"Saffy" wrote in message
...

Hi

do they actually have trees on Orkney?
If they do then they might just grow here! Rowan trees are lovely ,
are the berry's ok as I have a 2 year old! Not sure about that!

Diana

I have a Rowan tree in my garden and when I bought it I asked the same
question of the nursery as I also have a young family. They said the
berries didn't taste very nice and might give the kids a sore tummy but
thats it. Our Rowan is thriving here in Windy Ayrshire.

Rowan berries are edible. You can make jam from them if you get them before
the birds do :0)

"novocastria" wrote in message
...

Thanks for replying! :-D

My "plot" is 150 feet ( not metres as I think I said earlier!) by 30ft
at the top near the house and 12 dow nthe bottom. The bottom of the
garden is very rough ground over grown by weeds but we have laid a lawn
now, it is a winding "river" of grass with potential flower beds on
either side and a compost area with a shed at the end of all that!
About 20 feet is over gorwn at the bottom of the garden! The clay soil
is VERY off putting but I can see the potential in the garden and I
have this inner need to plant trees! I would love a bit of a "woodland
glade" area. I also have a very small 4ft Acer palmatum that is in
desperate need of shady shelter from both the sun and the wind.... I
only hope my fern has weathered the sun this year!
I see from writing this that I need a lot of either large shrubs or
trees ( I am tempted to by quite mature trees to plant immediately,
what do you think!?) I have also thought abotu planting a few fruit
trees too.

The wind is very off putting for planting things, I have pots of things
waiting to go in and am terrifed that they get ruined by the wind! Do
you think bamboos mind very windy weather!?

Bamboos and pampas grass would look nice.
By the way I forgot to mention. Get yerself down to Clifford Cross auctions
in Wisbech on Wednesdays and Saturdays for bloody cheap shrubs and trees.
The trees come in lots of 5 usually but for you that is good. I go there for
all my stuff.You won't find cheaper anywhere. Just bring a big car and
trailer lol.

The message
from novocastria contains
these words:

do they actually have trees on Orkney?
If they do then they might just grow here! Rowan trees are lovely ,
are the berry's ok as I have a 2 year old! Not sure about that!

Berries are edible, and make a jelly much liked by some people, but not by me.

The birds appreciate it if you leave them on the tree.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from novocastria contains
these words:

The wind is very off putting for planting things, I have pots of things
waiting to go in and am terrifed that they get ruined by the wind! Do
you think bamboos mind very windy weather!?

Bamboos survive just about anything except *EXTREME* cold, and setting seed.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Saffy" contains these words:

I have a Rowan tree in my garden and when I bought it I asked the same
question of the nursery as I also have a young family. They said the
berries didn't taste very nice and might give the kids a sore tummy but
thats it. Our Rowan is thriving here in Windy Ayrshire.

You were misinformed then. There is no risk of an upset tummy. (Unless
the nosher is allergic to them.)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"novocastria" wrote ...

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!

Take a look at the following for suggestions..

http://www.firth.orkney.sch.uk/trees/projects.htm

If they grow there they should be OK with you.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

In article , novocastria
writes

I live in March. VERY windy up here! lol
Leylandii are not my favourite tree! But if I wasn't bothered by the
look of them I would plant some but I favour the Hawthorn mentioned
earlier.... the smell of the blossom in the Spring is gorgeous and
looks amazing! My plot is 150 metres long by30 ft at the top near the
house and just 12 at the bottom! What on earth can I do with that!!!

All sorts of things - for a start it gives you the chance to visually
break it up so you can't see the end from the house, so that going into
the garden is a journey of discovery - it makes it a lot more enticing
to go out into the garden in the winter than it would be if you could
see everything from the window. And breaking it up will help with your
wind tunnel.

Heavy clay is not the word! How come the soil in the fields is like
black compost and I get the short straw!! lol

But you haven't! Heavy clay plus humus = loam which is a very fertile
soil. So start a compost heap and start adding humus. You'll find things
will grow in abundance, and you won't be forever watering in the summer.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , novocastria
writes

do they actually have trees on Orkney?
If they do then they might just grow here! Rowan trees are lovely ,
are the berry's ok as I have a 2 year old! Not sure about that!

Edible - you can make a jelly from them which is good with meat in the
same way that you would use red currant jelly.

There are lots of close relatives with different berry colours - white,
pink, yellow and red.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , novocastria
writes

I see from writing this that I need a lot of either large shrubs or
trees ( I am tempted to by quite mature trees to plant immediately,
what do you think!?)

No. Expensive, and large trees and shrubs in general don't settle as
well - they resent the disturbance. They may look good this year, but in
a very few years time their smaller neighbours will not only have caught
up but will be a long way ahead.

And you'll find a lot more satisfaction from seeing a 'baby' grow up
than from 'instant gardening'.

I have a snake bark maple which is about 8 foot tall - I planted the
seed only 4-5 years ago. I am really proud of that tree every time I
walk past it.

I have also thought abotu planting a few fruit
trees too.

Good idea. Fruit is generally quite expensive, and fruit trees can be
decorative as well as productive. Can't advise on what would be good for
you there. But consider growing things that aren't so easily come by in
the shops - don't go for say Granny Smith and Cox apples, but try some
of the hundreds of other varieties.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article ,
Kay wrote:

Heavy clay is not the word! How come the soil in the fields is like
black compost and I get the short straw!! lol

But you haven't! Heavy clay plus humus = loam which is a very fertile
soil. So start a compost heap and start adding humus. You'll find things
will grow in abundance, and you won't be forever watering in the summer.

Er, no. Most meanings of the word "loam" mean something else. But
you are right that heavy clay is extremely fertile when lightened
with enough humus.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from Kay contains these words:

Good idea. Fruit is generally quite expensive, and fruit trees can be
decorative as well as productive. Can't advise on what would be good for
you there. But consider growing things that aren't so easily come by in
the shops - don't go for say Granny Smith and Cox apples, but try some
of the hundreds of other varieties.

Now I have my own place I plan having a family tree or two. There will
be Codling, Bramley, Charles Ross, Cox's Orange Pippin (not the
commercial Coxes which are nothing like the real thing), Russet, and one
or two more.

I'll probably start with a Bramley and a Codling and bud or graft the rest on.

--
Tony http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

God sends the meat, the Devil sends the cooks.

In article , Anthony Anson
writes
The message
from Kay contains these words:

Good idea. Fruit is generally quite expensive, and fruit trees can be
decorative as well as productive. Can't advise on what would be good for
you there. But consider growing things that aren't so easily come by in
the shops - don't go for say Granny Smith and Cox apples, but try some
of the hundreds of other varieties.

Now I have my own place I plan having a family tree or two. There will
be Codling, Bramley, Charles Ross, Cox's Orange Pippin (not the
commercial Coxes which are nothing like the real thing), Russet, and one
or two more.

Which Codling and which Russet do you have in mind?
My father has Keswick Codling, with *huge* fruits which bake to a light
fluff - I like it a lot, but I don't know that it's particularly well
thought of.

I have a Brownlees Russet, good taste and very pink flowers, very
attractive in spring. Rosemary Russet also receives a lot of favourable
comment.

I'll probably start with a Bramley and a Codling and bud or graft the rest on.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Kay contains these words:

Which Codling and which Russet do you have in mind?

Dunno. The codling is pale green, slightly waxy, and typically more
pointed towards the calyx. It matures to a pale golden colour.

Nor have I any idea which russet - though I know where I'm going to get
the bud from!

My father has Keswick Codling, with *huge* fruits which bake to a light
fluff - I like it a lot, but I don't know that it's particularly well
thought of.

Sounds good. The one I had in mind has fruits about the size of James Grieve.

I have a Brownlees Russet, good taste and very pink flowers, very
attractive in spring. Rosemary Russet also receives a lot of favourable
comment.


--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Kay wrote:

Heavy clay is not the word! How come the soil in the fields is like
black compost and I get the short straw!! lol

But you haven't! Heavy clay plus humus = loam which is a very fertile
soil. So start a compost heap and start adding humus. You'll find things
will grow in abundance, and you won't be forever watering in the summer.

Er, no. Most meanings of the word "loam" mean something else. But
you are right that heavy clay is extremely fertile when lightened
with enough humus.
It's a real bugger to dig though :0(

Actually it's very off putting to dig! In the summer it was like a drought ridden desert so you have to wait till it rains, then afterwards it is like a quagmire.. am hoping that October is a bit drier and I can get out there! We have a lot of weeds in the beds but the grass looks nice! :-D
I have visions of loads of crocosmia "Lucifer", verbascum, and loads of Echinacea, borage, evening primroses,various lavenders and feverfew by the ton.

Does anyone else have herb gardens? What works for you in clay soil? I used to grow lots of herbs when I lived in the north east and miss them too...... maybe I need a field to grow everything I wanbt to grow!