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Martinnicklin
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:06 pm Posts: 2675 Location: Telford UK
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On the edge literally - that's where I live
This will send a shiver of horror down the spines of all those of you who are blessed with virtually frost-free gardens! I was reading an article yesterday by our beloved Alan Titchmarsh proclaiming that he would not have it any other way than to live with the seasons - that's what makes gardening in the UK great, he says. He woudn't want to wake up every day to an evergreen world of tropical flowers and temperatures. I guess many members of GOTE would disagree and sometimes I too would disagree. Today, however, I came from my conservatory packed with tropical and sub-tropical plants and walked down my street to the hill at the end of the road. The temps would certainly send a chill down the spines of some forum members but when I got to the top of the hill with my lovely dog, I found myself agreeing with Mr T and thinking "No, I'm glad we are having this freeze. It is more lovely than any plant I grow, it's free, it's on my doorstep 24/7 and I am so lucky to live in such a lovely place." If I lose a few plants now and again, so be it. That's the price I pay for having all this. Apologies for the picture quality (snapped on my phone) and the indulgent way I promote Shropshire!
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Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:09 pm |
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Adrian
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 7:32 pm Posts: 185 Location: Folkestone Kent UK
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Fantastic views Martin, you are indeed fortunate to have such panoramic views a short walk away. I agree with the need for seasons, I for one would be very bored with nothing to moan about (this summer's too hot / this winter's too cold...etc).
Adrian
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Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:39 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Cool shots Martin I suppose I would get fed up with everything growing whatever I planted ........I think! We are off to Kielder Forest on the Scottish borders soon to see if we can get even colder than here the East Mids so there maybe something in what you say for lots of us.
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Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:30 pm |
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John Jearrard
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm Posts: 487 Location: Cornwall, UK
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Well, I woke this morning with the warm sun shining down and although we may initially disagree about cold weather, you have a Springer and can be forgiven anything.
_________________ John.
www.johnjearrard.co.uk
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Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:09 pm |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Not sure I would swap Counties (or dogs) but you are correct Martin in saying Shropshire is a beautiful county My late Cornish father in law settled on the Brown Clee hills so we were regular visiters and still return to Hodnet and Dorothy Clive gardens each year for Plant selling.
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:47 pm |
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David Matzdorf
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:06 pm Posts: 5321 Location: Islington, London UK
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
I would say that Shropshire is the most underrated English county, as far as scenery is concerned. It just seems to fly under everyone's radar.
But I wouldn't go along with the view that an absence of extreme seasons is boring, or that I would miss the freeze of winter of the swelter of summer. I wouldn't.
Perhaps this has to do with having spent most of my childhood in a climate that routinely achieved 35ºC in summer and -17ºC in winter. I hated it then and I don't like it now.
I'm relatively content with London's narrow range of temperatures. In fact, I'd be happy with an annual range between 5ºC and 25ºC.
_________________ 51º33'07"N x 0º07'21"W
43m (142 feet) ASL
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Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:22 am |
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Bennz
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:06 am Posts: 675 Location: Waimarama NZ
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
_________________ Waimarama NZ Oceanic temperate climate
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Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:27 am |
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Chad
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:03 pm Posts: 2343 Location: Inland Cornwall UK
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
With brief -5C our 'usual' worse and 25C an unusually hot summer day central Cornwall is a different 'edge'.
We haven't gone below 0C yet this winter.
Roses are still hanging on [we don't se many roses on this board!]
Simple Calendula are still cheery.
Calceolaria pavonii is still going strong.
Impatiens tinctoria is still flowering whenever there are a couple of days without bloom stripping gales.
Cirsium rivulare is now leafless but struggling on.
With the last of the 'summer' flowers, autumn is well established with this Camellia sasanqua scenting the air round it on a still day [with the rather unpleasant scent of 'cheap soap'!].
Spring is here too. Camellia × williamsii 'Saint Ewe' is in full flush.
Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' had a bloom for Christmas, but a good show for The New Year.
Early 'main crop' snowdrops have begun.
Buddleja auriculata may be visually overlooked, but its heavy honeyed scent draws attention to it.
Edward Needham's Fatsia polycarpa is in bud. It hasn't set berries for me, maybe this year?
Volunteer polyanthus at the gate.
A different 'edge' to Shropshire. I'd happy not to see frost but would miss the seasons.
Chad.
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Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:00 am |
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Steven
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:02 pm Posts: 2486
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Nice view, Martin! As far as climate is concerned, I'm really feeling with our tropical members, who will never be able to enjoy this : The waggy has become a real monster, in fact I come to think, that it's actually a T. x takaghii. It grows way too fast and the leaves are too big to be a waggy, making it lean towards fortunei. OTOH, the dark colour and stiffness of the foliage are speaking for wagnerianus. I don't bother about my climate, my usual range of -5°C to +38°C anually is just fine for me.
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Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:40 am |
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Tom Velardi
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:20 pm Posts: 4337 Location: Kyushu, Southern Japan (33.607N latitude)
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Steven, enjoy those flowers while you can! It has been frostless here as well. I saw tons of roses in flower on the way to work yesterday. So does that mean the new norm is "December showers bring January flowers?"
Martin, I don't envy your weather having grown up in NY state, and also having lived in Florida half my adult life, but it is visually fantastic. I hope to one day live in a place as beautiful - away from the swirling masses of humanity, traffic, and shopping malls. Enjoy it, you are blessed!
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Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:06 pm |
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david feix
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:54 am Posts: 3206 Location: Berkeley, California
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Hopefully most enjoy the climate they live in. Having been fortunate to have grown up in California, which many feel has no significant changes of seasons, I would begin to differ. I like my climate, but if money were no object, I'd clearly prefer living in Brazil. Cold, winter, distinct 4 seasons a year; I prefer it warm all year.
_________________ David Feix Landscape Design http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/
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Wed Jan 11, 2017 4:41 am |
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Steven
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:02 pm Posts: 2486
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
Funny thing is, we actually don't have these 4 distinct seasons anymore!
Winter has become a rather dull and wet "long autumn" now as opposed to the rather dry and snowy winters we had when I grew up. At least here in the more "atlantic" parts of Germany.
If you live in more continental part of the country in the east or south east you'd enjoy a much healthier winter, less flu weather, since the dry and much colder winters there are way better to stand than ours. And it's all basically down to proper clothing and heating that makes the difference. Apart from that, one would have to travel quite far from Europe to enjoy really warm winters. Even around the mediterranean basin the winters are rather cold, actually not much milder than here in effect.
Only Andalucia or the islands in the atlantic are actually something that could come near such an "ideal" of warm winters.
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Wed Jan 11, 2017 8:53 am |
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IanShax
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:43 am Posts: 237 Location: Frog Rock, Australia.
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Re: On the edge literally - that's where I live
This classification of seasons has long interested me, and there is evidence that it's changing. Prof Tim Entwistle, director of RBG Victoria, formerly of RBG Kew amongst others, has a strong opinion on it...
"Why should we have four seasons? Why must they each take up three months of the year? Indigenous communities have always known that Australia’s climate is more complex than a simple four-season arrangement suggests."
Here he's talking specifically about Australia, but it can be extrapolated...
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Thu Jan 12, 2017 10:51 pm |
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