the daydream fund challenge thread

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

She was born with deformed hips. My then 12 year old son found her dead one morning. She'd rolled & twisted her gut which was always on the cards with her deformity.

Although as individuals I think they are sweet, this is one of the resons minis don't really ''do anything'' for me. There has been oe pretty indescrimiate breeding of them. The feet on many of them are also appalling, and the rumbling low grade laminitis.

I some times thik it would be nice to have a pair of lawn ponies though....but our lawn would be far too much for two minis. As it is I ut the big horses o it every few weeks fr the weekend

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

OK, so you are at 500' and planting a small copse next to your garden, as a natural windbreak, as an attractive backdrop and as a transition zone into the fields. Which trees would you include?

Any other trees near by to lead the eye into the distance?

I'm ignoring altitude thing, because that's the sort of thing I ask you but I'm really into holly atm. They've been glorious this year, and the hawthrns, but the ones with the very DARK red berries...more variation than I've ever seen this year. I love silver birches. I'm also very keen on productive things. I'd like a Juneberry but only seen pictures of them. And chestuts. And field maples.

what about wych elm....is your area desease free....unusual these days to have an elm. But they grow so big

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

Although as individuals I think they are sweet, this is one of the resons minis don't really ''do anything'' for me. There has been oe pretty indescrimiate breeding of them. The feet on many of them are also appalling, and the rumbling low grade laminitis.

I some times thik it would be nice to have a pair of lawn ponies though....but our lawn would be far too much for two minis. As it is I ut the big horses o it every few weeks fr the weekend

The deformity was in a "normal" pedigree Shetland not a mini, lir. She was just one of Nature's !!!!-ups. She'd always been with her brother so was taken on, free, to stay with him.

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

The deformity was in a "normal" pedigree Shetland not a mini, lir. She was just one of Nature's !!!!-ups. She'd always been with her brother so was taken on, free, to stay with him.

ah. My equine podiatrist ( I really do need a roll eye smilie) sees a few minis and while she adores them she sees more badly put together ones than good ones.

We've had some pretty dodgy breeding in the natives too. And just generally tbh.

Itismehonest

Davesnave wrote: »

OK, so you are at 500' and planting a small copse next to your garden, as a natural windbreak, as an attractive backdrop and as a transition zone into the fields. Which trees would you include?

Are you after what our neighbours (NT *spit*) like to call "endemic" trees, Dave, or not necessarily local types? How exotic do you want to go?
We're 500'- 600' depending on which bit you're standing on

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Any other trees near by to lead the eye into the distance?

I'm ignoring altitude thing, because that's the sort of thing I ask you but I'm really into holly atm. They've been glorious this year, and the hawthrns, but the ones with the very DARK red berries...more variation than I've ever seen this year. I love silver birches. I'm also very keen on productive things. I'd like a Juneberry but only seen pictures of them. And chestuts. And field maples.

what about wych elm....is your area desease free....unusual these days to have an elm. But they grow so big

Thanks. Yes, I've got silver birch (three planted close) on my list and DW has to have at least two hollies, so that's a start. I also picked up some seeds from a very nice Hawthorn, Crataegus persimilis 'prunifolia' (it is nice of them to label everything!) outside the loos at Rosemoor , but I guess those will be a long time in the making.....

There's a wych elm at the end of our land owned by a neighbour who has a detached garden there, so they seem to be OK as regards disease, but they do make wide spreading trees. Of course, our 150' of elm hedge would once have been mature trees too.

I fancy Italian alder and a couple of hornbeams and rowans, but I'm frightened it might end as a bit of a hotch-potch! There are no mature trees of substance nearby, just medlars and hazel.

I also want to fit in more cotoneasters (yes, I remember you don't like them, but they are popular with the birds and always doing something.) I have a lovely one grown from an original in front of the Royal Crescent and that will have to go in soon too.

lostinrates

I saw a nice ginko tree in Bath. Took me a miute to realise wht it was, weirdly they didn't look ''wrong''

Itismehonest

Devon whitebeam? If you can get one
Copper beech for colour?

Davesnave

Itismehonest wrote: »

Are you after what our neighbours (NT *spit*) like to call "endemic" trees, Dave, or not necessarily local types? How exotic do you want to go?
We're 500'- 600' depending on which bit you're standing on

I'm bearing in mind that it will border a garden, not just be more of the smallholding, but I wouldn't go for anything too exotic.

For example, I already have some eucalyptus bursting out of their pots, and eucalypts are a feature tree in the village & surrounds, but they won't go into the mix, even though I've seen them muddled-in with silver birch at Marwood.

lostinrates

I love copper beech too.


re hotch potch...I think thats ok....its a country garden.