December 2009 (Northern Hemisphere)

[Maggi Young]

Asphodelus acaulis  green with envy yet again

 I KNOW!
 me too! Lovely, isn't it?

[cohan]

i might as well start by trying species from the coldest places so as to have the best chance with our winters, once i have more things going, i can be more adventurous...lol

Cohan - These Rhododendrons like R. nivale, lepidotum, forrestii and sanguineum from ridiculously high altitudes are not especially hardy.  I'd rate their buds to -17C.  R. nivale might take -20 and be a tad more hardy plant-wise.  The three latter ones are borderline here in Halifax but nivale manages; the lot are okay in Yarmouth in our extreme south.  I guess the snow must protect them in their native haunts but doubt it gets exceedingly cold even up there and perhaps not as protracted as here.  R. rufum and przewalskii from lower down might be worth a try. 
johnw

thanks, john, good to know...that's one of the things i wonder about--just how cold is it at those high altitudes /not so high latitudes? and there could be a longer even if cool, growing season..
i've noticed even on the native ledum/rhodo, the snow depth and duration is very important--i've seen plants at higher altitudes than here with presumably shorter growing season, that are taller, which i think is about snow depth- evergreen leaves and dormant buds which are exposed above the snow are very vulnerable to exposure--here the worst time i think is februrary when there can be some melting, but also deep cold, dry winds etc, at a time when the ground is still frozen solid for a long time, so plants cannot recoup lost moisture

[mark smyth]

I always believed these were poisonous. They are actually very nice but remember to spit the seeds.

[johnw]

and there could be a longer even if cool, growing season..

I remember Peter Cox saying that when he was up there in late June forrestii was just coming into bloom while emerging from the snow. So I guess the summers are extremely short and cool.  They get a little bored by summer here - after July, then look perky when late September rolls around with the onset of codler night temperatures.  None can tolerate much heat.

It would be interesting to see data on lows and highs as well as snow depths up there. Strange it hasn't been recorded.

I guess we won't be hearing from Mark again after eating those Taxus berries!  


johnw - +7c and damp. Rain impending, just what we need after a deluge on Thursday.

[cohan]

well, john, this year, at least, that sounds just like our summer!

[johnw]

well, john, this year, at least, that sounds just like our summer!

They loved our cool summer too.  However bud set is thoroughly unremarkable due to the lack of sun.

johnw

[johnw]

I always believed these were poisonous. They are actually very nice but remember to spit the seeds.

We await reports of your complete recovery with lively anticipation.

johnw

[cohan]

well, john, this year, at least, that sounds just like our summer!

They loved our cool summer too.  However bud set is thoroughly unremarkable due to the lack of sun.
johnw

lol--just can't win, huh?

[Sinchets]

Asphodelus acaulis  green with envy yet again

 I KNOW!
 me too! Lovely, isn't it?

Funnily enough that's what mine looked like when I had it in a pot. It now looks like this in the garden and the flowers are secreted away. I am not sure which growth form is more natural, but hopefully mine does mean lots of plants for sale 

[Lesley Cox]

Asphodelus acaulis   green with envy yet again

 I KNOW!
 me too! Lovely, isn't it?

Why? It's easy to grow and surely is available in the UK? Admittedly it does like a good warm climate but in a glasshouse it would be fine I should think.Mine flowers very well in the open garden and Dunedin's summer is NOT very warm compared to many.

[Lesley Cox]

I suspect the Asphodelus likes a really hard soil, gravelly and poor. It flowers well in such a place and the leaves are much less prominent.

[mark smyth]

John, I'm still here - for the time being.

Many web sites will tell you yew berry flesh is edible but always spit the seeds.
http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/wfsberries.htm

[Maggi Young]

Why? It's easy to grow and surely is available in the UK?

 Well,yes,  a search of the RHS Plantfinder tells me there are six nurseries stocking it in the UK, four doing mail order.
But..... I hardly buy from mail order and I do not travel around a lot to see nurseries in the flesh. So, if I haven't got seed of a plant then I'm not likely to see the plant to buy and so the chance of my getting it are slim.... so I do drool when I see a nice plant. I know there are plants out there which I could never source, which is a shame, but there are also many plants which, theoretically I could source, but for whatever reason: opportunity, space, money, common sense,  I don't. It's impossible to have everything one wants and even more impossible to pay proper attention to all those plants one would wish to have, so I have found a vestige of common sense and avoid the "it exists: I must have it " mindset.   Doesn't stop me thinking , ooh, that would be nice to have, but when I see the next flower open on whatever plants I do have, the pangs pass!
I'm quite a sensible old bat, really, you see!

 

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi, each year I get about 3 seeds from mine. They come in a bulby-like capsule on a short, stiffly down-curled stem and are rather like those of a chunky hosta or zephyranthes. Thicker than those. Next time I have some I'll send them.

[Maggi Young]

That is very kind of you, Lesley, and would be much appreciated!