Yes, I'm so Happy! 2012

[Anthony Darby]

Vivienne is teaching physics as part of her science remit. Like the physicists who are teaching microbiology, she is having to tackle a subject alien to her, so she decided to use some YouTube in her lessons: Stitch this, as they say

[Lesley Cox]

I'm so happy because this morning I have potted singly, 29 Blandfordia punicea. Michael, if they survive the trauma and if they grow on - they're very tiny - I'll unpot a few and send them. No promises at this stage though.

[Paul T]

Congratulations, Lesley.  One of these years I want to try tackling Blandfordia again.  I've struggled the couple of times I've tried, but found out they like more water than I thought they did.  I'll work out a microclimate for them in my garden and try again.  Well done with germinating so many seedlings.  Good job.

[Lesley Cox]

Well thanks for that Paul. I wasn't too sure about how to keep them from now on though I thought they might like plenty moisture. I'll keep them quite damp and in the tunnel probably until the spring.

[Paul T]

I'd always thought they liked it quite dry, but apparently they send their roots down into permanent moisture zones.  Therefore ideal next to large rocks etc, which shelter their roots, and the Botanic Gardens has them planted in raised areas above light bogs (i.e they are above the bog, but have more or less permanent moisture below).  They need good drainage around the crown though I think.  The Bot Gdns also grow them well in largish pots.

[art600]

Vivienne is teaching physics as part of her science remit. Like the physicists who are teaching microbiology, she is having to tackle a subject alien to her, so she decided to use some YouTube in her lessons: Stitch this, as they say

Brilliant 

[Martin Baxendale]

Just got home after three hours of ballet in the local cinema, Kenneth Macmillan's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, beamed live from the Royal Opera House via satellite. Very impressive stuff.

[johnw]

I'm so happy because this morning I have potted singly, 29 Blandfordia punicea.

Lesley - Did I not see somewhere a label dated 2009 on your newly sprouted Blandfordia pot?  I thought I was mad as I am still watering my pot dated January 2009.  Do you think there's hope or am I mad?

johnw - 0c (what a difference a week makes!)

[Lina Hesseling]

I am really happy!!!!
Today my husband got a new hip and everything went well. He has a bad hart condition, so we both were very nervous about the operation. He is still in I.C. but if he stays stabil, he can switch to his room tomorrow.

Lina.

[Maggi Young]

Hey, Lina, that is great news!
Please give Henk our very best wishes for a good recovery from his surgery. I'm sure it will not be long before he is well enough to be home with you and being looked after in comfort.   

[ranunculus]

Wish your husband all the very best for a full and speedy recovery please, Lina ... I'm certain you have saved him some gardening jobs for when he is much fitter? 

[Lina Hesseling]

Maybe he can help me in June cutting the hedges. 

Thank you for your kind wishes.

Lina.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm very happy for your husband Lina and for you. Such ops are always a worry for both the recipient and the family. So pleased it went well and that you can both enjoy an easier and less painful life as a result.

John - you have caused me to "out" and confess something I hoped I could hide forever. When new seed arrives, from whatever source, the first thing I do, because I want to handle it and do SOMETHING, is write the labels and date them. Usually I put the source but sometimes I forget (being more careful this year). It's the date they arrive and the date I intend to sow them but sometimes it doesn't happen that way and it may be a month later or even months, or, in a few extreme cases, a couple of years later that they get sown if something has been put on top of the packet(s) and I've mislaid them. (I still haven't found Physoplexis comosa from 2001.) This means that the date on any label you may see in one of my posts can be very misleading and in fact, the Australian species from Marcus, the Blandfordia, the Richea and Patersonia and a couple of others were not, in fact, sown until early 2011, about April I think. The Blandfordia germinated in early spring, maybe August/Sept so what are in the posted picture are only about 6 months old.

Having made the confession, I rush to say that anything very precious, like your Shortias, rhodos and such, IS sown, immediately.

They say confession is good for the soul, and in fact so far this year, my seed sowing is totally up-to-date. Yes, really.

[johnw]

John - you have caused me to "out" and confess something I hoped I could hide forever. ... so what are in the posted picture are only about 6 months old.

So by inference I am mad? 

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

John I was about to say that what hope there may be depends on how mad you are. The question remains though, does Blandfordia germinate resonably quickly after sowing, even if the seed is quite old, or must it be fresh? You will have read here that Michael Campbell in the Rep of Ireland has also had trouble germinating it and we know he can do just about anything. For me, it seems the former is true but of course you and I have vastly different climates, especially though winter when we rarely have more than, say, -4 or -6C, snow only very occasionally and then only lying overnight except in a very few instances when it might lie for 2 or 3 days tops. We never have weeks of frozen ground.

I think I read in one of the Bulb Logs that Ian has his seed outside until it germinates then brings it under cover. I do the reverse nowadays, mainly though because of space constraints. The pots sit in my tunnel (knitted cover, not sheet plastic) then as soon as germination starts, they go outside, even in mid winter unless it's something like the choc cosmos that would get frosted. Anything hardy goes out and I find the germination keep on keeping on. Maybe the source plays a part and I have to say that usually Marcus Harvey's seed has been very reliable for me.