On 19/06/2013 15:35, kay wrote:
David Hill;985420 Wrote:

I would if I could, but I cant as there is no one in this part of Wales

growing it that I have found.

Is it not growing wild anywhere near you? Its range covers the whole of
Wales (with the possible exception of Haverfordwest ;-) ), and it's more
abundant in the W of the UK than the E

Nothing I've ever seen, it might well have grown in Swansea valley after
the works closed down and before it was all developed, and at this time
of year I just don't have time to go walk about for a few days looking
for it.
Also yesterday I tore a muscle in the calf of my right leg, was told to
apply ice pack and to keep off it for 4 weeks, fat chance at this time
of year.
planting today played hell with my thighs but seems to have helped my calves

On 19/06/2013 21:39, David Hill wrote:
On 19/06/2013 16:42, Spider wrote:
On 19/06/2013 13:22, David Hill wrote:
On 19/06/2013 12:01, Spider wrote:
On 18/06/2013 08:41, David Hill wrote:

If nothing else, the yellow welsh poppy Mecanopsis cambrica
tolerates a
good deal of shade - I have it growing in the join between tarmac
and
wall in the narrow lane alongside my house.

In our experience - a happy one - M cambrica tolerates just about
everything but deep sea immersion! It has seeded itself all over the
place in our garden. We have it in beds facing east, south weat and
north, in pots and slightly posher containers, in wide borders and in
something closely resembling a gravel path and it seems to be
having a
particularly good year this year. It's a fabulous plant and if it
wasn't so generous with its favours, people would be fighting over
obtaining seeds, imo. It's probably Ray's favourite plant AND to cap
its virtues, it's a rare day in the year when you can't find one in
flower somewhere in the garden. Every garden should have one - to
start
with! ;-)


That is IF you can get it to start, it doesn't seem to like me as I've
failed every time I have tried to grow it.




It takes best from *really* fresh seed. Can you beg some from a
neighbour?


I would if I could, but I cant as there is no one in this part of Wales
growing it that I have found.




Right. That can be remedied. I have collected a fair bit of seed from
my garden this week. I only need a bit for my garden, and I've got
shedloads:~). I'll pop some in an envelope for you later this evening,
once dinner is out of the way.


Sounds as if I should try it on rough ground like the car park, and not
be to kind to it.




Sounds about right! Mine *does* come up in more cultivated places now,
but I never pampered it by sowing in trays or pots. I just
sprinkely-winkled it where I fancied it, and it came up in most places.
Now that it's taken a (friendly) hold, it sows itself in rough ground
and cracks; shares pots with other plants; copes with sun and shade,
drought and moist (but not yet boggy) ground. You may not want it in
your Dahlia beds/fields, but it mingles prettily with most things.

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