Yes, I'm so happy! 2015

[Maggi Young]

Well, I must say the "Alpine Parrots" are held in very high esteem by all the Scots who know them. 
I have been exhausted just thinking about the amount of driving around Canada that Jiri and Ludmila have been doing - thanks to Arie and Lee VanSpronsen  for their kindness in this matter- a measure of how  grateful they are for the Papousek's help in the Czech Republic at the wonderful, wonderful, Conference in 2013.

I'm so glad you've enjoyed the talks, John - I knew you would!

[johnw]

Jiri & Ludmila are off to the Truro rock garden today to discuss plans for the new alpine house and tufa wall.  Word has it the rockers will be enticing them to return next year for the wall installation!  Exciting times.

john - a cool morning at 16c but going to 20c by this afternoon.

[Tristan_He]

I'm happy because of this. It's our Daphne x hendersonii 'Arnold Cihlarz'. It's always produced good displays of cherry-pink flower (usually 2-3 times a year) and the scent once even attracted a hummingbird hawkmoth - no mean feat up here!



We've had this plant now for probably 10 years, where it lived happily in a rockery wedged in between some tufa rocks. But the rockery has become invaded by mat-grass, and so I decided to move everything that could be rescued to a new rockery in the front garden that we had finally managed to fence the sheep out from. Most of the rockery plants were easy to move and many will have benefited. But I was really worried about our Daphe. This was compounded when I stuck a spade under it and all the soil basically fell of the roots. So no chance of taking the whole thing undisturbed. I covered the roots with soil, wedged it in between two new tufa blocks, watered it in and crossed my fingers. That was in April.

Well, it didn't like being moved one little bit. It dropped a few leaves, then a lot of leaves, quite a lot of the tips died back and flower buds aborted. But then it slowly stopped dying back and moved into merely 'sulking' mode. Now it has put on a good flush of new healthy growth and even the odd flower bud.

I'm really glad that this old friend looks to have made it, and now it's got pride of place in a position where we can enjoy it every time we leave the house. I think we were lucky to have such a cool wet summer though.

I'll see if there is any regrowth in the bare areas, otherwise some strategic rock placement may be needed.

[johnw]

Here are the Alpine Parrots yesterday at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia  - Jiri & Ludmila.  While Jiri was off the hook to give his talk in Gaelic IU was not about to let them both leave without bagpipe lessons, they agreed only after they were told Maggi had insisted.

Left this morning for Toronto (2.5 hours west) then on to Brussels flying back overhead this evening..... .... and on to Prague.

john 

[Maggi Young]

You'll have the RSPB on you, John!

[johnw]

You'll have the RSPB on you, John!

They'll more likely be in pursuit of the new Czech "virtuosi".

[Maggi Young]

Found these photo of fungus yarn-bombing -  read more  here  - thought they might amuse others too....









 Good, aren't they?

[Matt T]

Beautifully observed. Shows what you can achieve with some creative imagination and a good eye. These are better than my own effort:

[Maggi Young]

Those are great, Matt. 

[Anthony Darby]

I would agree. I don't see mush room for improvement.

[Graeme]

Sold 250 Box plants yesterday - in 7.5 ltr bags - glad to see the back of them - had to move them down off the nursery area to the front of the house - took 3 hours Friday night and most of Saturday morning - the landscaper also wants the other 200 that are left later in the year - I can see another new alpine house on the horizon and I will get all my 10 bulb frames back again   

[Ian Y]

Wow that's a lot of box not to mention the work Graeme.

[Graeme]

Wow that's a lot of box not to mention the work Graeme.

I propagated them from cuttings about 7 years ago - I had bought a commercial propagator at a closing down sale and wanted to test it before I crated it for use later.  Wife has done all the repotting so she is happy to see them go  - the landscaper is a friend who also has a nursery - and they are going to massive house that has been built nearby.