Blog 661 - Starting a New Garden Life

[Tim Ingram]

Lesley - highly impressive to see all these operations. I would have thought the cryptomeria would be OK. I once moved a Picea pungens 'Globosa', foolishly planted on an alpine bed; it ended up with hardly any roots at all but grew away when replanted - extraordinarily tough plants. I would be sad about the Erinacea; I can't think there are many people in the UK with such a specimen - I have one only a foot or less across and only just starting to flower and it is so remarkable when it does.

[Lesley Cox]

Firstly, thanks Maggi for your own research and the biographical notes re Jim LeComte. He was one of the speakers at "Alpines 81" in Nottingham and had great slides then. He had just two or three open days at the nursery each year and was otherwise closed to visitors so on those very few days we rock gardeners from the whole South Island journeyed to Alouette near Ashburton, more or less central east coast, and bought up large. The plants were on benches in a very large shade house and Jim sat behind the till  and chatted and served, and handed out orders already made up. I used to joke with him that he was like an old shopkeeper guarding his money supply, and we may as well be in a supermarket at a checkout. He'd just laugh.

I'm hopeful Brian that crocuses and all my bulbs will be happy. Certainly daffodils, tulips and bluebells are flourishing down there.

Tim I think my first erinacea took about 10 years to start flowering, in that split trough - well it wasn't split then - and the other took about 6 or 7 years. It's nearly as large now so I hope the young ones will grow quickly. I have done it from cuttings (painfully) but prefer seedlings. I collected about 50 seeds this year mainly because noticing they were ready one evening when I was watering, left them until next morning only to find most had opened even earlier than I was up and out, and had shed their seeds. Most pods have just one in, but occasionally two.

I find it hard to photograph well, the bright lilac flowers never showing well on my camera, usually dull and greyish/lavender, nothing like so good as in the flesh, so to speak. This is a pic from 2006. I'll try another now, even though the flowers are long gone, but to show the size.

As you see, the new picture is of a plant covered in gum leaves and with both long grass and blackberry beginning to encroach. There is also an Asarina procumbens emerging from the centre of the plant. The trough is 1.2 metres in length and the plant reaches both ends and way over the sides.

Maybe I shouldn't be so sad to leave both behind except that the new owners are not gardeners and plan to start fresh, getting rid of whatever is left here. I don't know what their plans are but truck loads of tree trunks have been arriving for a fortnight so I suspect a firewood business or something of the kind.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm hopeful Brian that crocuses and all my bulbs will be happy. Certainly daffodils, tulips and bluebells are flourishing down there.

Glad to hear that about bulbs, Lesley, but I was expressing my hopes that no permanent damage had been done with the chopped off roots on the Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tensan’  and anything else which had a root trim.

[Lesley Cox]

Oh, right, I misread you Brian. In general I'm an advocate of root pruning, even severe root pruning and will often chop off up to two thirds of the roots of a plant lifted for relocating. As a system I don't think it's ever failed me but of course those have been fibrous roots in general, not the woody ones of the cryptomeria. Daphne arbuscula had a tough time of it too. I used to propagate that successfully in a little heated frame with a cable through it but haven't had that available in recent years. I should be able to set it up again though at 661.

[Brian Ellis]

Oh, right, I misread you Brian.

No Lesley, my fault, I didn't proof read my post before I pressed the button, Like us all I tend to type what's running through my head and occasionally (often!) I trip up between the brain and the computer

[peter hood]

By happy coincidence, there is a picture and brief description of Jim Le Comte in John Richard's latest blog on the AGS website. (January 24th - Northumberland Alpine Gardeners Diairy).You will also have to put up with a picture of the Learned Professor and a vegetable sheep, but never mind. I'm sure someone cleverer than me could post a link.

[Maggi Young]

By happy coincidence, there is a picture and brief description of Jim Le Comte in John Richard's latest blog on the AGS website. (January 24th - Northumberland Alpine Gardeners Diairy).You will also have to put up with a picture of the Learned Professor and a vegetable sheep, but never mind. I'm sure someone cleverer than me could post a link.

Well done, Peter - I knew I'd seen something recently but could not remember what or where !
 It's here :
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Northumberland/+January+/455/

[Lesley Cox]

Well that IS a co-incidence! Thanks Peter and Maggi. John is right. Jim was rude, outspoken and foul-mouthed but I couldn't say that, could I? However I guess I can agree with John. (I had the privilege of going on one of his Greek AGS trips, in 1993, with Peter Sheasby and about 10 others including the Greek/American Nic Nicou, a beautiful and kindly man, retired GP.) Jim hated pretension and was intolerant of fools with silly questions though was happy to help anyone with a genuine wish to learn. He was also very generous to those whom he saw loved the plants and I had many plants never paid for, but tucked into the corner of an order when I collected it.

Having said that, it has always been the belief among rock gardeners here, that it was Jean who was the skillled propagator and who knew the alpines best, except perhaps the natives, but remained always quietly in the background, a shy lady, while Jim was the salesman and showman of the pair.

[Lesley Cox]

On the subject of pretension, Roger and I have discussed whether we should give our new home a name. It has none at present and though it's not a huge house, it has a certain graciousness about it which calls for some recognition. My nursery is "Gala Plants" recalling both Roger's and my Scottish forebears who all came from the general area of the Scottish Borders and especially from around Galashiels. So maybe Gala House it will be. Of course the area our new place is situated in, is called Clarendon but perhaps Clarendon House would be carrying pretension WAY beyond acceptable limits.

[annew]

 

[David Nicholson]

On the subject of pretension, Roger and I have discussed whether we should give our new home a name. It has none at present and though it's not a huge house, it has a certain graciousness about it which calls for some recognition. My nursery is "Gala Plants" recalling both Roger's and my Scottish forebears who all came from the general area of the Scottish Borders and especially from around Galashiels. So maybe Gala House it will be. Of course the area our new place is situated in, is called Clarendon but perhaps Clarendon House would be carrying pretension WAY beyond acceptable limits.

Reiver's Cottage?

[Lesley Cox]

Who are you calling a reiver?

Though my Ma said her Dad's boast always was "We aye took our meat out 'o England."

[David Nicholson]

 

[Lesley Cox]

Just to assure those kindly interested people that I haven't run out of steam so far as this Blog is concerned. It's still ongoing but so much has happened lately and the time running out so fast that I haven't had time to sit down and write lately. I'll get back to it soon and hopefully another episode before the move on Friday next. We thought we had to move on Saturday then found it had to be Friday (day of sale completion) and leave by 4pm according to the law or penalties apply. Roger has at last conceded we need a furniture removal van and I am taking plants south now by car and trailer. My son and a mate from the market will finish the nursery stuff on Friday.

While I should have been clearing out the linen cupboard last night, I watched NZ beat England in the first of a one day cricket series. A good game which could have easily gone either way.

[Lesley Cox]

Of course my mind having now completely collapsed, substituted Clarendon for Clarence in the post above. So the latter wouldn't be pretentious at all - or not in THAT way.