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by George Erdman

Debby asked me to contribute something to the newsletter, preferably something having to do with growing from seed. Makes sense, since I show up every meeting with the leftover NARGS seeds, hawking my wares and badgering those who don't take at least a few. So I offer things I've had success with this year, beginning with two whose virtues I posted to Alpine-L. 

A thread on that discussion board on annuals for the rock garden led me to Dicranostigma lactucoides, a member of the Papaver family. I set out seven plants in late April from a late January sowing. A creature who found them the first night set me back a tad. But I still managed to establish on a rock ledge a solid 2 foot x 2 foot clump of attractive hairy, parted leaves which raise up to some 15 inches a mass of four-petaled, butter-yellow flowers every morning. By late afternoon they all disappear to be followed the next day by an equal display. Meanwhile the plants go about producing long, slender seed pods, much like those of Eschscholzia californica, which I'll save for another go around next year.

On the next ledge above are three or four clumps of Campanula scheuchzeri, these from a '96 sowing. The clumps, disappointing their second year, sent up this year multiple decumbent stems some 2 feet long which produced in the aggregate scores if not hundreds (all gardeners exaggerate) of typical light blue bells. In short, airy yellow backed by airy blue. It don't get much better than this.

I started last year in late May many of the left over seeds NARGS sent the chapter, among them Francoa sonchifolia, Hypericum orientale, and Erodium manescasvi. They were pretty tender young things by the time winter came, and I suspected them not to be hardy in my hard Zone 5. So I carried them over under lights. Setting them out this spring, aphids and all, I got a mixed bag. 

From the Francoa, tall spikes of undistinguished flowers I can live without, nothing like the pictures I've seen. But having learned that the genus is wildly variable, I take some comfort. From the Hypericum, nice decumbent stems with small, sticky leaves, few flowers but a nice filler. I'll see if it overwinters. From the Erodium, beautiful geranium-like flowers all summer long over nice foliage. I don't think it will overwinter, but I'll save seeds and begin anew. It's worth it.

Papaver anomalum and Papaver atlanticum, thoough the latter also has come as Papaver miyobeanum, are plants I'll never be without. The former produces some white flowers the first year, endless white flowers the second year. The latter does the same with its pumpkin-orange display. Both are capable of lasting a third year, but yearly reseeding ensures yearly displays.

What can I say? I've many more plants to report on, but Debby told me not to abuse space. So I'll end with Alyssum, a much maligned genus. I'm not talking about the big leaved, floppy plants that end up dead, I'm talking about prostrate, tiny leaved clumps that produce and produce, and when cut back, come back to go into the winter as healthy, evergreen, low, desirable mats. Try Alyssum montanum or Alyssum wulfenianum. You'll rethink your prejudices.

Should Debby let me write again, I'll rave about Aethionema armenum, Salvia jurisica, two Onosma that look like one, and more Silene than you can shake a stick at.