Mike Lyle wrote:
[H]omer wrote:
Ref: my previous post about sick Conifers; I've put up some photos
on a Web Album.

Also some shots of the 'meadow' that I started working on last
year, and some mystery plants some kind folks might want to try to
identify (nearly all of them )

http://www.genesis-x.nildram.co.uk/l...urgler/270705/

My stabs at identification:
FB unknown macro: houseleek?

I got these from Suttons (along with literally hundreds of other
plants), but they were received and planted unlabelled by a friend in my
absence (yes ... he's an idiot), so I have no idea, other than the fact
that they arrived in mid-May in the form of mini-plants. I'm 100%
certain they're not weeds, and about 75% certain they're not (supposed
to be) vegetables.

Unknown shrub 0021: a nicely coloured form of elder.

I was just watching the Midsummer episode of GW recorded off Sky (I've
been away overseas), and Monty pointed out an almost identical Elder
they have at Berryfields, maybe even the same variety. That mystery has
bugged me for a while now.

BTW - the photo *really* doesn't do them justice; the leaves are
actually a stunning burgundy colour. For some reason, Adobe Photoshop
Elements decided that they were supposed to be green

Another unknown 0028: Shepherd's purse seeds in front of Redshank or
Persicaria?
Another unknown 0029: Water-pepper, perhaps?
What flower? 0030: it's in the wild cabbage family, and without a
clear view of the leaves, I'll just say Wild cabbage.

Here's all the varieties that I *expected* to appear:

http://www.designbynature.co.uk/ente...rget=p_55.html

I did cheat a bit, by throwing in some leftover seeds collected from
last years annuals, but most of it is proper wildflower varieties.

_Lovely_ meadow.

Thanks

I am *really* pleased with it, and the locals fairly queue up to see it
too; it's quite an attraction.

Don't be disappointed if the grass takes over as the years go by:
you may need to do surgery.

I'm fully expecting, and prepared for, that inevitability. However I am
determined to never again used any form of weed killer on that area,
since I'm trying to build a micro ecosystem rather than just a pretty
view. Even digging up large(ish) patches would have an adverse affect on
any resident wildlife. I hear that Yellow Rattle is quite effective
against invasive grasses.

The bit you can't (easily) see in those photos, is the row of 25 wild
shrubs along the fence, that forms a hedgerow comprising of Dogwood, Dog
rose, Field Maple, Hawthorn, et al:

http://www.naturescape.co.uk/info/collectiona.htm

Oooh, I've gone all Conservationist

My guess is that the sick conifers are suffering from starvation or
thirst or both: I bet those pots are full of roots.

Sadly the rootballs are only about the size of footballs. The Conifers
have only been in those pots about a month - you should have seen the
crap they were planted in before! (See my earlier 'Sick Conifers' post.)

It's only a temporary home while I figure out what (if anything) I'm
going to do with them.

--
[H]omer

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