Hello from (the other) County Louth

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JeffYoung

Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by JeffYoung »

I'm an ex-pat Yank living in County Louth, Ireland. My (Irish) wife and I have recently restored a 19th C Turner conservatory which we're planting up. It's too big to heat, so we're trying to figure out whether it affords only minimal protection over being outside, or whether its protection will be more significant.

(We also have friends giving us plants, all assuming it will be heated, so I suspect many of those will have rather short lifespans. But oh well.)

So far we've played it pretty safe with the larger plants: Butia Eriospatha, Trachycarpus Fortunei, a Brazilian Cordyline, Musa Basjoo and Dicksonia Fibrosa.

But I've got a few smaller ones that are perhaps more borderline: Cycas Panzhihuaensis, Cycas Revoluta and Phoenix Roebelenii.

And some gifts: Bouganvilla and Abutilon, which might be even more iffy.

Any thoughts welcome.

Cheers,
Jeff.
butia and trachy.jpg
kata

Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by kata »

Hi Jeff, welcome.

Your Trachycarpus fortunei will be ok to I believe -18 I was reading yesterday.

Cordyline needs some protection, I lost the English version in 2010 which was a shocking winter here..

The Dicksonia fibrosa, not sure but I usually protect my Dicksonia antartica with a cloche, three in a pack from Homebase..

We had quite a severe frost here last night so I covered my plants as I knew it was coming.

That conservatory is lovely.

icon_sunny
billdango

Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by billdango »

Hello Jeff and welcome to the forum.

The Trachycarpus and that Butia should be hardy outside in a sheltered spot I think as they grow outside perfectly well here in Southampton.

The Roebellini in the right hand corner of your picture will be okay in the conservatory but will need minimum heating in winter.

rgds billdango icon_thumleft
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Arlon Tishmarsh
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Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

Hi Jeff, welcome.

Pretty sure i recognise that framework on the conservatory, also the quoin work, stone colour etc etc............

is it Rokeby Hall ?
Steph
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Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by Steph »

Hello and welcome, the conservatory is to die for!
What about citrus trees in pots make the conservatory double as your orangerie?

I'd also suggest a needle palm in there, or use it to bring on smaller palms with a view to planting outside in the future.

Streitzia would be good as well.

The mind boggles its such an interesting challenge!
JeffYoung

Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by JeffYoung »

Thanks for the welcome, everyone!

Arlon, yes, it is indeed Rokeby Hall. Have you been here?

Steph, we do want to put some sort of citrus in. I had worried about it getting warm enough to ripen, but on the few sunny days we've had so far (post-restoration) the temps inside have soared, so I'm thinking it might work out after all.

I think Strelitzia might be in with the Bouganvilla and Abutilon.

In the bad winder a couple of years ago we had several weeks in a row with lows of -6 to -9; I don't really know what the temps inside the conservatory would have been, but I have to guess it wouldn't have been far off that.

Still, those temps were unusual, and it's possible the glass provides quite a bit of protection (even unheated). I should think preventing radiative heat loss should be good for 3 degrees or so; what I don't know is if I'll also get any value out of reflecting some of the wall and floor thermal mass (or if that just fades to nothing in prolonged cold). I suppose the only definitive way to know is to try it and see....

Cheers,
Jeff.
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Arlon Tishmarsh
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Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

JeffYoung wrote: Arlon, yes, it is indeed Rokeby Hall. Have you been here?

Cheers,
Jeff.
I haven't Jeff but the architecture rang a bell with me. My Irish side hail from the South West , co Limerick. If i remember correctly, i also remember the restoration being listed on You Tube. Will have to see if i can find it again.
JeffYoung

Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by JeffYoung »

Probably FB, rather than YouTube:

https://www.facebook.com/RokebyHall

That's mostly my wife's effort, but I do throw a word or two in from the cheap seats from time to time.

(Come to think of it, our blacksmith did take some videos; I wonder if they ever got posted anywhere? icon_scratch )

Anyway, stop by if you're ever in these parts, and we'll put the kettle on....

Cheers,
Jeff.
Steph
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Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by Steph »

JeffYoung wrote: Steph, we do want to put some sort of citrus in. I had worried about it getting warm enough to ripen, but on the few sunny days we've had so far (post-restoration) the temps inside have soared, so I'm thinking it might work out after all.

I think Strelitzia might be in with the Bouganvilla and Abutilon.

In the bad winder a couple of years ago we had several weeks in a row with lows of -6 to -9; I don't really know what the temps inside the conservatory would have been, but I have to guess it wouldn't have been far off that.
The citrus will ripen when they go outside for the summer... mine do.
I have a small lemon tree with 8ish fruits on from last years flowering.
Expanding the collection, have a Kumqat & Kaffir Lime as well.

Strellies are tough, kept inside all year you wouldn't get any flowers - so long as stuff is dry, the cold isn't such an issue over winter, and 2010 was something else.

Some ferns, tree ferns may be nice in there, things are running away with me now.....
grub

Re: Hello from (the other) County Louth

Post by grub »

welcome to the asylum Jeff icon_thumleft
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