h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No, the cords are plugged into each other using the plugs they came with (all electrical items here come with standard-design plugs as an integral part of them - I was taken aback when I was told that this wasn't always the case in the UK); I was just thinking of insulating them further.

That is rather exciting about the flannel flower seeds. Two of them, too! May they thrive...

That is how it used to be here. You bought an electical item and a seperate plug to fit on it, hoping that you remember which wire went where These days, everything electical comes with a fitted plug as standard.

Five Flannal flowers have now germinated. It's really very exciting I just hope that i can keep them alive, after the trouble you had with them.

Five! Like I said, whatever you did had the chance of being right. And even better, if you have a number of plants you can experiment with care techniques and see what works best...

What *did* you do to get them to germinate? I might try to replicate the process one day.

I did'nt do much different from last time.
There were a 100 seeds, so half of them i burnt and half i just left.
It's the ones i left that have grown. The one thing i did different was, covering them with vermiculite instead of soil. It seems to have worked

I really hope they do manage to survive

If nothing else, I'll be cheering from the sidelines. I really am glad you have something to show for your efforts.

Maybe I'll try sowing some seeds in spring, just to see. This might not amount to anything at all, but who knows?

I have big plans for tomorrow. I intend to remove another blasted rosebush. I've stocked up on dettol and bandages in case it puts up a fight.

Ooh i don't envy you tackling a rose bush. It does'nt matter how carefull you are, those thorns always manage to get you somehow
Good luck with that.

I'm taking my grandaughter shopping tomorrow for her birthday. This could prove to be a very costly day, as she has reached the age where fashion is everything.

I've finally reached the age where fashion is nothing. So much cheaper. I wish you, and your bank balance, luck.

The worst thing about roses is that, long after you've killed them and disposed of the bodies, there are still little bits of thorn lying about in the mulch. All the more reason not to plant the blasted things in the first place. I have never planted one, and intend never to do so.

Did I tell you about an old pub in Sydney? Officially it's the Rose, Shamrock and Thistle; unofficially it's the Three Weeds.

How did it go with removing the rose bush?
I'm not a big fan of roses, even though i have three in my garden I don't like pruning them either

What a great name for a pub, The Three Weeds

I survived the shopping trip and so did my bank account...just It was'nt nearly as exhausting as i expected it to be, though when a certain person mentioned doing it again next year......

The rose bush died without a whimper. So did a second one. I took them unawares; I pruned them back hard, wearing gloves for once, and then just forked out the stumps. It felt good. Now I just have to weed the vacant space and work out what should go in there instead. Native species, of course.

I'm glad you survived the shopping trip. I'm also glad you have 12 months' notice of the next one.

Ooh you did do well Have you decided what you will plant in the vacant space?

I have some sad news. One of the Flannel flower seedlings has died This is not good, i'm not so optimistic about the others now

Even if the other flannel flowers refuse to cooperate and grow, just remember that you've had a significant victory in getting them to germinate in the first place. And there's always more seed...

I'm not sure yet what should go in the vacant space. This is mostly because I'm not quite sure how big the space is. The crepe myrtle looks an unusual shape; I'll have to investigate. If it turns out to be suckers from an original plant that has been removed, I'll have to decide which bit to call the main stem and cull the rest. Then I'll see what size and shape the space is and do some planning. I'm looking forward to that bit.

Where one seed fails, another germinates to take it's place it seems

I'm sure you will find just the right plant for that spot when it's ready

Have you ever heard of a Foxtail lily (Eremurus)? I planted one last year and it's been shooting since the beginning of February. The shoot is enormous and apparently this variety can have a flower spike up to 10ft high I can't wait to see this thing flower.

Another germinating seed? Gosh.

I'm not familiar with the Foxtail lily. Would you like a Gymea lily? It's huge. A lot of main roads in Sydney have them as median-strip plants. I'm having a horrible time finding a decent picture right now 'cos I'm in a hurry, but Google should help...

Yes, another germinated, then died The others are ok, though they can't seem to shed the seed husk from their first leaves. If it does'nt come off soon, they will die too

My, that Gymea is a giant of a lily I would'nt mind having one in my garden and the lily beetles would be exstatic!
Foxtail lily's are not a 'true' lily, it's just the name they've been given. The buld/tuber is the wierdest thing i've ever seen, it looks like a huge spider The one i planted was around 12 inches in diameter, with loads of legs.

Right, I've now seen a foxtail lily. Well-named, isn't it?

The flannel flowers should lose their husks soon enough - but I suppose you could try very gently to flick it off using a pin, and possibly a microscope. Maybe the husks weren't maltreated quite enough before sowing, but it's hard to know how far to go, isn't it?

I love foxtail lily's, they are just so cool. No idea what colour mine is, i think it's pink.

I tried to remove one of the seed husks and i managed to pull to whole top off, another one lost. Do you get the feeling that i'm not meant to have a Flannel flower!

After all this, surely at least one seedling will have to survive to maturity... Is it worth asking the staff at Kew if they've managed to get flannel flowers to survive? They might have a few more clues.( Or would that just be excessive effort?) I mean, any advice I can garner around here is for local conditions...

I can ask the RHS, they have an advice and help service for members. I think i might just leave the remaining ones alone and see what happens. They are strong seedlings, so theoretically they should be able to push the husk off on their own. Theres always next year to try again if they die

In the meantime, if you happen to know any Gypsy charms or medieval plant-enchanting spells, they can't hurt... The Frustration of the Flannel Flower is just terrible. I'll try again, one day, if I can stand it.

I'll keep trying the Flannel flowers, it's become a bit of a mission to succeed now
If one manages to shed it's husk, you'll hear the shouts of joy from where you are.