[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

Hello Chari, Frank and All.

Some plants are incredibly hardy and put up with all sorts of mistreatment.

Woof, Wave, Woof, Jaki.

He does look such a "Distinquished" member, Frank. What sort of computer does he have?

Any dahlias on the horizon? What with your incredible climate, I thought you might have some growing already.

Nothing much to report here - except the miniature crocus shoots have doubled in size, soon have flowers.

I'm wondering when to cut back the clematis I have, think I need to wait until spring really begins.

Hi Penny.......Havn't checked the Dahlias yet even though it's very mild here I think I'll wait till early March before I take a look see.

It was like a spring day here in paradise yesterday very mild and sunny, we get one nice day per week then back to the wet stuff

As for How do I prune my clematis here is a good site for you it tells you all you need to know... :

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/c...824028038.html

cu later, take care.

Frank.

[Tuppence2]

Hello, Frank.

Very useful article. Thanks very much. I've a viticella and another sort that needs pruning in early spring. Will give it a go and hope not to kill them completely!

We have winds from the north and north-east, so aren't very warm.

Thanks for the photo of the golden eagle - wonderful birds. How nice for you to have seen it.
You could have looked out a few minutes later and not known it had been there!

Bye

[Tuppence2]

OK, Frank. Can't wait for your garden to burst into life so I can start receiving photos again.

Cold (down to zero) tonight. I noticed someone had cut his grass the other day - no such luck with mine. It'll wait until the spring. I think people with petrol mowers cut lawns at any time. Mine is an electric.

Saw a beautiful new hazel at the garden centre - they've not had it in stock before. A Turkish Red hazel, with long red-colour catkins. Very striking.

Found this info about the species:

"The scientific name is Corylus colurna (authenic Latin but derived from an ancient Greek name), and it is placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.

"They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins. The flowers are produced very early in spring before the leaves, and are monoecious, with single-sex catkins, the male pale yellow and 5-12 cm long, the female very small and largely concealed in the buds, with only the bright red 1-3 mm long styles visible. The seeds are nuts 1-2.5 cm long and 1-2 cm diameter, surrounded by an involucre (husk) which partly to fully encloses the nut; the shape and structure of the involucre are important in the identification of the different species of hazel."

Bye

[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

OK, Frank. Can't wait for your garden to burst into life so I can start receiving photos again.

Cold (down to zero) tonight. I noticed someone had cut his grass the other day - no such luck with mine. It'll wait until the spring. I think people with petrol mowers cut lawns at any time. Mine is an electric.

Saw a beautiful new hazel at the garden centre - they've not had it in stock before. A Turkish Red hazel, with long red-colour catkins. Very striking.

Found this info about the species:

"The scientific name is Corylus colurna (authenic Latin but derived from an ancient Greek name), and it is placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.

"They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins. The flowers are produced very early in spring before the leaves, and are monoecious, with single-sex catkins, the male pale yellow and 5-12 cm long, the female very small and largely concealed in the buds, with only the bright red 1-3 mm long styles visible. The seeds are nuts 1-2.5 cm long and 1-2 cm diameter, surrounded by an involucre (husk) which partly to fully encloses the nut; the shape and structure of the involucre are important in the identification of the different species of hazel."

Bye

It's started already Penny, February 7th 06 our first Camellia has just opened

cu later, take care,
Frank.

[Steppinstone]

Very nice Frank, stunning!!! I bet your toes are even green

Penny, are you still in that cold snap? We are having a bit of one, single digit temps at night brrrrrrrrrrr!!

We received a foot of new snow this past weekend, seems old mother nature can't make up her mind this winter !

Take care everyone! Think Spring!

[eggplant43]

Several days ago I saw a daffodil starting to peek through the ground. I was surprised, as there are usually other bulbs that show up first.

[Tuppence2]

Hello everyone.

No, it's not quite so cold at the moment. In fact, its a bright sunny afternoon (Wednesday), today, though no warmth when out.

Lovely to see the flowers beginning to appear. My neighbours' tiny pink cyclamen are in full flower, and I have a miniature iris, purple with a pale splash on it's petals, flowering in one of the tubs. Saw snowdrops just about to open in a garden the other day.

I planted a thornless blackberry, "Oregon", yesterday. It's against the wooden fence at the side of the back garden. Looking forward to big, juicy berries in August. The nurseryman said to plant it out now as any frost would be more damaging to it in its pot than in the ground. It has cut, lacey-looking leaves.

Some information on it:

Common name: Oregon cut-leaf blackberry Family: Rosaceae
Wild:
Synonyms: Rubus fruticosus laciniatus (Weston.)
Known Hazards: None known
Range: The origin of this plant is uncertain.
Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situation.

[Tuppence2]

Hello everyone.

No, it's not quite so cold at the moment. In fact, its a bright sunny afternoon (Wednesday), today, though no warmth when out.

Lovely to see the flowers beginning to appear. My neighbours' tiny pink cyclamen are in full flower, and I have a miniature iris, purple with a pale splash on it's petals, flowering in one of the tubs. Saw snowdrops just about to open in a garden the other day.

I planted a thornless blackberry, "Oregon" (fruticosus laciantus), yesterday. Also known as the cut-leaf blackberry, it's leaves being serrated. It's against the wooden fence at the side of the back garden. Looking forward to big, juicy berries in August. The nurseryman said to plant it out now as any frost would be more damaging to it in its pot than in the ground.

[Tuppence2]

The snowdrops are out, along with miniature crocus and iris, the roses are budding and shoots are appearing all over the place! I think Spring has arrived very early.

Anything going on in your garden?

Penny

[Steppinstone]

Spring is no where in site here Penny!! I took this yesterday morning and we expecting a lot more today.. I also posted this in the weather thread in case someone spots it more than once

[franca]

Originally Posted by Steppinstone

Spring is no where in site here Penny!! I took this yesterday morning and we expecting a lot more today.. I also posted this in the weather thread in case someone spots it more than once

Hi Chari

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr you poor thing... reminds me of what we used to endure when we lived in Winnipeg, nothing like that here in paradise

Was out all afternoon weeding yesterday, we even cut some of the grass last week...

Will be thinking of you when I'm out messing today

cu take care Frank.

[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

The snowdrops are out, along with miniature crocus and iris, the roses are budding and shoots are appearing all over the place! I think Spring has arrived very early.

Anything going on in your garden?

Penny

Hi Penny......lots going on here also as you already know did you see Charis snow ?

cu later, take care,

Frank.

[Steppinstone]

Think Spring for me Frank!! I will take another tomorrow after today's snowstorm!!

Take care!

[eggplant43]

At this point, I'd love to be pulling weeds, but my landscape looks just like Chari's. I'm also afraid I've lost a couple of trees, or at least their buds for this year, time will tell. We're expecting sub-zero weather here tomorrow. I'm definitely "thinking spring".

[franca]

Originally Posted by Steppinstone

Think Spring for me Frank!! I will take another tomorrow after today's snowstorm!!

Take care!

I sure will Chari Here's a reminder of what's to come

cu Frank.