Re: Perennials In High Temps/Humidity

I gree, it's great to get a variety of opinions, and opinions from a variety 
of climates. That's why I always recommend Armitage, who has experience from 
southern Canada and Georgia (as well as a couple of other states). No pretty 
pictures but generally a sound assessment of the plant's ability to survive 
and prosper in a variety of conditions.
You might want to try corresponding with Magnar Asparkar (I may not have 
spelled his last name correctly). He grows literally hundreds of species of 
perennials on an island off the coast of Norway. He's actually north of the 
Arctic circle, but thanks to the Gulf Stream, usually warmer than my temps 
in winter.
I haven't got the URL handy but I know someone who found his web page from 
just his first name.  I don't know if he grows bog rosemary (he's more of an 
alpinist than a bog gardener) but he does grow an amazing number of plants.

Bob Campbell



>From: "Marge Talt" <mtalt@clark.net>
>Reply-To: perennials@mallorn.com
>To: <perennials@mallorn.com>
>Subject: Re: Perennials In High Temps/Humidity
>Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 00:10:55 -0400
>
>Bob, agree that good ref. books are invaluable and I try to collect
>all that I can afford. What I'm after is personal experience from
>around the map...can't actually beat that:-)  Most ref. books reflect
>the understanding of one person - the author - unless it's a
>compendium of many authors...and sometimes it's basically a
>regurgitation of research done in the works of other authors.  Even
>the experts have their limitations.  One of the prime marvels of our
>email lists is that we can gather the experience of people in totally
>diverse parts of the US and the world, in the first person, so to
>speak.
>
>Claire...you make me feel a tad better about killing C. canadensis so
>often.  Decided the last attempt was the end; can't bear torturing
>that plant anymore.
>
>Sue, your point is also most interesting, re: altitude differences
>and, Claire I wonder if that isn't part of why it wouldn't transplant
>for you.  Realize the soil requirements, etc. play a part.
>
>So, seems we are confirming that not only summer temperatures
>(perhaps), but altitude and growing conditions differing extremely
>from the native ones play a part in whether certain plants will grow
>in our gardens....from what all of you are saying, think this applies
>particularly to C. canadensis....Janet can't grow it in CT and it's
>probably soil related as well as altitude.
>
>As for Alchemilla alpina, now...that one may be climate related if
>you're having no problems with it in upstate NY, Claire.  It melts
>away for me same as C. canadensis.  Wyman says the common name for
>this is mountain lady's mantle and Hortus III says it hails from the
>mountains of Europe...hmmm..wonder if we have an altitude situation
>here, too.
>
>I've also had the same problem with Alchemilla erythropoda, for which
>I'm not finding a US zone designation but Flora  Europaea says it's
>found in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia  and Crimea...doesn't
>say *where* in these areas as in mountains or what...I got my last
>one from Ellen Hornig who is in upstate NY.
>
>As I recall A. erythropoda from my last attempt,  it is visually
>similar to A. alpina as far as leaf size.  Have no clue on flowers
>for either of these as they never stuck around long enough to produce
>any.
>
>Another northerner that faded away over a period of years was
>Andromeda polifolia 'Nana' (bog rosemary).  Now, I realize this is a
>plant requiring moist to boggy, very acid soil and I gave it
>that..made a special bed that I could keep always moist with a high
>percentage of peat and sand.  Figured it was the heat and humidity
>that it hated, although the poor things took nearly 10 years to
>finally waste away to nothing.  I don't feel too badly about this one
>as Dirr says he managed to kill it in Illinois in a peat/sand bed and
>thinks that heat and humidity are not to its liking - which
>reinforces (somewhat) my original theory here, since it is hardy to
>zone 2.
>
>Any of you growing this one successfully or not?
>
>Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland

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