"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article 9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no,
"Graham" writes:
|
| Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so
that
| they can be dried for future use.
| Graham


You don't have to prune it all atb once, so can pick leaves fresh and
cut shoots back as and when appropriate. It really doesn't seem to
mind any sort of pruning.


Thanks again, Nick! It's time it was shaped as one stem has "taken off"
this year.
Graham

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| I noticed a neighbour's today, it must be 20' high, it was a small
shrub
| when she planted it. It's at the bottom of her garden and never gets
any sun
| at its lower half.

Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....

er - not like you to make a typo but did you men 9' ?

| But the OP said that the bay was on a kitchen windowsill - surely it
| wouldn't get as low as -10C indoors?

I was actually responding to your posting. If he lives in a seriously
cold winter area, it won't survive outdoors.

I assumed his kitchen windowsill is inside his kichen ... perhaps he
should tell us more. It the kitchen heated for instance? Even I wouldn't
like to work in a kitchen at -10C.

Yes, it's a bay widow behind the sink where I have a new rosemary plant as
well (the old one snuffed it this year after 20 years). I've tried growing
other herbs indoors during the winter, which are very severe by UK
standards, but bugs, including aphids, appear from nowhere. Tarragon likes
to die back, IME, when I over-wintered it indoors it was a miserable
specimen. It's a pity really, poulet à l'estragon is superb but who wants
the oven on in summer?
Graham

On 9/9/08 10:49, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
| quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
| to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....
|
| er - not like you to make a typo but did you men 9' ?

I meant stems - it can sucker and make a patch of any diameter!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

And how! We seem to be forever cutting ours back. I have to beg for that
not to be done just before Christmas because I use it in church flower
arrangements. It sends churchgoers a subtle - almost subliminal - thought
of bread sauce and roast turkey. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

The message 9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no
from "Graham" contains these words:

Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so that
they can be dried for future use.

After the war, a Pole who was stationed at a nearby aerodrome stayed,
and started a business mowing 'launs'. We had a couple of very large bay
trees, and he asked if he could have some leaves.

Seeing him collecting the dead leaves from beneath the tree, my mother
pressed him to take as many green leaves as he wanted.

He didn't - asserting that the fallen leaves were much better.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 9/9/08 10:49, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
| quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
| to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....
|
| er - not like you to make a typo but did you men 9' ?

I meant stems - it can sucker and make a patch of any diameter!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

And how! We seem to be forever cutting ours back. I have to beg for that
not to be done just before Christmas because I use it in church flower
arrangements. It sends churchgoers a subtle - almost subliminal - thought
of bread sauce and roast turkey. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

All this on suckering had me wondering whether I had the true, Mediterranean
species, Laurus nobilis, or the Californian Bay Laurel, Umbellularia
californica (aka Oregon myrtle). Living closer to California than the UK
one might be sold the alternative.
However, I've had a good look at the leaves and it is definitely L. nobilis.

Incidentally, craftspeople in the NW USA make all sorts of items from U.
californica for tourists. The selling point is that it is only found there
and in the Holy Land which is, of course, absolute twaddle. Just a factoid
for those players of Trivial Pursuit{;-)
Graham

In article EiCxk.162787$nD.54784@pd7urf1no,
"Graham" writes:
|
| Incidentally, craftspeople in the NW USA make all sorts of items from U.
| californica for tourists. The selling point is that it is only found there
| and in the Holy Land which is, of course, absolute twaddle. Just a factoid
| for those players of Trivial Pursuit{;-)

Hang on! Let me stand up for Trivial Pursuit! While it does have
errors, it is generally pretty accurate.

I didn't know that factoid about Umbellularia californica, but can
easily believe in its promulgation :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article EiCxk.162787$nD.54784@pd7urf1no,
"Graham" writes:
|
| Incidentally, craftspeople in the NW USA make all sorts of items from
U.
| californica for tourists. The selling point is that it is only found
there
| and in the Holy Land which is, of course, absolute twaddle. Just a
factoid
| for those players of Trivial Pursuit{;-)

Hang on! Let me stand up for Trivial Pursuit! While it does have
errors, it is generally pretty accurate.

I didn't know that factoid about Umbellularia californica, but can
easily believe in its promulgation :-(


I have a chunk of it. It's lovely wood to work, a bit like walnut only
pale. Also, when turning on the lathe or being sawn, it exudes a
lemon-citrus smell.
Graham

The message z0Dxk.264280$gc5.236168@pd7urf2no
from "Graham" contains these words:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article EiCxk.162787$nD.54784@pd7urf1no,
"Graham" writes:
|
| Incidentally, craftspeople in the NW USA make all sorts of items from
U.
| californica for tourists. The selling point is that it is only found
there
| and in the Holy Land which is, of course, absolute twaddle. Just a
factoid
| for those players of Trivial Pursuit{;-)

Hang on! Let me stand up for Trivial Pursuit! While it does have
errors, it is generally pretty accurate.

I didn't know that factoid about Umbellularia californica, but can
easily believe in its promulgation :-(


I have a chunk of it. It's lovely wood to work, a bit like walnut only
pale. Also, when turning on the lathe or being sawn, it exudes a
lemon-citrus smell.

Ah, a bit like a mirror-image of imbuia: rather like walnut, but on the
whole a lot darker, and is beautiful to work. Appearance like dark honey
and black treacle briefly stirred together.

When turned or sawn, there is an aroma of mixed spices.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

On Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:53:31 GMT, "Graham" wrote
and included this (or some of this):


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"Graham" wrote in message
news:9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no...


Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so
that they can be dried for future use.
Graham
You can of course dry them but they're better used fresh and it's an
evergreen so fresh ones will always be available.

I don't use that many and I abhor waste, therefore, I dry them for later
use.

Mine is a standard, 8' high with a 4' diameter ball on top.
I have to severely prune it three times a year or it takes over.
I don't need to store leaves.


--
®óñ© © ²°¹°-°²

On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:51:51 +0100, Rusty Hinge 2 wrote:

The message z0Dxk.264280$gc5.236168@pd7urf2no
from "Graham" contains these words:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article EiCxk.162787$nD.54784@pd7urf1no,
"Graham" writes:
|
| Incidentally, craftspeople in the NW USA make all sorts of items from
U.
| californica for tourists. The selling point is that it is only found
there
| and in the Holy Land which is, of course, absolute twaddle. Just a
factoid
| for those players of Trivial Pursuit{;-)

Hang on! Let me stand up for Trivial Pursuit! While it does have
errors, it is generally pretty accurate.

I didn't know that factoid about Umbellularia californica, but can
easily believe in its promulgation :-(


I have a chunk of it. It's lovely wood to work, a bit like walnut only
pale. Also, when turning on the lathe or being sawn, it exudes a
lemon-citrus smell.

Ah, a bit like a mirror-image of imbuia: rather like walnut, but on the
whole a lot darker, and is beautiful to work. Appearance like dark honey
and black treacle briefly stirred together.

When turned or sawn, there is an aroma of mixed spices.

I'll have to watch out for that one. However, we don't get a big range of
exotic hardwoods here, apart from floorboarding. You'd be surprised how
difficult it is to get quarter-sawn maple - when the leaf is on the flag!

Graham

On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:09:47 +0100, ®óñ© © ²°¹°-°² wrote:

On Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:53:31 GMT, "Graham" wrote
and included this (or some of this):


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Graham" wrote in message
news:9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no...


Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so
that they can be dried for future use.
Graham
You can of course dry them but they're better used fresh and it's an
evergreen so fresh ones will always be available.

I don't use that many and I abhor waste, therefore, I dry them for later
use.

Mine is a standard, 8' high with a 4' diameter ball on top.
I have to severely prune it three times a year or it takes over.
I don't need to store leaves.

Well here I have to keep it as a pot plant. I was at a friend's today and
she has one in a large pot that is about 6' tall but their front hall is
more like a conservatory and has several sub-tropical species there as
well.
Graham

The message
from Graham contains these words:

/imbuia/

I'll have to watch out for that one. However, we don't get a big range of
exotic hardwoods here, apart from floorboarding. You'd be surprised how
difficult it is to get quarter-sawn maple - when the leaf is on the flag!

Comes from Brazil, so it might get your way more easily than here.

I want a 2" thick plank for making a gunstock.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from Graham contains these words:
On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:09:47 +0100, ®óñ© © ²°¹°-°² wrote:

Mine is a standard, 8' high with a 4' diameter ball on top.
I have to severely prune it three times a year or it takes over.
I don't need to store leaves.

Well here I have to keep it as a pot plant. I was at a friend's today and
she has one in a large pot that is about 6' tall but their front hall is
more like a conservatory and has several sub-tropical species there as
well.


I've one in a planter and one loose in the hedge. Well, it's going to
become part of the hedge when it grows up a bit. Even though neither is
huge (not Huge) I never want for bayleaves.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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The message
from Janet Conroy contains
these words:


I am bemused by this thread. Where does the owner of this bay tree live
- on the summit of Ben Nevis??

Canadadadadada, IIRC.

Gets turbo-deepfreeze temperatures innit.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"Janet Conroy" wrote in message
...

I am bemused by this thread. Where does the owner of this bay tree live
- on the summit of Ben Nevis??

I'm a Brit living in Canada. Last winter the temp went down to ~-35C (-42C
with windchill). Not much thrives at that temp!
Graham


Bay trees are tough cookies, altho less so when kept in pots. I had
one in a 16" clay pot for several years in Yorks, and it thrived
(fairly shaded and a good bit of rain). Last year I moved to the W.
Lancs coast and the bay started to look sickly. I took it out of the
pot, stuck it in the garden with some non-peat compost and a sprinkling
of chicken manure, and it has absolutely thrived.




--
Janet Conroy