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Re: [SHADEGARDENS] Nursery credibility

January 23, l998


I read with dismay some of the bios from members of this group who have
nurseries and use such terms as 'shade loving plants.' W. George Schmid, who
wrote The Genus Hosta has said many times, "There is no shade loving plant.
They are shade tolerant." Since I am not a grower, propagator, or nursery
owner but an amateur gardener I like to buy my plants and deal with
nurseries where I know the owners know what they know. Not being an American
but certainly an Americanophile I have an admiration for the kind of
nurseries that can be found in the Pacific Northwest (but in the US) near my
Vancouver, BC home. Plenty has been said of Hinckley's Heronswood. His
nursery is easily amongst the top five in the US. It was there that I found
that little shy yellow bloomer Hydrangea serratifolia. And even fewer would
deny that the fern nursery anywhere is Judith Jones's Fancy Fronds, also in
Washington State.

But some of you in this shade garden group might not know that Diana Reeck's
advice on Aconitum might be just about the best you might get from anybody.
She doesn't read her stuff (although I have no doubt she does that type of
research) but practices on the field in China and with her husband Bill
Janssen in their Collector's Nursery (also in Washingston State, Rah! Rah!).
So to some of you who might think that a back yard, a few potted plants and
a little tissue culture lab in the basement is all that is needed to have a
decent nursery I would say come West and have a look.

Although I have seen many wonderful plants at Collector's Nursery including
some incredible blue leaved, and brown leaved Rhododendrons I would beg to
differ with Diana Reeck about Clematis afoliata's charms. The one specimen I
ever saw was there and as you Americans often say, "It's certainly a
conversation piece."

Alex
Vancouver, BC Zone 7/8 but sometimes 6.
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