Actinidia kolomikta grows in my garden many years, since a neighbor brought me a dry bush with the words: “I’m tired of it, it doesn’t grow and bloom. And the woman left Actinidia near my gate.
I had read that the kolomikta vine blooms in May - June with small flowers; their aroma is similar to lily of the valley. During flowering, leaves acquire a pink-white color.
Years passed and I learned that Actinidia kolomikta are relic plants preserved in East Asia since the Tertiary period, when the sub-tropical climate was in the Far East Asia. Later, due to the glaciation of the Northern Hemisphere, climatic conditions became more severe. However, glaciation did not affect some areas of the Far East, but adversely affected the climate. Due to the cooling, a large amount of the Tertiary flora of the Far East disappeared and only a few, including Actinidia, adapted to the changed conditions and survived to the present day.
Here are the photos that I took in August-18 when the light green fruit appeared on the branches, they were small, up to 2 cm long, edible. If some of these fruit remain on the liana until October, they become yellow green and wrinkled.
Generally I try to pick up Actinidia kolomikta berries until they fall off because the berries are perfectly ripe at home. They are tasty and look like small New Zealand kiwi, because Actinidia kolomikta and Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward' are of the same genus.
Do you know or grow this liana? Have you ever eaten this fruit?
Fritillaria is a pretty bulb plant which name means a cup for dice, has also popular names 'snake's head' or 'chess flower'. The plant is represented by 179 species, common in the temperate zone of Europe, Asia and North America. Places of growth of different species can be separated from each other for thousands of kilometers and be in different climatic and natural conditions.
I grow Fritillaria of two species: white Fritillaria Meleagris alba and Fritillaria Meleagris beautifully marked. Meleagris alba grow between tujas since many years. I'd planted 5 bulbs of the 'chess flower' Fritillaria last year. As you see the only one of these Frittilaria bulbs blooms, others have no buds.
Fritillaria bulbs should be always planted in groups of one species, imitating natural clusters of plants. Large species are magnificent in single planting, especially since they bloom much earlier than other ornamental flowers.
Low species look better in rock gardens. Fritillaria of especially small species are grown in pots, several plants can be grown in one container.
My another plant of this post is Мahonia aquifolia. This plant is found in the west of North America, in forests and on slopes. It's enough drought resistant, evergreen shrub up to 1.5 m tall, has interesting large, leathery, shiny leaves.
In my garden Mahonia blooms from mid-May for a month, sometimes blooms again in October. Elliptical, dark blue edible, sweet-sour fruits up to 1 cm ripen in August or September if weather is not warm enough. Thus the bush gets a unique originality.
Mahonia is a cross-pollinated plant. I grow 2 plants and they yet have not had fruits. But they say that if cross-pollination is successful, then the plant may be covered with fruits. So I will wait for the berries :-).
Do you grow these plants in your garden or balcony? What is your experience?
