Troughs

[wolfgang vorig]

Physoplexis comosa

[astragalus]

WOW!  Congratulations on a lovely plant.

[karel_t]

Nice Physoplexis Wolfgang!
Here is one of my smaller troughs with this plant. You can see there self seedlings of P. comosa.
K.

[Graham Catlow]

Some views from today.
Except the last one which is from a couple of weeks ago.

[angie]

Graham your troughs are really nice. I like the last one. Will the Physoplexis survive outside. I have this plant but have it in the greenhouse.

Angie 

[Graham Catlow]

Thanks Angie,
The Physoplexis has been in place for two years and has survived the harsh winter of 2010/11 and the milder winter of this past year.
I cover the trough with polycarbonate in the winter to keep off the winter wet but ensure that its qute high to allow for good air circulation.
I am pleased that its flowering this year but wouldn't call it a good specimen.

[ChrisB]

Karel,  That sink is beautiful.  Is the stone in it dolomite or something alkaline?

Graham, your sinks look just great! 

[angie]

Thanks Angie,
The Physoplexis has been in place for two years and has survived the harsh winter of 2010/11 and the milder winter of this past year.
I cover the trough with polycarbonate in the winter to keep off the winter wet but ensure that its qute high to allow for good air circulation.
I am pleased that its flowering this year but wouldn't call it a good specimen.

Maybe I will get another Physoplexis and try it outside, might not survive this summer let alone winter 

Angie 

[Maggi Young]

Angie, we have Physoplexis outside in a trough here in Aberdeen.

[ChrisB]

Just seen one growing in the new wall at the Dales' too.  It survived the winter nicely outside.

[angie]

Angie, we have Physoplexis outside in a trough here in Aberdeen.

Just doesn't look that tuff. Will give it a go but will keep the one in the greenhouse just to be safe 

Angie 

[ChrisB]

What about trying it in a sink then?  Maybe the insulation provided by the parameter helps?

[Maren]

Hmmm, Graham, I spot a white Dactylorhiza in one of your troughs.

[brianw]

At a garden centre last week I spotted artificial white porcelain sinks. They looked like the real thing until I lifted them and found they were glass fibre/resin construction, single wall base, hollow twin wall sides. Very light in weight, but strong. Finish a flat (slight satin) white. Range of sizes, not expensive from memory.
They were in amongst the plants here but probably intend to be plumbed in and used.

[Maggi Young]

Here we tend to stick to homemade and recycled troughs- for the sake of least expense, but sometimes one cannot help but dream about the  other end of the market:
http://www.dukes-auctions.com/Catalogues/pf270912/lot0987-0.jpg


   AN IMPORTANT ROMAN MARBLE SARCOPHAGUS the front panel centred by a portico with a triangular pediment carved with ribbons emanating from a wreath with a partially open double door below carved with lions masks holding wings and trophies with bold leafy swags suspended from ribbon tied bows and pilasters at either end the sides carved and incised with concentric circles and pierced at one end for drainage the back simply hewn probably Rome 2nd century AD 85 wide x 29 deep x 27 high.

Provenance: The collection of Sir John Charles Robinson CB FSA surveyors of pictures to HM Queen Victoria and founder and First Superintendent of the Art Collection in South Kensington Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum).
Sold by Hy. Duke & Son of Dorchester as part of the Newton Manor collection Swanage Dorset on September 1st-4th 1913 Lot 503 (illustrated in the catalogue) and acquired at that sale by the family of the vendor.

Various dates have been proposed for this magnificent sarcophagus. In a communication from the British Museum in 1956 a second century date was proposed but more recently an early third century date has been suggested. The quality of the marble and the sculpted decoration probably indicate an Italian origin and the undecorated back suggests that the sarcophagus may have come from an independent mausoleum where the tomb was placed against a wall.

Sir John Charles Robinson born in Nottingham in December 1824. He was one of the young men that took up with great zeal the movement inaugurated by Prince Albert after the first Great Exhibitions for establishing a general system of art education in England. When the South Kensington Museum was founded in 1852 he was appointed the first Superintendent of the Art Collections a post which he held for 17 years. His obituary records that he spent many seasons in travelling for the museum in Italy and Spain. With more funds at his disposal he was able to acquire at what we should now consider a paltry price a vast number of works in marble bronze and other materials which quickly gave South Kensington a unique position among the museums of Europe. It seems likely that this sarcophagus was acquired on one of these tours.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2204955/The-trough-Dorset-garden-turned-Roman-sarcophagus-worth-50-000.html