Evolution of a Crocus Garden

[Maggi Young]

Don't jump ahead of him, Paddy, the buckets are still there and the crocus bed is framed!!

I am surprised that the clutter in an Australian garden can bear quite so much resemblance to our own little patch of paradise, here in Aberdeen......must just be a knack we've got.....

[Paul T]

Paddy,

Those two big white buckets of water are actually tropical waterlilies. It allows me to move them under the eaves during winter, so that they survive the cold.  So they aren't just "water" they're a means of having tropical blue waterlilies that otherwise wouldn't be growable.  For your enjoyment I have attached a pic below of said blue tropical waterlily (well it is actually more purple).  The other bucket in the picture has a white version in it..... then there are two more buckets beside the house which have others in them as well (but they aren't in the picture, so I am not posting pics of them!  )

Maggi,

The term "clutter" is putting it nicely.  "Junk" is perhaps more accurate.

Sand is now here, hoping to unload from the back of my truck tonight.  I'll post pics after I have recovered sufficiently from having moved half a cubic metre of sand with muscles that aren't used to it...... so maybe next week or the week after!! 

[Katherine J]

You are very cruel, Paddy. Are you a teacher???
Don't forget, the title of this topic is EVOLUTION of a Crocus Garden!

The waterlily (and the picture) is stunning, Paul. It would deserve a nicer "pot". If you weren't so far, I would send you a wooden bucket.

[Paul T]

Nope, not a teacher, although there are some regular posters here who are.  Besides, I prefer eccentric as a description of me!! 

Sand is now unloaded and mixed in with the recycled garden soil.  Potting of the Crocus into their mesh baskets can now commence, as the lower outer layer can be planted at this stage and I can build up the inner contours as I progress with the potting.  A big relief to finally be this far. 

P.S.  Remember that evolution is usually a very slow process, so if I stick to the whole evolution them, then perhaps I should be next posting in a couple of generations to show how it has evolved?  Not sure you'd want to wait 90 years or so (I think that 30 years is about a generation isn't it?) rather than the couple of weeks!! 

[Paddy Tobin]

Katherine,
Yes, I am a teacher. How did you guess?

But I am only teasing Paul. Old buckets are an indespensible part of gardens, great to hold a big plant until a place is found for them. They have the advantage of large capacity, handles which ease transport and they are cheap, usually recycled. Of course, they also make excellent planters for water lilies as Paul has displayed.

The evolution of a garden or even a garden is bed is a slow process and the very best gardens are done by slow process. My wife always insisted that the greatest danger to good gardening was having the money to do it all at once. Doing things the fast way often leads to mistakes made in haste and regretted at leisure.

So, Paul, we shall await further developments.

Paddy

[Paul T]

My last response was due to me misreading the previous posting.... I thought that Kathrine was asking me whether I was a teacher, not you Paddy.    I was obviously having a senior moment and read Paddy as Paul..... hey, they both start with P after all!!   I think I'll go and lie down now, I obviously did too much today and my mind is going!!

Those of you who just muttered that my mind has been gone all along are NOT being nice!! 

[Katherine J]

Katherine,
Yes, I am a teacher. How did you guess?

OK, not guessed, I remembered some of your posts...
And I know you were teasing. Me too.

[gote]

This is not exactly the right topic but..
Paul,
How big are your buckets? Do you use the same bucket in summer or does it go into a pond?
Which kind is the blue one? What winter temperature is needed? Summer?
Sorry for being an inquisitor but I try to grow a number of the hardy ones and a blue would be a nice addition.
Göte

[mark smyth]

I have a good idea following on from Paddy's comment. We all cant hve picture perfect gardens and must have a rough area out of view. Why dont we all be honest and show a photo of our collection of pots? I'll get the ball rolling tomorrow

[Maggi Young]

a rough area out of view

HA!  That's a good one... if our rough areas were OUT of view, that would be fantastic! 

[Paul T]

Gote,

They're 20 litre buckets.  I can measure the physical dimensions if you'd like?  They are in there permanently, year around, but they are actually potted within the bucket, not planted directly.  It allwos me to periodically replace the water as it does get rather green at times because of the amount of light and warmth that builds up.  Another good thing with these buckets is that the water tends to heat up quicker during spring, so it brings the tropicals out of dormancy a bit quicker.  If they had to rely on our normal pond water then it would be too cold to start them growing until very late in the season.

Mark,

That isn't the roughest area of pots in my garden, believe me.  If ONLY!! 

[gote]

Thank you Paul,
I can figure out the size myself. I do the same in one place where I have a 'Pygmea Rubra' in a 6" pot in the bottom of a green clay pot and a 'Helvola' in a 5" pan in a smaller blue clay pot. I also have a formal pond where I have pots standing on the bottom. All these must be empty during winter since otherwise the ice would crack them. During the winter the plants are at frost free depth in a natural pond.
I assume tropical ones could grow in a big pot in a Swedish summer but what winter temperature would be needed? and are they dormant?
I cannot help posting these pictures even if it is the wrong topic.
The green pot, The green pot again, Chromatella in the natural pond, the formal pond (with white chair legs )
I wonder who puts all those ugly wheelbarrows, dirty spades, piles of weeds, garden chairs and whatnots in my pictures.   They are not there when i look through the camera. Sigh! 
Göte
PS
I wish I had an area that was not rough!!

[Paul T]

Gote,

That first pic looks pretty tranquil to me!!  Better view from your place than mine, that is for sure!!  Loev the waterlily pics, particularly that green pot which suits it so well.

The tropicals are dormant in winter, but their rhizomes aren't adapted for as cold a temperature while dormant as the normal Nymphaeas.  Mine definitely never freeze in their pots, but I put them against the house to keep them warmer.  Unless in deep shade we don't get permanent ice on water in winter here, just freezing each night and defrosting sometime during the day..... not as cold as you guys obviously.  The big problem I think with the tropicals in cold climates is that it takes so long for the water to warm up sufficiently in ponds etc to stimulate new growth..... this is where the buckets work out well because they absorb heat much more easily, but don't release it all at night, so at some point the water is warm enough to trigger growth on the tropicals, always much later than the other more cold hardy ones.

[Maggi Young]

Exquisite lilies! You will get no sympathy for ANY mess, Göte, as long as you have that fantastic view to enjoy! Who would see a mess when there is an outlook like that?!!

[gote]

Paul,
Tank you for the kind words.
I take it that they would survive  dormant in temperatures around 4 °C
To get warmer water in the spring would not be too difficult even in my climate - provided that I keep them in the bucket. I could even install some cheap warmer.
This is encouraging. I will be on the lookout for some.

Maggie,
If I sit looking at the view all day and not at the mess nothing would be done.
Göte