Cypripedium 2008

[Anthony Darby]

Must have been some house extension?

[Blue-bellied Frog]

265 flowers this morning.

Antony, There are many houses where was my playground (for wild flowers) since 1992

The Cyp. were all in a spot approximately 100 meters x 300 meters.

I have 5 new neighbours now.

[Anthony Darby]

Developers tried to do that behind some of the houses in the street. It is woodland, but the owners of said wood wanted to build four new houses. The local residents clubbed together and objected so the council turned it down. No unusual plants here, but had there been, we wouldn't had needed to put in all our objections as the law would have prevented them doing so. I thought cyps were Cites listed and as such could not be interferred with? It's the usual story. A developer can wipe out a whole population with a bulldozer, but a member of the public would get a heavy fine for digging up one.

[olegKon]

C. parviflorum is the first cypripedium to flower for me this year

[Slug Killer]

Cyp reginae bought from Hayles Hardy Orchids earlier this year.

[Lesley Cox]

An item on last night's TV about Donald Trump's intentions for the sand dunes near Aberdeen. What an arrogant pratt that he expects to do what he wants because of who he is and regardless of environmental consequences. I hope the Aberdonians dig a hole in the sand and bury him.

[ranunculus]

His hair would still be showing Lesley!

[Lesley Cox]

Someone could use a weedeater.

[Anthony Darby]

Alas I think he holds all the Trump cards?

My reginae is a wee bit behind yours Dave. Some of mine came from Hayley, as did a kentuckyensis, which is just about out. My only failure this year has been 'Andrewsii', although a couple of others have just produced leaves. I think the 'Andrewsii' was in too small a pot, so it possibly dried out?

[Paul T]

Could be the trumpet of doom for those sand dunes.

[ranunculus]

Could be the trumpet of doom for those sand dunes.

Perhaps bugle would still grow there?

[Anthony Darby]

Perhaps we should be playing The Last Post rather than the last hole when the deed is done?

[Maggi Young]

Just to continue these off topic remarks... as an Aberdeen resident, I would have been more impressed with the arguments of the anti-Trump brigade if they had all been as visible and voluble when the nearby areas were turned over to landfill, full of toxic waste draining to said dune areas!
I have a sneaking feeling that if preservation of the greater habitat and wildlife of the dunes is really what people want, then "The Donald's" plans are the best way to go!

[ashley]

... the nearby areas were turned over to landfill, full of toxic waste draining to said dune areas!

Landfill on sand?  Not good (although liners are now required in the EU that attenuate the leachate and slow migration from the site).   

Despite vocal claims to the contrary I think our experience with golfcourses on dune systems in Ireland is not happy.  Lipservice is invariably paid to conservation but the reality is almost always environmental degradation compared to leaving the area 'undeveloped'.  Hence 'conservation' comes to mean just trying to do a bit less damage, i.e. greenwash - or good old hogwash if you happen to be an old cynic like me   The only question is whether there is net economic benefit and how much degradation we are willing to accept for it.  Which leads to the question of how that economic benefit is spread ...  Here too our experience in Ireland has not been great. 

So how is it in the home of golf-courses?

[With apologies for straying even further from cypripedium!]
 

[Joakim B]

Regarding orchids in golf courses there is nice orchids around the golf course in Lund Sweden that are open to the public but some has been destroyed by stupid (illegal) mowing of the grass. It is on rented land that is now a nature conservative.

Here are some Cyps from the botanical garden in Oslo
Cypripedium reginae



Cypripedium parviflorum pubescens The only one in flower was in some shade the others had already passed



Cypripedium Ulla Silkens (reginaeXflavum)



Kind regards
Joakim