Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum => Topic started by: David Nicholson on July 02, 2009, 11:57:10 AM

Title: Bulb Log 26-1 July 2009
Post by: David Nicholson on July 02, 2009, 11:57:10 AM
Your garden looks a picture Ian.

Another reason to have a Forum 'Smelly Button', I haven't a clue what a wet horse smells like, must have led a very sheltered life! ;D
Title: Re: Bulb Log 26-1 July 2009
Post by: Richard Green on July 03, 2009, 01:42:40 PM
Ian's musings are inspirational.  Especially when I have nothing to do in an office lunch hour but think about plants – which does keep me going for the afternoon !  I have always been nervous about touching orchids, but all of Ian's August logs are full of it.  So I shall take some action this year.

We have a piece of rough ex-field attached to our garden which I am gradually converting to woodland garden, and after 10 years sheep-free, the rough grass is now scattered with wild Dactylorhiza in various shades.  Last year they also started appearing in the lawn as I left the grass unmown where I have drifts of daffs.  This year I have not mown for the last three weeks (unusually) due to the extra-warm weather here, and several have also shot up flower spikes in the main lawn.  I presume they were mown off weekly last year!

Two years ago I spotted a Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera) right against the base of a Cotoneaster which I had transplanted into the field, and this backs up Ian’s theory about bare but undisturbed ground as I had not weeded round it after planting 5 years back.  Needless to say I cannot find any others despite an extensive search of the area.  This plant flowered for 2 years, but now the shade has steadily increased it only has one leaf and no flower this year.

So I shall have a go at moving the Butterfly to a brighter spot, and multiplying the best colours and shapes of the Dactylorhiza this August.  Thanks, Ian.  Oh well, back to work now…....
Title: Re: Bulb Log 26-1 July 2009
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on July 03, 2009, 03:25:54 PM
Ian's musings are inspirational.  August.  Thanks, Ian.  Oh well, back to work now…....

Isn't it a fact that an enlightened despot (bulb or other)is there to inspire his subordinates...  ;D ;D ;)
Title: Re: Bulb Log 26-1 July 2009
Post by: Colin Dolding on July 07, 2009, 12:39:10 AM
Thank you Ian for your fantastic plantings and chance plantings of Dactylorhiza in your garden. They have taken over my undisturbed and neglected pots at home not long after bringing one back as a stowaway in a pot of Oxalis enneaphylla minor purchased from Branklyn Gardens in Perth back in 1992 and now appear everywhere in the front garden. The back garden has many clumps of Anacamptis morio (green winged) which appear in varying quantities and colours but nothing else orchidwise. Looking forward to the next installment!
Title: Re: Bulb Log 26-1 July 2009
Post by: Ian Y on July 07, 2009, 11:41:13 AM
Quote
I haven't a clue what a wet horse smells like
Well David you will have to get down to a stable where you will find the smell of wet horse is not an unpleasant one.

Thank you for your kind words Richard, I am glad that I can share my joy of plants with you during your lunch break.

Many of the hardy Orchids will appear spontaneously in our gardens if we just manage them in harmony with nature and not be too eager to tidy up or cut our lawns. How I love to see the cut backs in our Local Authority budgets have meant that many public areas of grass are not cropped every week but are allowed to grow so that many wild flowers are appearing.

I welcome your first post Colin , hope it is one of many, it is only the Dactylorhiza orchids that we have had appearing - you are lucky to have clumps of Anacamptis morio as well in your garden.

I am working on the next installment of the bulb log now in between all the work in the garden and keeping up with 'Le Tour'.  8)
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