Breeding is a dedicated game, that much is a given: you need to know your plants, be able to spot the vigour here, the variation over there; the mottled leaf or a dainty tilt of a head, then there's the record keeping and the space required for all those little babies to become the ones that stand out. On top of this is the time it takes. To give some perspective to this, the breeding programme at Twelve Nunns Nursery spans two generations and has taken more than 20 years of careful, meticulous selection to create a three new Harvington erythroniums. And now that Harvington trio is finally ready to meet the world.
Twelve Nunns Nursery, based in Lincolnshire, is known for delightful woodlanders: the Harvington Hellebores, interesting anemones and delicate narcissus, trilliums that wow and rare roscoeas. It is owned by Penny Dawson, whose parents, Hugh and Liz Nunn, ran a much-admired nursery in the village of Harvington between 1985 and 2015. "That's where all the breeding started, explains Penny.
Penny's parents retired around the time she was starting up her own nursery and so it made sense to transfer over the breeding stock to her. "I asked my dad why exactly he started growing erythroniums and he said, 'They've got everything: grace, poise and charm. That, and their rarity value, makes them compelling to grow," says Penny. And just like that, the compulsion to create something wonderful is inherited from one generation to the next.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
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Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY
This superb tour of the world's botanical gardens highlights their vital role in saving the planet's flora, says Claire Masset
THE FEMININE TOUCH?
Does your garden have masculine or feminine style, and does it even matter? Head gardener Benjamin Pope unpicks gardening's gender stereotypes
'If you emulate nature, you're on to a winner'
Gardener, television presenter and author Carol Klein talks about her new book, the books she loves, her current challenges and what she's up to next
FRIENDLY ADVICE
When tasked with creating a garden for her friends, designer Neive Tierney found the project came with challenges - not least the need to include a wheelchair ramp and squeeze in a saltwater swimming pool
Passing the baton
The celebrated nursery and garden at Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is now being managed by a new team, who continue to inspire visitors with innovative planting
My sweet gourd
Clark Lawrence, an American living in the heart of Italy's pumpkin province, loves growing different cultivars of pumpkins and ornamental gourds for their sweet flavours and fabulous looks
ANDY JASPER
The new CEO of the Eden Project on his excitement about a new chapter, the legacy he's left at the National Trust and his joy at heading home to Cornwall
Bedding in
In just under nine years, the owners of Arvensis Nursery in Wiltshire have created a mature garden that displays their high-quality perennials
Late summer dreams
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates three stylish container combinations for autumn
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
Inspired by the historic house and setting at Park House in Cambridgeshire, landscape architect Robert Myers has woven together traditional and contemporary design elements to create a haven for people, plants and wildlife
