On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:58:13 -0000, "David WE Roberts"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
In article ,
David WE Roberts wrote:

"K" wrote in message
...

.. so - is it that this winter is a good deal colder than normal down
south, and therefore things have been hit quite badly? Whereas up here,
it's only marginally colder than normal, and we already plant for this
sort of weather, so we haven't been hit quite so badly?

So far (since the middle of December) the winter has been far harder here
than usual.
Most years we don't see any snow, at least any settled snow.
Hard frosts are unusual as well.

Not really. That's true only on a 10-15 year timescale. Even the
hardest winters of the past 10 years have been milder than average
for many of the decades before.

I am reporting going back to 1984 :-)

We do have a very mild microclimate in this part of coastal Suffolk.
Even 10 miles inland has been very different.

This reminds me more of the winters in Essex in the 1960s, although they
were much more extreme.
I remember four foot and more snowdrifts in 1963/64.

Pshaw

We had 20' drifts up around Blaenavon and Merthyr.

--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
in the garden and there was a *very* poor show, compared to most years.
This probably reflects the frosts we've had so far, much earlier than we
normally get them. The not-very-vast number of things in flower was:
Vinca oxyloba, Rosemarinus marenca, Mahonia bealei, Sarcococca confusa and
S. hookeriana, Camella Takanini and C. sasanqua Narumigata, as well as the
Camellia we think is 'Cherub'. The two latter are in full bloom. There
is also Correa backhousiana, Cestrum parquii, Viburnum tinus, Lonicera
purpusii, various Hellebores, Fuchsia excorticata in bud, Jasminum
nudiflorum, and with buds just about ready to break, the fishtail Camellia
Kingyoba-shiro-wabisuke.
And as a bonus (?!) 3 large badger scrapes towards the bottom of the
garden!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon


We had a chilly, bleak New Year's day and my fingers froze whilst writing,
but here's my list:

Achillea 'King George' - several corymbs of primrose flowers
Calendula canariensis - 1 lemon flower
Chaenomeles cutting - several buds, three flowers
Diascia - 2 large salmon buds
Erigeron karvinskianus - scattered white flowers
Erodium reichardii rosea - 2 flowers
Erysimum 'Bowle's Mauve' - 14 apical flower clusters, many purple buds
Exochorda macr. 'The Bride' -very few green flower buds nearest house *late*
(for us)
Feverfew (Tanacetum sp?) - few battered flowers
Geranium 'Ann Folkard' - 1 flower
Hebe 'Midsummer Beauty' - 3 flowers
Hebe 'Nicola's Blush' - few flower spikes, several in bud
Hebe 'Purple Picture - 2 poor flower spikes, several with coloured buds
Hebe (purple seedling) - 1 flower spike, several in bud
Helleborus Xs - 2 dark plum flowers; others barely in bud
Helleborus argutifolium - only elongated bud group *unusually late*
Jasminum nudiflorum - scattered flowers
Kerria flore pleno - few tight buds *notably late*
Kerria jap. 'Gold Guinee' - many buds, only 1 showing colour
Laurus nobilis - many tight buds
Mahonia japonica - many budded flower sprays, one with lemon buds
Pieris - very many buds!
Primula vulgaris - one plant only had 4 flowers *unusually late*
Rhodo. cilipinense - many buds
Rosa 'The Fairy' - 2 flowers, scattered buds
Rosa 'Ballerina' - 5 fading flowers, 1 opening bud
Rosa 'Nozomi' - 1 flower, 3 pink buds
Rosmarinus 'Servern Seas' many scattered flowers, oodles of buds
Sarcococca - many tight pinkish buds

Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were showing
no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

snip or prune
Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were
showing no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

Cannot compete with that list :-) I have mostly shrubs and trees so apart
from 5 yellow roses - Golden Celebration - I think and several small red and
yellow roses hiding in the undergrowth that was it, but there is promise of
things to come

kate

On 2010-01-03 15:56:11 +0000, "Spider" said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
in the garden and there was a *very* poor show, compared to most years.
This probably reflects the frosts we've had so far, much earlier than we
normally get them. The not-very-vast number of things in flower was:
Vinca oxyloba, Rosemarinus marenca, Mahonia bealei, Sarcococca confusa and
S. hookeriana, Camella Takanini and C. sasanqua Narumigata, as well as the
Camellia we think is 'Cherub'. The two latter are in full bloom. There
is also Correa backhousiana, Cestrum parquii, Viburnum tinus, Lonicera
purpusii, various Hellebores, Fuchsia excorticata in bud, Jasminum
nudiflorum, and with buds just about ready to break, the fishtail Camellia
Kingyoba-shiro-wabisuke.
And as a bonus (?!) 3 large badger scrapes towards the bottom of the
garden!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon


We had a chilly, bleak New Year's day and my fingers froze whilst writing,
but here's my list:

Achillea 'King George' - several corymbs of primrose flowers
Calendula canariensis - 1 lemon flower
Chaenomeles cutting - several buds, three flowers
Diascia - 2 large salmon buds
Erigeron karvinskianus - scattered white flowers
Erodium reichardii rosea - 2 flowers
Erysimum 'Bowle's Mauve' - 14 apical flower clusters, many purple buds
Exochorda macr. 'The Bride' -very few green flower buds nearest house *late*
(for us)
Feverfew (Tanacetum sp?) - few battered flowers
Geranium 'Ann Folkard' - 1 flower
Hebe 'Midsummer Beauty' - 3 flowers
Hebe 'Nicola's Blush' - few flower spikes, several in bud
Hebe 'Purple Picture - 2 poor flower spikes, several with coloured buds
Hebe (purple seedling) - 1 flower spike, several in bud
Helleborus Xs - 2 dark plum flowers; others barely in bud
Helleborus argutifolium - only elongated bud group *unusually late*
Jasminum nudiflorum - scattered flowers
Kerria flore pleno - few tight buds *notably late*
Kerria jap. 'Gold Guinee' - many buds, only 1 showing colour
Laurus nobilis - many tight buds
Mahonia japonica - many budded flower sprays, one with lemon buds
Pieris - very many buds!
Primula vulgaris - one plant only had 4 flowers *unusually late*
Rhodo. cilipinense - many buds
Rosa 'The Fairy' - 2 flowers, scattered buds
Rosa 'Ballerina' - 5 fading flowers, 1 opening bud
Rosa 'Nozomi' - 1 flower, 3 pink buds
Rosmarinus 'Servern Seas' many scattered flowers, oodles of buds
Sarcococca - many tight pinkish buds

Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were showing
no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

That's a really impressive list, especially given the weather. BTW,
for these purposes and for making notes on the nursery, I have a little
Olympus note taker and find it invaluable. It's a tiny handheld
dictaphone thingy called a digital voice recorder.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"Kate Morgan" wrote in message
news
snip or prune
Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were
showing no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

Cannot compete with that list :-) I have mostly shrubs and trees so apart
from 5 yellow roses - Golden Celebration - I think and several small red
and yellow roses hiding in the undergrowth that was it, but there is
promise of things to come

kate

:~). It is definitely the promise of things to come that cheers us ... not
just we gardeners, but most souls, I think. I must replace a few shrubs
that I recall offering a real boost to the spirit in the past. I have no
Viburnums at the moment, nor the delicate Osmanthus delavayii which budded
up early and had scent in spring.

Nevertheless, if you could look through my window and see my garden just
now, you would think it most dull. It is only when one goes out searching
every corner that hidden gems appear. That seems to be the lot of winter
gardening plants; they must give way to summer performers, and so are tucked
away in groups that, generally, only perform once a year. That, fortunately,
happens to be my winter gardening philosophy: plant winter gems that you
*must* go out and admire. If you can venture into and enjoy the winter
garden, you are much surer to start gardening in earnest before the weeds
take over and the tasks get ahead of you.

Spider

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-01-03 15:56:11 +0000, "Spider" said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
in the garden and there was a *very* poor show, compared to most years.
This probably reflects the frosts we've had so far, much earlier than we
normally get them. The not-very-vast number of things in flower was:
Vinca oxyloba, Rosemarinus marenca, Mahonia bealei, Sarcococca confusa
and
S. hookeriana, Camella Takanini and C. sasanqua Narumigata, as well as
the
Camellia we think is 'Cherub'. The two latter are in full bloom. There
is also Correa backhousiana, Cestrum parquii, Viburnum tinus, Lonicera
purpusii, various Hellebores, Fuchsia excorticata in bud, Jasminum
nudiflorum, and with buds just about ready to break, the fishtail
Camellia
Kingyoba-shiro-wabisuke.
And as a bonus (?!) 3 large badger scrapes towards the bottom of the
garden!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon


We had a chilly, bleak New Year's day and my fingers froze whilst
writing,
but here's my list:

Achillea 'King George' - several corymbs of primrose flowers
Calendula canariensis - 1 lemon flower
Chaenomeles cutting - several buds, three flowers
Diascia - 2 large salmon buds
Erigeron karvinskianus - scattered white flowers
Erodium reichardii rosea - 2 flowers
Erysimum 'Bowle's Mauve' - 14 apical flower clusters, many purple buds
Exochorda macr. 'The Bride' -very few green flower buds nearest house
*late*
(for us)
Feverfew (Tanacetum sp?) - few battered flowers
Geranium 'Ann Folkard' - 1 flower
Hebe 'Midsummer Beauty' - 3 flowers
Hebe 'Nicola's Blush' - few flower spikes, several in bud
Hebe 'Purple Picture - 2 poor flower spikes, several with coloured buds
Hebe (purple seedling) - 1 flower spike, several in bud
Helleborus Xs - 2 dark plum flowers; others barely in bud
Helleborus argutifolium - only elongated bud group *unusually late*
Jasminum nudiflorum - scattered flowers
Kerria flore pleno - few tight buds *notably late*
Kerria jap. 'Gold Guinee' - many buds, only 1 showing colour
Laurus nobilis - many tight buds
Mahonia japonica - many budded flower sprays, one with lemon buds
Pieris - very many buds!
Primula vulgaris - one plant only had 4 flowers *unusually late*
Rhodo. cilipinense - many buds
Rosa 'The Fairy' - 2 flowers, scattered buds
Rosa 'Ballerina' - 5 fading flowers, 1 opening bud
Rosa 'Nozomi' - 1 flower, 3 pink buds
Rosmarinus 'Servern Seas' many scattered flowers, oodles of buds
Sarcococca - many tight pinkish buds

Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were
showing
no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

That's a really impressive list, especially given the weather. BTW, for
these purposes and for making notes on the nursery, I have a little
Olympus note taker and find it invaluable. It's a tiny handheld
dictaphone thingy called a digital voice recorder.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon




That's a really good idea, Sacha. I used to wish I had one when studying
spiders in the field, but was forced to change my mind. So many people
would approach me whilst walking their dog and ask what I was doing (with
magnifying loupes, notebook and pen and spider guide) that it seemed likely
I would end up with a tape (in those days!) full of enquiring chat, and not
much about the relative eye patterns and leg lengths of assorted spiders.
Sorry, Sacha, I know s-words aren't your thing!

However, (returns to gardening) it would be very useful for gardening. I
could note where there's a bare patch in need of Triffida robusta to add
interest and eat the burglars ... and, as you imply, rules out trying to
write with icicle-bedecked fingers. Mmm .. feels a visit to Staples coming
on.

Spider

On 2010-01-03 18:46:06 +0000, "Spider" said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-01-03 15:56:11 +0000, "Spider" said:
snip

Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were
showing
no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

That's a really impressive list, especially given the weather. BTW, for
these purposes and for making notes on the nursery, I have a little
Olympus note taker and find it invaluable. It's a tiny handheld
dictaphone thingy called a digital voice recorder.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon




That's a really good idea, Sacha. I used to wish I had one when studying
spiders in the field, but was forced to change my mind. So many people
would approach me whilst walking their dog and ask what I was doing (with
magnifying loupes, notebook and pen and spider guide) that it seemed likely
I would end up with a tape (in those days!) full of enquiring chat, and not
much about the relative eye patterns and leg lengths of assorted spiders.
Sorry, Sacha, I know s-words aren't your thing!

However, (returns to gardening) it would be very useful for gardening. I
could note where there's a bare patch in need of Triffida robusta to add
interest and eat the burglars ... and, as you imply, rules out trying to
write with icicle-bedecked fingers. Mmm .. feels a visit to Staples coming
on.

Spider

Because we grow most of our own plants, they're not in A-Z rows, coming
in one door and being kerchinged out the other. So up on the mypex
right at the top of the Nursery, which slopes a bit, the perennials
are arranged according to how much drainage they want, how much shade
and of course, where there's space! Once everything's potted on and up
there, I go out and make a list of where everything is so that if any
of us are running up there to find things for customers we know
immediately where they are. This is especially handy to the
part-timers. And in the garden, it enables me to make myself a little
aide memoire as to where there's a hole that needs filling with some
plant or other, or if something looks a bit straggly or sick or
whatever.
It's also a wonderful grandchild entertainer. ;-)

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-01-03 18:46:06 +0000, "Spider" said:

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-01-03 15:56:11 +0000, "Spider" said:
snip
Also, many bulbs were pushing through. However, the snowdrops were
showing
no sign of bud, which is very late here.
Other colour was provided by berries, haws, (Pyracantha, Cotoneaster,
Roses); bark (Betula, Cornus) and some vivid leaf colour (Heuchera,
Euonymus, Cyclamen, Hedera).

Sorry I'm late with this - forgot to come out of hibernation. Brrr!

That's a really impressive list, especially given the weather. BTW,
for
these purposes and for making notes on the nursery, I have a little
Olympus note taker and find it invaluable. It's a tiny handheld
dictaphone thingy called a digital voice recorder.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon


That's a really good idea, Sacha. I used to wish I had one when studying
spiders in the field, but was forced to change my mind. So many people
would approach me whilst walking their dog and ask what I was doing (with
magnifying loupes, notebook and pen and spider guide) that it seemed
likely
I would end up with a tape (in those days!) full of enquiring chat, and
not
much about the relative eye patterns and leg lengths of assorted spiders.
Sorry, Sacha, I know s-words aren't your thing!

However, (returns to gardening) it would be very useful for gardening. I
could note where there's a bare patch in need of Triffida robusta to add
interest and eat the burglars ... and, as you imply, rules out trying to
write with icicle-bedecked fingers. Mmm .. feels a visit to Staples
coming
on.

Spider

Because we grow most of our own plants, they're not in A-Z rows, coming in
one door and being kerchinged out the other. So up on the mypex right at
the top of the Nursery, which slopes a bit, the perennials are arranged
according to how much drainage they want, how much shade and of course,
where there's space! Once everything's potted on and up there, I go out
and make a list of where everything is so that if any of us are running up
there to find things for customers we know immediately where they are.
This is especially handy to the part-timers. And in the garden, it
enables me to make myself a little aide memoire as to where there's a hole
that needs filling with some plant or other, or if something looks a bit
straggly or sick or whatever.
It's also a wonderful grandchild entertainer. ;-)

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon


It sounds brilliant for all sorts of inventories and such. I haven't got
grandchildren to entertain, but I begin to imagine all sorts of other uses.
RG says that most mobile phones have some sort of voice recorder these days,
so I'll have to investigate mine. It's a few years old now, so it may not.
Also, don't know what the playback quality will be, but we can check his
more modern phone out first before replacing mine. Pity really, I was
beginning to fancy a new toy, but at least I should always have the mobile
with me. It's given me something to think about, anyway.

Spider

David WE Roberts wrote:

wrote in message
...
In article ,
David WE Roberts wrote:

"K" wrote in message
...

.. so - is it that this winter is a good deal colder than normal down
south, and therefore things have been hit quite badly? Whereas up here,
it's only marginally colder than normal, and we already plant for this
sort of weather, so we haven't been hit quite so badly?

So far (since the middle of December) the winter has been far harder
here
than usual.
Most years we don't see any snow, at least any settled snow.
Hard frosts are unusual as well.

Not really. That's true only on a 10-15 year timescale. Even the
hardest winters of the past 10 years have been milder than average
for many of the decades before.

I am reporting going back to 1984 :-)

We do have a very mild microclimate in this part of coastal Suffolk.
Even 10 miles inland has been very different.

This reminds me more of the winters in Essex in the 1960s, although they
were much more extreme.
I remember four foot and more snowdrifts in 1963/64.

In South Norfolk 198? I was walking *ON* the hedgerows 'cos the drifts
were so deep. I had to get from parents' house to mine to feed the goats.

The night before I didn't try to drive over as the snow drifted over the
road minutes after the snowploug had passed. And a lot of the way was
country lanes...

Still had to park a mile away and walk (mainly) on hedges.

--
Rusty

®óñ© © ²°¹°-°¹ wrote:
On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:58:13 -0000, "David WE Roberts"
wrote:

wrote in message
...
In article ,
David WE Roberts wrote:
"K" wrote in message
...
.. so - is it that this winter is a good deal colder than normal down
south, and therefore things have been hit quite badly? Whereas up here,
it's only marginally colder than normal, and we already plant for this
sort of weather, so we haven't been hit quite so badly?
So far (since the middle of December) the winter has been far harder here
than usual.
Most years we don't see any snow, at least any settled snow.
Hard frosts are unusual as well.
Not really. That's true only on a 10-15 year timescale. Even the
hardest winters of the past 10 years have been milder than average
for many of the decades before.
I am reporting going back to 1984 :-)

We do have a very mild microclimate in this part of coastal Suffolk.
Even 10 miles inland has been very different.

This reminds me more of the winters in Essex in the 1960s, although they
were much more extreme.
I remember four foot and more snowdrifts in 1963/64.

Pshaw

We had 20' drifts up around Blaenavon and Merthyr.

Eee, tha were lucky...

--
Rusty