000 – 2200m.

Is it the start of the new season or the end of this season?

In the display case the cyclamen plants continue their show. The range of leaf pattern and variation in flower colour is quite amazing. The following four pictures are all of Cyclamen hederifolium. In expert hands they can be long-lived, the last plant being added to the collection in 1997.

Cyclamen hederifolium var. hederifolium f. albiflorum has flowers that look white but the form name is from the Latin for whitish, indicating there is still some colour present. Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Lysander’ has very deeply-cut, serrated leaf margins and can also have pink or white flowers. It is grown primarily for its distinctive foliage, a feature which I’ve managed to avoid in my picture. Lysander (454 – 395 BCE) was a Spartan military leader and politician. He destroyed the Athenian fleet in 405 BCE which ended the Peloponnesian War. He was killed in the Battle of Haliartus, when he led his army too close to the city walls. That’ll teach him!

Cyclamen mirabile f. mirabile ‘Tilebarn Nicholas’ is another of Peter More’s selections, this one being named for his son.

In amongst the cyclamen plants in the display case there are more snowdrops appearing, marking the end of the season or the start of the new season, depending on how you view such matters. I think gardeners generally like to look forward, so I’ll say it’s the start.

Why wait until the spring for snowdrops

Galanthus elwesii ‘Barnes’ AGM was named for Mr. E.P. Barnes, a surgeon in Northampton, who sent it to Oliver E.P. Wyatt around 1928. Mr. Wyatt was the Head teacher at Maidwell Hall School in Northamptonshire and a renowned snowdrop enthusiast (galanthophile) at the time. It was put into good hands. It normally flowers in October or November.

Galanthus elwesii ‘Peter Gatehouse’ is a more modern cultivar. It was named for Peter who lived in Tenderden, Kent. He gave it to Elizabeth Strangman around 1994, who ran Washfield Nursery at Hawkhurst in Kent (closed 1999) and who is also well known for her work and book on hellebores.

The specific epithet honours John Henry Elwes FRS. VMH. (1846 – 1922). He was born and died at Colesbourne Park and from the age of seventeen travelled abroad every year. He discovered this snowdrop in Turkey in 1874. Henry was one of the original 60 people to be awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour in 1897. His achievement were many. From 1907 to 1913 he co-authored with Augustine Henry (1857 – 1930) a seven volume publication on “The trees of Great Britain and Ireland”, which included all the known species grown outdoors in the UK at the time. It was privately published. He was quoted as saying  “I have, during my life, taken an active part in most outdoor sports and occupations. I have crossed and re-crossed the Himalayas and the Andes, explored Siberia and Formosa, and, as I grow older, I find that there is more companionship, consolation and true pleasure in gardening and in plants than in anything I have tried”. I wouldn’t argue with that.

Out in the main rock garden

Gingko biloba ‘Mariken’ was found in the Kronenburgenpark in Nijmegen as a witches’ broom by Mr. P. Theunissen from Beesel. Mr. P. Vergeldt from Lottum subsequently named and introduced the plant. The cultivar was named after Mariken van Nieumeghen (Nijmegen), protagonist in a 16th century miracle play set (partly) in Nijmegen.

Taxodium distichum ‘Little Twister’ is a trees that is especially prized in America for its rot and termite resistant wood. Taxodium leaves and cones are particularly rich in essential oils and were used as folk medicine to treat skin, gastro-intestinal, respiratory, inflammation and various infections. Its common name is the bald cypress, which comes from the species’ tendency to be among the first trees in the American south to lose their leaves in the autumn. As they were also late to leaf in the spring, they were bald for the greatest period of time, compared to other trees.

I think some of the maple trees are stunning in their autumn colours, with no better example than Acer palmatum ‘Inaba-Shidare’. This is planted beside the top waterfall steps. The particular cultivar has been grown in Japan since the mid-1800’s. It is considered to be one of the best lace leaf forms. The Japanese cultivar name translates as ‘Like the cascading leaves of the rice plant’. The second picture is of the same cultivar, this one being in the alpine meadow. It was only planted a few years ago and still has some growing to do.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ was given a hair cut by Priti this week, one of the other volunteers in the rock garden team. It’s looking much tidier now. Due to its size and shape this is another of the distinctive trees on the rock garden.

The genus name is from the Greek kephale – head and taxus – yew. The specific epithet is named in honour of Charles Stanhope (1780 – 1851), fourth Earl of Harrington. He liked the tree very much when it was introduced in Europe in the 1820’s. It’s common name is the Japanese plum yew. It comes from Japan, Korea and China. The female plants produce small olive green, oily, edible fruits. The fruit is sweet with a slight resine taste, although I don’t have any personal experience of this. The cultivar name is from the Latin for narrowing towards the top or bring towards a point or sharpen. I think I’ll have to tell Alex, our team leader, that at some point it will look to have been planted upside down. It’s probably just me.

I’ve been working for five years in the rock garden, but clearly without paying full attention. Larix kaempferi ‘Blue Dwarf’ is the same species of tree that gives the Larix pool its name (I wrote about it in my last diary). This one has been grafted onto different root stock. At this time of year the foliage is changing from its spring / summer blue colour to brown, before its needles will be shed.

On one of the Wisteria bridges, visitors are watching some of the fish in the pool below it. These are common carp. When we are weeding beside the bridges we often get asked what they are fed. They find enough to eat in the pool with the rich diversity of insect larvae and vegetation that is present. To be helpful I always say “they survive on a diet of small children who fall into the pool when they don’t listen to their parents / grandparents advice to be careful”. I first heard Barry Norman the film critic, talking about a child actor in the mid-1980s, using the phrase “I like children but I couldn’t eat a whole one”. It is half term and it’s nice to see and hear so many children in the rock garden. They love running up and down the steps. Sadly it will be a lot quieter next week.

Taxus cuspidata is the Japanese yew, with no prizes guessing it comes from – Japan, Korea, northwest China and western Russia. It was introduced to England by Robert Fortune in 1855. He was a Scottish botanist and traveller who introduced many plants from China, India and Japan. Male and female trees exist. The specific epithet is from the Latin for prickly or pointed, alluding to the pointed tips of the foliage. This one has been cloud pruned over the years.

There are local Alpine Gardening Society Groups around the country

If you are reading this diary, you have found the AGS website and might even be a member of the AGS. There are many members who are currently missing out on local groups activities. The groups meet regularly around the country, for talks, shows, plant sales and social events that are alpine related. If you currently don’t attend these events, but are able to, please do consider doing so. You would be made most welcome and you will expand your knowledge immensely. I know I have. Details of the local groups can be found on the AGS site.