Leaf-Cutter Bees, Nectar-Feeding Birds, Idiot Cumbrian Gardeners
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Leaf-Cutter Bees, Nectar-Feeding Birds, Idiot Cumbrian Gardeners
- From: t*@eddy.u-net.com (Tim Longville)
- Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 19:43:22 GMT
As far as the fertilization of ginger lilies is concerned:
The general message seems to be thatI'm not living/gardening in a
warm enough spot. Funny, I seem to have heard that before...
Though I can't claim any nectar-feeding birds in Cumbria, I CAN claim
lots of leaf-cutter bees. The old stone walls around this garden are
home to 100s of'em. So far, though, their preferred target seems to be
the foliage of old-fashioned roses - don't ask me why - but maybe,
sooner or later (probably later), there'll be a hot enough summer to
tempt'em to switch their attentions to my ginger lilies, for
nectarous haute cuisine if not for home-building materials - or
whatever it may be that they use their neatly half-moon-shaped
leaf-segments FOR. (I suppose for hole-in-the-wall-lining? but I don't
really know. Dave? Are you equally expert on the ways of leaf-cutters
as on those of meat-eating parrots?)
Meanwhile I'll try to adopt Moira's moral - better a non-fertilized
ginger-lily than a rampant weed.
First lot of gales - during which neighbour's conservatory roof
disappeared, last seen heading towards Scotland at a rate of knots -
was followed by several inches of snow in a couple of hours' downpour
yesterday morning (I was out walking dogs on neighbouring hills and
only just got back to car in time to make it down forestry tracks to
metalled road) but (so far) no sign of today's forecast winds of 80+
mph. (Later, before sending: I take that back. They're just arriving.
With torrents of rain, rather than snow.) Despite all, no real cold,
still, so plants, though battered, are not, yet, actually dead.
Main casualty so far has been a sweet young replacement Eucalyptus
cordata, coming on nicely to take the place of a good-sized specimen
killed by cold in the winter of 95-96. This one wasn't killed by cold
but by a keeled-over Azara dentata which squashed it as it fell. I've
left in the stump in the hope that it'll shoot from the base but on
such a young plant (only 4' tall) is it likely? Any gum-tree guru care
to comment? Even if this individual has to be put to rest, I shall
have the obligatory third try next year. It's too handsome a plant to
give up on easily. Well, that's my opinion - though of course in
regions where ginger-lilies get fertilized it's probably, yep, yet
another rampant and noxious weed. Ha!
Tim Longville
