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.
--
Remember the early bird may catch the worm but the second mouse gets the
cheese.

On 21/01/2013 08:43, 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.

A thick layer of snow is actually quite good protection for the plants
underneath. Waiting to see how much more we get today in N Yorks.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"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.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 21/01/2013 11:16, 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?

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"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

On 21/01/2013 23:48, Bob Hobden wrote:
"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.



Thanks for that, Bob. I may try mine outside again, but in clay troughs
so I can keep them close to the house. I love the edge-of-pond idea
but, unfortunately, our pond is out in the open and would probably get
too much sun. Otherwise it's an excellent idea and would probably help
to keep cranes and other critters from attacking the fish.

I may still keep a small pot of bulbs indoors to replenish any that are
stolen by squirrels (drat! I'd forgotten them) or eaten by slugs. I
don't know how you get away without slug/snail damage, especially since
you offer them constant humidity in the summer. We are overrun with
marauding molluscs:~(.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote

Thanks for that, Bob. I may try mine outside again, but in clay troughs so
I can keep them close to the house. I love the edge-of-pond idea but,
unfortunately, our pond is out in the open and would probably get too much
sun. Otherwise it's an excellent idea and would probably help to keep
cranes and other critters from attacking the fish.

I may still keep a small pot of bulbs indoors to replenish any that are
stolen by squirrels (drat! I'd forgotten them) or eaten by slugs. I don't
know how you get away without slug/snail damage, especially since you offer
them constant humidity in the summer. We are overrun with marauding
molluscs:~(.


If you have it try Vesuvius outside first, it seems the most hardy of those
I've got other than the species P.formosana and seems to be making a bid to
take over all the pans. Shantung was hit badly by the last couple of bad
winters, Eiger doesn't seem to increase much, some times it does well others
it doesn't, Tongario does OK too and more than holds it's own.
One benefit of growing them outside is that as I repot every two years,
because they are orchids and like most obviously use a fungus, I do get
seedlings of my Dactylorhiza in the pans too. This year only one but also
what looks like a seedling of our Pinus aristata, repotting is a bit like
lucky dip.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 22/01/2013 18:09, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Spider" wrote

Thanks for that, Bob. I may try mine outside again, but in clay
troughs so I can keep them close to the house. I love the edge-of-pond
idea but, unfortunately, our pond is out in the open and would
probably get too much sun. Otherwise it's an excellent idea and would
probably help to keep cranes and other critters from attacking the fish.

I may still keep a small pot of bulbs indoors to replenish any that
are stolen by squirrels (drat! I'd forgotten them) or eaten by slugs.
I don't know how you get away without slug/snail damage, especially
since you offer them constant humidity in the summer. We are overrun
with marauding molluscs:~(.


If you have it try Vesuvius outside first, it seems the most hardy of
those I've got other than the species P.formosana and seems to be making
a bid to take over all the pans. Shantung was hit badly by the last
couple of bad winters, Eiger doesn't seem to increase much, some times
it does well others it doesn't, Tongario does OK too and more than holds
it's own.
One benefit of growing them outside is that as I repot every two years,
because they are orchids and like most obviously use a fungus, I do get
seedlings of my Dactylorhiza in the pans too. This year only one but
also what looks like a seedling of our Pinus aristata, repotting is a
bit like lucky dip.



Oooh! That sounds interesting, Bob! I haven't got Vesuvius *yet*, but
will look out for some. I've only got p. formosana atm. They bulked up
quite well ... then I gave some away and since then mine have sulked a
bit:~(. Perhaps partly due to my inattention following a couple of
family bereavements. Must shake myself into action this year.

Must do dinner now (before it burns!), but will google on various
pleiones and see who sells what.

Thanks for your help. Invaluable as always.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay