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Gardeners' musings

Living with lichen

Posted by: Pippa Greenwood, 13 September 2007, 09.19AM

Pippa Greenwood It's certainly been a year of surprises. The latest unusual visitor (or perhaps it will become a resident?) is the gelatinous lichen. They were something we were asked about on occasion when I was working at the RHS gardens at Wisley giving out gardening advice to the RHS members...but never before have I had my own.

All of a sudden they cropped up, just down towards the bottom of the drive (which is basically soil that we compacted and then added scalpings to shortly after we moved in about 11 years ago). My son calmly asked me why we had bladder-wrack growing on the drive when he thought it should be on the seaside! The greeny brown bobbles looked just like that very common seaweed and at first sight I could see exactly what he meant. They disappeared again yesterday - presumably because we have now had so little rain for the last week or so. I wonder if anyone else had had them appear?

Comments

  • Doug Ovenden

    13 September 2007, 07.00PM

    We have 'bladder wot'it'. it grows on our flat roof which is covered in felt and has a layer of gravel laid loose. In which the lichen grows when ever we have a extended wet period, it causes no problem but is a bit messy when it dries and gets blown around. Doug Ovenden. Longworth. Oxon.

  • leylanndi tree removal

    19 September 2007, 03.02PM

    I have removed a number of leylandi trees, and replaced it with a wooden fence. the soil now looks all dried up and out of condition. Q. how can I bring it back to good condition, and what type of plants would grow in the plot now that it is cleared.?

  • leylanndi tree removal

    19 September 2007, 03.02PM

    I have removed a number of leylandi trees, and replaced it with a wooden fence. the soil now looks all dried up and out of condition. Q. how can I bring it back to good condition, and what type of plants would grow in the plot now that it is cleared.?

  • Diana

    20 September 2007, 08.08PM

    We have a witch hazel tree in our garden which usually flowers just before Christmas (after all of the leaves have fallen) through until the end of January; sometimes longer. We have just noticed that it has started to flower in earnest and the leaves are still green. This has not happened before (29 years!)

  • Margaret Hinckley, Orkney

    02 October 2007, 11.09PM

    I also had this on the edge of our drive,but have just had a new layer of chips put down, so it is not visible at present. It did come and go depending on the dampness.

  • meganrose

    03 October 2007, 06.08PM

    Is Helianthus Lemon Queen a perennial? If so, how tall does it grow and should it be cut back? I have one in the garden smothered in flowers but it is about 8ft high and dwarfing everything else.

  • Pippa Greenwood

    04 October 2007, 01.50PM

    Doug: Just goes to show that lichens don't harm anything - if they're happy growing on a felt roof as you describe!

  • Daniel

    24 October 2007, 04.10PM

    Hello Pippa, It sounds very similar to what has been growing around our driveway through the stone chippings. It is rather slippy.

  • weeterrier

    03 November 2007, 11.28AM

    With regard to the removal of Leylandii trees, and what to grow:- I removed such trees from all round my garden, and replenished the soil with my own compost, leafmold, purchased topsoil, molehills, old compost from pots, anything, in fact, to bulk it up and nourish it. Now I have a very burgeoning herbaceous border. You could try growing a green manure crop too. Once the soil is ready, I can see no reason why you could not grow anything you want. Happy gardening!

  • Anon

    20 November 2007, 08.56AM

    lichen is lovely and should be preserved as people actually pay to have things aged to look like theyre covered in lichen

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