South African Ericas

    Does anyone out there have any useful information (preferably from 
experience, their own or other people's) on the minimum temperatures likely 
to be tolerated by these beauties?
    I have E.canaliculata outdoors, and so far it has survived the lowest 
temp. of this winter, -3c. I'm told that it's one of the hardiest, if not the 
hardiest. I have since acquired a sizeable plant each of E.versicolor and 
E.viridescens, but feel loathe to plant them out, especially just now, if an 
unexpectedly vicious frost comes along. I might take cuttings later this 
year, and then experiment with said hopefully-rooted cuttings. And any info 
on best time/methods for cuttings also gratefully received.  
    I'm interested in trying some more species from seed, and note with 
interest that Silverhill list most of them as zone 8. They should therefore 
(in theory - we'resupposed to be borderline zone 8/9 here) be viable outside 
in these parts. These parts being 1.5 miles from the coast of north-east 
Wales, last winter's minimum temp was -3c, although 95/96 was as much of a 
stinker as in most parts of Britain. Mean annual rainfall is 25.8 inches, 
which means it's approaching East Anglian levels. Not all the west coast of 
the U.K. is sopping wet.

Einion Hughes,
Rhyl, Denbighshire,
Wales, U.K.
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