Hepatica 2010

[johnw]

Three Hepaticas in flower this week.

The pink is a propagation from a Heronswood "select pink" planted out last autumn.

The nobilis Rosea came from Vera Peck and maybe originally from a Czech nursery.

The transylvanica was received as the species but looks like a selection.  

Spring is proceeding far too quickly here.  One Rhododendron kiusianum is swelling rapidly, fully 6 weeks ahead.  There will surely be a frost before month's end, shades of 1981 I'm afraid - that was a corker.

johnw

[Gerry Webster]

John - your H. transylvanica (or H. transsilvanica) might be the cv. 'Elison Spence', but looking much better than  that form ever does with me.

[johnw]

Gerry - Thanks.  Your i.d led me to the Hepatica.org where Gunilla mentions another similar one called "Konny Grenfield".  Also a reference to another called "Kyrvingberg".  To me ours looks a bit more like "Konny Grenfield" but I haven't paid attention to its changes from bud to maturity.  I hadn't realized there were so few semi-double transsilvanicas.

Maybe Gunilla can offer some thoughts.  Here is a very poor shot but it shows one bud to the rear that had just opened.  I just checked and it was from Grand Ridge Nursery 12/97 and simply labelled H. transsilvanica "Double Blue".

johnw

[Gunilla]

Anyone got any info' about this new introduction from Scandinavia please?
Hepatica 'Dåre'

A very rare and interesting Hepatica, Cliff.  I have heard that you can only see it in flower one day every year. Can't say that I like the name though, it sounds a bit foolish  

Gerry - Thanks.  Your i.d led me to the Hepatica.org where Gunilla mentions another similar one called "Konny Grenfield".  Also a reference to another called "Kyrvingberg".  To me ours looks a bit more like "Konny Grenfield" but I haven't paid attention to its changes from bud to maturity.  I hadn't realized there were so few semi-double transsilvanicas.
johnw

I can't help much I'm afraid.  The plant I have as H. transsilvanica 'Elison Spence' is very similar to the one shown by John Gennard earlier in this thread. It does change a lot from bud to fully developed flower. The colour is pale blue. I do not grow the one called "Konny Grenfield" but am told that it is a darker blue colour. On the few pictures I've seen of it, it  looks very similar to 'Elison Spence'.  I would really like to see the two side by side.

Hepatica nobilis "Kyrvinberg" is a double blue found in Norway. You can read more about it here:
http://www.hepatica.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=30

Here are some old photos of my 'Elison Spence'

[Diane Clement]

I can't help much I'm afraid.  The plant I have as H. transsilvanica 'Elison Spence' is very similar to the one shown by John Gennard earlier in this thread. It does change a lot from bud to fully developed flower. The colour is pale blue. I do not grow the one called "Konny Grenfield" but am told that it is a darker blue colour. On the few pictures I've seen of it, it  looks very similar to 'Elison Spence'.  I would really like to see the two side by side.  

"Konny Grenfield" should be Connie Greenfield.  However, this plant IS the same as "Elison Spence" as Connie Greenfield was connected with the original discovery of the plant (in Ireland? I think?).  Connie Greenfield brought some plants back to England, and the original plants bore her name (I have one of the originals, it was given to me by Gwen Baker, with the label "ex Connie Greenfield").  The correct name is "Elison Spence"  - I am not sure who the name refers to, I've always guessed it was the person whose garden it was growing in - can anyone else confirm this?  

edit by Diane - Sorry - I'm not sure why I originally put Ellison - just a mental blip, corrected to Elison above

[Gunilla]

Thanks Diane for the information.   I am very pleased to hear that they are in fact the same plant.  I have been tempted to buy "Connie Greenfield" from Jurgen Peters but the price and the fact that it looked so similar to my 'Elison Spence' stopped me  . 

[Gerry Webster]

I can't help much I'm afraid.  The plant I have as H. transsilvanica 'Elison Spence' is very similar to the one shown by John Gennard earlier in this thread. It does change a lot from bud to fully developed flower. The colour is pale blue. I do not grow the one called "Konny Grenfield" but am told that it is a darker blue colour. On the few pictures I've seen of it, it  looks very similar to 'Elison Spence'.  I would really like to see the two side by side.  

"Konny Grenfield" should be Connie Greenfield.  However, this plant IS the same as "Ellison Spence" as Connie Greenfield was connected with the original discovery of the plant (in Ireland? I think?).  Connie Greenfield brought some plants back to England, and the original plants bore her name (I have one of the originals, it was given to me by Gwen Baker, with the label "ex Connie Greenfield").  The correct name is "Ellison Spence"  - I am not sure who the name refers to, I've always guessed it was the person whose garden it was growing in - can anyone else confirm this?  

In AGS Bull. [58 (2), June 1990] in a review of Hepatica, Michael Myers writes as follows:
"'Elison Spence' (sic) is a double blue variety from Ireland; when shown by Molly Sanderson in 1973 it won an AM under the name of H. transsilvanica 'Flore Plena', this was later changed to commemorate the lady who introduced it."

Edit

In 'Manavlins' no.29, Spring 1998 Kath Dryden lists this as H. transylvanica 'Mrs. Elison Spence'. I had my plant from Kath but it has never thrived.

[Diane Clement]

In AGS Bull. [58 (2), June 1990] in a review of Hepatica, Michael Myers writes as follows:
"'Elison Spence' (sic) is a double blue variety from Ireland; when shown by Molly Sanderson in 1973 it won an AM under the name of H. transsilvanica 'Flore Plena', this was later changed to commemorate the lady who introduced it." 

Thanks for this information Gerry.  I'm not actually at home, I'm writing this at someone's else's house, so couldn't check anything out, including spelling of Elison, which I have now corrected in my post above, a mental blip made me put Ellison

[johnw]

Thank-you to everyone.

I will re-label it 'Elison Spence'.

Funny how the freshly open flower on the one here differs from the one in Gunilla's first shot. Dark blue versus light blue/ pink.  Is this variability climatic?

johnw

[Gunilla]

As I grow my hepatica out in the garden I have to wait for spring before I can enjoy them. It has been a long and cold winter this year but my plants now look better then ever. I think the snow cover have protected them and the cold kept them from a too early start.   

Hepatica x media 'Ballardii'




 

[Ragged Robin]

Gunilla Hepatica x media 'Ballardii'  is absolutely lovely - your photo shows the blue in perfect detail, did you take it in the late afternoon?

[Gunilla]

Thanks Robin. Yes I did. It was much too sunny earlier in the day.  I do like the sun though 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great series Gunilla - your pix make our Hepatica season longer !!!!

The flowers have gone here, but now the foliage is coming along.

Here's Hep. japonica x pyrenaica :

[Gunilla]

Very nice foliage on that one, Luc.  All your lovely pics have made my Hepatica season longer too  .  Hope you can cope with a few late ones  

H. nobilis 'Rubra Plena' - never lets you down
H. nobilis var. japonica 'Orihime'  - tiny flowers
H. transsilvanica 'Karpatenkrone' - huge flowers
H. nobilis 'Czech Form'
dark seedling
white seedling
seedling
seedling

[Maggi Young]

A super selection of flowers, Gunilla... a delight!