Spring Newsletter all-in-one

Brugmansia with thanks to Luigi Valducci
He is Italian, he is passionate, and has been in love for the last 25 years
with an angel, the beautiful brugmansia
I am Italian, definitely, passionate, possibly, in love with Angel trumpet
flowers, certainly.
Over twenty-five years ago I went to Italy in September, as we normally
do, and I found in my sister-in-law’s garden some striking pendulous large
flowers that I had never seen before. I was intrigued and very interested
and asked what they were, and the answer “datura “. Obviously, now we
all know (not all unfortunately) that the real name is brugmansia, given to
these Central/South American plants in 1805. After Brugmans, Professor
of Natural Sciences at the University of Leyden.
The differences between brugmansias and daturas are striking:
brugmansias is a woody bush or tree , in the wild growing up to 8 metres,
long lived , up to 80 years, with pendulous or nodding flowers.
Daturas are a smaller bush , no more than 4-5 feet high, with green stems,
most are annual ( only a few species live longer ), and always have their
flowers pointing upwards. They both belong to Solanaceae, (as do tomato,
potato etc.) and they share, with the latter, one peculiarity, the foliage is
toxic if consumed.
When I came back from my Italian holiday I carried with me cuttings of
the three colours of angel trumpets that were in my sister-in-law’s garden,
white, yellow and a pink. This was the beginning of a love affair that has
not faded and I became very keen to find more about these plants.
I eventually found a nursery in France that had a good collection of
brugmansia., so I began to purchase more and more varieties, my
collection began to grow together with my passion for these flowers.
I wanted to know more about these flowers and found the first book
available, in those days a German version of “brugmansia und datura” by
Georg Preissel, unfortunately, I could only look at the photos as my
German is limited to “ good morning” and “how are you”, but all those
photos stimulated me even more .A year later I discovered that this book
was translated into French, a language in which I am fluent, and thus began to learn about these plants. The book has been now published in the
USA and hence is available in English.
At present I have about 60
varieties of Brugmansias with over
120 in very large pots stored in
two large gas heated greenhouses
from November ‘till April, from
May onward the collection can be
grown outdoors in my gardens and
allotments at Meole Brace.
Brugmansia vulcanicola
Are brugmansias difficult to
grow ?
not at all, as long that you keep
them away from frost, they are
easily grown in a moist, fertile,
well-drained soil, in sun to part
shade, , water them well and feed
them very well, and remember to
repot them regularly.
Oops!!, that is what I have to do this year…..any help anyone ?
Most Brugmansia may be propagated easily by rooting 10–20 cm (4–8 in)
cuttings taken from the end of a branch during the summer.
Several hybrids and numerous cultivars have been developed for use as
ornamental plants, and there are cultivars available producing double
flowers, and some with variegated leaves.
One day a gardener ask me if I find it hard to deal with such large
containers and if I had any regrets?;
“yes, I have one”, I said,
“what’s that?” he ask me,
“I wished I started a collection of african violets.
Luigi Valducci
Luigi holds a National Collection of Brugmansia and frequently exhibits
at the Shrewsbury Flower Show
Stokesia laevis and its cultivars
My interest in the genus Stokesia was first aroused when seeking hardy
plants for the Shrewsbury Flower Show. I was awarded National Collection status in 2005 but I have been collecting and researching the genus
since 1998. This has also given me the opportunity to learn something
about the requirements of a species that is often regarded as difficult to
grow.
Stokesia laevis is the only species in a genus
native to the southeastern region of the USA:
typically South Carolina, northern, Alabama,
Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. It grows
in the pinewoods and savannas among plants
that like free draining conditions but do not
dry out entirely in summer. It will not thrive
in soils with a high lime content.
A member of the Asteraceae family, it displays a typical composite flower
head reminiscent of a Callistephus, China Aster, but is actually more
closely related to Vernonia.
Stokesia is a herbaceous perennial growing up to 2 ft in cultivation.
Introduced into the UK in 1757 and recorded as growing at the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew shortly afterwards, Stokesia was name in honour
of the British doctor and botanist Jonathon Stokes (1755-1831) hence the
common name of Stokes’ aster. There are some ten cultivars currently
listed in the Plant Finder. I have all of these plus two more that I have
managed to obtain from elsewhere, some are very similar to one another
and are frequently misnamed in plant centres.
Cultivars do not come true from seed although I
understand the exception is S. Traumeri grown in
America and having industrial uses. The
University of North Carolina is conducting a
breeding programme with Stokesia cultivars with a
view to ultimately obtaining stable colours from
seed although this will take some years.
Propagation
To maximise success care must be taken with the timing of propagation in
the UK. I garden in Northwest Shropshire on the border with Wales – a
cold area subjected to hard frost and cold penetrating winds, so protection
is vital at the rooting stage of divisions or root cuttings.
All those people who come to the plant propagation sessions at
Gredington will have come to know this.
Root cutting responds well to placement in a propagator with some
bottom heat.
Cultivation
Stokesia are easy to grow providing you get their soil requirements right,
they prefer an acidic soil with a ph of 6.0 to 6.5to do well. A light to
medium free draining soil is essential; they will not tolerate wet, heavy
land or waterlogging especially during winter
Stock in pots should be plunged in the soil for the winter to protect from
harsh frosts.
In my garden I do not expect to see the first flowers until mid-July but
flowering continues into September. All this is of course subject to
seasonal variation, the cultivar Omega Skyrocket does not start to flower
until September and is often still flowering in November if the weather
has been frost-free.
Pests and Diseases
Stokesia are pretty trouble free in this regard but do suffer with Botrytis
in the base of the plants, if a plant becomes infected it is best consigned to
the compost heap unless you can find a healthy shoot to grow on.
Conclusion
Stokesia are graceful and charming short-lived perennials that should be
more widely grown. They are popular in their native America and also in
Europe but not as much in Britain. Although I am encouraged to see that
a few more nurseries are now listing them. Flowering as they do in late
July and through August, Stokesia can supply some much-needed colour
at this time of the year, and are ideal plants for the front of the border and
the bees love them.
Because S. laevis is so variable in the wild it is likely that further colour
forms will eventually be found, thus adding new dimensions to this attractive plant.
New cultivars appear from time to time but are not proving, in my view,
any great improvement on the older ones. Only if a seedling proves to be
outstanding after some years of trial and evaluation should it then be
given a name. Naming of inferior plants is not and is a bane to National
Plant Collection Holders.
Stokesia when in flower, have an instant appeal and I hope to see them
gaining in the popularity stakes soon. Cultural experiences in my part of
Shropshire will not necessarily be the same in other parts of the country
or indeed other parts of Shropshire, but do try them – you will not be
disappointed.
My collection is open by prior appointment during July and August.
Maurice Hoare is a retired Estates Manager and holds a National Collection of Stokesia laevis and its cultivars.
S. Marc Gregory
S. color wheel
S. purple parasol
S. Wyoming
PLANT HERITAGE
AT
WHITTINGTON CASTLE
The Shropshire Group will have a recruitment and information
stand at
The Specialist Plant Fair
at
Whittington Castle, near Oswestry
on
Sunday 24th June.
10.00 to 4.00pm
Free Entry to Fair.
Photographs, gardening books, specimen plants & seeds will be under a
gazebo. Offers of plants and any artefacts please to add gravitas!
We have a free stand so can't sell plants, but can sell seeds.
Please contact Merle on 01952 510517 if you can offer to steward
Please support us and the Fair