Difficult decision day

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John J

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Difficult decision day
« on: September 12, 2016, 08:02:58 AM »
One of those days when you finally get around to making that difficult decision you've been putting off for ages. Ours started off well with being greeted in the early morning by the sight in the first photo. However, we could no longer delay the inevitable, our Solandra maxima had to go. We finally admitted that its aggressively vigorous growth could no longer be confined and restricted to its allotted space. We were expending far too much time, effort and energy on this one task to the detriment of others. Now we have its rather large root to grub out.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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MikeHardman

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Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2016, 09:31:26 PM »
I remember your particular Solandra, John.
At the time I had recently acquired some cuttings, which I had rooted. But I had not planted them out because I could not find a suitable place, and I was not happy about their vigour and preference for a good amount of water. Eventually my plants died in their pots. I decided that I knew where their parent grew (at a friends's in Steni) and if I wanted to see Solandra maxima in flower, I could go there.
I am glad I avoided your problem.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2016, 09:17:43 AM »
I on the other hand am still determined to plant out my plants - rooted cuttings from John's Solandra so it will live on in Greece, I hope.
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2016, 03:37:39 PM »
Good choice, Mike. Thea's main regret is that she won't be able to smell the flowers on winter mornings. You have the space to let them rampage about, Fleur, so good luck with them.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2016, 10:48:25 AM »
Last year we made another difficult decision to root out an untidy jasmine, along with several other unruly climbers and plants that had passed their expiry date, from an area to one side of the front of our house. We decided to try to make it more low maintenance. Below is the result a year later.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Hilary

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Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2016, 05:26:16 PM »
If that is Portulucaria afraon the right, it looks good tied to a trellis and encouraged to go higher while allowing the branches to hand down.
We have several on the balconies and I regulary chop bits off to keep them low.
Others have, very slowly, managed to grow to two meters tall, tied to a trellis.
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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John J

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Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2016, 05:27:24 AM »
You are right, Hilary, it is. We intend to keep it reasonably small and not let it get out of hand.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2017, 07:22:45 AM »
Almost a year ago I posted a photo of this small area of our garden. The same area, from a different angle, after it has been experiencing 40+ degrees C every day for the last two weeks with very little water.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2017, 10:31:34 AM »
Last month I posted a photo of a small area of our garden. Below is a photo of that same area taken 2 days ago by our 6 year old granddaughter using her grandmother's i-pad. I may have to consider getting her to start taking all my plant photos in future.  :-\
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2019, 07:02:36 AM »
Not so much a difficult decision this time as a necessary one. This side of our house faces almost directly east so gets the sun from very early morning until early afternoon. Pleasant in the winter but blisteringly hot in summer. We planted it with drought-resistant shrubs that did reasonably well until last summer, which was long, extremely hot and punishing. So we decided to uproot the ones that were suffering most and replace with succulents, covering the ground in what I believe is a form of lava rock.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Hilary

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Re: Difficult decision day
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2019, 10:42:23 AM »
 Looking good
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care