Re: Embothrium

Hi David,
Thanks for describing a tree I should know. I've been to Harland's
garden several times, and should have seen it. There is so much there to
see, and I must have been there when it wasn't in bloom. My garden is
shadier than his, but similar in that it slopes (not quite as steeply)
and is more shaded.
 The good news is that Margery Harris, a lawyer who
lived in San Francisco and who asked Harland to design her garden there,
has bought Harland's house. She and Harland's sister are devoted to pre-
serving it, and keeping it open for the public. Margery moved into the
house this month, and has help in garden upkeep. The two of them also
hope to get Harland's book published. He had nearly finished it when he
died.
Thanks to everyone who have written about Embothrium, with encouragement.
Elly Bade

On Fri, 6 Oct 2000, david feix wrote:

> Regarding Embothrium, it can be grown in the San
> Francisco Bay Area, although it is quite rare here. 
> There is a a very beautiful specimen growing in
> Harland Hand's garden in El Cerrito, which blooms
> reliably every year, and has even set seed.  The small
> tree is about 15 feet tall.  This garden is in the fog
> belt of the east bay hills, and gets alot more
> humidity and fog drip as a result, and is considerably
> more moist than down in the flatlands of Berkeley
> where I garden.  Harland had amended the whole garden
> with a local product called supersoil, and the garden
> receives overhead spray irrigation every 3 to 4 days
> in the dry months.
> The garden is well worth a visit, and is open to the
> general public during the Garden Conservancy Tour
> dates for the Bay Area, as recently as last weekend...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> > William Bade wrote:
> > > 
> > > I haven't taken part in this discussion yet, but
> > would like to add that
> > > there were laburnums in Danish gardens when we
> > lived there. We were
> > > cautioned that they were poisonous, and that I
> > should watch my children
> > > when they played in the garden.
> > > I have always wondered about the soil they need,
> > as well as the climate.
> > > I was told that there was no place in Denmark
> > further than 40 miles from
> > > the water, and we did have moist air and a lovely
> > light which I felt was
> > > reflection from the water (Bornholm had it
> > especially). In some places
> > > the soil was chalky, a vein that ran from the
> > island of Mon across Denmark
> > > to the Dover Cliffs. Is this why they are more
> > successful there?
> > > To add another element. I have been told that
> > Embothrium is not success-
> > > fully grown in the San Francisco Bay Area because
> > it needs moist air too.
> > > Could this be the reason?
> > 
> >  Elly 
> > Although it doesn't actually NEED a limy soil
> > Laburnum, being a legume
> > would certainly enjoy it and I am equally sure it
> > would prefer a cool,
> > moist climate like Britain or Denmark to the hot
> > part of California.
> > 
> > Embothrium also, as you suggest, likes a moist cool
> > climate, or at the
> > least a cool root run, but it can't abide lime.
> > 
> > Moira
> > 
> > -- 
> > Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
> > Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New
> > Zealand)
> > 
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Photos - 35mm Quality Prints, Now Get 15 Free!
> http://photos.yahoo.com/
> 
>
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index