Botanical Garden Isole di Brissago Switzerland

Botanical Garden Isole di Brissago Switzerland

I know, Switzerland is far away. but if you are lucky enought to visit the Lake Maggiore, please do not miss the Brissago Isles on the swiss Border not to far from the Borromeo Isles. Please enjoy this brand new video: https://vimeo.com/144095858 

Some Flowers from my garden

Telopea speciosissima: due to the mild winter, the flower buds developed faster this year.  

Poncirus trifoliata: simple and hardy, but every Spring still an eyecatcher

Rhododendron sinogrande:  in the next posts I'll show the development of the flower buds.

Tulips

This result deserves all the work done.

Wordless

Iris lazica

Trillium sessile var. californicum

Trillium recurvatum

Some species deserve special protection. 

Muscari macrocarpum

Erythronium umbilicatum

Dramatic difference of colors in Paeonia cambessedesii. 

Bulb plants

To be honest it's long time ago that I decided to transform an ugly small garden corner squashed between an enclosure for my pond turtles and a garden path. The problem was that this corner was the home of two tree peonies. Year after year I noted in my agenda that I should transplant both peonies between end of August and September to allow a quickly establishment in the new location. But, year after year, I systematically forgot to transplant them........

This time, even if it was far too late (end of November) I transplanted the two plants. So this spring, trying to find a couple of hours, I planned the new structure. Since years I need a sheltered location for my tulip collection. My major problem is the abundant humidity in Summer- Fall- and Wintertime. Even using extreme well drained soil, I had to fight again Botrytis and other fungal diseases. In the last two years I potted each species in deep containers, using well drained soil with enough sand, I mixed some Trichoderma atroviride (mycorrhiza fungi) to antagonize soil born fungal diseases. The containers remain outdoor during the Winter, but protected from too much rain and snow. In late Spring, as the leaves get yellow (it's important not to wait until the leaves are dried), the containers are kept dry until end of October.  

This is the structure that I planned. I like light structures, so I decided to use granite slabs (thickness 3 cm). A simple scaffolding is enough to take the slabs in place until the concrete dries off. Just not be too impatient.

One week later, the bottom is covered with a deep layer of gravel and a fabric layer. Well now is time to move the containers. Some species are ready to flower like Tulipa praecox or Tulipa cretica. 

Tulipa cretica

Tulipa praecox

If you are looking for an excellent book about bulb plants, take a look in Buried Treasures from Janis Ruksans (Timber Press)

Spring is just around the corner?

Well, even if RHS starts with "Spring is just around the corner" in my garden Winter is not willing to "pass away".  We experienced in the last 10 day two heavy (for us) snowfalls (15 resp. 20 cm). So, even if the temperatures didn't drop to much unter the zero, I'm happy that the new Australian corner is well coated.

The single Grevilleas are protected with a double layer of non woven fabric. At night, with just little lighting from the streetlights, they resemble small ghosts visiting my garden.

Usually I protect just few corners. Xerophytes, South African and few Australian plants. Even several species that in the books are quoted not to survive minus (celsius) temperature, have no troubles during normal winters in my garden. Moreover, I tried some subtropical like Hedychium coronarius. With some care, 10 cm of mulch and some branches to fix the mulch material, it survived -10°C two years ago!

Yes, it's still Winter, but some species like this Hakea, are just willing to flower, no matter the outdoor temperatures and the snowfalls. In the last few years I protected this species with non woven fabric, but than I realized that I had every Winter misst the flowering time. So now I have a small specimen as back security copy in a container in a cold frame, and I enjoy the lilliput small but scented flowers. 

Grevillea lanigera is also a Winter flowering species. I wait a couples of weeks, than I'll disclose this 1.5 x1.m meter large flower falls. 

Well, this green non woven fabric is not very elegant. Some other materials used to protect the plants have more fashionable results, sometimes with the help of the snow.

I have several species of domestic and feral animals that visit my garden. From the harmless hedgehogs, to martens, foxes, badgers, deers and cats. So I need to protect some plants taking care that the result should also bee acceptable from an aesthetic point of view. This is a Drymis lanceolata Mt. Wellington. Sometimes I reuse old birdcages like this one (from an animal welfare point of view these cages were and are a nonsense!). 

One of the South african borders is well protected from the snow. Few centimeters of snow are not dangerous, but the constant high humidity for weeks would kill the plants.  On the left a Protea subvestita, one of the more cold and humidity resistant Protea species. In Fall 2014 I had to reduce dramatically the size, because it began to cause troubles to the traffic ....

In most regions with mediterranean climate, snowfalls are rare. This is the reason why several species are not structurally build to compensate the weight of the snow. In some cases like Dendromecon rigida or even with Quercus suber, just few centimeters  are enough to break down branches.

Dendromecon rigida. Rigida from Latin "rigid" means rigid or stiff. Well to be "rigid" in regions with heavy snowfalls is not a positive adaptive mechanism.

This is even more harmful. This happened in the night despite my preventive job to reduce the volume of the branches and to fix the main branches.  

Well, as said, even Spring is around the corner, I still have some weeks to prepare myself and my garden tools for the action!

I will have to wait a little bit before I can prepare my miniature parterre to accomodate the citrus trees. Last year my box hedges experienced heavy attack from Cylindrocladium buxicola and Diaphania perspectalis turning myself from happy plantsman into a desperate plantsman. 

Second mild winter (until now)

After the winter 2013-2014, with minimum temperatures in my garden of only minus 3°C, everybody would be tempted to try with even more tropical plants. But a clever gardener known that one single night may destroy the work of an entire year. So in May 2014 I just transformed the "pots and containers room" into an Australian corner basically Grevillea species with some other plants. I had planned this since I got plants from The Desert Northwest Nursery (http://www.desertnorthwest.com).

The alpha and omega if you would like to be successful with the cultivation of proteaceae is the soil. It must be very very free draining and with an acidity of 5 to 6 pH. To simulate the bush in Australia or South Africa I use sand, lava, pumice, charcoal, and some soil (it is important to incorporate some organic material, so the pH will be more stable).   

Well, the Summer and Fall 2014 were very rainy in Switzerland, it was like what I experienced more than once in Cornwall…. At least I had not the stress to water the young plants. After a week, the plants still trying to acclimatize in the new soil.    

Theoretically now my northwest garden corner is finished,  I have to adjust only some details. Right my last tentative with a tree fern, if I lost this one too, than my garden is not the right place. 

These are the first flowers of Grevillea miqueliana subsp. moroka. 

Winter 2013-2014 warmer than expected and more from 2014

Well in December 2013 I was sure that I had to take the least pictures of my Anigozanthus Hybrid. In fact these Hybrids can just take a couples of °C under zero for a few days. But this winter was so mild that, knowing it in advance, I had better to spare my time and not protect the subtropical plants at all. Well, everyone knows better, after...

Next picture shows the Anigozanthus in May 2014.

In the background on the right you may recognize a Banksia serrata and a Hakea nodosa with mass of pods. Interestingly these pods do not shed the seed until stimulated by some external conditions, like bushfire.

Ok, this as nothing to do with plants, but still (in the background you see a big cherry tree from the next-door neighbor garden. This is the so-called "Patrouille Suisse" from the Swiss army. At Magadino (Locarno) airport, not far away from my house, it was a big air show Cielo aperto over two weekends to celebrate the 75 years of the airport and the 100 years of the Swiss aircraft. 

Even days without sun, and plenty of rain, the Botanical Garden Isole di Brissago is worth a visit. Last May perhaps due to the mild Winter the Telopea speciosissima was gorgeous. This picture shows one of the plants with some inflorescences at the end of the flowering period.

Back in my garden, still raining, the first flowers of Lilium pyrenaicum are not shy at all and they show their beautiful structures.

This is the south wall of the house of my news next-door neighbors. They virtually do not need any heater system, as the house is extremely well insulated. But the picture should shows the 2014 flowering wonder of my Hesperaloe parviflora.  On the same picture there is Amaryllis belladonna. Quite interestingly, Amarillis in known to need a lot of warmth and sun. Well the Summer 2014 was all, but not warm and sunny!

Just before Winter cold will break my dreams...

This December weather is quite mild and we have experienced just a couple of days with -1°C during the night.


View of one "Australian" border with new plants (Spring 2013)


This Spring I transformed a corner of an Australian border. I lost two years ago some Banksia and other Australian species, so I had space to fill with new species. Between new Banksia I planted a small Anigozanthus hybrid. I was not performing a special display until september. It than started to grow and bloom like no other that I ever cultivated.  For sure it will die with our winter temperatures, but let's see and at the moment I have this nice display for Christmas time!


Banksia canei fruit. 


My "old" Banksia canei dies least summer aged 16. I'm not quite sure that this is a normal age to die for a Banksia, but our climate conditions hare fare not so similar with Australian weather... I hope that some of the seed will be viable and germinate next spring.


 

Sterile seeds from Mutisia subulata

Some Mutisia, and I'm now in South America, are performing quite well in my garden, still as is known for these species most of the seed are sterile. Propagation is successfull using cuttings.

Clematis balearica from Mallorca

Last November I visited Mallorca for a couple of days. Mallorca is more interesting to visit in early winter and spring than in summer (the number of tourists is also significant reduced!). One of the species blooming in winter is Clematis balearica. Miles of walls are nicely covered by this climber. In my garden it climb on a  pomegranate.  If you visit Mallora do not miss the Botanical garden of Soller, an hotspot!! (www.jardibotanicdesoller.org).



Keep green fingers and enjoy Christmas

This is the Christmas tree from the small community Cugnasco-Gerra in Southern Switzerland. The Children and their Teachers from the local school did an excellent job. In the center you may recognize a young linden tree that gives the name at the restyled square.

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are" Alfred Austin.

Stewartia pseudocamelia

Spring is approaching

These last days I found some bodies of proof that spring is no more far away. In my greenhouse some orchids have already started new growth and  some are blooming. My cocoa tree has also started with new growth and perhaps I can expect some flowers in the next weeks. I also found few old fruits on my Myrmecodia echinata, I have missed the blooming days and also the opportunity to harvest fresh seeds.

In the cold house all the proteas and bankias are training their engines to start quickly with new growth. Regarding proteas I missed the opportunity to take some pictures of Protea burchelli and Protea punctata.

In my veranda, after years of patience, my first grafted Avocado Brogdon (by myself) is decorated with hundreds of flower buds. I have also a small Casimiroa edulis that started blooming this year for  the second time (I have no clue about the cultivar).

Also some bulbs have started growing. Tecophilaea cyanocrocus in my cold frames are already blooming, outside they timidly sprout between the gravel.

Not only plants are "resuscitated", also a huge variety of pests enjoy the nice weather!



Cymbidium insigne subsp. insigne.







Tecophilaea cyanocrocus.





Phaseolus caracalla seeds. Four months to ripen!

 


Persea americana Brogdon.

 


Casimiroa edulis.



redspider web and (not in focus) mealybugs on resting Erythrina humeana.

Prosit Neu Jahr from Vienna!

No, unfortunately I'm not in Vienna. I'm listening to ( and watching!) the New Year's Day concert form Vienna. A tradition for us. I'm also cooking and blogging..... And I'd also time this morning to take a couple of pictures.


This is a flower of Camellia japonica cultivar "Ascona", former name "Contra". The latter is the name of the small Town where I'm coming from, but due to the fact that Ascona is well-known (at least in Europe), they renamed the cultivar... If the weather is favorable, still unusual for a japonica cultivar, the flowering period begin as early as end of November through April-May.

The flowers after 2-3 weeks are full opened and due to the could temperature they also  unterwent a nice discoloration.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year 2013!

Greenhouse

This morning I find this small jewel blooming in between other rupicolous Laelias.


Laelia kettiana

Grevilleas

Due to the mild weather some of my grevilleas are still blooming or have already started to bloom. I have a couple of species/cultivars that are not hardy enough for my USDA zone 8, so I'm forced to overwinter them in a veranda.


Grevillea Robyn Gordon. Ok, the plant is in a container and in the veranda, but still the flowers are gorgeous!






Grevillea johnsonii. This species is very thankfull blooming from spring to fall, and sometimes also during the winter.



In the garden the grevilleas are fine and I hope this winter will be mild. Grevillea lanigera Mt tamboritha recovered very well from last winter frost. Grevillea rosmarinifolia is covered with flower buds and in March-April I'll experience a reddish color explosion! The less difficult one that I cultivate in my garden is Grevillea Canberra gem, flowering in March-April and undamaged with -10°C or less.

 

Grevillea lanigera Mt Tamboritha form.

Grevillea Canberra Gem, the flower buds are still developing due to high temperature up to 15°C during the day.

Grevillea rosmarinifolia in the December sun.

At the beginning of December I was for a couple of days in Seattle and I visited The Desert Northwest Nursery in Sequim. The owner Ian Barclay is extremely helpful and the plant list contains some australian species virtually impossible to find in Europe or even to buy as seeds from Australia. In the next years I'll have some additional Grevillea species blooming in my garden....
Ian has also a very helpful blog with many good informations about the cultivation of plants from mediterranean climate regions of the world. http://desertnw.wordpress.com/