Cushions

[Jiri Papousek]

Hi Ger,
fan is almost the same (different Volts), but electricity is produced by solar panel. Stronger light means more energy for fan to turn faster. So you save money and in case of problem with electrical power network you are independent. I have to admit that so far it is just idea and I have no practical experience. First I have to build an alpine house....

[Kirsten]

Kirsten, good to hear you had a good trip in Patagonia. Where have you been this time?
We forgot to go this year (just kidding) but next year we are going to Mendoza. S. America is addictive is it not?

Ger, we went to the northern part of Patagonia and north of Patagonia. From Zapala in the south to Las Lenas in the north. As said it was a very nice holiday, but we are still more interested in the Santa Cruz province in southern Patagonia where we are going in November/December. Patagonia is indeed addictive.

[Maren]

Jiri,
I would be most interested in half a dozen of those solar fans, but unfortunately they are not distributed in the UK.

[Maggi Young]

You can get them, Maren, as this google search shows..... but the cheaper ones look flimsy and the rest are pretty expensive.  

[hadacekf]

Draba aizoides hyb. is a selfseeder. It grows overall.

[hadacekf]

At present flowers  following chushion plants in my stone throughs.

Draba polytricha
Aethionema oppositifolium
Veronica caespitosa
Viola hirta

[Michael J Campbell]

I finally got a few flowers on this little chinohebe pulvinaris ( or whatever it is called now)

[Graham Catlow]

Very nice michael
How long have you had it and how big is it?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Super plants Michael and Franz !!

Franz, that V. caespitosa is immaculate !! 

[Michael J Campbell]

Graham, it is about 10cm across and I have it for ten years,it is planted out in a scree bed and covered with a sheet of glass in the winter. I give it plenty of water in the summer if the weather is dry.

[Lesley Cox]

An outstanding Veronica Franz, the more so because I'm unhappily aware of how difficult it is to keep the woolly foliage in good condition, never mind all those glorious flowers. I'm wildly envious.

Well done Michael, a better show than I've had on mine.

[christian pfalz]

hello, erinacea anthyllis in flower, on limestone in my garden.....

cheers
chris

[Lesley Cox]

MY larger Erinacea is in a limestone trough, and nearly a metre across now, though it is over 20 years old. I hadn't thought about it actually liking lime, and the smaller plant is in hypertufa, also doing very well. I got a lot of seed off both this last spring, with the aid of some long-stemmed surgical pincers, borrowed from my doctor.

[astragalus]

I wonder if it's possible that the lime affects the color?  I recall seeing this in a limestone garden in Switzerland years ago, and it was a lovely soft blue.  The I saw it at the Pershore rock garden in April and the color was much paler, although it was blooming beautifully.  Maybe it's just variable?  My plants have still not bloomed although they seem to be growing quite well.

[Lesley Cox]

My larger plant was 10 years old before it bloomed but the smaller only took about 4 years. The seed I collected (mentioned above) has germinated well. I sowed 20 and 18 are so far through, and there was some extra which will go to the seedlists.