In the early spring this year I tidied up my RHP's and stripped off
all the dead and half-dead foliage from around the outsides of the
clumps, leaving a sheaf of new young growth in the centre. They're
mostly species types, planted last year so not yet too large. But I
was disappointed with their subsequent performance it terms of size
and number of flowers, especially those flowering in late summer. The
autumn flowering types were better. Whether this was due to my tidying
or to the weather, I don't know, but what do other urglers do with
their RHP's and when?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 16:00:17 -0000, "Spider"
wrote:


Chris Hogg wrote in message
.. .
In the early spring this year I tidied up my RHP's and stripped off
all the dead and half-dead foliage from around the outsides of the
clumps, leaving a sheaf of new young growth in the centre. They're
mostly species types, planted last year so not yet too large. But I
was disappointed with their subsequent performance it terms of size
and number of flowers, especially those flowering in late summer. The
autumn flowering types were better. Whether this was due to my tidying
or to the weather, I don't know, but what do other urglers do with
their RHP's and when?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Hi Chris,

I do just as you do, tidying partly in autumn and again in spring. I didn't
have many flowers, but my plants are still very young. I used to believe
they preferred poorish soil, but have since read that they are quite hungry.
Could faulty feeding be the problem with yours? I shall certainly feed mine
up in spring.

By-the-way, could you recommend a good, stout reddish-orange poker for
autumn?

Spider

Thanks Spider. I'll try feeding them next year. I grow mostly species
RHP's, raised from seed from Chiltern, and they tend to be a bit
variable. But K. Rooperi is one of my favourites, with heads a bit
more rounded than most types, up to 6 feet when established. Similar
sized but later flowering and just going over in my garden is K.
Linearifolia, although not consistently reddish orange. Some are like
that, but others are a greenish yellow-orange (a sort of old-gold and
rather nice). A tall hybrid that I like is Prince Igor, large heads up
to 8 feet tall. K. Uvaria Nobilis is also very tall (the label says 10
ft!), but I've not had it long enough to confirm it.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote in message
...
On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 16:00:17 -0000, "Spider"
wrote:


Chris Hogg wrote in message
.. .
In the early spring this year I tidied up my RHP's and stripped off
all the dead and half-dead foliage from around the outsides of the
clumps, leaving a sheaf of new young growth in the centre. They're
mostly species types, planted last year so not yet too large. But I
was disappointed with their subsequent performance it terms of size
and number of flowers, especially those flowering in late summer. The
autumn flowering types were better. Whether this was due to my tidying
or to the weather, I don't know, but what do other urglers do with
their RHP's and when?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Hi Chris,

I do just as you do, tidying partly in autumn and again in spring. I
didn't
have many flowers, but my plants are still very young. I used to believe
they preferred poorish soil, but have since read that they are quite
hungry.
Could faulty feeding be the problem with yours? I shall certainly feed
mine
up in spring.

By-the-way, could you recommend a good, stout reddish-orange poker for
autumn?

Spider

Thanks Spider. I'll try feeding them next year. I grow mostly species
RHP's, raised from seed from Chiltern, and they tend to be a bit
variable. But K. Rooperi is one of my favourites, with heads a bit
more rounded than most types, up to 6 feet when established. Similar
sized but later flowering and just going over in my garden is K.
Linearifolia, although not consistently reddish orange. Some are like
that, but others are a greenish yellow-orange (a sort of old-gold and
rather nice). A tall hybrid that I like is Prince Igor, large heads up
to 8 feet tall. K. Uvaria Nobilis is also very tall (the label says 10
ft!), but I've not had it long enough to confirm it.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Thanks very much for those recommendations, Chris. I shall do some shopping
next spring/summer and add some fiery pokers to my 'hot' border. Good luck
with yours.

Regards,
Spider

Forgot to mention, there's a nursery specialising in RHP's: Cotswold
Garden Flowers, Sands Lane, Badsey, Worcerstershire, www.cgf.net .
Over 70 varieties, apparently.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote in message
...
Forgot to mention, there's a nursery specialising in RHP's: Cotswold
Garden Flowers, Sands Lane, Badsey, Worcerstershire, www.cgf.net .
Over 70 varieties, apparently.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Thanks for that, Chris, it was very helpful. For some reason, there don't
seem to be many images and descriptions of RHPs in the gardening books. GCs
are fine for browsing, but the last RHP I bought was wrongly labelled.
I'd take it back, but by the time it had flowered and I knew it was
wrong, I'd forgotten which GC or nursery I'd bought it from. I'll be more
careful next time.

Spider

On Wed, 2 Nov 2005 12:46:34 -0000, "Spider" wrote:


Thanks for that, Chris, it was very helpful. For some reason, there don't
seem to be many images and descriptions of RHPs in the gardening books. GCs
are fine for browsing, but the last RHP I bought was wrongly labelled.
I'd take it back, but by the time it had flowered and I knew it was
wrong, I'd forgotten which GC or nursery I'd bought it from. I'll be more
careful next time.

Spider

I inherited RHPs when we bought the house. They are by the path and have never been fed in13 years.
In fact I tried to remove then about 8 yrs ago but couldn't get all the root out. The stump grew
back to it's original size and flowers like mad every year. Maybe it's because it is so dry there.
They get no tlc ever.

Kath

"Lee and Kath" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Nov 2005 12:46:34 -0000, "Spider" wrote:


Thanks for that, Chris, it was very helpful. For some reason, there don't
seem to be many images and descriptions of RHPs in the gardening books.
GCs
are fine for browsing, but the last RHP I bought was wrongly labelled.
I'd take it back, but by the time it had flowered and I knew it was
wrong, I'd forgotten which GC or nursery I'd bought it from. I'll be more
careful next time.

Spider

I inherited RHPs when we bought the house. They are by the path and have
never been fed in13 years.
In fact I tried to remove then about 8 yrs ago but couldn't get all the
root out. The stump grew
back to it's original size and flowers like mad every year. Maybe it's
because it is so dry there.
They get no tlc ever.

Kath

I've got some forgotten varieties of RHPs grown from seed. They have been
in the garden for a long time and have always been rather poor specimens.
We have been muttering about clearing them, behind their backs of course,
for years. They must have heard us becuase this year they put on the best
show for twenty years!

Derek Banks (after lurking on the list for a long time.)