Forest LyttonR32
Lewisia - sunrise garden
2020-05-26 13:25:29K. A. Broadfield
I have been planning a sunrise themed garden, ironically for hot afternoon sun near pebbles and pavement for our front garden. I started with some dark rusty maroon daylilies I already have, currently in pots, and have been scanning various catalogs for inspiration, such as Thompson and Morgans, and Sarah Raven. Ms Raven has a lot of themed flowers, so I find hers to be particularly fun. check out the floral collection or the unusual misty lavender collection
Today I looked up a random flower I had brought home from a recent trip to the garden center. flowers were in a variety of pinks and apricots so I thought it might fit the sunrise theme well. I used Plant Snap app and was able to identify it as alpine Lewisia.
But it wasn&aops;t until my father offered to look up a proper plant reference for me that it occurred to me to dig a little deeper. I picked up my copy of RHS Plant Encyclopedia I purchased at the book shop at The Vyne in 2013. Recycled books were a Godsend to me as most of my collection I had to donate before moving across the pond.
Turns out that the succulent portulaca which I know from New England is also under the name Lewisia, but it is L. columbiana which I have here in southern England. While similar, both flowers and leaves do differ. My current plant has star shaped flowers with white outlines and a rosette of dark green oblong leaves.
Have a nice week....