"Spider" wrote

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Broadback" wrote

After a fairly heavy snow fall on Thursday I cleared my drive. This
was fine until last night we had a light fall, so out to clear the
drive again. Where I had cleared previously under the snow was frozen,
however where I had not cleared it was completely free of ice and easy
to shovel away.

In their native areas the Pleonies I grow spend the winter under a nice
warm and dry blanket of snow. Come the thaw they respond to the slight
rise in temperature, increase in light and melted snow by blooming. It's
a system I try to mimic in a small way by bringing them up under the
eaves of the house in winter where it's slightly warmer, dryer and
shadier.



I haven't dared plant my Pleiones outside. Perhaps I'm a bit too precious
about them, but when a potted plant was outside for the summer it was
attacked by galloping gastropods. I'm also concerned that they may get too
wet and rot. Certainly keeping them inside in a cool room makes the blooms
last much longer. What do you do to prevent yours being chomped to death,
or drowned? Unfortunately, I don't have a soil border up against mmy house
from which they could benefit. Are yours in pots?


Mine are outside in pots, or more correctly clay pans. Never had any
attacked by snails or slugs as far as I know, did have some trouble with a
squirrel a couple of years ago that obviously thought they were nuts and
made off with a few. Maybe they don't like the small bark chippings I use as
50% of the compost. Last year was bad for wet which has caused a few
fatalities but others seem to like it and have made up well. I move mine
about according to the season, they spend the summer on top of the wall
surrounding my pond (3,000gals) but in the shade of the house, so only get a
bit of sun first and last thing but have a constant humid atmosphere. In the
winter they come up right next to the house on a N. facing wall.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK