Let me introduce myself ...

[mark smyth]

Hi Ashley! Welcome to the forum

I suppose the majority of us are unfocussed plantoholics. Do I need to go to Beeches Nursey, again, this Sunday or go to the East Anglia bulb sale

[Paddy Tobin]

Ashley,

Welcome to the forum!

Good to have a fellow IGPS member and from a neighbouring county here.

Paddy

[Kristl Walek]

Hello Everyone,
I've finally made the jump across the ocean official, although I have lurked here for some time. This is not to say I have abandoned Alpine-L, but sigh, things have become all too quiet there....

I know many of you personally, indirectly, or by reputation only and am happy to be in your company.

I am the owner of a seedhouse in eastern Canada, Gardens North, which grew out of an intimate obsession with seed for most of my adult life. Had it not been that way, I do not think the business could have lasted this long. I spend most of the warm season in the wild collecting seed, the cold season selling it, and in between working on a book on the sexual propagation of natives of Eastern Canada.

I make time to read and to indulge myself in the kitchen. It's a simple life.

My Ottawa Valley garden is large and in a tough climate. Summers are steamy and uncomfortable, winters can get to -45C. Most plants hate the summers here, yet my 8 acres are full to bulging. Winters take less of a toll on both the gardener and the plants. My dream is to live and garden in Alberta.

Kristl Walek
Gardens North Seed

[Maggi Young]

Kristl, good to have you begin posting. It is a pleasure to have you around! As you know, we are anything but quiet around these parts.....I think gardeners are the friendliest folks and we all seem to be obsessed with our plants and gardens and desperate to celebrate the wild places of the world where these great plants grow. And where would those gardens be without seedsmen? Sorry, I guess that should be "seedspersons"
Welcome !

[Maggi Young]

in between working on a book on the sexual propagation of natives of Eastern Canada.

Really? Is that so different from that used by other natives??
Or are we talking native PLANTS? 

[Paul T]

Kristl,

Lovely to have you here with us.  See your postings all the time on other lists so nice to see you here with us as well. 

[Kristl Walek]

Maggi, Maggi, Maggi....
I knew by your smile-in-the-rain that I liked you already...but now I know you are a woman after my own heart.

Kristl

[Paddy Tobin]

Hi Kristi,

Great to have you on the forum - a new perspective, new experiences from a new area and I am so glad Maggi dealt with the delicate matter of sexual reproduction of your natives. For a moment there I thought we were going to be told a little more than we needed to know about you Canadians and what you get up to in the  privacy of your own homes. Pheeeww!

Paddy

[Corinne]

 

Hello Kristi!

Friends, this lady has the best seed house on this side of the pond!

The American Rock Garden Society just published Kristi's article on
seed germination.  Very fine, indeed.

Humbly,

Corinne
Iowa, USA

[Linda_Foulis]

Hello Kristl,
Great to see you here as well.  I second that Corinne, Gardens North seed house is second to none.

[Kristl Walek]

Linda,
How wonderful you are here --- I am finding more and more friends and connections on this site every day. Thus far, my feeling is that this is THE plant forum!!!!!!!!

Kristl

[Lesley Cox]

Thus far, my feeling is that this is THE plant forum!!!!!!!!
Kristl

No-one's going to argue with that Kristl

[FrazerHenderson]

Hello All

Thought after lurking for a wee while and then posting in recent months I'd introduce myself. I'm based in West Lothian in an old mining village with a 60 acre wildlife reserve out of the backdoor.

The house garden is very much of the cottage-garden style with various garden rooms overstuffed with geraniums, astrantias etc. as well as in other areas a good stand of Gunnera manicata and a large hosta collection.

My plant interests are collecting Hylotelephiums (60+ species), Cryptomeria Japonica named sports, Sempervivums (Calcareum) and easy to grow alpines and bulbs! Other, non-plant  interests are too numerous to list - life really is far too short to do everything one wishes, hence my recent interest in a home self-cloning kit!

[Maggi Young]

hence my recent interest in a home self-cloning kit!

Now, Frazer, you must know that Do It Yourself is responsible for huge numbers of accidents in the home... don't you think this is a bit risky?

You mention Astantias... you don't happen to grow/have seed of the delightful dwarf Astrantia minima, do you? At least, that was the name I grew it under... sweet little thing only six inches/ 15 cms high, perfect miniature.Lost it years ago and been looking for replacement ever since.

[ChrisB]

I've been looking for that astrantia too Maggi.  If you find the seed, do let me know.  Been on my list since I first saw it about five years ago.  Hard to find....