Trillium Weekend at Methven, 2007

[Lesley Cox]

We all should be home now and it's a race to see who gets pictures on the Forum first. I think Dave was too busy to take many and Doreen has her mind on the upcoming Study Weekend. Susan and I were both actively shooting.

I had a marvellous time, travelling and conversing with the best possible company (Tim), finding several plants I desperately wanted to replace among the many for sale on Saturday night and in the gardens and catching up with many friends whom I see maybe just once a year or even less. Among all the chat and gossip there was talk of a possible trip to Australia next spring, for the local Fritillaria group, perhaps combined with the Trillium members as well, gardens and friends we might visit, plants we might see. And of course there was the ongoing news from us all about how our respective gardens are flourishing - or not. Apparently there is a "thing" out there among growers of Trilliums. It may be a virus of some sort or some kind of fungus, no-one seems to know as yet but it is causing concern especially among those who grow to sell, and even more, among those who buy.

So - lots to see, talk about, eat, drink and things to look forward to and think about over months to come.

We visited a number of gardens in almost perfect weather for the purpose; mild, windless and very pleasant overall. The following pictures are a real mixed bag of plants that looked especially good or that appealed to me without necessarily being special or outstanding, but just good, great value plants.


It should be said that all the gardens were in excellent condition with hardly a weed to be seen anywhere. Herbaceous plants were dead-headed, shrubs pruned, lawns mowed and edged trimmed to within an inch of their lives. A major change from what I'm used to!


A lovely plant of Clematis macropetala. We saw many clematis species and hybrids, just about to burst into their full flowering.


Most of the gardens were big country gardens with plenty room for massed plantings. This Stylophorum was surrounding a mature birch tree.


Labelled as Soldanella minima alba, it is most likely S. carpatica alba, one of many shadeloving alpines quite at home on what is normally the hot, dry, windy Canterbury Plain.


This batch of lovely Trillium luteum seedlings was in a trough in the same area. All have lovely markings and buds waiting to open soon.


Likewise Corydalis cashmiriana in glorious bloom.


Verbascum dumulosum has always been a favourite of mine so this was a welcome sight as it snuggled up to the doorsteps. The more I think about it, I'm sure my current plant (from AGS seed) is V. pestalozzae as it's fur has a distinct golden overlay.


Primula x Juliana `Jill' is close in size, shape and habit to `Wanda' but has an inky violet/blue colouring which includes a dab of brown in it as well. I think everyone should plant Jill with Wanda and the old P. vulgaris `Sibthorpii' all together in a mat. The combination of dark blue/violet, rich purple and soft lavender pink is very beautiful.




I suspect many people missed this tiny flat plum tree, it was so quiet and subtle rather than spectacular. Its owner didn't know which species it is, so ID help would be appreciated. Prunus prostrata maybe?

[Lesley Cox]

There were great erythroniums in all the gardens.


We weren't sure whether this soft yellow hybrid is `Pagoda' or `Kondo.' Ian or Maggi will tell us please.


I liked this very cute and compact globuaria, maybe G. cordifolia, a tight mat in a north-facing hot spot.


While we frequently grow Ptilotrichum spinosum in its `Roseum' form, this plain white is also very attractive, flowering strongly over little grey leaves.


Cytisus x Kewensis makes a softly coloured and deliciously scented wide, fan-like or weeping shrub for a warm situation.


I was really pleased to see this old and rarely seen plant of the old double wall flower, Cheiranthus `Harpur Crewe.'  It looked very good with the purple of Aubrieta.


Used as a very effective ground cover in several gardens, was the easy but under-rated Arabis alpina in it doube form.


This huge plant of Aphyllanthes monspeliensis was badly in need of drastic division, the flowers being extremely sparse and the foliage of many years struggling to let the new growth through to the light.


No label was visible but I think this is Saxifraga marginata coriophylla or a form close to that. Late though for a Porophyllum saxifrage.



This little lemon form of Lewisia cotyledon looked quite at home among the curly metal work.


Anemone nemorosa was used and effective everywhere as ground cover in cool spots under trees.

[Lesley Cox]

This fine plant of Daphne genkwa in light shade, was one and a half metres in height and covered well with flowers.


A lovely mat of Cyclamen repandum shared a cool place with CC. coum and hederifolium.




Paeonia obovata alba drew everyone like a magnet, especially when it was realized that it was surrounded by many seedlings. Probably 20 people had a seedling dug and potted for them, at $5 a pop!


A lovely patch of an Uvularia species


And of course we saw masses of trilliums, the T. chloropetalum and its allies being fully out but not yet starting to pass, lovely sights, every one.

[Brian Ellis]

Lovely pictures Lesley, what a great way to spend the weekend.  Loved the Paeonia obovata alba.  We have a few months to wait for all this!!

[Maggi Young]

What a wonderful weekend, Lesley! Rhodos, trillium and erythronium..... what could be nicer?
Some super plants, all looking good, congratulations to all those tidy gardenenrs!

[Rob]

Thanks Lesley for the Trillium weekend report. It's great seeing such well established clumps in gardens.

[SueG]

Great pictures Lesley, thanks for them
Sue

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Not difficult to imagine you had a great time Lesley !
Wonderful plants
Wonderful pix

Words fail me to describt that Paeonia obovata alba !!!!!

Thanks for sharing

[Michael]

Nice pictures. I like the Lewisia and Trillium a lot!

[David Nicholson]

Great pictures Lesley, thanks for sharing them. My favourites? Well, the lovely little lemon Lewisia (how's that for alliteration?) cotyledon; the Primula x Juliana 'Jill'-scruptious; Paeonia obovata alba-delightfull; Soldanella minima; Daphne genkwa; the Stylophorum;................

damnit this is a waste of time, they were ALL great

[Gerdk]

I suspect many people missed this tiny flat plum tree, it was so quiet and subtle rather than spectacular. Its owner didn't know which species it is, so ID help would be appreciated. Prunus prostrata maybe?

Lesley, this little plum tree seems to be Prunus pumila from North America. To which plant do the blue flowers on the pic in question belong?

Gerd

[ChrisB]

What a wonderful trip you had Lesley.  Lovely pics too.  Gives me heart to go through the winter knowing what is in store for us when we reach the other end of it.  Really, really liked the peony though, such a wonderful plant it is.  It is already on my shopping list.  Just looked it up, Potterton's have it.  Will look for it at the Hexham show in the spring......

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for comments, everyone. A weekend like this helps to make up for the wonderful UK events we can't take part in, such as the shows, study weekends etc and the great gardens for which the British Isles are so famous. But we have our own little events now and then. More to come when I get them re-sized.

[Lesley Cox]

Especially thanks Gerd, for the Prunus name. I've seen a very rare plant of P. pumila in NZ but always it has been a bushlet rather than quite flat like this one. Maybe someone sat on it The garden owner said the plant was over 20 years old.

I forgot to mention that the blue flowered plant above the Prunus was a veronica, V. pedunculata maybe? We grow it here as `Georgia Blue.'

[Susan]

I had better put a few photos on before Lesley shows all the ones I took. It was a very enjoyable week-end and the gardens were in excellent condition and very well manicured. They ranged from small town gardens to large farm gardens.

One of the smaller gardens used Gentians as a border edging, in front of espaliered camellias.
Trilliums planted en masse.  You will notice between them, pea straw has been used as a mulch. This area gets hot and dry in summer and have quite fierce winds.
Three forumists trying to be in disguise. Not sure why the umbrellas - the sun was coming out but wasn't hot enough to need sun shades.
Two of our forumists, Dave and Lesley just hanging around.
A lovely shrub growing well, Calycanthus floridus I think.
Lovely foliage on Asarum splendens