[IGSROBIN] Fw: Re: summer is here

-----Original Message-----
From: Robin Kirk <robin454@email.msn.com>
To: David Barrett <david@1000feet.prestel.co.uk>
Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 8:56 AM
Subject: Re: Re: summer is here


>Encouragement it is.  Take heart.  Here the regals are all pretty much
>everblooming.  On the scented side, p. grossularioides and odoratissimum
are
>just now blooming and setting a lot of good seed that I am collecting.
>
>I gave everybody a good trimming in January, and since I cant bear to throw
>away cuttings I am now looking at about five hundred rooted cuttings.
Don't
>know what to do with them, but hey, maybe I will go retail:)
>
>To make the problem worse, I experimented with rooting leaf cuttings.  Used
>a sterile, and sterilized, mixture of sand and vermiculite, left a half
inch
>stem on the leaves, and used high strength rooting hormone after treating
>the leaves with a ten per cent bleach soak and rinse.  Covered them in a
>sealed translucent plastic box with 50% light transmittal, and in two weeks
>they rooted and started forming stems.  About a 90% success rate.  Maybe I
>can replace the grass with pels.
>
>Got my seeds for about forty or so wild collected species from S. Africa,
>and I am in the process of germinating them.  Nothing new, but I thought a
>little genetic diversity in the collection would be nice.
>
>Over in the flower garden the pot marigolds are cheerfully orange, and the
>mallows in the bog are coming out of dormancy.  The monarch catapillars
>stripped the milkweed, so it looks a bit scraggly, but in return we have
>jade green and gold pupae cases hanging on every spare twig.  Peppers are
>perennial here so we have lots of hot red color in the veggie patch.
>Marigolds and zinnas are in the ground so they can bloom out before it gets
>hot.
>
>In return you can provide encouragement in July and August, when we need to
>use shade houses and misting just to keep some of the cooler climate
>varieties from fainting, and when the evil wilt viruses stalk the land.
>Keep the faith.  Surely the mountains will regain their tops and Wales will
>again be green:)
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Barrett <david@1000FEET.PRESTEL.CO.UK>
>To: IGSROBIN@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <IGSROBIN@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
>Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 4:06 AM
>Subject: Re: summer is here
>
>
>>Robin,
>>
>>... no it isn't!
>>
>>Its been raining for most of the last four months and although the frosts
>>have been much fewer, so far, than 1997/98 we are not up to spring
>>temperatures. And I'm not sure if there is a Sun up there or not anymore,
>>its been so long since I've seen it. The Welsh flag has a white sky and
>>green grass (at least that's the way I see it) and a total cover of high
>>white cloud is fine me, bright but not blinding, warm but not scorching.
>>With the cloud base at 2000feet the mountains across the value have lost
>>their tops and we are half way there compared to Caernarfon 6 miles away
>and
>>at sea level. At 1000feet and we are in it. So the grey cloud does make
>>enthusiasm slow to stir from the gloom of daytime. I'm not sure if Ingrid
>is
>>worse off or not. If you have a foot of snow for the four months I suppose
>>you might get tired of it, but it would be nice though. Snow has been on
>the
>>ground only for a couple of days, so far. The wet if far more of a problem
>>for the pellies than the cold would be should it decide to make a later
>>appearance. There certainly has been some cold nights shown for
Scandinavia
>>on weather charts recently, it must be quite a job keeping most
Geraniaceae
>>through the winter in Sweden. Do you have triple glazed glasshouses as
well
>>as homes?
>>
>>Is that enough for now Robin? Or should we expect another request for more
>>mail in another 17 days? I know as it is summer with you why not encourage
>>us poor deprived folk with updates of what is flowering and seeding for
>you,
>>to keep us going.
>>
>>David
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Robin Kirk <robin454@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
>>To: <IGSROBIN@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
>>Date: 30 January 1999 00:42
>>
>>
>>Subject:   summer is here
>
>
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