fritillaria imperialis

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Rob, I didn't know that and now you mention scaling, I guess that's probably how Blue Mountain Nursery has been doing them forever. I know they used to (and still do) increase Iris x Sindpers by removing ALL the storage roots and growing them on to make little bulblets on top of the root. A couple of times I've objected to getting the iris from them and finding not a single storage root in place, every one removed. Needless to say I wasn't given any satisfaction about replacements but did, in the events, have all bulbs grow on and flower, and make new storage roots quickly.

I can remember the halcyon days when I could visit the original owners, Stanley then his son Dennis Hughes and get superb bulbs, one or a hundred as desired, every one in perfect condition, then an hour of chat about things plant related followed by tea and scones. Not now alas. Fact is, I'm getting old rapidly.

I said 90 years in the above post but my mother who would be 102 if she were still alive, used to play with Stanley among the rows of irises, frits, tulips and other bulbs when she was a small child so it's likely more than 100 years that the nursery has been supplying bulbs, shrubs and trees to New Zealand gardeners.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Lesley, yeah i reackon all that mechanical digger action was probably the main way Dennis got his progation stock!  If you score the bottom of your bulbs or even cut the top third off and let the scales lay in the soil many will bud. Marcus

[John Kitt]

I had some F.I.seed from the exchange this year (January). Planted them in March and continue to await their emergence.  I keep whispering to them that they can come up any time now but they're NOT LISTENING. I used to see them in Ken's poly boxes too Marcus and like many of the plants he kept, I now keep kicking myself that I didn't get them then.
SLOW LEARNER!!

[Ray]

HI All,some interesting comments here,i agree with David that this is a bulb that's is diffult to grow to flower,every time they are offered in a list here I buy one and I might have it for a year or two then it's off to plant heaven as was the case of the one I bought from Marcus in 2008.
I was always under the impression that Marcus grew all his own bulbs but his comments about importing bulbs from NZ changes all that.
When I said that these bulbs cost $15 to $20 for NFS bulbs I was not impling that this was expensive as Lesley says its a long time from seed to flower.
No one has really agreed with Rob that there is a low demand for this species here,and I would suggest that the demand is greater than the supply,why else would you put a limit of 1 per customer if there was little demand for it,when you are importing bulbs one would think you would import enough that your customers could buy as many as they liked.
So Marcus hope you have got broad shoulders bye Ray

[rob krejzl]

Actually Ray, Marcus said that for the large guys

the demand is too low to justify the investment.

Nor can I see a small nursery wanting to run the risk of flooding the market - too large an investment of time and money at stake.


John,

Despite being very close to Woodbank and making frequent visits, I too kick myself at what I missed. Still, at least Ken still sells things sometimes. I'm looking forward to October.

[Giles]

-I'm puzzled by this.
I had it in my last garden (thin chalk soil) it grew like a weed, forming a large clump after 7-8 years - in the end I dug it up and threw it away as it had something of eau-de-tomcat about it.

[Lesley Cox]

I often think the "low demand therefore we don't grow it" thing is a self perpetuating myth. There's low demand because it's not available. It's not available because there's low demand. Same as (our) TV programmers. "You watch rubbish so we supply rubbish" But we watch rubbish because they won't supply quality. Should spend more time in the garden. Well I will, come some warmer, lighter evenings

[Ray]

Hi Rob,it would appear that you and I have a very different views on how to run a business.
   What is on in Tassie in Oct?
  If having this bulb on your list every year even at a limit of one is flooding the market then I say bring it on.
Hi Giles,am sure there would be a lot of people in the South and maybe the North who would like to have this plant grow like that at their place.bye Ray

[Ray]

I often think the "low demand therefore we don't grow it" thing is a self perpetuating myth. There's low demand because it's not available.

Hi Lesley,I would agree with that.bye Ray

[Hillview croconut]

Hi fellow frit fanatics,

To clarify my comments, Rob quoted me right. The big guys wont bring them in because they cant sell enough in a small market like Australia, we are talking 100,000s. They cant propogate them quickly/or cheaply enough from the stock they bring in. Cuttings take six to nine months to root and grow on to sale, bulblets take years. Also the losses are too high and the acclimatisation too problematic. They all have to come by boat in refrigerated containers, airfreight is out of the question, and then placed in temperature controlled warehouses for a period. Its all fraught with problems when dealing with soft bodied bulbs. No-one as far as I know has worked it out successfully. This goes for anemone blanda and eranthis sp.

Small guys like me rely on range and rarity, not scale and turnaround. I cant afford to put all my eggs in one basket. Ray if you think you can grow enough of 360 lines of stock every year on your own and put them up for sale to the gardening public - your  better man than me. Methinks you dont understand too well the dynamics of nursery microeconomics. I hope this gives you some insights.

Back to the Fritillaria imperialis question. Its interesting what Lesley was saying about Blue Mountain Bulbs. I think the Dutchies are in trouble with this, if they are sourcing stock from the southern hemisphere. Commercial quantities of seed are hard to  come by there and expensive. If one wants confirmation, take a look at Jelitto's last few catalogues there isn't a listing for this species. Cheers, Marcus

[Maggi Young]

In Aberdeen Fritillaria imperialis is a thing of uncertain temperament : we have some that do reasonably well year to year and others that barely survive.
Bulbs given to us by dear friends only just over half a mile away are feeble in comparison to their magnificent flowering clumps!  
 I've given up worrying... if they flower I'm pleased, if they don't, they don't.  


As an aside: some of my best friends are nursery owners. Some manage better than others but none of them are driving fancy cars. Some are barely putting food on the table and others have given up the ghost......the life of a small scale and/or specialist nurseryman is not an easy one, I can say that for sure.... I might not know how to get these flippin' frit imperials to flower, but I do  know that.

[Hillview croconut]

Its all about opportunity costs, one would not invest in a product or a venture if the cost, interms of time, risk, outlay are too high compared to other more profitable options. Its business its not gardening. If you want to do that then dont run a nursery. Cheers, Marcus

[John Kitt]

Ray,
You have reassured me.
I,too, am looking forward to October (Hobart's or is it Tasmania's Rare Plant Expo)
All the fore-going hasn't shed much light on techniques for growing frit imperials but it certainly strengthened my resolution to support the local sources.

[Ray]

Hi Rob,actually you were the first to make the comment about "low demand" but you didn't say if you were referring to big guy/little guy.
Hi Marcus,I think I have more understanding of what is involed in what you do than you give me credit for.No doubt that there is a lot of time work and money and patience in what you do and it does take years to build up enough stock to sell,and thats why I don't do what you do.
Not sure why but agree that seed of F imperalis is hard to come by.
Could you also send me your seed list.thanks bye Ray

[Ray]

Ray,
You have reassured me.
[Hi John,?