YEAR BOOK | OF THE : | HEATHER _ SOCIETY - Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https ://archive.org/details/yearbookofheatheOOheat_17 THE HEATHER SOCIETY Affiliated Societies: Nederlandse Heidevereniging ‘Ericultura’ Gesellschaft der Heidefreunde Pacific Northwest Heather Society President: Mr. C. D. BRICKELL, V.M.H. Vice-Presidents: Dr. V. GRAY Mrs. D. METHENY Mrs. C. I. MacLEOD Mr. D. McCLINTOCK Chairman: Maj.-Gen. P. G. TURPIN, C.B., O.B.E. Secretary: Mrs. P. B. LEE Treasurer: Mr. D. B. OLIVER Council: Mr. A. H. BOWERMAN Mr. D. H. E. ROPE Mrs. M. BOWERMAN Mr. D. J. SMALL. Mr. F. N. CULLEY Mr. A. J. STOW Mr. A. W. JONES Mr. H. STREET Mrs. D. H. JONES. Mr. G. P. VICKERS Mr. T. A. JULIAN Mr. E. H. WISEMAN Mr. H. L. NICHOLSON, M.B.E. Slide Librarian: Mr. D. J. SMALL Denbeigh, All Saints Road, Creeting St.Mary, Ipswich, Suffolk IP6 8PJ Editors: Year Book: Mr. A, W. JONES, Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset BA22 7QF Bulletin: Mrs. D. H. JONES, Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset BA22 7QF Administrator: Mr. K. H. FARRAH 7 Rossley Close, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 4RR CONTENTS Volume 2 No. 11 EDIFO RIAL a gst eng ie! aa i gil 5k aN cals EMA Vt), FROM THE CHAIRMAN ...............:-.00-055 PO eens ee ntiee cs TWEYSE CREMARYG SIRE BORG ase eh ene ois ae ea ees ANNUAL > CONFERENCE, LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY, SEPTEMBER 1981 - Mrs. Ruth Haydon J. W. SPARKES. AN APPRECIATION - H. L. NICHOLSON ‘2-THE INTRODUCTION OF CAPE HEATHS TO BRITAIN AND EUROPE DURING THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES: A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW - B. M. Sellars OVER-WINTERING CAPE HEATHS - John Moore.................. HEATHER GARDENS No.8: THE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES MILITARY CEMETERY, BROOK WOOD- Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin ... Erica Carnea\ “ IS THE NAME TO USE FOR THE WINTER PIEVAV= "DavidsMc@lintocka 1a. e eee HEATHER WINE - Mrs: (Beryl Farrah os. 3.050.536 dete se eee BOOK REVIEW - ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS................00.00 2000 Cuscuta Epithymum LESSER DODDER - Mrs. D. Maginess AN EARDY NODE ON HE ATETE RS ie 2 i tvs oer velo een THE HEATHER-FEEDING PSYLLIDS OR JUMPING PLANT-LICE OF THE GENUS STROPHINGIA - Dr. I. Hodkinson.............. A DOUBLE FORM OF Daboecia Cantabrica DavidvMcGlintock a he en eee. AN ABNORMAL FORM OF Erica Vagans May Gen PMG GUurpun) = xc dy ee nase LS eS SOE Erica Ciliaris IN CONNEMARA, NOVEMBER 1981 - DES (COIN CTS OTR re SHR MEET ei ik Se Na a ei ap a NEW. AC QUISIRIONS = Ja Pl@tt oo. 00 1b, ana a eke ae FAMOUS HEATHER NURSERIES - FAMOUS HEATHER NAMES - Mrs. Daphne Everett RECENT WRITINGS ON HEATHERS 1981 .....................05. _ YEAR BOOK 1982 Editorial Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to outline what Council and the Editors see as the functions of the Heather Society's two regular publications. The Bulletin, by virtue of its frequency of publication, is the obvious place for notices of the Society’s activities, at both a national and a local level. It also allows us to publish brief reports of those activities reasonably soon after they have taken place. This circular, seldom exceeding eight pages in length, may seem rather transitory, but it provides a useful vehicle for shorter items, some of which are of lasting interest. If itis kept, it represents a useful store of information and anecdotes on heathers. The Year Book allows us to publish longer articles on all aspects of heathers. It is always the aim that it should contain something of interest for all members of the Society, but it should also provide information for those who wish to delve deeper into any particular topic. Over the year, and under the influence of a number of Editors, the Year Book has built up into a veritable heather enthusiast’s vade-mecum. We have been fortunate in some of our contributors. The publication of authoritative work reflects credit on the Society, and our publications are now taken regularly by the libraries at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Edinburgh, the British Museum (Natural History), the Lindley Library and those at research and teaching establishments both here and abroad. They are an important and reliable source of reference on all aspects of heathers. This is the last number of the second ten year volume of the Year Book. R.J. Cleevely, who produced the index to volume 1. has continued his diligent work, and it is hoped to issue the index to volume 2 during this year. THE HEATHER SOCIETY Finally I must return to the Editors oft repeated plea for material. However, on this occasion I would add that we would also welcome your comments on, and criticisms of,the Bulletin and the Year Book. If you feel we could serve you better please let us know. From the Chairman. Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin, C.B.,O.B.E., West Clandon, Surrey. One of the pleasures of being a heather-lover is the opportunity which it gives of recapturing, in a small way, the excitement and satisfaction enjoyed by the great plant explorers. Our hunting-ground is not among the splendours and the awesome scenery of the Himalayas, but in the gentler landscapes of the Lake District, the Peak, the New Forest, the West Country and in Scotland and Ireland. Wherever there is heather moorland something of interest is waiting to be discovered. One small patch of white heather never fails to delight the finder, even though it may not differ at all from the many named cultivars of the same species. The common ling (Calluna vulgaris) is subject to more natural variation than almost any other plant species. Most of the known aberrations are described in detail in Beijerinck’s Monograph on the Scotch Heather. Nearly all our named hardy heathers were once found in the wild or are the direct descendants of wild plants, which have occurred naturally in nurseries and gardens. You are sure to find many coloured varieties of the Bell Heather (Erica cinerea), although you can be almost certain that there is already a named cultivar of any of the colours which you may find. But there are other variations to look for than differences of colour. Many double-flowered forms of Calluna have been found, almost all of them by chance in the wild. But, apart from Erica mackaiana ‘Plena’, very few double forms of other Erica species have been recorded. Recently a double form of Daboecia was found in western Ireland, a YEAR BOOK 1982 most interesting discovery. And aform of E. cinerea with ~a semi-double corolla has occurred. A party of botanists plant-hunting on the Lizard recently came across a colony of E£. vagans with several plants resembling the well-known cultivar ‘Viridiflora’. In several localities bud-flowering forms of Calluna, with the same characteristics as ‘David Eason’ and ‘Underwoodii’ have been found in the last few years. Gertrude Waterer, who found E—. x williamsii . ‘Gwavas’ on the Goonhilly Downs, was always on the look-out for unusual heathers and she had quite a collection of what she called her “‘Freaks’’. If you happen to be holidaying on the Continent you can look out for varieties of E. arborea, E. manipuliflora, E. multiflora, E. terminalis and E. umbellata. We still have no white cultivar of the last four, nor a cultivated pink variety of E. arborea. These, no doubt, exist and only await the keen eyes of some lucky finder. Although in 99 cases out of 100 what you find will not be worth naming, your own discoveries, with their associations, will give you enormous satisfaction and will be greater treasures than any bought cultivar of the same colour. Do not be in a hurry to give them names. This is only necessary or desirable, if they are so distinct and outstanding that they will have a commercial value and are likely to be widely distributed. Who knows? One day you may find something really good and your name may become as familiar as ‘H. E. Beale’ or ‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’ in the world of heather growers. It is fortunate that heathers can be so easily propagated from cuttings, so that you can collect your discoveries without doing the least damage to a wild plant. And then you will be able to have the added pleasure of going back and revisiting your finds in their natural habitat. Good hunting, THE HEATHER SOCIETY The Secretary’s Report Mrs. Pamela B. Lee, Hindhead, Surrey (This is a verbatim transcription of the report Mrs. Lee delivered to the 1981 Annual General Meeting of the Heather Society at Loughborough University on 13th September. Ed.) In my last three Annual Reports I have had to describe the various problems which beset the Society during the previous 12 months. However, this year I am happy to report that all the news is good — mainly due to the efforts of two men and their wives — our Chairman and Ken Farrah. It is thanks to their tireless efforts and competent management that the affairs of the Society are now running so smoothly. We owe a great debt of gratitude to them, and we are extremely fortunate to have the benefit of so much of their time, freely and generously given. Membership is up to 1377, increasing at present by approximately eight per week, well exceeding the natural loss through resignations. So enthusiastic are some of our new members that they immediately buy plants for friends and relatives — one wrote to me saying that he “‘is in danger of turning the whole of London’s suburbia into a vast heather garden’. I feel, however, that the real danger comes from the many people who retain neglected plants far too long and then decry their performance as the heathers approach their 20th or — as I heard recently — even their 30th year. Another member was enterprising enough to set up a most attractive stand on behalf of the Heather Society at the recent Birmingham Show. Too few new names have appeared this year among the entries for the Heather Competitions at the R.H.S. Shows in London, but you can imagine the delight of the member from Essex entering for the first time who took second prize in the most demanding class for a ““ Bowl of three distinct heathers in bloom’. The “Times” newspaper devoted a whole paragraph to the Heather YEAR BOOK 1982 Competition in their report on the Summer Show, with well-deserved praise for our Chairman’s over-all achievement. Other activities have been organised on a local Group basis, with a full programme of events in the Midlands, Southern and South West areas. On several occasions members from other parts of the country have also attended meetings — there is always a welcome for visitors, if ever you find such an opportunity arises, particularly as there is no local organisation in some parts. Small groups have made a tentative start in three centres — Newcastle, northern Home Counties and Barnstaple. I hope we shall hear more from them and that they will gradually be strengthened and receive more widespread support. It is always difficult at the beginning, especially in areas where there are not many gardens to visit or where the majority of members do not wish to socialise, and I feel there is no point in forming a Group unless there is a spontaneous response. Whether we are Group members or attend the Annual Conference, we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to visit private gardens not normally open to the public. I know of a national garden society which is charging its members between £75 and £95 a head for a weekend such as the one we are now enjoying! Several foreign students of landscape design have visited the country this year wanting to learn about heather cultivars and their use in public garden displays, and we have been able to help them with literature and introductions to people and places. Popular Gardening and other magazines have given good publicity to heathers this year and Garden News is planning an extended feature on our specialist interest at the beginning of September next year (and they’re most anxious that we should know about it so you will all buy a copy). Garden societies everywhere are always searching for speakers on the subject, so if any of you would like to join the Panel of those who are already doing good work, I would be delighted to hear from you. THE HEATHER SOCIETY The 1981 Year Book was once again valuable and informative and it is proposed to make it more useful to members in future by incorporating our Membership List under the same cover, as it was prior to 1975, with a modified binding when the third ten year volume begins in 1983. There will be no interim Addenda, but Ken Farrah has offered to keep individual Group Organisers informed of newcomers to their areas. We will thus be able to spend more money on improving the quality and clarity of the Bulletin, which is the chief vehicle of communication and source of news within the Society. The Editors welcome all material, however serious — or light-hearted and brief. Finally, I would like to return to the outstanding contribution made over the past year by our Honorary Administrator. During this time he has sorted out so many problems and set up a most efficient system which has lifted the burden of worries the Officers had to carry while we were with Harvest House. It was approved at our last Council Meeting that Mr. and Mrs. Farrah be declared Joint Honorary Members as a small token of our gratitude, and I would like you all tojoin me in paying tribute to the devotion, skill and service to the Society of Ken Farrah. Annual Conference, Loughborough University, September 1981 Mrs. Ruth Hayden, Bath, Avon The welcome extended to members by the Midland Group as we arrived at Loughborough University for the 11th Annual Conference held from 11th to 14th September, re-assured us that we were once more going to enjoy ourselves among friends. The Conference opened with greetings from our Chairman, Maj.-Gen. Pat Turpin, who expressed particular delight that Mrs. Eileen Petterssen, having YEAR BOOK 1982 enjoyed the previous year’s Conference at Edinburgh, had travelled from Norway specially for this year’s event. As the hours passed we listened, learned and looked, aided by our well equipped lecture hall. An illustrated talk by Graham Cooke on his garden, Little Frome, at Fenny Drayton, left the audience astounded by his initiative. We watched hills and valleys of mud, created by excavations with a bull-dozer in the early years, develop into heather-clad slopes, a large pond with a romantic bridge, and strategically placed conifers. It was a great pleasure the following day to see for ourselves just how he had been rewarded for his planning and hard work, as we wandered round this charming and colourful garden, enjoyed a delicious tea and remembered that it was here that the exquisite Calluna “My Dreamy originated. Dr. Richard Gornell, Curator of the Leicester University Botanic Garden, spoke of the fine garden which must provide a peaceful haven and inspiration to the residents of Leicester. This illustrated talk gave us a foretaste of the variety we were to see on Sunday afternoon, and from there we shall cherish a memory of a magnificent drift of ‘H. E. Beale’, and the tranquillity of the grey garden created by Dr. Philip Brown, the previous Curator,who joined us. With so much ground to cover we were grateful to our experts for giving us their time, and for their hospitality. Sitting comfortably in the lecture hall, members were taken on a tour from Russia to Spain with Dr. Hugh McAllister, Assistant Director of the University of Liverpool Botanic Garden at Ness. With the help of his excellent slides he expounded on the different reactions of heathers in soils alkaline to acid, and mountain to plain. To make our own gardens more interesting in texture and colour using plants from the family Ericaceae, Peter Hutchinson, Lecturer in Horticulture at Brooksby Hall College, brought samples of shrubs for us to examine after his illustrated talk. How important this 9 THE HEATHER SOCIETY side of gardening is, if we wish toenjoy them all the year round, for surely this is one of the most endearing aspects of the heather garden. On a more personal level it was a delight to hear from Mrs. Daphne Everett in “Famous Heather Nurseries — Famous Heather Names’ of the characters and lives of the people themselves whose names have become so familiar to us as plants.(Part of this talk is reproduced elsewhere in this Year Book.) Ray Warner drew gasps of admiration with his slides of “The Birth of Barncroft Nursery’. Beginning in 1976, the year of the drought, surely enough to defeat the most enthusiastic gardener, undaunted he ploughed fields for his nursery and has created in five years a garden which is a delight to the eye. An Open Forum with a team chaired by Harold Street, gave members a chance to consult about their own heather problems, and for others to profit by the advice given. The Conference provides many opportunities, not only from lectures and expeditions, but ideas and information are exchanged over the table at meal-times in the relaxed atmosphere of the dining- room. We left Loughborough thankful to the Midlands Group for their excellent planning, and all the Officers of the Society who do so much on our behalf, reflecting on our own gardens to see how they can benefit from our instructive weekend. J. W. Sparkes. An Appreciation H. L. Nicholson, Dorking, Surrey J. W. Sparkes died on 8th April 1981 at the age of 86. I first met him in my capacity as an Assistant Regional Planning Officer with the (then) Ministry of Town and Country Planning, based in Birmingham. He was most concerned that his nursery at Beoley would be included in the Designated Area for Redditch, and 10 YEAR BOOK 1982 subsequently lost owing to development for building. It transpired that this was not to be! I never knew his Christian names but they were Joseph Weetman; he was always “‘Sparky”’ to me. He was a typical product of the “Black Country’, but was born, in Washwood Heath, Brimingham. He and his family went to Beoley during World War II in order to avoid any blitz on the West Midland Conurbation. They lived in a tiny house in the depths of Worcestershire. I could never find it! He used to sell the long spikes of Calluna vulgaris ‘H. E. Beale’ in the Birmingham Flower Market, and when ‘Robert Chapman’ was produced he named it, as he told me, “after the little lad who pushed the barrow in the market’. How typical of him. In 1965 I met Sparky at one of the RHS **Fortnightlies’” when he had brought up C.v. ‘Beoley Elegance’ for the first time and he mentioned to me that he had two good cultivars which he wished to name. I suggested to him that he might call one of these ‘Sir John Charrington’. He was delighted. He presented the plant to Sir John at a luncheon at Wisley on 30th July 1966. This was reported on page 5 of the Year Book for 1966 and that issue contains a photograph of a group taken by Sir John’s chauffeur on that happy day. In Heathers in Colour by Brian and Valerie Proudley it says of this cultivar “This plant is the culmination of Mr. Sparkes’ efforts in producing outstanding coloured foliage forms of Calluna, for this has not only the beautiful foliage, but extremely good flowers as well. He presented it to Sir John Charrington on his eightieth birthday as a mark of respect and recognition of his work in the founding of the Heather Society’. I have a letter from Sir John telling me how much he appreciated this. In a way his character reminded me of that of the Staffordshire Bull-Terrier: very lovable, gentle and affectionate when at ease, but when aroused, bold, 11 THE HEATHER SOCIETY tenacious and ferocious. He had a most strict code of honour and of what was right and wrong. I was proud to know him and to be counted amongst his friends was a great honour to me. * Kk Ke OR & The number and quality of the cultivars introduced by J. W. Sparkes are shown by the following list. Calluna vulgaris ‘Beechwood Crimson’ H. C. 1968, ‘Beoley Crimson’, ‘Beoley Elegance’, ‘Beoley Gold’ A.M. 1968, ‘Beoley Silver, ‘Blazeaway H. C. 1980, ‘Carole Chapman’ A. M. 1970, ‘Elsie Purnell’ A. M. 1963, ‘Fairy, ‘Flamingo’, ‘Gnome’, ‘Gnome Pink’, ‘Goblin’, ‘Golden Feather A. M. 1965, F. C. C. 1967, Gold Medal Boskoop 1968, A. G. M. 1973, ‘Gold Haze’ A. M. 1961, F.C. C. 1963, Silver Medal Boskoop 1967, A. G. M. 1969, ‘Gold Pat’, ‘Guinea Gold’, ‘Hugh Nicholson’, ‘Humpty Dumpty H. C. 1965, ‘Janice Chapman’, ‘Joan Sparkes’ A. M. 1957, ‘Joy Vanstone’ H. C. 1965, A. M. 1971, ‘Lambs Tails’, ‘October Crimson’, ‘Orange Queen’ H. C. 1965, ‘Peter Sparkes’ A. M. 1958, F. C. C. 1962, Gold Medal Boskoop 1964, A. G. M. 1969, ‘Prostrate Orange’, “Ralph Purnell’, ‘Robert Chapman’ A. M. 1962, Gold Medal Boskoop 1968, A. G. M. 1969, ‘Ruth Sparkes’ H. C. 1962, ‘Salmon Leap’, ‘Silver Knight’, ’Sir John Charrington’ A. M. 1970, ‘Spring Cream’ H. C. 1970, ‘Spring Torch’, ‘Summer Orange’, ‘Sunset’ A. M. 1967, F. C. C. 1968, ‘Winter Chocolate’ Erica carnea ‘Ann Sparkes’ A. M. 1971, “Beoley Pink’, ‘Lesley Sparkes’ Erica cinerea ‘Snow Cream’, ‘Stella Felicity’ Erica vagans ‘Birch Glow. All these cultivars were introduced in a period of about two decades. They represent an unique achievement for one man. Maxwell & Beale introduced a few more cultivars during the period from 1921 to 1938, but these were collected by at least 14 people. Furthermore, J. W. Sparkes received more awards for his plants. 12 YEAR BOOK 1982 The Introduction of Cape Heaths to Britain and Europe During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries; A Brief Historical Review B. M. Sellers, Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. The first definite reference to Cape Heaths appeared in Leonard Plukenet’s Almagesti Botanici Mantissa which was published in London in 1700. Three species are listed and illustrated, one of which was later named after him, Erica plukeneti. However, the real starting point in the naming of the species of Erica is Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753), in which are 12 species of Cape Heaths. In the early voyages to the East the Cape of Good Hope was a point of call to replenish supplies. It was during these *“stop-overs” that interested explorers collected plants. These early explorers did not have time to venture into the interior, and there was plenty of unknown plant material to be examined on the Cape itself. The collecting and recording of Cape Heaths was stimulated by the enthusiasni of Carl Peter Thunberg (1743 - 1822), a Swedish naturalist and traveller, whose doctoral thesis was de Erica, and Francis Masson (1741-1805), a Scottish botanist who travelled at His Majesty King George III’s expense during a period of 25 years and sent back to England an abundance of material. Thunberg was at the Cape from 1772 to 1775. In a letter to Sir Joseph Banks dated 13th July, 1796,. he mentions that he is sending him dissertations and some specimens of Cape Heaths. He was accompanied on several journeys by Francis Masson, who was sent to the Cape at the suggestion of Sir Joseph Banks, the first plant collector sent out by Kew. On his first collecting visit to the Cape he stayed from 1772 to 1774, but returned in 1786 to stay for some nine years. On the 8th March, 1786, Masson wrote to Sir Joseph informing him that he had visited the Hottentot Holland Mountains for some five days and, during this expedition, he discovered some of the rarest species of Erica. 13 THE HEATHER SOCIETY Most of Masson’s material was cultivated at Kew which, for much of the latter part of the 18th Century, was supervised by the Royal Gardener, William Aiton (1731-1793). Hortus Kewensis ora catalogue of plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, published in 1793, contains some 34 species of Cape Heaths all of which, except two, were said to have been introduced to England by Masson, E. triflora and E. urceolaris (a synonym of E. caffra). were introduced by Messrs. Kennedy and Lee in 1774 and James Gordon (1778) respectively. The former were partners in the Vineyard Nursery, Hammersmith. James Lee (1715 - 1795) was formerly a gardener at Syon House. Another notable collector of Cape Heaths was James Niven (c. 1774 - 1827). He collected plant material in the western Cape for George Hibbert (1757 - 1837) who had a botanic garden at Clapham. Niven made his first collecting trip to the Cape between 1798 and 1803, and made a further trip from 1803 to 1812 for a syndicate which included the firm of Messrs. Kennedy and Lee. William Roxburgh (1751 - 1815) also collected some plants of Cape Heaths. He was Chief Botanist with the East India Company between 1793 and 1813, and was at the Cape in 1798, 1799 and 1814. William John Burchell(1781 - 1863), acting Botanist to the East India Company, travelled in South Africa from 1811 to 1815 and brought back some Ericas. A considerable number of species were acquired by the 6th Duke of Bedford, John Russell (1766 - 1839). His collection at Woburn Abbey was one of the finest anywhere in this country at the time. His gardener, George Sinclair (1786 - 1834), catalogued them in Hortus Ericaeus Woburnensis, which was published in 1825. This work lists 394 species,hybrids and varieties, including several hardy heathers. It also includes designs for a heath house by the Duke’s architect, Mr. Jeffrey Wyatt. It was during the later 18th and early 19th centuries that the greatest collections of Cape Heaths 14 YEAR BOOK 1982 were to be found. There were those of:- E. John Alexander Woodford at Belmont House, Vauxhall, London. J. G. Angerstein at Woodlands, Blackheath, London Richard Williams at Turnham Green Nursery, Chiswick, London. He acquired the nursery in 1785 and is also remembered as the raiser of “William’s Bon Chretien’ pear. Archibald, 1st Lord Douglas (b. 1834) and his remarkable head gardener Andrew Turnbull (1804 - 1886) at Bothwell Castle in Scotland Walter Frederick Campbell at Shawfield, Isla and at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, with the famous W. McNab (1780 - 1848). In the 1820’s and 30’s two Germans, C. F. Ecklon (1795 - 1868) and K. C. Zeyher (1799 - 1858), worked together and collected an abundance of material which was sent to the South African Museum in Cape Town and also to Berlin. Another German, J. F. Drege (1794 - 1881) also collected for Berlin. Towards the end of the 19th century interest in Cape Heaths waned. Since then work on Cape Heaths, with the exception of Dulfer (see Year Book, 1970, pp 12 - 13), has been undertaken predominantly by workers in South Africa, such as H. Bolus, F. Guthrie, H. A. Baker, E. G. H. Oliver and many others. * KK KK _ Itis perhaps apposite to mention Threatened Plants of Southern Africa, by A. V. Hall, M. de Winter, B. de Winter and S. A. M. van Oosterhout, which was published in May 1980 as South African National Scientific Programmes Report No.45. This gives the results of a survey started in 1974, and lists of 1,915 taxa which are either extinct or variously threatened. It has 89 species of Erica. Five ( E. acockii, E. bolusiae, E. pyramidalis, E. turgida and E. verticillata) are extinct in the wild. Ten (E. bakeri, E. chrysocodon, 15 THE HEATHER SOCIETY E. crucistigmatica, E. fairii, E. heleogena, E. Jasminiflora, E. junonia, E. limosa, E. pilulifera and E. sociorum) are in immediate danger of extinction. A — further eight{E. aghillana, E. cyrillaeflora, E. ferrea, E. paludicola, E. porteri, E. purgatoriensis and E. urna- viridis)are given as vulnerable, in that the plants were recently more widespread but are now declining and are likely to become endangered. The book also lists 25 which, while not declining, have relatively small populations and need constant surveillance to ensure that rapid decline does not occur. The continued safety of the remaining 41 species is currently the subject of some doubt. The extinct, endangered, threatened and rare plants represent just over seven per cent of all species of Erica in the World. Some of these, which are extinct or threatened in the wild, are growing in botanic gardens or private collections. Turning to the broader canvas of the complete South African flora, the book states that 18% have been brought to this state by agriculture, 22% by industry, roads, urban development and mining, 9% by plant collecting, 33% by invasive alien plants and 18% by natural causes such as fires, pathogens and genetic factors. There is no reason to suppose that the picture would be materially different if the genus Erica was considered in isolation. Over-wintering Cape Heaths John Moore, Dibden Purlieu, Hampshire The literature on heaths indicates that those from the Cape are generally considered to be rather tender and, relative to the European species, this is certainly true. This may dissuade some from growing these attractive plants, partly due to the high cost of heating a greenhouse to prevent frost penetration, but how necessary is it to provide heat to over-winter South African Heaths ? 16 YEAR BOOK 1982 The acquisition by 1978 of some spare Cape Heaths provided plants to investigate this point, and the main purpose of this article is to make an appraisal of over-wintering Cape Heaths in a cold greenhouse after a period of up to three years. Some of the original stock was bought, but most of the plants used were raised from seed or cuttings, so the techniques used for propagation are briefly described. Seeds were sown on the surface of moistened Arthur Bowers’ Ericaceous compost in a seed tray, watered with a copper fungicide to prevent “damping-off’, covered with glass and newspaper and placed in a propagator which maintained the compost at a temperature of 25° C. Under these conditions germination takes from two to four weeks, but yields were variable. FE. bauera, E. glomiflora, E. hirtiflora, E. patersonia,E. peltata and E. selaginifolia were raised in this way. E. baccans produced self sown seedlings. Cuttings, two to two and a half centimetres long, were taken in August. They were rooted in a compost of three parts grit to one of peat, under mist and with a soil temperature of 20° C. The boxes of cuttings were sprayed with Benlate fungicide prior to being placed under mist. After eight weeks, when rooting had taken place, soil heating was switched off and the mist reduced. The rooted cuttings were potted on the following spring. E. curviflora, E. diaphana, E. formosa, E. gracilis, E. mammosa, E. speciosa, E. verticillata and E. x hyemalis ‘Dusky Maid’ were propagated in this way, but E. canaliculata roots fairly readily without mist. A total of about 70 plants, representing the species that have been mentioned, and varying in height from 10 to 120 cm, were planted out into a greenhouse bed during the summer and autumn of 1978. In the subsequent years replacements and additions have been made from stock. The soil consists of a well drained, light, sandy loam with a pH of 6.5 to which moss peat had been added. The greenhouse was a small lean-to built against a SW wall and was clad with clear PVC sheet. Tap water was used for watering. 17 THE HEATHER SOCIETY The condition of the plants was assessed at the end of March each year. They were placed in three categories: (a) complete or almost complete destruction, (b) partial survival, plants remaining in fair condition, and (c) complete survival or slight damage. The number of plants of a species at the beginning of each winter is given in parentheses. During the winter of 1978 - 9 a minimum air temperature of -6° C was recorded. A few species (E. bauera (1), E. curviflora (2), E. glandulosa (1) and E. patersonia (1))were completely destroyed. E. baccans (seedlings), FE. peltata (30), E. speciosa (5), E. hyemalis ‘Dusky Maid’ (14) showed, on average, 50% survival, plants in all three damage categories being present. The remaining species all survived without significant damage. After the coldest periods the bark split and a covering of frozen sap could be seen on the stems and branches of E. peltata and E. glandulosa, but this was not noticeable on other species. During the winter of 1979 - 80, when the minimum recorded air temperature was -3° C, no plants were destroyed. E. curviflora (5), E. mammosa (3), E. peltata (21), and E. x hyemalis ‘Dusky Maid’ (13) showed slight damage on some plants and E. hirtiflora (3) moderate damage. During the winter of 1980 - 81, when once again a minimum air temperature of -3° C was recorded, E. curviflora (4), E. verticillata (7) and E. x hyemalis ‘Dusky Maid’ (10) showed slight damage and E. hirtiflora (1) died. In summary, the survival overall during the winter of 1978 - 79 was about 40% in excellent condition, 40% destroyed and 20% in a recoverable condition. During 1979 - 80 and 1980 - 81 over95% remained in excellent condition. (However, there has been a slight but steady decline in the number of plants during the period of observation. Ed.) . 18 YEAR BOOK 1982 For comparison, the remainder of my collection, which consists of about 75 pot-grown specimens of all the above mentioned species with the addition of E. caffra, E. cerinthoides var. barbertona, E. cruenta, E. discolor, E. doliiformis, E. mauritanica, E. pageana and the hybrid ‘Snowball’ have been over-wintered for three years in a small glass greenhouse heated to 1 or 2° C. Subsequently E. blandfordia, E. glomiflora and E. selaginifolia have been added. Under these conditions damage has occurred only with E. baccans and E. hirtiflora. Sakai and Miwa(Ref. 1) examined the hardiness of 28 South African Ericas by determining the resistance to freezing of conditioned dormant twigs by noting damage to leaf, cortex and xylem after several hours exposure at low temperature. They generally recorded hardiness down to temperatures between -5° and -8° C. Of 13 Species where comparisons can be made, they found E. baccans (to -5° C) and E. patersonia (-5° to -6° C) were amongst the least hardy, and E. canaliculata (-8° to -10° C) one of the hardiest. The 50% survival obtained with air temperatures down to-6° C and 95% down to-3° C seems in reasonable agreement with their findings, damage occurring at a somewhat higher temperature due either to the longer exposure or differences in cultivation. Variations in hardiness are presumably due to differences in habitat. Ten of the species examined have been described by Baker and Oliver(Ref. 2). Most grow on mountain slopes, but habitats of the four species lost in 1978 - 79 indicate that they are more, although not entirely, confined to the flats and marshes, suggesting that they might be among the less hardy. To conclude, cultivation of Cape Heaths in the border of a cold greenhouse, which provides protection from the wind and reduces freezing of the root ball, should result in few losses during a normal winter. Of the species which have been examined E. canaliculata, E. _diaphana, E. formosa, E. glomiflora, E. gracilis and E. 19 THE HEATHER SOCIETY selaginifolia seemed most hardy, while E. baccans, E. bauera, E. curviflora, E. glandulosa, E. hirtiflora and E. patersonia are the most affected by severe conditions. References 1. Sakai, A. and Miwa, S., J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 1979, Vol. 104, No. 1, pp 16 - 28. 2. Baker, H. A. and Oliver, E. G. H., Ericas in Southern Africa, Purnell, Cape Town, 1967. *k RK RR “Miller, not sixty years ago, described but five sorts of heath known in England but at the present period there are upwards of three hundred distinct species. Out of this number, according to Dr. Withering’s arrangement, five only are indigenous to Great Britain, and unfortunately very few of the exotics will bear the severity of our climate, having been chiefly introduced from the Cape of Good Hope’. Benjamin Maund, The Botanic Garden, 1825 - 1846 Heather Gardens No.8. The Commonwealth War Graves Military Cemetery, Brookwood. Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin, West Clandon, Surrey. As a heather garden, this is entirely different from any other of the gardens described in this series. The cemetery is one small part of the great Brookwood Necropolis, which, unlike the desolation of the ‘““Dead City” outside Cairo, is a veritable ‘““Garden of Peace’. Instead of being a place of gloom and mourning, the cemetery is a quiet and restful haven and a perfect nature reserve, which has much to offer the countryman and the ecologist. It was started in 1852 and covers a large area of Surrey heathland between Westhill Golf Club (where the players do not always fully appreciate the attraction of heather) on the Guildford - Bagshot road and the outskirts of Pirbright. Until 1946 the railway from . 20 YEAR BOOK 1982 Waterloo ran through the cemetery, which had its own station at Brookwood, sited especially to serve the Necropolis. The Commonwealth War Graves Military Cemetery — to give it its full name — occupies some 30 acres of the area, and is divided up into separate sections for each Commonwealth country. The Belgian, Czech, Free French and Polish Forces have their own areas. There is a special site allotted to the Royal Air Force and smaller areas are reserved for German and Italian prisoners of war. In one quiet corner Chelsea Pensioners are buried. The United States Forces. have a site within the cemetery which is under their own administration. The headstones are all of the standard uniform design and colour and stand in long straight lines. Some form of evergreen vegetation is needed to break up the severity of the straight lines and to provide colour all the year round to relieve the rather sharp contrast between the white stone and the green grass. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission made.a wise and felicitous choice when they decided that heathers would provide the best answer to the problem. Experience in Holland had already shown how effectively heathers could be used in the decoration of military cemeteries. At the Holten Canadian War Cemetery, near the German border, the experiment was so successful that a nursery was especially developed in order to provide a regular supply of plants. Initially a number of suitable cultivars were selected from the Dutch nurseries at Boskoop and it was soon discovered which varieties were most suitable for massed plantings and for growing at the foot of the headstones. In the 1978 Year Book Mr. W. F. W. Harding described how heathers were being used in the Commonwealth War Cemeteries on the Continent. The success of the experiment at Holten led the War Graves Commission to use heathers in more of their cemeteries, where the soil was suitable. Brookwood, which already had a number of central heather beds in 21 THE HEATHER SOCIETY the gardens, was selected for the extensive planting of heathers at the base of the headstones. Brookwood has ideal soil for growing heathers as the land was originally a natural heath moor and formed part of the area of Bagshot sand. There are at present about 6000 graves in the Military Cemetery. With an average of three plants for each grave, a total of some 18,000 plants is needed, in addition to the considerable number that are planted in . the central beds. Brookwood has its own propagating nursery, but its output is not enough to meet the requirement of about 4,000 replacements each year and some of the 5,000 plants, which are brought over from the Commission’s nursery in Holland every year for War Graves Cemeteries in the U.K., make up the deficiency. Altogether, aboui 70 different varieties of heather are planted at Brookwood. Erica vagans is extensively used, because it makes a neat rounded shrub and responds kindly to regular trimming, to prevent the inscriptions from being obscured. ‘Lyonesse’, ‘St. Keverne’, ‘Rubra’ and‘ Mrs. D. F. Maxwell make a valuable quartet of cultivars, supplemented by ‘Valerie Proudley’, ‘Grandiflora’ and a few others. As might have been expected, about half the plants are of Calluna vulgaris and they include established favourites like ‘H. E. Beale’, ‘Robert Chapman’, “Gold Haze’, ‘Serle’, ‘Serlei Aurea’, ‘Alportii’ and‘Cuprea’ as well as many of the newer varieties such as ‘Long White’ and ‘Battle of Arnhem’ (most suitable for a military cemetery) of Dutch origin, ‘Soay and ‘Hirta’ from St. Kilda, and the double whites, ‘Kinlochruel’ and ‘My Dream’. Winter-flowering heathers provide the colour from December to the late spring with seven of the best cultivars of E. carnea, including ‘King George’, °Pink Spangles’, ‘Springwood White’ and ‘Vivellii’, and the E. x darleyensis varieties “Darley Dale’, ‘Furzey’, “Jenny Porter and ‘Silberschmelze’. Added interest for the connoisseur is provided by 22 YEAR BOOK 1982 plantings of Daboecia cantabrica, E. tetralix, E. ciliaris, and the summer-flowing hybrids E. x watsonii ‘H. Maxwell’, E. x williamsii‘P. D. Williams’ and EF. x stuartii ‘Connemara’. The area horticultural officer of the War Graves Commission in the U.K., Mr. T. W. Chatterton, who is based at Leamington, has over-all responsibility for the gardens of the Military Cemetery and for providing heathers from the Commission’s nursery in Holland. The day-to-day care of the gardens is in the capable hands of Mr. Ron Ewart, who is also secretary and treasurer of the 5,000-strong British Fuchsia Society, but he does not allow his predilection for the Fuchsia to prevent him from appreciating the great value of heathers aS a perennial ornamental shrub in the setting of the Brookwood Military Cemetery. The Military Cemetery is open to the public throughout the year on every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and members of the Heather Society will always be welcome there. The entrance to the Military Cemetery is off Dawney Hill, just north of Pirbright on the A324 road. Why Erica carnea is The Name to Use for the Winter Heath. David McClintock, Platt Kent That the name E. carnea and its four synonyms (see p. 18 of A Guide to the Naming of Plants), notably E. herbacea, all apply to the same plant is indisputable. The other three can be ignored for good reasons. The simplest reason why E. carnea must continue to be preferred and used is that Linnaeus’s original description tallies precisely with the plant as it is, and with the old woodcut that is technically its “type” (Guide, p. 4). 23 THE HEATHER SOCIETY His description of E. herbacea, on the other hand, differs in three important ways from what our Winter Heath actually looks like, and from the type woodcut, with which it must obviously also agree. As many members will know, several of our Ericas have curious tails below their anthers, a key character, e.g. E. tetralix and E. x watsonii have them and E. ciliaris does not. E. carnea is a species that lacks them, and yet Linneaus’s description of E. herbacea says the anthers have these tails. He further says that the anthers are included, the jargon word meaning that they do not protrude from the corolla, whereas we all know they do. Finally his description says the leaves are in threes, instead of fours. With these three basic misdescriptions it is absurd to use E. herbacea, when E. carnea is completely unambiguous. The situation has complications not to be gone into here, which produce highly technical arguments in favour of E. herbacea. But they do not affect the over- riding facts in the last paragraph. Since however there is, to say the least of it, some doubt if FE. herbacea has a leg to stand on, a further principle must come in, admittedly still an unofficial one, and that is that no name should be changed if there is the slightest doubt about its validity. This alone should quash the resurrection of E. herbacea. Why therefore has FE. herbacea begun to appear on labels in botanic gardens etc., or at least in some of them? In 1967 Mr. R. Ross, then the holder of the illustrious post of Keeper of Botany at the British Museum, published a paper in which he wrote “‘Provided it is accepted that the name Evica herbacea is to be applied to this species, and that Linnaeus included “antheris bicornibus inclusis” (anthers included, with two tails, or horns) and “ foliis ternis”” (leaves in threes) in its diagnosis by mistake, this is the correct name for the species.” Inevitably no-one took note of the provisos, and followed only the final sentence. Since it came from an august professional, professionals elsewhere tended to accept the name uncritically, even in Flora Europaea. 24 YEAR BOOK 1982 Hence its recent spread, amongst those who had not seen the contrary arguments in both the editions of the Guide, or what appeared in Evicultura a year or two ago. In an attempt to rectify this, a note is due to appear in the international journal. Taxon in 1982. But for dead sure, members, above all nurserymen, indeed everyone, shouid continue to use E. carnea, as they still do at Wisley and various other reputable places. * KKK Heather Wine Mrs. Beryl Farrah, Highcliffe, Dorset A friend, a keen heather grower, not content with drinking in the beauty of the display of heathers in his garden, has found additional enjoyment in imbibing their beauty in a more material way — by brewing heather wine. Determined to have the best of both worlds, he does not cut the heather blooms from his own plants but as he lives near the New Forest he is able to obtain his supplies from the open heathland there. The recipe which he has passed on to me yields a light wine of an attractive pale lemon colour. By slight modification of the basic recipe either a sweet or a dry wine may be obtained. Ingredients 1 gallon heather tips (Calluna) 1 to 3 inches long with freshly opened flowers. 10 pints of water -4lb sugar for a sweet wine or 31b for a drier wine 2 lemons 2 oranges loz yeast, either Allisons or Bordeaux yeast tablets Method Cut the heather when in full bloom. Cover with water and boil for one hour. Strain off the liquid. If this 25 THE HEATHER SOCIETY measures less than one gallon, make up with hot water. If more than one gallon, continue boiling. Leave until luke warm. Slice the oranges and lemons into the liquid. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the yeast and leave to ferment for 14 days. Skim and strain into a fermentation jar and leave until all fermentation has stopped, then bottle. Keep for a minimum of six months before use, jun two years is better. * KOK OE Book Review Lucas Phillips, C. E. and Barber P. N. Ornamental Shrubs Cassel, £14.95 Fellow ericologists wil! like to know of this fine 3lb 30z, 320 page tome, which gives facts, opinions and cultural advice on a goodly array of woody plants, excluding dwarfs and trees. As we might hope from our eminent member, there are kind allusions to “the impressive value of heathers’”’. The Registrar regrets that the advice in our Guide (not just his) is not followed in two instances, but this is not due to our Chairman, who looked at the manuscript! But it is the other 312 pages that members will learn most from, They are full of good stuff, apart from a few infelicities and too many of the line drawings. D. McC. * KK RK & Cuscuta epithymum, Lesser Dodder Mrs. D. Maginess, Broadstone, Dorset. Our garden has been developed from the wild with pine trees, silver birch, bracken, gorse, brambles and heather the chief vegetation. Taming all this has taken 28 years of work and we still find gorse seedlings and plenty of Calluna vulgaris. 26 YEAR BOOK 1982 Seeds of Cuscuta epithymum, commonly known as Dodder, must also have been in the ground. In 1959 our heather plants were infested with the long reddish threads which attach themselves to the heather branches and draw nourishment from them. Small globular unstalked pinkish white flowers are then formed on the threads, mainly at points where there is actual contact with the host. Naturally it weakens, and may even kill, a heather plant. On seeking advice from Kew, I received a reply which offered two soiutions to the problem, burning or Spraying with sulphuric acid. Unfortunately, both these methods are apt to destroy the host plants. Hand- pulling the Dodder, before it flowers, or when in flower and hard cutting back of host plants has been reasonably effective but I am still searching for some way in which it can be eradicated. In the first Bulletin of the Heather Society in the spring of 1967, I asked whether some expert would write an article dealing with Dodder, but now, I should like to hear from anyone who has had partial or, better still, complete success in getting rid of this parasite. * KK kk An Early Note On Heathers ‘These Plants grow wild upon barren uncultivated Places, in divers Parts of England; but notwithstanding their Commonness, yet they deserve a Place in small Quarters of humble flowering Shrubs, where by their Beauty and long Continuance of their Flowers, together with the Diversity of their Leaves, they make an agreeable Variety. These are seldom propagated in Gardens, and so not to be had from the Nurseries, but may be taken up, with a Ball of Earth to their Roots, from the natural Places of their Growth in Autumn, and may be transplanted into the Garden. The Soil where they are 27 THE HEATHER SOCIETY planted should not be dunged, nor should you bestow any other Culture on them, than cleaning them from Weeds; for the less the Ground is dug, the better these will thrive; for they commonly shoot their Roots near the Surface, which in digging, are subject to be hurt, whereby the Plant is often destroyed; these may also be propagated by Seeds, but this being a tedious Method, the other is much preferable to it.”’ Philip Miller, The Gardener’s Dictionary, 7th Edn, 1759. The Heather-Feeding Psyllids or Jumping Plant-Lice of the Genus Strophingia Dr. I. Hodkinson, Department of Biology, Liverpool Polytechnic. The psyllids, or jumping plant-lice, are a group of small sap-sucking insects, closely related to the greenfly, which occur on a wide range of trees, shrubs and herbs. Individual species are usually highly specific in their choice of host-plants. The heather-feeding psyllids belonging to the genus Strophingia are amongst the smallest of plant lice, rarely exceeding about 2mm in length. To the naked eye the adult, which rests with its wings held tent-like over its back, appears to resemble a small seed. It varies in colour from dusky yellow to olive- green, with opaque amber-coloured wings. The wingless larval or nymphal stages are more flattened and the body is often fringed with numerous long stiff hairs. The host-plants and geographical distribution of the eight known species of Strophingia are shown in table 1. Our current knowledge indicates that the genus is restricted to host-plants belonging to the genera Calluna and Erica growing in Europe, the Canary Islands and the Azores, although other as yet undescribed species might be expected to occur in north Africa. Identification of the different species is difficult and relies on the shape 28 YEAR BOOK 1982 of the forewing and certain characteristics of the male and female genitalia. Little is known about the biology of most Strophingia species and detailed studies have been conducted only on Strophingia ericae. However, many aspects of biology are probably similar and ericae will serve as an example. In this species the life cycle comprises an egg stage followed by five nymphal stages of increasing size which give rise to the adult. On emergence the adult males and females mate and the next generation of eggs is produced. The eggs, which are laid in protected situations in the closed leaf axils of Calluna vulgaris shoots, are equipped with’ a basal filament which is inserted into the plant tissue and used to obtain water from the plant. The nymphs feed in a head-down position in the more open leaf axils usually associated with the previous years growth. Feeding is accomplished by inserting long needle-like mouthparts into the vascular tissue of the shoot stem and sucking up the liquid contents which consist of a mixture of sugars and amino-acids. The nymphs absorb very little of this food and the waste is excreted as small semi-viscous drops of honeydew. During nymphal growth wing buds begin to develop and these increase in size between moults until the final nymphal stage moults to produce a fully winged adult. In S. ericae the adult rarely fly but their hind legs are specially adapted for jumping and on warm days they are capable of leaping into the air and making a controlled glide back to earth with wings beating vigorously. In Britain S.ericae exists as distinct upland and lowland races with somewhat different life histories. The upland race, which occurs above about 800 ft in northern England, takes two years to complete its life cycle, whereas the lowland race takes just one year. This one year life cycle is probably more typical of other members of the genus and S. cinereae has one year life cycle on Erica cinerea in southern England. Adults of the lowland race of S. ericae appear in May and June. Eggs 29 THE HEATHER SOCIETY are laid which hatch within two to three weeks and the nymphs continue to grow until the onset of winter. Growth then ceases and the nymphs remain dormant on the plant until the following spring, when they develop into adults. In the upland race the nymphal development period is greatly extended. Eggs laid in the first year give rise to early stage nymphs which overwinter. In the second year these nymphs resume growth but only reach the later nymphal stages prior to the onset of the next winter. After overwintering for a second time, they give rise to adults in the following year. In these upland populations there are always two. overlapping generations present at any one time so that the adults are produced every years. In S.ericae the total number of eggs laid by an average female is unknown but probably exceeds forty. Clearly, if the size of the population is not to increase rapidly, the developing psyllids must be subject to heavy mortality. The major causes are dessication while moulting and parasitism of the nymphal stages bya small wasp called Tetrastichus actis. Surprisingly little mortality occurs during the winter months when the nymphs are not feeding, even during hard winters at high altitudes. The female 7etrastichus wasp lays a single egg on the body of a living nymph. The wasp larva hatches, bores into the body of the nymph and soon kills it. Then it cements the dead nymph to a heather leaf and proceeds to devour the body content, leaving only an enclosing Shell of cuticle in which it eventually pupates. The adult wasp emerges by chewing a hole in the upper surface of this nymphal shell. Heather psyllids can be extremely abundant and we have recorded up to two hundred nymphs of S. ericae ona single sprig of heather. This raises the question of whether they have any significant effect on the growth of the plant. We have conducted experiments on an area of blanket bog on the Moor House National Nature 30 YEAR BOOK 1982 Reserve in the northern Pennines, in which areas ot Calluna were treated with insecticide to kill the psyllids. The growth of the heather on these areas was compared with growth on untreated areas. The results indicate that the psyllids have no measurable effect on shoot growth, flower development, dry matter production or nitrogen and potassium levels in the plants. Similar laboratory experiments showed no effect on the rate at which the plant photosynthesises. The heather grower probably has little to fear from the heather psyllids. Table 1. Distribution and host-plant range of Strophingia species Strophingia species _—_— Host-Plant Known From 1. ericae Calluna vulgaris Throughout Europe 2. cinereae Erica cinerea. England, France E. arborea Corsica, Spain E. lusitanica and Portugal 3. hispanica E. multiflora Mallorca 4. fallax E. arborea Madeira 5. arborea E. arborea Madeira, Tenerife "E.zucinulus (*)” Canary Islands 6. australis ° E.australis Portugal 7. harteni E.azorica Azores 8. proxima E. arborea Spain, Portugal Calluna vulgaris (?) Further Reading Hodkinson, I. D., “The population dynamics and_host-plant interactions of Strophingia ericae (Curt.) (Homoptera:Psylloidea)”., J, Anim. Ecol, 1973, Vol.42, pp 565 - 583 Hodkinson, I. D., “The biology of Strophingia ericae (Curtis) (Homoptera:Pyslloidea) with notes on_ its primary parasite Tetrastichus actis ( Walk.) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) ”’., Norsk Entomologisk Tidsskrift, 1973, Vol.20, pp 237 - 243 Hodkinson, I. D., “Heather-feeding psyllids of the genus Strophingia (Homoptera)”’., Systematic Entomology, 1981, Vol.6, pp 77 - 90. Parkinson, J.D. and Whittaker J.B., ““A study of two physiological races of the heather psyllid Strophingia ericae (Curtis) (Homoptera: Psylloidea)”., Biol J. Linn. Soc., 1975, Vol.7, pp 73 - 81. * The name E.zucinulus appeared in a paper on the psyllids of the Canary Islands by the late Dr. Loginova. It can only refer to E. scoparia. Ed. 31 THE HEATHER SOCIETY A double form of Daboecia cantabrica David McClintock, Platt Kent There was no record of any double St.Dabeoc’s Heath until 1978. On 8th April that year, our member Dr.Charles Nelson, the taxonomist at the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin, Dublin, was heather hunting on the moors south-east of Carna in Connemara, not far from the area where the eglandular Erica mackaiana grows and its cultivar ‘Maura’ was found. He saw a St.Dabeoc’s Heath whose flowers looked distinctly globular, in contrast to the usual more elongated shape, and closer inspection showed to his astonishment that the flowers were double. On 13th August, 1980, he took Major Walter Magor and myself to try to refind it and, after a while, refind it he did, up against a stone wall. Daboecias root easily, and by the next summer the cuttings we took had flowered at Glasnevin, with Maj.- Gen. Turpin and with me. Samples were shown to the RHS Scientific Committee on 6th October, to the Wild Flower Society on 24th October, the Botanical Society of the British Isles at their Exhibition Meeting on 28th November, and there are vouchers at Dublin from both Dr.Nelson’s visits. Dr. Nelson and Gen. Turpin have each closely examined the flowers and found that there is variation in doubling even on the same raceme, much as happens with E. mackaiana ‘Maura’, which has a duplicated corolla. Dr. Nelson made a most elegant and skilful dissection of one flower, sticking each of its parts, whorl by whorl and annotated on the sheet, which is now a treasure in the Society's herbarium. This shows how the doubling comes from the filaments of the antherless stamens broadening into petal-like structures, and the proliferation of whorls. Its flowers are the same colour as the usual wild plant but have the drawback from the garden point of view that the corollas stay on the plant, 32 YEAR BOOK 1982 brown, instead of dropping off as those of the single flowers do. Dr. Nelson has been very actively working on Irish heathers; his first published paper on them was in 1974. This, and the fact that it was he who spotted this hitherto unknown and interesting form, well justifies its being called Daboecia cantabrica ‘Charles Nelson’, a name cordially endorsed by Gen. Turpin and other members. Cuttings of it are being made available to worthy nurseries and other growers. * eK KK An Gornmal Form of Erica vagans. Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin, West Clandon, Surrey. An unusual form of Erica vagans was found by the writer on the Lizard peninsula, near Kynance Farm, on the 28th September 1977. By the following year the site had been ploughed up and the original plant was destroyed. However, a cutting was taken and this. abnormal form is being cultivated. Specimens were exhibited at the RHS Show on 11th/12th August 1981 and were submitted to the Scientific Committee of the RHS. The tiny green flowérs on this plant consist only of a double calyx (eight sepals instead of the usual four) and the female sexual parts (ovary and style). There is no corolla and the stamens are lacking. This plant is quite different from Erica vagans ‘Viridiflora’, which was found on the Lizard by Mr. P. D. Williams some time before 1919. This cultivar has quantities of pale green bract-like growths, which take the place of flowers (although an occasional normal floret appears) and has been growing in gardens for over 50 years. It has a great appeal for flower-arrangers. Similar aberrations have been recorded among other species of heather. The diplocalyx form of Calluna 53 THE HEATHER SOCIETY also has a double calyx in place of the corolla; and a form of E. tetralix which lacked the male parts (stamens) was recorded early in the nineteenth century and given the botanical epithet anandra. These strange “freaks” are not of much horticultural value, but they have great botanical interest. It is intended to publish the epithet var. anandra for this form of E. vagans in a future issue of Watsonia. Erica ciliaris in Connemara, November 1981 Dr. E. C. Nelson, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin On 14th November 1981, I visited the only known population of the Dorset Heath (Erica ciliaris L.) in Ireland, near Roundstone, Connemara (1). As far as I know the site had not been visited by any other botanist at this time of year, since the species was refound in Connemara in March 1965 by Michael Lambert (2, 3). It is therefore worth recording that on this date in November the heather was in full bloom, in stark contrast to all the other plants on the wet peatlands which had adopted their winter colours and hues — the whole area takes on a beautiful burnished gold colour in late autumn as the moor grasses and sedges die down for the winter. Professor David Webb (3) noted that £. ciliaris “flowers here very late (well into October)’. I had previously visited the site in July and August when I had managed to find one or two individual flowers fully open on the plants of E. ciliaris, after diligent searching. At that time the inflorescences were formed, but the vast majority of the buds were still immature and tightly closed. In November 1981, the inflorescences were fully elongated and a few of the flowers near the base of each raceme were withered and brown, but the uppermost flowers were still tightly in bud; in other words the plants had not finished flowering but were at 34 YEAR BOOK 1982 about the stage of being in “full bloom’’. All the other heathers in the area had ceased flowering in November 1981, although it was possible to find a few umbels of E. tetralix, E. cinerea, E. mackaiana and E. x stuartii. Calluna and Daboecia were also over. This is a remarkable situation and one which I had suspected from the behaviour of plants in my own garden at Celbridge, County Kildare, which were raised from cuttings obtained in Connemara in 1976. The Irish E. ciliaris flowered later than plants obtained from Devon and France (raised from cuttings supplied by Dr. P. D. Coker and D. M. Synnott respectively). ‘he Lrish plants are still in flower today, 16th November 1981, in Celbridge. It should be noted that E. ciliaris is now fully protected in Ireland under an act of the Irish Parliament and it is illegal to remove plants, cuttings, flowers or seeds from the Connemara population; the Flora (Protection) Order came into effect on 5th November 1980. There are perhaps six plants of the Dorset Heath in the Connemara population; all were in flower and appear to be identical in morphology (4). The population is probably composed of a single biotype or may even be a clone. The lateness of the flowering may provide some clues to the reason for the species’ scarcity in Ireland. Professor Webb noted that capsules from Connemara plants did not contain seeds and suggested that the production of viable seeds may depend on “chance variations of weather ’’,althoughhe also wrote “‘the same mysterious curse of sterility which broods over FE. mackaiana (in Connemara) may affect E£. ciliaris too.” These comments are apposite for it is unlikely that a plant flowering in October and November in the west of Ireland will be capable of producing seeds in any substantial quantity. Even if in the occasional year seed is formed, it is probable that only the earliest (lowest) flowers in each raceme would be found with fully developed capsules. Flowers which open in November are probably not even pollinated,for there are very few insects active at that time of year. 35 THE HEATHER SOCIETY While there may be a “mysterious curse of sterility’ — such as self-incompatibility in a clone — it seems quite probable that the late- flowering propensity of the Connemara population is a reason for the present extreme rarity of this species in Ireland. Although the Connemara plants may be readily propagated from cuttings in artificial conditions, there appears to be little orno natural vegetative spread in this site — the extant plants are mostly clumped around small boulders which are strewn within the area and there are no young plants in the intervening areas. The site was burnt in 1 966; that fire might have stimulated germination of seeds, but there are no reports of seedlings having been found after the fire. If there is no active vegetative reproduction (as opposed to regeneration) and seeds are not produced, this species’ position within the Irish flora is extremely precarious. The only ray of hope is the thought that this colony has survived intact for over 130 years since the species was first seen in Connemara by Thomas Bergin in 1864. At least the Dorset Heath is tenacious ! Finally I collected samples of the few other heathers that were in the area immediately adjacent to E. ciliaris and have since examined the flowers. The majority of umbels collected were of F. x stuartii; there were some flowers of E. tetralix, butno E. mackaiana. \ did not find any material of E. x watsonii (E. ciliaris x E. tetralix). References I. Magor, Maj. E. W. G., Heather Society Year Book, 1981, pp52 - 60 2. Eager, A. R., Nelson, E. C. and Scannell, M. J. P., Zr, Nat J., 1978, Vol.19, pp 244 - 245. 3. Webb, D. A., Proc. Bot Soc. Br. Isles, 1966, Vol.6, pp 221 - 225 4. McClintock, D., ibid., 1968, Vol.7, pp 177 - 178 ek ok ek Dr. Nelson, as a_ distinguished professional botanist, has provided us with an interesting paper, but perhaps a mere amateur may be permitted some comments. 36 YEAR BOOK 1982 The Heather Society Trials examined 13 cultivars of E. ciliaris. These all originated from wild populations, and yet in the harsher environment of Harlow Car five of them consistently flowered untii the end of November. Perhaps the Connemara plants are not unusual in this respect. The next question is that of the apparent inability of the plants to produce seed. David McClintock has pointed out that relict populations tend to be sterile. However, Dr. McAllister told us at Loughborough that he had obtained viable seed from the Connemara E. mackatiana by growing it in close proximity to examples of the species derived from the Spanish population. This is an indication of self-incompatibility, and this may perhaps also be so with the Connemara E. ciliaris. Finally Dr. Nelson’s failure to find E. x watsonii is not really surprising. The very small size of the population of E. ciliaris greatly reduces the probability of cross fertilisation with (abundant) EF. tetralix. We failed to find E. x watsonii at Soussons Down in 1973, where there were many more than six plants of E. ciliaris. Ed. The “Splendid” Bell Heathers David McClintock, Platt Kent The name “‘splendens’’ has been used for different Bell Heathers, Erica cinerea. There are two main groups of its use, one botanical, the other horticultural. Their histories chronologically are:- The botanical name. 1. Druce, G. C., New Phytol. ,1911, p.315. “‘the inflorescence of the Galway plant is much longer and finer than that of the British plant..... about Roundstone it was particularly handsome. At Kea Downs a form with _ very large flowers was seen.” These vague remarks, in so far as they effectively publish anything, are of no practical value. 37, THE HEATHER SOCIETY 2. Vigurs, C. C., J. Bot, 1913, p.197. “var splendens mihi. A striking form..... with long densely flowered racemes and often with large and pale flowers..... found at Kea Down(C.G.D.)..... I have ventured to name as above’. 3. Vigurs, C. C.,/. R. Inst. Cornwall, 1913, Vol. XIX, No.2, p.228. Erica cinerea L. var splendens mihi. ““A striking form with long and densely flowered inflorescences has been noticed at Carn Croft, Kea by Mr. Davey, at Kea Down by Mr. Druce and at Newlyn Down by myself, also at Roundstone, Co. Galway by Mr. Druce. At Kea Down and Newlyn Down it has also very large flowers. I have named it as above’. 4. Druce, G. C., Rep. Bot. Exchange Club, 1913, (Publ. Feb. 1914), p.328. “Erica cinerea L. var splendens, with long densely flowered racemes, and often with large and pale flowers.......... C. C. Vigurs in Journal of Botany 197, 1913. I referred to this plant in New Phyt 315, 1911. My Kea Down plant may be defined as having branches ending in sub-terminal racemes of showy flowers, much larger in type, and with the leaves about 8mm long, loosely arranged on the branches. Corolla grandi(7 x 4-5 mm), inflata, roseo-purpurea; racemis densis, plerumque sub-capitalis (sic), interdum longis.”” His specimen from a common near Kea bay Truro in July 1911, is in the Fielding Herbarium at Oxford. It is well branched with very short inflorescences, labelled “var splendens Vigurs J.B. (1913) 197”. By it is a “flesh coloured form of the type from the same area showing difference in size and of flowers’’ — in fact they are similar. A third specimen on the same sheet labelled “var splendens (Vigurs) Dr. from Cashel, Co. Galway, undated, with the longest inflorescences only 5 cm, the flowers on the large size. Another sheet of his includes a var splendens from Poole Harbour, Dorset, no date, with largish flowers and a 7 cm inflorescence. A third sheet of var splendens ( Vigurs) Druce from Tadley, Berks, September 1930 has its longest inflorescence 12 cm, and another var splendens Vigurs from Birley, N. Hants 1931 with a single 12 cm inflorescence. 38 YEAR BOOK 1982 5. ibid, 1930, p.360. “var splendens ( Vig.) Dr. “‘used by Druce for a plant from elsewhere. 6. Drabble, E. and Long, J. W., ibid, 1931, p.740. “‘var splendens. A form with very large rose-coloured flowers in long dense racemes’’. Their specimen is in the British Museum(NH). The inflorescence is only 8 cm long, and the corollas 6 - 7 mm. Vigurs’ and Druce’s varieties are identical, despite the inconsistent way Druce cites the name: indeed they arose at the same place( Kea Down is in Cornwall, where Vigurs lived) and presumably at the same time. Almost certainly Vigurs’ was the first effective publication of the varietal name. This, however, is probably only of academic importance, because this name refers only to any well grown and well-flowered specimen, pale flowered or otherwise, which will be found wherever conditions are suitable, and is of no taxonomic value. 7 mm is on the large size for a corolla, but it is by no means unusual; and the density of the racemes can be matched, exceeded, even more frequently. The proof of the value, if any, of this variety would be to take cuttings from such a plant and grow them on in poor soil. The result can be anticipated. The horticultural names A. ‘Splendens’ 1. G. Arends’ Catalogue 1920/1. “Schon in Jahre 1914 hatte Ich die Absicht vier meiner Zuchtungen erstmals anzubieten. Doch unterblieb es wegen des Krieges..... splendens Nr. 6. Herrlich leuchtend scharlachkarmin’. (Already in 1914 I had the intention of offering for the _ first time four of my varieties. But this was not done because of the war..... splendens No.6. Magnificent bright scarlet-carmine). 2. The name appears in at least his 1925 and 1929 catalogues. 3. It appears also in the following (those in brackets have not yet been checked):- 39 THE HEATHER SOCIETY (Moller 1926) “‘leuchtend hellscharlachkarmin” (shining scarlet-carmine); Ruys (1930 - ) 1939 - 46 (not later) ““bright deep red, very fine dark green foliage’; (Boermann, 1938); E. Frye, USA 1940 “upright in growth with elongated clusters of bright crimson flowers’ (Sylvan, USA, 1960); Heather Acres, USA, 1979 “‘reddish-purple, June - Sept., bushy, 12” x 15”’, foliage medium,’’; (de Conink); (Hesse). These seem to refer to Arends’ rich-coloured plant. 4. G. Arends, 1951, Mein Leben als Gartner und Zuchter, pp.129 - 30.“..... von den Samlingen suchte Ich die hartesten aus, schutzte sie weniger in Winter, so dass nur die hartesten ubrig blieben. Hiervon traf Ich eine Auslese von etwal10 Nummern..... Zur Zeit ihrer Vollblute hatte Ich gerade den Besuch des Grafen Schwerin........ . Er half mir bein der Auslese der schonsten Formen, die Ich dann 1920 unter den Namen. . splendens \leuchtend karmin, dem Handel abergeben konnte. Allerdings sind sie nicht absolut winterhart. In den verflossenen Notjahren, gingen leider meine ganzen Bestande verloren”.(..... from these seedlings I selected the hardiest, protected them less in the winter so only the hardiest survived. From these I selected about 10..... When they were in full bloom I was visited by Count Schwerin..... He helped me to select the best forms which I then in 1920 under the name : eae splendens bright carmine, introduced into trade. Nevertheless they are not completely hardy. In the recent difficult years I lost the complete stock). 5. van de Laar, H., Dendroflora, 1970, Jan., No. 7, p.25. ““Splendens (G. Arlends) - Juli - Aug., 30 cm. Volgens de literatuur met dieprose bloemen. Het in Nederland onder deze naam gekweekte materiaal is allemaal “C. D. Eason’. Vermoedlijk is ‘Splendens’ een later gegeven naam; deze zou dus als een synoniem vor ‘C.D. Eason’ kunnen worden beschouwd”’. (According to the literature with deep pink flowers. Material grown | in Holland under this name is always ‘C.D. Eason’. Possibly “‘Splendens” is a later name and should be considered a synonym of “C.D. Eason’). 40 YEAR BOOK 1982 6. Underhill, T., Heaths and Heathers, 1971, p.159. “12 in., deep rose, June to July, I have no personal knowledge of this cultivar’. 7. van de Laar, H., Evicultura, 1974, No.15, p.9 ‘*Planten onder de volgende namen moeten heten.... . ‘Splendens’ — °C. D. Eason’ (magentarood)’’. (Plants under the following names can be called........ ‘Splendens’ — ‘C. D. Easton’ (magenta red).) 8. Heather Trials 1971 - 75, 1976, p.29. “Colour H12, 72D. size untrimmed 25 cm high, 60 cm spread, flowering late June to mid-October. Length of spikes 10 cm, foliage grey-green in spring, mid-green in summer, habit large, spreader if untrimmed, amount of flower, very good, garden worthiness, outstanding. Remarks — Dutch say ‘Splendens’ same as ‘Rosea’. This would appear to be so’. (an opinion I have been unable to trace). Arends earlier (1906) listed ‘Rosea’ “leuchtend dunkelrosafarbig” (shining dark rose) and another of his 1920 seedlings ‘Atrorosea’ “‘dunkelrosafarbig mit Lachsshein’”’ (dark rose with a salmon sheen). 9. Yates, G., Pocket Guide, 4th Edn, 1978, p.25. “ ** “Splendens’ June - Oct. Heliotrope(H12, 72D) flowers on grey-green foliage. The view has been expressed that this plant and ‘Rosea’ are synonyms, and I agree with this. Most Dutch material is “‘C. D. Eason’ ”’. B. ‘Rosea Splendens’ 1. E. & A. Eskuche of Osterholz (SW of Luneburger Heide), list dated 1966/7. ** “Rosea Splendens’, rosa, 30 cm. fl. 7 - 9”’. 2. A fine patch of ‘Rosea Splendens’ was at the then unopened Hamburg Botanic Garden in 1978 and was photographed in colour by Maj.-Gen. Turpin. He writes that it is not easy to check a colour from a slide, but it seems to be somewhere between HI10 and H14. Subsequent enquiry elicited the information that it had come from the old Botanic Garden in the City, but it was not known whence it had been originally obtained. 3. It is possible the name occurs in Zingstra 1960, but this has not been retraced. 4] THE HEATHER SOCIETY From the above it would seem that the name *Splendens’ is now generally applied,in Europe at least,to plants different from Arends’. His had dark foliage and scarlet-crimson flowers; the usurper grey-green foliage and rose flowers. Presumably the change came about when growers could not obtain the original “Splendens’ and substituted °C. D. Eason’ or*Rosea’. How, where or why the name ‘Rosea Splendens’ arose; is unknown. But it would seem to be, in Germany at least, the original Arends’ ‘Splendens’. It may be possible that his original plant is still being offered in America under his original name. Mrs. Metheny obtained ‘“Splendens’ from Mrs. Harper and thinks Sylvan Nursery and Heather Acres will have got it from her too. Her plant “opens out something like 72C (H12) and darkens on exposure to 64B (HS5)”. Mrs. Harper has unfortunately no longer the note of where her plant came from. I hope some time it may be possible to get the Hamburg plant to America, or vice versa, to settle the matter. * KK & The drawings which appear on the following pages are by our American Vice-President, Mrs. D. Metheny. They were first published in Heather News, the journal of the Pacific Northwest Heather Society as illustrations to a continuing series on heather species. The Pacific Northwest Heather Society hope to publish the articles and drawings in book form when the series is completed. We are grateful to Mrs. Metheny and the officers of the Pacific Northwest Heather Society for their permission to publish them here. 42 YEAR BOOK 1982 T XITVULaL VOW PICMUMOP saoue,ta Tequn peonpez yonuw utaqgjzed sutTyoueirg 43 THE HEATHER SOCIETY “Ugvey eXTdS ‘“QUaeuoTeYy Bilostinotds Bl] euqueyonig *G ¥SMO1F EES SIE aN 44 YEAR BOOK 1982 "Ruby Glow! GX March 1 Wh eK EN : ae =the NA eS) SI A oy wry SB j Ages —-. NK A ag: ARG 4 : a LW, <: ¢ =~ Sy é a = @ : o th \ = 3 AN © glee oo - O a S : Sa) ee : @ aA Key A = (Oh = oO - BAS bi Eo ~ BN ” fl- aS aise as THE HEATHER SOCIETY uyzesuseg peat a ee ements Sea nl Fate Foe ue SSCs q1c0ys [eleieL XO1 18/S/9 esZT9Uto eotig YEAR BOOK 1982 New Acquisitions J. Platt, Ulnes Walton, Nr. Leyland, Lancashire Once again Jack Platt has sent in his list of new acquisitions. As always some names have been about for some time and may be known to some members. Where the names have been published previously, with or without the date and description that are required for valid publication under Articles 38 and 39 of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants - 1980, the reference has been added. As in previous years the name of the Pocket Guide to Heather Gardening has been abbreviated to P.G. when giving references. In all cases these refer to the 4th Edn. published in 1978. Calluna vulgaris ‘Annemarie’ Sept.- Oct. The plant originated as a sport on C. v. “Peter Sparkes’ in 1973. It was noticed and propagated by Herr K. Kramer of Suddorf. The double rose-red flowers do not have the white bases of Cv. ‘Schurig’s Sensation’, giving ‘Annemarie’ a darker overall appearance. The flower spikes are long. This is an outstanding cultivar. It was known on the nursery as ‘Kramer's Rote’ and some plants may have got out under that name. (Zwijnenburg’s catalogue for 1979). ‘Japanese White’ Aug. - Sept., 35cm This plant was obtained by Herr Kramer in Japan during the 1970s and introduced by him in 1979. The foliage is dark green flecked with cream. Unfortunately some plants show less variegation than others, but when it is present it is most attractive. ‘Karin Blum’ Aug. - Oct. This plant was found by H. M. J. Blum of Steenwijkerwold in 1977, and named after his second daughter. It was introduced by - P.G. Zwijenburg in 1980. The plant has a low, but upright habit, white flowers and yellow-orange foliage. ‘Kees Gouda’ July - Aug., 10 - 15 cm. Kees Gouda of Utrecht found this dwarf plant in Spain. It has mauve flowers. The foliage is bright green in summer but darkens in winter. The habit of growth is ““humpy’’. (Heather Society Year Book, 1981, p.74). 47 THE HEATHER SOCIETY ‘Naturpark’ Aug. - Sept In 1972 this plant was found in Lineburger Heide Natur park. It has foliage flecked with orange and red. The flowers are mauve. (Heather Society Year Book, 1975, p.42; P.G., p.32). Daboecia cantabrica ‘Covadonga’ June - Oct. Terry Underhill found this on the Picos de Europs in northern Spain in 1973. The crimson (H13) corolla is divided into four recurved lobes. The foliage is dark green (P.G., p.33; Heather Society Year Book, p.58, The Garden, 1980, Vol. 105, No. 5 p.194.) “Waley’s Red’ June - Oct. The buds of this cultivar are ruby (H5, 61A) and open to magenta (H14, 61 A/B) flowers. These are a little deeper in colour than those of D.c. ‘Praegerae’ and similar to those of D.c. “Wijnie’. However, it has a much better habit than the last named cultivar and flowers for much longer. This outstanding plant was found c. 1970 in Spain by Frank Waley of Sevenoaks. (P.G., p.33; Heather Society Year Book, 1979, p.58). : Erica carnea ‘David’s Seedling’ Dec. - March. Some years ago Jack London rooted cuttings from a vase of a carnea seedling that David McClintock had exhibited at an RHS show. Jack showed one of the resulting plants as “‘a seedling’ at the RHS in 1975 and 1980. On both occasions it was highly commended. In 1981 Jack showed it again, this time as ‘David's Seedling’, and it was given third prize. It has a low spreading habit and light green foliage. The flowing lilac-pink flowers are superior to those of ‘Pirbright Rose’, its closest likeness. ‘Spring Cottage Crimson’ Dec. - Feb. This plant arose as a seedling in Mrs. Parris’s garden near Usk, Gwent, by 1976. It has heliotrope (H12) flowers over mid-green foliage and a semi-prostrate habit. (P.G., p.34; Heather Society Year Book, 1979, p.59). Erica ciliaris ‘Egdon Heath’ In 1977 the Thomas Hardy Society asked that a heather from the Dorset Heaths should be named to commemorate the 50th 48 YEAR BOOK 1982 anniversary of Hardy’s death in 1938. (Bulletin, No.10, Vol. 2, p.5). In November 1978 Joyce Burfitt complied with that request by naming a recently found E. ciliaris “‘Egdon Heath’. (Bulletin, No.17, Vol.2, p.1). This name has been registered. The flowers of the plant are shell pink with lilac-pink tips. The foliage is grey-green. Erica cinerea ‘Harry Fulcher’ July - Oct. 25 cm. This plant arose as a seedling in Jack London’s garden. It was introduced by Niel Brummage in 1978 under the invalid name ‘Eden Valley Improved’. It was renamed by Denbeigh Heather Nurseries,who registered the name ‘Harry Fulcher’. The flowers are mauve (H2) and white and are borne on long spreading stems over light green foliage. The plant has gained one fourth, one second and two first prizes for Jack London at RHS shows (Bulletin, No.4, Vol.3, p.3). ‘Lime Soda’ July - Sept. 15 cm. This plant arose as a seedling in Jack London’s garden. It was named and introduced by Neil Brummage. It has a spreading habit with lime green foliage and mauve (H2) flowers. ‘Nellie Dawson’ July - Sept. This plant arose as a seedling in the garden of the late Stanley Dawson of Sandal, Yorkshire, during the 1970’s. He named it after his wife and registered the name in 1977. The plant has a bushy habit, dark green foliage and mauve flowers. (P. G., p.34; Heather Society Year Book, 1979, p.56). ‘Son of Cevennes’ July - Oct. This is anice plant with long spikes of heliotrope flowers. It was raised and introduced by Dereck Cox of Goscote Nurseries. 5 - (Garden News, 1980). Erica mackaiana ‘Maura’ July - Sept. This semi-double plant with heliotrope (H12, 72D) flowers was found by Miss Maura Scannell near Carna in Connemara in 1970. It has a broad habit and is an excellent garden plant. David McClintock has described this plant in The Garden, May 1980, p.195 with a picture on p.192. (Heather Society Year Book, 1979, p.56). Erica tetralix “Allendale Pink’ 30 cm This erect plant with grey-green foliage and pink flowers was found in Orkney in 1978 and introduced by Allendale Nurseries of Knowle, West Midlands. * kk KK 49 THE HEATHER SOCIETY Famous Heather Nurseries - Famous Heather Names Mrs. Daphne Everett, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. This article has evolved through my desire to know more about the history of the heathers, which as a grower, I handle every day, and particularly about those “people” that I have, on occasions, held by the neck, grabbed by the bottom, drenched with water as they lay inoffensively in their beds, and generally abused greatly, for example ‘J. H. Hamilton’, ‘C. D. Eason’, ‘Joy Vanstone’ and, with a tug at my forelock, even ‘King George’. Interest in heather growing really began around the middle of the 18th Century, but was then largely restricted to Cape Heaths which started then to be brought back to Europe. By the 1870’s James Veitch and Sons of Chelsea were offering a list of 143 Cape Heaths, which contained no fewer than 93 different species. (*) No one seems to have considered specialising in hardy heaths until the early 1920’s when Maxwell & Beale began to realise their great potential. Before that time there were few cultivars offered by nurserymen. James Smith of Darley Dale Among the first nurseries to introduce new heather varieties was James Smith of Darley Dale; this well- known nursery was established in 1827 and grew a wide variety of plants, including the Rhododendrons which do So well in their area. The nurseries were near Matlock in the Derbyshire hills, up to 1,100 ft above sea level, and the family were proud to boast that their stock could therefore be relied on to thrive even in the most inhospitable parts of the * Since writing this the Editor has brought to my notice the firm of John Frazer of Leytonstone whose 1866 - 7 catalogue listed 140 species of Cape Heaths and who, by the following year, had increased the list to 150. 50 YEAR BOOK 1982 British Isles. In fact, in later years, their heathers and Christmas trees were grown in a Separate nursery with the most evocative name of “‘Siberia’’. James Smith’s early introductions were Erica cinerea ‘Atrosanguinea (Smith’s Variety)’ and “Coccinea (Smith’s Variety)’, both c. 1852, which are still outstanding heathers after well over a hundred years in cultivation. In the 1920’s they introduced Calluna vulgaris ‘Darleyensis (1926), ‘Tricolorifolia’ (1926), ‘Salmonoides’ (1929) and ‘Hammondii Aurea’ (1925). E. tetralix ‘Darleyensis’ (1936) was a Smith’s introduction, as was the first known E. carnea/E. erigena cross, E. x darleyensis, which has since been given the cultivar name “Darley Dale’ by David McClintock. By 1913 the nursery was in the hands of the third James Smith, and in his catalogue he was able to claim that: “These Nurseries are specially famed for the culture of Hardy Heaths, including lucky White Scotch Heather. Our stock consisting of upwards of Half-a- Million saleable plants in 50 distinct varieties; we are ‘undoubtedly the largest growers in the world’. This is indeed a large number of heathers, but is only one page of a seventy-page catalogue, and a large number of plants were sold, not as garden plants as such, but as “Lucky White Heather’ to the tourists. For many years there were two James Smiths of Darley Dale and there was fierce competition between them. Their catalogues besought prospective customers not to go to their rival. The last James Smith of the heather’ firm died in 1979 and the business closed. The rival firm is still trading in the area. The House of Veitch I have already mentioned James Veitch. The founder of the nursery, John Veitch, was born in Scotland in 1752 into a very old family of French descent. As a young man he came south to seek his fortune in London. He first worked in a nursery for eight Shillings a week. 31 THE HEATHER SOCIETY It is said that he was sent for by Sir Thomas Acland (1787 - 1871) to lay out the park at Killerton in Devon, and that it was Sir Thomas who helped and encouraged him to start his own nursery. By 1800 he had started a nursery at Budlake near Killerton, and in 1 832 in Exeter. On his death in 1837 he was succeeded by his son James (1792 - 1836). In 1853 they bought Knight and Perry’s nursery in Chelsea which was run by his son James Junior (1815 - 1869). On the death of the elder James, the Exeter nursery was taken over by his younger son Robert (1823 - 1885). From this time the nurseries were operated as spearate concerns by the two brothers. James’s “Royal Exotic Nurseries” in Chelsea became very famous. Later, one of James’s sons, Harry James Veitch (1840 - 1924), was knighted for his part in the promotion of the International Exhibition, the first Chelsea Show, in 1912. Coming back to the subject of heathers, Veitch’s are of interest to us for the large number of Cape Heaths offered for sale by the London firm, and also for the introduction of the beautiful tree heath E. x veitchii ‘Exeter , which arose as a Seedling in the Exeter Nursery in the late 1890's. The last member of the Veitch family to be actively connected with the business was Miss Mildred Veitch (1889 - 1969) managing director of Robert Veitch and Son from 1929 until failing health forced her to sell it very shortly before she died. James Backhouse of York The first James Backhouse (1794 - 1869) was one of the ten children of a local Quaker family. As he was a rather delicate child, it was suggested by his botanist uncle that he should take up an open air occupation, so in 1816, with his brother Thomas (1792 - 1845), he bought Telford's nursery in York which had already been a nursery for at least 150 years. The business flourished, even though James spent ten years abroad as a missionary. He did not forget it though and sent home several new species from around the world. 52 YEAR BOOK 1982 The coming of the railway to York forced Backhouse’s to move their nursery and they finally settled at West Bank, Acomb. In 1869 the nursery passed into the hands of James Backhouse Junior (1825 - 1890) who built there what was one of the wonders of the horticultural world at that time, and helped to make the firm of Backhouse the most famous in the north of England. He constructed a series of lakes and streams, surrounded by “mountain crags’, and in_ this “Switzerland in Miniature’, as the writer Dean Hole described it, he put alpine plants from many parts of the world. He was the first to try to show the plants in a reconstruction of their natural surroundings. He also excavated an underground cavern which he filled with exotic ferns, the like of which few people had seen before. In 1923 the firm collapsed but was revived under a new board without any member of the Backhouse family on it. The new owners carefully preserved the famous rock garden, but in 1955 York Corporation bought them out in order to turn the site into a public park, and the rockery, a part of York’s history, was demolished on the grounds of safety. It would hardly be accurate to refer to Backhouse as a heather nursery. Like Veitch’s, they carried an enormous range of plants, of which heathers were only a tiny part. However, as with everything they did, they introduced their heathers with panache. “Our Mr. Richard Potter’, was dispatched on “Continental Botanic Rambles” and brought back some of the early carneas to this country. In 1911, the year of the Coronation, Backhouse’s produced a very impressive colour plate catalogue of twelve E. carnea cultivars, which they offered at 3/- each. The plants listed, each accompanied by its picture in colour, were ‘King George _V’, ‘Queen Mary’, ‘Prince of Wales’, ‘Queen of Spain’, “Mrs. Samuel Doncaster’, ‘Thomas Kingscote’, ‘Winter Beauty’, ‘Praecox Rubra’, ‘C. J. Backhouse’, ‘Pink Pearl’, ‘James Backhouse’ and ‘Gracilis’. Most of these are still familiar names to us today. 33 THE HEATHER SOCIETY Waterer's of Bagshot Knaphill Nurseries were started by Michael Waterer (1745 - 1827) in 1790 and were chiefly concerned with rhododendrons and azaleas. In the 1920’s, Miss Gertrude Waterer, a distant relative who lived in Cornwall, began collecting unusual heathers from around her home and sending them to Knaphill for ~ introduction. Her best-known find was E. cinerea ‘Eden Valley, which was named after her house near Penzance. Fred Chapple wrote in his book The Heather Garden in 1952, that the original plant could still be seen growing there at that time. Most of the heathers collected by Miss Waterer were varieties of EF. cinerea and included ‘Cripples Ease’ (a hamlet near Penzance), ‘Gwinear (by 1952, a railway station near where it was found), ‘Hamildon’ (a friend), ‘Janet (1941, a Scottish friend), ‘Mulfra’ (1934, a hill near Penzance), ‘Nance’ (1953, a village near Penzance) ‘Ninnes’ (1942, another hamlet near Penzance) and ‘Zennor (a village near St Ives). There is an E. vagans named after Miss Waterer which she gave to the Slieve Donard Nursery in Northern Ireland. She also sent to Kew a cross between E. tetralix and E. vagans, which she named ‘“Gwavas’ after the farm on the Lizard peninsula where she happened to be staying at the time. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Mr. Donald Waterer carried on the tradition by raising several new cinereas. There were “Rozanne Waterer (1952, his wife), “Tom Waterer (pre 1965), ‘Duncan Fraser (pre 1965, nursery foreman), ‘Knaphill Pink (1966), ‘Pentreath’ (1957) and‘Fred Corston’ (1954, a director of the firm). Mr. Donald Waterer has now retired to Somerset, and although the business is still thriving, there are now no Waterers left in the firm. Maxwell & Beale Much has already been written about the firm of Maxwell & Beale, but even at the risk of repetition it 54 YEAR BOOK 1982 cannot be excluded from this little history. D. F. Maxwell and H. E. Beale met when they were students at Wisley at the beginning of the first World War. Their heather business began shortly after Beale was invalided out of the army in 1917. As early as 1921 they had introduced four cultivars which they had selected on the moors which were then close to the nursery. They never lost their enthusiasm for collecting from the wild, and indeed, they infected their staff with that enthusiasm. However, in the period up to 1925 they obtained stock plants of at least 68 cultivars from other nurseries. They tested their finds carefully but those they considered suitable for introduction were often named after members of their families, or after the member of staff who had found the plant. The best known of their introductions must surely be C.v. ‘H. E. Beale’, whose chancy beginning was a tiny sprig sent through the post in 1925 by a lady (name unfortunately unknown), who found it growing in the New Forest. Three cuttings were taken and two survived. It was introduced in 1928. “Cecilia M. Beale’ (1927) was a white carnea seedling found growing on the nursery and was named after H. E. Beale’s sister. When the Maxwell's were honeymooning in Cornwall in 1923, Mrs. Maxwell came across a vagans of an exceptionally deep colour which was named after her. In his book The Low Road, D. F. Maxwell describes how they celebrated the find “with an entirely new dance rhe eae to the complete mystification of a farm labourer whom we had not observed approaching’. Two days later they found a white vagans, which they named ‘Lyonesse’ after the legendary kingdom of King Arthur. Both plants were introduced in 1925. During that honeymoon they also found the Callunas ‘Kynance’ (introduced by 1927) and ‘Mullion’ (1928). Cv. ‘Penhale’ may also have been found at that time. P. .S. Patrick was with Maxwell & Beale for three years in the 1920’s, and later returned as nursery a5 THE HEATHER SOCIETY manager. He was a Vice-President of the Heather Society from 1966 until his death, and was the first Editor of the Year Book, a post he held from 1963 to 1965 and again from 1969 to 1974. He was also joint author, with D. F. Maxwell, of The English Heather Garden, which was published in 1966. He found the purple cinerea which was later named after him during his first period with the firm about 1928. About three years earlier his first wife found her dainty Calluna ‘Mrs. Pat’ while out with her dog on Broadstone Moor.. The plant was grown for a year in the nursery, but was considered to be of no value as it showed no sign of colour in its foliage. Luckily, it was given more time to prove its worth and 60 years later it is still producing its beautiful pink tips. E. cinerea *C. D. Eason’ (1929) was named after the finder, an Australian who came to England with the Anzacs in the first World War, married a local nurse and stayed on to work for Maxwell & Beale as propagator. Two of his sons found heathers called after them, E. cinerea ‘John Eason’ (1933) and the bud flowering Calluna (f. diplocalyx) ‘David Eason’ (1935), and his father-in-law, George Rendall, gave his name to the second cultivar of F. x darleyensis to be introduced (1935). Charlie Eason also discovered a little golden- foliage cinerea which he named ‘Golden Drop’ (1933) because, it is said, the colour reminded him of his favourite Australian jam, made from the Golden Drop plum. In the early 1930s D. F. Maxwell sold his interest in the firm to a former rubber planter, J. H. Hamilton. The Calluna which now bears Hamilton ’s name was actually found in the 1920s by someone in Yorkshire but it took the firm several years to persuade the finder to part with it. C. G. Best (1929), Victoria (1925) and Joyce Burfitt (1958) were all employees with cinereas named after them. Another employee, F. White, found the hybrid E. x watsonii which was named after him(1931). 56 YEAR BOOK 1982 The double white Calluna ‘Alba Plena’, was introduced to the English trade by this nursery in 1938. There are various stories about its origin, but it seems it was found by Herr August Lamken in 1934 in Germany and it was grown on by Messrs. Bruns, nurserymen of Bad Zwischenahn, who introduced it and sold it to Maxwell & Beale. The finder of C.v. “County Wicklow was a lady named Meta Archer, who discovered it in the Wicklow Mountains. She told Maxwell about her find when he was at the Dublin Horse Show and asked him to market it.(*)At about the same time, Mr. F. W. Millard(c. 1862- 1944), a Sussex gardener, introduced a very similar variety which he named ‘Camla’ after his home. It is now generally accepted that these two plants are identical. E. ciliaris ‘Stoborough’ was found near the village of that name a few miles from Wareham. Both P. S. Patrick and D. F. Maxwell professed to have found it before 1927 but two others also claim it. It was introduced in 1929. E. ciliaris ‘Wych came from Wych Heath (1929). E. cinerea ‘Apple Blossom’ (by 1925) was found by an employee, and ‘Domino’ (1929) was a Sport on a purple cinerea spotted by Maxwell. That botanical curiosity “‘W. G. Notley’ was found by yet another employee on the Naked Cross Nursery c. 1942 and was said by them for a long time to be a bi- generic hybrid, but it is a true cinerea, the type indeed of var. kruessmanniana. Much earlier, by 1927, they had introduced two ‘“‘wheatear’ cinerea,‘Broadstone’ and ‘Studland’. E. tetralix “Ruby’s Variety (1921) and E. cinerea ‘Ruby (1930) were named after one of H. E. Beale’s _ * Despite P. S. Patrick’s assertion in the Year Book for 1964 (p.25) that Cv. ‘County Wicklow was obtained while the firm was exhibiting at the Dublin Horse Show, there is no mention of the firm as exhibitors in the records of the Royal Dublin Society. However, Mrs. Rachel Tanner, D. F. Maxwell's daughter, remembers her father visiting the Show privately. —_ Ed. =)/ THE HEATHER SOCIETY nieces. E. x watsonii “Gwen (1925) is said to be named after another of his nieces. Whether FE. x watsonii ‘Dawn’ (1925) was named after yet a third niece, or after the time of day as D. F. Maxwell implies in The Low Road (“It is a nice pinkish-purple - the colour diffused across the eastern Heavens “‘when dawn’s left hand is in the sky’,’) presumably cannot now be known for certain. _ E. teiralix ‘Mary Grace (1936) was named by D. F. Maxwell because they were two of his favourite names, and E. x watsonii ‘Rachel (1929) after his daughter, now Mrs. Tanner. F. J. Stevens bought the firm on the death of H. E. Beale in 1959. He tells how he found a dark cinerea by standing on a hill actually on the nursery. Looking down he saw an exceptionally deep patch in the heather, the plant which became ‘Velvet Night’ (1957) E. x darleyensis ‘Cherry Stevens’ arose as a seedling in the garden at Furzey, then the home of Capt. Dalrymple at Minstead. He wanted to name it after Mrs. Stevens, but she would not tell him her first name, so he called it ‘Cherry Stevens’ as a complement to her lovely complexion. However, husband-like, Mr. Stevens rather spoilt this happy illusion by suggesting to me that the lovely complexion mostly came out of a powder box. This plant was also introduced by John Letts, who gave the name of its place of origin and published it first, so ‘Furzey is now the correct name. Other Maxwell & Beale introductions include E. erigena ‘W. T. Rackliff (1935), E. carnea ‘Eileen Porter (1937 but not listed in the catalogue until after the war), E. cinerea ‘Frances’ (1921), ‘Robert Michael’ (1934) and‘G. Osmond’ (1929). George Osmond found his lovely lilac cinerea while working for the firm. He left in 1924 to eventually start a nursery of his own, and more will be said about him when this article is continued in the next Year Book. 58 YEAR BOOK 1982 Acknowledgements My thanks are due to Mrs. James Smith for information about her late husband’s firm, Norman Langdon and Mrs. Janet Flinn of St. Bridget Nurseries Ltd. for their information on the Veitch family, Dr. John Harvey and Peter Goodchild, the North Yorkshire County Library and the County Archivist for information about James Backhouse, Donald Waterer late of Knaphili Nurseries and F. J. Stevens of Maxwell & Beale. I must also thank all those who gave such helpful comments at the 1981 Heather Society Conference and especially David McClintock and the Editor. * kk OK Recent Writings on Heathers, 1981 Addy, D., Heaths and Heathers. Gardening World, Jan. 1981, Vol.22, pp5 - 8. Good advice on growing and propagating. Anon., Blooming Heath, Gardeners Chronicle, 1981, Vol.189, No.10, p 25. “The two piants of most interest to nurserymen” at the RHS Show - “both from amateur gardeners’. E. carnea‘ John Kampa’, shown by Maj.-Gen. Pat Turpin and ‘R. B. Cooke’ shown by A. W. Jones. Mrs. Turpin’s *Schurig’s Sensation’ and‘My Dream’ in impeccable condition kept in the freezer since September.” Anon., Frozen Assets, Garden News, 28th Feb., 1981, p 32. “Last summer caught and frozen by Mrs. Cherry Turpin”. {My Dream’ said to have arisen in Germany; and “summer heaths never have to endure frost”. What rot some do write ! Anon., A Cinderella of Heaths, Garden News, 28th Feb., 1981 Good photo of ““R. G. London’ at the heather competition with ‘December Red’ and “ Jack Kampa’’. Anon., Heidegarten am Hohenhewen, Mein schoner Garten, Sept. 1981, pp 26- Sil The Wolf's heather garden with 80 cvs, created on unsuitable soil near Lake Constance. They include “Sir Istiana’’ — ‘Sister Anne’! Bannister P., Carbohydrate concentration of heather plants of different geographical origins, J. Ecol., 1981, Vol.69, pp 769 - 780. Deals with Calluna, E. cinerea and E. tetralix. Bloom, A., Heathers, A cut above the restPractical Gardening, Dec. 1980, pp [2S is) Mostly pictures, but should be useful. Bloom, A., Take to the Heather, Jdeal Home, March 1981. Winter-flowerers misprinted as lime-haters ! 59 THE HEATHER SOCIETY Cabezudo, B., Notes breves 20. Erica terminalis Salisb., Lagascalia, 1980, Vol.9, No.2, p 246. Discovered in the Sierra de Grazalena at 600 m in Prov. Cadiz, its furthest NW locality. Cabezudo, B. and Rivera, J., Erica andevalensis sp. nov., Lagascalia, 1980, Vol.9, No.2, pp 223 - 6. Publication of a name for what looks like an E. tetralix with a glabrous ovary from spoil heaps round the pyrites mines at Huelva in SW Spain. Calderbank, D. A., Heather Society, Gardeners World, Oct. 1981, p55. An adequate account. Chapman, S. B. and Rose, R. J., The establishment of seedlings on lowland heaths, Jnstitute of Terrestrial Ecology Annual Report, 1979, pp 86 - 8. The effects of various treatments on Calluna. Coulton, M. A., A Garden by the sands of Dee, Popular Gardening, 31st J an., 1981 pp 20-1. The heather garden at Ness “unrivalled in the British Isles’. Cox, D., Gold to bank on all the year, Garden News, 7th Feb., 1981 400 words on colour foliage Callunas. Cuisance, P., Les Bruyéres. Jardins de France, 1981, Nos.6-7, pp 241 - 4. A useful account, but restricted to five species and old cvs. Davidson, M., ‘“‘Green Fingers’, AlFweather heather for altyear flower, Sunday Express colour supplement, 19th July, 1981. Dyer, J., Heathers ideal for cover, Western Gazette, 21st Aug., 1981. Roll out the heather carpet, ibid., 28th Aug. Heaths 242 pick your favourite, ibid., 4th Sept. Twelve months of colour, ibid., 11th Sept. Fill the gap, ibid., 18th Sept. Create 1 3D effect, ibid., 25th Sept. These six useful articles appeared On identical dates also in the Farnham Herald — and elsewhere’? Eager, A. R and Scannell, M. J. P., William M’Calla(c. 1814-49), phycologist; his published papers of 1846, J. Life Sci.of R.Dublin Society, 1981, Vol.2, pp 109 - 36. Includes an excellent account of the life of the finder of E. mackaiana. Etherington, J. R., Limestone Heath in south-west Britain, their soils and the maintenance of their calcicole-calcifuge mixtures, J. Eco/., 1981, Vol.69, No.1, pp 277 - 94. Limestone heath, a rare type of vegetation on soils less acid than pH 6; chalk heath is confined to pH 5 - 6. GotzeW., Das Ze ilist greifbar, Gartenborse Gartenwelt, 1981, No.10, p225. What factors influence flowering in E. gracilis ‘Glaser’s Rote’. Grant, S. A., Hamilton, W. J. and Souter, C., The response of heather-dominated vegetation in north-west Scotland to grazing by red deer, J. Ecol., 1981, Vol.69, No.1, pp 189 - 204. Old heather less able to withstand grazing than young. Hall, A. V., de Winter, M., de Winter, B. and van Oosterhout, S. A. M., Threatened Plants of Southern Africa, South African National Scientific Programmes Report No.45, May 1980. Lists, among other genera and species, 89 species of Erica which are under various degrees of threat. Hare, B., Heather Bedding, Amateur Gardening, 8th Aug., 1981, p 32. Standard stuff. Heimann, M. and Beicht, W:. Knollchen-krankheit an Erica gracilis. Was ist das eigentlich ? Gartenborse/- Gartenwelt, 1980, Vol.80, No.32, pp 712 - 6. A discussion, but no clear answer. 60 YEAR BOOK 1982 Hellyer, A., The Magic Carpet, Homes and Gardens, Jan. 1980, pp 96 - 7. Mostly illustrations. but should be useful. Herremans, J. P., A propos de mesures de conservation et de régéneration d'une lande tourbieuse a Erica tetralix, Les Naturalistes Belges, 1980, Vol.61, Nos. 10 - 11, pp 155 - 8. Simple measures to conserve natural richness on a reserve near Antwerp. Hieke, K., (On the size of the inflorescence, flowers and the number of flowers in the inflorescnce in..... Erica), Casopis Slezskeho Muzea - C, 1979, Vol.28, No.2, pp 97 - 106. Detailed measurements on cvs, showing great variation between plants of the same clone; thereby suggesting the importance of the choice of parent material. Heike, K., (An evaluation of the course of flowering in the current assortment of heathers (Callune vulgaris (L.) Huil) ), Zahradnicivi, 1980, Vol.7, No.X, pp 75 - 84. Tables of the time of flowering of 64 cvs, based on 100 plants of each in Czecho-slovakia Hieke, K., (ditto for heaths (Erica L.) ), ibid., pp 151 - 64. 29 E. carnea, 35 E. cinerea, 11 E. tetralix, 12 E. vagans and 6 E. ciliaris similarly treated. Most E. cinerea cvs flowered twice, E. tetralix flowering varied from 19 - 68 days, and E. ciliaris ‘Stoborough’ flowered for 98 days in one year, but only 52 and 68 in others. Hieke, K.., Sortenvergleichsversuche mit Eriken-gewachsen - I EF. carnea and E. cinerea, Gartenborse/- Gartenwelt, 1981, Vol.50, No.80, pp 1113 - 4. ditto II - E. tetralix, E. vagans, E. x darleyensis, E. ciliaris and E. x williamsii, ditto III - Calluna, ibid., 1981, No.2, pp 28 - 30 Choices and comments on 210 cvs after five years’ trial at Pruhonice, with numerous scaled line drawings. Hodkinson, I. D.. Heather-feeding psyllids of the genus Strophingia (Homoptera), Systematic Entomology, 1981, Vol.6, pp 77 - 90. All the described species are associated with heathers. Lemmon, K., Bonny, bonny heather, Amateur Gardening, 14th Feb. 1981, p28 Light-hearted, mostly accurate, praise. Leveque, G., Bruyeres et coniferes, un beau mariage al’ anglaise, Mon Jardin et ma Maison, 1981, No.277, pp 38 - 41. A short but colourful report of Adrian Bloom’s heather garden. McClintock D., Bell Heathers with split corollas, The Plantsman, 1981, Vol.2, No.3, pp 182 - 191. All the known occurrences, and the publication of E. cinerea var. kruessmanniana and its subvar depauperata. McClintock, D., Beautifying the Line, The Countryman, spring 1981, pp 153-4. How did E. /usitanica get on to the banks of the railway lines in Cornwall? McHoy, P. and Squire, D., Heathers for Year-round colour , Plants for all Places, Ebury Press, 1981, pp 126 - 7. Misses one or two points, but generally good. Marceno, C., Observazioni fitisociologiche sulle vegetazione ad Erica multiflora L. del monti Palermo, Giornale botanico Italiano, 1981, Vol.114, No.3 - 4, p 103. Here it is closely associated with the grass Ampelodesmos mauritanicus. Midgley, B., Great Burls of Fire, Amateur Gardening, 21st Nov. 1981, p 119 E. arborea and briar pipes. Milne, P., Beds within beds, Popular Gardening, 3rd Dec. 1981. Getting the best out of winter flowerers. Nelson, E. C., Studies in Erica mackaiana Bab.1. Distribution in Connemara, Ireland, asst Naturalists Journal, 1981, Vol.20, No.5, pp 199 - 202 Nelson, E. C., The origin of Calluna vulgaris cv County Wicklow, ibid., p 212. Found near L Dan, Co. Wicklow by Miss Meta Archer “‘some years ago”’ in 1938. 61 THE HEATHER SOCIETY Nelson, E. C., William McCalla - a second panegyric for an Irish phycologist, ibid., 1981, Vol.20, No.7, pp 27 - 83. Additional data based on manuscripts. Newman, R., Service and Style, Gardeners Chronicle, 21st Nov. 1980 pp24- 6. Hardwick’s Nursery, growing 80,000 - 100,000 heathers in 100 cvs each year, with a photo of Clive Baulu, the present proprietor. Pearson, R., Heather Weather, Sunday Telegraph, 4th Oct. 1981. Standard stuff, but none the worse for that. “Peterborough”, Colonel of an idea, Daily Telegraph, 4th April 1981. A local newspaper's headline, reporting Gen. Turpin’s lecture to the N.Middlesex Federation of Townswomens Guilds Garden Club, ran “Major reasons for bed with North Harrow Women’. de la Rochefoucauld, B., Les Bruyeres, Bulletin de l’Association des Parcs - botaniques de France, No.4, pp 4 - 5. An enthusiastic introduction. Ross, R., Notes for the Flora Zambesiaca, Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana, 1980, Vol.2, No.53, pp 123 - 149. Includes discussions of E. pleiotricha and E. whyteana. Thrower, P., Heather bright, Amateur Gardening, 12th Dec. 1981, p 13. A brief commendation. Titchmarsh, A., Heath and Heather, /bid., 21st Nov. 1981, p 15. Mostly on winter-flowerers. Turner, A., Handling Cape Heaths, ibid, 13th Dec. 1980, pp 16 - 17 How to understand their needs. Underhill, T., Heathers that are cordial tolime, ibid, 31st Oct. 1981, p19. A witty title and a knowledgeable author. Underhill, T., A bed for your heathers, ibid., 18th Dec. 1981, pp 10-11. How to plant up a heather bed. Weedwell, J. , Heathers need a haircut, Popular Gardening, 14th Feb. 1981, p19. An extreme version of standard advice I can never agree with. Whitsey, F., Into the heather, Daily Telegraph, 4th April 1981. “Only if they are sheared do they live up to their reputation”! Wilsher, B., Heather for winter cheer, Popular Gardening, 17th Jan. 1981, pp 14 - 15. How to grow “this winter delight’. In addition there have been excellent articles in our contemporaries Ericultura, Der Heidegarten and Heather News. * KKK 62 YEAR BOOK 1982 NURSERYMEN MEMBERS Explanation of symbols: sk W Indicates that further details are given in the pages of advertisements which follow this List. We are most grateful for the support of these Members who help to make this publication possible. Strictly wholesale trade only. All other Members cater for the retail trade. W/R Members who cater for both wholesale and retail trade. Nurserymen in this group and the preceding one welcome enquiries from other traders needing supplies. ZONE 1, Scotland ! W/R Ed W/R * * * R. R. ATKINSON, Craigview Nurseries, Tayport, Fife DD6 9HX R. J. BRIEN, Pitcairngreen Heather Farm, Perth. W. A. CADMAN, Woodside, Black Park, Inverness [V3 6PW JACK DRAKE, Inshriach Alpine Nursery, Aviemore, Inverness PH23 1QS GEORGE HALL, Galloichoille, Isle of Gigha, Argylle. D. A. LAMBIE, Speyside Heather Centre, Dulnain Bridge, Skye of Curr, Inverness-shire PH256 3PA D. MACARTHUR, Sutherland Soil Services, P.O. Box 3, Dornoch, Sutherland IV25 1JG. C. P. PIPER, Pennyacre Nurseries, Crawley House, Springfield, Fife KYI5 5RU D. MOIR, Inverliever Nursery, Ford, by Lochgilphead, Argyll. Mrs. JEAN PATTULLO, Blairhoyle, Port of Menteith, Stirling. FK8 3LF. T. W. REAY, Rob Roy Nursery, Trossachs Road, Aberfoyle. FK8 3SP G. & J. STURROCK, Angus Heathers, 10 Guthrie Street, Letham, Forfar, Angus DD8 2PS D. W. WILLIAMSON, T. W. Christie( Forres) Ltd., The Nurseries, Forres, Moray IV36 OEA J. D. WILSON, Messrs. Oliver & Hunter, Moniaive, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. ZONE 2. Ireland. DAISY HILL NURSERIES, Newry, Co.Down. N. I. N. C. GRAHAM, Straid Nurseries,Gracehill, Ballymena, N. I. W/R Miss MARGARET HEARN, Heather Hill, Coolballow, Wexford , W/R* Eire. Mr. & Mrs. DERMOT KERRINS, Fernhurst Garden Nursry, Kenmare, Co.Derry, Eire. S. J. MAGOWAN, Aberfoyle Nurseries, 21 Northland Road, Londonderry, BT48 7JBN. I. W/R_ D. B. McGILLYCUDDY, Belmont House, Gortnagown, Glencar, W * Co.Kerry, Eire G. WILLIS, Kilternan Nurseries, Kilternan, Co.Dublin, Eire. ZONE 3, North East. W/R J. M. & W. KANE, Glendale Nurseries, Haugh Head, Wooler, Northumberland J. D. & S. M. LISHMAN, Heighley Gate, Nursery and Garden Centre, Morpeth, Northumberiand 63 THE HEATHER SOCIETY ZONE 4. North West W W W/R CLIVE BENSON, The Nurseries, 281 Croston Road, Flarington, Preston, Lancs. Mr. & Mrs. R. S. BURDIS, Hollins Farm Nursery, Knights Lane, Hollins Hill, Tarporley, Cheshire. P. J. FOLEY, Holden Clough Nursery, Holden, Bolton by Bowland, Clitheroe. BB7 4PF T. C McGAWLEY & SONS, 12 The Green, Kirksanton, Millom, Cumbria. LAI8 4NZ Mr. & Mrs. P,. NEWSHAM, Twin Acre Nursery, Hulme Hall Lane, Allestock, Knutsford, Cheshire. WA16 9JN G. YATES, Tabramhill Gardens, Ash Landing, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria. LA22 ORL ZONE 5. Yorkshire & Humberside W Mr. & Mrs. L. E. BELLGraizelound Nursery and Water Garden, W/R Akeferry Road, Graizelound, Haxey, Doncaster. DN9 2NF D. WARD, Ward’s Nurseries, Eckington, Coal Aston, Sheffield. S18 6BA ZONE 6. East Midlands W/R* Ww * Wwe W/R* P. W. BINGHAM, Kingfisher Nursery, Gedney Hill, Spalding. PE12 OPP CRAIL NURSERIES LTD., Newstead Abbey Park, Linby, Notts. NGI5 8DG LEIGHTON & ELIZABETH JONES, Linden Lodge, Broughton Astley, Leicester. J. MELDRUM, Pilgrim Cottage, Water Lane, Oxton, Nottingham. A. GERVASE SMITH & SONS, Hackney Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, Derbys. J. P. SWAIN, Thatched Cottage, Main Street, Burton Overy, Leicester. H. J. TOMLINSON, Greenwood Gardens, Ollerton Road, Arnold, Nottingham. NGS 8PR cA Ne 7. West Midlands W/R Mrs. P. BENSON, Ridgway Wood Heather Nursery, Horderley , Craven Arms, Salop. SY7 8HW G. J. COOKES, Little Froome Heather Nurseries, 2 Drayton Lane, Fenny Drayton, Nuneaton, Warks. D. & M. EVERETT, Greenacres Nursery, Crossway Green, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcs. DY13 9SH FINBAR NORRIS LANDSCAPES, 54 Bermuda Road, Nuneaton, Warks. GEORGE OSMOND, Archfield Nursery, Wickwar, Wooton- under-Edge, Glos. IAN PACEY, Martinvale Nurseries, Caverswell Common, Stoke- on-Trent. ST11 9EU T. G. VEITCH, Notcutts Garden Centre, Stratford Road, Monkspath, Shirley, Holihull, W.Mids. M. RUANE, Brynhyfryd Nurseries, Rhydycroesau, Oswestry, Salop. R. WARNER, Barncroft Nurseries, Dunwood Lane, Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent. ST9 9QW 64 YEAR BOOK 1982 ZONE 8. Wales Mrs. M. PRYKE, Four Acres Nursery, Conneston, Pembroke Dock. SA72 4SC C. PUDDLE, Bodnant Gardens, Tal-y-cafn, Colwyn Bay, Clwyd. ZONE 9. Eastern. W/R ADRIAN BLOOM, Blooms Nurseries, Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk. IP22 2AB * R. A. BROOKS, Little Park Nursery, Flowton, Ipswich. IP8 4LN M. A. CLARE, Mountain Ash, Castle Rising Road, South Wootton, Kings Lynn, Norfolk. PE30 3HR Mr. & Mrs. A. G. CLARKE, Birch Lodge, Anchor Lane,, Essex. SS4 3PB W* A. W. COZENS, Old Presbytery, Oxborough, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. * DENBIGH HEATHER NURSERIES, All Saints Road, Creeting St.Mary, Ipswich. IP6 8PJ * M. G. FRYE, The Willows, Poors Lane North, Daws Heath, Thundersley, Essex W_ J. H. GILL, Stour Gardens, East Bergholt, Colchester. CO7 6TF Mrs. B. HIPPERSON, Norwich Heather and Conifer Centre, 54a Yarmouth Road, Thorpe, Norwich LE GRICE LTD., Norwich Road, North Walsham, Norfolk. NR28 ODR ZONE 10. North Thames W MILTON HUTCHINGS LTD., Pield Heath Nurseries, Hillingdon, Uxbridge, Middlesex. (Cape Heath hybrids only) ZONE I1. Southern W/R R. W. S. BIGGS, Ockham House, Bodiam, Robertsbridge, E. Sussex. TN32 5RA W_ J. van der BORGH, Toxward Nursery, Magpie Lane, Horsham, Sussex. RH13 6QE P. G. DAVIS, Timber Tops, Marley Common, Haslemere, Surrey. * ZONE 11. Southern W/R_ RR. W. S. BIGGS, Ockham House, Bodiam, Robertsbridge, E. Sussex. TN32 5RA W_ J. van der BORGH, Toxward Nursery, Magpie Lane, Horsham, Sussex. RH13 6QE P. G. DAVIS, Timber Tops, Marley Common, Haslemere, Surrey. * FURZEY GARDENS CHARITABLE TRUST, Minstead, Lyndhurst, Hants. HARDWICKS NURSERIES, Acerlands, Newick, Lewes, Sussex. BN8 4LF HYDON NURSERIES LTD., Hydon Heath, Godalming, Surrey. * W. E. Th.INGWERSEN, Birch Farm Nursery, Gravetye, East Grinstead, Sussex. M. E. JUDE, Cotswold, Salisbury Road, Abbots Ann, Andover, Hants. 65 THE HEATHER SOCIETY F. MULVEY, Orchard House, Boldre Nursery, Boldre, Lymington, Hants. SO9 SND Mr. & Mrs. D. K. PRICE, Orchardleigh, Botley Road, Bishops Waltham, Southampton. SO3 1DR W* WINDLESHAM COURT NURSERIES LTD., London Road, Windlesham, Surrey. ZONE 12. South West. W/R_ D. CHALK, Polden Acres, Edington, Bridgwater, Somerset. TA7 9HA D. M. EDGE, Forest Edge Nurseries, Verwood Road, Woodlands, Wimborne, Dorset. * Mrs. BARBARA ELLIS, West Kington Nurseries, Pound Hill House, West Kington, Chippenham, Wilts. *W/R Mrs. DIANEJONES, Otters Court Heathers, West Camel Yeovil. BA22 7QF W R. KOEPER, Battle House Gardens, Bromham, Chippenham, Wilts. D. B. LOWNDES, Macpennies Nurseries, Bransgore, Christchurch, Dorset. ZONE 13. Farther West. J. N. ANDERSON, Broadhurst Nursery, Grampound, Truro, Cornwall. C. BELL, Harepie, Harepie Cross, Tawstock, Barnstaple, N. Devon. W/R* BERRYDOWN HEATHER & CONIFER NURSERIES, Gidleigh, Chagford, Newton Abbot. TQ13 8HS I H. J. DUNGEY, Felsberg Nurseries, Dobwalls, Liskeard, Cornwall. Mrs. J. RANDALL, Lyalls Cottage, Dunchideock, Exeter, Devon. ZONE 14. Overseas W MARTIN C. HART, 275 - 232nd Street, Langley, B.C. Canada V3A 6HS5 Mrs. ROBERT M. KNIGHT, Heather Acres Inc., 62 Elma-Monte Road, Elma, Washington 98541. U.S.A. H. WESTERMANN, D-3045 Bispingen, Baumschulenwegl, Germany WP. G. ZWINJNENBURG, Rynveld 35, Boskoop, Holland. LOCAL ORGANISERS ZONE 1: (WEST OF) SCOTLAND Mr. M. Bremner, Coruisk, Dennistoun Road, Langbank, Port Glasgow. PA14 6XH ZONE 2: NORTHERN IRELAND Mrs. E. B. Calvert, Mimosa, 10 Manse Road, Newtownards, Co. Down. ZONE 3: NORTH EAST Mrs. E. Courtney, 40 Western Way, Ponteland, Newcastle-upon- Tyne. NE20 9AS ZONE 5: YORKSHIRE Mr. G. P. Vickers, 139 Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield. S31 7RY 66 YEAR BOOK 1982 ZONES 6 & 7: EAST and WEST MIDLANDS Mr. A. Dudley, the Spinney, Little Hay, Lichfield, Staffordshire. WS14 OQD ZONE 11: SOUTHERN Mrs. P. B. Lee, Birches, Kingswood Firs, Greyshott, Hindhead, Surrey. GU26 6EX ZONE 12: SOUTH WEST Mr. P. L. Joyner, 84 Kinross Road, Rushington, Totton, Southampton. ZONE 13: FAR WEST Mrs. J. Randall, Lyalls Cottage, Dunchideock, Nr. Exeter, Devon. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES Mr. D. B. Oliver, 27 Valentine Road, Leicester (Chairman) Mrs. P. B. Lee, Birches, Kingswood Firs, Greyshott, Hindhead, Surrey. GU26 6EX Mr. D. H. E. Rope, Clouds, 38 Vernon Crescent, Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire. NGI5 6BL Mr. H. Street, 2 The Green, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. GL55 6DL Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin, Cottswood, West Clandon, Guildford, Surrey. GU4 7UW Mr. E. H. Wiseman, 22 Heathside, Esher, Surrey. PUBLICATIONS Mrs. D. H. Jones, Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset. BA22 7QF (Chairman) Mr. A. W. Jones Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset BA22 7QF Mrs. P. B. Lee Mr. D. B. Oliver Mr. A. J. Stow, 15 Highlands, Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire. HP10 9PP TECHNICAL Mr. T. A. Julian, Lee Wood, Reservoir Road, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire (Chairman) Mr. D. Chalk, Polden Acres, Edington, Bridgwater, Somerset Mr. A. W. Jones Mr. H. L. Nicholson, Farm Cottage, Westcott Road, Dorking, Surrey. Mr. D. J. Small, Denbeigh, All Saints Road, Creeting St Mary, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP6 8PJ Mr. T. L. Underhill, Fairlight, Mill Cross, Rattery, South Brent, Devon. Mr. G. P. Vickers, 139 Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield. S31 7RY. 67 THE HEATHER SOCIETY NOTCUTTS GARDEN CENTRE SOLIHULL Welcome every day - open 9.00 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Summer and 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the Winter. (Sundays 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.) A fine range of all types of plants. Good selection of: Heathers Dwarf Conifers Dwarf Rhododendrons. Good Advice Centre with first class staff. Easy Access from Motorways and very large Car Parks. ge Leicester. M.1. - Birmingham: .. Notcutts Garden Centre Notcutts Garden Centre, Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands. Telephone: 021 744 4501 68 Stratford on Avon < YEAR BOOK. 1982 DENBEIGH HEATHERS — THE ROOTED CUTTING NURSERY — hardy or Cape heaths — hundreds of cultivars — retail or trade — post or direct delivery — home or abroad — new catalogue — regular computer printout stock lists Interested ? Then please send 25p in stamps for details to DENBEIGH HEATHER NURSERIES All Saints Road Creeting St. Mary Ipswich, IP6 8PJ Phone: Stonham 220 (after 6 p.m.) 69 THE HEATHER SOCIETY GREENWOOD GARDENS OLLERTON ROAD, NEAR ARNOLD NOTTINGHAM NGS 8PR Telephone - Nottingham 205757 (On the A614 5 miles north of Nottingham, | mile north of junction with A60) Open 6 days a week (excluding Tuesdays) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Heathers, Herbaceous Plants, Trees, and Shrubs. We also specialise in Bensai. W. KE. TH. INGWERSEN LTD... Birch Farm Nursery. Gravetye. East Grinstead. West Sussex. RHI9 4LE Telephone 0342 810236 We grow an extensive collection of Heathers (Ericas, Callunas, Daboecias) as well as a wide selection of dwarf Conifers and dwarf Rhododendrons. We also have one of the most comprehensive collections existing of rock garden and alpine plants and many shrubs which associate harmoniously with Heathers. We welcome mail orders and our catalogue is available by post following a_ request accompanied by 40p. 70 YEAR BOOK 1982 Windliesham Court Nursery London Road (A.30) Windlesham, Surrey. Ascot (0990) 21456. Visits by Heather Society Groups welcome but by appointment please. RIDGWAY WOOD HEATHER NURSERY HORDERLEY Nr. Craven Arms (off A 489) Shropshire. High quality container grown Heathers propagated from plants in the display garden. Collection only. Closed Sundays. Heather Society Members particularly welcome but please telephone if possible Mrs. BENSON, LYDBURY NORTH 278. 71 THE HEATHER SOCIETY KINGFISHER NURSERY Gedney Hill, Nr. Spalding, Lincs. PE12 OPP. Telephone Whaplode Drove (040 633) 503 HEATHERS and CONIFERS All container grown for planting anytime. Display gardens for your enjoyment. We also have a wide selection of roses, shrubs, trees and hedging. Open Weekdays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Open weekends 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Retail/Wholesale. Proprietor- P. W. Bingham. a2 YEAR BOOK 1982 KILTERNAN NURSERIES POST OFFICE KILTERNAN Co. DUBLIN GROWERS OF HEATHERS AND CONIFERS Please call in any week-day Mon. - Fri. 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 pm. } 2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m. Sat. 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. Geoffrey Willis Tels 01 - 895679 Hardy Derbyshire grown Heathers, Rose and Fruit trees, Ornamental and Flowering Shrubs, Rock and Herbaceous plants, etc. Catalogue and Gift Vouchers on request 4 Gervase Smith & Sons Ltd. Top and Fairfield Nurseries, Hackney Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2PW Phone: Matlock 2425 Nurseries always open for inspection 73 THE HEATHER SOCIETY D & M EVERETT Greenacres Nursery, Crossway Green, Stourport on Severn, Worcs. Specialists in Heathers and Dwarf Conifers Heather Society Members especially welcome, but please telephone Hartlebury (0299) 250745 in advance, to ensure that someone will be available to talk to you. LITTLE PARK NURSERY Flowton, [pswich, Suftolk. Tel: Offton 334 (O47 33:3) HERE YOU WILL FIND A GOOD SELECTION OF HEATHERS AND CONIFERS, AND SHOULD YOU NEED IT, OBTAIN SOME USEFUL ADVICE ON CULTIVATION. IN FACT, WE CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT ALL OF THE 2,000 ODD VARIETIES OF PLANTS WE GROW. THESE INCLUDE TREES, SHRUBS, ROCK PLANTS, HEDGING PLANTS, ALL KINDS OF FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES. COLLECTION ONLY. Weare situated 7 miles west of IPSWICH betwixt the Villages of BRAMFORD and SOMERSHAM. Our business hours are WED. to SUN. inc. 9.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. CLOSED MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS. 74 YEAR BOOK 1982 BARNCROFT NURSERIES Amended policy (Heathers):- The gardens now contain more than 700 heather cultivars and we are still keen to obtain all available new varieties. We have decided to restrict the range routinely propagated to about 370 of the best (?), or at least most distinct, varieties. The actual varieties propagated will of course change as we evaluate the plants growing in the garden. All the other varieties we possess wil! be grown for comparison and will therefore be available for propagation if required. We will always be happy to propagate any of these varieties to order (but not less than 10 plants of a cultivar). The number of conifers and shrubs growing in the garden and offered for sale, does of course also continue to increase. As we would like you to see our garden, we supply plants only to visitors. Retail opening hours:- The gardens and nursery are open through the year on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from 9 a.m. until dusk. Dunwood Lane, Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent. (Off A 53, 3 miles west of Leek) Phone Leek (0538) 384310 SORRY, STRICTLY NO POSTAL TRADE 75 THE HEATHER SOCIETY West Kington Nurseries A GOOD SELECTION OF CONTAINER GROWN Heathers, Alpines, Dwarf Conifers, & Dwarf Shrubs Visitors Welcomed Phone Castle Combe 782 822 for an appointment please ! Send for catalogue to:- West Kington Nurseries, Pound Hill, West Kington, Nr. Chippenham, Wilts. FERNHURST GARDENS NURSERIES Kenmare, Co. Kerry, lreland "Phone 064 - 41469 Specialists in production of heathers and dwarf conifers; wholesale & retail. Extensive heather plantings in nursery. Viewing welcome. Props; DERMOT & THERESA KERINS 76 YEAR BOOK 1982 Little Froome’’ Heather Nurseries Specialise in CONTAINER GROWN HEATHERS Callers welcome, but please ’phone first Plants can be supplied by mail order - send stamp for list of available varieties. 2, DRAYTON LANE FENNY DRAYTON NUNEATON . WARWICKS. Tel: Atherstone 3382 Sutherland Soil Services offer Heather Society members Laboratory soil analysis for pH, lime requirement and/or fertiliser status at reasonable rates. Send stamp for further information and sampling instructions to: Sutherland Soil Services, Dept. Ii.. P. ©<. Box 3. Dornoch, Sutherland. V235 1 9G. J OLIVER & HUNTER Heather Specialists MONIAIVE, THORNHILL DG 3 4.HH have been growing quality heathers | now for over 50 years. POSTAL SERVICE PRICE LIST 20p. af, THE HEATHER SOCIETY BERRYDOWN CONIFERS & HEATHERS Gidleigh, Chagford, Devon Tek Chagford 06473 2373 * *e ££ KF K We are specialists in Conifers and Heathers, our stock is clean, fresh and of good quality. A catalogue will be | supplied on request. Wholesale Only. MAIL ORDER We also supply presentation packs of Heathers or Conifers or even a mixed pack, i.e. 5 of each, C & H, or 10 of each, C, H. Each plant is individually labelled and packed with great care so that each plant reaches you in as good a condition as it left our nursery. Our packs are ideal for gifts of any kind. For further details please contact the above address or telephone. Visitors are always welcome but by appointment only please. Alpines, Rock plants and Heathers 78 YEAR BOOK 1982 JACK DRAKE INSHRIACH ALPINE PLANT NURSERY AVIEMORE PH22 1QS INVERNESS-SHIRE ’ Catalogues 40p. - i M. G. FRYE HEATHERS The Willows, Poors Lane North, Daws Heath, Thundersley, Essex SS7 2XF PLANTS DESPATCHED THROUGHOUT U.K. ~ CATALOGUE FREE (Send Stamp) NURSERY OPEN DAILY 8 a.m. - Dusk Except Wednesdays Telephone: SOUTHEND (0702) 558467 Surzey Gardens WILL SELWOOD ART AND CRAFT GALLERY ~ AND ANCIENT COTTAGE 1560 A.D. MINSTEAD, near LYNDHURST. Tel. Cadnam 2464 Displaying HAND-MADE CRAFTS of a high standard by 100 local craftsmen and 50 artists. Eight acres cf peaceful glades of botanical interest throughout the year. Including large areas of many varieties of Heathers. Open DAILY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Dusk in Winter) we © Slane ese! Adult 85 p. Child 40p. Mar.-Oct. Adult 50p. Child 25p. Nov.- Feb. 10% reduction for parties of 30 — by prior arrangement (Proceeds to maintenance and various charities) 79 THE HEATHER SOCIETY **Heatherscaping”’ We offer a complete planning and supply service. We stock 80 heather cultivars and 100 miniature, dwarf and ornamental conifers, all container grown. Opening hours:- Saturday and Sunday, and Bank Holidays — 9 am. - 6 p.m. or by appointment. **Heatherscaping”’ 109A Station Road, Broughton Astley, Telephone: Leicestershire. Sutton Elms (0455) 282505 —— GEORGE OSMOND Archfield Nursery, Wickwar, WOTTON under EDGE. , Glos. HEATHERS, CONIFERS & other choice plants Phone: Wickwar 216 OPEN every day except Sunday. COLLECTION ONLY VISITORS WELCOMED. Zoe LYOOCKE NBER HEATHERS BY FIRST CLASS POST Collections of specially selected varieties for summer, winter, or all-year flowering, including coloured foliage. Low prices. DZ pop aAcve - aa eo Springfield, Fife. KY15 5RU 80 YEAR BOOK 1982 T. & W. CHRISTIE (Forres) LTD., The Nurseries, Forres, 1V36 OEA Dear Gardening Friends - Conifers and Heathers, Azaleas and Rhodos, Trees and Shrubs, Hedging and Shelter, Forest Trees, Herbaceous, Roses and Fruit, we grow the lot. | Do send for our descriptive Catalogue (stamp | appreciated). | | When in this area on business or pleasure, do | give us a call, even if it is only to say ‘Hello’. | Donald W. Williamson Managing Director. Old unten Heather § Conifer Ge dey G Covough —_— Hing J Lynn (A. W. COZENS) Over 200 varieties of Conifers for sale (container grown) Also Heathers Open Saturday & Sunday, 3 to7 p.m. or by appointment Phone Gooderstone 229 (24 hour answering service) 150 varieties of Heathers usually in stock at:- ‘THE ROGER PLANT CENTRE’ Malton Road (A169) PICKERING, N. YORKSHIRE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 81 Expanded volcanic rock - improves aeration, drainage and water availability in soils and compost. Ideal for:- @ Seed germination @ Rooting cuttings @ Potting compcst ® Capillary benching @® Soil improvement ® Turf conditioning Available now from Garden Centres, Nurseries, and Seed | Shops in most parts of the U.K. (Or by Mail Order if unobtainable locally). SILVAPERL PERLITE /s a proven success for:- Fuchsias, Geraniums, Carnations, Orchids, Chrysanthemums, Cacti, Heathers, Rhododendrons, Conifers, and most shrubs, flowers and vegetables. Full instructions on every pack plus leaflets on request. ENQUIRY FORM Please send me FREE leaflets on the use of Silvaperl for 2 Name Address ____ 7 Please enclose large S.A.E. for prompt attention | y Silvaperl SDroducts ¥td. P.O. Box 8, Dept T122, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 8JW (Tel: 0423- 870370) J YEAR BOOK 1982 OTTERS COURT HEATHERS West Camel, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7QF We specialise in a wide range of lime-tolerant heathers and conifers and welcome visitors who wish to see these plants established in our own garden. Please send 25p in stamps for catalogue, or Tel: Marston Magna 850285 WHOLESALE GROWER OF HEATHERS JULIAN P. SWAIN Visits by Heather Society Members welcomed - a telephone call in advance would be appreciated _ MAIN STREET BURTON OVERY LEICESTER LE8 ODL GREAT GLEN (053 759) 3242 Published by the Heather Society at 7 Rossley Close, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset. 83 THE HEATHER SOCIETY WHAT A SHAME 2!!! Is it the name of YOUR nursery that is missing from this space ? The charges are small — and reduced for members — The Circulation is well over eleven hundred copies — to all the keenest heather buyers. Write now to:- The Treasurer The Heather Society 27 Valentine Road Leicester LES 2GH for Members Rates for 1983 ! 84 Bit sae NE hi Pita nh My os Sth) i ee