Good job Camps. I have never really had the patience to raise substantial plants from seeds. Make sure you post a pic when that sequioa is multi-storey tall... lol

When you say 'small leaved limes' you mean exactly what? Citrus aurantifolia (aka Key lime)? That will be destined to spend most of its life indoors in your climate I'm afraid unless global warming hits really hard and quick.
Nik

Great news Camps. Sowing tree seeds is an optimistic thing to do.
Nik, I think Campanula is referring to Tilia cordata when she tells us about her lime tree seedlings.
Daisy

There's something very strange to me about a sequoia growing in England; it's such an iconic Californian plant. I know plants from the Himalayan foothills grow there too, and I see deodar cedars here that I saw in their native India (altough those had monkeys swinging on their branches). You'll have to let us know how well it does in your climate. They should like the rain and the fog, and may grow even more quickly for you than they would here.

Ingrid

I know, Ingrid - isn't it weird? The Victorians went quite insane when they discovered redwoods and planted loads of them in all the big estates in England - it is still common to hear of houses called the Redwoods and such - although we have usually referred to them as Wellingtonias (after Duke of). Amazingly, they do remarkably well in the English climate, growing to magnificent heights (although never as tall as the Californian Redwoods). We are also growing Dawn Redwoods (metasequioa glyptostroboides).....although my tiny little seedlings are just poking an inch out of the pots. Am hopefully growing madrones although did, at least, see sense and didn't order Coast Redwood seeds (Sequoia sempervirens) because East Anglia is just too dry.
Yep, Nik, I am referring to Tilia cordata (a good shade tolerant tree), much as I would love a citrus grove, I will have to be content with my single Meyer lemon (and future grafting experiments).

True, growing a tree from seed is almost an act of faith. Mr Camps considered we had 'arrived' in the woods when he felled his first tree.....but I am waiting till I plant my first from seed before celebrating ownership.

Oh Tilia cordata, that is a native tree over here too, along with vulgaris and tomentosa, though not in my particular region and climate. Nice tree, didn't know it was shade tolerant. I thought Camps must be totally bonkers to try to grow a lime tree (proper) in the midst of a poplar plantation in East Anglia (or wherever you are) lol!

Daisy,
Tilia is called 'flamouria' in Greek, though the tea made from its flowers is called, interestingly, 'tilio'. Just thought you might be interested to know. The Cretans may have another local name for it, as they do for many things.
Nik

Yeah, I guess we would call them 'linden trees'.....and we also grow Tilia europaeus. They are lovely trees despite their reputation of causing aphids to drop honeydew on cars parked underneath (they are popular street trees).

Nik, although it has been many years since my last Greek adventures (1979) , I would have loudly insisted that the Greek people were the most friendly, generous people in the entirety of Europe. I was overwhelmed with generosity everywhere we went, once simply leaving my rucksack under a lamppost outside a cafe for over a month while I nipped off to stay on a little island (at the invitation of a Greek doctor, to keep his elderly mum company). The rucksack had been taken inside and carefully looked after by the cafe patron. I had a six month escape from reality, in a land absolutely stuffed with beauty. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Yes, it used to be like this. It still is, in a way, though it has changed a lot.. depends where you are and where you come from, I guess. Now we're much more civilised.......... Nature is still pretty, as long as there are no modern human imprints around.. We still haven't managed to screw up the weather too much, that takes a global effort. I guess all these are the reasons why I came back from your place when I could have stayed there. With hindsight, I'm not quite sure I did the right thing. Camps, you're welcome any time.
Nik

This post was edited by nikthegreek on Tue, Apr 1, 14 at 15:38