In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 27/02/2012 23:37, Sacha wrote:

Winter Aconites can sometimes be mysteriously shy to 'take' in some
gardens, in the same manner as Lily of the Valley.

Really. I view Lily of the Valley as a borderline weed.
I do grow the variagated cultivar deliberately.

Please go and stick your head in a bucket! ;-)) I cannot grow the darned
thing wherever I've gardened and I love them!

How strange. I really didn't think they were that tricky to grow!
If they like the conditions the clumps just get bigger almost forever.
(and out compete most weeds - dandelions excepted)

But only IF they like the conditions! There are lots of 'easy'
plants I can't grow, because they can't take Cambridge rainfall
on a sandy soil, and others for reasons I haven't identified.

Incidentally, your Lily of the Valley evidently prefer my garden
to yours - I can't keep them from spreading even in an enclosed
bed and they can even take on a solid block of Vinca major that
eliminates namby-pamby weeds like dandelions :-)

I have got Cyclamen coum to establish a carpet, and it even
out-competes most weeds - again, the conditions are the key.
They are so extreme that few other plants can even survive :-)
Lily of the Valley doesn't need extreme conditions, but it seems
to dislike some conditions.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.