Re: Plants for a Garden in southern Portugal.

-----Original Message-----
From: Doobieous <doobieous@yahoo.com>
To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Date: 19 July 2003 01:53
Subject: Re: Plants for a Garden in southern Portugal.


>
>--- "Sean A. O'Hara" <sean@support.net> wrote:
> People often
>> say that "you can grow
>> anything in California - just add water"!
>
>This is mostly true :). There's even a (struggling)
>coconut in Newport Beach.
>
>http://www.plantapalm.com/centralfl/uploadedimages/Cocos
>nucifera79200363622PM.jpg
>
>Of course true tropicals that die when temps drop
>under 50F die off, but if a plant can survive temps
>between 25-20F it most likely can be grown somewhere
>in the state.
>
>> Every
>> Water District in the
>> state has
>> a water conservation office, all singing the same
>> song - use it wisely!!
>
>One of the smartest things my city did was to NOT turn
>over the city's aquifers to Cal Am Water for this
>area. It would have all gone to fuel growth in
>Monterey and Carmel. Thus, our bills are lower than
>Monterey's because the city essentially owns the water
>it sits above. We also don't have the water
>moratoriums placed on us as much as the other
>Peninsula cities do.
>
>> It is hard to get people to listen when there is no
>> generally no penalty to wasting
>> this precious resource.  Perhaps they are starting
>> to hear us . . .
>
>That is true. When we had the major droughts they
>began charging steep prices for overuse of alotted
>water, which kept people from overdoing it. Most here
>tend to not have the big water sucking gardens like
>i've seen in Los Angeles.
>
Please spare a thought for us in Capetown. We work on an incremental water
consumption tariff. Theres a base rate calculated for average domestic
consumption per month & then the price starts stepping up after that. The
more you use the more you end up paying for it. Focuses the mind
wonderfully.
We're actually in the middle of the driest winter for 25 years. Its
especially bad going up the West Coast & into Namaqualand. Anyone
contemplating a spring wildflower trip to SA would be well advised to cancel
out this year. Its not going to happen. I did a little trip into the
Northern Cedarberg peaks last week & Ive never seen it so dry there.
Clanwilliam had a dust storm blowing through town as we passed through which
was like an apocalyptic, last days vision & the main reservoir dam there is
about 10% full.
Capetown is currently under water restrictions - no watering gardens during
daylight hours - & unless we get some late winter rains, we'll be in real
trouble.

Glenn Breayley. Ragnarok & Valhalla Research.
POBox 26158, Hout Bay, 7872, Capetown, South Africa
Ph/Fax SA 021 7904253 E-mail valhalla@iafrica.com
Wholesale nurseryman & Tillandsia specialist wholesale & retail grower.
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