In message , Janet
Baraclough.. writes
The message
from "dave @ stejonda" contains these
words:

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

How about houseleeks? (B and Q usually stock several kinds). They can
go ages without water. If you top the soil with grit the houseleeks will
like it, and it will conserve moisture when you're away.

Thanks Janet, but what are houseleeks? I know what 'ordinary' leeks are
but have never come across these. Do they have another name? Are they
hardy?

ahhh, I've just discovered... ;-)

--
dave @ stejonda

In message , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Paul Luton
writes
In message
"dave @ stejonda" wrote:

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

In desperation stoneleeks (sempervivums) with some species tulips for
spring colour.

Or various other succulent plants. Sempervivums have the advantage of
being hardy, so they can sit there all round, and there are various
hardy sedums.

These sempervivums sound like a good idea. Presumably they'll prefer a
gritty soil together with a grit/gravel/stone covering?

Ahhh, I've just found the Fernwood Nursery and sent for their list.

But aloes and hawarthias are good for summer, some with
the advantage of spikes of orange flowers. Mesembryanthemum (livingstone
daisy) should cope if you have a lot of sunshine.

Maybe next year.

Wallflowers, as their name implies, can cope quite well with drought. As
can some of the scented leaved pelargoniums.

I just love the scent of wallflowers - something I remember from my
childhood. There are some in flower out the front right at this moment.


--
dave @ stejonda

"To materialist eyes, India is a developing country;
to spiritual eyes, the United States is a developing country."
Ram Dass

In message , JennyC
writes
"shazzbat" wrote in message
...
"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

I have several shallow pots planted with alpines which do really well on my hot
roof garden.

Thank-you all for your suggestions. I hadn't discovered alpines before
so this is opening up a whole new area for me.

--
dave @ stejonda

In message , JennyC
writes
"shazzbat" wrote in message
...
"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

I have several shallow pots planted with alpines which do really well on my hot
roof garden.

Thank-you all for your suggestions. I hadn't discovered alpines before
so this is opening up a whole new area for me.

--
dave @ stejonda

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 14:33:10 +0100, "dave @ stejonda"
wrote:


Thank-you all for your suggestions. I hadn't discovered alpines before
so this is opening up a whole new area for me.

Can't add much to that only to say we've done pretty much what the
congregation has suggested with a very shallow old stone sink known by
some as a 'slopstone' Won some and lost some but it does look very
good most of the spring and summer. Semps really are a must for such
situations - you can get away with those with practically no soil at
all.

Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 14:33:10 +0100, "dave @ stejonda"
wrote:


Thank-you all for your suggestions. I hadn't discovered alpines before
so this is opening up a whole new area for me.

Can't add much to that only to say we've done pretty much what the
congregation has suggested with a very shallow old stone sink known by
some as a 'slopstone' Won some and lost some but it does look very
good most of the spring and summer. Semps really are a must for such
situations - you can get away with those with practically no soil at
all.

Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In message , JennyC
writes
"shazzbat" wrote in message
...
"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

I have several shallow pots planted with alpines which do really well on
my hot
roof garden.

Thank-you all for your suggestions. I hadn't discovered alpines before
so this is opening up a whole new area for me.

And here's another tip. Car boot sales are about to become a good source for
these plants. A couple of years ago we found a stall weighed down with them
and knocking them out at 50p!
We thought " at that price we can get a few extra and allow for failures" We
did. There weren't any :-))

Steve

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In message , JennyC
writes
"shazzbat" wrote in message
...
"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

I have several shallow pots planted with alpines which do really well on
my hot
roof garden.

Thank-you all for your suggestions. I hadn't discovered alpines before
so this is opening up a whole new area for me.

And here's another tip. Car boot sales are about to become a good source for
these plants. A couple of years ago we found a stall weighed down with them
and knocking them out at 50p!
We thought " at that price we can get a few extra and allow for failures" We
did. There weren't any :-))

Steve

"Rod" wrote in message
...

... a very shallow old stone sink
known by
some as a 'slopstone'...

I've only ever heard it called that in Stoke-on-Trent.
Are you a fellow (exiled) potter?
--
Nick Wagg

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On Fri, 2 Apr 2004 08:49:36 +0100, "Nick Wagg"
wrote:

"Rod" wrote in message
.. .

... a very shallow old stone sink
known by
some as a 'slopstone'...

I've only ever heard it called that in Stoke-on-Trent.
Are you a fellow (exiled) potter?

No ;-) Other side of the midlands - a long while ago. Our estate
builder gave it to me 'rescued' it from one of the farms. He's a
Lancastrian, that's what he called it.


Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

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On Fri, 2 Apr 2004 08:49:36 +0100, "Nick Wagg"
wrote:

"Rod" wrote in message
.. .

... a very shallow old stone sink
known by
some as a 'slopstone'...

I've only ever heard it called that in Stoke-on-Trent.
Are you a fellow (exiled) potter?

No ;-) Other side of the midlands - a long while ago. Our estate
builder gave it to me 'rescued' it from one of the farms. He's a
Lancastrian, that's what he called it.


Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html