Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Plants Wanted Or For Exchange => Topic started by: mairead on November 05, 2011, 08:05:07 PM
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I am looking for a root of Viola 'Jackanapes', and could exchange roots of small alpines such as variegated arabis or pinks, Viola 'Molly Sanderson' or small phloxes. If anyone could help, would you contact me at elder@iol.ie please
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Hello Mairead, how are you?
I no longer have 'Jackanapes'... but I hope some other Forumist will be able to help you.
M
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I too am looking for V. 'Jackanapes' though only from a NZ source so if someone out there has it I would be very happy to buy or exchange for something good. Although it was another nursery who imported it originally, it was I who CAUSED it to be imported in 1981 and John Bond of the Saville Gardens at that time made plants available through Gordon Collier. It was imported and quarantined by Peak Perennials, sadly no longer in existence as they introduced marvellous plants in their time.
I fell in love with it at Sissinghurst and have always loved its cheerful face but a few drought summers and it joined quite a long list of plants I have lost in recent years.
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Does Jackanapes not come true from seed then?
I too am looking for V. 'Jackanapes' though only from a NZ source so if someone out there has it I would be very happy to buy or exchange for something good.
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Peter, 'Jackanapes,' the true plant, is sterile.
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Why? what is it botanically speaking?
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I believe it turned up very many years ago in the garden of the late Marjory Fish and she named it for her pet monkey. It must be a hybrid of some sort but of what? I've never seen a reference to its possible parentage. At one stage it was thought to be lost and then was found again somewhere and propagated. It was one of those plants which the NCCPG (?) got all excited about when it was rediscovered.
Sorry if I have the initials wrong. I mean the people who work to conserve plants and gardens and get their acronym always mixed up with the American one which means something to do with the Advancement of Coloured Peoples.
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You can rest easy now Lesley it's got a new name "Plant Heritage"
The story is also attributable to Gertrude Jekyll
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/heartsease/nvps/jaknape.htm
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Thanks David, both for the "Plant Heritage" - so much easier to remember than the other and for correcting me re the original source. I should have known that and probably did at one time before my brain started to decay. As you'll see from the pictures, it really is a delightful plant and I really miss having it. The scent was delicious too. I have some nice photos myself but pre digital days.
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Hi Maggi and all! I've just come across a nursery in the UK listing this plant. I don't know if I'm allowed say its name here...but if anyone who wants to write to me I can let you have the name...
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No problem to mention the nursery :D
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Yes, please do but unfortunately we can't import plants to New Zealand.
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The nursery is Bouts Cottage Nursery in Shropshire, and here is the link to their lovely catalogue:
http://www.boutsviolas.co.uk/catalogue8.htm
There are some beauties there.
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There certainly are.... I have a dear friend who is very keen on violas but I think there may be quite a few there that she does not have... I'll have to let her see this list!
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Elizabeth MacGregor is very good for violas: http://www.elizabethmacgregornursery.co.uk/shop/index.php?page=1
(I was reminded that I had been a customer of theirs for 20 yrs - and have always had excellent service)
She doesn't have 'Jackanapes' though (named after Gertrude Jekyll's monkey).
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Elizabeth MacGregor is indeed good for violas... and lots of other things besides .... I'm thinking of their award for the 2010 Chelsea Plant of the year.... for instance. :)
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I had a lovely e-mail from Jack Willgoss of Bout's, and they are shortly (in a month or so) going to have an online shop which will be very handy indeed for someone from Ireland like myself. Meanwhile I can gaze at the plants and dream :)
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I too had a very nice email from Jack (whom I called Will and have had to send a second reply, apologising), about the little viola I posted on the Nov in the Southern Hemisphere thread. This has been around in NZ for a few years as Viola albanica but isn't. (Jack confirmed, as did Gerd K) and I thought it could be V. cornuta 'Minor' as it is VERY minor and has the typical horn at the back as well as being the same shape as my V. cornuta 'Alba.' Gerd says it could be a hybrid of cornuta 'Minor' with somthing else and Jack isn't sure but will ask around. Whatever, it is a little darling the pad of foliage just 1cm high and the flower stems about 2cms. It had a single seed pod a few years ago but nothing germinated and no pods since. I'd be very interested in others' opinions please. Someone must know what it is. Otherwise, I'll start calling it V. cornuta 'Minutissima.' ::)
I may be mis-remembering but I think a Christchurch person brought it in as seed some years ago from Halda or someone like that, as V. albanica.
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I had a lovely e-mail from Jack Willgoss of Bout's, and they are shortly (in a month or so) going to have an online shop which will be very handy indeed for someone from Ireland like myself. Meanwhile I can gaze at the plants and dream :)
That's good to learn.... thanks :)