I bought my first Primula auricula back in 2010. It’s dead now, a casualty of the move. I’ve successfully grown other primulas since, but it’s the diminutive, silvery auriculas that really captivate me.
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A Few Film Photos Taken in the Alpine Garden at the Denver Botanic
The large inflorescence in the background of this photo belongs to Agave parryi, an agave that can be hardy to -18C (according to “High and Dry: Gardening with Cold-Hardy Dryland Plants” by Robert Nold), depending on the growing conditions. Recently, I have been learning about some of the hardier agaves and was pleased to see a few at the Denver Botanic Gardens that were not only over-wintered outdoors, but in bloom.
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Alpine Flowers at Mount Evans, Colorado
As promised, a follow-up post of closeup shots taken at the Mount Goliath alpine garden. While I had to exclude hundreds of shots to keep this post within reason, I still managed to go overboard with over 30 images. As a result, I have embedded a slideshow so that those of you with a slow connection are not left trying to load this page for the next week.
I’ve identified as many plants as possible. If you’d like to know the names, click through to their Flickr page.
[Note: For some reason the images are compressed in the slideshow in a way that makes them look very low res. Until I can resolve the issue, I'd suggest taking a look at the original images as they look okay in that version. Sorry about that!]
Leave a commentAbove the Tree Line
How cool to be so high I could actually see where the trees stopped. Just like that. No more trees.
While in Denver, a friend of ours (thanks Ross!) generously offered to take us up to Mt. Goliath, an alpine area that is managed by the Denver Botanic Gardens.
As an alpine plant fan this was a big deal for me and I even planned the trip (in part) based on when a good number of the alpines would be blooming at that elevation. They did not disappoint.
Some Brief Stats: When we set out that morning, Denver was already a blazing 95°F or so and the altitude 5,280 feet above sea level. As the car climbed Mt. Evans on the way to Mt. Goliath, the temperature dipped below 60°F and the altitude was somewhere around 12,000 feet! We never did make it to the very top of Mt. Evans (14,240 feet), but we did get high enough to touch snow and it was cool enough to require a change into long sleeved shirts and socks.
This is the view at Summit Lake, a stop that is just below the peak. This panoramic is an amalgam of images that I took with my cellphone. I also brought a film panoramic camera… someday I will process that film and post them here. Some. Day. As I’ve said before, I’ve got a film backlog dating to 2008 (and countless trips) so I have no illusions about when they will see the light of day.
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Roof Garden Tour (Back Wall, June 2010)
Click the image to see full-size.
As I begin to get the gardens sorted, I figured it was time to start showing what I’ve been up to all of these months. I’ve been growing on the roof since March; however, in a small space I don’t have a hidden area to put the in progress stuff or the plants that are still sitting in their plastic pots. Things have been simply too chaotic to get out a camera and document.
The back wall is looking nice right now so I thought I would begin with that. As I mentioned yesterday, this is the shadiest part of the roof. It’s where I put the plants that require partial shade or are in the process of being hardened off. I like the old brick, it provides a nice backdrop for the greenery. Of course, this brick also absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night. This can be a positive in the early spring when the night temperatures sometimes drop very low. In the summer it means that while the spot is shadier, it can get too warm for plants that are sensitive heat. I learned my lesson about this the hard way about a decade ago when I bought a coleus specifically because it matched the brick. The poor plant couldn’t take the heat and kept wilting.
The other negative are the starlings that nest directly above that shelving unit. While I like their cheerful songs (and this year they have learned to mimic cat meowing), they often drop items from the nest onto the plants, including their poo. It’s not the best place to keep culinary herbs.
Be sure to open the image full size to get a better view of what’s there. Starting from the top left are a number of succulents, agave, and auricula. I’ve acquired three more since that last post. Next to the agave in the tin can is a small pot of curly chives (Allium spirale) I bought at Richters Herbs back in February. It took a while but I’ve finally determined that this plant can’t take full sun like regular chives (Allium schoenoprasum). It’s been much happier since I moved it to the wall.
Next to that (behind) is ‘Mulberry’ viola and the plant in front is Eucomis aka pineapple lily. Moving on, we have a variegated scented geranium ‘Charity’ (Pelargonium) against the wall, ‘Variegated Peppermint’ in front of that, and a diminutive little rusty/chocolate coloured geranium whose name I can’t recall in the foreground growing in an enamel bowl. I punched holes into the bottom with a nail.
Next to the scented geranium (along the wall) is a myrtle (Myrtus communis) topiary. The trick to keeping it happy is to keep the soil moist. In front of that is another ‘Mulberry’ viola with a little ‘Citrus’ thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) in the foreground. Returning to the back wall, I’ve got a tender little lavender that I have learned through trial and error does not like it out in the hot sun. It’s been much happier against the wall but it’s needs are confusing and seem to go against the grain of so many lavenders I have grown. I bought it on impulse at a corner store about a month ago on a dreary, wet day when I must have needed some cheer. And in front of that plant is ‘Rau Ram’ aka Vietnamese coriander.
As you can see, I’ve got a few plants sitting on lower shelves. Those plants are in transition and need even more protection right now. On the left is ‘Corsican’ mint. I am watching it like a hawk right now because I failed to keep one alive last year over at my community garden. I think my failing there was in soil drainage so I’m keeping this one in a pot. Next to it is Calibrachoa ‘Double Lemon’, a flowering plant so close to petunia that I never thought I would grow one, let alone buy it with my own money. It turns out I could not resist the soft yellow of this double form flower. Who knew? I will post a close up photo of this later in the season. Over to the right are two new baby agaves that I got from Barry. I’m sure they can go out in a sunnier spot now, I just haven’t had a chance to repot. He actually grew these plants from seed!
Phew. Okay, that finishes the shelving unit. Phew. Now do you see why I am so overwhelmed? This list represents one small corner of one garden. So many plants! I both love it and freak myself out about it.
Moving on. My new Japanese Maple is in the beige pot just to the right of the shelving until. It is under-planted with little ‘Gem Antique Shades’ violas, one of my favourite varieties. There is a tiny Oxalis squamata located just in front of it and two oxalis plants to the right, ‘Burgundy Gold’ and ‘Zinfandel’. The plant with yellow flowers in the green pot is a spotted hawkweed (Hieracium). Next to that is a variegated ‘Pink Lemonade’ lemon tree. It is very happy outdoors and producing new little lemons. In front of that in a red pot is ANOTHER oxalis siliquosa ‘Sunset Velvet’, and at the end white sage (Salvia alpiana) that is flanked with little yellow-flowered oxalis that came up as volunteers. White sage is not hardy here — I been overwintering this one indoors for a few years now.
Finally, sitting on the window ledge is a terracotta box filled with pansies and violas. I believe they are also ‘Gem Antique Shades,’ but I specifically chose to plant only the lighter colours of the bunch. That’s why you can see much darker reds in the flowers growing underneath the Japanese Maple.
See also: Roof Tour 2009
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