On 5 Sep 06, at 17:24, rdjenkins wrote:
> ...The post I was referring to was from Rodger
> Whitlock dated 8-16-2006, wherein he stated that winters in Victoria,
> British Columbia "hover around 42F (5-6 C)" (not 45F as I stated.) and
> A. belladonna blooms reliably.
>
> Is there anything you can add, Rodger?
That's air temperature as noted on my north-facing front porch. Under
normal circumstances, the winter air temperature is usually close to
42F day and night, barring spells of mild warm weather arriving from
the south ("pineapple express") or very cold air pouring out from the
interior of the continent ("arctic outflow").
The thermometer is within the boundary layer of the house, so this
figure may a tad higher than out in the open garden.
My A.b. are planted up next to the house on the east side. It's a
moderately shady location thanks to an enormous balsam poplar to the
southeast on an adjoining property, plus other shrubs south & east.
My foundations are not insulated.
A clump of Iris unguicularis close by performs only modestly.
So my comments can be amplified:
1. Being close to the house, my A.b. probably experience higher
winter soil temperatures than they would out in the wilds of the
garden, rarely below freezing even during arctic cold spells.
2. Full sun doesn't seem to be essential.
3. Drainage is *very* good, and a wide eave some 12' above reduces
the amount of rainfall reaching the bulbs.
IOW, they are sited so they experience conditions not in full
conformity with the usual climate here: drier and warmer in winter,
at the very least.
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate
on beautiful Vancouver Island