Dede Sophie

A  Papua New Guinea  Police Criminal Investigation team has been deployed to Kiriwina in Milne Bay Province to investigate and prepare for a coronial inquest into the fight on October 24 which has since resulted in the deaths of 24 people. Milne Bay Provincial Police Commander Superintendent Peter Barkie said 22 people were killed initially in a three-hour fight that broke out after an argument between the coastal and inland villages over a soccer match.  Two recently succumbed to the wounds they received during the fight thereby increasing the death toll to 24. In a statement today, Mr. Barkie said the police CID investigation team was deployed after the Quick Reaction Force completed its assessment of the situation on the ground on Kiriwina Island. He said he wants the coroner to be involved because of the large number of deaths.  “I have spoken to the senior Provincial Magistrate about that. My team is up in Kiriwina doing that now. Hopefully they will get all the necessary paperwor

Amelanchier ovalis ‘Edelweiss’ Amelanchier ovalis is one of the slower growing species within the genus but is notable as an ornamental garden plant for its gorgeous blooms, in particular the ‘Edelweiss’ cultivar. Native to Central and Southern Europe, North Africa and Western Asia Amelanchier ovalis was introduced to European gardens in 1596 and has since become one of the most popular of all available Amelanchier forms. Amelanchier autumn colour Under favourable conditions you can expect Amelanchier ovalis ‘Edelweiss’ to grow between 3-4 metres height. It has an upright habit with ovate leaves. The leaves emerge dark green in colour but are white and woolly underneath which gives them an overall silvery effect. As the leaves mature the woolly growth disappears. Come the autumn the leaves will often provide a good show of colour turning to shades of orange, red and yellow before leaf drop. The large white flowers appear in April in clusters of 6 inch long panicles. Once pollinated sma

With the overnight temperatures starting to drop now that autumn (fall for our American viewers) is upon us we need to make sure that we have all of our cacti and succulents in the right place moving forward for winter. A good part of our cacti and succulent collection will overwinter or winterize in the unheated greenhouse but that is because the ones which weren’t capable of surviving the freezing temperatures died out a few years back when I decided I didn’t want them in the house (Lorna doesn’t know that and is very unlikely to read this either)!  However, we are thinking about putting them into next year’s show against the local chapter of the The British Cactus & Succulent Society (BCSS) so I am going to have to put the work in this year to make sure that that at least some of our plants are of show quality, and that means sorting out the greenhouse and bringing the tender specimens inside for protection.  So why not follow us on our journey as we campaign to kick the BCSS in

You tend to see the same ten ornamental trees wherever you go in the UK. This is because they are tried, tested, have an element of ornamental value and generally easy to grow. However if you are seeing the same trees time and time again then eventually they end up fading into the background, no longer drawing your attention. This doesn’t need to be the case as they can be adorned and upgraded simply by mimicking the tree environments found in the tropics where a single tree can be home to a dozen other plant species, greatly enhancing the look of a tree and adding multiple layers of ornamental interest! There are a range of hardy plants that can be employed to give you this look that is created by tropical epiphytic plants such as bromeliads and orchids and even Spanish moss! So with English Horticulturists Lorna and Simon first attempt at upgrading their boring trees how did they get on? And what do they have in store for next season?