I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

--
dave @ stejonda

"To materialist eyes, India is a developing country;
to spiritual eyes, the United States is a developing country."
Ram Dass

In article ,
says...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

I assume you've already tried various rockery plants?

Something I've found quite successful with some outside pots is to
spread stones (Wickes call them cobbles but they're not really cobbles)
over the top of the soil and that seems to keep the moisture in. It
would also keep the roots cool and protect from frost in the shallow
container you describe.

And deter squirrels ((-:

In message
"dave @ stejonda" wrote:


I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

In desperation stoneleeks (sempervivums) with some species tulips for
spring colour.


--
CTC Right to Ride Representative for Richmond upon Thames

In article , Paul Luton
writes
In message
"dave @ stejonda" wrote:


I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

In desperation stoneleeks (sempervivums) with some species tulips for
spring colour.


Or various other succulent plants. Sempervivums have the advantage of
being hardy, so they can sit there all round, and there are various
hardy sedums. But aloes and hawarthias are good for summer, some with
the advantage of spikes of orange flowers. Mesembryanthemum (livingstone
daisy) should cope if you have a lot of sunshine.

Wallflowers, as their name implies, can cope quite well with drought. As
can some of the scented leaved pelargoniums.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

--
dave @ stejonda

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

Planted in a fairly gritty/sandy type soil (there's probably a special
alpine mix available, and covered with whatever stone/slate/pebble covering
you personally find visually attractive.

Steve

dave @ stejonda wrote:
: I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
: internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
: exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions
: as to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
: drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

plug plants



sorry!

The message
from "dave @ stejonda" contains these
words:


I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

How about houseleeks? (B and Q usually stock several kinds). They can
go ages without water. If you top the soil with grit the houseleeks will
like it, and it will conserve moisture when you're away.

Janet

In message
"dave @ stejonda" wrote:


I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

In desperation stoneleeks (sempervivums) with some species tulips for
spring colour.


--
CTC Right to Ride Representative for Richmond upon Thames

In article , Paul Luton
writes
In message
"dave @ stejonda" wrote:


I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

In desperation stoneleeks (sempervivums) with some species tulips for
spring colour.


Or various other succulent plants. Sempervivums have the advantage of
being hardy, so they can sit there all round, and there are various
hardy sedums. But aloes and hawarthias are good for summer, some with
the advantage of spikes of orange flowers. Mesembryanthemum (livingstone
daisy) should cope if you have a lot of sunshine.

Wallflowers, as their name implies, can cope quite well with drought. As
can some of the scented leaved pelargoniums.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

--
dave @ stejonda

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

Planted in a fairly gritty/sandy type soil (there's probably a special
alpine mix available, and covered with whatever stone/slate/pebble covering
you personally find visually attractive.

Steve

The message
from "dave @ stejonda" contains these
words:


I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

How about houseleeks? (B and Q usually stock several kinds). They can
go ages without water. If you top the soil with grit the houseleeks will
like it, and it will conserve moisture when you're away.

Janet

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

--
dave @ stejonda

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

Planted in a fairly gritty/sandy type soil (there's probably a special
alpine mix available, and covered with whatever stone/slate/pebble covering
you personally find visually attractive.

Steve

I have several shallow pots planted with alpines which do really well on my hot
roof garden.

The following site has more info and several planting lists etc :
http://www.backyardgardener.com/trough.html

Jenny

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

--
dave @ stejonda

Alpines, houseleeks etc. They're small, they're cheap, they're not much
work. Gardening doesn't get much better than that :-))

Planted in a fairly gritty/sandy type soil (there's probably a special
alpine mix available, and covered with whatever stone/slate/pebble covering
you personally find visually attractive.

Steve

I have several shallow pots planted with alpines which do really well on my hot
roof garden.

The following site has more info and several planting lists etc :
http://www.backyardgardener.com/trough.html

Jenny

In message , Janet
Baraclough.. writes
The message
from "dave @ stejonda" contains these
words:

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

How about houseleeks? (B and Q usually stock several kinds). They can
go ages without water. If you top the soil with grit the houseleeks will
like it, and it will conserve moisture when you're away.

Thanks Janet, but what are houseleeks? I know what 'ordinary' leeks are
but have never come across these. Do they have another name? Are they
hardy?

ahhh, I've just discovered... ;-)

--
dave @ stejonda

In message , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Paul Luton
writes
In message
"dave @ stejonda" wrote:

I have an old porcelain laboratory sink out side my front door with
internal dimensions of 32"x11" x 6" deep. The situation is rather
exposed and thus dries quickly. I'd be grateful for some suggestions as
to what to plant in it as everything I've tried so far has died of
drought when we've gone away for our summer holiday.

In desperation stoneleeks (sempervivums) with some species tulips for
spring colour.

Or various other succulent plants. Sempervivums have the advantage of
being hardy, so they can sit there all round, and there are various
hardy sedums.

These sempervivums sound like a good idea. Presumably they'll prefer a
gritty soil together with a grit/gravel/stone covering?

Ahhh, I've just found the Fernwood Nursery and sent for their list.

But aloes and hawarthias are good for summer, some with
the advantage of spikes of orange flowers. Mesembryanthemum (livingstone
daisy) should cope if you have a lot of sunshine.

Maybe next year.

Wallflowers, as their name implies, can cope quite well with drought. As
can some of the scented leaved pelargoniums.

I just love the scent of wallflowers - something I remember from my
childhood. There are some in flower out the front right at this moment.


--
dave @ stejonda

"To materialist eyes, India is a developing country;
to spiritual eyes, the United States is a developing country."
Ram Dass