Re: Oleander

On 27/8/07 14:40, in article
1188222028.115624.261850@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "La Puce"
<helene@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 27 Aug, 14:11, Sacha <sa...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I daresay Judith knows her own village and neighbours best, Puce.

I know many regions of France as I've lived there and travel with my
father for many years. And, I'm French Mrs Hubbard. You have to give
me credit for something. I, like you, don't have a Ray in my back
garden.

This site also knows the regions of France:
"In the Massif Central mountains of Central France, the climate is harsh and
cold. Clermont-Ferrand, for example, is often covered in snow in winter."
http://www.egide.asso.fr/uk/guide/vivre/habiller/

So for you, the last time because you give me the creeps ....

Then don't answer me, Puce and don't *keep* saying you're never going to do
so again. It's a bit silly by now, frankly.

'tu
l'ane' is a name given by people in the auvergne to the laurier rose,
which is nerium or oleander. This name was because it used to kill
donkeys after they ate a couple of mouth full.

Presumably that's 'tue l'ane' as in 'tuer = to kill'. Yes, they are indeed
very poisonous.

Snow is a problem if it
stays on the neriums - you can keep neriums outside against a wall as
long as snow doesn't stay too long on them. In January I spent ages
going around our garden taking the snow off mimosa, neriums, albizias
etc. That's all what is needed. If you are *that* worried you can
cover it but it isn't necessary. Also laurier rose don't like dry
conditions and prefers wet feet and sunny head.

No, that's dangerously wrong. If in a container they can be watered but like
almost everything else, should be allowed to drain. In gardens, they need
little water and in their native surroundings, they get very little! It
doesn't rain a lot in summer in Crete or Saudi Arabia, for example, where
they are grown as ornamentals along the side of roads and in the median and
where water is not wasted on watering.

However, to avoid further dispute, I fetched the RHS New Encyclopedia of
Plants & Flowers which I'm inclined to trust over Les Conseils de Coralie
which you appear to have consulted and from which you got the quote about
feet in the water, head in the sun and 'tue l'ane'. She is talking about
plants in pots, and under 'Hiver' says they should be kept on the dry side
in winter. Perhaps you didn't read that far. From the RHS I quote:
"Nerium. Apocynaceae.
Genus of evergreen shurbs, grown for their flowers. Frost tender, min 10C
(50F) Requires full sun and well-drained soil. Water containerized plants
freely when in full growth, sparingly at other times. Tip prune young
plants to promote branching. Propagate by seed in spring or by semi-ripe
cuttings in summer. All parts are highly toxic if ingested; contact with
foliage may irritate skin."

and from a Saudi site:

"The nerium plant is inexpensive, easy to grow, requires very little
watering and can survive the hot, harsh weather conditions.
The plant is a fast growing evergreen shrub that can reach up to 20 ft tall.
It is a versatile plant that produces white, red, pink, salmon and light
yellow flowers during the summer.
Oleanders prefer dry, warm climates making them suitable for growing in the
Kingdom. They are planted in the median of roads and along highways. Their
ability to survive heat and exhaust fumes is testament to their durability."
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=87885&d=9&m=10&y=2006

Other sources say it will take down to -5C. Obviously, below 10C is risky
and as snow melts, the plant will have cold, wet roots, if it hasn't already
been killed off. Friends of mine in another part of France lost an Albizia
that way. It survived the cold but the melting snow killed it as it stood
in cold wet soil for weeks while the snow melted.

If most of Judith's neighbours appear to be growing Oleanders in pots then
they're doing it for a reason. Otherwise, why not just give her a plant and
tell her to stick it in the garden in the ground? But surely the important
thing here is that Judith doesn't want to take any risks with this
particular plant because it was a special gift and is precious to her.
Erring on the side of caution, rather than embracing the planting habits in
Bordeaux and the Charente as a reason to do the same in the Massif Central,
won't cause her to lose the plant she values.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'


.

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