How about a gardening thread? - Page 48

#**941** 16.04.2015, 10:06

	Quote:	amogles
	Citrus growing was a big thing back in the Renaissance period. Consider the orangeries of various stately homes for example. This is what permitted the rich and famous of the day to have fresh oranges, lemons and tangerines on their table. It wasn't really until the early 20th Century that it became cheaper to import them that the fashion died out and people somehow assumed that because these fruit didn't grow here they couldn't grow here. The last two decades or so have seen a bit of a revival, but more as a hobby thing. But this doesn't mean it hasn't done before. There are even breeds that can stay outdoors all winter if in a sheltered location.

Yep. And while I live in a nondescript terrace apartment, even I have an orangerie! Fancy name for a plastic tent but it's a lovely thing, and it will protect my peppers this summer. Attachment 98313. And hopefully, the lemon tree over the winter. My lemon verbena spent the winter inside and lived! First one ever for me!

amogles · #**942** 16.04.2015, 11:02

	Quote:
	Yep. And while I live in a nondescript terrace apartment, even I have an orangerie! Fancy name for a plastic tent but it's a lovely thing, and it will protect my peppers this summer. Attachment 98313. And hopefully, the lemon tree over the winter. My lemon verbena spent the winter inside and lived! First one ever for me!

The main challenge to lemons in our latitude is not so much the cold (there are methods such as yours to protect against that) but the numerous parasites they seem to attract (scale insects were the biggest problems on mine). The sunlight and summer heat seems to kill them off but they spread again in winter (especially indoors) so it's a good idea to check for them regularly and stamp out the problem before it grows beyond your control.

#**943** 16.04.2015, 12:45

Thanks! I'm hoping I can keep this plant outside all winter. My neighbor has a heater for his orangerie. Not sure I'll go that far, but I'll see. Last winter, I poked my head in the orangerie and it was warm. It is very well insulated when closed up tight. For summer, I'll leave it partly open.

amogles · #**944** 16.04.2015, 12:52

	Quote:
	Thanks! I'm hoping I can keep this plant outside all winter. My neighbor has a heater for his orangerie. Not sure I'll go that far, but I'll see. Last winter, I poked my head in the orangerie and it was warm. It is very well insulated when closed up tight. For summer, I'll leave it partly open.

I would remove it entirely in the summer. The fresh air and direct sunlight will do your tree good.

greenmount · #**945** 16.04.2015, 13:30

	Quote:
	Yep. And while I live in a nondescript terrace apartment, even I have an orangerie! Fancy name for a plastic tent but it's a lovely thing, and it will protect my peppers this summer. Attachment 98313. And hopefully, the lemon tree over the winter. My lemon verbena spent the winter inside and lived! First one ever for me!

It used to make me think of Schoenbrunn Palace....but as of now I have a completely different picture.

Tom1234 · #**946** 16.04.2015, 13:40

This is an Orangerie:

#**947** 16.04.2015, 14:22

Indeed it is, but so is the small plastic tent like thing I posted above. It's a mobile orangerie.

http://www.winterschutz.de/Thermo-Gewaechshaeuser.html

greenmount · #**948** 16.04.2015, 14:22

@Tom123

Not always.

#**949** 16.04.2015, 14:28

	Quote:	amogles
	I would remove it entirely in the summer. The fresh air and direct sunlight will do your tree good.

I'll keep the lemon tree outside when it gets warm, but I'll need the heat for the peppers, so it stays. I will vent it.

smoky · #**950** 16.04.2015, 14:57

	Quote:
	Yes indeed. A quick look at wikipedia - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsythia Forsythia mostly come from Asia, are among the first plants brought to Europe. One type is native to the balkans. Most are hybrids, i think. very common in the US, too. Edited to add - your comment about foreign plants made me think a little.... Foreigners with foreign plants. But how far do you want to take the indigenous thing? For example, tomatoes came from the Americas.

Apology, my bad use of words. I did not mean fanatically indigenous, I was alluding to those plants that grow happily, are winter-hard, non invasive or threatening.

I pass a small garden here regularly and am always fascinated by it .... it`s wild wild full of "weeds", roses, and always something new coming up and flowering, totally without any organisation except stepping stones wending their way about - to my mind "indigenous" and very interesting (although I could not live with that chaos, but it`s nice to look at, like a fairyland).

Comfrey I cannot live without, so I was very happy to find it growing here. I infuse the young leaves in various oils which then have the most amazing healing power for injuries. Old leaves infused in rainwater then strained/diluted is a plant food. And of course as Odile said the leaves are a compost activator - acting much like manure.

#**951** 16.04.2015, 15:02

	Quote:	smoky
	I pass a small garden here regularly and am always fascinated by it .... it`s wild wild full of "weeds", roses, and always something new coming up and flowering, totally without any organisation except stepping stones wending their way about - to my mind "indigenous" and very interesting (although I could not live with that chaos, but it`s nice to look at, like a fairyland). .

If I had a piece of land rather than a terrace, I'd love a garden like this. The secret garden!

smoky · #**952** 16.04.2015, 15:08

	Quote:
	If I had a piece of land rather than a terrace, I'd love a garden like this. The secret garden!

We have a small wedge shaped piece between garage and road, away from house, and I`m trying to convince husband to NOT mow the grass there, to leave it wild. I`ve seen red wild poppies come up, strange grasses, and now it`s full of those little bunches of colourful flowers - but then he can`t resist to mow it!
Maybe this year I`ll have more luck with my nagging

To have just a small section of wild garden would be nice.

greenmount · #**953** 16.04.2015, 16:15

	Quote:	smoky
	We have a small wedge shaped piece between garage and road, away from house, and I`m trying to convince husband to NOT mow the grass there, to leave it wild. I`ve seen red wild poppies come up, strange grasses, and now it`s full of those little bunches of colourful flowers - but then he can`t resist to mow it! Maybe this year I`ll have more luck with my nagging To have just a small section of wild garden would be nice.

I am yet to see grass higher than 5 cm in CH.

Or is it 2,5 cm?

amogles · #**954** 16.04.2015, 16:38

	Quote:	greenmount
	I am yet to see grass higher than 5 cm in CH. Or is it 2,5 cm?

I disagree, there are several gardens in my neighbourhood that have long grass and a plenitude of wild flowers. Of course its navigating a thin line between a garden left to go wild and one that is just eco-friendly and providing space for nature. Disorderly is a no-go, but eco is a plus.

I often felt its UK gardens with their sometimes maniacal insistence on mowing the lawn in nice parallel stripes that were overdoing it. You don't see the Swiss doing that quite as much.

st2lemans · #**955** 16.04.2015, 16:48

	Quote:	greenmount
	I am yet to see grass higher than 5 cm in CH. Or is it 2,5 cm?

Come to Ticino.

Tom

Medea Fleecestealer · #**956** 16.04.2015, 16:48

	Quote:	greenmount
	I am yet to see grass higher than 5 cm in CH. Or is it 2,5 cm?

You haven't seen my place yet then.

Only cut the grass once last year and haven't started on this year's cutting yet.

I was out spraying some weedkiller on the weeds in the flower bed today though. My first gardening job of 2015.

Just managed it before the expected rain arrives over the next few days.

Belgianmum · #**957** 16.04.2015, 16:59

	Quote:	greenmount
	I am yet to see grass higher than 5 cm in CH. Or is it 2,5 cm?

You clearly haven't seen my garden then.

Just got back from 10 days away and the garden has gone mad. Missed the window for mowing the grass today as it is raining now so it will have to wait for a bit and get even longer with more 'flowers' in it.

greenmount · #**958** 17.04.2015, 09:42

	Quote:	amogles
	I disagree, there are several gardens in my neighbourhood that have long grass and a plenitude of wild flowers. Of course its navigating a thin line between a garden left to go wild and one that is just eco-friendly and providing space for nature. Disorderly is a no-go, but eco is a plus. I often felt its UK gardens with their sometimes maniacal insistence on mowing the lawn in nice parallel stripes that were overdoing it. You don't see the Swiss doing that quite as much.

Pardon me, but eco is...well, disorderly.

As for UK gardens, perhaps is was an older trend? Our of curiosity I googled for uk gardens and allow me to tell you there are quite some beautiful wild gardens there (well, a somehow "studied" wilderness). By comparison, my mother's seems unimaginative and too tidy, and she doesn't really dedicate her whole spare time to it.

sups · #**959** 18.04.2015, 11:08

For the citrus lovers like myself, Aldi is now selling orange and lemons mainly Meyer Lemons right now for just 10 chf

Belgianmum · #**960** 18.04.2015, 13:05

	Quote:	sups
	For the citrus lovers like myself, Aldi is now selling orange and lemons mainly Meyer Lemons right now for just 10 chf

They are incredibly small plants though ( in our Aldi). It will take a while to get any decent sized fruit from them as they're about 20cm tall at the moment.