Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

lostinrates

The magnolias this year have been amazing too....there is one near.....Iwerne Minster (I think) in dorset I pass sometimes and last time I almost slammed the brakes on to see it better....but most of them seem extra-ordinary this year. My friend has one of the less common magnolias...tiny little white flowers, and that hasn't been so great this year though, but last year it outperformed every other tree I saw so it deserves a break.

Its such an exiting year for gardens and nature!

silvercar

carolt wrote: »

We got a free cherry blossom tree from a packet of cereal IIRC, when my oldest was born (she was a Millenium baby - I think that was why they were giving away trees).

We planted it in a pot, and it was always the same height as her. We've taken it from house to house, in successively bigger pots, since she was born. As we can't plant it in the ground until we buy a place of our own, (well, not unless we want to leave it behind, which we don't), its growth is restricted, meaning it's still about the same height as my DD.

I chose a cherry tree for her as it's my favourite tree - I love the blossom, too, lir.

The younger too have an apple and pear tree respectively, also in pots.

When we get our own house, we shall plant our trees...

Along with a magnolia for my OH - his favourite tree, too, morag.

What a lovely idea.

GDB2222

I looked out into our garden the other night and the cherry and the apple both have white blossom. It looked like they were covered in snow again. Now it looks like there's snow on the ground.

lostinrates

we're obviously a little behind the rest of you....we're not so much usually....still, I still get LOTS'A blossom!

silvercar

I've just planted a load of bedding plants and my friend has told me I'm a week too early

lostinrates

silvercar wrote: »

I've just planted a load of bedding plants and my friend has told me I'm a week too early

silvercar....shhh, but...some of mine went in ages ago. I just jam old plastic bottles over everything or fleece. The only thing that hasn't made it is the night I forgot to cover two tomatoes. sweet peas, pelagoniums, the one that isn't aubretia...lobelia? and the fusias are all fine.

misskool

right, i need a kicking to go and make dinner else i will end up ordering dominos from the comfort of my soda.

silvercar

lostinrates wrote: »

silvercar....shhh, but...some of mine went in ages ago. I just jam old plastic bottles over everything or fleece. The only thing that hasn't made it is the night I forgot to cover two tomatoes. sweet peas, pelagoniums, the one that isn't aubretia...lobelia? and the fusias are all fine.

I haven't covered mine - got nothing to cover them with. They are in the wall surrounding the patio, not sure if that is better or worse than being at ground level. Oh well, time will tell, not going out in the dark or I'll get covered in bites.

lostinrates

silvercar wrote: »

I haven't covered mine - got nothing to cover them with. They are in the wall surrounding the patio, not sure if that is better or worse than being at ground level. Oh well, time will tell, not going out in the dark or I'll get covered in bites.

Dont know whats its like east but heard the weather for here and they are saying cloud cover tonight will keep us warm. week ahead looks good for you.
raised generally means worse though, as easier for the heat to leave the soil iyswim

Davesnave

As you know, I was up your way at the weekend, lir, and I reckon you are about a week ahead of us.

We are just getting the cherry blossom now. The apple blossom will probably be reduced, because I pruned all 50 of them, but I'd no time for the pears, so they are looking grand.

Over the winter, we lost most of our Schizostylus, Tulbaghia, Crocosmia and some Arum lillies too, but our Nerines and Agapanthus came through OK. Some of my favourite Salvias, like 'Indigo Spires' and 'Blue Enigma' have definitely gone to the big compost heap in the sky, but others have hung on to life somehow.

The losses seem almost random, but most would have been avoided if we'd had the plants in the ground. Unfortunately, last autumn there was no suitable ground available, as we were still chest high in weeds. I imagined that converting a couple of pig-sties into temporary cold frames would give adequate protection, but I was wrong. My max-min thermometer went down to -15C on one night.