In message , Janet Baraclough
writes
Some house insurers and mortgage surveys now question the distance
between the building and any trees. If one is selling, buying,
mortgaging or changing insurers it's something to bear in mind.

As you know, Janet, we're going to be starting a new garden from scratch
towards the end of this year. I've been trying to work out the
distances for planting a couple of native larch, hollies, birches plus
abies koreana and juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' amongst other
evergreens. All I want is an idea of the basic structure plan of the
garden early on, so that if I happen to spot a bargain something or
another appropriate to the planting when we're over on the mainland, I
can keep it watered and potted up until the day comes.

Surely the type of root system that any tree has must determine any long
term problems around buildings, etc? As far as I can remember, I don't
think that I've ever seen mention anywhere of this in a book, catalogue,
etc. "So and so a tree has this or that type of root system." Is there
a source for this sort of information? What sort of roots do the abies
and juniper have? Are they suitable for planting anywhere near a house
wall - or what's the distance they need to be away from it? I always
feel that when I plant a tree, it should really be for posterity - or to
last a good few years at least. As our new garden is going to be fairly
small, does this mean that if we want to grow anything like a larch, for
example, we are in the situation of growing it on and enjoying it for a
few years, and then sadly having to fell it before the roots can become
a problem?

BTW - When did we last have any rain here on the Island? It's dry as
dust over here in far flung Lamlash. Godot, our resident cock pheasant,
is sitting on the wind sill in front of me, stuffing corn for all he's
worth, as I'm typing this. Red squirrels are still visiting the bird
table regularly and we have four or more siskins visiting the peanut
feeder. I read in a book recently that they're attracted more to
feeders which are orange or red in colour. Ours is orange, but that
doesn't necessarily prove anything!

--
Susie Thompson, Isle of Arran
SPAM BLOCK IN OPERATION! Replace "deadspam.com" with "arrandragons.co.uk" to
reply by e-mail.

I was taught that you shouldn't plant a tree any closer to a building than
the eventual height of the tree.

--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

The message
from SusieThompson contains these words:

In message , Janet Baraclough
writes
Some house insurers and mortgage surveys now question the distance
between the building and any trees. If one is selling, buying,
mortgaging or changing insurers it's something to bear in mind.

As you know, Janet, we're going to be starting a new garden from scratch
towards the end of this year. I've been trying to work out the
distances for planting a couple of native larch, hollies, birches plus
abies koreana and juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' amongst other
evergreens. All I want is an idea of the basic structure plan of the
garden early on, so that if I happen to spot a bargain something or
another appropriate to the planting when we're over on the mainland, I
can keep it watered and potted up until the day comes.

Surely the type of root system that any tree has must determine any long
term problems around buildings, etc? As far as I can remember, I don't
think that I've ever seen mention anywhere of this in a book, catalogue,
etc. "So and so a tree has this or that type of root system."

Some trees will send their roots an astonishing distance towards
water/dripping drains; poplar, willow and alder for example. Our
neighbour has a young ash about 20 ft high, whose roots until recently
infested at least 50 ft across my veg garden. I've warned him, the sad
amputee might blow over in his direction :-). Others have very dense
surface roots which will dry the soil surface and prevent almost
anything else growing beneath the tree, and larch is one of those; plus,
it's *extremely* fast growing; and in an exposed position, it can drop
branches in high winds. I imagine Shiskine is quite a wind funnel in
winter.So lovely though it is, I wouldn't plant larch in your new plot.
And another thing with larch; even in the deep soil of my last garden,
they made large roots on the soil surface as thick as my arm; which
would cause havoc if they were near paved paths, mowers etc. Birch also
grows very fast.

What sort of roots do the abies
and juniper have? Are they suitable for planting anywhere near a house
wall - or what's the distance they need to be away from it?

Abies koreana is lovely; it's smaller and slow and has large crops of
blue cones at a really young age. I think it or the juniper would be
much safer bets for you..or holly, which is slow to start and easy to
limit in size. Or, some kind of rowan, all of which should do
brilliantly here. There are all sorts of smallish pretty ones with
yellow, pink or white berries and I've never known their roots spread
far.

BTW - When did we last have any rain here on the Island?

Can't remember, wonderful isn't it :-). And it won't rain tomorrow,
because it's Wednesday, and it hasn't rained on a Wednesday morning yet
this year. Good weather for laying new land drains, which is John's
job-in-hand atm. He's got huge black plastic ones coiling about in the
back garden like that film about giant worms.

It's dry as
dust over here in far flung Lamlash. Godot, our resident cock pheasant,
is sitting on the wind sill in front of me, stuffing corn for all he's
worth, as I'm typing this. Red squirrels are still visiting the bird
table regularly and we have four or more siskins visiting the peanut
feeder. I read in a book recently that they're attracted more to
feeders which are orange or red in colour. Ours is orange, but that
doesn't necessarily prove anything!

Our siskins are yuppies who like stainless steel. I'm still collecting
seaweed in vast amounts, despite the recent discouraging news about it
being irradiated by Sellafield so a possible health hazard for veg
growing on the west coast of Scotland. Too late, I've already dug in
tons of it.Those little brown hoppers who live in seaweed keep coming
indoors on the dog's feet or mine, and leaping round the sitting room
carpet at night..looks like a slum infestation.

Janet.

In message , Janet Baraclough
writes

I'm still collecting
seaweed in vast amounts, despite the recent discouraging news about it
being irradiated by Sellafield so a possible health hazard for veg
growing on the west coast of Scotland. Too late, I've already dug in
tons of it.Those little brown hoppers who live in seaweed keep coming
indoors on the dog's feet or mine, and leaping round the sitting room
carpet at night..looks like a slum infestation.

Hello Janet

Many apologies for the long delay in following up your posting. I've had
a very busy few days, and today I can take time to catch with everything
again. Thanks very much for all your good advice regarding tree
planting, etc. The three tiny potted-up larch seedlings which I thought
might be OK will now be planted out in the woodland around the house
where we're living for the time being.

Regarding "those little brown hoppers" that regularly infest your
sitting room - as they come up from the beach on the weed, do you think
that they could be relatives of prawns, shrimps or suchlike? I'm sure
that I've seen them before on the beach in *vast* numbers. Now, if they
are by any chance of good fortune related to crustacea, they might just
turn out to be edible, although I've no idea just how many of them would
be needed to make a forkful?

If you are interested, I have a small book called "Why not eat
insects?". It was written by Vincent M Holt and first published in
1885. I think that the following excerpt gives a good idea of the
book's contents. "I myself also knew a labourer , some years ago, in
the West of England, who was regularly in the habit of picking up and
eating any small white slugs which he happened to see, just as he would
have picked wild strawberries."!

I can help you with a recipe for wood louse sauce for serving with fish,
as they are probably the nearest in size to your hoppers. There are
also many suggestions for most common garden pests, caterpillars, slugs
and snails among them. If you think that the wood louse recipe would
help you to make good use of your unexpected source of protein, do let
me know and I can either email it to you directly, or post it here on
the 'urghhhh' newsgroup.


--
Susie Thompson
SPAM BLOCK IN OPERATION! Replace "deadspam.com" with "cloudsley.co.uk" to reply
by e-mail.

"SusieThompson" wrote in message
...
: In message , Janet Baraclough
: writes
:
: I'm still collecting
: seaweed in vast amounts, despite the recent discouraging news about it
: being irradiated by Sellafield so a possible health hazard for veg
: growing on the west coast of Scotland. Too late, I've already dug in
: tons of it.Those little brown hoppers who live in seaweed keep coming
: indoors on the dog's feet or mine, and leaping round the sitting room
: carpet at night..looks like a slum infestation.
:
: Hello Janet
:
: Many apologies for the long delay in following up your posting. I've had
: a very busy few days, and today I can take time to catch with everything
: again. Thanks very much for all your good advice regarding tree
: planting, etc. The three tiny potted-up larch seedlings which I thought
: might be OK will now be planted out in the woodland around the house
: where we're living for the time being.
:
: Regarding "those little brown hoppers" that regularly infest your
: sitting room - as they come up from the beach on the weed, do you think
: that they could be relatives of prawns, shrimps or suchlike? I'm sure
: that I've seen them before on the beach in *vast* numbers. Now, if they
: are by any chance of good fortune related to crustacea, they might just
: turn out to be edible, although I've no idea just how many of them would
: be needed to make a forkful?
:
: If you are interested, I have a small book called "Why not eat
: insects?". It was written by Vincent M Holt and first published in
: 1885. I think that the following excerpt gives a good idea of the
: book's contents. "I myself also knew a labourer , some years ago, in
: the West of England, who was regularly in the habit of picking up and
: eating any small white slugs which he happened to see, just as he would
: have picked wild strawberries."!
:
: I can help you with a recipe for wood louse sauce for serving with fish,
: as they are probably the nearest in size to your hoppers. There are
: also many suggestions for most common garden pests, caterpillars, slugs
: and snails among them. If you think that the wood louse recipe would
: help you to make good use of your unexpected source of protein, do let
: me know and I can either email it to you directly, or post it here on
: the 'urghhhh' newsgroup.
:
:
: --
: Susie Thompson
: SPAM BLOCK IN OPERATION! Replace "deadspam.com" with "cloudsley.co.uk" to
reply
: by e-mail.

Oh, do post it here so that we can all enjoy it :O))

K

The message
from SusieThompson contains these words:


Regarding "those little brown hoppers" that regularly infest your
sitting room - as they come up from the beach on the weed, do you think
that they could be relatives of prawns, shrimps or suchlike? I'm sure
that I've seen them before on the beach in *vast* numbers. Now, if they
are by any chance of good fortune related to crustacea, they might just
turn out to be edible, although I've no idea just how many of them would
be needed to make a forkful?

They are just like miniature shrimps; especially when they die, and
turn from brown to pink.Each one is about the size of a fingernail
clipping, so I think they would just have to be a garnish...like the
sugar ants we had at a dinner in Australia.

If you are interested, I have a small book called "Why not eat
insects?". It was written by Vincent M Holt and first published in
1885. I think that the following excerpt gives a good idea of the
book's contents. "I myself also knew a labourer , some years ago, in
the West of England, who was regularly in the habit of picking up and
eating any small white slugs which he happened to see, just as he would
have picked wild strawberries."!

I wonder if a slug that has spent its life eating strawberries, tastes
of them? (Imagine the great big black ones, reared on garlic, grilled on
toast with gentleman's relish).I've enjoyed eating snails, many
crustaceans, frogs, raw sea-urchins and oysters, and cooked seaslugs; so
there's no logical reason to feel squeamish about land slugs. :-o

I can help you with a recipe for wood louse sauce for serving with fish,
as they are probably the nearest in size to your hoppers. There are
also many suggestions for most common garden pests, caterpillars, slugs
and snails among them. If you think that the wood louse recipe would
help you to make good use of your unexpected source of protein, do let
me know and I can either email it to you directly, or post it here on
the 'urghhhh' newsgroup.

Er..no need to hurry :-)

Janet