March already?! What? Spring and new growth is right around the corner. But for now – it is still grey and cold out here. While most of the collection is looking very dry and crispy, a few persistent pitchers are still lingering from last season. Last season! Mostly S. purpurea and their hybrids seem able to hold a few traps through a PNW winter. I love how hardy these … Read More
Frosty
Mornings have recently been pretty chilly and during this time, days have been starting off with frosted plants. And icy water tables. Warmer days are around the corner, but for now I’m enjoying the haunting beauty of dormancy. Here’s a few frames of frosted foliage. Photos are from 26 Jan 2022.
Inside a Darlingtonia Flower
Darlingtonia flowers are beautifully otherworldly. I removed a petal to share a glimpse of the flower interior. For a closer look, click on photos to enlarge. Pollinating Darlingtonia is also pretty easy and can be done in the same manner as Sarracenia. In the case of Darlingtonia, pollen falls onto the ovary. I use a brush to collect the pollen by swiping the ovary surface as well as brushing … Read More
Breaking Dormacy 2021
The plants are waking from their slumber and buds are all over the place. It is a truly magical time to see flower buds emerge and burst open. I’ve collected a few clips throughout April of the plants breaking dormancy and compiled into the video below. The shift from winter sleep to the deluge of color now begins. The first bloom of the season was on 23 Apr. This … Read More
Buds
It’s that time of year when plants start to wake up and send up their flowers. Buds are rising! If you’re not using the flowers for breeding, do you snip buds off to promote more vigorous pitcher growth? Or do you leave the buds to enjoy the flowers? I usually leave the flowers on to do their thing. It’s kinda nice to see the vibrant colors all over the … Read More
Spring Update
It’s the end of April and plants here in the PNW are on the move. After a long dormancy, it is so refreshing to see growth happening. It’s been pretty busy in the garden the past few months. A lot of the work happens right before the explosion of growth. There’s the traditional pre-growth clean up. This includes (but not limited to) re-potting, dividing, trimming, and also building some … Read More