BCSS Macclesfield & East Cheshire Branch

Newsletter June 2006 - Chairman’s chat

Hi folks!

Isn't Spring amazing? Even though this year it seems later than ever, the plants and animals know when to start waking up. I love Spring; it always makes me feel hopeful even after an awful long cold wet winter when everything appears to have died, suddenly magic starts to happen, and it never ceases to surprise me. Last year I bought a Frangipani tree (only about 12 inches high) while we were in Cyprus. I first saw them in Thailand and thought they were so beautiful, and I know there is no chance I will ever see it grow to full size, still the garden centre in Paphos cleaned the roots off for me and packed it up in a bin liner, and it came home in my suitcase. It seemed to thrive for a while and then the leaves went yellow and one by one all fell off. I was gutted; my lovely tree looked like a stick in a pot. I very nearly threw it away when trying to make room for the Christmas tree in the conservatory, but didn’t. I am so glad I was too lazy to chuck it out because last week it has started to grow again, there appear to be 4 or 5 new leaves emerging so, fingers crossed. My Jatropha is flowering again, and also my Pachypodium baronii, even though it has gone a bit leggy. I am very pleased.

There is not a lot more happening in the conservatory, Chucky parrot continues to throw seed everywhere and the grey dust remains! Just outside against one of my sheds, my Californian Glory vine has got plenty of buds on. I was afraid my over enthusiastic husband had pruned it to death last year - he got it mixed up with a Lavatera which had grown too big, but it just goes to show, it must want to live with me after all. I'm afraid there is not much else to report. I am off to Italy on Thursday to a Tortoise nature reserve, so will see you all at the July meeting all being well.

Christine Foye