Daphnes 2008-2009

[Paul T]

Wow!!  So many Glorious Daphne!!!!!!    Thanks.

[Giles]

Daphnes at Wisley.
1.

 D. arbuscula.
 D. arbuscula on tufa
 D. 'Eternal Fragrance'
 D. petraea 'Grandiflora' on tufa

[Giles]

2.

 D. x goodsoniae 'Hinton'
 D. x hendersonii 'Apple Blossom'
 D. x hendersonii 'Fritz Kummert'
 D. x hendersonii 'Solferino'

[Giles]

3.
 D. x rollsdorfii 'Arnold Cihlarz'
 D. x rollsdorfii 'Wilhelm Schacht'
 D. x susannae 'Cheriton'
 D. x susannae 'Tichborne'

[Paul T]

OMG.... I so want a D. x rollsdorfii 'Arnold Cihlarz'.  What a colour.  Positively brilliant pics Giles!!

[Ragged Robin]

Some Daphne in flower in the greenhouse today:
1. Daphne odora
2. Daphne odora
3. Daphne 'Spring Herald'
4. Daphne bholua var glacialis 'Gurkha'
5. Daphne bholua 'Glendoick'

Not sure if it's possible, Giles, but i would love to grow some Daphne's here in the Alps - Previously in the UK my all time favourite was Daphne odora Aureo-Marginata which blew me away with it's scent during evening sojourns in to my scented garden....really the snow and cold doesn't go from here until end of April.  Would any of the above Daphne's survive here? 

[tonyg]

I'll stand to be corrected but I think you should be able to grow some nice daphnes in the alps.  Many (all?) want a neutral/alkaline soil but hardiness should not be a problem if you choose the right species.  I have seen Daphne mezereum, Daphne striata and Daphne cneorum in sites which would get prolonged winter snow cover.  The last two have a prostrate habit and all have delicious scent. 
Others will hopefully advise on the chances/prefernces of different species and hybrids but I'm sure there will be more for you to try

[Giles]

Robin,

Robin White's book on Daphnes gives the frost hardiness of most of the commonly grown Daphnes and is a very nice book to have.

Sometimes a decent, consistently cold Winter is easier for the plants to cope with than the fluctuating temperatures we have in the UK.

[Ragged Robin]

Robin,

Robin White's book on Daphnes gives the frost hardiness of most of the commonly grown Daphnes and is a very nice book to have.

Sometimes a decent, consistently cold Winter is easier for the plants to cope with than the fluctuating temperatures we have in the UK.

Thanks Giles, that's the second book on my book list to buy - I have really enjoyed looking and at your wonderful specimens and hope that may be one day I will enjoy the scent of Daphne's here.

[Diane Clement]

Robin,
Robin White's book on Daphnes gives the frost hardiness of most of the commonly grown Daphnes and is a very nice book to have.
Sometimes a decent, consistently cold Winter is easier for the plants to cope with than the fluctuating temperatures we have in the UK. 

I have heard that Daphnes (and maybe some other woody plants) need a warm summer to ripen the wood sufficiently to then get through a cold winter.  So they are less frost hardy in colder climates because of the cooler summers.

[Giles]

I've heard that too!

[Giles]

re. the above, I guess a high potash feed would help.

Daphne x latymeri 'Spring Sonnet'  (the nicest scent so far)
A rare and interesting variant of Daphne sericea raised from Jelitto seed.

[Otto Fauser]

Giles - are you pulling our legs with your photo of Jelitto's Daphne sericea ?

[Paul T]

Otto,

I think he's just trying to say that they didn't actually send him the right thing, i.e it wasn't Daphne seed despite it's labelling.  Ixias maybe, or something akin to that by the look of those leaves?

[Giles]

Ohhhhhh!!! Otto..........

Let's just say I won't be buying from Jelitto again!