"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" wrote in message
...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

I don't believe most of the nonsense written about this. This year
has been a disaster, and I don't think that it will be unusual.
I lost a lot (including Salvia viridis and other labiates) due to
the 6 months of cold and wet. And it took forever to warm up
enough for the exotics to start.

My Passiflora incarnata didn't break surface until June, and my
Erythrina crista-galli until a fortnight later. Vegetables planted
out failed to grow, and that happened even to ones I started indoors.
A huge number of the things that the press claim we will be able to
grow don't mind frost, but DO demand a decent summer. At present
it is warm, but the nights are already closing in.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Bloody southern bedwetters always moaning:-)
Yep you are right about some things requiring a decent summer and I guess
that many require a once in a decade (if we are lucky) type summer such as
we had in 95.
There does appear to be an almost sudden realisation that many of the so
called "Tropicals" will survive even a hard winter if it ain't too wet.
Survival is one thing but getting plants to perform tolerably with rubbish
light levels is near impossible--but we try.
One long, cold and wet winter will devastate my patch but I live in hope.


I also find that the pundits are obsessed with averages, it makes little
difference if the winter has on average been the warmest for 100 years if
one night got down to -7c which was the case this year, one cold night
undoes all the good of a mild winter and palms etc won't grow in winter
however warm if the light levels are low. So I am with Nick and reckon the
next person that tells me I should try Bougainvillea again now global
warming is here needs shooting! (Politely of course)
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)