On 3/4/05 4:12 pm, in article
, "Totty"
wrote:

Thank you for your welcomes, Duncan & Sacha.
snip of fascinating account
I have struggled here for twenty years, and now work on the premise
that if a wild plant does well, don't fight it. The small bright pink
flowers of our resident bindweed provide colour without being too
invasive.

Is that Ipomoea - morning glory which I think of as purple but I *think*
there's a pink one as well. It grows like a weed, literally, in Med.
Countries.

What does well? In flower at the moment are wisteria, yellow
jasmin, lavender, sage, roses, orange trees, dymorphia (known locally
as matacabras...goat killers) kalanchoe and freesias, which propogate
easily from seed here. I also have a flowering shrub sold locally as
'Polygona' which has a purple pea flower throughout the year.

I think this is what we call Polygala? It's a lovely plant but not hardy
here.

snip
Nisperos sold in nurseries are grafted onto quince, but
they grow well from seed, just take longer to fruit. If you can't track
down a plant, I could send some seeds over when the fruit are in season
as they need to be planted fresh. The seeds look like small chestnuts.

As I look out the window at a cold, grey Sunday, I'm very envious of your
description, poor soil or not! But what is a nispero - I don't think I know
that at all?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)