Sow and ye shall reap (maybe, depending on humidity, temperature and luck)

Thursday, 16 September 2010

Sow and ye shall reap (maybe, depending on humidity, temperature and luck)

Rhododendron floccigerum

Rhododendron griersonianum

Rhododendron hyperythrum

Today those lovely, nay indispensible, people at Chilterns Seeds delivered packets of fun from Rhododendrons at Muncaster Castle in the Lake District, the seeds having been collected from the original specimens planted there from collections made in the Far East in the late 18th century by such luminaries as Forrest and Kingdon Ward.

I went for R. yunnanense on the premise that it is a very common parent in modern hybrids and this somehow led my mind to believe they might be quite easy from seed (I have never previously succeeded in raising Rhododendrons from seed). And added griersonianum cos it sounded nice, hyperythrum and floccigerum because I'd never heard of them and it's nice to have stuff other people don't, even if it's just a scabby Rhododendron clinging to life on an East London rooftop. So they went straight on to the surface of a peat-based mix with rotted bark and vermiculite, covered with a light sprinkling of vermiculite and put in the sealed, humid, cloche to catch the last of the autumn heat before possibly coming out for a good freeze in December before going in again in Feb/March. Might work, probably won't.

R. yunnanense (thanks Kevock)

Was also so encouraged by the success of Digitalis ferrugineum that I'm trying D. Obscura, a yellow/red species that should love the baking sun up here, unlike almost everything else I'm growing.

That's all for now, thanks to everyone's pictures I've stolen, please let me know so I can make amends.

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My recommended suppliers for plants and seed

(And our only business connection is that I give them lots of money in exchange for high quality plants.) Rare Plants (http://rareplants.co.uk/). Paul Christian concentrates on the very choice and rare (and consequently expensive but not unfairly so. Mainly but not exclusively bulbs and a great stop for the hardcore Iris and Lily collector. Mail order. Growild A small operation on the West coast of Scotland dealing largely on eBay and not a garden centre or public nursery so it's a case of when they have it, they'll list it. So keep an eye out for the odd gem (I recently spent £80 on rare Lily species on eBay so it's the market that sets the prices. An esoteric range, best found on eBay Kevock Garden Nursery in Scotland (www.kevockgarden.co.uk/) specializing in unusual alpine, woodland, and bog plants, many of Asian origin. Think along the lines of Meconopsis and candelabra primulas. Online catalogue and mail order. Cayeux Irises Based in France, near Orléans, this lot deal almost exclusively in bearded Irises (550 varieties, many their own) with a few beardless and Day Lilies. Superb quality plants, sent out bare-root from Late June to mid-October (www.cayeux-irises.com).

SEEDS

Chiltern Seeds I have to start with the suppliers who first showed a spotty teenager that there's more to seed catalogues than Petunias and Sweet Peas (although they are in there too). They offer a huge range of genera and the species within. The catalogue (too comprehensive to illustrate, it would be the size of the Birmingham phone book) is witty and informative (or not, which is refreshingly honest on rare occasions when they doubt the provenance of an item, something usually reflected in the price). I've raised many an Iris, Meconopsis and Primula from them and portion sizes are generous. Germination instructions for the needy (seeds, not necessarily gardeners) care often stuck to the packet, otherwise just stick a pin in and have a go! (www.chilternseeds.co.uk/)

Chileflora.com Suppliers of an astonishing range of South American (mostly Chilean and Argentinian) seeds, especially the likes of Alstroemerias, Tropaeolums (the rare ones), Bomareas and a seemingly endless range of Rhodophialas and other bulb seeds. And remember, a lot of Chile is far colder than you think it is! Hundreds of seeds per packet so experimentation with sowing techniques is possible, if at first you don't succeed (you usually will). Many species yet to be named, eg Calandrinia sp. 1212 (mine have yet to germinate). An amazing website with thousands of stunning images taken by the proprietor, Mikhail Belov, and each entry comes with a wealth of habitat, hardiness and other info. He even rates them for ornamental value! (The aforementioned gets an A+).

Rareplants.de Offering many of the above (don't know if they have a reciprocal deal or something) but many, many more genera from all around the planet, seeds are broken down in to sections such as geophytes (bulbs, basically), climbers, hardiness and geographically. And you ALWAYS get a free packet of some Aeonium (Houseleek) species that I never sow. I must have a dozen. Also well illustrated and a HUGE range. Prices are in Euros (the .de domain name should have given that away so be aware of that minute's exchange rate when you order!

Secret Seeds A UK firm specialising in rare perennials (that's where I got my Impatiens namchabarwensis seeds, although at the time of writing they have a picture but no stock), they also deal in grasses, veg and herbs, should any of that float your dinghy. All seeds come in little packets, sometimes a bit on the stingy side but they do tell you how many are coming so fair's fair, with detailed cultivation instructions. Top stuff. (www.secretseeds.com)

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