was Begonia grandis 'Alba'?, now winter relief
- Subject: was Begonia grandis 'Alba'?, now winter relief
- From: E*@aol.com
- Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 13:04:02 EST
In a message dated 1/10/03 12:42:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mygarden@easystreet.com writes:
> By the way Begonia sutherlandii has been hardy for me for 5 years. It
> makes a small tuber, so when it goes dormant in the fall, the tuber can be
> stored in a cool dry place for the next year. It is very nice - small
> tangerine flowers in abundance all summer. It trails so is excellent in a
> container.
Sitting here writing some letters and looking out the window, up comes
Marilyn's begonia message. The deadly sin of avarice creeps into one's
thoughts as the picture out the window shows up to eight feet of snow on the
valleys of the barn roof, icicles that would brain you if one fell on you and
this snow insulating two or three feet of frozen soil. There is ice
everywhere. More snow will fall in the next three days.
Just once, one or two years, I would like to watch the progress of a garden
that does not have frozen soil. We are in snow country and can accept that.
This year is a return to some of the previous heavy snow years. The spring
runoff will clean the streams and fill the reservoirs. All good stuff, still
I would like to watch a long frost free fall and an early pleasant spring
that does not take place (spring that is) in about one week's time.
The tradeoff is less disease in the garden but not fewer pests. Whatever we
are doing indoors keeping warm does not seem to affect wildlife. It all
returns as usual as it must be acclimated to the weather, it is the gardener
who is not.
The short season give some relief from the endless chores but makes for a
long winter. I encourage all to fashion some indoor growing space. There
are many ways to accomplish this w/o building a greenhouse. A lot of plants
are coming into bloom here and it is very nice to visit them each morning
and see what's happening.
Our space is actually part of the house with nearly all of three sides
glassed plus the roof now a row of roof windows. Ed built staging and glass
slider doors from the house proper. No new construction from the ground up
was necessary. Some lighting is necessary as the sun never shines in
Dec-Jan-Feb. All of the glass in the world is not a help with no light.
Maybe some other solutions around the North would be contributed. Building a
greenhouse is not necessary plus one unconnected to your house is walk
through a lot of snow on a cold day. I have been in the UK quite a few times
and was inspired years ago by the many contrivances for indoor growing. Some
tall buildings will have a bulge in the side with glass space where you least
expect it. Parts of roofs are removed and replaced with glass or some form
of plastic and the resulting area is filled with greenery. Passing around
some suggestions might be a good thing to do in January.
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4
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