Ericaceae

[Maggi Young]

The first time I saw L. fontanesiana was in the garden at Woodland Nurseries in Mississauga, Ontario.  It was maybe 3m tall and 5m across!

johnw

Crikey! That's a fair old size. I'm surprised.  (mind you, that happens all the time!)

[Roma]

I know heather beds are not very fashionable but they do give some colour at this time of year.  My heather bed is over 20 years old and badly needs renovating.  One of those jobs to do when I retired (only 8 years ago ). 
Erica manipuliflora was  badly damaged by the snow the winter before last and I thought I had dug it out.  This plant is away from it's original site but I'm not sure if it is a layer or a seeedling.
The first Calluna vulgaris could be a named cultivar or a seedling.  I haven't traced it back to see where it starts.
The gold one is a seedling with very bright pink flowers.  Not sure if they go with the gold foliage.  It's not flowering well this year because it was deer pruned last winter.

[Roma]

Seen in my friend Leona's garden last week
Menziesia ciliicalyx
She can't remember buying it

[Roma]

x Phylliopsis hillieri 'Pinocchio'

[johnw]

This great local selection of Vaccinium vitis-idaea v. minus 'Betsy Sinclair' is already colouring up here.  It stays nice and compact.  I'd rate it second only to the Award of Merit Form as selected by Barry Starling.  As one might guess both were found in Newfoundland.

Is the AM Form in circulation in the UK?

johnw
23c, sunny and very dry here.

[David Nicholson]

In order to give John a reply I did a search on The Plantfinder (am I a fool!!). We now have a revised version I find, that was, perhaps, designed and put together by a kindergarten programmer. Vaccinium are spread over 30 pages, ten to each page, so a lot of Vaccinium. This is not helped by the same variety being listed more than once and sometimes listed the first time with no suppliers shown against it and the second time with suppliers shown against it. This from the "premier" horticultural organisation in the country: a joke 

Right, rant over. John, here's what I dug out and thought I would let you have the lot in the order that I got it.

Vaccinium vitis-idaea Koralle Group- 5 suppliers shown
       "          "       "  - 6 suppliers shown
       "          "       "  var. minus  Listed once with no suppliers and then a second time with 4 suppliers
       "          "       " 'Compactum' 2 suppliers shown
       "          "       " 'Red Pearl'  6 suppliers shown
       "          "       " 'Variegatum' no suppliers shown
       "          "       " 'Autumn Beauty'  1 supplier shown
       "          "       " 'Masovia'  no suppliers shown
       "          "       " 'Gillian Dennis'  no suppliers shown
       "          "       " ssp minus 'Betty Sinclair' no suppliers shown
       "          "       " 'Ida' listed three times with a varying numbers of suppliers including none at all!
       "          "       " 'Red Candy' listed twice
       "          "       " Erntetraum' 1 supplier shown
       "          "       " 'Red Shank' 1 supplier shown   

[Maggi Young]

I think you did well to persevere to get that, David. The "new, improved" RHS website is a flippin' nightmare to my mind.
Also a lot of the search answers generally ( not in the  Plant Finder) only lead to a name - something in common with the AGS encyclopaedia where one can look up "A" to be told  "see B", only to look up B to be told "see C"  and under "C" one finds  "See A"   

[johnw]

David  - Well done, that's an impressive list.

I'd bet Barry Starling was the only supplier for some of those selections.  I vaguely remember getting 'Gillian Dennis' (the variegated one!) and 'Red Shank' from him years ago.  Last year there was a shot of one at a Scottish show and it was shown by a forumist - both names escape me.

Thanks again

johnw

[johnw]

Vaccinium vitis-idaea v. minus 'Betsy Sinclair' slowly colouring its berries  after a brutally dry May to August.

johnw

[David Nicholson]

I assume the berries are edible John? Very pretty.

[johnw]

I assume the berries are edible John? Very pretty.

David  - They certainly are and make a fantastic pie if you like tart.  They make a great jam as well.  It's the dwarf version of the European lingonberry.

Newfoundland is the foxberry capital; while plentiful here they harvest them in a big way in Nfld.  I can go to the Newfoundland store here and buy a 1kg bag of frozen foxberries for about $8, enough to make 2 pies.

johnw

[David Nicholson]

Cheers John, made me feel hungry.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Pernettya 'Pearls ' planted on a peatblock  shows his ripe berries ...

[Maggi Young]

Such a good little plant. 

[krisderaeymaeker]

Such a good little plant. 

Oh yes , I love it Maggi .