Jurassic Park

As I said when I introduced myself last week, my mother suggested I take up gardening to beat the post-nuptial blues. And because I'm a nerd I made it my goal to recreate "Jurassic Park", using plants that would have been around when dinosaurs were alive (or their nearest modern relatives).

So this was Jurassic Park, the early days, back in April 2007:



The extent of my Jurassic plants was: Dicksonia antarctica, Phoenix canariensis and Juniperus squamata. You can also see some erroneous non-Jurassic plants - a few alpines and a rosemary.

And now this is today:


The conifers are the other side of the steps, doing a better job of hiding my lurid pink bucket than the rest of the garden is! My plant list (in alphabetical order) is:

Abies nordmanniana
Asplenium scolopendrium
Cupressus macrocarpa
Cyrtomium fortunei
Dicksonia antarctica
Dryopteris erythrosora
Hamamelis x intermedia
Juniperus squamata
Magnolia x soulangiana
Phoenix canariensis
Polypodium vulgare
Polystichium tsussimense
Washingtonia robusta
Wollemia nobilis

And inside I have:
Adiantum fragrans
Araucaria heterophylla
Cycas revoluta
Nephrolepis exaltata

I'm using the plant list from the Hartman Prehistoric Garden in Austin, TX, as inspiration, and have a few ideas for where I want to go next with the plants. I do want more ferns, and because the entire family of ferns was established about 100 million years before dinosaurs existed, I'm safe there - likewise with conifers (but I have enough of those).

I'd love to see if I can grow a Ginkgo biloba. I'm intrigued by gnetophytes, and will be looking up what they are and whether they will grow in London. And flowering plant-wise I'd like a Camellia, myrtle and orchid tree if they'll grow.

So I'll use this thread to tell you all about my progress. I'm buying a new plant each month, as and when they're coming into stock in the garden centre (ferns are back in stock as of last week!).

Today I took the fleece off the Dicksonia, Phoenix and Washingtonia, as it was coming off the latter two. The Washingtonia didn't appear to have been very happy fleeced up. The Wollemia nobilis has been inside all winter, and I'm not putting it back out until March. Even though it's two years old (and should be hardy) I got worried that the unpleasant neighbour upstairs would steal it to be a Christmas tree!

 

Hmm, Picasa doesn't get on with this forum!

Earlier photo is here and today's photo is here.

Will try and figure out a way of putting the photos into these posts...

 

Julia, I don`t see you having any problem growing Gingko, Camellia or Myrtle outside. The Orchid Tree, however, is tender and should be trteated as a houseplant, outside in a pot during Summer, but indoors during winter.

 

Excellent, thank you David. There's a Ginkgo right outside Osterley tube station, but it lost all its leaves in August. I'm not sure if it suffers from being on the A4 with all the associated pollution, or whether it's poorly, but it's a big tree so it's obviously done okay in the past.

I'll hold off on anything that needs to be grown indoors - the plants have taken over the whole window seat in our lounge and there's not a lot of space elsewhere!

 

Julia, Gingkos are deciduous conifers. They are supposed to drop their leaves. :D

 

Not in August though David :D

 

Yes, but in August? Should I be expecting to see it in bud earlier too? I didn't really observe it until it was obvious it was a Ginkgo!

 

Might be able to help out with a Bauhinia Yunnanensis a bit later on, grew some from seed last year and have some small plants.
Although I'm not sure how hardy it is so maybe if you dont have indoor space it would be better to give it a miss.

 

With the weather we had last year, then yes, in August.

 

It's getting a bit crowded in here, Pete! I have an enormous Cycas revoluta, which is a great burglar deterrent but doesn't leave a lot of room for anything that can't just sit under its fronds.

But thank you for the kind offer.

 

Eeek! I suppose it was a bit extreme. It's a little more sheltered in my garden than on the A4, so maybe I can keep the leaves on a bit longer (although it would be nice if we could have a much better summer instead!).

 

Don`t we wish?

 

The ginkos around here lost their leaves as usual in late October after turning bright yellow, the best for years.

I thought the bauhinia might be a bit much. :D

 

Pete, you are experienced enough to know that you can take 2 cuttings from the same plant, grow them on using the same methods and compost. And, when big enough, plant them a few yards apart in the same garden. And they will develope at differant speeds and with differant results.

 

My ginko lost its leaves in late october and does most years.