Devon Group Newsletter Summer 2015

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1 Devon Group Newsletter Summer 2015

2 Membership Rates: Single 28 Joint 44 Student 15 Clubs and noncommercial groups 40 Corporate 70 Editor Malcolm Pharoah btinternet.com Layout Steve Morton steve. Printing Tuddenham Press Ltd Unit 6, Hill Farm Barns Ashbocking Road Henley, Ipswich Suffolk IP6 0SA tuddenhampress.co.uk Plant Heritage is the working title for National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG) Reg. Charity Nos / SC NCCPG is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in Cardiff. No All articles are Copyright and should not be reproduced without permission. Opinions expressed by Authors and services offered by Advertisers are not specifically endorsed by NCCPG. Contents Chairman s Letter... 2 A National Collection of Violets... 4 Caroline Stone Micro-propagation of a very special Scadoxus... 5 Jonathan Hutchinson and Ros Smith Noel Kingsbury Workshops May 20 th and 21 st My National Collection of Primulas Caroline Stone Grant Funding Eric Reynolds A Year in the South and West Beverley Sugden Dartmoor Herb Garden Open Great Uncle Amos Hemerocallis Edna Squires NCCPG Alison Mallet Pinus devoniana (Rushforth 1987)...24 Michael Hickson Plant Fairs Cyclamen Study Day...26 Area Events Programme Advertisements...34 Plant Heritage Devon Group Contacts copy deadline: 1 st September 2015 for publication in the Autumn 2015 issue. Please send all copy to the Editor, at malcolmpharoah@btinternet.com 1

3 Chairman s Letter Welcome to the Devon Group s summer newsletter. At the time of writing spring is progressing slowly and the massed plantings of daffodils here in the Valley of a million bulbs are at their peak. Sad to say but it won t be long before public complaints are made about the need to trim the unsightly vegetation in the verges back to a nicely mowed appearance. I find it quite amazing how our spring seasons have differed in recent years. This spring has so far been sunny, cool and dry and there is hardly any water flow in the stream. In contrast, last year much of the garden was waterlogged for months, some plants, including an old camellia, drowned, and we had to lay slabs as temporary stepping stones for a garden visit in late May. In the previous year the spring was very slow and cold. The committee has not awarded the 1000 student bursary so far this year, as there have been no applicants. We are discussing extending eligibility to horticultural students or courses in peripheral counties. Jean and I recently attended the Rattery lunch, which as ever was a very enjoyable experience accompanied by an interesting talk by Jenny Tunley-Price about how she was restoring the old walled garden at Maristow. Our thanks to the S&W area organisers. Events - Help Needed The summer programme is now largely complete and you will find further details elsewhere in the newsletter. If you see that we are putting on an event in your area and you could possibly spare some time, please contact me or your local team. Whether you can produce plants for sale, sell them from a PH stand or try to recruit new members, all roles are equally worthwhile in promoting our organisation. The three current Devon area groups each put on an excellent programme of events in their areas so that there should always be something of interest that you can go to in your locality. If you feel that there is not enough in your area (we are too thin on the ground in some districts), or can offer to organise an event please get in touch. Please try to support events in your area but do remember that you are a member of the whole Devon Group and of PH nationally, so you can attend any event that you fancy anywhere in the county or country for that matter, providing of course that you comply with any prebooking conditions. All of our events are listed primarily in the newsletter to alert our local membership but they will also be put on the Devon PH website, where potential visitors to the county may find out about our events. Some of our more specialist events like the Cyclamen study day (organised by Caroline Stone and Sally Dean) are likely to be more widely publicised. Garden visits can be inspiring in other ways than looking for new plants. At a visit to Bickham House last year I was intrigued by how a trickle of water was allowed to splash and make gentle noise close to the pedestrian area. This inspired me to dig out an overgrown and hidden area of the stream bed and make a small noisy waterfall feature. 2

4 Please also try to get to see some of our National Collections. As a Collection Holder (NCH), I would like to see more visitors and show them the range of sizes, foliage types, and scents, which is why I like my chosen genus. ( I realise that Artemisias may not be very popular, and there seem to be relatively few types grown in the south west, perhaps due to gardeners thinking that they are dryland plants that would not survive in the heavy soils of the wet south west, but there are quite a few that originate from wetter climes, and even waterlogged locations.) I am surely not alone amongst NCHs in saying that I would like to see more visitors. Some of us find it difficult to organise an Open Day, but most collections are open by appointment which may often be arranged at short notice by a telephone call. Most of my visitors are gardeners on holiday in Devon rather than local PH members. In terms of my National Collection there has been some progress towards re-establishing one of our rarest native Artemisias back on the Welsh coast on the dunes at Crymlyn Burrows. Artemisia crithmifolia (dune wormwood) is known at only two sites in the UK and two different forms of it used to grow on the dunes at Crymlyn. One of these is a prostrate form which I was allowed to collect cuttings from in 1990 but which became extinct in the wild at about the turn of the millennium. By the time that you read this, Conservation officers from Countryside Council for Wales and I should have planted a few plants that I raised from the two forms from the site at a more suitable location for the plants to grow. The problem at Crymlyn is that the species is a dune pioneer but both local forms of the plants had become confined to areas of dune that are rapidly evolving into woodland, within which they cannot compete. At the only other (known) UK site on the dunes at Crosby in Lancashire, the plants there are a stronger growing form that is still in the open dune system where it is not out competed. An interesting follow-on to this replanting is that there is a rare beetle that feeds on the seeds of this plant, and it has not been found at Crymlyn since Victorian times. Perhaps it will return if the plant is successfully re-established. Plant Heritage needs you and your input to survive. We must try to build the organisation and attract new members. If you have any ideas on this please get in touch. The Devon group is still the largest (by far) county group, and Devon and its gardens have a very great deal to offer both locals and visitors alike. We would welcome new blood and fresh ideas into the various organisational teams. Wishing you all a very productive and enjoyable summer season. John Twibell. Sidmouth 3

5 A National Collection of Violets Caroline Stone What a lovely idea I thought. Then I realised that it is at Groves Nursery right on the A35 at Bridport and I would be passing right by on my way to Lachenalia Day at Exbury. Groves was established in 1866 and is now on to the fifth generation of the Groves family, but the passion for violets is a more recent thing. Clive Groves grows both Viola odorata cultivars and Parma violets. His father started the collection when he bought part of the collection of Windward violet nursery when it closed. At the nursery the violets were on display in a solar dome; an odd modern looking thing for flowers that have a rather oldfashioned image. There was also a display in the garden centre buildings which was very nicely mounted. It was interesting to see the plants arrayed together and see the wide range of colour as well as growth habit. I had been wondering how one could have so many varieties of violet, over 130, but there was a remarkable difference in the plants on show. I did of course buy a couple: Perle Rose with small flowers of a good strong pink held well above the foliage and Groves Dusky Maiden a rather entrancing smokey-purple. I was astonished when I brought them home to find quite how strong the scent from 4

6 them is. Getting home late I left them in the kitchen overnight and could smell the scent half way up my staircase exactly the smell of those little bottles of Devon violet scent one used to get. You will all have received in March the new Directory of the National Plant Collections which contains details of all the collections and how they can be seen. It is well worth looking to see if there are any in your area and trying to see them. Most collection holders would like to have more visitors to their collections and it is fascinating to be able to compare so many varieties of a plant group in one place. Micro-propagation of a very special Scadoxus Jonathan Hutchinson and Ros Smith In 2006 I was delighted to receive a plant of Scadoxus puniceus that had been originally collected in Tanzania on Mount Pungwe where it was found growing as an epiphyte in moist forest. Scadoxus puniceus is one of the most widespread members of the genus though its distribution up the eastern side of the continent as far as Ethiopia is disjunct as it is absent from Kenya. Scadoxus puniceus Within its range this species is very variable but usually the floral bracts are green or marked purple with the mass of small flowers ranging from green to red. What is a particularly beautiful trait of the Tanzanian plants is that the floral bracts are the same colour as the flowers, these usually being red. 5 The other information I was given about this plant was that since its initial collection in 1993 it had never shown any sign of wishing to increase vegetatively though it flowered every year. I must say that this was a bit of a worry to me, to be given such a lovely plant with known provenance and then wonder every

7 year if I was going to lose it, particularly as I have had problems with Narcissus fly which have led to a number of deaths. Thankfully luck has been on my side over the past 7 years and it has continued to flower every year though steadfastly continued to remain in its solitary state. So it was that after hearing from Dick Micro-propagation Ros Smith After hearing from Jonathan that the bulb was starting its initial development of the flower bud I waited and waited and waited and eventually on March 25 th a parcel arrived containing a very exciting piece of plant tissue the flower head of Scadoxus puniceus attached to a couple of centimetres of stem, looking just like the head of an Amaryllis as it first emerges from the bulb. What to do with this precious material? A search of the internet for scientific research papers on Scadoxus micro-propagation had drawn a blank. By chance we had been working with the flower buds of Nerine and Dierama so we applied a similar range of treatments to bits of the Scadoxus flower head: petals, individual florets with pedicels in various stages of Fulcher that Agapanthus could be micropropagated from immature flower heads that I contacted Ros Smith at Duchy College, Camborne in Cornwall and asked if she would consider trying to micro-propagate my special Scadoxus. With a speedy reply of a definite yes all I then had to do was to wait for the flower bud to start to show its self in the following spring. development, stem segments and finally what remained of the flower head itself waste not want not! The flower head was sterilised in dilute household bleach before being divided up into its component parts. An extra soak in plant growth hormones was applied to some florets before everything was placed into nutrient jelly in sterile containers. All pots were placed in the growth room at 22 C, some under lights, some in the dark, so we had tried as many different treatments as we could. The one great feature of Scadoxus is the number of florets on the head; this gives ample opportunity to experiment without the worry of losing the material which would have been the case if it had been something like an Amaryllis. Fig 1. Scadoxus flower bud Fig 2. Florets placed under lights 6

8 Fig 3. Cell proliferation above and below ovary After three months things had started to happen the ovaries on the flowers had started to swell up, some had cells proliferating above the ovary and some stems had cells proliferating on the cut ends. By the middle of August there were really exciting developments, the proliferation had changed into bulb like structures and were turning green. Perhaps of most interest was the original flower head; rather than send out more flowers it had started to send out three vegetative shoots! The next stage was to get these shoots to root, so the jelly mix was changed to encourage this development. Several of the bulb like structures from the florets and Fig 4. Shoots from florets pedicels were developing shoots so these too were moved on to a root enhancing mix. Within a month thick roots had started to emerge so shoots were then planted out into compost and grown on under polythene in the growth room. Surprisingly the old flower head continued to push up some more shoots which will be cut off and rooted when large enough, I just wonder how long this can go on for. By December we had six plants weaned in compost with many more well on their way. Because these will be rather tender they will stay in the growth room until winter is over and they can be returned to Jonathan mission successful! Acknowledgements Jonathan I now eagerly await the material back from Ros so that I can have some duplicate material of this lovely plant back into the National Collection. I am very grateful to Ros Cook for undertaking the Micro-propagaion of this plant, and also for providing such good photographs which depict the processes and the development of the material. My thanks also go to Devon Group committee for agreeing to fund this project. 7 Fig 5. Rooted shoots in compost

9 Noel Kingsbury Workshops May 20 th and 21 st 2015 SPREAD, SEED AND DIE Understanding long-term plant performance in the garden Dr Noel Kingsbury will be delivering two workshops on the long-term performance of plants. How long will plants survive? Will they spread? How will my new border look in five years? The workshop encourages participants to observe their garden and plants, focusing on their growth throughout the year, as well as how the plants compete with each other, and will help participants learn to assess prospects for plant longevity and suitability for a variety of garden locations. The aim is to get people thinking about how plants are linked to their natural habitats and ecology and how this connects to the way we use them in our gardens. Participants will get out to use the rabbit s eye view to closely observe the growing habits and life cycles of garden plants. You may have seen Noel s garden in the April issue of the RHS The Garden; he has collaborated with Piet Oudolf for many years co-writing books with him. He is a frequent contributor to magazines like Gardens Illustrated and The Garden. Numbers will be limited to 20 on each workshop. The workshops will be on held on: Wednesday, May 20 th 2015 at The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, Devon PL20 7LQ Thursday, May 21 st 2015 at Marwood Hill Gardens, nr Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4EB Please arrive at 10:00am for a 10:30am start. The workshops will finish at 16:30pm. Cost Plant Heritage members 52 Non-Plant Heritage members 60 These prices include lunch. Booking Form Please complete the booking form overleaf, and return it, with your payment, to Caroline Stone at the address on the form. 8

10 Noel Kingsbury Workshops Booking Form Venue Wednesday, May 20 th 2015 at The Garden House Thursday, May 21 st 2015 at Marwood Hill Gardens For people Plant Heritage members 52 including lunch. non- Plant Heritage members 60 including lunch. Payment by cheque made payable to Plant Heritage Devon Group please. Names 1) Plant Heritage Membership Number 2) Plant Heritage Membership Number address (booking confirmation will be sent by ) Telephone Please indicate if vegetarian or gluten-free options are required: Please send your booking form and cheque to: Caroline Stone, The Glebe, North Petherwin, Launceston, PL15 8LR Plant Heritage Devon Group reserves the right to cancel in the case of insufficient bookings or circumstances outside our control. 9

11 My National Collection of Primulas Caroline Stone Getting National Collection status last year has changed my priorities to a greater degree than I had expected. My focus had always been on finding the varieties of double primrose that are no longer listed by nurseries, and getting them growing well. So often the plants I received were clearly the wrong thing. And quite often the plant I received was not a strong grower so I like to get the plants from different sources if possible in the hope that one may have more vigour. I have been quite shocked at the degree of mislabelling that is going on in the horticultural trade. Part of the problem I think is that so many nurseries don t grow the plants at all but get them from Holland or direct from micro-propagators, and send them out immediately to fulfil orders they have received on the internet. They don t appear to be checking what they are receiving but effectively seem to be a clearing house. An example of this is Dawn Ansell : this should be a double white jack-in-the green which was bred by Cecil Jones of Llanelli. A largely internet-based company are offering it for sale and I ordered some last year. It has just started to flower and the plants they have supplied are a double pale yellow and not even a jack-in-the-green. Another issue is that of micro-propagation. The plant that comes out from micro-propagation can be quite different from that which supplied the genetic material. I am not a scientist and don t know why the plants can differ but it gives me the issue of whether micro-propped plant and the original should really all be given the same name. Now all this variation means that all the plants from different sources need to be kept separately. To cope with this I had put up a shade tunnel sourced second hand from a nursery that was closing. This meant that I could grow my plants in clearly labelled rows in conditions that suited them. Very quickly however the space filled up. 10

12 Primula Bon Accord Purple Primula Blue Sapphire Then I got National Collection status and it dawned on me that people would want to see my plants. I had had a plan in my mind for some time to create a shrub walk which would give shade for planting of my primroses, and show them off in a way that would open people s minds to the possibilities. Primroses can be a good ground cover under shrubs, and enjoy the shade they create. Moreover it would give me an opportunity to play with colour combinations in the plantings. (It was also a good opportunity to plant some interesting shrubs which is proving a lot of fun). So working towards this aim I have been dividing my plants like mad to increase the numbers to a sufficient level to plant groups in this new area. All the time I have been receiving new plants. Although the rate of new discoveries is slowing down there are still moments of excitement when I find something I haven t yet got. I have never been a collector before so this has opened my eyes to a side of my personality I hadn t known existed! Just two weeks ago I got a plant from Ireland that certainly isn t listed for sale by any nursery I know of by chance a contact said she had it! It is something to bear in mind keep on asking! People do have things in their gardens that they don t realise have fallen out of the trade, and become rare. As all of this growing and searching goes on, National Collection status has brought more attention and people have started asking me for plants. Up until now it has been a question of swopping plants amongst similarly enthusiastic growers of Primulas. I have no desire to be a nursery and grow on a commercial scale; I have been pleased however to be able to offer plants to the Plant Exchange for the last two years. The only way to conserve plants is to get them spread around and in order to do that I shall have to increase the numbers I am growing. I decided that the best idea was another shade tunnel. I could give up part of my vegetable garden where raspberry and gooseberry bushes had been growing. My first tunnel I had got second hand so it was rather a shock to see the price of acquiring a brand-new one. So I am extremely grateful to the Devon Group for the grant which 11

13 New shade tunnel assisted me in buying this tunnel. I hope that this will give me plenty of space to expand my propagation efforts. The shade tunnels have clear benefits. Not only does the netting give a degree of shade, it helps keep a moist atmosphere. Even so when September was unexpectedly dry last year I had to install an irrigation system in my first shade tunnel, something I never expected to have to do in my oh-so wet garden. The confined space makes it easier to keep weeds down, and I can hoe between rows without any difficulty. Moss really likes the conditions too; however it can look so very green in there! The tunnels do also reduce a big problem sparrow damage. In the open garden the sparrows are demons for pulling off flower heads. My gold-laced polyanthus have all been beheaded two weeks before the show at Boconnoc where they usually win me a prize, and my Lilian Harvey has not only been beheaded but shredded into two millimetre sized pieces. It is sheer hooliganism; they toss the flowers all over the ground, and I have resorted to a wire cloche over one planting which is right under several sparrow nests. Thank goodness the shade tunnels stop this depredation. An unfortunate incident with a pheasant has taught me a lesson however, and the new shade tunnel has a door on it. My sincere thanks to the Devon Group for the grant towards the cost of the new shade tunnel; I hope that this will provide scope to expand my collection for some time to come. Grant Funding Eric Reynolds May I remind Devon National Collection Holders that a further 2, is again available this year (2015) so applications for funding for projects that will enhance your Collections will be welcome. Please me at sher_bluefirs@btinternet.com with an outline of your project and an estimate of the costs together with a note of support from your local PH co-ordinator. 12

14 A Year in the South and West. Beverley Sugden 2014 began for S&W Devon with the annual Winter Lunch at Rattery Village Hall in early March. This followed the usual tried and tested format of coffee and plant sales, a talk, this time entitled Re-discovering Overbecks by Head Gardener, Cat Saunders, lunch, a quiz and raffle. This is always a time for members to renew old acquaintances and to start thinking about the gardening year ahead. WHITESTONE FARMHOUSE Our first garden visit of 2014 was to Whitestone Farmhouse, in Cornworthy near Totnes early in April. It was a lovely sunny day, in contrast to the very wet start to The garden is set in a shallow, soft green valley gently curving down to a shore on the River Dart. Whitestone Farmhouse Jilly Sutton made us so welcome in the relaxed and tranquil atmosphere of her waterside home. We were enveloped in blossom trees, notably a large Prunus Yukon with its lovely greenish blossoms. Points of interest included a kiwi fruit plantation which Jilly told us was very productive with very little input! There was also a small olive grove, although some of the trees had been battered by the winter storms. And lower down the garden was a row of old tree trunks, which rather than cut to ground level stumps had been left six feet high, linked with gnarled branches and entwined with three large climbing roses. This framed the lovely view through them down to the water testament to Jilly s artistic flair. Jilly is a sculptor and we had the added treat of viewing her beautiful and original wood sculptures being prepared for an exhibition at Exeter Cathedral. PENSON In May we visited Penson, home to Sir Robin and Lady Yvonne Nicholson, just outside Diptford. They have developed the garden over 22 years from nothing, just a hillside overlooking the beautiful valley of the River Avon which flows out into the sea at Bantham. Beyond the garden there is a gentle wooded aspect across the valley. Lady Nicholson gave us an introductory talk all about their development of the garden over the 22 years, before we all 13 Penson

15 set off to explore. There are a number of well crafted, beautifully maintained features surrounding and near to the house: A circle of roses encloses a seat and arbour in which I noticed some of our members relaxing in the sunshine, a close cut spring green lawn with a pond looks down to the vibrant burnt oranges and yellows of deciduous Azaleas and a Laburnum walk leads gently down the slope of the garden to the more informal area beyond. I say more informal, but a lot of thought has gone into the planting of the areas sloping down to the valley. At the top there is a bluebell walk, one of my favourite parts of the garden. Then there is a stream flowing down, with a plantation of many different Camellias to one side of this and then a bit further down another slope is planted with a newer mix of more exotic trees, which is still being added to. One talking point of this most enjoyable visit was the Lutyens bench by the house that was completely covered in a beautiful cloak of lichen, which succeeded in attracting many of the photographers amongst us! BOWDEN HOUSE June saw us at Bowden House, near Dartmouth, the home of Clive and Annie Norton. Unfortunately, they were away, but we were given a very informative afternoon by the rest of the team ; Penny, the garden designer, Mike Hallett, the gardener who can turn his hand to anything and Lindsey and Ray, the house keepers, who were such a great help erecting a lot of folding chairs for us to use. Clive and Annie have only been here since 2010 and have started an essential Bowden House programme of removal and regeneration. One part of the garden which has already been re-designed by Penny is the formal area of the front of the house. She showed us the plans and talked us through these at the start of the visit. A planting of black and white tulips had been planned for the wedding of Clive and Annie s daughter a few weeks before our visit. We were shown photographs of these and they looked stunning, but unfortunately had finished flowering before the wedding! Mike, the gardener, has created the most wonderful vegetable garden, a work of art as well as full of interesting produce. He has built cold frames and raised beds, all terraced on a slope that makes the most of the sun. There is also a very sturdy, large greenhouse, which was brimming with the promise of fresh produce soon to come. There were also some lovely early sweet peas already in flower, sown in the autumn. And just to show how much thought had been put into our visit, there was a vase of these filling the outside loo with the most wonderful scent! 14

16 MARISTOW WALLED GARDEN On a very hot day, the 1 st July, we went to Maristow Walled Garden. Lost (and a few of us literally were, in our quest to find the place) in the depths of the Tamar Valley, this slumbering two acre garden has been unearthed by Jenny Tunley-Price. She holds a 15 year lease on the garden and is already five years in to fulfilling her dream of restoring it to life. Three large areas have been laid bare, with the cottage in which Jenny lives being at its heart. All three areas are walled, but the top one, on a slope above Jenny s cottage, was particularly impressive, spanning the complete width of the whole garden. This has all been cleared by hand, an extremely labour intensive task, and Jenny now faces the daunting task of preventing a new wave of undesirables taking hold before she gets it cultivated and planted. In various parts of the garden she has had to battle ground elder, horsetails and Japanese Knotweed and is now an expert in advising how best to deal with these three public enemies! A lower walled area, containing the sparse frame of a former greenhouse along one side, had a more tranquil feel, being less exposed to the full glare of the sun. Jenny plans to use this as an ornamental garden, and hopefully restore the greenhouse one day. A number of old buildings, including a mushroom house, are once again productive. The first mushroom crop was so successful, Jenny said it would have taken up nearly all her time just tending that. Hopefully, with help, she might get it going again in the future. There is also a room for horticultural classes and a dream of Jenny s would be to one day hold musical events in the magical surroundings of the garden. Jenny is always keen to tap into any possible help and has had both long term unemployed young people and ex-offenders helping to further the renovation and work in the gardens. We were so impressed with Jenny s enthusiasm that she was invited to talk at our Winter Lunch this March. The passion in her talk certainly ignited the audience and it was followed by one of our longest question and answer sessions. 15 Dartmoor Herb Garden

17 DARTMOOR HERB GARDEN Plant Heritage would not be doing its job properly if we did not promote the National Collections where possible, and on the 1 st August we arranged a visit to Fi Reddaway s collections of both Monarda and Nepeta in South Zeal. This was our first rainy day visit, but we still had a decent turnout and were joined by members and guests from north Devon. It s always good to meet members from further afield. Fi s two acre garden is a short walk along a footpath passing other properties and, interestingly, is what is known as a medieval burgage plot. Before setting off to this part of the garden, we gathered in Fi s little pocket-sized back garden by the house where she gave us an introduction to the collections. We then passed through the garden gate and made our way up the footpath where we were greeted by a wonderful assortment of little outbuildings, including winter shelter for her many pots, a magical little shelter for her daughter to play in, and a kitchen/dining area, all creating a self sufficient hideaway in this peaceful garden. The garden then opens out into a beautiful herb garden, which was bursting with colour as obviously we d timed our visit for when the collections were in flower. Fi has a large number of plants in pots, but also many of the Monardas and Nepetas are planted in a traditional herb garden, with beds radiating out from a central point. Considering we had been enjoying such a hot, dry summer, there was not much evidence of mould on the Monardas, testament to Fi s good plant husbandry. As well as her two collections, Fi also finds time to grow fruit and her husband, Paul, keeps bees. Beyond the herb garden, the plot slopes gently into a more informal meadow and planting of trees, a beautiful and tranquil space to look out on. This was a most interesting visit and we were even able to leave with purchases of some of Fi s various Nepetas to try. My three are just starting to emerge from their winter slumber. HILLHEAD Hillhead, in Aveton Gifford, near Kingsbridge, owned by Mike and Annie Martin, and visited on 1 st September, was a lesson in everything that s good about garden design, but then I am biased as the late summer flowering grasses and perennials which dominated the garden are my favourites! Having converted a barn into a family home in 2009, Mike and Annie employed Garden and borrowed landscape at Hillhead 16

18 local garden designer, Jo Stopher, to help them design and lay out the garden. Jo gave an introduction at the beginning of the afternoon, and then stayed and wandered amongst us giving help, advice and information when requested. The main part of the garden is behind the house, and is composed of a series of large beds planted with waves of perennials and grasses, running the whole breadth of the site. The site itself slopes gently down to overlook the Avon estuary into which the clouds of plants effortlessly blend, a brilliant example of borrowed landscape. One of the most eye catching grasses were the swathes of Miscanthus nepalensis shining out like molten bronze. There was also a lovely sense of movement amongst the bold, tall plantings. All this is skilfully protected from the wind by woodland which has been planted both above the house and below the main back garden, and which acts as shelter belts. There is some real attention to detail, with the inclusion of attractive railings up some side steps, several urns and giant terracotta pots. A focal point in the meadow is a loose spiral of low wall capped with large polished slate slabs, ideal for reclining on in the sun. This is certainly a stunning garden and we were made very welcome by Annie and Mike, not forgetting their two lovely Old English Sheepdogs. BICKHAM COTTAGE AND BICKHAM HOUSE On our final visit, on October 7 th, we had two treats in store. There was a National Collection of Nerine sarniensis held by Steve Eyre at Bickham Cottage and also the grounds of Bickham House. The whole is owned by Julia and John Tremlett, but Steve has the Nerine collection, and as well as tending this and his own cottage garden, he maintains the gardens of Bickham House. As visitor numbers were high, we were divided into three groups for our tour of the Nerines, mainly so that we could fit into the greenhouses and also so that we would be within hearing range of Steve s talk. The Nerines are all kept in greenhouses and polytunnels and on entering we were hit by a wall of colour, ranging from pinks through to red and sultry, smokey mauves. They all looked immaculate, standing Steve Eyre in greenhouse in row upon meticulous row. I, along with some of the other members, was most surprised to notice that some of the flowers smell of chocolate (although I can t now remember whether it was one particular colour which did so). Steve has more than 3,500 plants and 450 varieties and he is kept busy in a continuous cycle of dividing, potting, growing on and flowering. 17

19 As mentioned above, Steve also maintains the gardens of Bickham House itself. How he finds time to achieve all this is astonishing. The gardens are extremely varied, with sweeping lawns containing large borders, an intimate courtyard behind the house and a very densely planted walled garden. Beyond the drive, at the front of the house, is a large lake set in an area of parkland. The one acre walled garden attracted a great deal of attention. It contains a wide diversity of interest, with flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as arches, tunnels and glasshouses. I particularly remember the lovely dahlias and a beautifully elegant pale pink fuchsia set against one of the walls. John Tremlett is very keen on propagation and organised a plant sale for us which proved extremely popular, and meant we could take some of our memories home with us! That rounds up our schedule of garden visits for last spring and summer. I would just like to say thank you to our committee for all their hard work in helping to organise these visits, the cake making for the teas and the putting up of signs to get us there. Dartmoor Herb Garden Open with National Collections of Nepeta and Monarda 14 th June as 10:00am to 6:00pm on the South Zeal Open Gardens Day. Admission by programme 3.50 for all gardens. Plants will be available for sale. This date replaces an incorrect date in the 2015 Directory. 9 th and 12 th July 10:30am to 5:00pm. Admission free for 9 th and 12 th with donation if desired to the Devon branch of Plant Heritage. Mrs Fi Reddaway. 1 Greenbank, South Zeal, Okehampton EX20 2JS. I wonder if I could appeal for some volunteer help to aid in creating herbarium specimens of all accessions during weekdays to suit in late June (Nepeta) and July (Monarda). I have no experience yet of this but will learn in the meantime as I have been given pointers from Head Office. If helpers are experienced all the better, but doesn t matter if you re not. I can provide lunch and it should be great fun! The collections have not been developed for commercial purposes and I do all the work on the plants myself. 18

20 Great Uncle Amos Hemerocallis Edna Squires his death. He started to hybridise in 1896 by crossing thunbergii, flava and citrina. In 1900 he crossed citrina by flava and secured his first selected seedling Amos Perry. In 1902 citrina by flava gave Citrina hybrida. Further results were poor until 1918 gave some outstanding varieties In 1946 Amos privately printed Amos Perry s Diary being a record of plants raised and introduced by his nursery from 1894 to In that he lists 212 Hemerocallis introductions from 1900 to Amos Perry Amos Perry [V.M.H., F.L.S, F.Z.S) of The Hardy Plant Farm, Enfield, Middlesex was a nurseryman famous for herbaceous perennials and waterplants and also my great Uncle (my Grandfather Perry s half brother). One of the grandchildren Roger Perry (son of Frances Perry) had a whole boxful of papers on Amos s hybridising with Hemerocallis. I collated those documents and below are just a taste of what is there:- A loose leaf folder containing carbon copies of crosses of Hemerocallis that Amos made (1925 to 1949 but not for all years), lists detailing what some of those crosses were named as*, magazine and newspaper cuttings re Amos/ Hemerocallis and original letters to Amos Mike and I were part of a team who undertook the Legacy of Plants exhibit at Chelsea 2005 and we were helped enormously by contact with Amos grandchildren. As part of the exhibit we had a booklet on display detailing Amos achievements. In that was an obituary on Amos s death in 1953 by Elmer A. Clarr of Illinois (in the American Hemerocallis Year Book 1954), describing him thus: 19...he was one of the first hybridisers of daylilies and continued in this work until

21 Eleanor Maltby top:maggie Perry, middle:fulva maculata, bottom:george Yeld A scrapbook with papers interleaved, as well as fastened to the pages correspondence between Amos and George Yeld, Botanic gardens, Lady Beatrix Stanley, more articles and magazine cuttings and original photographs (including some of Hems in the Bronx). A book Hemerocallis. New York botanic Gardens with separate correspondence between Amos and AB Stout (Director of Laboratories NY Botanic) in the 1920 s. *some Devon named plants that came from these are 1938 Exeter. (fulva rosea x Hyperion x Winnie Nightingale), medium sized flowers a delicate shade of light bronze-apricot; sepals bronzeorange, faint red zone. July-August: 2½ft Salcombe. (fulva rosea x Lovetts Organge) orange-copper, bold crimson zone. July-August. 2½ft Colyton. (Hyperion x fulva rosea) medium sized flowers, pretty shade of light terracotta-brown, conspicuous crimson zone, yellow base. July. 3½ft. Amos Perry - Passionate Plantsman ( ) PERRYS HARDY PLANT FARM Holtwhites Hill Road, Enfield, Middlesex, England. Amos Perry raised or introduced 400 new hardy plants. In 1935, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Societies Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest award in the field of British Horticulture. Between 1900 and 1945, 173 of his plants received the Award of Merit from the R.H.S. 20

22 NCCPG Alison Mallet In January of this year (2015) the BBC thought to brighten the dour days with a series of talks on gardening, with several wellknown presenters: a very worthwhile idea, and at prime time too. But oh dear! How many anomalies? One evening they showed be-wellied children splodging through liquid mud to plant... Geums! Geum Bell Bank I thought that never in a longish association had I seen Geums growing in squelch. Well, live and learn. But this got me thinking about old times. World War Two and its after effects robbed the gardening world of a serious number of names sacrificed for food plants. But it wasn t until the 1970 s that the realisation impelled action. At last the crucial action happened at that meeting of 1978, which gave rise to the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. I write this in full, to remind ourselves fully of what it stood for. Of course, Yorkshire, where we then lived, formed its own group and I was soon involved. Our first job was to make up a working party to find out which plants had vanished or become rare. We gathered all possible nursery catalogues of our region. Then we sat cross-legged in a circle in our sitting room, checked through each against the three most inclusive national lists: Hilliers, Ingwersens and - was it Bressingham? We found some rare and interesting names. Perhaps the best was one which I leave the reader to identify: The Black Humbug Grape. Our results then went to Head Quarters at Wisley to form part of a national survey. As another exercise, some keen members formed a working party to rescue and preserve one or two exceptional gardens that had fallen into neglect. Athough this aspect of the NCCPG seems to have been taken over by other organizations, the one that has gone from strength to strength is the formation of living plant museums or National Collections. Of course, as YSCGP chairman, I was challenged: So what are YOU going to Collect? 21

23 I think it was a walk up a Yorkshire Dale that gave me the idea. A slope dotted with the nodding, brick pink heads of Water Avens, Geum rivale. This, its white version and a handful or so of old favourites would make a start. (Two had been included in the ten most popular garden plants: Lady Stratheden woke my husband s interest as a Stratheden had been his CO in the War. As to Mrs Bradshaw, someone told me it was named after the author of the Railway Guide. Years later we found that this was untrue). We thought we could cope comfortably. How little did we know! Our National Collection. The speed with which our Collection developed still amazes me. Geums grow throughout the world s temperate regions and accessions arrived from travellers and plant hunters from Kamchatka to Kazakhstan, Hampshire to Himalaya, which they might otherwise have not bothered with. Gardeners and Nursery folk contributed seed and plants. Carol Klein for example, brought for I.D.(and gave) the lovely warm lemon yellow Leonard s Variety ; Bressingham sent some which were not in their published catalogue; a famous Botanic Garden first expressed disinterest but lo! out of the blue arrived a parcel of rarities. Despite a distressing discourtesy at a Conference shown to an eminent plant breeder, a wonderful cartonful of hybrids arrived from Orkney. One of the prettiest variations on G. rivale came via two young nursery people in Yorkshire. This turned out to be one which Geoffrey Smith had spotted and rescued from Harlow Carr. He was happy for it to be called after his garden: Bell Bank. A most enjoyable way to acquire Geums was to hunt them on their home ground. Walking up over alpine meadows in the Queyras for example, dotted with the pennysized yellow flowers of G. montanum; and up and on, arriving breathless at the dizzy heights of the Col d Agnel to admire beautiful G. reptans sending its runners over vertical rocks. Farrer knew well it only grows at over 6,000feet. One time, Geum hunting during a tour of N.E.Turkey, we were dawdling along: the two men ahead of us stumbled on an army camp and were arrested at gun point. Our first Geumetry 22

24 We had moved to Devon in 1987, with our Collection now increased to a trailerload. Geums are in fact mostly promiscuous two exceptions being the apomictic Lady S. and Mrs B so that plants from different regions of the world finding themselves in close proximity, would hybridise, hence the plethora of exciting new names that have emerged in recent years. It was Disaster - Geumetry after a gale in 2003 fortunate that our gardens had enough space to house many. We created a colourful Geumetry border to house the Collection. This thrived despite the odd incident: one night a gale blew two huge beech trees down onto it. Never mind that it broke our water supply, only one or two Geums were buried. Worse was when twenty, one ton cows broke in to the garden... Apart from such challenges Collection Holders have more than enough to occupy themselves. Paperwork is not a gardener s favourite activity: there s a lot of that. For example, listing, sourcing, dating; photography; selecting, drying and pressing for the Herbarium; correspondence; annual reports etc etc. In early days, all this was done without the help of that now common household aid, the computer. Then there s the physical side: planting, weeding, dividing, labelling (the latter always a headache: labels will wander. One needs a Satnav chart). Most Geums need digging up and dividing every three years. At least they showed hardly any pests or diseases, not even slugs and snails. Another, very pleasant, activity was receiving visitors, including TV s Channel 4, for their excellent series on plant families. Geums are Rosaceae. Sadly, after a score or so of years in Devon, senescence and illness made it impossible to look after our Collection properly. We faced giving it up. Marvellously, at that point a lady appeared from Kent who took on the duty. This is how things should continue. What remains? Our garden tends increasingly to the natural. Hardly any of the sophisticated Geums remain. Happily, and rightly, our native G. rivale and G. rivale Album continue undaunted and independent. Even the one from Kazakhstan seed thrives in the vegetable garden. One survivor however, which is not so welcome, is Geum macrophyllum. It seems to go anywhere, and I think it crosses with G. urbanum too. It has handsome large foliage but unprepossessing yellow flowers. You may think our native Geum urbanum or Herb Benet, a nuisance, but I have a soft spot for it. For one thing, it keeps the devil out! And I dry its root to enhance my pot pourri with its clove scent. Sometimes I miss running a National Collection. But at least I know we did something to support the effort. It is so worth while. 23

25 Pinus devoniana (Rushforth 1987) Michael Hickson I read with interest the short article in the Spring 2015 Newsletter regarding the observation of Pinus devoniana by Malcolm Pharoah during his visit to the National Arboretum of Eastwood Hill in New Zealand. He mentions he knew of no obvious reason why the pine had been given the name devoniana. Pinus devoniana in New Zealand Perhaps the following points linked to Pinus devoniana will lead to a happy conclusion. Dr John Lindley ( ), a Professor of Botany and Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society was a leading authority on several plant genuses including Pinaceae. Mexico and its bordering countries have numerous Pines, mostly with five needles, including Pinus devoniana, leading the first collectors in the regions to some confusion with their names in the early 1800 s. When Dr Lindley studied the herbarium specimens from these expeditions in 1839, he named one of the pine species after his patron the Duke of Devonshire, a very keen plant collector, who was developing the Chatsworth Estate and new Glass Houses with his Head Gardener Mr Joseph Paxman at the time. Hence the name devoniana. During the years a Senor Martinez decided to research the Mexican pines and without any live or herbarium material renamed a few species. One, Pinus devoniana became in 1944, Pinus michoacana after one of the Mexican administrative regions. This was not all his fault as he did not have access to herbarium material or previous work in either the UK or Germany at the time as Winston and Adolph made travel difficult. Fortunately in 1987 a leading authority on Pinaceae, Mr Keith Rushforth, re-instated the name Pinus devoniana as this was the first name used to describe this species by Dr Lindley. Sadly Pinus devoniana is not regarded as hardy in Britain so needs protection from our winters especially when young. Although it has the longest pine needles of them all, even longer than Pinus englemannii and P. montezumae it may be possible to grow P. devoniana in sheltered gardens in Devon if seed could be gathered from a high altitude location. My thanks must go to three leading UK experts of conifers, Messrs Frankis, Rushforth and Spicer for their help with the above notes. 24

26 GARDEN OPEN in aid of AVON VALE TENNIS CLUB (Second oldest grass court club in the UK) Sunday 14 th June 11am 5pm at Middle Well, Waddeton Road, Stoke Gabriel, TQ9 6RL Neil and Pam Millward Please come and support us and enjoy a picnic or tea in the 4- acre gardens. Water, woodland, choice trees, shrubs and perennials. Teas pm, coffee am. Parking, produce and plants available. Entrance 4, children 1 25

27 Plant Fairs 2015 Saturday May 16 th, sunday May 17 th Rosemoor, Great Torrington 10:00am to 3:00pm contact: Derek Burdett, Saturday june 6 th Sunday July 12 th Sunday August 30 th Ivybridge Outdoor Plant Fair 10:00am to 4:00 or 5:00pm contact: Tim Ellis, tim.ellisnursery@gmail.com South Molton Pannier Market 10:00am to 3:00pm contact: Derek Burdett, fairhavennursery@hotmail.com Rosemoor Great Torrington 10:00am to 3:00pm contact: Derek Burdett, fairhavennursery@hotmail.com Sunday september 20 th Tavistock Pannier Market 10:00am to 3:00pm contact: Tim Ellis, tim.ellisnursery@gmail.com Cyclamen Study Day Tuesday, September 1 st 2015,11:45am start (Please do not arrive before 11:30) at the Tavistock Parish Centre, PL19 8AU Trevor Wiltshire, International Registrar for cyclamen species and former Alpine Superintendent at RHS Wisley, and Jo Hynes, National Collection holder for cyclamen species, will give talks and do a propagation workshop. Both have travelled extensively in Turkey and Greece and other places in search of cyclamen in the wild. They will talk about cyclamen in their native habitat as well as their experience in growing them in this country, and about recent research into cyclamen. Jo and Trevor will also bring some plants for sale. This should be a really interesting day for anyone interested in Cyclamen at any level. Full details are in the Events section, and on the website plantheritagedevon.org.uk 26

28 Area Events Programme 2015 All Events are open to members and members guests, and will take place whatever the weather, unless the garden owner judges that the conditions are too hazardous. When booking is required, you can book your place at an event with the Event Contact person, and if a cost is involved, we appreciate payment in advance. Please make cheques payable to Plant Heritage Devon Group. When attending the Event, may we ask you to respect the owners privacy and not enter the garden before the time specified. EAST Devon Area Events Co-ordinator Helen Brown Little Ash Farm Bungalow Contact tel: Fenny Bridges helenlittleash@hotmail.com Honiton EX14 3BL north devon area events Co-ordinator Malcolm Pharoah Lower Tithe Barn Contact tel: Marwood malcolmpharoah@btinternet.com Barnstaple EX31 4EB South and West Devon Area events Co-ordinator Beverley Sugden Moorcott tel: Mill Lane, Diptford beverley.sugden@btinternet.com Totnes TQ9 7NX Contact Sally Dean The Cottage, tel: Curtisknowle House, sallymdean@gmail.com Diptford, TQ9 7JX Fri 8 th May WOODLAND GROVE, BOVEY TRACEY, TQ13 9LG Contact Sally Dean on or sallymdean@gmail.com Booking Not necessary. Cost Members 3.00 and Members Guests 5.00, to include coffee/tea and cakes. 2:15pm By kind permission of Peter and Helen Reynolds for 2:30pm This woodland garden of 22 acres was created by the late Major Richard Reynolds, a highly regarded rhododendron specialist. When he first began work on this area of Dartmoor woodland it consisted of mainly oak, birch and bracken. He cleared sufficient ground to create the ideal conditions for a wide range of rhododendrons. Extensive plantings of camellias, daffodils, and a number of conifers were added over the years. The tiny rhododendrons of 30 years ago are now impressive specimens, full of flowers. The current owners have an ongoing programme of pruning and thinning in order to prevent overshadowing, and also to create new vistas. Each year they tackle one section, and let nature take its course elsewhere. 27

29 Directions As the garden rises up the gentle slope to the top of the property it merges naturally into the Dartmoor landscape. Many benches have been placed to enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding moorland and farmland. From the A38 take the Bovey Tracey exit and proceed towards Bovey. At the second roundabout (Fire Station Roundabout) take the first exit, the B3387. In a quarter of a mile take the right fork, signed to Manaton. Take the second turning on the right at the bottom of the hill signed Lustleigh and Valley Wood (Brown tourist sign). Woodland Grove is on your left in 400 yards. Thu 21 st May CHEVITHORNE BARTON, NEAR TIVERTON Contact Helen Brown on or helenlittleash@hotmail.com Booking Essential, by 19 th May. Cost Members 5.50, Non members 7, for garden entry and refreshments 1:00pm Lunch at The Globe, Sampford Peverell, EX16 7BJ (Optional) Booking via Helen please. 2:30pm Chevithorne Barton Tiverton EX16 7QB By kind permission of Mr and Mrs M Heathcoat Amory. Surrounding the late Elizabethan manor house, is the largest and most comprehensive National Plant Collection of Oaks in the UK, situated in 12 acres of parkland and comprising over 200 different species. A magnificent collection, improving with age, kept with excellent records and provenance. The gardens, developed over the last 90 years, also feature a large selection of magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, a terraced Chevithorne Barton. walled garden and romantic woodland of rare trees and shrubs. Head Gardener David Lancells will provide a guided tour of the oak collection. Directions The house is 3 miles NE of Tiverton. Go through Sampford Peverell and Halberton to Tiverton outskirts. Past Golf Club, turn right, and turn right again at the next junction. Go over the bridge, turn left through Craze Lowman, and carry on to a T-junction. Turn right then take the first left, and follow the NCCPG signs Mon 8 th Jun SANDRIDGE PARK, STOKE GABRIEL, TOTNES, TQ9 6RL Contact Sally Dean on or sallymdean@gmail.com Booking Not necessary. Cost Members 3.00 and Members Guests 5.00, to include coffee/tea and cakes. 2:15pm By kind permission of Mark and Rosemary Yallop. for 2:30pm Approached down a long avenue of newly planted lime trees the 28

30 Directions imposing Regency house by John Nash faces south, commanding spectacular views of the river Dart. When the current owners took over the property they began a major restoration of the house, and at the same time they employed designer, Max Askew, to remodel the grounds, which were sparsely planted and lacked formal elements. Paths were realigned, walls Sandridge Park and steps created, a garage block removed, many new trees planted, and seats and urns strategically placed. A new walled garden was created from scratch by demolishing hangers and piggeries. It now contains a beautiful vegetable and cutting garden with strong fan trained fruit trees on the walls, and a pear tree tunnel. Adjoining this is the swimming pool garden designed by the owners themselves, with olive trees in pots and a tranquil Mediterranean effect. On the East side of the house a formal garden with a central water feature was created. Here there are vibrant mixed borders, full of alliums, roses and irises in many shades of purple. Near the entrance there is now a formal octagonal pond surrounded by pleached hornbeams, while further from the house a new orchard, native tree plantings and wild flowers are all becoming well established. Together the owners and their designer have created a garden which beautifully complements the fine historic house. From Totnes take the A385 Paignton Road. After three and a half miles turn right at the Parkers Arms, signed Stoke Gabriel. In one and a half miles turn left at a crossroads, signed Galmpton. Sandridge House is on the right after a mile. Thu 18 th Jun KILMINGTON GARDENS, AXMINSTER Contact Helen Brown on or helenlittleash@hotmail.com Booking Essential, by 16 th June. Cost Members 5.50, Non members 7, for garden entry and refreshments 1:00pm Lunch at The Old Inn, Kilmington EX13 7RB (Optional) Booking via Helen please. 2:30pm Spinney Two, Kilmington EX13 7ST By kind permission of Paul and Celia Dunsford. This half acre garden is planted for year round colour, foliage and texture. Spring flowering bulbs, in the mixed borders with acers and cornus provide much interest, along with clematis and a mass of wonderful climbing roses. Not forgetting the vegetable plot! 3:15pm Breach, Kilmington EX13 7ST 29

31 Directions By kind permission of Judith Chapman and BJ Lewis. Set in over 3 acres, this garden boasts an orchid meadow on the old tennis court. There is a woodland area partially under planted with rhododendrons, and extensive areas of grass, with colourful beds, ponds, a bog garden, an orchard and vegetable garden and recently planted shady areas. Kilmington is just off the A35, about a mile and a half outside Axminster. Look out for NCCPG sign on right, and please park carefully on roadside. Those meeting for lunch are encouraged to car share. Thu 25 th June two gardens near bideford Contact Malcolm Pharoah on or malcolmpharoah@btinternet.com Booking Essential, by 23 rd June, please. Cost Members 7.50, Guests 9.50, for Garden Entry and refreshments. 11:00am Meet for coffee at Stepps Cottage, Horwood, Bideford, EX39 4PF 11:30am By kind permission of John and Sue Turner. This hillside garden of approximately 1 acre, with slightly acid soil, created over 17 years ago, is now coming to maturity. The original site was difficult, not only because of the steep slopes (now partially terraced),but the strong coastal winds blowing from the Atlantic. Shelter belts have been planted of Monterey and Austrian pines, Evergreen oaks, Hawthorn and then a second defence of Hoherias, Griselinia, Eleagnus, Euonymus and Ash. Within the shelter belt we now have a collection of Eucalypts, Magnolia, Acers, Cornus, Daphne, Eucryphias, Border at Stepps Cottage Embrothrium (Chilean fire bush), Abutilon and Catalpa. 12:30pm Light sandwich lunch and drinks at the cottage. 2:00pm Travel to Little Webbery, Horwood, about 3 minutes by car, with parking available at the house. Directions Horwood is situated inland between Bideford and Barnstaple. From Exeter and Plymouth: Go to Torrington, then take the Barnstaple road (B3232) at Newton Tracey. Go out of the village at the top of the hill, and take left turn signposted to Lovacott and Horwood. After 1½ Little Webbery miles at Horwood, take the 30

32 Mon 9 th Jul Contact Booking Cost 31 TREMATON CASTLE, SALTASH Sally Dean on or sallymdean@gmail.com Essential Because this is an exceptional garden, normally open to the public at an entry cost considerably higher than our usual one, we will have to charge 5 for both members and guests. PH will not be providing teas at this visit, but we can purchase tea and cakes in the conservatory By kind permission of Julian and Isabel Bannerman for 2:30pm This remarkable and magical garden surrounds a classical Regency house set inside the curtain walls of an 11 th century castle. There are spectacular views of Plymouth Sound from the old castle keep and also from the front lawn of the house. What the Bannermans, both renowned garden designers, have achieved since arriving in 2012 is miraculous; 200 tons of soil have been brought in, and long banked borders packed with a beautiful array of herbaceous plants have been created. A huge number of very small plants put into good fertile soil resulted in a well-established look in a very short time. With Directions immediate left signposted Ashridge and Torrington - the cottage is second on the right. From North Devon and Tiverton: From the Link road (A 361) follow the signs to Bideford. At the Roundswell roundabout (on the perimeter of Barnstaple), turn left on the B3232 towards Torrington, and after 3 miles take the right before Newton Tracey signposted Lovacott and Horwood. Then follow directions as above to the cottage. Parking will be available by Stepps Cottage. an artistic colour palette of purples, magentas and Trematon Castle Gardens blues, overtopped by a sprinkling of white and yellow umbelliferas they have created the effect of the flowery mead of old tapestries. It is all on a big scale to balance the solidity and height of the curtain wall behind. Everywhere in the garden is evidence of the originality and artistry of the owners, from the delicately pale green swimming pool with orange furniture, orange flowers and palm trees, to the striking columns of sweet peas, and the bold sweeps of white wild flowers. Follow A38 through the Saltash Tunnel and over the Saltash Services roundabout and continue into Cornwall. Take the third left signed Trematon and Trehan. Turn left at T junction, then bear left at fork for Longlands and Trehan. Trematon Castle is half a mile along on the left, with notices on the cream octagonal lodge to the left of the gate. Car sharing is strongly recommended. Call Sally Dean if you would like a lift arranged.

33 Thu 6 th Aug Contact Booking Cost 2:15 By kind permission of Alan for 2:30pm and Katie Bunn. This is a 4 acre sloping south-facing garden with far-reaching views of Dartmoor from the higher levels. The ground is gently terraced to give access to the profusion of interesting trees and shrubs. The garden was created by a previous owner 40 years ago, and has been Directions WHITSTONE FARM, WHITSTONE LANE, BOVEY TRACEY, TQ13 9NA Sally Dean on or sallymdean@gmail.com Not necessary Members 3 and members guests 5 to include tea/coffee and cakes Whitstone farm improved and added to by the current owners. It is now home to a National Collection of Eucryphias (30 taxa), which includes some fine 40 year-old trees, and some unusual pink flowering specimens. At the top of the garden there are some extremely large eucalyptus trees, possibly champion trees, some of which are becoming unstable and needing some drastic tree surgery or felling. There are also magnificent sorbus trees, davidias and magnolias. As well as trees and shrubs, there are seating areas with colourfully planted pots, a spectacular Itea ilicifolia dripping with flowers, a stream, a pond and herbaceous plantings. The owners love of the garden and the meticulous care lavished on it has paid off. Honey fungus has been successfully treated, weeds are kept at bay, and a continuous programme of pruning and felling gives treasured plants light and space. Alan Bunn will give an excellent guided tour. From Bovey Tracey go north on the A382. Half a mile north of Bovey turn right signed to Hospital, after a third of a mile turn left at the swinging sign, Private Road Leading to Whitstone. Follow the NCCPG signs. Fri 21 st Aug EVENING SOCIAL AT LITTLE ASH Contact Helen Brown on or helenlittleash@hotmail.com Booking Preferred. Cost Members 3, Guests 4 6:30pm Meet at Little Ash Farm Bungalow, Fenny Bridges, Honiton EX14 3BL At the invitation of Brian and Helen Brown. An evening meeting with a Bring and Share supper. Please bring a plate of food, sweet or savoury, to share; drinks will be provided. There will also be a bring and buy plant stall, so do contribute if you can. Wander around the one and a half acres at your leisure, a plantaholic s 32

34 delight! Enjoy an opportunity to see the garden in late summer colour, when the grasses, salvias, heleniums and crocosmias are at their best. Directions From M5: From M5 Junction 29 at Exeter: take the A30 towards Honiton. Pass the airport and travel on, climb the hill and pass Daisy Mount junction, then head down hill and take the next exit (Pattesons Cross), signed Feniton and Fenny Bridges. At the end of slip road turn right, up to T junction and then turn left for Fenny Bridges. Follow NCCPG signs to Little Ash Farm. From Honiton: On the A30 from Honiton, take the first exit for Ottery St Mary, Feniton, Fenny Bridges and Fairmile. At the end of the slip road turn left under an iron bridge. Follow this road (the old A30 or B3177) through the village of Fenny Bridges, passing the Greyhound pub on your right. Follow NCCPG signs to Little Ash Farm. Please park on the roadside. Tue 1 st Sep CYCLAMEN STUDY DAY AT THE TAVISTOCK PARISH CENTRE Contact Sally Dean on or sallymdean@gmail.com Booking Essential Cost Members 12 and members guests 15. Trevor Wiltshire, International Registrar for cyclamen species and former Alpine Superintendent at RHS Wisley, and Jo Hynes, National Collection holder for cyclamen species, will give talks and do a propagation workshop. Both have traveled extensively in Turkey and Greece and other places in search of cyclamen in the wild. They will talk about cyclamen in their native habitat as well as their experience in growing them in this country, and about recent research into cyclamen. Jo and Trevor will also bring some plants for sale. This should be a really interesting day for anyone interested in cyclamen at any level. Directions Tavistock Parish Centre is on Plymouth Road in the center of Tavistock next to the Bedford Hotel. Please note that there is no parking at the centre but it is close to the long stay car park accessed off Plymouth Road.. Sat 21 st Nov 2015 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND TALKS AT WILLAND VILLAGE HALL, EX15 2PL Contact Caroline Stone carolinestone_mayfield@yahoo.co.uk Booking Essential. Details will be in the next Newsletter and on the website. 10:30am The Plant Heritage Devon Group Annual General Meeting. Followed by two speakers: Raymond Evison OBE VMM, famous for his many introductions of clematis, and Mike Nelhams, The Gardens of Tresco Abbey past and present. Directions Willand Village Hall, EX15 2PL, is situated just off the B3181, in Gables Road. Willand is easily accessed from all local areas and from junctions 27 and 28 of the M5. It is a mile and a half from Cullompton. 33

35 Advertisements Advertisement rates Display advertisements, full colour One Issue Three issues Quarter page Half page Full page % Discount for National Plant Collection Holders The Plant Heritage Devon Group Newsletter is published three times a year, and circulated to around 500 dedicated gardeners, nurserymen and plant lovers throughout the county of Devon. It is the ideal medium for promoting products, services and events to this specialist and enthusiastic audience. For further information, and to place an advertisment, contact the Newsletter Editor, Malcolm Pharoah, on , or by to malcolmpharoah@btinternet.com. Marwood Hill Garden - Barnstaple North Devon 20 acres of gardens including National Collections - Garden Tea Room Plants Sales Open Every day (Mid March 30 th Sept) - Car & Coach Park or telephone

36 Burrow Farm Gardens East Devon's Secret Gardens Beautiful 10 Acre Landscape Garden Dalwood, Axminster Open Daily from 1st April to 31st October 10am - 7pm Nursery, Gift Shop, Lunches and Teas PLANT HERITAGE IN DEVON We are the Devon Group of the national Plant Heritage charity, which seeks to conserve, document, promote and make available Britain and Ireland s rich biodiversity of garden plants for the benefit of everyone. We do this through the creation, documentation and support of National Plant Collections - living libraries with over 80,000 different plants in conservation. These activities are supported by our members fees, and in return members have the opportunity to join in a wide range of local and national plant related events, including garden visits, talks, and rare plant fairs. If you are interested in joining us, contact our Secretary using the details given in this Newsletter, or visit our web site at: Unbeatable range of locally grown hardy water loving plants grown near Kingsbridge, South Devon, by David Kerr, a knowledgeable enthusiast. Visit the nursery by arrangement to buy potted or bare root plants; mail order also available. The usual water lilies, irises and oxygenators plus a wealth of interesting and unusual varieties

37 NFU MUTUAL IS PROUD TO SPONSOR PLANT HERITAGE We ll invest time helping you to ensure your home is properly protected. Home insurance from NFU Mutual. For a quote call us on or visit nfumutual.co.uk NFU Mutual is The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No ). Registered in England. Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6BJ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. A member of the Association of British Insurers. For security and training purposes, telephone calls may be recorded and monitored. 36

38 Plant Heritage Devon Group Contacts patron Lady Anne Berry President Chris Bailes tel: vice presidents John Carter Rowden Gardens, tel: Brentor, Tavistock, PL19 0NG Diane Rowe Orchard House, tel: Parsonage Farm, Uffculme, EX15 3DR Michael Hickson Bolham Orchard, tel: Tiverton, EX16 7RH Chairman Dr John Twibell Farthingwood Broadway, tel: Sidmouth, EX10 8HS Vice Chairman Diane Rowe Orchard House, tel: Parsonage Farm, Uffculme, EX15 3DR Treasurer Eric Reynolds Blue Firs, tel: Wessiters Drive, sher_bluefirs@btinternet.com Seaton, EX12 2PJ Secretary Caroline Stone The Glebe, tel: North Petherwin, carolinestone_mayfield@yahoo.co.uk Launceston, PL15 8LR Membership Management Penny Walmsley Rakehill, Hayne Lane, tel: Wilmington, walyp_uk@yahoo.co.uk Honiton, EX14 9JZ National Collections Co-ordinator East Felicity Dudbridge Cotley House, tel: Dunsford, felicitydudbridge@gmail.com Exeter, EX6 7BH National Collections Co-ordinator North Jenny Evans Domons Lodge, tel: Bratton Clovelley, jennifer.evans@lineone.net Oakhampton EX204LD 37

39 National Collections Co-ordinator South and West Beverley Sugden Moorcott, Mill Lane, tel: Diptford, Totnes, TQ9 7NX Events Organiser East Helen Brown Little Ash Farm Bungalow, tel: Fenny Bridges, Honiton, EX14 3BL Events Organiser North Malcolm Pharoah Lower Tithe Barn, tel: Marwood, Barnstaple, EX31 4EB Events Organiser South and West Beverley Sugden Moorcott, tel: Mill Lane, Diptford Totnes, TQ9 7NX Plant Fairs Organiser North Derek Burdett Fairhaven Nursery, tel: Clapworthy Cross, Chittlehampton, Umberleigh, EX37 9QT Plant Fairs Organiser South Sally Dean The Cottage, tel: Curtisknowle House, Diptford, TQ9 7JX Plant Fairs Organiser West Tim Ellis Medrow Bungalow, tel: Medrow, Polyphant, PL15 7PS Plant Exchange Edna Squires 1 Feebers Cottage, tel: Westwood, feebers@onetel.com Broadclyst, EX5 3DQ Newsletter Editor Malcolm Pharoah Lower Tythe Barn, tel: Marwood, malcolmpharoah@btinternet.com Barnstaple, EX31 4EB RHS Representative Jonathan Hutchinson RHS Rosemoor, tel: Great Torrington, jonathan.hutchinson@talktalk.net EX38 8PH Publications Organiser Steve Morton 77 Lagoon View, tel: West Yelland, steve.morton8650@gmail.com Barnstaple, EX31 3LE 38

40 the mission Plant Heritage (NCCPG) seeks to conserve, document, promote and make available Britain and Ireland s rich biodiversity of garden plants for the benefit of everyone through horticulture, education and science. Front cover: Primula Blue Sapphire, held in the National Collection of Primula vulgaris and hybrid cvs., North Petherwin, Launceston. Back cover: Members enjoying the National Collections of Nepeta and Monarda at the Dartmoor Herb Garden, South Zeal. 39