I don't believe most of the nonsense written about this. This year
has been a disaster, and I don't think that it will be unusual.
I lost a lot (including Salvia viridis and other labiates) due to
the 6 months of cold and wet. And it took forever to warm up
enough for the exotics to start.

My Passiflora incarnata didn't break surface until June, and my
Erythrina crista-galli until a fortnight later. Vegetables planted
out failed to grow, and that happened even to ones I started indoors.
A huge number of the things that the press claim we will be able to
grow don't mind frost, but DO demand a decent summer. At present
it is warm, but the nights are already closing in.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)

"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1 [at] cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:e7up1r$haq$1 [at] gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> I don't believe most of the nonsense written about this. This year
> has been a disaster, and I don't think that it will be unusual.
> I lost a lot (including Salvia viridis and other labiates) due to
> the 6 months of cold and wet. And it took forever to warm up
> enough for the exotics to start.
>
> My Passiflora incarnata didn't break surface until June, and my
> Erythrina crista-galli until a fortnight later. Vegetables planted
> out failed to grow, and that happened even to ones I started indoors.
> A huge number of the things that the press claim we will be able to
> grow don't mind frost, but DO demand a decent summer. At present
> it is warm, but the nights are already closing in.
>
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.

Bloody southern bedwetters always moaning:-)
Yep you are right about some things requiring a decent summer and I guess
that many require a once in a decade (if we are lucky) type summer such as
we had in 95.
There does appear to be an almost sudden realisation that many of the so
called "Tropicals" will survive even a hard winter if it ain't too wet.
Survival is one thing but getting plants to perform tolerably with rubbish
light levels is near impossible--but we try.
One long, cold and wet winter will devastate my patch but I live in hope.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
> I don't believe most of the nonsense written about this. This year
> has been a disaster, and I don't think that it will be unusual.

>From your title I wondered if it was an international campaign to
eliminate intestinal parasites.

> I lost a lot (including Salvia viridis and other labiates) due to
> the 6 months of cold and wet. And it took forever to warm up
> enough for the exotics to start.

I have lost quite a few tender convolvulus and suffered cold damage on
other tender South African plants grown outside as annuals. The datura
is well on but languished in the cooler weather recently, and H.
petiolaris is nearly 3 weeks late flowering. Strangley the Nashi pear
which I assumed might be tender has a record crop ths year. Plums
looking good too.
>
> My Passiflora incarnata didn't break surface until June, and my
> Erythrina crista-galli until a fortnight later. Vegetables planted
> out failed to grow, and that happened even to ones I started indoors.

The tough ones are OK. But even spuds have suffered frost damage in
late May!

> A huge number of the things that the press claim we will be able to
> grow don't mind frost, but DO demand a decent summer. At present
> it is warm, but the nights are already closing in.

That is going to be a problem. We will still have short summers due to
our latitude and global warming will not alter that at all. Also global
warming is an average - some places may end up cooler (as we may well
do if or rather when the north Atlanic conveyor stalls).

Regards,
Martin Brown

"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1 [at] cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:e7up1r$haq$1 [at] gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> I don't believe most of the nonsense written about this. This year
> has been a disaster, and I don't think that it will be unusual.
> I lost a lot (including Salvia viridis and other labiates) due to
> the 6 months of cold and wet. And it took forever to warm up
> enough for the exotics to start.
>
> My Passiflora incarnata didn't break surface until June, and my
> Erythrina crista-galli until a fortnight later. Vegetables planted
> out failed to grow, and that happened even to ones I started indoors.
> A huge number of the things that the press claim we will be able to
> grow don't mind frost, but DO demand a decent summer. At present
> it is warm, but the nights are already closing in.
>

I opened this because I thought it was about worms!

Mary
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" <reply [at] newsgroups.com> wrote in message
news:44a326fd [at] 212.67.96.135...
>
> "Nick Maclaren" <nmm1 [at] cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
> news:e7up1r$haq$1 [at] gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> >
> > I don't believe most of the nonsense written about this. This year
> > has been a disaster, and I don't think that it will be unusual.
> > I lost a lot (including Salvia viridis and other labiates) due to
> > the 6 months of cold and wet. And it took forever to warm up
> > enough for the exotics to start.
> >
> > My Passiflora incarnata didn't break surface until June, and my
> > Erythrina crista-galli until a fortnight later. Vegetables planted
> > out failed to grow, and that happened even to ones I started indoors.
> > A huge number of the things that the press claim we will be able to
> > grow don't mind frost, but DO demand a decent summer. At present
> > it is warm, but the nights are already closing in.
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> > Nick Maclaren.
>
> Bloody southern bedwetters always moaning:-)
> Yep you are right about some things requiring a decent summer and I guess
> that many require a once in a decade (if we are lucky) type summer such as
> we had in 95.
> There does appear to be an almost sudden realisation that many of the so
> called "Tropicals" will survive even a hard winter if it ain't too wet.
> Survival is one thing but getting plants to perform tolerably with rubbish
> light levels is near impossible--but we try.
> One long, cold and wet winter will devastate my patch but I live in hope.
>

I also find that the pundits are obsessed with averages, it makes little
difference if the winter has on average been the warmest for 100 years if
one night got down to -7c which was the case this year, one cold night
undoes all the good of a mild winter and palms etc won't grow in winter
however warm if the light levels are low. So I am with Nick and reckon the
next person that tells me I should try Bougainvillea again now global
warming is here needs shooting! (Politely of course)
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

the latest scientists prediction models for our isles make grave
reading. obvioulsy its all computer predictions are can't be guaranteed
but they believe we will lose the effects of the gulf stream in anywhere
from 10-30 years. this basically keeps our winters relatively mild

what they believe were in for is colder and drier winters.
wetter/windier springs and autumns; and hotter/drier summers

anyhows if what they are predicting comes true on a global scale then
200 years from now 60% of the worlds cities will be underwater, deserts
will have spread massively, and fresh water will be the most precious
resource


--
Tiger303

"Tiger303" <Tiger303.2a62w1 [at] gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Tiger303.2a62w1 [at] gardenbanter.co.uk...
>
> ... fresh water will be the most precious
> resource

Fresh water already IS a precious resource.

Mary