Dave B's Blog - Winter here we come :-o

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Dave Brown
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Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
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Dave B's Blog - Winter here we come :-o

Post by Dave Brown »

As a few other have been posting in a garden blog, I thought I'd do the same as there are things you can update that would not be worthy of a full topic of its own :wink:

Started late as still suffering from sleeping sickness, but out in the garden shortly after the sun came out at 10am. Temps warmed up very quickly prompting me to put many plants outside to help harden them off. All the colies, Ensete, canna, Musa zebrina, Musa basjoo overwintered pups, Brugs Trex etc Then the toms, Carica, Corbea, Dahlia imperialis seedlings all had a day in the garden.
2011-04-16 12-53-52  Hardening off.jpg
2011-04-16 12-49-10 Corbea and Dahlia imp seedlings.jpg
Then lots of watering particularly the Dicksonia antarctica abd Musa basjoo clumps.
Repotted Musa zebrina, a couple of Jack's Giant Colocasia. Then manhandled the Ensete Monbeliardii up the garden to see what it looks like in a different place to where planted before... nearly killed me as weighs a ton :shock: Then the Alocasia x calidora had to be carried across the garden and up two small terraces.... again weighs a ton. :ahhh!:

Kids had lunch up the garden as over 23C on the deck. No time for me to stop, as lots of hay to make while the sun shines
2011-04-16 13-01-20 Lunch on the deck.jpg
I know many people are eager to get started on planting out as the weather is good, but I have been caught out a few times in the past so overcome the urge to plant this early. Instead I place the plants where I think they will look good, wander up and down looking at them, much to the disgust of the other half who thinks I'm wasting time :lol: When I am happy and can visualise them growing in those positions, I dig shallow holes and pot plant. This way if the weather suddenly turns very cold, they can all be brought to shelter, but at the same time are being acclimatised to their new environment. :wink:

Here are a couple of shots of the proposed Colocasia bed
2 weeks ago empty
2011-04-06 15-20-54..jpg
Alocasia x calidora provisional pot planting
2011-04-16 14-20-56 Alocasia x calidora .jpg
Colocasia initial draft positioning. These won't necessarily stay in the same position, and some smaller ones were returned to the heat mat for further fattening up before hardening off.
2011-04-16 14-46-34 Colocasia bed.jpg
Then had lunch of mussels and brownbread with a banana to finish off, before moving the Alocasia macrorrhiza to the pond side. Quite pleased with the instant jungly effect. icon_thumright
2011-04-16 17-08-44 Pond side Alocasia mac.jpg
Then moved onto the Dicksonia antarctica bed. This was largely planted already, but needed some tweaking as I was not quite happy with it. The 3 foot Dicksonia antarctica planted last week was on its own with a 1foot Dicksonia antarctica about 5 feet away. I decided to move the 1 foota next to the 3 foota leaning slightly outward like it was growing away from the larger one. This vacated a hole near the top of the retaining wall.... an ideal spot for one of my standard Brugmansia. This give an instant extra couple of feet of height so the trumpets can be seem more from below.
Pic 'Little and Large' Dicksonia antarctica to the left with the poy planted single stem Brug leaning in the centre
2011-04-16 18-09-40 DA bed 01.jpg
Standard Brug above wall pot planted
2011-04-16 18-06-40 Standard Brug.jpg
Finally as the light was fading here is a shot of the Ensete Montbeliardii it proposed new position. Not dug a hole for this yet as not entirely sure on it's positioning. That is the most sheltered place from the wind as the Trachies are to the SW.
2011-04-16 18-19-04 Monty and the DA Bed.jpg
Came in a 19:40 and had dinner, feet up now with a glass of red icon_thumright
Best regards
Dave
icon_thumright
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
derrick

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by derrick »

looks full already Dave love them Alocasia and Montys ready to go
GoggleboxUK

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by GoggleboxUK »

I'm so glad you've started a Blog Dave, with a garden as inspiring as yours it's going to to be a great reference for many others as well as for yourself.

Beautiful garden, I love the Alocasia bed but am still very wary of introducing Alocasias and Colocasias into my own because they seem to beplants more suitable for advanced gardeners whereas I'm still such a noob.

Arlon's blog is a great help, there's no doubt yours will be too. Now all I need is for Simba to start a blog and I'll have 3 superb sources of reference and inspiration.

:DD
lee-ann

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by lee-ann »

Your plants always look fantastic even at the begining of the season cant wait to see them in a few weeks :D
nige pook

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by nige pook »

Crikey Dave, you've had a busy day then, well earned glass of red,well done!! :D This is only really my second year of proper tropical growing and your efforts leave me almost speechless! :shock: To be fair I'm in a rented 1st floor flat,so no conservatory etc which I'd dearley love, but do have a tiny garden with a tiny polycarb greenhouse. You amaze me with the amount,both quantity and varieties that you either manage to overwinter or get going early. You certainly give me something to aspire to. I also spent all day in my little garden re-potting etc and had hoped to also place nanas,collies etc outside to make use of the supposed good week to come. Unfortunately the sun only broke through about six thirty just as it dipped below the surrounding buildings d'oh! Will try tomorrow if the suns out.Just how long have you been honing your tropical gardening skills with regard to these type of plants? I only started after moving back from Oz,what prompted you? Sorry thats if you dont mind me asking? Nige
mushtaq86

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by mushtaq86 »

Plants are looking fabulous Dave icon_thumleft
Mr List

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by Mr List »

trying to grasp a garden liek yours dave is like trying to understand the ending of 2001:

omg, it's full of plants!
User avatar
Dave Brown
Site Admin
Posts: 19742
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
Contact:

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by Dave Brown »

Thanks for the comments. icon_salut

This style of gardening is not suited to everyone, as it does require a lot of work in spring starting off and bringing on, then in late spring planting out, and again in autumn digging out and lifting. Also I do have quite a high proportion of overwintering glass and plastic, compared to planting area.

My most precious tool this spring so far has been the new 62w Reptile mat. This has brought on all the Colocasia, and Brugs, as well as the Musa zebrina, Alpina shell ginger etc.

The garden is still evolving even after being here for 27 years. I am particularly pleased with the new effect the Alocasia calidora has against the reed screening fence. To me it cunjures up Thailand or the like. icon_thumright

Nige, in answer to how long......Makes me feel old :lol: Growing Plants 42 years, Cordylines 39 years, Palms 36 years, Ensete 32 years, Hardy Bananas 20 years, Alocsasia and Colocasia 9 years. Tree Ferns 4 years :wink:
Best regards
Dave
icon_thumright
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Bob

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by Bob »

All looking great Dave,icon_thumright can see why you struggled moving the Monte, It'll soon be rivaling the washy trunk for size. Heres hoping we all have a good summer. icon_cheers
Mr List

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by Mr List »

is there no way to get a 'Montbeliardii' through winter outside ?

i feel like such a novice compared to your advancing years of experience ( :lol: )
how long till you started tackling colo/alocasia?

i love the look of these but they are a bit above my skill level atm.

any experience with Colocasia fallax ?
amulree says it can get through -8 planted out.
mouse

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by mouse »

very interesting read Dave
i love the Alocasia my sort of plant icon_thumleft
sanatic1234

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by sanatic1234 »

Nice topic dave :) I am getting more edged to move mine in to my back garden now, i currently have them on my balcony during the days. I may even change the position of my Alocasia this year as last year it was only getting sun from 1 onwards.
And I'm loving your jacks giant dave :) STUNNING
jezza

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by jezza »

So when do we get an invite for the grand tour dave? 8)

I would never get mine looking like yours dave, i'm too lazy :lol:
Tom2006
Posts: 8094
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:23 am
Location: East Yorkshire UK

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by Tom2006 »

Looking GREAT already!!!!! icon_thumleft icon_cheers
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
leewatson1980

Re: Dave B's garden Blog

Post by leewatson1980 »

fantastic as ever Dave.

is that a cyathea in pic 8.

pic 7 looks very jungley icon_thumleft

regards
Lee
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