Pleione 2017

[Mark Griffiths]

Hi Mark,
       No!... Not my raisings.... all five of them Dad's work!!.... The only thing I've done is prove that the growing of these particular cultivars is idiot proof!!

       Dad turns ninety next weekend, and is currently besotted with Daffs.... So, despite a VERY busy family weekend, he's hoping to squeeze in a visit to the Harlow Carr Show!

Tim DH

Gosh now that makes me feel old. I remember I seeing your father when the Shantungs first appeared at the AGS shows. Wish him a happy birthday from me also.

[Tim Harberd]

Hi Ashley,
   I'm a little bit confused about 'Silver Anniversary'... When I took over Dad's collection it included 'Silver Wedding' (Seedling No. R6.34) which is/was a 'white' Shantung. Given the similarities in name and colouring, without a seedling number for Silver Anniversary, I can't be sure if they are different.
   Anyway, the 85 cultivars I got 'dumped' (!) on me included six Shantungs and, in an (on going) attempt to make the collection more manageable I've whittled that down to three Shantungs. Silver Wedding got dropped because it is a pale pink, rather than a clean white. Natasha is a better pink, and, as often is the way, a better pink than the photos tend to show. It's not quite as vigourous/robust as 'Ducat', but does better than 'Muriel Harberd', the third Shantung I've kept going.

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

Hi Mark,
   Happy Days! I was 'security' on most of those AGS Shows... Back in them heady days we were quite concerned that we might not come home with as much plant material as we'd set out with! Dad would 'shoe-horn' Pleiones into as many different classes as he could, just to get the things seen, so we'd be quite spread out in a big hall.
   On one memorable occasion in London, someone was getting far too intimate with one of the exhibits!

Tim DH

[ashley]

I'm a little bit confused about 'Silver Anniversary'... When I took over Dad's collection it included 'Silver Wedding' (Seedling No. R6.34) which is/was a 'white' Shantung. Given the similarities in name and colouring, without a seedling number for Silver Anniversary, I can't be sure if they are different.

Thanks Tim; very interesting.  My 'Silver Anniversary' came from Ian Butterfield and starts out pinkish then fades toward white as the flower ages, but never quite reaches 'pure' white.  Very nice all the same. 
Not having seen 'Natascha' 'in the flesh' I wondered how they compared. 

[john hodgson]

Speaking of which... here is my Shantung Silver Anniversary

[john hodgson]

And here is an excerpt from the RHS magazine the Garden which featured Ian Butterfield and 2 Shantungs in Ian's top choices.

[ashley]

Pleione coronaria

[Tim Harberd]

Hi John,
    Which issue of 'The Garden' did that come from?

Tim DH

[ashley]

Here it is Tim.

[john hodgson]

Recent openers
Orizaba Fish Eagle x chunii

Kima

Marion Johnson 'Oxpecker'

Kenya 'Wood Owl'

[john hodgson]

formosana 'Clare'

Volcanello 'Honey Buzzard'

Stromboli 'Fireball'

aurita

[john hodgson]

Red Colobus

Yeti

Mageik 'Black Kite'

Tamarin

[john hodgson]

Lilac Wonder

Siamang

Betty Arnold

Ueli Wackernagel x grandiflora

Apologies if I've posted any of these before....

[Mark Richards]

I love the Orizaba Fish Eagle x chunii and Ueli Wackernagel x grandiflora John. Are they your crosses?

[john hodgson]

No Mark, not my crosses. In fact I have only just crossed some pleiones last year... a bit late in life. But hey ho, just 5 to 7 years to go!

The Ueli Wackernagel 'Pearl' x grandiflora is in fact a recross with 'Pearl' selected, to make a hybrid registered by Paul Cumbleton. His hybrid he named Tamarin - which I also have (bought as small bulbs from Paul - I think - 2 or 3 years ago) - Tamarin flowered for the first time for me this year. So it's interesting to compare one with the other.
The re-cross:

The following are all Paul's Tamarin:

I really like the next one...