Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

Sacha wrote:

Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!

Not sure about whether it has been featured on the box recently, but
it ought to be. It is probably the hardiest member of the Protea
family and develops into a medium to tall, often somewhat columnar,
evergreen-semi evergeen small tree smothered in vivid scarlet flowers
during late spring and early summer. It is aptly dubbed 'Chilean Fire
Bush' and is hardy in most parts of the UK. preferring high rainfall
areas on humus-rich, neutral to mildly acidic soils. Ideally suited
to semi woodland or dappled shade it is a perfect partner to
Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There's a particularly fine, free-
flowering form with very narrow leaves called 'Norquinco Valley' that
is spectacular when in full flower. There are very good specimens at
Bodnant and it really should be on the planting list for the lower
part of the garden at HH.

On Apr 6, 10:23 pm, "Dave Poole" wrote:
Sacha wrote:
Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!

Not sure about whether it has been featured on the box recently, but
it ought to be. It is probably the hardiest member of the Protea
family and develops into a medium to tall, often somewhat columnar,
evergreen-semi evergeen small tree smothered in vivid scarlet flowers
during late spring and early summer. It is aptly dubbed 'Chilean Fire
Bush' and is hardy in most parts of the UK. preferring high rainfall
areas on humus-rich, neutral to mildly acidic soils. Ideally suited
to semi woodland or dappled shade it is a perfect partner to
Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There's a particularly fine, free-
flowering form with very narrow leaves called 'Norquinco Valley' that
is spectacular when in full flower. There are very good specimens at
Bodnant and it really should be on the planting list for the lower
part of the garden at HH.

Dave, Just where do you get your knowledge from??? I can't find any
more space iin my garden but when I read things like this, I think,
mmmnn, maybe............

Judith

On 6/4/07 22:23, in article
, "Dave Poole"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!

Not sure about whether it has been featured on the box recently, but
it ought to be. It is probably the hardiest member of the Protea
family and develops into a medium to tall, often somewhat columnar,
evergreen-semi evergeen small tree smothered in vivid scarlet flowers
during late spring and early summer. It is aptly dubbed 'Chilean Fire
Bush' and is hardy in most parts of the UK. preferring high rainfall
areas on humus-rich, neutral to mildly acidic soils. Ideally suited
to semi woodland or dappled shade it is a perfect partner to
Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There's a particularly fine, free-
flowering form with very narrow leaves called 'Norquinco Valley' that
is spectacular when in full flower. There are very good specimens at
Bodnant and it really should be on the planting list for the lower
part of the garden at HH.

Amazing you should say that. ;-) We have it in the large border on the
left of the big lawn as you look from the house.
We have some 'babies' in the nursery that aren't ready to go out yet but I'm
just struck by the fact that it's quite rarely asked for but two or three
people have asked for it in the last two days, literally.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

Judith.wrote:

Dave, Just where do you get your knowledge from??? I can't find any
more space iin my garden but when I read things like this, I think,
mmmnn, maybe............

No big secret Judith. It was greatly heralded by the RHS back in the
70's and very much an 'in plant' at the time. I had an 8 footer in my
garden in the Midlands, which turned into a pillar of fire every May.
Fabulous thing. Although in highly favourable climates it gets to 40
feet and more, it takes a good while to acheive that and you can
safely consider it to be a shrub for several years. After that you
decide whether to shift other things in its favour, or shift it in
favour of other things. I know which choice I would put my money
on.

Sacha wrote:

Amazing you should say that. ;-) We have it in the large border on the
left of the big lawn as you look from the house.

I thought it strange because I'm sure I've seen it there. However, it
seemed from your post that you weren't growing it.

We have some 'babies' in the nursery that aren't ready to go out yet but I'm
just struck by the fact that it's quite rarely asked for but two or three
people have asked for it in the last two days, literally.

Maybe there's an article about Embothrium doing the rounds - I can't
imagine that many of the current bunch of TV gardeners are aware of
its existence.

On 7/4/07 01:20, in article
, "Dave Poole"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Amazing you should say that. ;-) We have it in the large border on the
left of the big lawn as you look from the house.

I thought it strange because I'm sure I've seen it there. However, it
seemed from your post that you weren't growing it.

Sorry, misleading of me. Yes, we've had it there for some time and it's a
lovely sight.

We have some 'babies' in the nursery that aren't ready to go out yet but I'm
just struck by the fact that it's quite rarely asked for but two or three
people have asked for it in the last two days, literally.

Maybe there's an article about Embothrium doing the rounds - I can't
imagine that many of the current bunch of TV gardeners are aware of
its existence.

We watch so few of the programmes now that I thought we might have missed
something. Perhaps it's just coincidence but it's a strange one!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

On 6 Apr 2007 14:23:32 -0700, "Dave Poole"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!

Not sure about whether it has been featured on the box recently, but
it ought to be. It is probably the hardiest member of the Protea
family and develops into a medium to tall, often somewhat columnar,
evergreen-semi evergeen small tree smothered in vivid scarlet flowers
during late spring and early summer. It is aptly dubbed 'Chilean Fire
Bush' and is hardy in most parts of the UK. preferring high rainfall
areas on humus-rich, neutral to mildly acidic soils. Ideally suited
to semi woodland or dappled shade it is a perfect partner to
Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There's a particularly fine, free-
flowering form with very narrow leaves called 'Norquinco Valley' that
is spectacular when in full flower. There are very good specimens at
Bodnant and it really should be on the planting list for the lower
part of the garden at HH.


Hear hear. They are spectacular flowering trees, quite often seen in
Cornish gardens. I even knew of one growing in the corner of a field!
I suspect it had been planted there temporarily, but never got moved
on. IME they come easily from seed, which is usually plentiful. But
like all proteaceae, they abhor phosphates, so avoid giving them
general fertiliser of the Growmore/Miracle Grow/Phostrogen type. Stick
to N&K types only.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

It isn't the easiest plant to grow if your garden conditions are not to its liking (says he having had one that died). It's favoured conditions are very well drained non-alkaline soil with plenty of water. Hence does well in Cornwall and the west of Ireland. Growing it in the east of England is more challenging. The ones I've seen in the wild were growing out of a pile of crushed granite.

In theory it ought to be very hardy, because in the wild it has a very wide latitudinal range, growing right down almost to the furthest south of Patagonia where the climate is colder and windier than most places in Britain. However the plant stock in Britain tends to come from the northern end of its range in milder areas of Chile/Arg, where it is warmer than Britain, and these varieties often don't appreciate the spring frosts commonly found outside the western and southern extremities of Britain. This is a shame since plants growing further south of Patagonia are more bush-sized and therefore suited to the smaller garden.

In message , Sacha
writes
Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!

It's one of the glories of Bodnant, and I suspect that it's common among
the acidic gardens of the west coast. I was over in Galloway yesterday,
and it was present at both Logan Botanic and Logan House Gardens; IIRC,
Glenwhan also has it, and a couple of gardens local to me also.

Logan Botanic had it down, perhaps prematurely, as a seasonal highlight,
but I don't expect it to be in flower until next month. So, it's
unlikely to be a case of people seeing it in flower, unless it's much
earlier in Cornwall of the Scillies.

I tried growing it in a pot back in the '90s (my garden is heavy clay,
which is perhaps unsuitable soil), but was unsuccessful.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On 10/4/07 12:34, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
Has this recently figured on a tv programme or something? We've had a few
requests for it in the last couple of days and wonder why. It's not your
average garden shrub!

It's one of the glories of Bodnant, and I suspect that it's common among
the acidic gardens of the west coast. I was over in Galloway yesterday,
and it was present at both Logan Botanic and Logan House Gardens; IIRC,
Glenwhan also has it, and a couple of gardens local to me also.

Logan Botanic had it down, perhaps prematurely, as a seasonal highlight,
but I don't expect it to be in flower until next month. So, it's
unlikely to be a case of people seeing it in flower, unless it's much
earlier in Cornwall of the Scillies.

Ours isn't doing much yet but we're off to Scilly tomorrow, so I'll keep my
eyes open.

I tried growing it in a pot back in the '90s (my garden is heavy clay,
which is perhaps unsuitable soil), but was unsuccessful.

I've only seen it in fairly well-drained loamy stuff, though that said, our
soil here is a bit of a mix.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)