YEAR BOOK —

OF THE

| HEATHER.
| SOCIETY.

1978

Vice-Presidents:

MRS. RONALD GRAY MRS. DAVID METHENY
MR. J. P. ARDRON MR. DAVID McCLINTOCK
MRS. CONSTANCE MacLEOD

Chairman:
MAJ-GEN. P. G. TURPIN

Secretary:
MRS. PAMELA B. LEE

Treasurer:
MR. D. B. OLIVER

Council:
MR. A. H. BOWERMAN MR. B. G. LONDON
MRS. A. H. BOWERMAN MR. H. L. NICHOLSON
MRS. M. BOXALL MR. A. J. SROW
MR. F. N. CULLEY MR. H. STREET
MRS. A. C. R. DUVALL MR. E. R. TURNER
MR. A. W. JONES MR. G. P. VICKERS
MR. T. A. JULIAN MR. E. H. WISEMAN

Slide Librarian:

MRS. G. W. LEE
174 Psalter Lane, Sheffield.

Editors:

Year Book: MR. A. J. STOW; 15 Highlands, Flackwell Heath,
Bucks HP10 9PP.
Bulletins: Mrs. DIANE JONES; Otters Court, West Camel, Nr.
Yeovil, Somerset.

Administrative Office:
Harvest House, 62 London Road, Reading, Berks, RG1 SAS

CONTENTS
Volume 2 No. 7

EDITORIAL i

OBITUARY: SIR JOHN CHARRINGTON
MRS. CONSTANCE MacLEOD
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
NORWICH 1977 — R. and D. Radley

A FAMOUS NURSERY — MAXWELL AND BEALE
A W. Jones . :

HEATHER IN FRANCE — ‘Coe ye ba Rochefowcauld,
Ingrannes, France.

HEATHER GARDENS - F. Kircher Homburg: Ganany.
NEVER A DULL MOMENT -P. L. Joyner

HEATHERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH WAR
CEMETERIES — W. F. W. Harding

ON THE NAMING OF HEATHERS - D. McClintock
NEW HEATHERS - A PLEA TO MEMBERS - G. Yates. .
PHYTOPHTHORA CINNAMOMI- Dr. P. M. Smith
NEW INTRODUCTIONS NO. 2—-J. Platt

FURTHER NOTES ON THE INDUCED ERICA ERI-
GENA X ERICA CARNEA HYBRIDS —- Mrs. A.
Parris ae

AFTER THE DROUGHT - We. D. Masnes si
SOME RANDOM NOTES -G. A. and R. G. Chatelain ..

HEATHER GARDENS NO. 4 THE ROYAL BOTANIC
GARDENS, KEW —- Major-Gen. P.G. Turpin ..

ERICA CILIARIS AND ERICA X WATSONIL
IN DORSET - A. W. Jones

PULVERISED BARK -— A.J. Stow
BOOK REVIEW - Les Bruyéres de Plein Air
NURSERY MEN MEMBERS

LOCAL GROUP ORGANISERS OR BRANCH CON-
VENORS ee

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ..
RECENT WRITINGS ON HEATHERS, 1977

Printed by

Chas. Luff & Co. Ltd., Albion Close, Petersfield Avenue, Slough SL2 5DX

and Published by the Heather Society. Copyright reserved.

YEAR BOOK 1977 3

Editorial

The omission of Sir John Charrington’s name from the
list of officials of the Heather Society, and that of Mrs.
MacLeod, though happily still retained as a Vice-
President, shows that this has been quite an eventful
year in the history of our Society.

By coincidence Sir John, on hearing of the pending
retirement as secretary of Mrs. MacLeod, had expressed
a wish to pay a small tribute to her and so this
is included. Shortly after writing it he died, and Mrs.
MacLeod, completely unaware of Sir John’s article,
requested that she be allowed to write his obituary.

When I took over as Editor in 1973/74, I relied heavily
on Mrs. MacLeod’s knowledge of plants and personali-
ties in the Heather World. I am sure we all agree that
““Yew Trees’ has always been up to now synonymous
with the Heather Society. I would like to take this
opportunity of placing on record my own thanks for her
assistance in answering the many letters that I sent there.

In addition, this year has seen the resignations of both
Alfred Bowerman as our Chairman and Roy Turner as
Treasurer. Fortunately, after many years service between
them carrying out their tasks so admirably, they have
both agreed to carry on as Council members so that their
knowledge will still be available to the Society.

We are fortunate that the Council has been strengthen-
ed by three newly elected members, Mrs. Duvall, Mr.
Culley and Mr. Julian. On your behalf I would like to
wish them every success in carrying out the Society’s
work in the future.

I had not fully realised how much Maxwell and Beale
were pioneers, until I read A. W. Jones’ fascinating
article. Now in a different sense we have some fifty
years later Comte de La Rouchefoucauld acting as a
pioneer and carrying out the Society’s aim in his native
France, ‘to encourage, assist and foster interest in the
growing of Heaths and Heathers’. We wish him every
SUCCESS.

4 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

I could comment on other articles, but will mention
only two more. Will all members read the article, ““On the
Naming of Heathers’’, by David McClintock and then
do their utmost to curb their eagerness in naming
new cultivars similar to those already in cultivation. This
theme is also taken up by Geoffrey Yates in his article,
‘““New Heathers — A Plea to Members”’.

A.J.S.

KE3H

A heather garden is ever pleasant, although it lacks
the range of colour of the taller border flowers, especially
the brilliant blues and yellows. Heathers are rich rather
than gaudy, always peaceful, charming instead of
excitable and self-effacing rather than demanding special
attention.

G. E. Whitehead.

YEAR BOOK 1978 5

Obituary:
Sir John Charrington

In the Autumn Bulletin of 1977 we reported the death
on July 16th of Sir John Charrington, just one week after
his 91st birthday.

For me as the first Secretary of the Heather Society it is
a matter of deep gratitude that a few months previously
Mrs. Pamela Lee, who was to take over my task, had
visited him at Aston Rowant. So happy had he been
to see her that he phoned me the same afternoon to tell
me. This was the last contact I had with him.

In equally happy circumstances her father, Roy
Turner, our Treasurer for five years, had been introduced
to him by me when we, together with Mrs. Turner, went
to visit Sir John and Lady Charrington then at High
Quarry, Crockham Hill, Kent.

Sir John, throughout the years when he lived at High
Quarry, was the inspiration of all members of the
Heather Society, nurserymen included, who met him,
encouraging us in our efforts to give to heather gardening
the place it so greatly deserved, accepting the fact that
having achieved what he had set out to do, the founding
of the Society, he must see it firmly established financially.
Yet nothing was ever to be attributed to him personally.
Everything was to be done in the name of “THE
HEATHER SOCIETY’, and few knew the extent of his
generosity.

The last few years of his life had been saddened first
by the death of his elder son Jack, destined, he had hoped
to continue his task of chairman of his coal company, and
then by the death of his wife, an invalid for some years.
The move from Kent to Oxfordshire, largely on Lady
Charrington’s account to be near their second son and
daughter, had hampered him from growing heathers
now that he was on alkaline soil, even had his health
permitted, nor was he able to take part in any of our
social activities. He had, in 1971, handed over his
responsibility as our chairman to Alfred Bowerman,
and was happy to become our President, following the

Sir John Charrington

YEAR BOOK 1978 7

resignation of Fred Chapple, giving to the Society
the status and high regard he had earned for it.

A Service of Thanksgiving for his life and work was
held on Tuesday, November 8th in the Church of All
Hallows by the Tower (the Toc H church) in the parish —
where he had presided at Tower House, Trinity Square,
for so long, the headquarters of his company and the
meeting place for all our early committee meetings.

A fine address was given at the memorial service by
Sir Derek Ezra, Chairman of the National Coal Board,
his associate and friend for many years. In it he outlined
the outstanding services Sir John had rendered to the
country and the homes of the people, drawing attention
also to his contribution to horticulture, first with carna-
tions and then with heathers.

A group of Heather Society members paid tribute by
attending the Thanksgiving and our Society was
honoured to be asked to provide for the service a heather
arrangement which Mrs. Boxall was happy to create,
embodying as a most fitting tribute to him some small
plants of the Calluna ‘Sir John Charrington’. This very
lovely flower arrangement was later taken by his son to be
placed on his grave, where the little Callunas were
planted.

C. I. MacLeod

8 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Mrs. Constance MacLeod.

by Sir John Charrington
(written June 1977)

Having become an enthusiastic grower of heathers
myself, I was increasingly aware of the considerable and
growing interest in the cultivation of these delightful
plants, and it was in 1962 that it occurred to me that the
formation of a Heather Society would be helpful.

Some preliminary feelers were put out and, as a
result, a meeting was held in February 1963 in a room
provided by the Royal Horticultural Society. The
weather was at its worst, but some fifty stalwarts arrived,
and at that meeting it was agreed by all that a Society
should be formed.

The first post to be filled was the all important one
of Secretary, and I approached Colonel MacLeod who
was an old friend. He felt that his health would not
permit his taking on the work himself, but thought his
wife might like to do so. This proved to be correct,
and Mrs. MacLeod was appointed.

When we met to form the Society I suspect there
were several who felt we were too optimistic in believing
that such a Society could last and grow. If such there
were, they cannot have foreseen what Constance Mac-
Leod’s enthusiasm and devotion would achieve. To
appreciate these achievements is to read the Aims and
Objectives set out in the formation of the Society, and
then to judge how these have been fulfilled during her
fifteen years in office.

If a Society is to flourish, to the basic and essential
qualities of enthusiasm and devotion, its Secretary must
add efficiency, organisational ability, time and energy
to expend in attending meetings and generally keeping
the wheels turning both before and behind the scenes.
In Constance MacLeod I believe we have had all these.

YEAR BOOK 1978 9

It was she, I recollect, who first suggested the issuing
of the Bulletin. I was a little fearful that it might detract
from the value of the Year Book, but it has certainly
not done so, and the two publications complement each
other admirably; indeed, members of the Heather Society
can hardly complain of being begrudged information.

There could not have been a better choice of Secretary,
and in saying both for myself — having in mind particu-
larly the early years and her invaluable help to me as the
then Chairman — and our members a deep and lasting
thank you for all that she has done, I would also assure
her of our affection and good wishes.

See photo page 36

10 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Message from the Chairman
Maj-Gen. P. G. Turpin, Guildford, Surrey

I take over from Alfred Bowerman at a time of great
change. To our deep sorrow, we have lost our President,
the founder and inspiration of the Heather Society. And
Constance MacLeod who, since the foundation of the
Society, has been its life blood, both as Secretary and
Treasurer, has retired to the less arduous office of a
Vice-President. Roy Turner who, in the last few years
had relieved her of the treasurership, has also handed
over. Many better qualified than I have paid tribute to
the tremendous contribution made by them to the
Heather Society. But I must express my appreciation,
and that of all members of the Society, for all that Alfred
Bowerman has done during the six years that he has been
our Chairman. He succeeded Sir John Charrington in
1971 when the Heather Society was rapidly expanding
and when the general public was becoming increasingly
aware of the great value of heathers in the garden. As a
founder member of the Society, he has been personally
well-known to many of our members, who have been
able to appreciate his kindly and patient chairman-
ship and his and Margaret’s generosity in welcoming
members to their delightful heather garden at Champs
Hill.

In spite of growing numbers, the Heather Society has
retained its friendly informal character, and I hope that
it will continue to combine this amateur love of heathers
for what they are with the more professional approach
of the nurseryman and the botanist, which is so essential,
if we are to carry out successfully our responsibilities as
the International Registration Authority for heathers.

I promise you that, for my part, I shall do all I can
to further the aims and objects for which the Heather
Society was founded.

-

YEAR BOOK 1978 11

Norwich 1977
R. and D. Radley, Stourbridge, Worcs.

This was to be our first heather conference, for
although not new members it had not been convenient
for us to attend before. We set off for Norwich wondering
what the weekend held in store for us. Oh yes, we had
received the programme, but that alone does not make
or mar such gatherings — rather the people one meets
and the informal conversations between the sessions
and during meals.

We were thankful for the excellent directions sent
to us and soon arrived at the University Hall of Residence
in Fifers Lane, which was to be our base for the weekend.
We were greeted by our hosts, the Norfolk Group, who
gave us name labels and a much appreciated cup of tea.

After a good supper, the Conference opened with a
welcome from Jack London, followed by a talk by
Ken Durrant on “Norfolk Flora and Fauna’. We
then gathered in the bar to make further new
acquaintances.

On Saturday H. Wood, who had been Curator of
a Nature Reserve in South Africa for over twenty years,
talked on Cape heaths, with some good slides. The
following speaker, A. W. Jones, traced the increase
in popularity of heather growing and cultivars introduced
via nurserymen’s catalogues of the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries. One felt there was a wealth
of information still waiting to be conveyed which lack
of time precluded.

After coffee came the A.G.M., but in addition to the
business, it also became the occasion of a presentation
to our hardworking and much beloved retiring secretary,
Mrs. MacLeod. The Norfolk Group gave her a book on
bookbinding and a copper tray etched with Cape heaths.
But she was not the only one to have presents: to remind
us of Norwich 1977 all the ladies received a pendant of
polished stone from local beaches, hand-made, complete
with gift box.

12 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

by H. Fulcher. All delegates were offered a thriving
Cape heath by David Small.

That afternoon most of us went by coach to Adrian’s
Bloom’s private garden at Bressingham, which consists
predominantly of heathers and conifers. Whilst there
the local press took photographs which appeared in
Monday’s edition of the Eastern Daily Press.

We are sure everyone was impressed by the garden,
which is open to the public only once a year and is still
expanding, and where we were thrilled to see a large
and fine planting of Calluna ‘My Dream’.

In the evening Neil Brummage amused us with his
talk “‘Birth of a Nursery’’. This took us from a bare over-
grown piece of land to a commercial heather nursery,
through trials and tribulations that would have caused
lesser men to have given up. His disasters were not
confined to his nursery, as halfway through his talk
the projection table collapsed; however, the lamp
remained intact!

Sunday it was up with the lark, breakfast at eight
and off by 9 o’clock to visit three gardens. These were
Mr. London’s and also that of a neighbour, Mr. Marshall,
and another lovely one, that of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis at
Old Catton. Back to base, and after those of us that had
sneaked off to make a sly cup of coffee had been rounded
up, we had photographs taken on the steps of the Hall.
The rest of the morning was spent in Open Forum with
David Small in the chair. This sort of discussion
is always popular and we ran out of time once again
before all the topics had been covered.

(Perhaps we should experiment one year with a
three day conference ? — Sec).

After lunch we went to Maurice Mason’s forty
acre new shrub garden near King’s Lynn; we have
Mr. Brummage to thank for arranging this visit. For
many of our members this was the end of the conference
and they set off home; for those staying to the Monday,
Mr. Fulcher provided a slide-show in the evening. So
ended a very enjoyable conference with excellent food
and accommodation; perhaps we shall all meet again

in Derbyshire next year.
A group photograph of Conference Members appears on page 35

~ YEAR BOOK 1978 13

A famous nursery—
Maxwell and Beale

A. W. Jones, West Camel, Somerset

Few nurseries were offering heathers in 1900, but
among these were James Smith of Darley Dale and
Backhouse of York. In 1911, Backhouse launched the
Robert Porter collection of Erica carnea cultivars,
with a luxurious brochure to celebrate the Coronation
of King George V and Queen Mary. In an article pub-
lished two years after his death, in The Heather Society
Year Book for 1965, D. F. Maxwell gave the honour of
putting heather gardening on the map to Backhouse.
However I hope to show that perhaps that honour was
better deserved by his own firm, Maxwell and Beale.

I believe that the Dorset Nursery and Lavender Farm
were owned by the Maxwell family. It’s main business
had been in growing carnations and, as its name suggests,
lavender. Like many other nurseries the business had
run down during the first World War.

In 1917 H. E. Beale was invalided out of the army and
began to get the nursery going again. He was soon
joined by D. F. Maxwell who had also served in the war.
Maxwell had acquired an interest in heathers from his
father, H. Maxwell, who was a partner in the London
publishing firm of Sweet and Maxwell.

In 1919 they began to offer heathers. In 1920 their
catalogue listed eleven cultivars among their other plants.
In 1921 these had increased to nineteen including four of
their own introductions. I have been unable to locate
catalogues for the period 1922 to 1924, but in 1925 they
issued a special Heather catalogue with coloured pictures
on the front and back covers. The Heather catalogue
was to exist until 1939.

That 1925 catalogue contained the statement, ““We
have a more complete collection of hardy heathers than
any other firm in the country and have introduced a
number of beautiful varieties and hybrids’. It would
be hard to dispute that claim since the catalogue listed

14 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

eight-three cultivars including fifteen of their own
introductions. The assembling of such a large collection
in so short a time bears eloquent testimony to their
dedication. Even at that time few nurseries grew heathers
and much diligent searching must have been needed to
locate so many.

That so many cultivars could be offered for sale
suggests that a great deal of work had also been devoted
to propagation. In this field they performed a great
service to heather growing. At that time most heathers
that were offered for sale had been produced by division.
The Dorset Nursery produced all its plants from cuttings.

P. S. Patrick joined the firm in 1924 and remained with
them for a year. In part of an article in the 1964 Year
Book he described the air of enthusiasm which existed
in the nursery in those early days. That enthusiasm, which
also affected others, must have been largely generated
by the principals. Another employee who joined them
in the 1920’s was C. D. Eason.

In 1927 D. F. Maxwell’s book “The Low Road” was
published. This was the first book on the different sorts of
heathers to be published since 1864. Throughout it he
refers to the firm as the Dorset Nursery.

In 1932 the firm dropped this name in favour of
Maxwell and Beale, although these names had appeared
on the catalogue since 1920, below the now discarded
name. It was about this time that D. F. Maxwell ceased
his active involvement with the firm and the 1932 cata-
logue gave the directors as H. E. Beale and J. H. Hamilton.

H. E. Beale died in 1959 and the firm is now owned and
run by Mr. F. J. Stevens.

So far I have given an outline of the history of the
firm. Apart from describing their contribution to
propagation and mentioning Maxwell’s pioneering book,
this has contained little to prove the thesis that I set out
in my opening paragraph. In order to do this I have set
out a chronological list of their introductions from 1921
to 1938 with notes where appropriate.

1921 E. cinerea ‘Frances Variety’, ‘Pallida’; EE. tetralix
‘Ruby’s Variety’, ‘Rufus’ (This plant has probably
disappeared from cultivation.)

YEAR BOOK 1978 15

1922-4
by 1925

1925

1926
by 1927

1927
1928

1928
1929

1929

1930
£931
1933

1934

1935

No catalogues located.

E. ciliaris “Globosa’; E. cinerea ‘Apple Blossom’; E x.
watsonii ‘Ciliaris Hybrida’; E.vagans ‘Carnea’

E. cinerea ‘Golden Hue’ HC 1971; ‘Victoria’

E.x watsonii ‘Dawn’ Price 3/6 (At this time most plants
were priced 1/-.)

E.x watsonii ‘Gwen’ Price 3/6.

E.x watsonii ‘H. Maxwell’ Price 2/-.

E. vagans ‘Lyonesse’ AM 1928, AGM 1969.

E. vagans ‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’ AM 1925, AGM 1969,
FCC 1970; Price 7/6.

No catalogue located.

Calluna vulgaris ‘Kynance: Found on the Lizard in 1923.
Calluna vulgaris “Penhale’.

E. ciliaris ‘Aurea’.

E. cinerea ‘Broadstone’ and ‘Studland’: These were
ae varieties and are probably no longer avail-
able. =

E. tetralix ‘Pink Glow’.

E. carnea ‘Cecilia M. Beale’.

E. ciliaris ‘Mrs. C. H. Gill’.

Calluna vulgaris ‘H. E. Beale’, AGM 1942, FCC 1943,
progenitor of a number of fine double lings, and ‘Mrs.
Pat’.

Calluna vulgaris ‘Mullion’: HC 1960, AM 1963, Found
on the Lizard in 1923.

E. ciliaris ‘Norden’: (this cultivar is discussed in the
Spring Bulletin).

E. ciliaris ‘Stoborough’ and ‘Wych’.

E. cinerea ‘C. D. Eason’ and ‘C.G. Best’: FCC 1966,
AGM 1969.

E. cinerea ‘Domino’: AM 1971.

E. cinerea ‘G. Osmond’: Found in 1923 or 1924.

E.x watsonii ‘Rachel’.

E. cinerea ‘P.S. Patrick’ and ‘Ruby’.

E.x watsonii ‘F. White’.

Calluna vulgaris ‘County Wicklow’: AM 1960, FCC 1961
E. cinerea ‘Golden Drop’ and ‘John Eason’.

Calluna vulgaris ‘C. W. Nix’: AM 1961.

E. cinerea ‘Robert Michael’: D. F. Maxwell says in
“The English Heather Garden’, that he has not seen
this plant! He had ceased active participation in the
nursery two years before.

E.cinerea ‘Winifred Whitley’: This has split corollas-
the f schizopetala. It has probably been lost.

Calluna vulgaris ‘David Eason’ and ‘Mrs. J. H. Hamil-
ton’: AM 1935, and 1960, FCC 1961. This had become
‘J. H. Hamilton’ by the Spring of 1936; price at introduc-
tion 10/6. The catalogue states that it was found on (the
non existent) Mount Maughan in Yorkshire. Recent

16 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

information originating from D. F. Maxwell’s daughter |
suggests that it might have been found near Malton,
Yorkshire.

1935 E.x darleyensis ‘George Rendall’: This was the first
E.x darleyensis since the original, now ‘Darley Dale’,
was introduced by James Smith in the late 19th century.
I am told that George Rendall was C. D. Eason’s
father-in-law.

E. erigena ‘Charlotte’: This plant does not appear in
subsequent catalogues.
E. erigena ‘W. T. Rackliff’?: AM 1972.

1936 Calluna vulgaris ‘Mrs. Ronald Gray’: HC 1971.
Calluna vulgaris ‘Tom Thumb.
E. tetralix ‘Mary Grace’: (Typically has a tattered corolla).

1937 Calluna vulgaris ‘Carlton’: Raised by F. S. H. Ward of
Malton, Yorkshire. Now known as “Alba Carlton.’

1938 Calluna vulgaris ‘Alba Plena’ AM 1960: and ‘Rubrifolia’.
Calluna vulgaris ‘Tib’: AM 1960, FCC 1962.

This list contains fifty-five cultivars introduced by
Maxwell and Beale between the two World Wars. All
but five of them are still available. Between them they
have collected twenty-four awards from the R.HLS.
In “Heaths and Heathers’, published in 1971, Terry
Underhill lists twenty-two of them as outstanding
cultivars. Brian and Valerie Proudley describe forty-two of
them in ‘“‘Heathers in Colour’’, the criterion for inclusion
in their list being that the cultivars should be those
most likely to be encountered in gardens or nurseries at
the time the book was written (1974). Even in the Drac-
onian ‘“‘Selected List of Heathers” in “Heather Trials”
1971-1975 nine of the seventy-five cultivars are Maxwell
and Beale introductions from the period I have covered.
More important than this, is the fact that some of these
find their way into almost every enthusiast’s collection
of favourite plants and crop up in almost every discussion
on heathers. Of the five that have disappeared, three,
E. cinerea ‘Broadstone’, ‘Studland’, and ‘Winifred
Whitley’ are still frequently mentioned in discussions as
botanical curiosities.

It is a most impressive list, and we must surely ack-
nowledge our debt to Maxwell and Beale.

In closing I must thank David McClintock for his
encouragement in this work. I must also thank Joyce

YEAR BOOK 1978 17

Burfitt, George Osmond and Jack Platt for their patience
in answering my many questions. I must accept res-
ponsibility for errors and omissions.

KEXe>y

Heather in France

B. de la Rochefoucauld, Les Grandes Bruyeres,
Ingrannes, France

Heather is a familiar plant of the French countryside,
but has only rarely been used in French gardens.

In the forests it covers the ground in most places. The
soil is sandy and light. South of the Loire, in the Sologne,
you come across beautiful scenery with carpets of moss
and red Erica cinerea under Scots Pines. In those areas
grow many varieties of Calluna, Erica cinerea and
E. tetralix, E. vagans and E. scoparia, used for making
brooms. The road banks are often covered with a
mixture of Calluna, E. cinerea and Ulex gallii, which
makes a delightful sight. Further south, the forest of
Troncais, known for its exceptionally large and fine oaks,
visited by many dendrologists from all over the world, is
a good heather region. Brittany, with its peaty soil,
is possibly the richest heather area, very similar to
Cornwall. E. erigena can be seen trimmed in hedges
around cottages. In the Alps, E. carnea grows in many
places. The South of France and the Mediterranean
are most interesting for heather. The island of Por-
querolles is a heather forest where among other species is
E. arborea attaining 12 to 16 feet, delightfully fragrant
in the spring. E. scoparia with its greenish flowers, grows
with E. arborea, but is smaller.

Now, with all these lovely natural scenes, and so many
local places named after heather, why does nobody use
this familiar plant in gardens? I cannot answer this
question.

When we started our own garden five years ago in the
forest of Orléans, with hardly any knowledge at all of
gardening, I went with a little cart into the woods and col-

18 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

lected some heathers. Then I planted them into my sandy
soil. The reason was to do something easy, which would
blend with the natural woodland and save money. The
next year, I thought, we should visit heather gardens.
To my great surprise, I found none. So we travelled to
England and Holland, and discovered the many varieties
of heathers. The first nursery we visited was Timber
Lodge nursery, near Great Dixter at Northiam, one
evening at 9 o’clock in July 1973. It was a lovely day and
we stopped the car when driving past the entrance,
where I saw heathers. Of course it was closed, but a nice
lady walked out and allowed us in. She handed me the
Pocket Guide of Mr. G. Yates, where I discovered the
Heather Society of which I became a member, writing
often to Mrs. MacLeod who helped me in so many ways.
From then on started my new and increasing knowledge
and love for heather.

My next acquaintance was Terry Underhill whom
alas I have never met; but to whom I spoke and wrote
often. He was kind enough to send over one of his
students in August 1975 to show me some of his know-
ledge of heathers. Then I met, through Mrs. MacLeod,
Mr. Zwijnenburg in Boskoop, a leading Dutch nursery-
man. Most of my experience had to come from abroad, —
very little being available over here. But things are
changing slowly. In the past two years, I have been
visited by leading nurserymen and sales organisations,
such as Clause, and M. Goarant; newspapers, such
as ““T’Ami des Jardins’’, publishers, such as “‘Rustica”’
and “La Maison Rustique’’; and landscape architects,
such as M. Loup de Viane. There is now an increasing
interest from the public.

The literature on heathers in French is slender, so many
people can get little help. I am at present working on a
small book, with pictures, in very simple language to
start providing information.

The production of heathers is also lagging. Most come
from Holland, Belgium and England. In Orleans with
Angers, the largest horticultural area, production does
not exceed 30,000 per year with three or four varieties of
Calluna and E. x darleyensis. The main production is

YEAR BOOK 1978 19

located in Brittany where four nurseries, to my know-
ledge, deal in heather and represent most of the national
production: Kerisnal, Stervinou, Roué-Cadiou, and
Renault. The catalogue of the leading sales organisations
in this country shows 3 Calluna, “Tib’, “‘Cuprea’, ‘H. E.
Beale’ — 5 E. carnea, ‘Springwood’(?), ‘Winter Beauty’,
‘Aurea’, “Ruby Glow’, ‘Vivelli — 4 x darleyensis, ‘Darley
Dale’, ‘Furzey’, ‘Ghost Hills’, ‘Arthur Johnson’ 2
E. vagans, ‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’, ‘St. Keverne’. The
nurseries in Brittany offer about 40 varieties, sometimes
of undetermined origin.

This is the situation in France: a lovely countryside
for heather, a slowly, but steadily, growing interest in the
public for heather gardening which should be supported
by more information, a new professional market.

I would be happy to greet over here any member of our
Society travelling to France and show them around my
gardens, where I grow today over 300 sorts of heath
and heather.

*M. Goarant circulated last summer a small type-
written booklet: ““Les Bruyeres de Plein air’, which is
reviewed on page 53.

KEx.>y

Heather Gardens

Fritz Kircher, Hamburg

(We are grateful to the newly formed Gesellschaft der
Heidefreunde for permission to reproduce, in translation,
the following article. It appeared in the first number of
their publication ““Der Heidegarten’, and was written
by the able Superintendant of the heather garden at the
hospital at Heidberg in Hamburg. He was one of the prime
movers in getting the German Society founded and is one
of the five members of its Committee of Management ED.)

At one time or another, Man started collecting, and
putting near his dwellings, the most beautiful wild
plants from woods and fields, from marshes and moors.
Gardens then appeared, to give greater happiness,
taste and motives changing from century to century.

20 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Today, gardens and grounds usually have lawns. This
sort of layout was an English idea, and Englishmen are
known to be great gardeners. They also translated the
thought into the deed and planted heathers in gardens.
As they walked across the moors, English nature lovers
discovered that among heathers, and in particular Ling,
there were many different forms. To maintain these
special forms, they propagated them vegetatively and
their beauty then gave pleasure to other gardeners.

Those who take the trouble to look closely at wild
heathers, find that there are many variations in habit, in
the colour of the leaves and flowers and in flowering
time, especially in Calluna, even if none are of importance.
But if the searcher is lucky, he will find a new form worthy
of being brought into cultivation.

The first heather gardens were laid out in England at
the turn of the century. In Germany they were started
only in the 20’s. It was the Director-General of the
landscaping department of the firm of Spath in Berlin,
Carl Kempkes, who first made extensive heather gardens
at Prellwitz in Mecklenburg and in Dorn. After 1945, a
model heather terrain, ranging from the driest sandhills
to heathery pools, was planted in the rock garden at
Herrenhausen in Hannover by Prof. Meyer, with a rich
collection of Callunas and Ericas including many new
varieties. Today there are many small and larger heather
gardens, for example in the Botanic garden at Bremen,
the Callunetum of Herr Harten at Lutterloh/Sudheide
with all forms of Calluna, and the heather park in the
hospital of Heidberg in Hamburg, which now has more
than 300 varieties of heaths and heathers.

Heather gardens have appealed to ever more people
in the last few decades. Many new varieties have been
found, especially in England. The list of heathers gets ever
longer, and heather gardens ever more beautiful. There
are almost always some heathers in flower: even in
November the late varieties of Calluna and of Erica
ciliaris are flowering and by December E. carnea and
E. x darleyensis have started.

The growth of heather gardening in England resulted
in 1963 in enthusiasts forming the Heather Society. By

YEAR BOOK 1978 21

1970 it already had over 700 members. In 1971 the Dutch
Society, Ericultura, was founded and grew even faster.
It now has more than 900 members. It was only a question
of time before heather growers in Germany organised
themselves similarly. On 4 June 1977 they founded in
Hamburg the “Gesellschaft der Heidefreunde.”’ Its aim
is to help, by shows, meetings and the like, all those who
are keen on heathers and wish to make a heather garden
themselves.

(Its address is:- Tangstedter Landstr, 276. 2000
Hamburg 62; Subscription DM 20.00 Ep).

KE Dy

Never a dull moment

P.L. Joyner, Totton, Southampton

Nine years ago the word ‘gardening’ was not part of
my vocabulary and ‘heather’ was a plant that grew on
the heaths of my local New Forest and formed a pink
carpet during late summer.

It was then that I married and in order to keep my small
garden tidy I turned to gardening. In those days it
meant an aching back and the possibility of a little
colour from a free packet of annual seeds spread around
_ during late spring. My greatest successes were radishes
and dahlias, my dismal failures were lawns and tomatoes.

1970 saw the acquisition of a new house with a small
enclosed garden and by then I had begun to show an
interest in not just keeping things tidy, but in trying to
produce colourful borders by using bedding plants.
At about that time a friend gave me a few plants of a low
growing shrub which flowered during the winter;
marvellous I thought, what accommodating plants and so
pretty too. My friend said they were Erica carnea and
were heathers. Heathers I thought, surely not. I hadn’t
seen any heathers flowering in the New Forest during
the winter.

My interest in gardening began to blossom just like
the carneas and so in an effort to extend my new found
interest I decided to join a garden book club. In 1971

22 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

I received a book titled “‘Heaths and Heather’’, by Terry
Underhill and this furthered my interest in these fascinat-
ing plants. With this further stimulus I planted my first
heather bed containing single plants of E. carnea ‘Spring-
wood White’, ‘Atrorubra’ and ‘King George’ together
with E. cinerea “Eden Valley’ and ‘Atrosanguinea’. The
following autumn I planted a border of heathers along
the edge of the lawn, concentrating on single specimens
with the emphasis on foliage cultivars.

‘‘Heaths and Heathers” was being consulted more and
more and I was increasingly fascinated by the thought
of Cape heaths. I now had a small greenhouse and so
decided to extend my cultivation to include these as well.
At Christmas in 1972 I purchased some very colourful
heath-like pot plants and, now being a member of the
Heather Society, I sent a few small pieces to Mrs.
MacLeod for identification. These turned out to be
E. x hyemalis. From then on I obtained various Cape
Heaths from contacts made via Mrs. MacLeod and the
Society’s publications. Mr. J. R. Allan of Guernsey and
Mr. K. A. H. Cassels of Scotland kindly supplied me with
E. canaliculata and E. caffra respectively and a kind
invitation to a Cape heath party at Mrs. R. Gray’s
house added further plants to the collection.

I had started propagating from my collection of
Ericas and Callunas, having most success. with
E. x darleyensis ‘Silberschmelze’ and E. carnea ‘White
Glow’. My success with the summer flowering kinds
were restricted to C. vulgaris “Serlei Aurea’. The Cape
heath cultivars were impossible to propagate at that
time.

Notable cultivars were E.carnea‘Pink Spangles’ E. vagans
‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’ and C. vulgaris ‘Robert Chapman’.
E. canaliculata dominated the greenhouse displays
during the winter with its small white flowers borne in
great profusion and £. glandulosa kept on producing
its curved tubular flowers through all the seasons, even
when stood outside during the summer. The Cape heaths
seemed to relish the fresh air, especially during the winter
when slight frosting did not seem to harm them.

YEAR BOOK 1978 23

Early this year (1977), I moved to a bungalow with a
larger garden and I have begun to plant my heaths and
heathers in groups of three. The single plantings had
been a success in the smaller garden but now I took
advantage of the increased area. My Cape heath collec-
tion has grown to twenty species, mainly thanks to
David Small who has provided me with some superb
material and, in addition, valuable information on
propagation which has given me more success with
Cape heath cuttings.

My conclusion at this stage is that heather growing
provides me with an absorbing hobby, the results of
which can be clearly seen, and there is never a dull
moment.

Key

Heathers in the Commonwealth

War Cemeteries
W. F. W. Harding, Goring, Oxon

Heathers have never been grown very extensively by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in the
1914-18 War cemeteries in Northern France and Belgium
because in general the soils are not natural ‘heather
soils’. When however we took over the 1939-45 cemeteries
on the sandy acid soils of Eastern Belgium and Southern
Holland it was immediately clear that conditions there
were ideal for the extensive use of these decorative and
labour-saving plants and this opportunity was rapidly
exploited.

Though heathers have been used in large number in
many cemeteries, the greatest opportunity occurred in
Holten Canadian War Cemetery in Holland where there
was a large vacant area between the road and the grave
plots which it was desired to retain. The Commission’s
Principal Architect, Mr. Philip Hepworth, accordingly
produced an overall plan for the architecture and the
landscaping, which made provision for a 13 acre Heather
Garden to occupy this area and this feature has proved
a great success over the years.

24 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

A basic stock of about 30 species and cultivars was
bought in from a Dutch nursery and from this stock
about 50,000 plants were propagated for the initial
planting. The ground was contoured slightly to give
added interest and the effect enhanced still further by
placing some taller subjects on the higher positions, such
planting being of species that would readily tone in with
the plantings of heathers. Rhododendrons, Rosa rugosa,
Cornus florida and Ckousa, Pinus mugo, Berberis wilsoniae
Cotoneaster adpressus var praecox and Erica arborea
‘Alpina’ were amongst such subjects.

The following are some of the heathers which have
over the years proved most decorative and rewarding.
Calluna vulgaris ‘Alportii’, ‘Aurea’, ‘H E Beale’, “Cuprea’
‘Hammondii’ ‘Mullion’ ‘Praecox Alba’ ‘Serlei’ ‘Serlei
Aurea’; Erica cinerea ‘C. D. Eason’ ‘Rosabella’;
Erica vagans ‘Lyonesse’ ‘Mrs’ D. F. Maxwell’ ‘St.
Keverne’; Erica carnea ‘Springwood White’ ‘King
George’ ’Winter Beauty’; Erica x darleyensis “Darley
Dale’.

‘H. E. Beale’ has perhaps proved rather less permanent
than many of the other cultivars, but its effect has been
so superb when planted in mass that we have been unable
to spare it and so have always kept replacement stocks
under propagation. ‘Mullion’ is a very compact low variety
which we value highly for planting in front of the head-
stones.

The appeal of this fine heather garden to the Dutch
and other visitors has been so great that it is not unusual
during all the finer months of the year to see a dozen
large tourist buses drawn up outside the cemetery
at a time. The Commission’s British Head Gardener
‘Charlie’ Reeves, assisted by his two Dutch gardeners,
takes immense pride in this heather garden and maintains
it at a superb standard. Plants which die from natural
causes or which have passed their optimum, are promptly
replaced, as in the little nursery plot there are always
about 40,000 heather under propagation for this and
other cemeteries.

Heathers are also planted in large quantities in other
War Cemeteries in Holland, such as at Arnhem Ooster-

YEAR BOOK 1978 as)

beek, Jonkerbos in Nijmegen, Overloon and Mierlo,
whilst in Germany they feature largely in the planting
in Reichswald Forest. In Belgium there are at Adegem
Canadian War Cemetery two fine long beds planted
solid with ‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’.

In the cemeteries with alkaline or neutral soils, Erica
x darleyensis ‘Darley Dale’ has been our great stand-by.
Where one has the chance to let this cultivar attain
its full natural proportions it is possible to get a bush
3 feet high and as much across completely covered with
bloom. Naturally the E. carnea varieties have also proved
their worth under such conditions. !

In England, the Commission has substantial heather
plantings in two of the cemeteries it maintains, Brook-
wood Military Cemetery in Surrey and Cannock Chase
British and German Cemeteries in Staffordshire. In
Brookwood the time has arrived when many of the
plantings made about 20 or 30 years ago are coming up
for replacement, so that different plots now vary in their
effectiveness, but nevertheless there are in season some
very fine old plantings of the Erica vagans varieties to be
seen, particularly ‘Lyonesse’, ‘St Keverne’, “Mrs. D. F.
Maxwell’ and ‘Pallida’.

In the German Cemetery at Cannock Chase there is
perhaps rather less technical interest for the heather lover
since all the full length beds over the graves are planted
with the wild Calluna vulgaris, though this was in fact
originally procured from elsewhere than the Chase. In
the surrounding shrub borders there are small quantities
of choicer varieties, but not to the same extent as at Brook-
wood. In these two cemeteries the heathers are sprayed
every spring with Gamma HCH against the Heather
Beetle, Lochmaea suturalis, which is rife on the Chase
and liable to ruin any floral effect.

Currently there can be no doubt that our most interest-
ing heather garden is at Holten, lying about 12 miles
east of the town of Deventer and quite close to the German
frontier. This is a planting to which I would encourage
any heather lover, when travelling on the continent, to
make a deviation and I am sure he would not be
disappointed.

26 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

On the other hand if the business of any member of the
Heather Society should take him or her to the other side
of the world to Japan, the Commission also has fine
heather plantings to show in Yokohama War Cemetery,
where Len Harrop, the Commission’s dedicated super-
visor, has made extensive informal plantings of heathers,
the basic stocks for which were sent out to him from this
country.

(Mr. W. F. W. Harding OBE, Bsc (Hort), FLS is the
Director of Horticulture for the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission, and has recently been awarded the
gold Veitch Memorial Medal by the R.H.S. Ep).

KExeDy

On the naming of Heathers
David McClintock, Platt, Kent.

I have been asked to try to clarify the business of how
heathers get named. Since the prime interest of our
members is in garden varieties, cultivars, I shall confine
my discussion to these. (The Rules for Botanical Nomen-
clature are referred to in our “Guide to the Naming of
Plants’, eg in Q and A 19).

the first point is to resist the urge to bestow a name
on every gosling, imagining it to be a cygnet. By all
means Keep attractive forms you have found or pro-
pagated, which, of course, like our own children, have a
special charm. But, before thinking of publicising a
name, let alone of launching it on the market, please
make certain you have compared the plant really
critically with similar cultivars, and get others to give
their candid, and perhaps more experienced, opinions too.

This is not to say your treasure may not have hidden
merits. Every seedling is the result of a different genetic
combination, and so will differ from its parents, if
usually imperceptibly or unimportantly; and sports too
have a slightly different genetic basis from the plant on
which they originated. Whether the difference is indeed
important, must be a matter of opinion. Are greater
height or earlier flowering enough? Greater vigour or
robustness may be, and so may improved resistance to

YEAR BOOK 1978 27

disease and suitability to a variety of climates. Useful
though the comprehensive trials at Harlow Car were,
perhaps even more useful are trials by members, or
others, all over our islands, and abroad, of identical
clones of similar cultivars, to discover which are best in
which conditions, and which are good anywhere.

Personally, I try to let every seedling show its face
before pulling it up. Not only for me have the rewards of
this been good — eg two ‘Bicolor’-like Daboecias, a
schizopetalous EF. cinerea, and some fine E. vagans and
E. cinerea and foliage Callunas. I doubt if any of these
justifies a name, but I would not be without them;
and some time I intend a bed just for my own seedlings.

There is no way of preventing anyone from giving a
name to a plant, except moral disapproval; and who is
to judge when a plant does merit it? But undoubtedly far
too many names are given every year without the raiser
having fully checked if it is justified. The principle must
be to take time, plenty of time, before christening new
heathers. What sometimes happens is that friends take
a liking to a seedling, or propagated sport and beg
cuttings. A name is then produced to identify it. Later the
plant may take the fancy of a nurseryman and, hey
presto!, the name is in a catalogue, sometimes
unbeknown to the original owner. He, meanwhile, may
have thought of a better name, which he uses, with the
result that the same plant is being grown under two
different names. So, do resist the temptation to alter a
name: it helps to have told the Registrar of any such
name, even if unpublished.

This potential source of confusion and proliferation
can be avoided, when a provisional name is required, by
using at first a code, and obviously not a cultivar name,
and certainly not to be regarded as such. Gen. Turpin
calls his seedlings TS1, 2 and so on, and his cuttings
TCl, 2 and so on.

How to name cultivars

The naming of cultivars is, strictly, controlled by the
International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated
Plants. Its articles setting out what names are admissible,
how they should be published and so on, are summarised

28 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

in our Guide, Q and A 32 onwards. Its article 24 stipulates
that a name is validly published only by distribution to
the public of dated, printed or similarly duplicated,
matter, copies of which should be sent to the
International Registration Authority. But, so far, after
over seven years, this International Registration
Authority has received not one such document, which
has not made his task easier.

In theory any name not published thus is invalid; but
in practice what has gained currency illegitimately has
to be taken account of, notably names in undated
catalogues — will nurseryman PLEASE put the date on
theirs? Nevertheless is is most desirable that we all
publish names only in accordance with the Code.

Frankly, few sanctions exist against those who do not
also register their names. They are still urged to, not only
to ensure that they have not chosen one already in use
or otherwise not available. The International Registration
Authorities (and there are over 60 of them) have a
useful role and should be supported — see the article
on page 3 of our Bulletin for Spring 1972, which supple-
ments that on page 15 of the 1970 Year Book.

Lists of names

One of the duties of an International Registration
Authority is to publish a list of the names of its group
of plants, and to keep it up to date. Although the
records, which are available on request, have existed
since before 1970 on which to base such a list for heathers,
the actual production of it is more than can be under-
taken at present. But a start has been made on this duty.
The “Pocket Guide to Heather Gardening” appears in
its third edition in 1978. In it Mr. G. Yates briefly
describes those heathers known to be available commer-
cially in Europe — currently not far short of 700. To this
has been added a list of all the other known names of
heathers. These include others in use since the last war,
mostly those plants grown privately, which have not
reached the trade, and those grown outside Europe,
some 270 of them; older names not heard of or identified
in use for many years, of which over 200 have been noted;
names used for botanical variants, also over 200 strong;

YEAR BOOK 1978 29

and errors and synonyms, of which no doubt there are
more than the 270 listed. In all, in the two lists, about
1650 names are accounted for; and people will be able
to see at once what names are not available for new
plants. More work is needed, especially among the
botanical variants, but here is a chance for comments
of all sorts, please.

Summary

1. When you have a good seedling or sport, from the
wild or your own garden, look at it very dispassionately
before dowering it with more than a code name, or
putting it into the trade.

2. If it really does warrant a useable name, first check
with the Registrar that the name is available and per-
missible; and ensure that this name is adhered to and
not changed.

3. Always, promptly, tell the Registrar of any name
you coin or hear of.

4. When it is justified to publish the name, do so in
accordance with the Horticultural Code, ine.g. a dated
catalogue or horticultural journal such as one of our
Bulletins or Year Books, together with an adequate
description etc.

5. Registration should follow. Application forms are
available from me for the fee of £1. One completed
copy will be returned duly counter-signed, with the
actual Certificate of Registration (see photo p 30).

Several important pairs of member’s eyes have helped
by reading the draft of this article, but I am particularly
grateful to Mr. C. D. Brickell, the Director of Wisley,

for his comments.
Kos Dy

New Heathers — A plea to

members
G. Yates, Arnold, Nottingham.

I have just completed the revision of the ““Pocket Guide
to Heather Gardening’’, and the problems in obtaining
information have once more come to the fore. This time
the problem has been-greater than ever before because

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

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YEAR BOOK 1978 31

in the last four four years there has been an enormous
flood of new names, and so few members seem to
realise that information on new names is absolutely
vital to the Heather Society as International Registra-
tion Authority I do appeal to all members to send
information to either Mr. David McClintock or me, and
I will pass it on, if they either name a plant, or come
across a name which is new to them.

Over the years in writing, and subsequently revising,
the ““Pocket Guide’’, I have written hundreds of letters, in
many cases sent stamped addressed envelopes, and
replies are comparatively rare. Some form of control over
the flood of new names is essential both in promoting
the popularity of the plants we love, and also enhancing
the prestige of our Society, as the multiplicity of plants
to choose from, so many of them being so much alike,
is in danger of bringing our favourite plants into
disrepute.

It may surprise many to know that there is little or no
commercial value in new heathers, and the most pros-
perous nurseryman is the one who concentrates on
growing 25 to 30 cultivars. Fortunately many nurserymen
are also enthusiasts and they are happy to grow large
numbers of cultivars to compare them, and offer them
to enthusiastic collectors. There is no merit in secrecy,
and the best way to promote interest is to publicise a
new plant, send plants to the Society for the trials and
by the time plants have been propagated for sale, a
demand will already have been created.

Surprising as it may seem amongst the members of the
Society, there are a few who are wonderfully helpful
and cooperative, but equally there are those members
who never pass on information unless it is virtually
dragged out of them. My plea is that every single
member should make it his or her duty to keep the
Society informed of new plants raised by them, and
new names that they come into contact with. The new
*““Pocket Guide” should be available by the time this is
published, and the names in that represent the full record
of all plants recorded by the Society up to the time of
going to press.

32. THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Phytophthora Cinnamomi

Introductory note by Brigadier C. E. Lucas
Phillips, |

Members will recall that only in our last Year Book,
Dr. W. A. Small, of Middlesborough wrote on the subject.
His namesake, Mr. David Small, of Ipswich, in a letter
to me, says that many nurseries treat their plants with the
fungicide, etridiazole, which merely camouflages the
disease, and Miss Audrey Brooks, the R.H.S. pathologist
writes similarly. One hopes that such treatments are done
out of ignorance and not with unethical intent.

When the Mid Southern Group of The Heather Society
visited my garden in August 1977, I called their attention
to a few plants that were looking “thoroughly browned-
off”. There were three in a group of ten E. vagans
‘Valerie Proudley’, three more in a dozen of Calluna
vulgaris “Peter Sparkes’ and one among some E. cinerea
‘Pygmaea’, We all asked ourselves.*‘ Why do heathers so
often die for no apparent reason ?”

On the advice of Miss Brooks I sent some specimens
to Dr. Pauline Smith, Microbiologist of the Glasshouse
Crops Research Institute, who is doing a special project on
heather diseases. She identified my trouble as the fungus
Phytophthora cinnamomi and wrote to me a most interest-
ing letter. As a result, I asked her if, for the benefit of us
all and gardeners generally, she would be good enough to
write an article for our Year Book and this she has kindly
agreed to do.

I. have myself experimented with products called
Macuprax and Mancozeb and can say that the disease
has not spread in the beds where these have been used,
but of course, this in itself is far from positive evidence.
At Kew the soil is sterilised by steam, but such a treat-
ment is beyond the reach of most of us.

BOOK 1978

F. B. Rice

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THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Mrs. Constance MacLeod Norwich 1977 Photo: F. B. Rice

YEAR BOOK 1978 37

Die-back and wilt disease
caused by Phytophthora
cinnamomi

Pauline M. Smith, Glasshouse Crops Research
Institute, Littlehampton, Sussex BN16 3PU

Die-back and wilt disease of heaths and heathers
caused by the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi was
reported in the U.K. in 1937. It is, therefore, not a new
problem, but in recent years has probably become more
prevalent, and certainly more widely recognised, as
techniques for isolating and identifying the fungus have
improved. The Agricultural Development and Advisory
Service (ADAS) undertakes the diagnosis of Phytophthora
diseases for the nursery stock industry. But, non-com-
mercial growers are faced with the dilemma of deciding
whether plants with shoot wilt, browning and/or die-
back are suffering from adverse growing conditions,
Phytophthora infection or some other disease or pest
attack.

The fungus and mode of attack

P. cinnamomi is a soil and water borne pathogen and
usually infects its host via the roots, although infection
of stems which are in contact with infested soil can occur.
The rate at which root rot develops and spreads into the
stem depends on host susceptibility and environmental
factors e.g. soil moisture and temperature as well as the
amount of fungal inoculum present. The optimum
temperature for vegetative growth (mycelium) of the
fungus is about 27°C (81°F) and no growth occurs
below 5°C (41°F). The disease is, therefore, more
prevalent during the warmer months of the year. The
fungus can produce three types of spores — (1) Sporangia.
These are formed in the presence of water and can
either germinate directly to produce a new colony, or
liberate 20 to 30 motile zoospores which swim or are
carried in water and thus come into contact with plant
roots. Zoospores soon become non-motile and germinate

38 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

to produce a vegetative growth which penetrates and
infects the host roots. (2) Chlamydospores. These are
non motile, with a slightly thickened wall and probably
serve as short-term survival spores which germinate
eventually to give further fungal colonies. (3) Oospores.
These are also non-motile but have a thick wall and may
survive in the soil for some years. We do not know the
conditions which induce germination of spores or
how important they are in contributing to the spread of
die-back and wilt disease.

Disease symptoms and host susceptibility

Root infection by P. cinnamomi usually goes undetec-
ted until the amount of rotting reduces water uptake to
such an extent that there is foliar wilting, yellowing,
browning and desiccation. Thus, although wet conditions
encourage infection by P. cinnamomi, disease symptoms
are likely to develop more quickly during periods of
dry weather when the plant is under greater water stress.
In some host plants the fungal infection spreads so slowly
in the roots that the production of new roots can offset
the damage. In these hosts the typical foliage symptoms
may be long delayed or never develop, while in others
vigour may be reduced. However, these “symptomless’
but infected plants can be an important undetected
source of disease spread.

P. cinnamomi attacks not only Ericaceous plants such
as Erica, Calluna, Rhododendron, and Pernettya, but
many coniferous species including the numerous varieties
of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana which are frequently
planted in heather gardens. P. cinnamomi is a world wide
pathogen attacking over 900 plant species belonging to
more than a hundred different genera.

Disease control

At the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute we are
testing different methods of disease control including
the use of fungicides. Several new fungicides have given a
promising level of control when applied to plants as
protectant drenches to the roots, but further work is
necessary to determine whether the treatments will give
long term protection and to confirm that the fungicides

YEAR BOOK 1978 39

are non damaging to a wide range of plants species. It
should be mentioned that fungicides of the MBC type
e.g. Benlate are unlikely to give control of P. cinnamomi;
these compounds although effective against many
fungal pathogens, are known to be inactive against
Phytophthora species. Until effective fungicides for the
control of P. cinnamomi are available for the home
gardener, prevention of disease spread by adopting the
following measures is the only line of defence.

1. Do not plant in soils which are liable to become
waterlogged or overwet. Encourage vigorous root
growth by good cultural conditions.

2. Regard any heather plant with wilt or die-back as a
‘suspect’ victim of P. cinnamomi attack. Remove the
plants with the roots and adhering soil to a polythene
bag at the site. Remember that any spillage of infected
root fragments or soil or transference on tools and
footwear is liable to spread the disease.

3. Contaminated material can be ‘sterilized’ by drenching
with formaldehyde* or burning. Tools should be
washed with a disinfectant such as SterIzal. But, at all
costs, avoid dumping diseased material where drain-
age water might carry the fungus to other parts of the
garden.

4. When selecting cuttings for propagation take shoots
from vigorous plants and avoid those near or in
contact with the soil.

5. Always buy stock from a reliable source.
6. Use a clean water supply for irrigation.

Finally, although protectant fungicide treatments may
be on the way, there is no substitute for good growing
conditions and careful removal of ailing plants.

*Formaldehyde can be used on fallow land or compost, but sufficient time must
elapse to allow the toxic fumes to disappear before planting (3 weeks on light
soils and 6 weeks on heavy soils). Formaldehyde is a poison and the instructions
for use must be strictly observed.

40 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

New Introductions
J. Platt, Ulnes Walton, Nr. Leyland, Lancs.

(Our avid collector has again been busy this year and he has listed

details of his latest acquisitions. ED.)

Calluna vulgaris

‘Amanda Wain’ —July-Oct.
Rose pink flowers, upright growth, orange foliage. Agent-
Woolworths.

‘Battle of Arnhem’ —Nov.-Dec.
24”. Purple-red flowers, dark green foliage turning bronze in
winter, similar in growth to ‘Autumn Glow’. Found by Dr.
I. T. Visser, Wageningen, Holland.

‘Catherine’ —Sept.-Nov.
9”-12”. Cerise flowers, upright twisted growth, grey-green
foliage. Raised by Mr. C. T. Harding, Old Hall Nurseries, Pud-
dington, Cheshire, 1973-1974 and named after his daughter.

‘Crimson Sunset’ Aug. -Oct.
6”. Purple-red flowers, spreading growth, yellow-orange
foliage turning bronze in winter. A neat plant.

‘Dart’s Gold’ —Aug.-Sept.
6”. Single white flowers (sparse). A sport from “Ruth Sparkes’,
compact, lower growing than its parent plant. Showing only
one spike reverting, (half yellow, half green) after three years.
Darthuizer Nurseries, Leersum, Holland.

‘Dart’s Silver Rocket’ —July-Aug.
18”. Mauve-purple flowers, upright growth, grey foliage. Fast
growing plant. Darthuizer Nurseries.

‘Eric Easton’ —Sept.-Oct.
12”. White flowers, spreading growth, unusual green foliage.
Mr. H. Mitchell, Yorkshire.

‘Golden Max’ —July-Aug.
18”. White flowers, upright growth, foliage clear yellow
throughout the year. Mr. J. B. A. Dekker, Mijdrecht, Holland.

“Herbert Mitchell’ —Aug.-Sept.
12-18”. White flowers, upright growth, very free flowering.
Raised by Mr. H. Mitchell.

‘Jan Dekker’ —Aug.-Sept.
6”. Clear purple-grey foliage. A nice plant, compact spreading
growth. Mr. Dekker.

“Oxabach Carpet’ —Sept.-Oct.
2”. Purple flowers, flat creeping growth, dark green foliage.
Found growing on Oxabach mountain in Sweden by Mr. J.
Age Lundell of Helsingborg.

‘Pink Gown’ —Sept.-Oct.
24”. Pink flowers. A sport from ‘White Gown’. Sometimes
throws the odd white flowering spike. Mr. H. Mitchell.

“Red Max’ —July-Aug.
14”. Purple flowers. Upright growth, vigorous. Foliage turning
bronze red in winter. Mr. Dekker.

YEAR BOOK 1978 41

‘Sedlanov’ —No flowers.
A minute cultivar. A ball of moss-like foliage at three years.
1-13” spread. Is this the smallest heather in cultivation?
Dr. Lead from J. Grulich, Czechoslovakia.

‘Sylvic’ —Sept.
9”. White flowers (Sparse). Spreading dwarf growth. Mr. H.
Mitchell.

‘Silver Sandra’ —Aug.-Sept.
9”. Silver white flowers, bushy growth. Dr. Visser.

Erica carnea.

‘Pink Cecilia M. Beale’ —Jan.-Mar.
Light pink flowers, spreading growth. A sport found by the
late Fred Chapple on the white flowering plant. Mr. P. J. Foley,
Little Heath Farm Nursery, Berkhamstead, Herts.

‘Wanda’ —Jan.-Mar.
6-9”. Mid-pink flowers. New growth in spring tipped pink.
Pennyacre.

Erica cinerea

‘Baylays Variety’ —July-Sept.
3”. Purple flowers. Very compact slow growing, forms a
dome shaped plant. My smallest cinerea. Mr. T. C. Thacker,
Knowle, Warwick.

‘Dr. Small’s Seedling’ —July-Sept.
4”. White flowers, rich dark green foliage, spreading growth.
Distinct. A very nice plant found in Galway. Dr. W. A. Small,
Middlesborough.

Daboecia x scotica

‘Silverwells’ —June-Oct.
White flowers, low growth, very floriferous. A very good plant.
Edrom Nurseries, Coldringham, Berwickshire.

Erica erigena

‘Ewan Jones’ —April-May.
24”. Pink flowers (red in bud). Foliage lime green in summer,
turning yellow in winter. A striking colour break. A seedling
from ‘Superba’. Raised by Mr. A. W. Jones of West Camel in
1973.

‘Golden Lady’ —Mar.-April.
White flowers, sparse. The only gold foliage erigena in cultiva-
tion. Bressingham Gardens, Norfolk.
(‘Golden Dome’ (Letts 1964) reverted).

Erica tetralix

*Terschelling’ —July-Sep.
6-9”. Mauve-rose flowers in racemes (not umbels). Upright
grower. Found by Mr. Zwijnenburg on Terschelling Island.
Holland.

‘Shetland Island’ —July-Oct.
Light pink flowers, grey green foliage. Obtained from Head
Gardener of Withnell Hospital, Blackburn.

42 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Further notes on the induced
Erica erigena x Erica carnea
hybrids

Mrs. Anne Parris, Usk, Gwent.

Notes on this cross have appeared in both the 1976 and
1977 year books.

The three plants having “W. T. Rackliff’ as the female
parent have now all flowered. Flower colour varies
slightly between the three, but I would think that all are
pinker than the more mauve “Darley Dale’, whilst resemb-
ling this plant in habit, and in not setting seed.

Mr Lionel Woolner, Devon, sent me specimen flowers
from a presumed natural hybrid seedling occurring near
his ‘W. T. Rackliff’, which he strongly suspects of
having a ‘W. T. Rackliff’ x ‘Springwood Pink’ parentage
like my induced hybrids. His colour was very similar,
but the florets larger; due I suspect to better cultivation
than my plants, which are cramped.

It would be interesting to know how many others of the
Society have had natural seedlings near “W. T. Rackliff’
which are suspected of being hybrids of E. erigena x E.
carnea.

In this connection I would like to know if anyone has
succeeded in obtaining seed and seedlings from ‘W. T.
Rackliff’. I have not done so myself. If this is true that
the plant is sterile, the fact of having induced hybrid
fertility suggests the plant is only male sterile. Also
if true, this renders the obtaining of further crosses
using E. carnea as the male parent, much simpler.

The Erica erigena ‘Brightness’ x E.carnea ‘Springwood
Pink’ induced hybrids are much slower to flower. Of
the four plants obtained one only shows flower buds
for 1978. The four plants all have the bright pink to
crimson young shoots which one associates with the
hybrid. ‘J. W. Porter’. However in this case the ‘Bright-
ness’ parent is certainly not male sterile. I have a number
of plants obtained from seed from this parent.

YEAR BOOK 1978 43

My plants of ‘Springwood Pink’ do not breed true.
Seed from this source produces a variety of colours and
types, varying from white to bright pink and mauve,
most of which resemble the parent in prostrate habit,
but some of which are more shrubby and erect.

I am grateful to Mr. McClintock for coming to see
these hybrid plants. His interest is encouraging. He has
a full set of them and is growing them alongside a
collection of the other cultivars.

KE d

After the Drought

Mrs. D. Maginess, Broadstone, Dorset

The great drought of 1976 left large patches of appa-
rently dead heathers on a bank surrounding our lawn.
The following spring and summer, these plants were
deliberately left untouched, to see if any life existed in
the roots, and replacement was postponed as another hot
dry summer might well have killed young plants.

During October, all the obviously dead plants were
removed, and burnt. Sorrel, which had taken over most
bare patches, had to be carefully forked out and by the
end of the month all was ready for replanting.

We had a quantity of well-rotted compost formed from
weeds, and it was found that even couch grass had suc-
cumbed to the action of a rotting compound. It was in-
teresting to note that underneath the dead heathers a
good compost had been formed from their decayed
leaves, probably the result of years of natural leaf fall.

Attention was first given to large clods of heather
having long branches, bare, except for the tips. These
plants were lifted and replanted in holes deep enough
to ensure that only the green tips would show above
ground when earth and compost was packed round them.
It is expected that the tips will root as layerings and
make good coverage in a couple of years time. Those
treated in this way were E.carnea ‘Springwood Pink’
‘Springwood White’, ‘Rubra’ and ‘Winter Beauty’,
E..cinerea “Eden valley’, E.vagans ‘Mrs D. F. Maxwell’

44 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

E x williamsii ‘P. D. Williams’, Calluna vulgaris ‘H. E.
Beale’.

Fortunately, two years earlier self-layerings of summer
and winter flowering heathers had been potted up.
Cuttings had been taken in January 1975 of Calluna
‘Golden Feather’, and kept out of doors in pots, covered
with inverted jam jars, whose necks fitted just inside the
rims of the pots. Though they took some months to
root, they soon became strong, healthy plants, and the
success rate was some 80 %.

Surprisingly, the only varieties totally lost on the bank,
were E.carnea ‘Aurea’ and ‘Pink Beauty’ and Calluna
‘Cuprea. Even a C. vulgaris ‘Mrs. Pat’ survived, having
been sheltered by the overarching branches of E x
williamsii ‘P. D. Williams’

In other parts of the garden E.cinerea *“Domino’,
E x darleyensis ‘Silberschmelze’, Calluna ‘Joan Sparkes’
and ‘Ralph Purnell’ died as a result of the drought.

Karty

Some random notes
G. A. and R. G. Chatelain, Orpington, Kent

Although it was pleasant to be invited by the Editor to
provide a note about any new cultivars we had come
across recently, his letter came at a time of inactivity
on our part, most of the summer of 1976 having been
spent trying to save existing plants from the drought
and other factors in 1977 having prevented us from
undertaking much ‘heathering’. Nevertheless, a few
jottings may be of interest.

Our nearest specialist nursery is Hardwicks, which we
often visit with the intention of looking, but usually
return home with something new. About three years
ago we saw a somewhat scruffy looking E. erigena with
distinctive off-white flowers. It was labelled ‘Ivory’ which
exactly described the flower colour. Mr. Baulu tells us
that the plant was an introduction by Mr. Hardwick
but that it is no longer in cultivation. We hope to rectify
this omission as the plant is indeed a pleasant addition

YEAR BOOK 1978 45

to the erigena range being covered in bloom very dif-
ferent from the usual white forms and contrasting well
with the coloured varieties. Also from Hardwicks comes a
Daboecia with golden variegated foliage. This is ‘William
Buchanan Gold’ and although Mr Baulu has been
showing it for several years, for some reason it does not
appear to have been included in the literature, although
this may have been corrected by the time these notes
appear’. Another addition to the garden from this nursery
is E. cinerea “White Dale’ which we first saw growing so
well in Major~Gen. Turpin’s garden. Its long sprays of
profusely borne flowers make this a useful addition to the
list of white cinereas.

It is seldom that we visit Mr. Davis’ sylvan retreat
without returning with something exciting. The latest
addition is E. cinerea “‘Ashgarth Garnet’, a plant which
will be familiar to those members who attended the
Farnham conference. Of the same colour group as
‘Velvet Night’ and ‘Katinka’, so aptly described by
Mr. Yates as glowing beetroot, our plants are more
compact and have bloomed without interruption for a
good three months. C.v. ‘Anthony Davis’ is another
introduction of Mr. Davis which blooms well but which,
with us at least, tends to yellow at the base after some
five years. It is a cultivar we have yet to meet anywhere
else in this country although it is now listed by Zwijnen-
burg of Boskoop, and Herr Westermann in Germany has
a sizeable stock from the few plants we gave him in
1974. It is surprising that “Anthony Davis’ is not grown
more in this country. If it will soon be superseded by
newcomers such as ‘Silver King’ and ‘Beoley Silver’, it
will be a shame. Zwijnenburg lists a number of plants
unfamiliar to us but one, E. cinerea ‘Providence’
we are determined to get our hands on, having seen it
growing in Boskoop. Of a deep fiery red colour, it is
quite different from any other cultivar of our acquain-
tance. Mr. Brien in Pitcairngreen has a number of
plants and a trip to Scotland seems indicated. His
is a nursey we visit with the highest expectations due
to the number of surprises to be founded dotted around

*See R.H.S. Journal for March, 1978.

46 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

his beds. This year we have acquired several Callunas:
‘Salmon Leap’, ‘Christina’, ‘Jan Dekker’ and High-
land Rose’. It is of course too early to say how they
will flourish, but if they are only half as attractive
as ‘Arran Gold’ or his St. Kilda heathers, we shall be
well satisfied.

Plants which have not done well with us are C.y.
‘St Nick’ which is reputed to bloom on St Nicholas Day
but resolutely refuses to do so with us, and E. cinerea
‘Apricot Charm’ which turns up its toes and dies with
us. A further disappointment is that C.v. “‘Joseph’s Coat’,
brought back from a visit to Mr. Osmond at Wickwar,
has refused to produce other than white flowers and we
gather that its early erratic behaviour has not been
repeated. C.v. ‘Wickwar Flame’ does not appear to
deteriorate with age and it was pleasant to see it cata-
logued by a local garden centre.

The above has turned out to be a list of nurseries
visited with one major and glaring exception. A visit to
Tabramhill is an experience not readily forgotten and
our omission of it from our travels is something we are
determined to put right as soon as possible. When we do,
no doubt the visit will provide material for any future
article our Editor may request —if in fact he does not
feel that the present effort is quite enough of a good
thing!

Key

Heather Gardens No. 4
The Royal Botanic Gardens,

Kew
Major-General P. G. Turpin, Guildford

Londoners are lucky in the number of public parks and
gardens within easy reach, in which they can enjoy
the superb collections of trees, shrubs and flowers
bequeathed to them by a succession of dedicated botanists
and horticulturists over the years. No other Capital can
boast so many gardens, which receive such constant
care and attention from experts in the techniques of

YEAR BOOK 1978 47

horticulture. Pre-eminent are the Royal Botanic Gardens
at Kew,. which can well claim to be the most important
botanical institution in the world. For more than two
hundred years its Directors and Staff have collected,
grown, classified and preserved millions of plants. And
here the heather enthusiast will find a corner of the
Gardens devoted entirely to his special interest.

The Heath Garden lies in the extreme south-east
corner near the Pagoda and is only a short distance
from the Lion Gate entrance in Kew Road. The site was
occupied by roses until 1956, when it was decided to
create a heath garden with a representative collection of
heathers. The original planting consisted of some
twenty thousand plants, which included most of the
species and hybrids in cultivation outdoors in this
country.

The garden is skilfully landscaped to form a series of
large island beds rising towards their centres, with grass
paths winding along their lower edges, so that the plants
can be seen to their best advantage. The beds, some of
them fifty feet wide, are large enough to permit very
generous plantings of the different varieties.

The soil at Kew is a sandy loam which dries out quickly-
The beds in the Heath garden are enriched with a gener-
ous supply of leaf-mould and given a surface mulch of
peat to help retain moisture and keep down the weeds.
Little artificial watering took place during the summer of
1976, and there were some losses from the drought,
which are now being made good. As there are five main
planting areas, it is convenient to follow a five year
replanting cycle in order to keep the collection in a
young and vigorous condition. The plantings have been
made with the object of giving a colourful display at the
two main flowering periods: late winter and spring for
the tree heaths, and the varieties of E. carnea, Erica
erigena and the darleyensis hybrids; and late summer
and autumn for the summer-flowering species. Full use is
made of cultivars with coloured foliage to provide
contrast at both seasons. The educational value of this
collection of heathers is not lost sight of and the garden

48 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

has its place in the curricula of students attending courses
at Kew.

In mid-April 1977, when most of the E. carnea
varieties were still at their best, the garden looked very
impressive, with the Pagoda in the background, E.
arborea ‘Alpina’, E. lusitanica and E. australis giving
height to the display, and E. erigena “Coccinea’, ‘Alba’
and ‘W. T. Rackliff’ framing the lower-growing E. x
darleyensis ‘George Rendall’, ‘Silberschmelze’ and ©
‘Arthur Johnson’, and the E. carnea cultivars “Winter
Beauty’, “Praecox Rubra’, ‘Springwood White’ and
‘Springwood Pink’ lining the grass paths. The splendour
of this display again brought home firmly the lesson that
a comparatively small number of well-chosen varieties
can make a far more spectacular effect than smaller
groups of many more cultivars. Here no group consists
of less than a hundred plants and most number between
four and five hundred.

Of the summer-flowering heathers the Callunas are
the most numerous, with a dozen or so of the best, well-
tried, varieties, including Calluna ‘H. E. Beale’, “Tib’,
‘Cuprea’, ‘Alba Flore Pleno’, “Co. Wicklow’, ‘Mullion’,
‘Ruth Sparkes’, ‘Hirsuta Typica’, ‘Serlei’, ‘Multicolor’,
*“MacGregor’s Variety’ and ‘“‘Elegantissima’’. This last is
not the true Walter Ingwersen variety, but possibly a
seedling from it. All these are planted in bold groups
which are most effective. E. cinerea is represented by the
cultivars ‘Rosea’, ‘C. D. Eason’ and ‘Apple Blossom’.
There is a good selection of E. vagans: ‘Mrs. D. F.
Maxwell’, ‘Diana Hornibrook’, “‘Lyonesse’, St. Keverne’,
‘Kevernensis Alba’ and ‘Pyrenees Pink’. One unusual
grouping consists of an interplanting of E. vagans
‘Pyrenees Pink’ and the white Calluna ‘MacGregor’s
Variety’, a strong-growing cultivar similar to “Serlei’ and
flowering at about the same time.

Daboecia cantabrica, E. mackaiana ‘Plena’, E. ciliaris
‘Maweana’ and the E x williamsii and E x watsonii
hybrids make colourful patches in September, and the
grey foliage of E. tetralix ‘Alba Mollis’ is at all times a
splendid contrast to the various shades of green and
golden foliage.

YEAR BOOK 1978 49

Background and variety are provided by specimen trees
and shrubs. There is a fine Blue Cedar, Acacias and
varieties of Silver Birch; and low-growing Junipers and
Gaultheria shallon.

The gardens are open all the year round and a visit at
any time is most rewarding.

Mr. Charles Erskine, the Assistant Curator, Arbore-
tum, has been responsible for this part of the Gardens
since March 1977, when he succeeded Mr. G. E. Brown;
with Mr. Jim Mateer, the Garden Supervisor of the
Heath Garden, he ensures that the heathers are a constant
attraction to visitors.

KEDy

Erica ciliaris, and Erica x
Watson in Dorset.

A. W. Jones, West Camel, Somerset

Erica ciliaris is found in Tangier, north-western
Morocco and in the coastal regions of continental Europe
as far north as Brittany. In the British Isles it is indigen-
ous to Cornwall, Devon (though now perhaps only to a
single site), Dorset and Western Ireland. It is one of our
scarcest native heaths, but is most abundant in Dorset.
Even here it is restricted to an area in the south east of
the County lying between Poole Harbour and the Purbeck
Hills, with a few isolated stands north-west of Wareham.

Some of the heathlands and valley bogs here where the
plants grow are controlled by the National Environment
Research Council and are not open to the public. The
Council’s Institute of Terrestial Ecology has a base at the
Furzebrook Research Station near Wareham. A letter
to Furzebrook brought us permission to visit the heaths,
and so it was on an afternoon in early October we met
Dr. S. B. Chapman who. has made a special study at
Furzebrook of E. ciliaris and its hybrids with E. tetralix.

Before showing us the plant in the wild, Dr. Chapman
gave us a short talk. He showed a large scale map of
the distribution of the plant in Dorset and told us that
there has been little change in the population since the

50 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

mid-1930’s. He then went into the question of the hybrids
between E. ciliaris and E. tetralix and explained how he
used a nine point table of morphological differences to
place plants in the categories ciliaris, tetralix, or hybrid.

The features are:

E. ciliaris
1. Leaves broadly ovate (only

twice as long as broad)

E.tetralix
Leaves linear-lanceolate. (At least
three times longer than broad)

2. Midrib glabrous Midrib pubescent.

3. Branches short and numer- Branches long and sparse, usually
ous tending to be whorled some distance from current in-
under the current inflores- florescence.
cence

4. Inflorescence a _ unilateral Inflorescence an umbel.
raceme.

5. Leaves three to a whorl. More than three leaves toa whorl.

6. Corolla tubular-urceolate, Corolla ovoid-urceolate, 6-8mm
8-10 mm long, ventricose, long, not ventricose, mouth may
mouth oblique. be slightly oblique.

7. Anthers without appendages. Anthers with appendages more

than half the length of the anther.

8. Anther surface papillate. Anther surface not papillate.

9. Capsule glabrous. Capsule pubescent.

The presence or absence of anther appendages is
probably the most reliable single characteristic in dis-
tinguishing between E. ciliaris and E. tetralix. Many
plants were examined and given a score of O for a
ciliaris characteristic and 1 for a tetralix characteristic.
The scores of individual plants were then totalled and a
score of less than three was said to be ciliaris, from
three to six tetralix hybrid, and greater than six fetralix.
When a histogram of the individual scores was plotted
a trimodal distribution was revealed with well defined
peaks at 0 and 9 and a spectral hump peaking between
4 and 5.

E.ciliaris may be found on dry sites and is usually
where the soil has been disturbed in the fairly recent
past. This latter point may be the clue to the larger
number of viable ciliaris seeds than hybrid seeds. There
is also a statistical correlation between ciliaris and tall
vegetation such as Moliniaand Phragmites. Wet heathland
sites with up to 10cms of peat can only be colonised
after disturbance by burning and so remain fairly stable
in population, whereas growing sphagnum presents a

YEAR BOOK 1978 aut

constantly regenerating germination site: and under
these conditions once ciliaris has become established it
develops fairly rapidly from a mixed population domi-
nated by tetralix to a mixed population dominated by
hybrids. The main sites for hybrid plants are near the
centre of the area where E. ciliaris grows, and Dr. Chap-
man explained that this was supported by the hypothesis
that E. ciliaris in Dorset represents an expanding popula-
tion.

After this talk Dr. Chapman took us to a site on
Hartland Moor, which had been burned during the
Summer of 1976, and seemed to have a fairly shallow
depth of (sandy) peat. Here the pure E. ciliaris was re-
establishing itself together with Marsh Gentians (Gentiana
pneumonanthe). The ciliaris were perhaps six inches tall
here.

The next site we visited was on common land, not
far from the first. This had not been burned for a number
of years and contained a large population of hybrid
plants. These were large and dome-shaped being between
one and a half feet tall. The site seemed reasonably
dry, but this may have been as a result of drainage
carried out since they became established. Indeed a
roadside drainage ditch provided an excellent example
of one of the points Dr. Chapman had made in his talk,
as pure E. ciliaris was growing on its banks. These
plants were smaller than those that some of us saw on
Dartmoor during the 1973 Conference at Dartington
Hall. However they were not growing in competition
with the Forestry Commission’s conifers. Dr. Chapman
said that E. ciliaris was present in some sites in Dorset
where afforestation had taken place, but during our four
hour visit we did not have time to see them.

Finally, Dr. Chapman took us to a site where there
had been a stand of white E. ciliaris prior to severe
burning in 1976. He was unable to say if it was still
present and we had a long tramp across the bog to
reach the place. All landmarks had been obliterated
by the fire, and when we arrived at the supposed site we
found nothing. However on crossing a low ridge and
descending to the next valley, still in an area devastated

52 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

by fire, we were rewarded by finding a number of small
white flowered plants. I am ashamed to say that my de-
light at seeing these plants drove scientific curiosity from
my mind and I cannot say for certain if they were seed-
lings or plants growing from rootstocks which had sur-
vived the fire.

It had been a fascinating afternoon and I am delighted
to report that E. ciliaris and its hybrids are still relatively
abundant and that where the stocks were decimated by
fire, they are recovering.

*The subject matter of Dr. Chapman’s talk is fully covered in his paper, ‘““The
Distribution and Composition of Hybrid Populations of Erica ciliaris L. and
Erica tetralix L in Dorset’. J. Ecol 63, 809-823, November 1975, referred to in
Recent Writings in the 1977 Year Book.

Kx. Dr

Pulverised Bark

A.J. Stow, Flackwell Heath, Bucks.

I was introduced to this product in the spring of 1977
and carried out the supplier’s instructions by mulching a
heather bed to a depth of one inch. The rest of the heather
garden was mulched with my normal dressing of leaf
mould, an annual necessary operation as the pH of my
soil is 7.6. Initially, due to a lengthy dry spell, it was not
an instant success as the bark, being very light, tended
to be blown about and was very popular with the birds,
who seemed to delight in scratching in the mulch.

However, after a period of rain the bark consolidated
itself on to the surface, completely obliterating all weeds.
Even during subsequent dry periods the birds did not
find it so attractive, as the bark had formed a firm and
solid carpet, though it still remained pervious to rain.

As an experiment I also used some of the medium for
rooting cuttings, these were quite successful, but no
advantage to my mind was gained over the standard
peat and sand mixture. Pulverised bark is more coarse
than sedge peat, in fact rather like sphagnum peat,
and for propagating purposes needs to be broken down
and finely sieved before adding the sand. However

YEAR BOOK 1978 53

specially prepared bark-based composts are now avail-
able, and obviously this would eliminate the sieving
process.

Mr. O. J. Clayton, writing from Wisley, says that for
mulching he prefers it in the form of chippings, which
they obtain direct from the Forestry Commission. The
larger particles, up to half an inch or more in diameter,
last longer and are particularly suitable as a surface
mulch for heathers and dwarf conifers.

To sum up, the advantages over peat appear to be
twofold — one, after six months the bark is still intact
on the surface and weeds are non existent and two, a not
inconsiderable advantage, is that pulverised bark is
cheaper and from my brief experience it seems likely to
stay on the surface for at least two years. The suppliers
add that as a soil conditioner it has a useful life of up to
five years.

Book Review

LES BRUYERES DE PLEIN AIR
by Léon Goarant. Obtainable from him at 182 Rue du
Fauborg St Denis, 75010 Paris, for 15 francs plus
postage.

M. Goarant is the proprietor of Les Plantations Modernes “‘le
bureau d’approvisionnement qui solutionne les fournitures de
toutes les plantes” and I suppose his booklet, of 65 large pages,
is in One way an unpriced catalogue. But for all that he is to be
congratulated on producing the first book in French almost entirely
on hardy heathers. He lists some 360 cvs but, such is the state of
French Philericism, that only about 100 are noted as “‘Les plus
couramment commercialisées’’. He clearly has used the Dutch
lists, but there is good evidence of personal knowledge.

The introduction is suitable and includes a map showing the
number of days of frost in different areas, and the heathers are
allotted to these five groups; but I think he underrates their hardi-
ness. Following the annotated list, which is by species and flower
colour, is an extensive calendar of flowering times, and then the
cvs listed yet again by colour of their foliage. The production ends
with eight pages on associated plants. There are elegant line draw-
ings throughout. Errors there are, but this cheaply produced (yet
somewhat expensive) work should at least start to reduce the
“peu d’intérét porté jusq’alors aux Bruyeéres de Plein Air en
France’. The next step must be a colourful hard-back.

D. McC.

54 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

MANTILLO J. L. G., ARMIN J. & VIEITAZ E. Actividad biologica sobre el crecimento
y germinacion de extracta de Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. Anales de Edefolgia y
Agriobiologia 34 (9-10) 789-95.

Extracts of Calluna showed significant inhibitory effects on seed germination.

MANTILLO J. L. G. & ViEITAzZ E. Compuestos fenolicas en extractos de Calluna
vulgaris (L.) Hull. ibid. 34 765-74.

Phenolic compounds in the leaves, flowers, stems and roots determined.

PATTERSON A. A wealth of March Heathers. Amateur Gardening 5 March 1977
12-13.

A racy romp.

PERRY F. Heather bright. Observer 9 Oct. 1977.

PIZZETTI I. & COCKER H. ‘‘Flowers, A guide to your garden.’’ Henry N. Abrams
Incl. Calluna pp. 153-6, Erica 441-51.

Good only in parts.

READ D. J. & STRIBLING D. P. Some mycological aspects of the biology of mycor-
rhiza in the Ericaceae. In ‘‘Endomycorrhizas’’, ed. F. E. Saunders et al.
Academic Press 1975 pp. 105-117.

STRIBLING D. P. & READ D. J. Some nutritional aspects of the biology of Ericace-
ous mycorrhizas. ibid. pp. 195-207.

WHITEHEAD G. E. Of Heaths and Heathers. W. Sussex Gazette, 27 Oct. 1977.
Adequate general summary.

Wuitsey F. Keeping heather at home. Daily Telegraph 9 Oct. 1977.

“T cannot take them to my heart” but...

Keiiind

Nurserymen Members

GUR APPRECIATION AND THANKS are due to the following whose

advertisements appear in this issue :—

ANGUS HEATHERS, 10 Guthrie St., Letham, Forfar, Angus, DD8 2PS

BARNCROFT NuRSERY, Dunwood Lane, Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 9QW

BLooms NurRsSERIES, Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk.

W. A. CADMAN, Woodside, Blackpark, Inverness, [V3 6PW.

G. J. CooKEs, 2 Drayton Lane, Fenny Drayton, Nuneaton.

DENBEIGH HEATHER NURSERIES, The Poplars, All Saints Rd., Creeting St. Mary,
Ipswich, Suffolk. IP6 8PJ.

FERNHURST GARDENS, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

L. P. JoNEs, Linden Lodge, Broughton Astley, Leicester.

NETHERTON Moor NurserIESs, Honley, Huddersfield.

GEORGE OsMonpD, Archfield Nursery, Wickwar, Wooton-y-Edge, Glos.

OTTERS COURT HEATHERS, West Camel, Nr. Yeovil Sonjerset. BA22 7QF.

PENNYACRE NURSERIES, Crawley House, Springfield, Fife; KY15 SRU.

GERVASE SMITH AND Sons, Hackney Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, Derbys.

SPEYSIDE HEATHER CENTRE, Dulnain Bridge, Skye of Curr, Inverness-shire,
PH26 3PA.

TABRAMHILL GARDENS, Ollerton Road, Arnold, Nottingham. NGS 8PR.

TOXWARD Nursery, Magpie Lane, Horsham, Surrey.

OTHER NURSERIES

Wholesale only:

CLIVE BENSON, The Nurseries, 281 Croston Road, Farington, Preston Lancs.

J. W. SPARKES, Beechwood Nurseries, Gorcott Hill, Redditch, Worcs.

MILTON HUTCHINGS LTD., Pield Heath Nurseries, Hillingdon, Uxbridge, Middx.

D. MANSEL, Meadow Cottage Nursery, Chelwood Gate, Haywoods Heath, Sussex.
G. B. RAWINSKY, Primrose Hill Nursery, Haslemere, Surrey.

WINDLESHAM NURSERIES Ltd., London Road, Windlesham, Surrey.

P. G. ZWIINENBURG, Ryneveld, 35, Boskoop, Holland.

Retail/Wholesale

Zone 1:

R. J. BRIEN, Pitcairngreen Heather Farm, Perth.

W. A. CADMAN, Woodside Nursery, Black Park, Inverness, [V3 6PW.
DELANEY & LYLE, Grange Nursery, Alloa, Clackmannanshire.

GRAMPIAN LANDSCAPE GARDENERS, 78a Garden Place, Aberdeen.

D. A. LAMBIE, West End, Skye of Curr, Dulnain Bridge, Inverness-shire

A. D. MCFARLANE, Craigmarloch Nurseries, Mid Barrwood, Kilsyth.

C. P. Piper, Pennyacre Nurseries, Crawley House, Springfield, Fife.

J.D. WILSON, Messrs. Oliver & Hunter, Moniaive, Thornhill, Dumfrieshire.

YEAR BOOK 1978 55

Zone 2:

DAIsy HILL NurRSERIES, NEWRY, Co. Down, N.Ireland.

D. KerIns, Fernhurst Gardens, Killowen, Kenmare, Ireland.

S. J. MAGowan, Aberfoyle Nurseries, 21 Northland Rd. Londonderry, N.I.

Zone 3:

J. A. BENTLEY, Roselyne Nurseries, Totties, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, W. Yorks.

H. BARNES, 97, Blackpool Road, Great Carleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancs.

T. BARDON, Pendlehurst, Netherton Moor Road, Honley, Huddersfield, HD7 3RD
G. M. Hamer, Sunnymount Nursery, Glossop Road, Chisworth, Hyde, Cheshire.
C. G. HOLLeETT, Greenbank Nursery, Sedburgh, Yorks.

GERVASE SMITH & SONS LTD., Hackney Road, Matlock, Derbyshire. DE4 2PW.

D. Warp, Ward’s Nurseries, Eckington, Coal Aston, Sheffield. S18 6BA

Zone 5:

A. ANNABEL, Springwood, Church Drive, Ravenshead, Notts. NG15 9FG

Mrs. P. BENSON, Ridgeway Wood, Edgton, Craven Arms, Salop.

P. W. BINGHAM, Kingfisher Nursery, Gedney Hill, Spalding, Lincs. PE12 OPP.

G. TF. CooxkeEs, 2 Drayton Lane, Fenny Drayton, Nuneaton, Warks.

CRAIL NURSERIES, Newstead Abbey Park, Linby, Nottingham. NGI5 8GD

D & M. Everett, Mountpleasant Farm, Nurseries Elmley Lovett, Droitwich.
WR9 OPX

H. H. Lewis, Morton Nurseries, Bicton, Shrewsbury, Salop.

Zone 6:

N. H. BRUMMAGE, Heathwood Nursery, Fakenham Road, Taverham, Norwich,
Norfolk.

R. A. BROOKS, Little Park Nursery, Flowton, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 4LW.

M. G. FRYE, The Willows, Poors Lane (North), Daws Heath, Thundersley, Essex.

J. H. Git, Stour Valley Gardens, East Bergholt, Colchester, Suffolk. CO7 6TF

Zone 7:

HaARDWICKS NURSERIES, Newick, Lewes, Sussex.

HyYDON NuRSERIES Ltp, Clock Barn Lane, Hydon Heath, Godalming, Surrey.

F. H. SANDERSON DOLLEY, Dolleys Hill Nurseries, Normandy, Guildford, Surrey.
P. G. Davis, Timber Tops, Marley Common, Haslemere, Surrey.

T. H. SANDFORD, Timber Lodge Nursery, Northiam, nr. Rye, Sussex.

Zone 8:

C. BELL, Harepie Gardens, Tawstock, Nr. Barnstaple, Devon.

S. W. BoNnp, Land of Nod Nurseries, Petersfield Road, Whitehill, Bordon, Hants.
H. J. CoLe, Furzey Gardens, Minstead, Nr. Lyndhurst, Hants.

D. B. LowNnpeEs, MacPenny’s Nurseries, Bransgore, Nr. Christchurch, Hants.

Zone 9: U.S.A.

Mrs. Rost. M. KNIGHT, Heather Acres, Rt 3, Box 231. Elma, Wash. 98541
MANNING’S HEATHER FARM, 12450 Fiori Lane, Sebastopol, California 95472
Swiss PINEs, Charleston Road, RD1 Malvern, Pa. 193555

Will members please enclose a stamp with their enquiries.

KET

Local Group Organisers or Branch
Convenors

Zone 1: West of Scotland Branch
EE MNER: Mr. M, Coruisk, Dennistoun Road, Langbank, Port Glasgow, PA14

Zone 3: Northern
ARDRON, Mr. J. P, Fulwood Heights, Harrison Lane, Sheffield S10 4PA

Zone 5: Midlands
STREET, Mr. H, 2 The Green, Chipping Campden, Gloucester, GL55 6DL

56 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Zone 6: Norfolk Branch
LONDON, Mr. B. G, 6 Roedich Drive, Taverham, Norwich, Norfolk NR8 6RB

Zone 7: Mid Southern Group
Lee, Mrs. P. B, Birches, Kingswood Firs, Grayshott, Hindhead, Surrey.

Zone 8: South West Group
JoNEs, Mr. A, Otters Court, West Camel, Somerset, BA22 7QF

Zone 8: Farther West Group
MA LtTBy, Mr. R, Rowan Close, Throwleigh Road, South Zeal, Okehampton,
Devon.

KEXeDI

Committee Members

Events:

BOWERMAN, Mrs. M., Champs Hill, Coldwaltham, Pulborough, (Chairman)
BOoXxALL, Mrs. M., Gilridge, Sandy Lane, Kingswood, Surrey.

LEE, Mrs. P., Birches, Kingswood Firs, Grayshott, Hindhead. Sy.,

STREET, Mr. H., 2 The Green, Chipping Campden, Glos.

TURPIN, Maj.-Gen. P. G., Cottswood, West Clandon, Guildford, Sy.

Publications:

Stow, Mr. A. J., 15 Highlands, Flackwell Heath, Bucks. (Chairman).
JONES, Mrs. D., Otters Court, West Camel, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset.
Leg, Mrs. P. (See above).

LoNpDoON, Mr. B. G., 6 Roedich Drive, Taverham, Norwich.

OLIvER, Mr. D. B., 27 Valentine Road, Leicester.

Finance & General Purposes:
OLIvER, Mr. D. B. (Chairman)
BOWERMAN, Mr. A. H.

LEE, Mrs. P. (ex-officio)
LONDON, Mr. B. G.

STREET, Mr. H.

TURPIN, Maj.-Gen. P. G.

Technical:

TAYLor, Mr. A., Altadena, South View Rd., Crowborough, Sx. (Chairman).
JONES, Mr. A. W., Otters Court, West Camel, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset.

JULIAN, Mr. T. A., Lee Wood, Reservoir Road, Whaley Bridge, Cheshire.
NICHOLSON, Mr. H. L. Farm Cottage, Westcott Road, Dorking, Surrey.
SMALL, Mr. D. J., The Poplars, All Saints Rd, Creeting St. Mary, Suff.
UNDERHILL, Mr. T., Gardens Cottage, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon.
VICKERS, Mr. G. P., 139 Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield.

YEAR BOOK 1978 57

Recent writings on Heathers, 1977

ANON. Erica-woche von 3 bis 8 Oktober 1977. Gdrtnerzeitung 39/77 p. 708.
A coordinated effort by Swiss nurserymen to show how fine heathers can be.

ANON. Hochstamm Eriken. Gdrtnerboérse & Gartenwelt 77(44) 1058.
An account of the medal-winning awards at the Stuttgart show.

AUBERT S. Les Ericacées en Provence. Thése, Université d’Aix, Marseille. CNRS
No. A 0 1348.
Assesses the factors affecting their distribution.

Cox D. Winter-flowering Heathers, and Summer-flowering Heathers. Garden News
12 Feb. 1977 18-19.
Short lists with particulars, and a photo of Erica ‘Delta’.

CROWDEN Re & JARMAN S. J. Anthocyanins in the genus Erica. Phytochemistry
15(11); 796-7.
Analyses 39 species, all S African except E ‘‘mediterranea’’, E carnea and E
cinerea, which proved to be identical except for a minute difference between
the first two.

dE La Ree PON EAULD B. Erica darleyensis ‘Margaret Porter’. L’ Ami des Jardins
Nov. 1976.
A useful introduction to the merits of the winter-flowerers.

Ezra D. Sir John Charrington. The Times 23 July 1977.
His ‘leadership in the coal trade’.

AEN E. Andromeda ein Kleingeholz des immergiinen Gartens. Palmengarten 41

3.

A short account.

HARPER P., Hardy Heaths and Heathers. Avant Gardener. 9 (6) 41-48. Full of facts
from across the Atlantic, by an old and knowledgeable friend.

JAVORKA S. & CSsaPpopy V. Iconographia Florae partis austro-orientalis Europae
centralis. p. 389.

Drawings of Calluna, E carnea and Bruckenthalia.

LECOINTE A. L. & PROvOosT R. A propos d’une ‘“‘transplante de sauvegarde”’
d’ Andromeda polifolia ... de Baupte (Manche) a Cessiéres (Aisne). Bull. Soc.
Linn. de Normandie 105 95-9. eee

LE Croix I. F. Heaths for the garden. Green Fingers Vol. 5 Pt. 54 33-8.

Excellent, succinct and well illustrated.

MCCLINTOCK D. Sir John Charrington. The Times 28 July 1977.

A tribute to his services to the Heather Society.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

PORTICUMTUR

The characteristics of Tilcon Horticultural
Perlite make it ideal and easy to use for: —

* Seed germination * Potting composts
| * Rooting cuttings * Grow-bags
* Soil conditioning * Lawn dressing

* Growth floatation kits
(specially treated Perlite)

Tilcon Horticultural Perlite offers
Gardeners and Nurserymen the
following benefits:—

* Faster seed germination and
plant growth

* Better root systems and easier
transplantation

* Improved soil drainage and
aeration

* Holds moisture and plant food

PER
near to roots weoseoeay

* Ideal for growth floatation and
hydroponics

Tilcon Horticultural Perlite is supplied in
plastic sacks through Garden Centres,
Nurseries and Horticultural Sundriesmen

ORDER FORM

TILCON Horticultural Perlite

on
Please send me ___ ____ Trial Sacks at £2.40 each
including VAT at 8% and carriage

(UK Mainland only — Islands extra)

NAME Sia +A) eS
ADDRESS _

TILC ON,

Distributed by - | (1) | | se

SILVAPERL PRODUCTS LTD ees

PO Box 8, Dept. 11 | an em, || =
HARROGATE, North Yorks. HG2 8JW 7 MematR enecue Postal ones No for£ enclosed

Tel. 0423 870370 | J | payable to SILVAPERL PRODUCTS LTD

iE ma |

YEAR BOOK 1978 59

Hardy Derbyshire grown Heathers, Rose and Fruit
trees, Ornamental and Flowering Shrubs, Rock
and Herbaceous plants, etc.

Catalogue and Gift Vouchers on request

Gervase Smith & Sons Ltd.
Top and Fairfield Nurseries, Hackney

Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2P'W
Phone: Matlock 2425

Nurseries always open for inspection

Fernhurst Garden Nurseries

KENMARE, Co KERRY
IRELAND

Tel: (064) 41469

A wide range of excellent quality ericas :: Whole-
sale and retail enquiries welcome

W. A. CADMAN
SUGGESTS YOU VISIT

Woodside Nursery, Blackpark
INVERNESS
(Tel. 36330)

for choice heathers, rhododendrons, ornamental
conifers, flowering shrubs

60 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

ERICA CRUENTA

Probably our favourite amongst the Cape Heaths
we grow, it has curved red flowers 3 cm long in
sprays of 30 cm or more.

It flowers over a long period from August to
January and has been grown outside in East
Anglia now for two years. Survives frosts up to
1:

Just one of the many Cape heaths now ayailabie
from us.

For more details, send 20p in stamps to:-

DENBEIGH HEATHER
NURSERIES

The Poplars, All Saints Road, Creeting St. Mary,
Ipswich, Suffolk, IP6 SPJ
TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOMED

+ Heather Bed Planning
* Soil Testing

> Heather Supply

Leighton & Elizabeth Jones

LINDEN LODGE,
Broughton Astley,
Leicestershire

Tel. (0455) 282505

YEAR BOOK 1978 61

Plants of Distinction from

BRESSINGHAM
GARDENS

Few catalogues offer the variety and wealth of
information to be found in the 1978-79 edition
(published May 1978) 112 pages, over 200 colour
illustrations covering Heathers, Dwarf and Slow
Growing Conifers, Shrubs, Alpines, Perennials,
Dwarf Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Ferns ,Grasses,
Bamboos and Hardy Cyclamen.

Write for your free copy in May or after (those who
ordered from us last year will automatically
receive their 1978-79 edition).

OPEN WEEKEND 1978

Adrian Blooms garden is only open once a year.
This year it will be Saturday September 2nd and
Sunday September 3rd. The Dell Garden will
also be open. Make this a date in your diary.

Full details in the 1978-79 catalogue.
Write to:

BRESSINGHAM GARDENS
Bressingham,
Diss, Norfolk IP22 2AB

62 THE HEATHER SOCIETY

ANGUS HEKATHERS

10 GUTHRIE STREET
LETHAM, FORFAR
ANGUS DD8 2PS

WE ARE HEATHER ENTHUSIASTS

If you are ever in this area we would be delighted
to talk heathers all day.

Come and look round our nursery which is always
open for inspection.

GEORGE AND JOYCE STURROCK
Tel: Letham (Angus) 504

Well grown varieties in 4 in. pots include (Ready
now) Carnea aurea, Springwood White, Darley
Dale, George Rendall, Lilacina.

Please telephone for details:-

TOXWARD NURSERY
Horsham 63686

HEATHERS, ALPINES, DWARF CONIFERS
and other choice plants

George Osmond
Archfield Nursery, Wickwar, Wooton-u-Edge,
Glos. Telephone: Wickwar 216

YEAR BOOK 1978

BARNCROFT

63

NURSERIES

Plants for Heather Gardens
DUNWOOD LANE,
LONGSDON,
STOKE-on-TRENT

Telephone: Leek (0538) 384310

off A53, 3 miles west of Leek
oS

We propagate and offer for sale to callers only
the varieties of plants which can be seen growing
in the garden. These are chiefly heathers, (more than
450 varieties at present) associated shrubs and
conifers, but also include many other interesting
plants.

Although it is only 2 years since we started to
develop our present garden we feel sure that you
will find a visit well worthwhile.

Se

Retail opening hours: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
2 —8 p.m. (or dusk if earlier), but Heather Society
members are welcome at any time — please phone
if possible.

64

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

POCKET GUIDE TO

HEATHER
GARDENING

We have now published a new edition of the
Pocket Guide, and this is up to date by the inclusion
of all new cultivars known to be offered commerci-
ally, and a number of new features with the com-
plete register of names, hints on propagation,
cultivation, design of heather gardens — all you
need to know, and the most comprehensive
reference available.

75 pence, post paid
from address below

Heathers

for
the enthusiast

The complete service from rooted cuttings to
mature plants and the choice from our very compre-
hensive collection of most cultivars in cultivation.
Design and advisory service for those who want
help.

Please send for lists

TABRAMHILL GARDENS

THE ROWANS, OLLERTON ROAD,
REDHILL, ARNOLD, NOTTINGHAM
NG5 8PR

Telephone: 0602 262960

YEAR BOOK 1978 65

NETHERTON MOOR

NURSERIES
NETHERTON MOOR ROAD
HONLEY (Netherton)
HUDDERSFIELD
YORKS HD7 2RD

Tel. Huddersfield 662090

HARDY HEATHERS A SPECIALITY

Also Azaleas, Rhododendrons
Conifers and Shrubs

List Sent Free

“LITTLE FROOME”
HEATHER NURSERIES

specialise in
QUALITY
CONTAINER GROWN HEATHERS
and rooted cuttings

Collection only — by appointment please.

Beautifully landscaped gardens for you to enjoy
_ whilst making your choice. Advice freely given.
2, Drayton Lane,
Fenny Drayton,
NUNEATON, WARWICKS
Tel. Atherstone 3382

66

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

ROOTED CUTTINGS

As the cost of sending plants by post or rail soars,
you may find our rooted cutting service of value.

We can supply over 200 hardy heather cultivars,
together with a wide range of dwarf conifers and
Cape heaths.

Send 20p in stamps for our brand new catalogue.

DENBEIGH
HEATHER
NURSERIES

The Poplars, All Saints Road,
Creeting St. Mary, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP6 8PJ

Trade Enquiries Welcomed

SPEYSIDE HEATHER CENTRE,

SKYE OF CURR

Telephone: DULNAIN BRIDGE
Dulnain Bridge 359 INVERNESS-SHIRE

Hardy heaths and heathers, associated plants,
postal service, gift shop, teas and home made
baking in summer months.

HEATHERS BY POST

Container grown plants at competitive prices
Illustrated catalogue of almost 500 varieties

20p post free
PENNYACRE NURSERIES (Dept H8)
Crawley House, Springfield, Fife, KY1S5 5RU

YEAR BOOK 1978 67

OTTERS COURT HEATHERS
West Camel, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7QF

We specialise in a wide range of lime-tolerant
cultivars and welcome visitors who wish to see
these plants in bloom in our own garden.

S.A.E. catalogue, or Telephone: Marston Magna
285.

The Scottish Rock Garden Club

If you are interested in beautiful heathers, you must also
be interested in rock gardens. Learn all about the natural

companions for heathers by joining the Scottish Rock
Garden Club. Membership: £2.50 per year.

Particulars from: R. H. D. Orr, C.A., 70 High Street,
Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland.

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