"K" wrote in message
Farm1 writes

:-)) I think it was Hardy Amies (Queen's dressmaker) who said that
orange in roses was vulgar. I love orangey coloured Calendulas but
am
not fond of orange roses. And I don't like tropical looking plants
in
temperate gardens but would if I lived in the tropics.

I find my taste changes with season. In spring, fresh yellows. Cool
pinks and mauves in summer, then warm oranges and reds in autumn, to
tone in with the autumn leaves and ripening fruit. So an orange rose
is
garish and out of place, whereas orange calendulas are good ;-)

Yes. You've captured it well. For the same reason I hate 'blue'
roses.

In article
, Farm1
writes
No. I've seen pics of "tropical" gardens in London and all sorts of
other places. Lots of tropical style palms, musa etc and I hate the
look of them in temperate climates. It's sort of like building a
Hacienda in the middle of a bunch of Eucalypts. Just looks wrong,
wrong,wrong.


Sounds like a gross generalisation but I'm afraid I do to. I would
even consider moving somewhere oop North or West if it came to the point
that climate change stopped me growing what I consider to be temperate
climes plants! I would not enjoy a gravel garden in place of a lawn, nor
spiky hard architectural plants rather than the gossamery(?) Salvia
uliginosa or Verbena bonariensis. I think there might be a place for hot
and tropical in say a formal front garden so people don't hang about
out there but in the back garden temperate plants makes one want to
linger and relax etc.

Can't see many of the tropical plants being that beneficial to our
wildlife either.

However it takes all sorts and I'm accidentally growing a tray of what
appears to be, cactii from a packet of seeds that some told me were
hardy plants so I need to off load them!
--
Janet Tweedy
Amersham Gardening Association
http://www.amersham-gardening.net

Janet Tweedy writes
However it takes all sorts and I'm accidentally growing a tray of what
appears to be, cactii from a packet of seeds that some told me were
hardy plants so I need to off load them!

Depending on what they were (ie globular rather than columnar), I might
conceivably be interested ...

btw - the singular of cactii would be cactius ;-)
--
Kay

In article , K
writes

Depending on what they were (ie globular rather than columnar), I
might conceivably be interested ...

btw - the singular of cactii would be cactius ;-)


If I sort of trimmed them to a round shape would you notice?

They have a sort of cross shape. so if looking from the top they would
have four sort of arms (iyswim)
They are very tiny at the moment, about 2 inches but you are very
welcome to them Kay.

Not sure they'd be good at The Old Dog. Not native enough

janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , K
writes

Depending on what they were (ie globular rather than columnar), I might
conceivably be interested ...

btw - the singular of cactii would be cactius ;-)


If I sort of trimmed them to a round shape would you notice?

They have a sort of cross shape. so if looking from the top they would
have four sort of arms (iyswim)

http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/Xen...700390_691.jpg ???
If so they are 'Living stones'. They have really pretty flowers :~)
Jenny

They are very tiny at the moment, about 2 inches but you are very welcome
to them Kay.

Not sure they'd be good at The Old Dog. Not native enough

janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"K" wrote in message
Farm1 writes

:-)) I think it was Hardy Amies (Queen's dressmaker) who said that
orange in roses was vulgar. I love orangey coloured Calendulas but
am
not fond of orange roses. And I don't like tropical looking plants
in
temperate gardens but would if I lived in the tropics.

I find my taste changes with season. In spring, fresh yellows. Cool
pinks and mauves in summer, then warm oranges and reds in autumn, to
tone in with the autumn leaves and ripening fruit. So an orange rose
is
garish and out of place, whereas orange calendulas are good ;-)

Yes. You've captured it well. For the same reason I hate 'blue'
roses.

I have a love of all 'weird' plants, so I have to admit to owning a 'blue'
rose :~)
Jenny

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"JennyC" wrote in message
"Janet Tweedy" wrote

I wonder if there's ever been a psychoanalysis of which
plants/types of
garden you like and whether this reveals a lot about your own
personality?

I find yellow and orange plants disconcerting, love cottagey
plants but
tropical stuff never appeals.
Janet Tweedy

LOL :~)
I love all colours except pale ones, and tropical really does it for
me !!
I hate tidy, regimented gardens, topiary, box hedging and lawns!

I hate tidy gardens too but I can't quite see the connection to
tropical plants in not liking tidy gardens.

Tropicaltidy ?
Jenny

Janet Tweedy writes
In article , K
writes

Depending on what they were (ie globular rather than columnar), I
might conceivably be interested ...

btw - the singular of cactii would be cactius ;-)


If I sort of trimmed them to a round shape would you notice?

They have a sort of cross shape. so if looking from the top they would
have four sort of arms (iyswim)
They are very tiny at the moment, about 2 inches but you are very
welcome to them Kay.

If you mean 2 inches high and only about 0.5 cm across, then sorry, no
thanks, Unless they might be Euphorbias and not cacti at all.

Not sure they'd be good at The Old Dog. Not native enough

janet

--
Kay

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
Farm1 writes
No. I've seen pics of "tropical" gardens in London and all sorts
of
other places. Lots of tropical style palms, musa etc and I hate
the
look of them in temperate climates. It's sort of like building a
Hacienda in the middle of a bunch of Eucalypts. Just looks wrong,
wrong,wrong.


Sounds like a gross generalisation but I'm afraid I do to.

It could be a gross generalisation but the problem is that the
architecture needs to match the locale and the plants. A terrace
house with a small narrow alley type back yard and tropical just
doesn't match. Tropical needs decks and wide windows and lots of air
movement between the house and the outside and then one could do
tropical (or tropical look alike)

I would
even consider moving somewhere oop North or West if it came to the
point
that climate change stopped me growing what I consider to be
temperate
climes plants! I would not enjoy a gravel garden in place of a lawn,
nor
spiky hard architectural plants rather than the gossamery(?) Salvia
uliginosa or Verbena bonariensis. I think there might be a place for
hot
and tropical in say a formal front garden so people don't hang
about
out there but in the back garden temperate plants makes one want
to
linger and relax etc.

But the real beauty of a real tropical garden is that they are very
much lingering places as they are shady and lush and cool in
comparison to the house and full of birdlife. They aren't as you say
worth lingering in when planted in a temperate climate. Too cool, too
little birdlife and just not right somehow.

But back to your mention of Verbena bonariensis: this is one plant
that does very well in gravel gardens as well as temperate cooler.
You might be interested in the following cite as it is about a very
pretty and successful dry (but frosty) garden with lots of gravel - a
bit like the Oz version of a Beth Chatto gravel garden (and I've
learned heaps from her books):
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1063711.htm

Can't see many of the tropical plants being that beneficial to our
wildlife either.

No :-))

However it takes all sorts

Yes it does, but I see so many houses where I think could be improved
with a better and more suitable garden for the location. Improving
our house and environement is still probably the best investment that
the majority of people can make.

and I'm accidentally growing a tray of what
appears to be, cactii from a packet of seeds that some told me were
hardy plants so I need to off load them!

I like cacti but don't have many and in pots only. I have a British
born friend who has lots in his garden but he's put then in hot, hard,
hungry places and they do look good.

"JennyC" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message

Yes. You've captured it well. For the same reason I hate 'blue'
roses.

I have a love of all 'weird' plants, so I have to admit to owning a
'blue'
rose :~)

But it's in your garden not mine, so I can live with that. :-))

I'm a traditionalist with roses so I won't have any that don't have
scent and I've now also decided that I won't have any more that don't
repeat. Fantin Latour can stay but I'll get no more non repeaters.
The only odd coloured rose I'd like to be able to grow and which I
think has "Blue Moon" as a parent is "Julia's Rose" but she is just
too weak and non hardy to survive in my garden. I've tried twice and
I may as well have just have thrown my money on the street.

"JennyC" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
"JennyC" wrote in message

I find yellow and orange plants disconcerting, love cottagey
plants but
tropical stuff never appeals.
Janet Tweedy

LOL :~)
I love all colours except pale ones, and tropical really does it
for
me !!
I hate tidy, regimented gardens, topiary, box hedging and lawns!

I hate tidy gardens too but I can't quite see the connection to
tropical plants in not liking tidy gardens.

Tropicaltidy ?

Not sure what the symbols mean but there are some tropical gardens
that are as tidy and as neat as the trimmed box hedges style in
temperate gardening.

Farm1 writes
"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
Farm1 writes
No. I've seen pics of "tropical" gardens in London and all sorts
of
other places. Lots of tropical style palms, musa etc and I hate
the
look of them in temperate climates. It's sort of like building a
Hacienda in the middle of a bunch of Eucalypts. Just looks wrong,
wrong,wrong.


Sounds like a gross generalisation but I'm afraid I do to.

It could be a gross generalisation but the problem is that the
architecture needs to match the locale and the plants. A terrace
house with a small narrow alley type back yard and tropical just
doesn't match. Tropical needs decks and wide windows and lots of air
movement between the house and the outside and then one could do
tropical (or tropical look alike)

I don't know if we have the same picture of tropical, but I reckon that
if you're going to be penned in by walls, you might as well be penned in
by plants instead, therefore in that situation I'd go for the lush
overgrown look. Maybe more temperate-overgrown-with-ferns look.


But the real beauty of a real tropical garden is that they are very
much lingering places as they are shady and lush and cool in
comparison to the house and full of birdlife. They aren't as you say
worth lingering in when planted in a temperate climate. Too cool, too
little birdlife and just not right somehow.

Shady, lush and cool is still nice in a temperate climate, especially
when the weather's like last July. And you've got more chance of it
being green rather than bare in winter.


--
Kay

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"JennyC" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
"JennyC" wrote in message

I find yellow and orange plants disconcerting, love cottagey
plants but
tropical stuff never appeals.
Janet Tweedy

LOL :~)
I love all colours except pale ones, and tropical really does it
for
me !!
I hate tidy, regimented gardens, topiary, box hedging and lawns!

I hate tidy gardens too but I can't quite see the connection to
tropical plants in not liking tidy gardens.

Tropicaltidy ?

Not sure what the symbols mean but there are some tropical gardens
that are as tidy and as neat as the trimmed box hedges style in
temperate gardening.


I think it boils down to what people mean by tropical gardens. There are
many styles and in general terms folk tend to assume anything from a warmer
climate is a tropical plant. The jungle effect from lush tropicals and the
Mediterranean effect from the arid bunch such as Yuccas are the opposite
ends of the exotic spectrum.It's the arid theme that tends to start to look
tidy with the obligatory gravel and a natural look of no ground cover.
Chances are that Bananas and Tree ferns may be as common as Laurel and
Rhododendron at a future date.

"K" wrote in message
Farm1 writes

It could be a gross generalisation but the problem is that the
architecture needs to match the locale and the plants. A terrace
house with a small narrow alley type back yard and tropical just
doesn't match. Tropical needs decks and wide windows and lots of
air
movement between the house and the outside and then one could do
tropical (or tropical look alike)

I don't know if we have the same picture of tropical, but I reckon
that
if you're going to be penned in by walls, you might as well be
penned in
by plants instead, therefore in that situation I'd go for the lush
overgrown look. Maybe more temperate-overgrown-with-ferns look.

Yes I think I'd do the same. It's just as easy to get the overgrown
look with temperate plants as it is with plants that don't suit the
locale or architecture..

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"JennyC" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message

Yes. You've captured it well. For the same reason I hate 'blue'
roses.

I have a love of all 'weird' plants, so I have to admit to owning a
'blue'
rose :~)

But it's in your garden not mine, so I can live with that. :-))

It's actually a sort of washed out purple .....
http://www.ljconline.nl/garden/fotos...20Blue%203.JPG
Jenny

I'm a traditionalist with roses so I won't have any that don't have
scent and I've now also decided that I won't have any more that don't
repeat. Fantin Latour can stay but I'll get no more non repeaters.
The only odd coloured rose I'd like to be able to grow and which I
think has "Blue Moon" as a parent is "Julia's Rose" but she is just
too weak and non hardy to survive in my garden. I've tried twice and
I may as well have just have thrown my money on the street.