FLETCHER MOSS GARDENS, DIDSBURY, MANCHESTER. 4th May 2009

[Tony Willis]

Cliff good to hear its still going.I went there 40 years ago to look at the orchids.My friend who worked for the parks department told me about them.They had a wonderful collection and it was the first time I had ever seen a tropical one. They had dozens in flower. It was a wonderful experience.

[johnw]

  Hope the big rare plant sale went well (is there a great demand for 'big' rare plants in Canada - we make do with average ones)?   

Cliff

There wasn't a megaherb to be found at the sale.  That "big rare" was a slip of the tongue, forgivable as I had just finished reading Derek Fell's book on Campbell Island - Land of The Blue Sunflower.  What incredible plants there and the weather sounds like ours.

johnw

[ranunculus]

A wonderful island John ... I have tried a few of the megaherbs here and had tentative success with several by treating them like Ranunculus glacialis and R. lyallii.  I was trying them in enormous pots, but even these couldn't contain the roots and they succumbed eventually.  I would love to try them again, this time in a 'controlled' bog area (if I was fortunate enough to have the space), but seeds are exceptionally hard to come by.  Derek is a very interesting chap ... would love to hear a lecture by him.

[johnw]

Cliff - Amazing you had them get to such a size, I've never heard of anyone getting them to that stage in the northern hemisphere.  Did they grow like fiends and are any amenable to cultivation outdoors in the UK?  Surely some of the Hebridean Islands?  I suppose the Azores would be too hot.

johnw - off to our society's big public sale.  The hit at the other sale was Vaccinium praestans - not exactly mega at 2 inches but can be horizontally when it gets going.

[ranunculus]

Hi John,
I can remember that Anisitome latifolia and Stilbocarpa polaris (apologies for spellings from an aged memory) both outgrew very large pots and had enormous roots when I attempted to repot them, probably after three growing seasons if I remember correctly (this was a number of years ago), and I can remember writing to Derek at the time to tell him about my temporary success (he had contributed a wonderful article to the RHS Journal at that time).  I also grew some magnificent Myosotis capitata at that time and I think I was one of the first people to exhibit this beautiful blue-purple myosotis at national shows.  Why, oh why, can't I grow such things nowadays?  They adore the perpetually damp, deep sphagnum conditions that are extremely hard to provide, especially in a pot.  Never saw a flower on the big plants but the myosotis flowered profusely.  Perhaps Peter Korn would be able to provide ideal conditions in Sweden if he could protect them from hard frosts?  Lovely to be able to discuss these magnificent herbs once again, John.

[johnw]

Derek at the time to tell him about my temporary success (he had contributed a wonderful article to the RHS Journal at that time)

Cliff - It's all coming back. It was that very RHS article that introduced me to those incredible plants. It was a very fine article with tantalizing photos.

Thanks for the details, you did well. An elderly friend used to say one should always take photos of one's triumphs and horticultural prowess. He had a huge photo and label collection!

johnw