Brian Whyer

Brian Whyer lives in Buckinghamshire, England close to the Thames valley. He has a 12'x8' part frost free greenhouse, plus a similar cold frame area in the south facing garden, which at (90'x20') is much too small for the hundreds of pots it contains. The soil is a light chalky loam over chalk and gravel, very well drained, but the water table is often only 10' down in a wet year. The hills around (200-800'+ above sea level) vary from solid chalk, to clay and gravel, often acid and water logged on the hill tops. Night frosts are infrequent most years for more than 15 or so days each winter, day frosts rare; but there have been bad years of several weeks. Snow cover rare. Rainfall about 2" a month, throughout the year. Typical January day temperature currently (2003) 7 °C +- 4 °C, night 2 °C +- 6 °C. He grows a wide range of plants ranging over the years from herbaceous, cacti, alpines, orchids, bulbs, to woodlanders, and even food on occasions. He belongs to several horticultural and wildlife societies including AGS, NARGS, RHS and has exhibited in national and local AGS shows. He has travelled through his work to north and south America, Europe and south Africa, but is now retired. Recently added a Fuji S7000 digital camera to the Canon EOS 35 mm, which is used mostly for slides.