A link to the June blog is coming - Douglas Justice starts out by saying that "much of what we would expect to see in bloom in the garden in June has already been flowering in May." Included in the "wide range of flowers" are several geraniums, and they have definitely been in bloom for a while. Geranium renardii really has the best leaves - Nadia said soft like a baby's blanket. The white edges are a nice touch. We saw a label for these after the garden entrance, but did not see the flowers until we got to the Alpine Garden. Geranium platypetalum, looking "conspicuously hairy," was easier to distinguish from its neighbours than I had expected. Those two hybridise to form Geranium 'Philippe Vapelle'. This is Geranium himalayense 'Gravetye'. And another cultivar of that species, G. himalayense 'Baby Blue'.
You can find the June blog at June 2018 in the Garden | UBC Botanical Garden. I like the new format with the photo viewer, so more photos, and the credits. Here are a few more geraniums, the first from the Woodland Garden, Geranium erianthum. This also has cute leaves, but they don't beat the ones on G. renardii. These two are in the Alpine Garden. Geranium robustum: Geranium x cantabrigiense 'St. Ola'. And in the Asian Garden, Geranium psilostemon 'Iwan', Armenian cranesbill, [edited] added June 6.
I don't think I knew Helianthemum, sun roses. They are putting on a good show right now. None of these beats the one in the blog, which isn't one I photographed. Here is Helianthemum 'Bright Spot'. Helianthemum rhodanthe 'Carneum'. Helianthemum croceum. Helianthemum nummularium 'Lemon Delight'. I was fooled by this Verbascum 'Golden Wings', would have taken it for another of these sun roses.
Not all the Cistus, rock roses, are open yet. Douglas wrote about them last year: May 2017 in the Garden | UBC Botanical Garden. This is Cistus albidus. Kniphofia are looking their best. The tags all list them as species unknown, except for the first photo, which is Kniphofia tysonii. We're curious what these red tags are about.
@Eric La Fountaine , what are those red tags about? Is it because there are so many unidentified species?
Red tags are used for accessions with uncertain identification. Blue tags are used for plants coming from the nursery. They get a black or red tag at planting out or shortly thereafter. Black tags list the Family, distribution, common name, botanical name, bed number and accession number. For red tags the distribution is "data not verified" or the collection location if of wild origin.
@Eric La Fountaine Look at the last pic Wendy posted. That isn't a tag (sorry I used that term), but some other sort of label. "0023"
Oh, the red plastic label. I had not opened the pic. Those are working ID labels being used to mark plants that are being keyed out. It is a set of duplicate numbers. One tag is left on the plant and another is attached to a sample of the plant taken back to the lab for investigation.
I'm not really a big fan of red hot pokers - something about red and yellow together doesn't usually appeal to me. So my favourite was this Knophofia northiae that has no flowers (right now), but has the best leaves. If you want to see a flower photo, there's a BPotD at Kniphofia northiae. @Daniel Mosquin, are you able to restore your photo link in your June 6, 2006 comment there?
While we're waiting for the roses Douglas mentioned in the blog, here's one that is in bloom now - Rosa henryi, at Delavayi and Kingdon Ward in the Asian Garden. It differs from Rosa filipes in being more likely to have only five leaflets, having fewer flowers in a corymb (5-15) and larger flowers (3-4 cm in diameter). It is also mostly hairless and mostly without prickles. Rosa henryi - Wikipedia. Here is Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate' now; I posted the almost identical photo last year on June 10.
Here is another climbing rose that I saw last week, on Staunton trail, one trail over from the Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate' we're waiting for. It's way up in a red cedar, no way to get near the flowers at all, but in 2012, it was approachable. I posted some photos at July 11, 2012 - some great leaves, and lots of flowers too, including a close-up of the flowers, and the ID of Rosa filipes was suggested. UBCBG has been more cautious - @Douglas Justice tells me that it's recorded as " 'Rosa sp. SABE 1934,' which has not been verified."
At last, the long-awaited roses are in bloom. Here is Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate'. And Rosa helenae, on the Acer japonicum that's across the trail just before the Fortune trail marker on Upper Asian Way, with just a few branches down at eye level near the path.
