On 17/12/06 23:26, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article , Sacha
writes:
|
| They seem to do well down here and our C.canadensis is smothered in
flowers.
| I know Halesia does pretty well here and in the Cis where winters are
milder
| than many parts of UK but where it is also wet. My son's garden has a
| Halesia planted years ago by his grandfather BUT, because he believed one
| saw it at its best if looking up into it, he planted his Halesia on a high
| bank, so perhaps the excellent drainage is a major factor there.

I lost one Halesia out of two this summer, and neither had exactly
thrived. I lost my seedling C. canadensis one winter, and it hadn't
grown very fast before that. However, I do get more of a frost+wet
mixture than you do, and I am 90% certain that the garden has some
root-attacking fungi in the soil. My seedling Albizia is still alive,
but hasn't so far made much more growth in a summer than it loses in
the winter. And Erythrina crista-galli seems similar.

I suspect that tenderness of that nature is more a matter of mixed
conditions than mere extremes - e.g. frost damages the roots, and
then the cool, wet ones allow attacks without enabling it to recover.
At least for SOME such plants!

I'm sure you're right. Sometimes people forget that plants are living
things and have their own temperament. I think we've all experienced plants
that you move from one side of the garden to the other or even maybe 6' and
they thrive, whereas before, they sulked. One side of our garden is good
for rhodies, the other not so good but strangely is fine for Camellias.
OTOH, at the bottom of the garden in a very dry spot in summer, we have a
wonderful splurge of Arum lilies. It's always worth pushing the envelope.
;-)


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/