GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

01-01-2004, 07:14 PM

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Obvious, when using sand for seriously sensitive plants (e.g. orchids
or carnivorous ones), it should be well washed. Most plants don't
mind a trace, and quite a lot can handle actively salty soil if they
are soaked when they are watered.

Many of the British wild orchids don't mind quite a lot of salt. Links I
know on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis (regularly doused in heavy
sea spray) are thick with Orchis mascula; Spiranthes romanzofficiana
Subsp. stricta; Dactylorhiza incarnata s/s coccinia; D purpurella; D
Kerryensis; D maculata s/s ericetorum; D fuchsii s/s hebridensis and
others I haven't identified.

One was rather like D ericatorum in form, but the flowers were a
transparent dull orange, and the leaves were low and more-or-less
horizontal like a stripey butterwort. I took a photo of it, but the
light was dreadful, and the next day I couldn't find it again.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
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