In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:

Have you thought of something unusual (for the UK), like Albizia
julibrissin. It will take the cold, a fully mature one shrugged off -14°C in
a friends garden on a regular basis, but they are not keen on winter wet,
soggy cold feet, which I understand is what killed the one they planted at
Kew. Can't remember if you are on clay or sand. The one I grew from seed
which I planted out two years ago in our front garden still has some green
leaves on it even now, although on clay/silt we are on a slight rise and
it's over gravel not far down.

Thanks for that! Yes. I am on sand, and tried one a few years back.
It never thrived, and eventually died one winter. The trouble is
that it would have established better in the 1980s, when we had
some hot summers, but the recent ones have been pretty miserable.

On that, I wonder how Feijoa (Acca) would do? Mine is in a pot,
from seed, and seems much more resistant to frost than the books
say. So was my pomegranate, but that died one winter - the Feijoa
is still going, and I shall be sad when it goes, but I doubt that
it would take a hard frost (by Cambridge standards).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2014-02-07 14:11:15 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:

Have you thought of something unusual (for the UK), like Albizia
julibrissin. It will take the cold, a fully mature one shrugged off -14°C in
a friends garden on a regular basis, but they are not keen on winter wet,
soggy cold feet, which I understand is what killed the one they planted at
Kew. Can't remember if you are on clay or sand. The one I grew from seed
which I planted out two years ago in our front garden still has some green
leaves on it even now, although on clay/silt we are on a slight rise and
it's over gravel not far down.

Thanks for that! Yes. I am on sand, and tried one a few years back.
It never thrived, and eventually died one winter. The trouble is
that it would have established better in the 1980s, when we had
some hot summers, but the recent ones have been pretty miserable.

On that, I wonder how Feijoa (Acca) would do? Mine is in a pot,
from seed, and seems much more resistant to frost than the books
say. So was my pomegranate, but that died one winter - the Feijoa
is still going, and I shall be sad when it goes, but I doubt that
it would take a hard frost (by Cambridge standards).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

My outlaws had Acca in a Jersey garden but an unusually cold winter
carried it off. We have it here but keep it in a greenhouse. I think
wet feet would probably finish it off here.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

On that, I wonder how Feijoa (Acca) would do? Mine is in a pot,
from seed, and seems much more resistant to frost than the books
say. So was my pomegranate, but that died one winter - the Feijoa
is still going, and I shall be sad when it goes, but I doubt that
it would take a hard frost (by Cambridge standards).

My outlaws had Acca in a Jersey garden but an unusually cold winter
carried it off. We have it here but keep it in a greenhouse. I think
wet feet would probably finish it off here.

Could well be. Mine is in a large pot, in some free-draining JI-style
compost, and I can more-or-less guarantee that it won't waterlog.

I shall have to see if my Erythrina crista-galli comes through this
winter - that IS in the ground, with a bucket of gravel in the hole
before planting :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2014-02-07 16:32:09 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

On that, I wonder how Feijoa (Acca) would do? Mine is in a pot,
from seed, and seems much more resistant to frost than the books
say. So was my pomegranate, but that died one winter - the Feijoa
is still going, and I shall be sad when it goes, but I doubt that
it would take a hard frost (by Cambridge standards).

My outlaws had Acca in a Jersey garden but an unusually cold winter
carried it off. We have it here but keep it in a greenhouse. I think
wet feet would probably finish it off here.

Could well be. Mine is in a large pot, in some free-draining JI-style
compost, and I can more-or-less guarantee that it won't waterlog.

I shall have to see if my Erythrina crista-galli comes through this
winter - that IS in the ground, with a bucket of gravel in the hole
before planting :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Does it flower well? It's such a beautiful thing.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In article ,
sacha wrote:

I shall have to see if my Erythrina crista-galli comes through this
winter - that IS in the ground, with a bucket of gravel in the hole
before planting :-(

Does it flower well? It's such a beautiful thing.

Patchily, in our recent, cold, wet summers. Last year, it had
only two spikes (it has never had many) and they didn't come
out until late October. One year was better, and one year they
got frosted before opening and were a bit miserable.

I can't remember where I saw it doing well - it was either Oxford
or Edinburgh botanic gardens.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 07/02/2014 17:51, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
sacha wrote:

I shall have to see if my Erythrina crista-galli comes through this
winter - that IS in the ground, with a bucket of gravel in the hole
before planting :-(

Does it flower well? It's such a beautiful thing.

Patchily, in our recent, cold, wet summers. Last year, it had
only two spikes (it has never had many) and they didn't come
out until late October. One year was better, and one year they
got frosted before opening and were a bit miserable.

I can't remember where I saw it doing well - it was either Oxford
or Edinburgh botanic gardens.

Ah, but was it /really/ in the ground? Or was it in a large pot buried
in the ground? The best ones I've seen flowering in the UK were at West
Dean, but they were in very large pots buried in spring, and removed to
a protected area in late autumn. Anyway, they seem to be fickle things.
I grew one from seed and it eventually died (not sure why) in its 18"
pot when it was over 15 years old. It had a stem 10 cm in diameter, and
I never had a single flower (reminds me of growing Wisteria from seed.
Both are Fabaceae - I wonder if there's a connection!). I've now put
one in the ground here in South Hampshire. I suppose that this winter
it hasn't really needed its mulch as there have been almost no frosts
(and nothing below -4°C). Whether or not it will survive in waterlogged
soil is another matter entirely.

With regard to Acca sellowiana, it is much hardier than given credit
for. I had one in Horsham in wealden clay for years. It grew and
flowered well every year, and one year it even had around a kilo of
fruit (which made very interesting chutney). It suffered minor damage
in the rare very severe frost, maybe -10°C, but soon grew away again.
Any damaged buds were soon replaced. Of course, there may be several
clones available in the UK with varying levels of hardiness. I would
guess that it's just pot luck if you get one of the hardier ones or not
if you buy one.

--

Jeff

In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:

I shall have to see if my Erythrina crista-galli comes through this
winter - that IS in the ground, with a bucket of gravel in the hole
before planting :-(

I can't remember where I saw it doing well - it was either Oxford
or Edinburgh botanic gardens.

Ah, but was it /really/ in the ground? Or was it in a large pot buried

in the ground? ...

As politicians say, thank you for that question. I shall now
emulate their answers :-)

With regard to Acca sellowiana, it is much hardier than given credit
for. I had one in Horsham in wealden clay for years. It grew and
flowered well every year, and one year it even had around a kilo of
fruit (which made very interesting chutney). It suffered minor damage
in the rare very severe frost, maybe -10°C, but soon grew away again.
Any damaged buds were soon replaced. Of course, there may be several
clones available in the UK with varying levels of hardiness. I would
guess that it's just pot luck if you get one of the hardier ones or not
if you buy one.

I grew it from seed!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2014-02-07 17:51:06 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
sacha wrote:

I shall have to see if my Erythrina crista-galli comes through this
winter - that IS in the ground, with a bucket of gravel in the hole
before planting :-(

Does it flower well? It's such a beautiful thing.

Patchily, in our recent, cold, wet summers. Last year, it had
only two spikes (it has never had many) and they didn't come
out until late October. One year was better, and one year they
got frosted before opening and were a bit miserable.

I can't remember where I saw it doing well - it was either Oxford
or Edinburgh botanic gardens.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It flowers profusely here but that is under glass and in an enormous
pot, It's the national flower of Argentina, I'm told.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk