doing my masters at the moment.


I also work in the industry as a landscaper at the moment.

still got to send you my plan

you have.....

Ive been a bit busy the last two evenings

excuses excuses!

Interesting chapter about Cytisis battandieri in Christ Stewart's book "The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society" which may account for the scarcity of this Moroccan plant.

Some years ago he was commissioned by a friend in Sussex who runs a mail-order seed company to go to Azrou to pick the seeds: £3,500 for ten kilos. The plant was in great demand in N. Europe.

So now we know why it's hard to find here.

He went to school with an old boss of mine............don't think his book is that well received on here!

and ten kilos is a lot of Moroccan Broom!

Matt help please...

Paging the oracle!

Have a big white lilly thingy that I bought last summer in a big pot that flowered nicely when the dogs weren't eating it!

I thought it was dead during the winter but..

To my surprise it has flowered again this summer and is huge. I just water it daily with the remanants of the dog bowl water and feed it with Baby bio when I remember.

Should I transfer it to a bigger pot, cos it is MASSIVE now, and think it may be 'pot bound' is that a technical term?

Ta very muchly.

no doubt matt will come along & correct me if I'm wrong, but does it look like this?

if so it's a cala lily which is dormant during the winter & comes back when the weather warms up again

I have a couple of them in pots that will need 'dividing' when all the leaves have died back

you just take the corm -a bit like a bulb- out of the pot and gently pull it apart - there will be natural divisions - and re pot each new bit in a seperate pot

so you have at least two plants for the price of one

We did that last year and so far no lillies, but loads of leaves. ;-((

Thanks lynnxa. I will give it a go when it gets less massive.

Hi Everyone

I would just like to thank you all for the wonderful advise on this thread I have got some lovely plants in my garden and many of them have been gifts that I just don't want to leave for someone else to rip upat least now I know the important ones I can take with me

Amber

I have been writing a few bits for someone in Spain on gardening and thought I would add to the old list.

I haven't done a plant list as such as its just a bit of advice.





Coastal gardening is by far the most challenging form of gardening, nature deals a heavy hand to plants tough enough and resilient enough to thrive next to the sea and if the plants and trees are not designed for the harsh winds and drying salt then they can be stripped and killed in no time, but all is not lost, with a few creative ideas almost anything can be grown next to the sea.


When we talk about coastal gardens we have to remember that it can take on many shapes and forms, some coastal regions are wild and rugged, some are of rolling sand dunes, others of sheltered coves or flat sandy beaches. All provide their own challenges but if a set of simple rules are followed then its easy to turn any windswept area into a beautiful garden paradise.


Its fair to say that most coastal sites have a sandy soil, its this sand that causes the greatest challenge for the gardener, whether its being blasted across your plants or trying to grow in its nutrient poor soil. Growth in this soil will be poor and slow and you have to be canny when it comes to choosing your plants, and needless to say you will need a good compost and plenty of mulch to keep in that precious moisture.

Its easy to see plants that will grow and even thrive in wind swept coastal areas, things like Tea trees, (Leptospermum) sea buckthorn (Hippopae rhamnoides) and New Zealand Flax. Plants that look like they can withstand a hard drumming from the wind, that can cope with being sand blasted each day.




Planting must be done in blocks, with the hardiest plants facing the sea, and effectively bearing the brunt of the winds, these plants will be made up of trees and shrubs, maybe some Junipers or pines, or in a smaller garden Broom, box and maybe some honeysuckle. These will diffuse much of the wind, but care must be taken not to plant too close together as if you live in a particularly humid region as pathogens will quickly infect the soil and will fast kill anything smaller than a tree.
Take care to provide good space around plants and shrubs, and while this may seem like defeating the object its all about layering up banks of plantings.

So now you have an outer, protective layer its time to think about your next line of defence, an inner protective belt. Here you can start thinking about some colour, sontolina's, lavenders, rosemary's and some daises, in a sheltered corner you can maybe put some poinsettia, oleander or hibiscus, shingle or shale can now start to be introduced as mulching material, and some spaces can be thought of to provide a home for a bench surrounded by Anemone's or rununculus for some spring colour. St Johns wort will love this climate, it will thrive here, as will many hardy grasses, some will even happily grow in pots, providing stunningly dramatic displays of foliage that will flow as the winds blow.

Ground cover is an easy area to perfect, as succulents, born to this situation, will thrive here too. Try planting Hottentot figs or any of the Aloes.



Coastal gardening isn't easy, it provides the ultimate challenge in the gardening world but the results can be by far the most dramatic, its easy to look around in nature and see what will and wont like growing there, but even there, once adequate shelter is provided almost anything can be grown. Swathes of grasses behind the shelter breaks can offer a stunning perspective from a neatly placed bench under the shade of a tree, gravel paths could wind through beds of succulents and banks of culinary herbs and daisy's. Focal features need not be so important as gaps can be left in the planting to provide coastal views and little glimpses of the shimmering sea.

Some of the most amazing gardens have been created out of the most harsh conditions so be brave, be daring and remember. Its better to provide a garden with time than money.

Matt, as the plant man, do you know the names of fruit varieties? I am trying to source a tree which I bought by accident. It's a dark nectarine, with blood red flesh and juice, good flavour and massive sweetness and acidity.

Mine died, and as it had the wrong label, I can't tell what variety to ask for.