Volunteer Hours L;ett Smaple

A life on the Edge: The Lily

S henever I liked rupícolas plants. Beings are adapted to extreme conditions, both in the high mountains and in low latitudes. Comply with minimum ground from which to draw nutrients and endure the cold, sunshine, snow and drought. Moreover, they contribute to the formation of soil between the roots and under the leaves, making it easier for other species to colonize those spaces. I have discussed in other entries on Sedum, who are of the same family and similar habitats, but today I played both to the evergreens.

Just living in a rock cut in a wall or even on rooftops. This last, incidentally, is favored by the belief that under its eaves, protect houses from lightning during storms.

P gender ertenecen Sempervivum, included in the family Crassulaceae.

keep

Two species in my garden pebbles are Iberian species, but I've bought the nursery. It's true that I have ever seen in nature, but I've decided to collect them.

Sempervivum tectorum

The most abundant and easy to maintain. Rosettes are characterized by fairly large compared to other species, and tips of the leaves have a reddish, most of the time. All evergreens produce abundant suckers at its base by stolons, and thus tend to cover the rocks on which they live. Some of these little rosettes are released from the mother plant and can roll and colonize new places. However, they also comes to sexual reproduction and then begins to lengthen the stem ... ... to form a bouquet of flowers. Although the wear suffered by the plant makes the rosette base die finish.

This species is perhaps the most abundant flowers produced and the more open your bouquet.
Sempervivum arachnoideum

Its name comes from the hairs that cover the leaves, which give the impression that a spider has spun its web over it. While nature is just over an inch of their rosette diameter in specimens of gardening, possibly hybrid, more than double and triple that size.

in nature usually takes acid substrates but in the garden, I put the photos below show that over limestone live without problems. Montana is more than the previous species, but many others can colonize artificial substrates. The flowers of this species are larger than those of tectorum, but is more compact floral bouquet.

As before, the mother rosette eventually die, although that should concern us because then leveraged to grow the sprouts that is around the base.

I think the only way to kill the evergreens is waterlogged base. It seems they are quite likely to be attacked by fungi. Therefore, among rocks and good drainage, but to get wet every day, will take place smoothly.

As I always say, this is not a gardening blog, there are many other places on the Web to find information on the best growing conditions and the many varieties of terrace and garden.

Apart from the varieties grown there are five Iberian species, those above, S. montanum, S. vicentei and S. minutum plus several natural hybrids, apart from other species, S. calcareum , which may be located in the Cantabrian Mountains and in the Pyrenees. Is very similar to S. tectorum but with white flowers-yellow. Its nearest towns are in the South of France.

Church Thank You For Donation Letter

evergreens, nymphs

S in doubt the lilies are one of the most beautiful flowers you can have in a pond garden. The ancient naturalists who gave their name, probably before Linnaeus, in a fit of romanticism associated with this beauty with mythological nymphs. These relate to the aquatic environment, being protective and capable of awakening the natural events such as flowering, fruiting and seed germination.

The scientific name is Nymhaea alba, white as are the flowers of the wild species in Europe and North Africa. However, in gardening, selection and hybridization with exotic species, have achieved wide variety of colors and sizes of flowers and leaves. Its flowers selfing is often because, although there may also be insects that pollinate it, I never seen it. Also I can not say they have produced seeds in my pond, because although the literature says that mature in the water and submerged the seeds germinate, the information I have from an expert in ponds is almost opposite. That is, fructify, ripen and then germinate only when the lily is short. I like that theory, it fits very well with a logical way of survival: to reproduce asexually when conditions are good, ie when the plant remains submerged and sexually when there is drought, the seed being a form of resistance. But I can not say a more certain than the other.

addition to white water lilies, friends "tobacconists" I got plants with yellow flowers and roses that I never tire of admiring each spring until late autumn practically.

Flores return

The lilies have a curious habit of close to nightfall. Indeed, one of the best memories I have of this plant is when I first time in a long pond that existed previously in the Retiro park in Madrid. As the shadow moved on dozens of flowers, these were closed overnight for safekeeping.

Now I've been enjoying this show on numerous occasions in other places and at home, but it's enchant. It is curious that on cloudy days the flowers open as usual, but do not feel the same way the fall of the shadows and close much later. Perhaps their "light detectors, which trigger the closure of the flowers, not work by itself nor by light intensity the time, but by contrast sun / shade. Or maybe it's the nymph wanders. The flowers last a week opening and closing every day.

Another anecdote connected with this is that when I traveled to the Amazon I saw the huge leaves and flowers older sister of our water lilies, the impressive Victoria regia. flowering species is nocturnal and is curious that the flowers at the close of a beetle trap have to stay inside all day. This load of pollen to fertilize the next night, the first flowers where to settle.

Anyone who has grown lilies in your garden and has been removed for cleaning or divide, you may have seen their rhizomes, thick, fleshy, twisted, they are a little edge. Many of them come pretty thick roots also have an impressive ability to cling to the boulders of the fund. In that way I guess the wild lilies drag not to be drawn when there is flooding. Draw a lily pad with several years in a pond is an adventure, then take over all the pots and stones forming a network almost impossible to break, if not ATANCE with sharp knives.
I have not read anything about this way to catch the stones or in books or web pages, however, if repeated many other things. One of them is that "underground stems are sometimes used as food in northern Europe." Is also said that in the convents was used as anaphrodisiac, to quell sexual ardor of monks and keep away from "the other nymphs." It seems to do the flowers were used in infusion. It is also said that the roasted seeds can be a substitute for coffee.

convents, in fact, had ponds with water lilies. They grew mainly carp and tench, to eat fresh fish and own at the time of Lent, in places where there was no sea near.
in our geography is also a water lily with yellow flowers, though more discreet, I have not managed to adapt to my pond, which is Nuphar lutea.

As can be seen in the last photo, the biggest smashes-lily is a good hailstorm. Moreover the water lilies are the preferred host for frogs, dragonflies and many other aquatic insects, are a lifeline for animals that may fall into the pond water and shade in preventing excessive growth of algae. They are a point of attraction in the garden and, like the mythological nymphs, announced this spring.