For the life of me, I cannot formulate an intelligent response to this one, David. I am waaaay out of my depth here, but thanks for the excellent photos of some really cool plants.

San Francisco Bay Area conditions seem ideal for growing Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' to maximum size. If they get regular drip irrigation, as does this garden, they will grow supersized without any need for special fertilizer. These are growing in straight beach sand, with water every 4th day in summer for about 20 minutes at low pressure drip. You have to remember that we don't get much heat so close to the bay, so it is more like spring(average 65F for highs) growing conditions even in the middle of summer here. I have been kind of surprised, though, how 3 weeks of near continuous rain without let up took a toll on the Graptoveria, even when planted in full sun and almost pure sand. In another garden up in the hills, where I have 'Fred Ives' planted in bright shade, they have lost virtually all their leaves to rot this March. I know they will bounce back soon enough, but I learned something new this winter with the rains!

I have been growing Banksias in Vienne (near Lyon) France for 5 or 6 years now. I have some B coccinea seedlings myself, but this species has a reputation of being difficult. In WA, it grows in deep sand dunes near Albany, so use extremely well draining substrate. Secondly, my general experience with other banksia species (I have about 30 different, of which 5 have flowered) is that Banksias, do not like too much lime: I have very hard mains water here (equivalent of 280g of CaCO3 per cubic metre) and my early attempts at Banksia cultivation resulted in extreme chlorosis and death due to the pH rising. I have had much more success since I have taken steps to keep the pH down (I aim for pH 5). I even saved a chlorosed B blechnifolia by dunking it in a weak solution of Nitric Acid!! Even with these precautions some (not all) of my B coccinea seedlings are looking yellow, so I recently gave a dose of chelated iron. Thirdly all WA Banksias detest humidity, so do everything you can to reduce humidity in your greenhouse (fan, etc) and water sparingly especially in winter. Finally Banksias do not like phosphate, so do not use any fertilisers other than extremely low phosphate ones. Banksia canei grows in the Blue Mountains on the other side of Australia and is one of the toughest Banksias as far as cold and frost is concerned, so could be planted outside if you never get much lower than minus 5°C. I have also found that it is also more lime/pH tolerant than most banksias. More generally, as far as frost resistance goes, Australian climates are so different from Western European climates that only information gleaned from those who have tried growing Banksias in Europe is likely to be reliable. I have three 5 year old B canei and they are yet to flower. If you are seriously into growing Banksias and other Australian plants may I suggest you join the (UK) Australasian Plant Society? I would be please supply their address.

Jane, I had a Banksia coccinea for a few years in the same general district as you. It never flowered. It did not die of root rot, but my soil is alkaline and it was always affected by an iron deficiency. I stopped feeding its expensive dependency and it yellowed with some branches dying before I finished it off. I have another young WA banksia (can't remember the species)in the same part of the garden, which is alkaline-tolerant and successful in Sydney. Not as showy as the B. coccinea, but so far so good. Your soil is probably alkaline too. You might have better luck with WA hakeas. I have several although the Pin cushion Hakea is going to get the chop soon because it is diseased (black leaves, dying branches). Try Hakea cinerea - mine is in flower right now, quite pretty yellow flowers aging to orange. Also H. victoriae. I can give you a seedling of that if you want (just to second leaf stage, just recented propagated from one in my garden).