This was an early piece of correspondance I had with George, who suggested I might as well use it as an introduction. Not being one to waste unnecessarily I thought it a great idea...and time saver to boot!
And thank you George, for the very prompt reply.
Surrey was a great place for growing except that we were dealing with only a thin layer of top soil over solid chalk. I learned to work around it, although it obviously limited what could and could not be grown without taking really unusual steps.
Here on Mercer Island(Washington USA) we have basically a clay and glacial till mix...which isn't too bad except that there are quite a few stones to be dealt with. In an allotment (Pea Patch here) that my wife and I took on last May, I found a large rock with basically a triangular shape at it's top. Try as I might, I cannot get under or round it...every time I dig down it just gets wider and wider. I stopped digging and resigned myself to the fact that it is the peak of an underground mountain! We are going to name it officially next year.
Almost everything I have ever planted here has thrived, but the things which seem to do very well for me...perhaps because I really like them are Clematis...I have a Montana Rubens I put up a pine about 38 years ago. It has gone all the way to the top and started back down again. Every Spring as the sun is setting, the whole west side of the tree lights up pure pink. Lovely. Also Magnolia, Viburnum, Daphne, Liliums, Hostas, Epimediums, Primulae, Birch and on. Three years ago I bought a Musa Bajoo at the Flower & Garden Show and it has really jumped out of the ground, raising a sucker in it's first year. This year the sucker really took off, becoming about three feet higher than it's Mum and the original "tree" produced a flower stem and fruit. What was also produced were eight further suckers, which reached about 24"high. Unfortunately we experienced severe cold weather for a couple of days last week and they were all cut back severely. It will be interesting to see what makes it back. But I have to say that the clump looks most impressive and tropical in the summer and once the leaves have completely unfurled and have been exposed to the sun for a couple of days, they are mostly immune to wind unless it is excessive. I think the risk is worth it.
I did have a Gunnera Manicata doing well for four years...a plant I had always wanted to grow since I was a kid, when I saw my first one ever. It didn't receive enough water to really reach it's full potential...one I saw in Devon arched up to about ten feet high, being watered by spray from a nearby waterfall...ideal conditions I would say. Unfortunately, mine just didn't return to the fold this Spring.
I do like the challenge of trying to grow plants that won't necessarily do well here and at present I am nurturing along seven Sandalwood trees very carefully. I am not quite sure what I will do when they start reaching for the sky! I also have a batch of Cytisus Battandierie growing from seed I gathered when back home in September. One thing I have never been able even to germinate is Lapageria. Anybody out there had any success?
The article I mentioned regarding your software, wasn't really an article so much as a response to a question asked by a reader. The questioner wanted to know of any software available to develop a layout of ones yard and annotate the plants placed throughout it?
The reply was to list three items one of which was "Ideas Genie", with the following recommendation:- "Ideas Genie Gardening Software was developed by a keen gardener (Can you tell it's British just by that description?) It allows you to build your own database of plant names and data, garden locations and photos. It's billed as flexible and powerful. There are several versions; see the web site for prices and ordering from England." I didn't like the sound of the other two, but British software struck a cord and I liked the description...it sounded so much like a program I had wanted to get started developing some years ago...unfortunately my ambitions there were greater than my expertise...story of my life, but you have to try!
I am just about to download flowergenie to see how I get on, so I will talk again later.
Bye for now George.
Gordon
I am looking forward to getting into the forum in the coming days and weeks...'always enjoy a natter.
