Introduction

I'm David Fenwick, I live in the warm wet and windy south-west of the UK
(Plymouth).
I'm 33, a highly qualified horticulturalist, have a  council house garden
17m x 15m which
is
open nationally for charity (National Gardens Scheme), and grow close to
1000 species of plants. Of these I have very large collections of Tulbaghia
and Tritonia, and
the NCCPG National Collections of Crocosmia with Chasmanthe; all South
African Bulbs. We are also trying to increase the number of Crinums that we
grow, they are just so amazing.

I am constantly on the lookout for hardy South African succulents and bulbs
to use as
a foil for my bulb collections. Indeed we grow many types of Lampranthus and
Carpobrotus outside;these are also used to provide frost protection for the
bulbs, both genera if replaced because of winter damage, being direct stuck
from cuttings of
stock plants in March each year.

My interest in Aloes is ever increasing but I need advice; many people have
dismissed my attempts of growing taller varieties of Aloes outside in this
country; and I cannot therefore get much information from people as to the
hardier forms. It doesn't look like it's been attempted much and of course
only an expert may be able to help. We presently have two species outside,
one is unknown, and the other is A. striatula var. caesium (ex.
Drakensberg); I would like to grow many more but need advice on this.

I grow a lot of things here under cold glass in the winter eg. Aeoniums and
Plumbago, so we are not that cold, nearly everything gets bedded out for the
summer quite early.
I'm thinking of doing something similar with Aloes.
Any suggestions would be most helpful.

We (my wife and I) also grow Echiums, such as candicans, pininiana and
wildpretii.

I also have a lot of time here for swapping plants, research and
cultivation; I'm semi-retired reluctantly as my wife has in the past 2 years
become disabled and I care for her on a full-time basis. I'm always willing
to exchange info. and swap seed etc.. . It keeps me occupied.

We both adore South African Bulbs and plants, and literally live for our
garden. It is very pleasing to belong to such a mailing list as this one.

Anyone sharing the same interests and wanting a list of what we grow is most
welcome. We are not commercial in any way at all; we just take an enormous
amount of pleasure out of what we do.

Best Wishes and thank you.

Dave Fenwick
E-mail:  crocosmia@nccpg.freeserve.co.uk
Website: www.nccpg.freeserve.co.uk  (Crocosmia (Montbretia) 1879-1939, and
our garden links and photos, 82 pages, very graphical, some slow to
download.

Weather very windy and cold today, but hopefully risk of frost has now
cleared; 12 frosts this year and nothing lost; so far. This week temps. went
up to 18C.
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