Excellent New Resource: A Midland Alpine Gardener's Diary

[Joakim B]

Dear Diane

I just found this thread and the log/blog behind it and I am very happy to get some information about the cyclamen seeds and their development. I will try to follow this sowing advise as well as the log/diary.
Nice to see the flowering plants as well.
Congratulation on the very nice work
All the best
Joakim

[Diane Clement]

Thank you for all kind remarks.  The next blog has taken time due to poor weather here.  I said it on a different thread, but I don't know how in Aberdeen your plants are ahead of mine, Ian, I guess it's the soil warming cables.  Most of my Narcissus are only still in bud.

Midland Blog No 6

[Maggi Young]

Diane, our  soil warming cables have only come on this week for the first time as the temperatures fell in the glass houses to minus nine and eleven. Even then the plunges are frozen in parts, so the temperature is hardly raised by the cables.  The cables are to try to stop the bulbs being frozen deep in their pots ( hope it's working!!) ...since there has only been a little heat this week, the
differences in our bulb developments cannot be ascribed to the effect of the cables.

For anyone wondering what the system is:  The cables are below the pots, set to come on when the temperature at about an inch or so below the sand plunge surface goes down to minus 1 degree C and the heat goes off again when the temperature is raised to around plus 1 degree C.

[Diane Clement]

Diane, our  soil warming cables have only come on this week for the first time as the temperatures fell in the glass houses to minus nine and eleven. Even then the plunges are frozen in parts, so the temperature is hardly raised by the cables.  The cables are to try to stop the bulbs being frozen deep in their pots ( hope it's working!!) ...since there has only been a little heat this week, the
differences in our bulb developments cannot be ascribed to the effect of the cables.

For anyone wondering what the system is:  The cables are below the pots, set to come on when the temperature at about an inch or so below the sand plunge surface goes down to minus 1 degree C and the heat goes off again when the temperature is raised to around plus 1 degree C.

That's all very interesting.  I was thinking about your soil warming cables yesterday whilst trying to excavate a pot that was frozen into the plunge.  I suppose I assumed they came on whenever the temp was below zero.  The temperature in my sand plunges has been down to minus 3 several times and the whole lot frozen solid.  I think my shady garden must have a fair bit of influence in holding things back.  It's very interesting to see the differences.      

[Maggi Young]

 Our cables were not working terribly well, or else HE had set the thermostat too low, 'cause they had not been on before , when it was much colder, but he's tweaked 'em and now they are coming on!

 I have to say, Diane, at this stage of the winter, I'd find it a LOT more fun to be comparing garden differences with you in the Bahamas! 

[Diane Clement]

Our cables were not working terribly well, or else HE had set the thermostat too low, 'cause they had not been on before , when it was much colder, but he's tweaked 'em and now they are coming on!

 I have to say, Diane, at this stage of the winter, I'd find it a LOT more fun to be comparing garden differences with you in the Bahamas! 

Do Ryanair go there?

[Maggi Young]

Dunno....


They probably fly to a nearby landing strip on a tiny uninhabited island and you have to swim the rest of the way to somewhere nice

[Diane Clement]

Dunno....  They probably fly to a nearby landing strip on a tiny uninhabited island and you have to swm the rest of the way to somewhere nice  

might have to find somewhere a bit nearer, we'll see what we can do   

[Martinr]

Glasgow?

[Martinr]

Back to blog no 4. I was deep in the endless task of tidying Primula allionii & it's relatives today and was dealing with a fairly sizeable plant of Clarence Elliott. A number, i.e. most, of the more mature rosette stems were quite spindly at the base and now that the support of all the dead leaves has gone it is, to say the least, a bit floppy. There is, however, lots of young secondary growth at the bottom of, and between, the floppy bits. I was seriously tempted to give it a haircut but couldn't bring myself to do it. Has anyone been this brave? What were the results?

[Diane Clement]

I have to say, Diane, at this stage of the winter, I'd find it a LOT more fun to be comparing garden differences with you in the Bahamas!   

The Bahamas wasn't possible, credit crunch and all that, but Mallorca was.
Blog No 7 is here 
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+February+/178/

and guess who we met in sunny Mallorca? and what was he risking life and limb to photograph? 

More pics to follow, here, shortly, in the thread Forumist in Mallorca.

[Maggi Young]

We were hoping for a few early orchids, but the only ones we found were Ophrys fusca and Barlia robertiana in their varied forms

Diane, if you are looking for sympathy with that statement, " the only" .... you will get none from me..... I adore Barlia robertiana and in my opinion you were jolly lucky to see any!! 

[Diane Clement]

Blog No 9 is now live - First signs of Spring

Midland Blog Number 9

[SueG]

Lovely pictures Diane
thanks for the link
Sue

[annew]

Excellent Diane, I noticed my mandrake was in flower yesterday too.