Re: OT - Miss Wilmots Ghost

In a message dated 1/11/02 8:54:32 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
cheryl@isaak.mv.com writes:

<< Does anyone grow Miss Wilmot's Ghost - a tall biennal thistle.  I'd like to
 give it a try as a companion on a hill side garden I am growning and would
 like to get some seeds.  I see it listed from time to time in catalogs, but
 I would only be buying the one packet? >>

Cheryl,

This would not be a OT, I think it just right for the list.

Miss Wilmot's Ghost is Eryngium giganteum.  She was thought to drop the seed 
on visits to friend's gardens and have it appear some time after her visits.  
Miss Wilmot (Ellen Wilmot), an American gardener living in the UK, was quite 
a horticultural character as I recall.  Her name appears here and there on 
other genera.

That particular Eryngium is quite large and not very blue.  All of them have 
a tap root and cannot be moved easily after mature growth starts.  They need 
full sun and drainage.  Once started there is little problem growing them.  
Other species are perennial and prettier.  Of course, there are probably some 
gardeners who will read this and grump that all are weeds.  You might check 
that seed, I think it needs stratification and is not easy.  We have Eryngium 
planum here as an occasional volunteer now.  Planum has small, very blue 
flowers and I have seen some that are better than planum.   The flowers dry 
easily and can be kept forever.

Claire Peplowski

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