Desert Island Seeds

[SueStephens]

You are about to be cast away on a desert island... Well, not really a desert - it has a scree bed and a few small rocks and unfortunately, a rather damp climate. You can only take 10 packets of alpine seeds and one luxury item. What would they be?

(sorry if this has been done before but needs must!)

[Maggi Young]

this thread might help.....http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6895.0


errr.... might not manage ten right off....

Erinus alpinus - Fairy foxglove
Dianthus deltoides - Maiden pink
Geranium sanguineum - Bloody Cransebill
Helianthemum - the dwarf rockrose
Lapeirousia laxa   I think this is now called Anomatheca laxa or even Freesia laxa
Crocus seed
Campanula cochleariifolia
Aubrieta


can my luxury be chocolate?

[SueStephens]

Thank you Maggi... Thought you might include a rhododendron though...

[Maggi Young]

You might not be too far off the mark, Sue!  But rhodos, though I adore them, do take rather a long time from seed.    ( that's their only fault!!)

I was going for things that are long lived or give good seed for regrowing  and will give fairly speedy coverage and great colours.

If I were going for plants, rather than seed, then dwarf rhodos would certainly be on the list. Quite apart from my personal delight in them anywhere inthe garden, they can give terrific structure and some height to rock beds ... the evergreens are fab for year round interest as well of course.  

[maggiepie]

Do they have to be alpine seeds?

[Diane Whitehead]

We had this topic as a panel discussion at VIRAGS (Vancouver Island
Rock and Alpine Garden Society) many years ago, but we were allowed
only one choice.

Mine was alpine strawberry as it fruits for a very long time and grows
quickly from seed so the whole island could be pumping out berries.

[maggiepie]

Diane, great choice.
Were they red or white?
I haven't been able to find white ones yet but the red fruit from spring to killer frost here.
Amazing plants.

[SueStephens]

Yes Helen, they have to be alpines... But you could always have a non-alpine as a luxury ....

[maggiepie]

Yes Helen, they have to be alpines... But you could always have a non-alpine as a luxury ....

Hmmmm, are there any snails on this island?

[Maggi Young]

Yes Helen, they have to be alpines... But you could always have a non-alpine as a luxury ....

Hmmmm, are there any snails on this island?

 Just thinking... Galapagos has giant tortoises....
this island could have giant snails..........

[maggiepie]

Just thinking... Galapagos has giant tortoises....
this island could have giant snails..........

Eeek, there go the campanulas!!!

[SueStephens]

This island has no animal life at all apart from birds, beneficial insects, bacteria, fungi and the odd lichen.

Sue

(still hoping)

[Hoy]

Yes Helen, they have to be alpines... But you could always have a non-alpine as a luxury ....

Hmmmm, are there any snails on this island?

 Just thinking... Galapagos has giant tortoises....
this island could have giant snails..........

The Cacti were more gigantic on Galapagos than the tortoises when I visited the archipelago 11 years ago (Sorry, only slides from that trip)

An island with gigantic snails would probably have gigantic snail-eaters too

[Diane Whitehead]

Yes, snails could be a problem.  They ate anything I tried to grow
in Sabah (on the island of Borneo).  I'd chop them up with a parang
and feed them to the chickens.

I guess I could have eaten them.

So they could be one's protein source on this desert island.  We'd
need to be growing a bit of garlic to go with them.

[WimB]

Yes Helen, they have to be alpines... But you could always have a non-alpine as a luxury ....

Hmmmm, are there any snails on this island?

 Just thinking... Galapagos has giant tortoises....
this island could have giant snails..........

Hmmm,

Foster's rule (also known as the island effect)....has that affected Great-Britain too?