PLANT COLLECTORS AND COLLECTIONS
“When in doubt plant a geranium.”
Margery Fish, who was a star in the British horticultural firmament in the middle third of the twentieth century, said it and lived it. She was fascinated by hardy geraniums and planted them all over her garden–in beds, wall crevices and anywhere else where there was a bit of space to spare. Mrs. Fish sought out different species and varieties, acquiring so many that eventually she became the proud owner of a comprehensive hardy geranium collection. She did much to popularize these useful plants by showcasing them in articles and talks.
Margery Fish, who died in 1969, came along too early for Britain’s National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), now known more simply as “Plant Heritage.” This group, which aims to preserve the nation’s horticultural heritage, was formed in 1978 in response to concerns about changes in patterns of development and distribution of garden plants. These changes have only accelerated in the thirty-two years since then. While new hybrids and varieties are marketed every year, a number of eminently worthwhile older plants have gradually disappeared from commerce. Not all of those plants are heirlooms with interesting pedigrees and memorable stories. Some are just good, garden-worthy varieties that are less flashy or fashionable than this year’s models. With its system of national collections and collectors, Plant Heritage aims to encourage biodiversity by promoting education and preservation. The collection holders are a diverse and fascinating group. Some are average people with an extraordinary interest in one kind of plant. Others are nursery owners who have developed particular specialties over the years.
We don’t have anything like it in the United States, though we have many plant societies, some of whose members may have collections to rival those of their British counterparts. If all those people united themselves under one institutional umbrella, we might have our own “Plant Heritage” group. It’s an idea with great merit.
I have some awe-inspiring pictures of flower-bedecked fields sent to me by Alan Shipp, holder of the British National Collection of hyacinths. Mr.Shipp, a Cambridgeshire potato farmer, was bitten by the hyacinth bug in the 1980’s, and by 1985 he was collecting, propagating and breeding them. As of 2008, he had amassed nearly 200 varieties. Like all collectors, he has a “holy grail”–a plant that eludes him and may be extinct. His grail is a hyacinth called ‘King of Great Britain,’ introduced in 1715 and last heard from at the end of the nineteenth century. ‘King’ was a bi-colored, double-flowered specimen with fluffy white petals. Each individual floret had a red “eye” in the center. Mr. Shipp’s best hope may lie with a Lithuanian horticulturist, Dr. Rita Raziulyte, who has collected and cataloged hyacinths in Lithuania and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union. Back before the fall of Communism, many old varieties thrived in eastern European gardens, because gardeners had very little access to newer ones. Now that Dr. Raziulyte and Mr. Shipp are corresponding, there is a chance that the King may reign again someday.
Mark Fox holds the National Collection of Crocosmias, a bright-flowered summer blooming plant in the iris family. A resident of the historic town of Caister in Lincolnshire, Mr. Fox had only one crocosmia variety, ‘Lucifer,’ until seven years ago, when he saw other crocosmias in nearby garden centers and felt the sudden urge to start collecting them. He now holds the National Collection of over 270 varieties, sells plants and seeds and opens his garden to the public during the growing season. Evidently crocosmias are highly addictive.
Britain’s national acanthus collection is held by John Millington, a Shropshire nursery owner who has seven cats and a large number of acanthus. Mr. Millington, having obtained a comprehensive selection of European acanthus species and cultivars, writes on his website about his trip to Africa to see and obtain species indigenous to that continent. As the world grows smaller, Mr. Millington’s collection of acanthus will only grow larger and that will probably benefit acanthus lovers everywhere.
Plant lovers and gardeners worried about diversity might do worse than to take a page from the Brits. In a few weeks, the Winter Solstice will happen, the light will begin its gradual return and catalogs will flood gardeners’ mailboxes. If you feel yourself drawn to a particular genus or species, go with it. A specialized plant collection can lead you to a world of discovery.