Hello from Iceland

Hello everyone!

I'm new here - signed up last week and have been spending much too much time at the computer since! lol I'm really enjoying it!

I live in a small town just outside the capital (Reykjavik), called Hafnarfjordur (about 10 min. drive.) The town has a population of just over 22.000 people which makes it the 3rd largest town in Iceland. The town is surrounded by a lava field and the neighbourhood I live in is situated on it. So there are many "lava islands" around the neighborhood that haven't been built on. Therefore there isn't a very thick layer of topsoil in many places in my garden. (We sometimes feel like we need a map of the layout of the lava below, to know where it's just beneath the surface and where there are depressions with a deeper layer of soil. Seems I always want to plant a tree where I can't dig deep enough! lol

If you'd like to know more, please check out this site:
http://www.hafnarfjordur.is/english/read_more/?cat_id=3&ew_0_a_id=6224

The climate here is a mild maritime climate. Mild winters with temp. seldom below -10°C (14°F) and very cool summers with average temp. of around 12°C (54°F). For the past few years the summers have been a bit warmer with temps around 16°C (60°F) not that uncommon. The all time high for the Reykjavik area is just over 22°C (72°C).

The main problems with gardening here are the short, cool summers and the wind. In order to be able to grow anything here you need shelter from the wind. So hedges are very important! But you also need as much sun as you can get so it can be a bit tricky to get enough shelter without shading out the sun :-)

I'm interested in everything that flowers or has decorative foliage. Flowering shrubs, perennials, roses and rhododendrons. There are so many plants that I'd like to try that things tend to get a bit crowded and I'm constantly needing to expand my flower borders at the lawn's expense. My husband fears that there won't be any left in the end! lol I grow a lot of plants from seed that I get from seed exchanges or buy. I'm a member of the Icelandic Garden Society and the Alpine Garden Society in the UK.

I'm finding it really interesting to meet so many people that share my interest in gardening and reading about what other people are growing in so many different places. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Rannveig

ps. the photo is overlooking one of the "lava islands" in the neighborhood. My street ends at the upper right corner - so it's very close to our house. My older girl (almost 8) loves playing there with her friends and swears that she's heard the elves that live in the rocks!

Here's a photo of the street where I live. It's a very quiet neighbourhood - hardly any traffic. A great place to raise kids! I have two daughters, age 3 and 7 (almost 8).

Hi welcome ,thanks for the link love to see about iceland..

Hi! Glad to meet you. Those Lava fields are impressive. How old are they?

Diann

Well, Diann, to tell you the truth I don't know. The volcano that all the lava fields around here came from has been "extinct" for a long time.

Here's a photo overlooking the harbor and the oldest part of the town.

Absolutely beautiful!!! What are your winters like? Fall is on it's way here!

Diann

The winters here are pretty mild, rarely below 14F, mostly between 40 and 20F. We get a lot of altenating warm and cold spells, and I think that's what's hardest on the plants - especially when Jan and Feb are mild enough to trick the plants into growing and then getting a hard frost in March or April. That's usually when most losses are.

Rannveig

Hi Rannveig! Glad to have you at DG's. Welcome. You will love it. Everyone is soooo nice and helpful. I am fairly new & I can't stay away!

Joey

We've been having mild winters here for the past few years. This year is supposed to be colder and with a lot of snow... Of course, that's the Farmers Almanac saying that, so, I'll be surprised if it happens that way.

Thanks for the welcome Joey! I'm having trouble staying away too - hope it won't become too much of a problem! LOL!

Last winter was so mild here that early March it was looking like it'd be the winter that never came. Temps had never gone below 14F and hardly any snow at all - all the shrubs that usually die back pretty hard looked soooooooo good - never seen them better - but then we got a hard frost mid-March (ruined the crocuses) , and again in mid-April (ruined the crocuses that hadn't started blooming in March) and then after a week of temps. around 70 in the beginning of May - another cold spell with temps around 32F ( + strong icy winds to boot!) for two weeks :-0 !!!! It was horrible - fortunately I didn't loose too many plants (two of my oriental poppies died) - but many of them were a sorry sight. During the early May heatwave I bought a Cercidiphyllum japonicum (called Heart Tree in Icelandic - sorry don't know the English name). Feeling all warm and optimistic I decided to plant it straigt away, even though it had leaved out and it was still early May (after all it was around 70F!) Well a few days later when the temps had plummeted to 30's I had to dig it up again and save it into my greenhouse for recovery. I really thought it was gonna kick the bucket it looked so sad. :-(
I'd prefer a proper winter Dec-Feb and then a decent spring for once :-) !!!

Well one can only hope...The weather has seemed so screwed up for the past couple of years. At least you have the green house to save what you have. :-))

Yeah, it's a lifesaver ! A bit crowded at times !

Rannveig, I just noticed the link to your 'welcome mat'. It's nice to see pics of your town. I'm sure I'll never travel to Iceland. the harbor is just beautiful! I love to be near the water. I live near Niagara Falls on the American side of the United States/Canadian border, so I am pretty near the Niagara River and the Great Lakes that separate the 2 countries, and I even live on a small man-made lake. that's so interesting about the lava fields.

I understand what you mean about winter. I, too, wish it would just get cold, stay cold until spring, and then warm up gradually. But that hardly ever happens. We have much colder winters than you...usually some days in the below 0 C. range...sometimes a whole lot of snow, sometimes not so much. Last winter was mild all over, I guess. I could have used more snow cover on my new perennials.

nice to have you here

gram

gram, Niagara is my most favorite place! :-)) I do believe that I could live there, permanently!
DH & I went there a few years back & I used 6 rolls of film! :-)) ~ fond memories.

Gram, it sounds like you live in a lovely place! I sure hope I do get the chance to visit the Niagara falls one day!

Here's a photo from my garden for those that haven't seen one already :-)

Well..I love it. It looks sooo comfortable! or Liesurely.

Oooh, very nice! :) What plants are you most interested in growing?

Diann

Pretty much everything that flowers and is willing to grow here :-) Not much into vegetables. I mostly grow perennials, a bit of flowering shrubs, (can't have too many - take up too much space) and then I started growing roses 3 years ago. And Rhododendrons - love those too!

I collect Geranium (hardy), Campanula, Dianthus, Verbascum, Delphinium, Aquilegias, Primulas -there are sooooo many perennials that I like! Dicentra spectabilis and Meconopsis are also high on my list of favorites.
There are also A LOT of roses on my "got to have" list - don't know where I'll put them all though :^)

A bit of a belated Hello and welcome ...I too, just discovered your postings here and love the photos. Fasinating area of the world, especially the history of the lava flows...
kiska
alaska

Thank you Kiska! Seems that there are more similarities with Iceland and Alaska than I thought, from what I've read from your and Weezingreen's posts.

A big howdy to you from Texas, rannveig!... :) Your photos are lovely...and everything is so green! A true sight for sore eyes as we endure this terrible drought here. No rain in quite a some months and temps over 100 almost everyday..so your photos are definitely refreshing, lol.

And welcome to Dave's. You will definitely find yourself at the computer a whole lot more..lol I know I did :) ..There are so many different things to read about and so many kind and helpful folks out there willing to give you a hand that you will find it hard to leave the keyboard alone...lol... :) Type to you later...
Melanie

Hi Melanie and thank you for your welcome. Wow, our longest droughts are not much more than 2-3 weeks at the most lol!!!! And temps over 100 is something I'd have a hard time enduring - I wouldn't last a week. We've had a high of 62-64 for the past two days with sunny and calm weather - really lovely - and not something we're used to in September!

lol...yes, its been difficult even for us leathery and heat-hardened Texans...lol But the weathermen are telling us that a "cold front" is coming and it will get down to a frigid 90 degrees in the next few days...lol

Simply amazing how this big ole planet adjusts to its different weather cycles all over the world...and the fact that plants, animals and people have adjusted right along with the enviroment.. :) All very fascinating..! Take care...
Melanie :)

Welcome from Kentucky!

I've always been amazed at how you folks in Iceland make such good use of your resources. You meet such unique challenges with creative attitudes...and make nature work with you instead of against you.

We, who live in more accomodating climates and land, should take lessons from ya'll.

We don't have the duration of heat like Texas...but have temps that get in the 100+ area every summer...and we go below 0 in the winter sometimes too....big swing in temps.

I have Norwegian relatives who visit every couple of years, and last year was the first time that they figured out that they didn't need to pack jackets for a July visit. They'd been bringing them every trip for years.."just in case"...well, maybe for March or October, but never for July.

See you around the boards...welcome!

Hello melody, thanks for the welcome! Well, we do have a great resource in geothermal heat that we use greatly to our advantage - which makes life A LOT easier up here!

I totally understand your norwegian relatives ... You don't go anywhere in Iceland in July without packing jackets, fleece sweaters, mittens, hats, scarfs AND wool socks "just in case"!!!! LOL Might pack some shorts and short-sleeved shirts "just in case" too - but less chance of needing those :-) !!!!!

Rannveig - Velkommen til Dave's.....I am one of the few other Scandinavians (live in the US) that "hang out" on DG and it's has been a great and addictive experience so far.....met loads of new people and learned so much, even helped me in emptying my wallet with ordering lots & lots of Cactus, Succulents and Hoyas! Talk about enablers!! :)
I loved Iceland when I was there as a teenager on a school trip, we went to Reykjavik and a few other places, to go horseback riding!
With any luck I will be flying to Iceland in January on my way to Norway via Færøyene, I have family in Torshavn and can't wait to see the islands and them, yes, I know January won't be the best time of year, but, hey, seeing family is more important than the weather!
So again, velkommen!

a little late by welcome to daves garden from upstate new york. i must have fallen asleep in geography because i thought iceland was a frozen mass. LOL

Bec : Tak så meget! Have you lived in the US for long? Do you have family in Norway as well or are you from "Færöyene"?

Herbie - thanks for the welcome - and you're not the only one to think that. LOL!

Rannveig- Been in the US for 13 years now, and yes, tons of family still at home, which is Norway. :)
LOL Doesn't everybody think Iceland is covered in ice?
Actually, Herbie, Greenland is where you have your frozen masses! :)

Rannveig,
I appreciate all that you shared, I had no idea how difficult it was for you to get seeds, plants roses... wow.
Your garden is absolutely stunning.
Dove

Thanks dovey . The more trouble you have to go through to get a plant the more you appreciate it ;-) Although I often think longingly of all the nurseries in Europe that I'd love to be able to visit. No on second thought it'd be too hard seeing all the plants I'd like and not being able to take them home with me!

Rannveig, when I went home this summer (Norway) I of course had to visit every nursery/flower shop I could find, and it nearly killed me!I wanted some of the pots and planters (no room in suitcases, they were full of "other" stuff I HAD to bring back), I wanted some of the plants and I wanted to bring some plants("Arctic" Sedum) back from the island I grew up on, but I knew I couldn't! And, if you came here I am sure you'd feel the same way!

Yeah Bec you're probably right! Better stay away from the nurseries! LOL

Rannveig your photo's make us envious..I live 100 miles north of Toronto, Ontario on Georgian Bay...beautiful country as well....our weather here as well is changing as the years go by...mixed seasons...may I say you will get hooked on this site...I have many hours to play on DG here at work and find it difficult to leave the site...soooo much information and so many friendly people....enjoy!!!

Bettypauze- thanks and I am already hooked!

Hehehe det er mye større problemer man kan ha i livet!! (There are much larger problems one can have in life!!)

Det er rigtigt Bec! Det er ikke så stört problem! Undskyld, min skole dansk/skandinavisk er meget rustet! So I'll think I'll stick with English! I'm going with my husband to Copenhagen for 3 nights next week and I'm sure I couldn't speak a word of danish to save my life! lol

Hi Rannveig,
I'm from Central Florida and I must say I haven't spoken with anyone that lives that far away. What type of plants can you grow there? You should get on the seed sway forum. I bet you'd have a lot of swappers.
Gail

Hi Gail!

I can grow many plants hardy to zone 3-6. The winters here are relatively mild, but the summers are really short and cool, so early blooming plants/varieties are what works best. Plants that flower in August or September in zones 5-6 wouldn't flower here before frost. I mostly grow perennials, but I've been getting more into roses the past 2 years. We'll have to see how that goes - they're not really easy to grow here - they flower so late :-)

I actually lived in N-Florida for 6 years back in the 80's, in Gainesville. My father was studying at the University there so I went to Middle School and High School there. I have many fond memories from Florida although I found the summers very hard to bear! I'm hoping to be able to visit there again with my girls to show them around when they get older. My husband has already gotten the grand tour of Florida - twice - and loved it ;-)

Rannveig, a belated welcome and happy 2007! I love the picture of your garden. That looks to me like the quintessential cottage garden! You know DG's now has a cottage garden forum http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/cottage/all/ . Iceland fascinates me. I love the way Iceland is using its energy resources.

I am very happy you're here!

-Joe G.