John, Thanks for clarifying, but we eventually figured it out! I think PK may have passed the same virus on to me, but so far, I am keeping it contained to the greenhouse ( for now!). Your poor cats! Anyway, great pics, absolutely incredible, but I think you might be just a tiny bit obsessed with this current folly! Do you have any problems with weeds? Matt On 1/1/13 4:06 PM, "John T Lonsdale" <john@johnlonsdale.net> wrote: > I guess my English sense of humor was a bit too subtle - so before he sends > the boys round, I should point out that the only 'virus' Panayoti introduced > to the garden was his infectious enthusiasm for cacti, succulents and other > xeric treasures. > > > > Best, > > > > J. > > > > > > > > John T Lonsdale PhD > 407 Edgewood Drive, > Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA > > Home: 610 594 9232 > Cell: 484 678 9856 > Fax: 315 571 9232 > > Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at <http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/> > http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ > > USDA Zone 6b > > > > From: John T Lonsdale [mailto:john@johnlonsdale.net] > Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2013 1:13 PM > To: 'Cyclamen-L@yahoogroups.com'; 'Trillium Enthusiast Discussion List (and > other Woodland plants)'; 'Alpine-L, the Electronic Rock Garden > Society;postings copyright by authors.'; 'Pacific Bulb Society' > Subject: 2012 Images Added to the Edgewood Gardens Web Site > > > > Happy New Year! > > > > The good news is we made it through another year, albeit a crazier one than > normal, so less 'free' time and fewer pictures taken. The bad news is that > the virus introduced here by Panayoti Kelaidis 6 or 7 years ago has > continued to spread. 5 areas of the garden have now been infected, meaning > that they have had to be turned over to the cultivation of hardy cacti, > agaves, succulents and other 'xeric' plants. Actually, I had grown weary of > doing battle with various aril and Juno irises so it really wasn't that hard > a decision to turn their quarters over to the expanding collection of cacti. > Despite their beauty the irises took up a lot of real estate, and were > rewarding for a very fleeting period every year. Their homes were tailor > made for the cacti, which not only have spectacular flowers, they offer > year-round interest with their amazing forms and spines of many shapes and > colors. For a few pictures see http://tinyurl.com/bbx9asu/ and > http://tinyurl.com/bfdrv3v/. Perfect drainage and dryness at the roots in > winter is at least as important as protection from the cold. Three of the > 'cactus patches' are unprotected year-round; the one in front of the porch > has 8' x 4' polycarbonate covers from early December to the end of February, > and the long bed down the south side of the house has polycarbonate covers > over the same period, and a wrapping of frost blanket during January and > February. The blanket provides about 10F of protection and really works, > providing a home for the more borderline temperature hardy plants. There > are hundreds of species and forms/selections that will grow very happily in > these conditions, including many that I doubt have ever been seriously > attempted in this region. They are not trouble free (some die), they have > their own likes and dislikes that need learning, and they certainly fight > back, but they are so rewarding. Best of all, you can only get one or two > rare Oncocyclus irises for a hundred dollars but you can get about 20 cacti! > I've also started growing a number from seed, and that is also fun once you > learn a few tricks, including how not to sunburn them. Other treasures, > such as Asphodelus acaulis, love the same conditions and have been outside > without protection for 3 years now (http://tinyurl.com/acawvlf/). Nananthus > transvaalensis is one of my favorite succulents > (http://tinyurl.com/aqtlyyb/). > > > > Superb cactus and succulent suppliers include Beaver Creek Greenhouses > (Roger Barlow; http://www.rockgardenplants.com/), Miles' to Go > (http://www.miles2go.com/), Sunscapes (Bill Adams; > http://www.sunscapes.net/) and Mesa Garden (http://www.mesagarden.com/). High > Country Gardens was also great but has sadly just closed. > > Some other nice combinations this past year were Gazania linearis > self-seeding into Delospermas (http://tinyurl.com/bggnxt4/), and back-lit > Iris albicans and Pulsatillas in seed (http://tinyurl.com/aunehpc/). > Edgeworthia chrysantha in several forms (http://tinyurl.com/ahtw9s6/) > continues to be the best shrub in the whole garden and Epimedium Domino in > the same link is one of Darrell Probst's very best introductions. The > 'orange' form of Claytonia virginica is stunning > (http://tinyurl.com/b2kfefm/) and I'm happy to say it is self-sowing all > over. Galanthus reginae olgae Fotini is amazing and happily seems to be > doing well (http://tinyurl.com/bjjjqpc/). > > Hurricane Sandy came and went, and left us with a lot less damage than many > people - although we did lose a 70' northern red oak when the 60mph winds > went around to the north - something our trees are not used to > (http://tinyurl.com/bepvk2s/). On its way down it destroyed a couple of > large American beeches, but everything missed the power lines and the house. > > Cyclamen hederifolium continue to take over the hillside - there are tens of > thousands of them now and they look great for nearly 9 months of the year > (http://tinyurl.com/bepvk2s/). C. rhodium was also lovely this year and is > great because it flowers so late, C. hederifolium 'Stargazer' plants are > getting big enough to look weird and you can see the flies on Dracunculus > vulgaris (http://tinyurl.com/axnls5c/). A white seedling of Iris brandzae > showed up (http://tinyurl.com/a9htsnf/). > > The Homeland Security personnel are getting longer in the tooth. Sadly we > lost Felix this year, just before he reached 17, and he was very happy right > to the end (http://tinyurl.com/aqr858f/). Tammy is 22 in May but still > enjoys the outdoor life (http://tinyurl.com/axl5q23/). Ali's cat Kingston > has been coming for ever longer 'vacations' (http://tinyurl.com/arbne4a/). > Calico continued to pack on the pounds, in anticipation of the end of the > world cutting off her food supply (http://tinyurl.com/b5g2vld/). > > > > Please enjoy the images, feel free to drop me a note with any comments, and > let me know if I've messed up any of the names. > > > > Thanks and all the best, > > > > J. > > > > > > > > > > John T Lonsdale PhD > 407 Edgewood Drive, > Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA > > Home: 610 594 9232 > Cell: 484 678 9856 > Fax: 315 571 9232 > > Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at <http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/> > http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ > > USDA Zone 6b > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/