Lanzarote

[Julie]

Wow, great pics, fellas. I didn't realise we had so many succulents, especially the umbrella shaped one on Mike's roof. Now I think of it, my mother used to have one in the garden she called Tumbling Tom.

Now that's the prettiest garage roof I ever did see.

[iann]

Tumbling Tom? That's a tomato isn't it ?

"larger & deeper colour" flowers sounds more like D. cooperi. Here is a flower (purchased with a different name, but 99% it is D. cooperi), note the lack of a white eye. Flowers are up to 2" across but will be smaller when they first open. D. cooperi also has noticeable (except on my photo!) papillae arranged in lines along the leaves.
[img]http://www.galleries.thegardenforums.or ... operi2.jpg[/img]

[Bill]

[quote]MikeT wrote:
...and Carpobrotus edulis. Some cliff faces had patches of hundreds of square yatds of this, smothering everything else. As it's classed as a local menace, I took a cutting to root back home but it didn't survive the first winter. It has the reputation of being much harder to grow awat from the coast, gives me a good excuse in the Pennines[/quote]

What an idiot, me that is. When we were in Mallorca no 2 daughter picked up this broken off bit of succulent (for dad) at a monastry in the mountians, which ended up in my greenhouse unlabled and is now rooted and yes you've guessed it, it's carpobrotus edulis. So this interesting bit is what's it doing halfway up a mountain growing like a weed, if it likes the seaside.

[iann]

All of Mallorca is pretty close to the sea

I don't think Carpobrotus likes temperature extremes. It isn't particularly frost hardy and it doesn't do well with heatwaves and severe drought, although probably OK in any heat the UK has to offer. Presumably pretty salt tolerant as well.

[Colin Walker]

Hi Maria,

Samphire in my book is Salicornia. This is a problem with common names - they get used for different plants. The true Samphire is used as a vegetable in areas such as East Anglia. I've certainly seen it for sale in coastal towns in Norfolk, e.g. Wells next the Sea.

[Maria J]

Yes that's the one I mean Colin, also called 'poor man's asparagus'!

[Colin Walker]

Hi Maria,

'Poor man's asparagus' is a new common name on me - interesting. I wouldn'y say that Salicornia and asparagus tasted anything like each other, but then again maybe my taste buds aren't hypersensitive!

Anyone out there really enjoy Samphire? I believe it goes very well with fish - true or not? I've only had small tasters by picking it on the beach.

[Phil Hocking]

I was watching that programme on global warming last week (Climate Change - Britain Under Threat) and they were looking at an eco housing project that had sedum growing on the roof. I guess this both insulates and moderates water run-off. Here's how it is done



Somerset Phil

[Colin Walker]

Hi Phil,

There's been quite a lot of info around recently about green rooves involving sedums. In my experience with growing hardy sedums outdoors in pots, I don't think these rooves are as low maintenance as the hype makes out!

[iann]

Depends on the species, some of them are weeds that would behave best if mowed every few months!