...and greetings from Norway too!

Submitted by Hoy on

I am a little late in the quire, but not last, I hope.
My name is Trond, and I'm gardening in western Norway, at the coast of the North Sea, by a small fjord (not anything like the famous ones). The climate here is cool and wet. The warmest days in summer can reach almost 30C, but between 15 and 20 is normal. In winter we usually don't have snow except for a day or two. The coldest month is February with a mean temperature of +1C. (It is much colder (and warmer!) in the eastern part of the country.) (Don't know what you know about Norway.) The USDA hardiness zone system don't work well for me! I can grow some plants of Z7-8, and other Z4-5 die due to lack of summer warmth.

I have been member of NARGS for some years, but not participated in meetings, only the seed scheme. I intend to when I get time! I love to walk in mountains and have visited some interesting places.

This winter is bad! It is one of the worst for 100 years here with snow and freezing temperatures for weeks (down to - 16C in my garden, nothing for you I think), but my Southern Hemisphere shrubs don't like it. It has been the opposite in the far north (Svalbard) with the mean temperature more than +8C above normal and the air strip closed due to heavy rain!

I have a small "rock garden" at the roof of my shed but I grow more woodlanders.
Well, this little presentation got a little too long - and if you got tired with my English (or American?) writing I'll better do it in Norwegian next time!

Comments

Submitted by RickR on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 14:20

Hello Trond.  Your English is very good, and we are enjoying your participation in this forum very much.  For me, your post was not long at all.  And the climate of Scandinavia has always intrigued me.  How far are you from Andebu, and does you climate differ from theirs in that city?

Submitted by Hoy on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 15:17

Hi Rick, I wouldn't call Andebu a city! I know where this "city" (rather a road cross! with agriculture and timber production) is, I go past there every summer. It is not far from Oslo, near the east coast with warmer summers, a little colder winters (but not the worst in Norway) and  drier climate. Possibly much easier with rockeries there. How do you know Andebu? Any members there?

The climate of Norway is very variable from west to east and from south to north, and from fjords to mountains. I had grapes where I used to spend my childhood summers (ripening in September) and now I grow figs in my garden (one plant at a wall). Not far away it is glaciers. This winter I have made ski trips from my front door more than all the previous 25 years together, usually we have almost no snow here and not much of freezing temperatures either. But further inland we can go skiing 5-6 months a year.

Well, now is bedtime, goodnight!

Submitted by Boland on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 16:06

Welcome Trond...I too have enjoyed your postings and pictures.  Our summers are similar to yours although we may be a tad warmer..average about 21 C in July but our winters are colder....average about -2 C although it can drop to -16 C on 2 or 3 nights each winter...combined with strong winds...murder on broadleaved evergreens!

Submitted by RickR on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 16:20

I know a member from a Lilium forum who lives in Andebu.  I was especially interested in yours and his climates because yours, being so wet, wouldn't be very conducive for growing Lilium species.  It's great to get firsthand knowledge from you, too.

Submitted by Lori S. on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 22:28

How nice to see Norway!  Thank you for posting some pictures, Trond.  What is the elevation of the highest point in Norway?

Submitted by Hoy on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 01:22

Thank you for nice words, everybody!

The highest mountain in Norway is not high compared to other mountainous areas, but very alpine and treeless - 2469m with the treeline about 1200m. We have about 300 peaks above 2000m. I have to confess I have never been higher than 1800m here, but to the highest point in Europe (Elbrus in Caucasus) and to 5 of the highest mountains in Africa. However, I prefere to walk in the green belt above the tree line, not where it is only snow, ice and stone.

Lilies grow well in east (except for the lily beetle Lilioceris lilii), and I have some hybrids in my garden, but snails and slugs are great problems!

Oh! Have work to do...