Hello from Oxfordshire

[Stew]

Hi all I'm stew been lurking a while and joined today. Earlier this year my neighbour turned me on to bamboo and I have got the bug quite bad, got 5 different bamboos, banana plants a palm now! Anyway just wanted to say hi and looking forward to asking lots of newbie questions!

[fern Rob]

Welcome to the forum. Is there any plant you want to grow/ buy that you have not already got.

[Stew]

Hi rob funny you should ask but yes next year I would like to grow a massive gunnera my neighbour says I'll struggle but I've had an idea about creating a bog area and using bath water to keep it moist, I will research this site and maybe start a topic on it. My goal is to make a jungle in the garden do any plant with massive leaves is going to be on my list.

[fern Rob]

I have got Gunnera growing in my garden, no problem living under trees and its fine, it's not boggy soil at all. I'm sure growing it will be fine.

[Half Hardy]

Hi stew,welcome.There are a couple of massive clumps of gunnera growing next to the road,close to where I live.They are under a canopy of trees,but get no other protection or extra watering.You can see them clearly on google street view,about half a mile outside of a hamlet called Polbathic,heading towards Torpoint,on the right hand side of the road(I will try and figure out how to post a pic. sometime,if anybody else knows how to,it would be nice to post the pics. ,or a link on the main forum).They look fine even after the winter of 2010 and this years dry summer.You will be wanting to put T-rex near the top of your,must have list I would think.

[Dave Brown]

Hi Stew, and welcome to the forum

I can't grow Gunnera as we suffer too many droughts here in north Kent, even when other parts are getting normal rain. If you suffer from very dry spells in summer, a bog garden would be beneficial. I lost my Gunnera plants in the drought and hosepipe ban from 2004 to 2006.

[kata]

Welcome to the forum stew!

Also try a fern...Dicksonia antartica.

[fern Rob]

Welcome to the forum stew!

Also try a fern...Dicksonia antartica.

I agree

[GREVILLE]

Welcome to HTUK, Stew

Plenty of members based in your part of the world so you'll also get plenty of local advice.

[Stew]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys
Off to a bamboo nursery in fordingbridge this weekend after some c. Giantea will post findings if There's any bamboo nuts on the board

[grub]

Welcome to the asylum Stew, there's a few of us here from the shire now . Whereabouts are you?

[Stew]

Hi Grub good to see a local I'm between faringdon and radcot in the middle of nowhere really, this is my first year growing exotic things in the garden be good to know what grows well in this region, my goal is to have a mad bamboo jungle out back with palms and big leaf monsters growing randomly. The mrs thinks I've gone mad.

[grub]

My missus had similar feelings at the start . I'm in the sticks too and have killed most things so stick with Boo's Trachys, Tetrapanax and Basjoo's for the backbone, they've all done well for me. If you're ever out near Bicester and fancy popping in just let me know, kettle stays warm most of the time and there's always a Cider in the fridge plus I can talk s**t for hours

[Stew]

Cheers grub will take you up on that offer I'm often up the m40 past Bicester on my travels, ever since I started growing bamboos and then more exotic stuff its turned me into a bit of a garden pervert find myself peering over hedges whilst driving! have you got many bamboos?

[redsquirrel]

hi Stew and welcome, i gave up banger racing to grow bananas guess that is something you are quite familiar with having standlake just up the road