Bulb Log 09/05/07

[Andrew]

Ian said 'I have it in mind to plant out spare crocus, fritillaria ...'.

You can send any spare's down here Ian .

http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2007/090507/log.html

[Maggi Young]

I nearly fell off the chair when I read

I am not entirely sure how I will utilise this bed but I am sure that it is for bulbs

  .... yes, well, tell me something I hadn't guessed!!

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

How could that surprise you. And are you not delighted to have one so gifted at d.i.y. in the home.

My compliments, Ian, an a brilliant piece of engineering and construction.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

He is quite handy to have around, Paddy, I think, on balance, that I'll keep him!
This method is a really easy way to make a frame, needs minimum of tools and nothing complicated in construction. It is basically the way we built the raised beds we have which were made from 3foot x2foot slabs to make a bed 6foot by 3foot x 2 foot high. (Metric would be approx 90x60 cm slabs to make 180 x 90x 60 cms beds)  For these larger beds, Ian used plates of metal, bolted through the slabs at the flat joins and right-angled plates for the corner fixings...the bases of the slabs were kept in place on some sides by the slabs laid as paving around them... this has proved a very secure and long-lasting method, which was appropriate for these larger structures, which have a heavy weight of filling to support.
For a smaller plunge frame like this new one, the use of the covered wire is quite adequate.  We  do have one wooden frame of about this size...it could be said it is nicer to look at, but the concrete is longer lasting and maintenance free.

[annew]

Any advice on why double forms of Trillium grandiflorum sometimes (usually!) abort their flower buds? Also, any chance of a link to the bulb log from each topic page so we don't have to go to the home page first? Think of all that energy wasted having to press that extra button and scroll down....

[Maggi Young]

Anne, I have been back through the various Bulb Log Feedback threads and have placed a link to the relevant Bulb Logs in the first post of each thread relating to a specific Log. Hope that is some help.
I'll do that in future, too..... I'm all for making life easier!

[Anthony Darby]

Anne, the aborting of flowers mystifies me. It may be drought at a critical time? I have Trillium grandiflorum 'Snowbunting' which, until this year, has only ever had two stems, each with a flower. This year it has three but one flower aborted. 'Jenny Rhodes', on the other hand, has gone from no flowers in 2004, to one in 2005, to two in 2006, to four this year.

[Ian Y]

Anne, I am thinking about your aborted flowers  
I will answer later, maybe I will discuss it in next weeks log.

[Martin Baxendale]

To add to the discussion about aborted trillium buds: My clump of double-flowered Trillium grandiflorum 'Snowbunting' aborted all its flower buds this year for the first time ever. Six buds, all aborted. I'm putting it down to the drought and heat in April, as it's the first such weather anomaly we've had and the first time any of the buds have aborted, let alone all of them.