Virtual Garden Tour 2000-2021

Discussion in 'How's It Growing?' started by Margot, May 15, 2020.

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  1. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    I like the idea of showing the plants in our garden that we are most fond of. Also because they are the great satisfaction of a person who sixteen years ago lived in an apartment in Rome without balconies, had only a potted basil plant on the kitchen sile and knew nothing about gardening nor, because of work commitments, had time to devote to it.
    Now 80% of the plants in my garden come from cutting or sowing, and even if I hadn't done anything else in my life, I would be satisfied anyway.
    These are some of mine:
    Heuchera  Burgundi Bill.jpg Heuchera Burgundiy Bill
    Calycanthus floridus.jpg Calycanthus floridus
    Hemerocallis fulva.jpg Hemerocallis fulva
    Iris.jpg Iris
    Abutilon.jpg Abutilon
    Rose from unknown cutting.jpg Rose from unknown cutting
    Hypericum.jpg Hypericum
    Clematis (2).jpg Clematis
    Rosa Line Renaud Meilland.jpg Rosa Line Renaud
    My beloved Columbine.png My beloved Columbine
    Kansas Peony.jpg Kansas Peony
    Hydrangea macrophylla 'Tricolor' fiori.jpg Hydrangea macrophylla 'Tricolor' fiori
    Syringa vulgaris from cutting.jpg Syringa vulgaris from cutting
    Oenothera fruticosa.jpg Oenothera fruticosa
    Weigelia from cutting.jpg Weigela fron cutting
    Loropetalum.jpg Loropetalum
    Magnolia lili flora nigra.jpg Magnolia liliflora nigra
    The bed of aromatic herbs.jpg The bed of aromatic herbs
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2020
  2. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @Arlette, good evening, what an absolutely wonderful and contented posting. It has brought a warm feeling to my wife and I after reading it.
    Your garden is a delight, you should be so proud of yourself, from scratch to this, Well done you, we really enjoyed your lovely plants.
    Thankyou
     
  3. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @Acerholic Thank you and your wife very much from me and surely, when I irrigate tonight and tell them that they have been appreciated, even by my plants.
    Don't take me mad but I two or three words exchange with them every now and then and I'm not always kind!!!!!
    Good evening!
     
  4. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @Arlette, We gardeners are all the same the world over. Lol

    Have a pleasant evening with your plants.
     
  5. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Well now that we've had 2 days of no rain I decided to go out to take a good look at some of my "edibles" - the rain and cold has been good for some plants but for others not so much and I was wondering if anything got pollinated. And with everything so green right now it's really hard to see the fruit in some cases.

    Gold kiwi
    'Red Lake' currant
    Strawberry vine (female, 'Apricot Blush')
    Hardy kiwi (unknown variety)
    Concord grape
    'Yellow Wonder' strawberry (small alpine strawberry that tastes like pineapple)
    'Flying Dragon' bitter orange (very bitter, good for marmalade)
    Cornelian cherry aka edible dogwood
    Medlar
     

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  6. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @pmurphy, good evening, just as I'm going to bed you post lovely berries and fruits. Those Strawberries in the fridge seem like a good idea right now. Lol.
     
  7. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @pmurphy
    Good morning! What a sight! Especially the "little fruits" that I love and that give me a sense of joy and color. Currants, then, in addition to being good is also rich in antioxidants and has a much higher vitamin C content than oranges.
    I thank you because you gave me the chance to meet the Schisandra I didn't know: I absolutely want her!
    I have blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries (which reminds me of the mountain walks of my youth!), strawberries that on hot summer days I use for what we call "eat and drink", fruit ice cream cups with, precisely, small fruits and whipped cream that replace the midday meal when the heat takes away the appetite!
    Now I'm going to get the Schisandra too! to add to the mix!!!
    Question: Is growth fast and growing easy?
     
  8. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @Arlette, like your eat and drink combination for a midday lunch alternative, will be trying that now.
     
  9. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Thank you @Arlette and @pmurphy for your beautiful photos. I think we often appreciate the intricacy of plants and their flowers better in a photograph than in real life. It is somehow easier to study the detail when locked in a single frame.
     
  10. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    A couple of years after I moved to the countryside a neighbor of mine gave me two branches of one of her beautiful roses, unknown and very old. I made 10 cuttings and 9 plants were born that I scattered around in the garden and that, from the name of the neighbor, now I call my roses "Terry". Re-flowering and with a beautiful color, shaded by pale pink to apricot, difficult to make in photos or videos. They were very generous even later, I made other cuttings and gave a lot of them to family and friends. I think the success rate was 80% thanks to them because I was a novice and it was certainly not my expertise!
    Three are located next to each other, among others of different varieties, I wanted to gratify them with a video While I was filming it, after the song of a bird, even a cock began to sing and I imagined that it also wanted to pay homage to them!!!!
    And so Even the cock crowed at the roses.....
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2020
  11. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @Arlette, what a wonderful lush garden you have and especially for July in Italy. Plants from cuttings and seed are so very enjoyable, I can see why you are very happy with the gorgeous roses (Terry) that you have grown from cuttings, plus they have a history that will always remind you of the kindness of your neighbour. Not something you get when buying from a garden centre.
    Enjoyed your video with a cup of mid morning coffee. Thankyou Arlette.
     
  12. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Good morning @Arlette,
    Schisandra grandiflora 'Apricot Blush' aka strawberry vine is the female, male pollinator is 'Valentine'. There is also 'Eastern Prince' that requires no pollinator (seed grown about 6 years to start producing fruit). But the show stopper is 'Valentine' and you can see where it gets the name "strawberry vine".

    'Eastern Prince' - produces small clumps of about a dozen fruit (sorry about the poor photo quality, I had to go back several years to find a picture of the flower)
    'Apricot Blush'
    'Valentine'
     

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  13. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    My partner in wandering the UBCBG and I have posted three different Schisandra at
    Search Results for Query: schisandra | UBC Botanical Garden Forums
    You can see more photos of the ones at UBCBG in Garden Explorer at Garden Explorer | UBC Botanical Garden.

    It didn't occur to me that they would be edible, though not typically used as food. "Schisandra chinensis (five flavor fruit) is a fruit-bearing vine. It’s purple-red berries are described as having five tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, pungent, and sour." From Schisandra: Benefits, Side Effects, and Forms.
     
  14. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @pmurphy
    Thanks for the informations!
    I immediately started looking for where to buy it online and I found a center that made my eyes open for the wide variety of plants that are absolutely unknown and very interesting for me for sale.
    I regretted, however, to find only S. rubriflora there but I discovered immediately after that it is often also called S. grandiflora or S. grandiflora var. rubriflora.
    I have yet to ascertain that besides the variety of the offer there is also seriousness. In fact, there is no mention in the illustration of the plant of the need, for fruiting, to have plants of both sexes as I have read on other sites on the Net.
    Can you confirm it?
    Thank you!
     
  15. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @wcutler
    Thanks also to you for the valuable information and connections that I will read right away!
    Have a good evening!
     
  16. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @wcutler
    I have read with great interest the discussions indicated by you and I am increasingly convinced that I am buying both Schisandra grandiflora and chinensis.
    In addition, a photo of Incarvillea in one of the discussions made me think of the plant that I read should keep moles away and that I promised myself to buy, forgetting about it!
    This year I have a huge amount in the garden that has holes everywhere.
    I don't want to kill them but to drive them out yes. they recommended the use of "water soluble ventilated sulphur" and now I have to inquire about it.
    But you want to put the beauty of Incarvillea !!!!
     
  17. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Schisandra chinensis does not require a pollinator, it is self pollinating.
    Schisandra grandiflora 'Apricot Blush' does require a pollinator. Not sure what you can find on your side of the world but over here it is Schisandra grandiflora 'Valentine' that is sold as the pollinator (if you can find either of these plants). Although it appears that S. grandiflora var. rubriflora is the same as what is also labeled as S. grandiflora 'Valentine'.
    I've had 'Valentine' for many years and only recently was able to acquire 'Apricot Blush', and only this year on 'Apricot Blush' did I get any fruit.

    As for taste, I find Schisandra chinensis (aka five flavor fruit) to be sour/bitter. I haven't tried S. grandiflora yet as this is the first year she has produced....I'll let you know the verdict.
     
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  18. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Schisandra chinensis fruit and supplements is known as a superfood in the UK and promoted by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow.
    The trouble is, whenever this is put out in the press, 'up goes the prices'. So if you can purchase at good price then the sooner the better IMO.
     
  19. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @pmurphy OK I'm waiting for your news!!
    I found the SCHISANDRA RUBIFLORA 'Pollinator "plant. What exactly does" pollinator plant "mean in this case?
    And when is it better to implant it?

    @Acerholic Here everything revolves around Schisandra chinensi with everything related to capsules, concentrated dry extract, supplements, etc. at rather high prices.

    Thanks to both!
     
  20. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @Arlette, it's such a shame when prices get hyper inflated due to celebrity endorsement. But soon you will be growing your own.
     
  21. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    In this case 'Valentine'/Rubiflora is the male or "pollinator plant" for 'Apricot Blush' which is the female plant. You won't get fruit from 'Valentine' and you won't get fruit from from 'Apricot Blush' without a male/pollinator plant. Schisandra chinensis does not require male and female plants but your fruit production will be better with two or more plants.
    Some plants like kiwi require only 1 male for up to 6 female vines in order to get fruit (although there is one type - Actinidia arguta 'Issai' - that is self-pollinating, but again fruit production will increase if you have more than one). As long as the male is planted close - say within 3-5 meters - to the female(s) insects (or for some plants wind) will do the rest.
     
  22. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @pmurphy @Acerholic You have been a great source of information: thank you and goodnight !!
     
  23. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    Good night Arlette, a pleasure.
     
  24. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    My Hydrangea paniculata Great Star is looking pretty today IMO, so thought I would add this. Hope you agree.
     

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  25. Arlette

    Arlette Active Member

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    @Acerholic I think it's an excellent perspective representation for a beautiful flower.
     
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