Introduction

Mr John Peacock (john_p@icr.ac.uk)
Tue, 31 Jan 95 21:02:36 +0000

Hi. My name is John Peacock and I live at Banstead, Surrey UK, ten
miles
south of London. I am very much a "jack of all trades master of none"
type gardener. In my lifetime (of some forty-odd years) I have held
fairly large collections of both cacti and alpines and at present my
time is devoted to
CPs, ferns, asymbiotic germination of temperate terrestrial orchids
(problems)
and generally anything unusual. In the past my major motivation has
always been in the challenge of propagation especially from seed (I am
inherently too mean to buy plants and am a reformed cutting thief!!).

In terms of CPs I currently grow them in three separate ways: i)
In a purpose-built sphagnum bog garden in a frost free
greenhouse. Here I am moderately successful in growing various species
of Sarracenia, Drosera and Utrics as well as Cephalotus but not
Pinguics..
Darlingtonia achieves the massive height of at least three inches
under these
conditions but grows rampantly!
ii) In variously constructed beds and ponds in the open garden
(winter frosts to ~ -5 C) where Sarracenia, including S.psittacina and
hardy Drosera thrive to varying degrees of success. Darlingtonia
achieves the massive height of at least three inches under these
conditions but grows
rampantly!
iii) Recently I have created a series of purpose-built trough
gardens
made of hypertufa. Again Sarracenia and hardy Drosera species grow
well! Darlingtonia achieves the massive height of at least three
inches under these conditions but grows rampantly.

As you can gather I have one small problem! D.c. even flowers
profusely
outside (stems up to 9 inches) but pitchers are always small. Is it
because I cannot provide it with a cool root run in the summer? Any
other suggestions?

Finally I think the list is an excellent idea even though I have only been on
for a few days

Happy and successful growing and best wishes to all

John Peacock (john_p@icr.ac.uk)

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