If it helps, the Atlantic conveyer is often mesured not on the surface but below the surface. The stream of water goes down a 100 metres or so. Many studies have shown the main stream flow is very healthy at 50m deep, however at the surface (top 2m) it is quite broken.
This means the stream as a whole is very healthy, nothing wrong with it, but something on surface is preventing the stream's effect being felt on there (which would be enough to impact temperatures on islands like ourselves (due to lower SSTs)
So don't worry, the Gulf stream and Atlantic conveyer are not damaged!
Hi Paul,
It must be lovely to live in Cornwall where many hardy tropical gardens exist and the weather is meant to be favorably there. I am surprised you had a harsh winter there. I live in a coastal town in North Somerset. We rarely get snow but it tends to be windy all year round.
Maxine wrote:Hi Paul,
It must be lovely to live in Cornwall where many hardy tropical gardens exist and the weather is meant to be favorably there. I am surprised you had a harsh winter there. I live in a coastal town in North Somerset. We rarely get snow but it tends to be windy all year round.
Maxine
Hi Maxine, Im originally from Yatton and helped to start Burrington Coombe garden centre in 1964, so I know all about north somerset.
The last 3 winters have been very bad and its taken the wind out of our sails a bit and dented the confidence of the plant growing public. It will be interesting to see what this winter brings but I must admit, I'm nt that hopeful !!
Sad to hear. How are the magical gardens around cornwall doing? West Sussex has loads of lovely healthy looking palms etc. It's like last winter didn't happen!
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
hi Paul,were you at burrington when they took over tickenham garden centre.its all roundtrees now but sadly the one at burrington got burned out a few years ago and they never re-built it. they also have blagdon water gardens,its gone downhill in recent years but used to stock some nice exotic plants.
Hi Maxine, prior to these last 3 very cold winters, it was an event to get a frost and i think thats our problem and the reason the cold has done so much damage ? Most of our plants have never experienced anything so cold, so maybe havent produced such tough foliage as they would slightly up country, therefore, have succombed more readily.
Also, certainly this last very cold spell, came so early in the winter and it followed quite a mild October, so plants didnt have much time to 'harden off' before it struck ?
As a plant seller, i'm finding that this year, the average gardener has given up replacing plants that have for the last 3 years perished, ie, Aeonium, Acacias, Dodonea, Leptospermum, Echium, Agave, Euryops, Osteospermum, Argyranthemum etc etc and of course, its this type of plant that gives our gardens a special flavour ?
I think, its absolutely vital that next winter is mild, to restore the confidence in this type of planting.
Hi Redsquirrel. No, this almalgamation took place long after my time. I was there up until 1971 and even then, it was inbetween going to the likes of Cannington and Pershore ? In fact as you know the area, you might know Cleeve Nurseries ?? as the owner and I went off to work on a container nursery in germany for a while and when we came back, Alan went to Hilliers (prior to setting up Cleeve Nursery) and i moved to Cornwall. I'm sure that Cadbury was responsible for the demise of Burrington as in my day, a huge number of customers came from Yatton/Clevedon etc.
i do know cleeve nurseries very well.often pop in and sometimes find pleasant surprises. cadbury now is just a rip off,still has plants but got more well over priced clothes/decorations/perfumes/book stalls etc inside now. more of a rip you off mini-market for sundays and bank hols when other places are closed.
look forward to meeting you later this year
