Ranunculus bulbosus 'F.M. Burton'

[Alan_b]

My garden is too dry to grow buttercups easily but I have a few bulbous buttercups that seem to manage to flower in the spring them retreat into dormancy for the summer and reappear the next year.  'F. M. Burton' is a cream form of the bulbous buttercup.  None of the nurseries that I have found that suggest they might sell it actually do so I am open to suggestions as to where I might track one down.

Edit: picture here http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=1722.msg44500#msg44500   

[mark smyth]

I've been looking for it for years and cant find a supplier

[Alan_b]

Let's compare notes, Mark.

It was photographed in the Savill garden in 1981 http://phytograph.co.uk/r/ra/ranunculusbulbosusfmburton/species.html

Forumist Lvandelft had some in 2008 (as per my original post).

It is listed in the Plant List of Cally Gardens nursery http://www.callygardens.co.uk/plantlist_r.html but not in their 2013 Catalogue.

The RHS Plant Finder lists three nurseries for this plant; of these:

It is one of the many hundreds of plants listed but not actually stocked by Cotswold Garden Flowers http://www.cgf.net/plantdetails.aspx?id=10564

I contacted Ryal Nurseries but was told they do not have stock at present.

I tried the online Contact form for Buckland Plants but never got a reply.

The only clue I can see is that both Cally Nurseries and Buckland Plants are based in Kirkudbrightshire; perhaps there is a high concentration of this plant in that area?

[mark smyth]

I don't why Cotswold make such a big list and then say not available, died, not thriving etc

[Alan_b]

Yes Mark, I find it EXTREMELY frustrating.  As a work of reference for lost plants their web site is very good indeed; just a pity that Cotswold GF were directly responsible for most of those losses by consigning so many to the compost heap.

[David Nicholson]

Canny advertising too! It pulls in a lot of people who might just buy something else if the plant they are really looking for is unavailable.

[Maggi Young]

I think Bob Brown's intention has always been to test out as many plants as possible.
He wants to find plants that are attractive, reliable garden plants - if he ditches a plant, I would think that it is probably a good thing, since it has been found sadly lacking in some way. Too many good plants to enjoy without fretting about not getting second rate ones, I reckon 


As an aside, Ian Granny was  Florence Burton   

[Alan_b]

Too many good plants to enjoy without fretting about not getting second rate ones, I reckon 

But with plants it's so subjective and so highly dependent on growing conditions.  I would have given this plant a good home http://www.cgf.net/plantdetails.aspx?id=4458 but Bob Brown just didn't find it interesting enough.  So now it's gone.   

As an aside, Ian Granny was  Florence Burton   

So Ian must have some of her buttercup?

[Maggi Young]

No, there is none of that buttercup here.

[Brian Ellis]

...but Bob Brown just didn't find it interesting enough.  So now it's gone.   

Sorry, am I missing something here?  How do you know
a) that Bob Brown 'just didn't find it interesting enough'
b) 'So now it's gone'

these statements imply that Bob Brown is not growing it anymore and it is no longer grown anywhere in the world.  If I were  Kurt Iwnicki in South Wales, having found this, I would certainly grow it myself as well as passing it on to Bob Brown and would feel a responsibility to at least try and keep it going.  It may well be in many gardens but just not commercially available.  The difficulty, of course, is finding someone who grows it and is prepared to share it with you from non-commercial stock - bring on Hercule Poirot

[Alan_b]

We are wandering off the original topic, Brian, but what I wrote was what I was told when I contacted CGF.  Of course it is very likely Kurt Iwnicki still has some and he has an online presence with several patents to his name but I did not manage to trace his address.  Perhaps I should try again and try harder.

Now back to Ranunculus bulbosus 'F.M. Burton'?

[Lvandelft]

  If I were  Kurt Iwnicki in South Wales, having found this,

No need to panic! In my experience good plants always show up somewhere in the trade again. Just a question of patience and keeping your eyes open, which are some  of the best skills of a good gardener

G.S. Thomas mentioned it in his book Perennial Garden Plant in 1976!
I always believed that this plant was (probably found) and named many years ago after Mr. F.M. Burton, who was a President of Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union.
He wandered a lot through several countries and always had a keen eye for good plants which he introduced to his garden.
No idea who Kurt Iwnicki is

[Alan_b]

This thread wandered off topic.  I managed to get hold of some Centranthus ruber 'First Blush' by making direct contact with Kurt Iwnicki and I am now eagerly waiting for it to flower.  But I would still love to track down Ranunculus bulbosus 'F.M. Burton'.

[Alan_b]

Oh, wait a minute.  When I looked last year this plant was listed but not stocked by Cotswold Garden Flowers.  But this year they are in stock so I have just ordered one!  I'll keep my fingers crossed.  And as soon as I have a spare I will pass it on to you, Mark.

[mark smyth]

£25 postage to Northern Ireland!

Thanks for the offer