Hazel's Outbox

How did the open day go? Hope it was a great success Andrew.

That's really helpful, Andrew. Thanks very much for going to the trouble to list them all.

Crocus (as in croak-us)
Frogmella (no idea why, just sounds cute!)
Crystal
Adam Ant(as in "Prince Charming", glorious song of my youth!)
Orp (as in Orpine, frog plant)

Stonecrop/Sedum (aka The Frog plant according to my dictionary!)
Camilla (other half says looks like her..)
Bob
Dave (again, other half says he'd call a frog a good solid name like Dave if he happened to have one..)
Nigella
Anton
Sarkozy
Frank
Wayne (Rooney)
Shrek
Gerard
Carla (Bruni)
Silas Greenback

What a beautiful plant! Not heard of this type of forget me not...was it hard to find?

I love the colour on the chionodoxas. Really pretty. What's the jack frost one? Not heard of that...

They are really pretty, very architectural. Nice photo too.

Lily (as in Lily Pad or in Toad Lily)
Pad-rick (sorry, thats corny isnt it?! They will get worse...)
Macintosh (Mac for short)
Souwester
Brolly-meliad
Typhoon
Monsoon
Harry Cane (as in huricane!)
Tori Nado (as in, yes you guessed it!)

I'll keep trying! I love a challenge.

That is really magnificent. I must try to track one down for my shady border.

Many thanks, Fourseasons. Will pop them back into the cover then until the weather warms up.

Those colours are absolutely beautiful! A really fantastic piccy.

Wow! Thats absolutely beautiful! How lucky to have birds like that where you live.

Wow! I imagine that most of the red is from acers- they look amazing!

Wow, that really is gorgeous!

Thank you all for helping me decide- I am so glad I can just leave the magpie pair to get on with their nest building and enjoy their antics.

They are certainly big hefty birds, and get through quite a lot of the food and water i put out on the bird table.

As yet they do not seem to be bothering the other birds and, as you say, it will be good to be able to watch them nesting and raising their young. I don't think I have ever seen a baby magpie....are they black and white, too?

I'd second the idea for hellebores which I love, and add in some pulmonarias, snowdrops and some other woodland bulbs for the spring. ...ferns maybe? Is it dry or damp shade I wonder?

Ive had lots of ceanothus looking healthy and well on my mildly alkaline clay.

I always took my pelargonium cuttings in spring, putting them into very gritty compost and not covering them with any plastic bag or anything. They tend to rot in my experience so not too moist while they are rooting...

The only plant I can remember having crystal like deposits was Mesembryanthemum...I wonder if your plant is related to that? The mesembryanthemum I'm thinking of is grown as an annual.

Ive resorted to several bricks in the bottom of mine to stop the winds blowing it over. Its worked, so far!

Thank you for explaining all about the creatures you photograph. It really is fascinating, thanks Di.

OOOH! Wish I'd been there- I LOVE a bargain! Lucky you!

I don't know the answer, but thoght it might make you feel better when i say that mine have done exactly the same.

Mine germinated quickly, they are very tall and weedy looking as if too much heat and light. I havent anywhere cooler than the present north facing conservatory to move them to...unless I pop them into a cold frame but that seems too chilly doesnt it?

I'll be interested to hear what others say!

That's really beautiful, Andrew.

Thanks! When i get my greenhouse I think it will be just the job.

What a useful holder thingy for your pots! Where did you find that? Fingers crossed for the petunias...

Lori, Fluffy will grow to between four and six feet long. Longest if he is actually a she, but we can't sex him/her yet. I'm told Royals live for about 15 years, so we've a long way to go yet! As Fluffy needs temps of between 70 and 85 degrees to remain active, if he should escape he wouldn't get far in the big wide world. I'm told they tend to go dormant in low temperatures...

Yes, Diohio I do need to feed him a large sized mouse once a week. He is a good boy and never refuses food. (Bit like my son!) We waggle the defrosted mouse about a bit on the end of super-sized tweezers until Fluffy senses it. He goes by warmth and detects the mouse using his heat sensors in the pits around his mouth. I used to think it was gruesome but I've quickly got used to it. Its quite fascinating watching the snake get the mouse into his jaws. The jaws cantilever, both sides moving independently to sort of pull the mouse into his mouth using small sharp fangs. I'm told that a snake can happily swallow anything up to size of its body at its thickest part....

Thanks Lori, you may be right. I was just rambling really, as usual!

Wonderful looking Ginko, thank you for posting. I'm trying to grow some Ginkgo biloba from seed at the moment. Have had no luck so far. I think the ginkgo is such a beautiful and interesting plant. I was warned that some of the seeds might be female and bear smelly fruits when they mature. Do you know if your discovered plant is male/female yet? Do you have plans to propogate it I wonder...

All looking very tidy and very healthy. I WANT A GREENHOUSE!