Re: Re: Descanso Lilacas

Wow, Tony, kinda neat to have been there when history was being made, huh? 
Wish I could afford to do something I really enjoy. Forest Farm carries
Lavender Lady and 2 other Descanso cultivars.

Kitty


> [Original Message]
> From: <romans810@juno.com>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Cc: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Date: 2/10/2003 11:00:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] Re: Descanso Lilacas
>
> The Descanso Lilac you're discussing is " Lavender Lady". I worked for
> Descanso Nursery in the early 50's when the lilac was released. It was
> patented & they got 15.00 for 2 gal can wholesale. 
> We grew 1000's & they sold like "hot cakes" in S. Cal. Many cold climate
> people were migrating & they wanted something that reminded them of "
> home". I grew azaleas / camellias for them. the Descanso Gardens in La
> Canada, east of Pasadena near the foothills. It was started by Manchester
> Boddy, who ran the LA. Daily News. 
> his son, Bob ran the nursery. He was quite an innovator for new ideas for
> the retail trade. He started flocking Pineas Pinea's & decorating Hollies
> for CHRISTmas. The nursery moved to Fort Bragg, Calif just inland from
> the Mendecino coast in the Redwoods & got into Rhodies,  skimmia,
> Leucothe & Oregon Grape. I believe it's still there.
>
> Tony Veca <><
> Another Gr888 Day in Paradise !!!!!
> Vancouver, WA
>
> On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 19:06:06 -0500 "kmrsy" <kmrsy@earthlink.net> writes:
> > Re the Descano Lilacs -
> > Horticulture mag just arrived and this is addressed in their Q&A 
> > section 
> > (paraphrased):
> > Q:How far south can lilacs be grown?
> > A: Leu Gardens in Orlando, Z9 has tried a number of lilac cultivars 
> > 
> > unsuccessfully. including the CA-bred Descanos. These were bred 
> > specifically to thrive in the dry, hot environment of southern CA.  
> > LA 
> > county shares the same hardiness zone, but there the lilacs 
> > experience 
> > lower night temps.  The Descanos planted in the southeast have been 
> > 
> > short-lived and highly susceptible to powdery mildew.
> > Gardeners in Z8, however, can try growing the Japanese tree lilac, 
> > Syringa reticulata 'Ivory Silk', Peking Lilac, S. reticulata ssp 
> > pekinensis, Cutleaf Lilac, S. x laciniata, early flwring lilac, S. x 
> > 
> > hyacinthiflora, and S. pubescens ssp. patula 'Miss Kim'.
> > Another possibility is 'Betsy Ross', a recent Natl Arboretum 
> > release. 
> > This white, early-flwrg lilac has the characteristics of French 
> > lilacs 
> > with the added bonus of heat tolerance from one of the parents, S 
> > oblata 
> > var. donaldii.  Dr. Margaret Pooler, at the NA, hopes to release 1 
> > or2 
> > other heat-tolerant varieties in the nxt several yrs.
> > 
> > Kitty
> > 
> > Kitty Morrissy wrote:
> > > Andrea, 
> > > I looked for both 'Blue Skies' and 'Monroe' and found it, but not 
> > for less
> > > money.  However, Forest Farm carries Descano Hybrid Warm Winter 
> > Lilacs in
> > > white, pink, and lilac.  Tubes are $6.95, gallons $9.00.  Their 
> > shipping
> > > costs can be rough, but it might be worth looking into.
> > > Kitty
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >>[Original Message]
> > >>From: Andrea H <hodgesaa@islc.net>
> > >>To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > >>Date: 2/9/2003 10:15:45 PM
> > >>Subject: [CHAT] Syringia 'blue skies
> > >>
> > >>has anyone out of the normal zones tried this lilac? Wayside 
> > gardens says
> > > 
> > > it's
> > > 
> > >>hardy zones 4-9 and tolerates heat and humidity and doesn't require 
> > the
> > >>chilling hours to set buds that other lilac do. my brother-in law 
> > wants
> > > 
> > > to try
> > > 
> > >>one and so do I but we don't want to spend $25 on a gallon pot if 
> > they are
> > >>going to croak.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>Andrea H
> > >>Beaufort, SC
> > >>Zone 8b
> > >>
> > >>---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> > >>message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> > > message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
> > 
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> > message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
> > 
> > 
> > 
>
>
>
> Tony Veca <><
> Another Gr888 Day in Paradise !!!!!
> Vancouver, WA
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index