I was today at a get together of Cornish garden owners and head gardeners
and while waiting for the busines to start we were all swapping horror
stories about how cold our gardens had been and how much stuff was
looking bad, but all decided this was minor and most had already cleared
and replanted, the good news is that the cold winter has held back the
flowering of the spring flowered Magnolias and Rhodos and things are
shaping up nicely for one of the best years ever.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 26/2/09 22:45, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

I was today at a get together of Cornish garden owners and head gardeners
and while waiting for the busines to start we were all swapping horror
stories about how cold our gardens had been and how much stuff was
looking bad, but all decided this was minor and most had already cleared
and replanted, the good news is that the cold winter has held back the
flowering of the spring flowered Magnolias and Rhodos and things are
shaping up nicely for one of the best years ever.

Nice to hear of a bright side to it all, Charlie. You've certainly had a
hard and unusual winter. I'm going to email today to find out how Tresco
got on, or were they at your get together?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

In article ,
says...
On 26/2/09 22:45, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

I was today at a get together of Cornish garden owners and head gardeners
and while waiting for the busines to start we were all swapping horror
stories about how cold our gardens had been and how much stuff was
looking bad, but all decided this was minor and most had already cleared
and replanted, the good news is that the cold winter has held back the
flowering of the spring flowered Magnolias and Rhodos and things are
shaping up nicely for one of the best years ever.

Nice to hear of a bright side to it all, Charlie. You've certainly had a
hard and unusual winter. I'm going to email today to find out how Tresco
got on, or were they at your get together?

No but word is -2c there so much tidier going on as I suspect, Aeoniums
won't have liked it just for starters! I do not know if you know it but
Trewidden had -4c at the top of the walled garden and -8c at the bottom
which for one of the far west gardens is all but unheard of.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In article ,
says...
On Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:45:56 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

I was today at a get together of Cornish garden owners and head gardeners
and while waiting for the busines to start we were all swapping horror
stories about how cold our gardens had been and how much stuff was
looking bad, but all decided this was minor and most had already cleared
and replanted, the good news is that the cold winter has held back the
flowering of the spring flowered Magnolias and Rhodos and things are
shaping up nicely for one of the best years ever.

I must have lost getting on for 20 shrubs. In many ways, it's been a
blessing in disguise, as it gives me a chance radically to re-plan all
the shrub beds with things that aren't quite so tender. When we first
moved here, nine years ago, I was a bit over-ambitious in what I
thought I could grow. The inevitable gaps have appeared over the
intervening period, and last month's frosts were what I needed to spur
me into a full-scale replanting.


Same here but I am struggling with ideas, I need to get around some
gardens and see what catches my eye but am actually flat out trying to
catch up on the garden after not being able to in January.
Any hope for dead looking Phormiums?
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

I've noticed this spring is shaping up nicely, can't wait to see some beautiful flowers around!