Re: Hepatica was: drought tolerant

Yes, Gene, Barry Yinger is indeed one in the forefront of introducing new
and marvelous plants to this country.  From what I gather, he goes plant
hunting and grows his finds on for a few years to prove their garden
worthiness and then turns them over to that wholesaler who grows them on,
either by traditional methods or tissue culture until they have sufficient
to introduce to the retail nursery market.  Not a fast process, even with
tissue culture, which, I understand, does not work for all genera.  

I can tell you that a tour of his gardens feeds plant lust.  His property
is huge (the farm he was born and raised on).  The developed gardens are
only a small part of it and they don't have staff to tidy them a lot, but
what he's growing is the stuff of plant lust dreams.  Just about everything
is unique and most of it not available to us peons....yet.

Have you seen the Asarums that Martha Oliver has at Primrose Path?  They
concentrate on  native gingers of the subgenus Hexastylis - have some nice
ones,  less picky to grow than the oriental ones (with whom I have not had
marvelous luck, lovely things that they are), and they also do wholesale as
well as retail mailorder. 

http://www.theprimrosepath.com/

Thanks for the heads up on Hepatica.  I have no real experience with this
genus....only tried it once before years ago and managed to kill whichever
one I had pretty quickly.  Appears this is a genus that needs more input
from those growing them in order for all to become clear to those of us who
have only murdered them:-)  I will coddle and fuss over my lil' child and
hope it decides to stay with me.  Appears acid woodland conditions will
suite it best and I will give it those once this drought breaks.  Until
then, I think it will live in its pot where it can get water each day with
no competition from thirsty trees.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: GeneBush <genebush@otherside.com>
> Date: Thursday, August 12, 1999 5:12 PM
> 
> Hello Marge,
>     I keep an eye on Barry and what he is up to. It would be very
difficult,
> indeed, to not be aware of him if one is in the shade specialty business.
> Most of his goodies are just beginning to come on to the market in the
last
> few years. Think the development of tissue culture has a lot to do his
> coming to market more quickly today.
>     I did pick up one tissue culture plant this summer, but it will be
two
> years at best before it can be sold. Was tempted to go with some of the
> Asarums, but they are so tiny and the growing period would be so long for
me
> since I sell in "gallons" only. One of the few instances where I could
use a
> green house... extend the growing season on items like this.
>     You may want to be careful with the generalizations about Hepatica
and
> their soil pH requirements. Here on the East Coast we have two species,
H.
> acutiloba which definitely prefers the acidic side. H. americana leans
more
> toward the neutral to sweet side (according to the literature). I have
both
> in my garden and I am acidic over limestone strata. There is a lot of
debate
> among gardeners about this issue. Have yet to see it resolved. Anyone
else
> care to jump in here?
>     Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
>           around the woods - around the world
> genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Marge Talt <mtalt@clark.net>
> Sent: Thursday, August 12, 1999 1:15 AM
> Subject: Re: Hepatica was: drought tolerant
> 
> 
> > Thanks, Gene, your info. pretty much coincides with that in the article
in
> > one of Duncan's links, tho' the ID is not absolute in the article.  I
> > actually got it at Asiatica, but did not have an opportunity to ask
Barry
> > about it - there were too many of us and he was giving a tour and had
to
> > leave to catch a plane.  I will tell ya', that man is growing plants to
> die
> > for that are not on the open market ....he has Epimediums I've never
seen
> > or heard of - mini leaf ones and ones with huge leaves...most are not
his
> > to sell, I understand, as he finds and grows them on for that huge
> > wholesale nursery...is it Heins or Heims?  They don't market them until
> > they have a min. of 10,000 plants!  But, one of these days, we should
all
> > be able to get our hands on them.
> >
> > He also has, in his gardens, the first and only variegated leaf
> > Rhododendron I've ever seen...talk about lust!  And, you should see his
> > Arisaemas.....sigh...
> >
> > At least, I now have a good idea of where to plant it and look forward
to
> > its blooming in spring so I can see what the flowers are like, as it
seems
> > they could be any color.  Also appears that mine will be evergreen and
the
> > other interesting note in that article is that it seems the species
from
> > Japan and Korea prefer acid soil, while the European and American
species
> > prefer a more alkaline soil...
> >
> > Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> > mtalt@clark.net
> > Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> 
> 
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