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Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) )
It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, |
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Tell us what sort of garden you'd like and how much space you have. Also what sort of soil - presumably your base rock is limestone, but do you have a peaty covering or are you on lime? |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On 07/12/2013 10:26, HerbyPeter wrote:
I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, You could try seeking advice from Hartside Nursery (south of Alston) or Inshriach Nursery (south of Aviemore), or look at what's grown in Tromso or Reykjavik Botanic Gardens. What you should do is grow plants adapted to the environment. Depending on the substrate, one obvious possibility is heather (ling). Another is the alpine willows. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On 07/12/2013 16:04, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
On 07/12/2013 10:26, HerbyPeter wrote: I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, You could try seeking advice from Hartside Nursery (south of Alston) or Inshriach Nursery (south of Aviemore), or look at what's grown in Tromso or Reykjavik Botanic Gardens. What you should do is grow plants adapted to the environment. Depending on the substrate, one obvious possibility is heather (ling). Another is the alpine willows. How large is your garden? |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
"HerbyPeter" wrote ...
I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, Sounds like you need a wind break around your garden, have you room to plant one? Take a look at this which gives you ideas for what to use as windbreaks and what to plant to cope with the wind. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=472 Yes I know you are not on the coast but you do have the strong winds they do. -- Regards. Bob Hobden. Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On 07/12/2013 16:32, Bob Hobden wrote:
"HerbyPeter" wrote ... I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, Sounds like you need a wind break around your garden, have you room to plant one? Take a look at this which gives you ideas for what to use as windbreaks and what to plant to cope with the wind. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=472 Yes I know you are not on the coast but you do have the strong winds they do. He'll have the problem that he needs a windbreak that can cope with the cold as well as with high winds (but it doesn't need to be salt-tolerant). I was wondering if juniper was suitable. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
In article , HerbyPeter.d18e8b7
@gardenbanter.co.uk says... I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. That's no surprise; "sea" is a clue. They like sandy, sunny, salty. You could hardly be further from the coast. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Your place must be considerably warmer than my previous high moorland garden in Scotland then. "Hardy fuchsia", means in comparison to other more tender fuschsias; it doesn't mean hardy enough for coldest climate. Even "hardy" fuschsia is not a particularly hardy plant and will die in many high cold inland gardens. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. There you go, If that survives, other plants can too. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Which "killing conditions" do you think a raised bed will defeat ? Annual rainfall, lowest winter temp, highest windspeed, depth of snow would be useful to know. And which direction the garden faces. All gardeners' plant choices are limited by location, soil and climate. It's a matter of choosing the right plants for the conditions. You need to provide more information about the conditions. (see above). Janet. |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote: "HerbyPeter" wrote ... I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, Sounds like you need a wind break around your garden, have you room to plant one? Take a look at this which gives you ideas for what to use as windbreaks and what to plant to cope with the wind. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=472 Yes I know you are not on the coast but you do have the strong winds they do. He'll have the problem that he needs a windbreak that can cope with the cold as well as with high winds (but it doesn't need to be salt-tolerant). I was wondering if juniper was suitable. I would have thought Rowans would be OK especially the Sorbus aucuparia var sibirica and var glabrata. Likewise Scots Pine should also cope and that will provide a tall windbreak IDC. He could try Bristlecone Pines if he could find any for sale but they are slow growing (at least mine is) also Pinus mugo which is similar as it comes from mountains in central Europe as apposed to N.America. Crataegus laevigata would be another candidate. Lots on those lists are worth checking out for cold hardiness as they are all wind tolerant. -- Regards. Bob Hobden. Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On 07/12/2013 15:30, kay wrote:
Tell us what sort of garden you'd like and how much space you have. Also what sort of soil - presumably your base rock is limestone, but do you have a peaty covering or are you on lime? The rocks of Arkengarthdale belong to the Yoredale Series, which is formed of a mixture of limestones and clastic deposits. So some bits of the valley have limestone as a base rock and other bits don't. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
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There's narrow strips of woodland in the valleys in Arkengarthdale up to about 350m, but he's higher than that. A shelter belt of trees is going to be a challenge. |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On Sat, 7 Dec 2013 18:15:00 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:
I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. Snap but add 200' to that altitude and a few tens of miles further north up to the middle of the North Pennines ANOB. I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Wind anytime and winter cold are the killing conditions here. I can't see how a raised bed is going to help either of those, you'll lift the plants up into the wind and let the frost at the roots in the winter. He'll have the problem that he needs a windbreak that can cope with the cold as well as with high winds (but it doesn't need to be salt-tolerant). I was wondering if juniper was suitable. I would have thought Rowans would be OK especially the Sorbus aucuparia var sibirica and var glabrata. Likewise Scots Pine should also cope and that will provide a tall windbreak IDC. Juniper should survive, make sure you get a native variety it is a threatened shrub/tree. Rowan, Birch, Ash, Scots Pine, Larch should also survive. Note the use of the word "survive", the growing season is very short and still harsh. We planted 800+ trees (as slips) 10+ years ago, 20% didn't make it through the first winter, 10% didn't make it through the second. They vary in size from a slender 8' saplings with a few small twigs near the top to small, maybe 15', wind swept trees. Probably down to the variations in ground it goes from well drained "chalk downland" with hair bells, cotton grass, scabious to wet peaty soil. For creating a wind break Birch or Rowan is probably the best bet but don't expect much result in less than five years. Ash takes years to establish but then grows reasonably well considering that it's normally just coming into leaf two weeks after everything else and drops it's leaves two weeks earlier than everthing else. What else have we got that doesn't disappear? Crocosmia, wooly willow, london pride, red and black currants (they are sheltered behind 5' drystone walls), buddleia (but only just, the season is almost too short for it), snow in summer, geraniums (hardy!), fuschia (again a hardy variety), forget-me-not (one my late mothers favorites, I'm hoping the few examples we have will self seed around the place), docks, thistles, nettles and ragwort also seem to like it but we don't like them so they are slowly being eradicated by pulling or strimming the patches. The key is probably selection of probably suitable plants and patience. Just because something disappears the year after it was planted don't assume it's dead, it may well just be resting from the shock! We have had stuff come back in the third year. -- Cheers Dave. |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On Sat, 07 Dec 2013 16:04:46 +0000, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
You could try seeking advice from Hartside Nursery (south of Alston) http://www.plantswithaltitude.co.uk or Pennine Perennials: http://www.pennineperennials.co.uk In Garrigill nr Alston and not a million miles from Hartside Nursery. We tend to get plants from Pennine Perennials, they seem to cope with the move to 1400' and exposed better than those from Hartside Nursey. Hartside Nursery is at about 1100' but tucked into a small wooded valley, Pennine Perenials is at only 1000' in the bottom of the South Tyne valley but has a far more open aspect. We don't expect plants from other climes to make the transition even ones that should be tolerant of the conditions. Ones that do make it also tend to be the ones that "take a year off" as previously mentioned. -- Cheers Dave. |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On 2013-12-07 18:15:00 +0000, Bob Hobden said:
"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote Bob Hobden wrote: "HerbyPeter" wrote ... I live in Arkengarthdale at 1200+ feet. (google it ;) ) It's windy. It's cold. I love it but plants don't. I planted several Sea Buckthorn three years ago. Three only still survive. The only plant to live more than a year is Honeysuckle. Except a hardy fuscia which lasted four years. Ah! I tell a lie! Rosa 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' (I think, I'm no flower expert) has survived for as long as the honeysuckle. I never can decide whether to dead head or leave the BIG hips for the winter birds, (those that can survive). I have made up some raised beds to try and combat the killing conditions. Yet to be proven since something decimated my brassicas before they had a chance to grow. Even the sage pants were eaten. Leeks still survive but don't look as if they will make a meal. Ever. I'm guessing even Gardener's World wouldn't rise to this challenge, Sounds like you need a wind break around your garden, have you room to plant one? Take a look at this which gives you ideas for what to use as windbreaks and what to plant to cope with the wind. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=472 Yes I know you are not on the coast but you do have the strong winds they do. He'll have the problem that he needs a windbreak that can cope with the cold as well as with high winds (but it doesn't need to be salt-tolerant). I was wondering if juniper was suitable. I would have thought Rowans would be OK especially the Sorbus aucuparia var sibirica and var glabrata. Likewise Scots Pine should also cope and that will provide a tall windbreak IDC. He could try Bristlecone Pines if he could find any for sale but they are slow growing (at least mine is) also Pinus mugo which is similar as it comes from mountains in central Europe as apposed to N.America. Crataegus laevigata would be another candidate. Lots on those lists are worth checking out for cold hardiness as they are all wind tolerant. I wonder if Rowans would take that sort of high wind without bits snapping off too easily. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.com South Devon www.helpforheroes.org.uk |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
There's narrow strips of woodland in the valleys in Arkengarthdale up to about 350m, but he's higher than that. A shelter belt of trees is going to be a challenge. If he even exists, he's shown no interest in any follow up. Gorse makes a fantastic shelterbelt and so does hawthorn. They can both be clipped really hard into gale-defying mounds. And if you use the double form of Gorse then there is no chance of it seeding itself everywhere |
Almost nothing grows here. Any advice?
On Sun, 8 Dec 2013 10:33:12 +0000, Sacha wrote:
I wonder if Rowans would take that sort of high wind without bits snapping off too easily. Another common name for Rowan is Mountain Ash... The Rowans here stand up, literally, to the wind better than the Briches. The Briches have that decidely curved wind blow look with much less growth on the exposed side. The Rowans are much more vertical with less reduction in growth on the exposed side. -- Cheers Dave. |
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