Heather Quarterly Volume 33 Number 4 Issue #132 Fall 2010 North American Heather Society

The heather man Jean Julian ...... 2

David Small: heather expert, friend, and mentor Barry Sellers ...... 4

Memories of David Small Richard Canovan...... 8

A thank you to Anne Small Dee Daneri ...... 21

David Small and my introduction to the world of Cape heaths Susan Kay ...... 22

Erica umbellata ‘David Small’ Ella May T. Wulff...... 11

Heathers associated with David Small and/or Denbeigh Nurseries...... 25

2009-2010 Index...... 27

North American Heather Society Membership Chair Ella May Wulff, Knolls Drive 2299 Wooded Philomath, OR 97370-5908 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED issn 1041-6838 Heather News, all rights reserved, is published quarterly by the North American Heather Society, a tax exempt organization. The purpose of The Society is the: The Information Page (1) advancement and study of the botanical genera Andromeda, Calluna, Cassiope, Daboecia, , and Phyllodoce, commonly called heather, and related genera; (2) How to get the latest heather information dissemination of information on heather; and (3) promotion of fellowship among BROWSE NAHS website – www.northamericanheathersoc.org those interested in heather. READ Heather Quarterly by NAHS CHS NEWS by CHS Heather Clippings by HERE NAHS Board of Directors (2009-2010) Heather Drift by VIHS Heather News by MCHS Heather Notes by NEHS Heather & Yon by OHS PRESIDENT ATTEND Society and Chapter meetings (See The Calendar on page 24) Mario Abreu, P.O. Box 673, Albion, CA 95410-0673, USA 707-937-3155, Fax 707-964-3114, [email protected] How to get published in Heather Quarterly FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT CONTACT Stefani McRae-Dickey, Editor of Heather Quarterly Stefani McRae-Dickey, 754 Wyatt Lane, Philomath, OR 97370-9022, USA [email protected] 541-929-7988. 754 Wyatt Lane, 541-929-7988, [email protected] SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Philomath,OR 97370-9022OK for ideas and last-minute news. Pat Hoffman, PO Box 305, Swedesboro, NJ 08085-0305, USA DEADLINES 21st March, June, September, and December 856-467-4711, [email protected] How to pay membership dues SECRETARY Joyce Prothero, 281 Cudmore Hts, Saltspring Island, BC V8K 2J7, Canada MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS include an electronic subscription to the Quarterly, participation Phone/Fax 250-537-9215, [email protected] in Society meetings and elections; borrowing privileges for book library and slide TREASURER programs; discounts from Storefront, some nurseries. John Calhoun, 31100 Country Rd, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 DUES NAHS: $15/year, $28/2 years, $40/3 years with electronic newsletter. (707) 964-0804, [email protected] To receive mailed copies of the newsletter add: PAST PRESIDENT $11/year in US, $15/year in Canada, $22/year outside of US and Canada Ella May Wulff, 2299 Wooded Knolls Dr., Philomath, OR 97370-5908, USA Chapter dues can be paid when paying NAHS dues, by adding: 541-929-6272, [email protected] CHS $5/year; HERE(1 person), MCHS, OHS, VIHS $10/year; HERE(family), DIRECTORS NEHS $15/year Mario Abreu, P.O. Box 673, Albion, CA 95410-0673, USA REMIT TO John Calhoun, NAHS Treasurer 707-937-3155, Fax 707-964-3114, [email protected] 31100 Country Rd, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 Mendocino Coast Heather Society (MCHS) (707) 964-0804, Ramona Bloomingdale, P.O. Box 1136, Gold Beach, OR 97444-1136, USA 541-247-6017, [email protected] DETAILS Ella May Wulff, Membership Chair Oregon Heather Society (OHS) [email protected], 541-929-6272, NAHS website Don Jewett, 2655 Virginia Ct., Fortuna, CA 95540, USA 2299 Wooded Knolls Dr., Philomath, OR 97370-5908, USA 707-725-1394, [email protected] Heather Enthusiasts of the Redwood Empire (HERE) How to buy from The Storefront Karla Lortz, Shelton, 502 E Haskell Hill Rd., Shelton, WA 98584-8429, USA BROWSE NAHS Website, www.northamericanheathersoc.org CONTACT Ella May T. Wulff, Storefront Manager, (Address: see above.) 360-427-5318, [email protected] Cascade Heather Society (CHS) Michael Krieger, 4280 Camsusa Rd, Box 19, Malahat, BC V0R 2L0, Canada How to borrow books from the NAHS library 250-391-6225, [email protected] WRITE Sharon Hardy, 50 Del Point Drive, Klamath, CA 95548-9331, USA. Vancouver Island Heather Society (VIHS) [email protected], 707-482-6755, NAHS website Mary Matwey, 7 Heights Court, Binghamton, NY 13905, USA 607-723-1418, [email protected] How to borrow slide programs Northeast Heather Society (NEHS) WRITE Janice Leinwebber (Slide Librarian for members in USA) 8268 S. Gribble Road, Canby, OR 97013, USA Board Appointments (For details, see inside back cover) [email protected], 503-263-2428, or NAHS website

Sharon Hardy - Book Librarian Elaine Scott (Slide Librarian for members in Canada) Janice Leinwebber - Slide Librarian for United States 2836 Oceanside Lane, Mill Bay, BC V0R 2P2, CAN. Stefani McRae-Dickey - Editor, Heather Quarterly [email protected], 250-743-0965, NAHS website Elaine Scott - Slide Librarian for Canada Ella May Wulff - Membership Chair, Storefront Manager How to contribute to the NAHS website COVER: Design, Joyce Descloux BROWSE NAHS Website, www.northamericanheathersoc.org IMAGE: Erica umbellata ‘David Small’ CONTACT Stefani McRae-Dickey,754 Wyatt Lane, Philomath OR, USA, [email protected] 541 929-7988. HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 By Author David Small Allison, Barbara Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’ 130:25 Burling, Brian Erica x oldenburgensis ‘Ammerland’ 127:11 December 8, 1939 to November 11, 2010 Canovan, Richard Erica x griffithsii ‘Jacqueline’ 128:12 Canovan, Richard Heather gardening on clay 125:4 Canovan, Richard Memories of David Small 132:8 In this issue, we remember and pay tribute to David Small, a great Canovan, Richard Winter damage to 130:7 educator, nurseryman, and champion of heather. We have lost a Daneri, Dee A Thank You to Anne Small 132:21 pillar of the heather world and will miss him greatly. Dickey, Paul Treasurer’s report 129:24 Doyle, Judy Remember the name 129:8 Gardner, Ben A few random thoughts while weeding 127:01 Although I never had the pleasure of meeting David, I felt a Hardy, Sharon Calluna vulgaris ‘Californian Midge’ 129:11 Henson, Irene Calluna vulgaris ‘Winter Chocolate’ 125:7 connection through The Handy Guide to Heathers, written by Anne Hoffman, Pat NEHS/NAHS 2009 Conference Report 127:18 and David Small and published by The Heather Society. This Johansson, Brita Raising Calluna from seed 125.09 Julian, Jean Hardy heather originating in North America 125:12 book is the go-to resource for heather gardeners from novice to Julian, Jean The heather man 132:2 expert. Many of us would never have progressed beyond just a Ewalt, Susan A special man 132:32 Kay, Susan David Small and my introduction to the few , bought on impulse, to entire beds of heather without Mackay, Donald A. M. David������������������������������������������ Small: reflections on a giant 132:33 world of Cape heaths 132:22 Plumridge, David David Small – A Personal Appreciation 132:17 Knight, Alice In Memoriam: Pauline Croxton 131:21 this essential guide. That he included anecdotes on the origin Taylor, Bryan David Small as educator 132:19 Lewis, Kathy Gardening with Hardy Heathers 126:23 of plants and their names gave one the feeling of chatting with Lortz, Karla Reflections on David Small 132:8 a friend. Of course, I added notes and highlighted plants and Wiksten, Judy David Small, no Pooh-Bah 132:20 Mackay, Donald A. M. Deer and heather and the Angels’s Share 130:21 Mackay, Donald A. M. Hardiness zones 129:17 Wilson, David Long-distance collaboration with David Small information so that my copy had become quite personalized and Mackay, Donald A. M. Naturalized heather in Maine 128:05 well thumbed when it was stolen. While I mourn its loss, I find 132:16 Mackay, Donald A. M. Searching for Erica tetralix “Rodney Dangerfield” 126:06 Mackay, Donald A. M. When heathers brown 131:7 the online Handy Guide and DIY site is an excellent substitute. Wulff, Ella May T. The irreplaceable David Small 132:35 Matwey, Mary Heathers for a Zone Five Garden 128:9 Nelson, Charles The Heather Society awards honorary membership to Ella May Thomson Wulff 127:08 We are most grateful to David Small for his generosity and his Nelson, E. Charles Some more about “rair toor sepip”: Irish examples of brier‑root many contributions. Thank you to the many correspondents who pipes 127:15 Plumridge, Rita & David Erica cinerea ‘Vivienne Patricia’ 126:17 shared their remembrances in this memorial issue. Schröder, J. The multibracteate forms of true heather 129:4 Sellers, Barry A few jottings on tree heaths 128:17 Sellers, Barry David Small: heather expert, friend, and mentor 132:4 If you would like to send a personal tribute or share an anecdote Wilson, David Golden pleasures 131:5 about David to be published in a future issue of the quarterly, Wilson, David More on pruning 127:09 please email it to me by March 4, 2011. Wilson, David A new heather to treasure 129:13 Wulff, Ella May T. Daboecia: a pruning experiment 128:02 Wulff, Ella May T. Erica umbellata ‘David Small’ 132:11 This tribute will be continued in the Winter 2011 issue. Wulff, Ella May T. How to prune Calluna vulgaris 127:02 Wulff, Ella May T. How to prune 130:5 Wulff, Ella May T. In Memoriam: Edith Davis 126:21 The Editor Wulff, Ella May T. In Memoriam: George S. “Mac” MacKinnon 131:20 Wulff, Ella May T. In Memoriam: Jürgen Schröder 131:19 Wulff, Ella May T. An Irishman’s Cuttings 129:20 Wulff, Ella May T. Pruning smarter 131:1 Wulff, Ella May T. Why Prune? 126:03

Authors, photographers and illustrators submitting work for publication in Heather News implicitly agree that such work may also be published on the NAHS website or in other NAHS eductional materials, and reprinted by NAHS chapters for educational purposes. Any other use will require separate permission from the author, photographer or illustrator.

28 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 1 The heather man E. Charles Nelson, David Small, and David McClintock in Alto de Campoo, Puerto de Piedrasluengas, Spain, in 1982; propagated by DHN.

Jean Julian ‘Valerie Griffiths’ E. × griffithsii: seedling from E. manipuliflora ‘Aldeburgh’ deliberately Matchams, Main Street, Askham Richard, Yorkshire YO23 3PT, England crossed with E. vagans ‘Valerie Proudley’ by John Griffiths (Garforth, Leeds, West [email protected] Yorkshire) and raised by John Griffiths in 1983; DHN. ‘Winter Snow’ E. carnea: seedling from ‘Snow Queen’ deliberately crossed with David Small joined The Heather Society in 1966 at the age of 25, ‘Springwood White’ by Kurt Kramer in 1984; selected by Kramer; named and introduced thus adding a breath of youth to the founding members. Many by the British Heather Growers Association; registered by David Small in 1993. other younger people soon followed; and if he did not initiate This list was compiled by Ella May T. Wulff from information in The Heather Society’s their joining, his enthusiasm for heathers certainly encouraged database of cultivars. them to stay. From E. Charles Nelson, who worked with David on the database:

Anne and David originally came from southeast London, an “Bear in mind that some other plants may have David Small associations that are not impoverished area of the city. Having married young and just set explicit in the database, such as E. andevalensis. David acted as the Society when a was being named, and such plants are not necessarily signalled in any way. We up home, they could not afford to purchase plants for the garden used ‘introduction’ in the database when there was a clear commercial introduction for they had just laid out. David thought that by joining the society, cultivars; however, many cultivars merely seeped out without any clear introducer. The he would get lots of free plants given by other members. He chose same term applies to ‘introduction into cultivation’ for E. andevalensis, as David was the principal person connected with the Spanish collections of 1982.” The Heather Society because included among alpine plants they had bought was an Erica × darleyensis ‘Darley Dale’, which they      had been told was a low maintenance plant. Because they were both working, this suited them well. 2009-2010 Index In 1967, David attended the annual general meeting of the society in London, where members were wearing sprigs of heather in their No Author buttonholes. The secretary, Constance Macleod, had a different Cascade Heather Society Measuring Party 125:25 Heathers associated with David Small and/or Denbeigh Heather Nurseries 132:25 sprig, one of Erica speciosa. David was smitten. He persuaded In the news [Philadelphia Show] 129:16 her to give it to him, and on his return home he immediately In the News: Bloedel Reserve 125:11 In the news: Heather featured in Fine Gardening magazine 128:08 propagated it. By now, they had moved to a bungalow with quite Measuring Party Update 126:25 a large garden, so in his spare time he produced and sold Cape NAHS board meeting minutes, 2008 125:20 NAHS Board meeting minutes, 2009 128:23 heaths, a plant quite unknown in the UK at that time. NAHS Donors 126:20, 128:28, 129:28 News from our members 128:22 Notes on the cold hardiness of some tree heaths 128:20 His love of Cape heaths continued, and when his employers (he Nurseries offering NAHS discounts 131:22 was a chartered electrical engineer with British Telecom) moved Spring tips on my heathers 2010 131:15 Winter damage reports 130:11 him to their research station near Ipswich, David and Anne Winter damage and survival reports 2009 127:21 started up their nursery business, Denbeigh Heather Nurseries, in Year‑end financial report: Budget for 2009 125:27 the little village of Creeting St. Mary. In their first year, they sold Cape heaths only but the following year expanded to propagate and sell all forms of heather, eventually building it up into a full

2 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 27 time business. Everyone in Creeting St. Mary knew David, but few ‘Edith Godbolt’ C. vulgaris: seedling raised by A. Taylor (Crowborough, Sussex) in 1972; DHN 1975. knew his proper name. To them, he was “the heather man”.

‘Egdon Heath’ E. ciliaris: wild-collected on Hartland Moor, Dorset by Miss Joyce David joined The Heather Society council in 1978, working his Burfitt in 1974; DHN 1979. way up to chairman of the technical committee and eventually to ‘Formentor’ E. multiflora: wild-collected by Anne and David Small on the chairman and president. He was not really a gardener but, rather, Formentor Peninsula, Mallorca, Spain in 1984; DHN. a great plantsman. His knowledge of heathers was second to none,

‘Galicia’ E. mackayana: wild-collected in Galicia, Spain, by David McClintock, and he travelled the world for the opportunity to see heathers, E. C. Nelson,and David Small in 1982; DHN 1990. propagate them and then pass on the knowledge. I remember well climbing hills with him in Majorca, in December when it was ‘Ghislaine’ Cape heath (Erica) hybrid: rescued from a nursery in Iver Heath, Berkshire, in 1994, possibly raised by Milton Hutchings Ltd, Uxbridge, Middlesex before snowing steadily, in order to find new varieties of Erica multiflora. 1980; DHN 1997 and named after the granddaughter of David and Anne Small. Before becoming a nurseryman, David had quite a stressful ‘Godrevy’ E. cinerea: wild-collected by David Small at Godrevy Towans, Cornwall in 1972; DHN 1979. job, working in communications research, in particular with silicon chips and ‘Hamlet Green’ C. vulgaris: found by Albert Turner (The Hamlet, Hall Green, computers. He had Birmingham) in 1972; DHN 1978. to work away a lot, ‘Harry Fulcher’ E. cinerea: seedling found by B. G. (Jack) London before 1977 in his and his personality garden at Taverham, Norfolk; introduced by Neil Brummage (Heathwoods Nursery, did not lend itself Norfolk) as ‘Eden Valley Improved’ in 1978; re-named at Jack London’s request and registered by David Small in 1981. to snatch relaxation when a moment ‘Ian Cooper’ E. manipuliflora: wild-collected by A. G. Small on Otok Korčula in became available; Croatia in 1978; registered by David Small in 1986. so he, like many ‘Ice Princess’ E. carnea: seedling from ‘Snow Queen’ deliberately crossed with others, suffered ‘Springwood White’ by Kurt Kramer in 1984; selected by Kramer; named and introduced from high blood by the British Heather Growers Association; registered by David Small in 1993. pressure, which ‘Jack London’ E. cinerea: seedling found by B. G. (Jack) London of Taverham, ultimately brought Norfolk in 1979; DHN 1987. about the kidney

‘Jason Attwater’ Erica carnea: wild-collected by David Small on the north shore of failure that caused Lake Plansee, Austria in 1982; DHN 1995. his death.

‘Jean Julian’ E. × williamsii: wild-collected by Jean Julian at Kynance Cove, The Lizard, Cornwall in 1999; registered by David Small in 2001.

‘Polra’ E. erigena: wild-collected by David Small, Brian Nelson and Charles Nelson in Mulranny, County Mayo, Ireland in 1983; selected by David Small in 2003.

‘Red Carpet’ C. vulgaris: raised by A. Taylor (Crowborough, Sussex); DHN 1975. David Small “in the field.” Yachats, Oregon 2002. ‘Spanish Lime’ E. arborea: wild-collected foliage color sport on E. arborea found by Photo by Barry Wulff.

26 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 3 David Small: heather expert, friend, and mentor Heathers associated with David Small and/or Denbeigh Heather Nurseries Barry Sellers Denbeigh Heather Nurseries was established by David and Anne Small in 8 Croft Rd., Norbury, London SW16 3NF, England Tonbridge, Kent, England in 1972 and operated in Creeting St. Mary, Suffolk [email protected] from 1975 until they ceased trading publicly at the end of 1999.

I was looking through my old correspondence the other day and Unless otherwise noted, localities given here are in England. C. = Calluna. E. = Erica. DHN + date = a introduced by Denbeigh Heather Nurseries in the found a letter from David Small dated March 1978, clearly a year given. reply to my earlier letter to David. That was 32 years ago. How time flies! Our correspondence was about Cape heaths and ‘African Fanfare’ Cape heath (Erica) hybrid: of uncertain and unknown origin, grown germination by fire. I had obtained my first Cape heath in the in Europe and Australasia under various names. Registered by David Small for The Heather Society in 2002. 1970s, a yellow-flowered Erica pageana from Hillier’s nurseries near my parents’ home in Hampshire, UK. The then-secretary of ‘Albert’s Gold’ E. arborea: sport on ‘Alpina’ found by Albert S. Turner (Birmingham) The Heather Society, Constance MacLeod (I had been a member in 1971; DHN 1975. since 1974), put me in touch with David because of his interest in ‘Aldeburgh’ E. manipuliflora: collected from the hedge of Talltrees, Aldeburgh, Cape heaths. In a further letter the same month, he introduced me Suffolk by David Small; DHN 1976. to another Cape heath grower, Phil Joyner, who also was located ‘Altadena’ E. carnea: seedling found by Alan Taylor in his aunt’s garden (Altadena, near my parents. In those early years, I obtained rooted cuttings Crowborough, Sussex) by 1973; DHN 1975. by mail order from David’s Denbeigh Heather Nurseries. I first visited David’s nursery in the 1980s. I was amazed to see so many ‘Anne Small’ E. umbellata: seedling raised from seeds collected in Spain from a white- by Maria Isabel Fraga Vila and sent to DHN for germination. Cape heaths being grown as cuttings. Talking with David at that time was a real inspiration. His knowledge and enthusiasm for ‘Bell’s Extra Special’ E. carnea: seedling from open-pollinated ‘Myretoun Ruby’ raised by heathers and The Heather Society were infectious. Kurt Kramer (Edewecht-Süddorf, Germany) in 1984; selected by Kurt Kramer in 1992; DHN 1993. Trade designation: E. carnea WHISKY.

Meeting up with David and his wife Anne at Heather Society ‘Brockhill’ E. × veitchii: seedling said to have originated at Veitch’s Nursery near events and conferences was a pleasure. He was always on hand Brockhill, Devon; named by David McClintock in 1994; DHN. to assist with identification of a plant, and nothing seemed too ‘Caleb Threlkeld’ C. vulgaris: wild-collected in 1977 at Bridge of Allen, County Clare, much trouble for him. He was a very generous and kind man in Ireland by E. C. Nelson; DCN 1983. every way. ‘Clare Carpet’ C. vulgaris: wild-collected in 1977 at Bridge of Allen, County Clare, Ireland by E. C. Nelson; DCN 1983. David encouraged me to join the governing council of The Heather Society when he was its chairman. It brought me into contact with ‘Crowborough Beacon’ C. vulgaris: seedling found by A. Taylor (Crowborough, Sussex) about 1971; DHN 1975. a huge “family” of heather enthusiasts, none more enthusiastic than David himself. ‘David Small’ E. umbellata: wild-collected in northern Spain by David McClintock, David Small, and E. C. Nelson in 1982; named after David Small, Chairman of The Heather Society (1992–2000), to mark his outstanding contribution to the work of the It was a fitting tribute for him to be elected president ofThe society and his endeavours in propagating and promoting heathers. Heather Society in 2000 following the death of its previous president, David McClintock: for the enormous amount of time ‘Delta’ E. tetralix: found by A. Taylor in his garden (Crowborough, Sussex) in 1970; DHN 1976. 4 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 25 instead of a photograph in a book. and energy he devoted to the Society, for his leadership, and for his wealth and depth of knowledge of heathers. I was amazed at I write of David, but we must not forget the part Anne played in his knowledge of all the and cultivars and his eye for being the excursions and the collection of material. They were a team in able to readily identify a cultivar when others were still looking the exploration of the Cape heath world, and the opening of this puzzled. world to me will never be forgotten. I owe an enormous debt to both of them. The two Heather Society trips to came about as a result of his passion and enthusiasm for Cape heaths and the Thank you, David, for first taking me to the larger part of the interest of a number of members. It is a real privilege to have ericaceous world, 6,000 miles away from Ireland. travelled with him on these two trips. They would not have taken place without his energy and motivation to make them happen. His organisational skills working with Ted Oliver in South Africa brought about two sensational trips to various parts of the Province to see the delights of well over 100 species of Erica growing in their natural habitat.

Erica cerinthoides, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Barry Wulff. During the first THS expedition to South Africa, 1999, David Small holds precious cuttings Editor’s Acknowledgments and Credits of E. bergiana selected for Manuscripts: Richard Canovan, Dee Daneri, Jean Julian, propagation, Barry Sellers and Ted Oliver examine other Susan Kay, Barry Sellers, Ella May Wulff plants, and David Edge makes notes. Other written contributions: Stefani McRae-Dickey Photo by Barry Wulff. Cover photo: Barry Wulff Other photos: credits noted in captions Proofreading: Ella May Wulff Printing and distribution: Paul Dickey, Stefani McRae- Dickey, OSU Printing & Mailing Services

24 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 5 Of special note were the visits to the Kogelberg, Table Mountain, there first. At each stop, he and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town. For would descend from the bus me, they were the visits of a lifetime, thanks to David and the with camera already clicking, opportunities he brought about. These trips were both very followed closely by Anne, successful and much appreciated by all who participated. notebook in hand to record every shot he took. This regimen David gave me great encouragement in my early days of lasted almost two weeks, during experimenting with cross-pollinating species of Erica. In the which David was able to collect 1990s, I had experimented with crossing E. erigena with E. about 150 specimens, for which lusitanica. David Small came to visit my garden in London with he had obtained South African David McClintock to see the results of one of my experiments, as export permits (now extremely I was certain that I had created a new hybrid. David Small agreed difficult to obtain). that the cross appeared to have been achieved. He invited me to bring some stems in flower up to Denbeigh to scan and compare His passion then extended to with the parent species. This I did and brought along cuttings growing on the cuttings, which material, too. Through David’s scans comparing the anthers of came to a huge collection the parent plants and those of the putative hybrid, we could see of Cape heaths, these being that it truly was a hybrid (now officially named E. lusitanica × Ted Oliver and David Small on housed in a wonderful state- the slope of Table Mountain at erigena ‘Lucy Gena’). David was successful in rooting the cuttings Kirstenbosch National Botanical of-the-art polytunnel. The material. Garden, Cape Town, South Africa, survivors of this collection are 1999. now in the care of our current A few years, later my hybrid plant suddenly died. As I had no Photo by Barry Wulff. THS chairman, David Edge, rooted cuttings, I was very thankful that David still had plants of who was along on that African the hybrid. With the onset of David’s illness during recent years, adventure. David Edge took over most of David Small’s Cape heaths collection and with it the one surviving plant of my hybrid. David Edge David Small was always available on the phone to discuss my took fresh cutting material to bulk up a number of David Small’s problems with heathers. Whatever solution he advised for me, I plants. My thanks must go to both David Small and David Edge would try it out; and nearly every time, it worked and solved the for the survival of ‘Lucy Gena’. problem. What to do with the soil? How to improve the strike rate of cuttings? Advice on pruning? There was never a question During the last 10 years, I often drove to David’s nursery at the that he could not answer. weekend to give him seedlings of Cape heaths that I had grown from seed. I was happy to help add to the more than 100 species He was also very generous with the Cape heaths that he had grown. of Erica in the Cape heaths collection. In return, David would give I still have some in my garden that have managed to survive. As me a few rooted cuttings of Cape heaths that I did not have in my I write, a couple are in flower, though partially covered in snow. own collection. I helped out in the nursery on a number of my Looking at them brings back the memories of hopping on and off visits, often transplanting cuttings into pots or transplanting small the bus in Africa to view yet another prize Erica and seeing David’s plants into larger pots. This I enjoyed immensely. The hospitality face light up as another plant was discovered, becoming a reality

6 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 23 Thank you Anne, for your strength and support of David. As David devoted his retirement to The Heather Society, you devoted your life to him, making possible all that he did. I will never be able to separate the two of you as a team.

David’s devotion to everyone may have reached a point where it could never satiate our needs. While we will celebrate this great friend and mentor as a legend in our heather world, we will also remember with gratitude the woman who was that lady behind the great man. Thank you, Anne.     

David Small and my introduction to the world of Cape heaths

Susan Kay Lettergesh, East Renvyle, County Galway, Ireland [email protected] David Small potting up cuttings in his Cape heaths tunnel. Without my having met David Small in 1995, I wonder where Photo by Ted Oliver. life would have taken me. Because of David, I spend most of my time trying to grow heathers and visiting South Africa and other provided by David and Anne on those occasions was wonderful, countries in search of Erica plants. As it did for many others, especially sitting around the dining table chatting about all things the enthusiasm that David radiated caught my imagination and heathers, as well as partaking in Anne’s sumptuous meals. opened up a whole new world of heathers. I miss David very much, as do so many. David was the driving force behind the first visit of The Heather Society to South Africa. We were all introduced to the magic of Cape heaths in Dublin at the 1995 conference organised by Dr. “In a small garden, heathers can, with advantage, occupy Charles Nelson, when Dr. E. G. H. Oliver brought with him more the greater part of the space. With careful planning, a than 130 species in flower. David was very keen to take a group of THS members to see the plants in their native habitat. It took new heather garden can give a colorful display in three to four years for the tour to happen, but his dream (and ours) came four years, requires little maintenance, and will last 15 to true when ten of us joined him for a heather intensive tour of the Western Cape Province, made possible through the guidance of 25 years or longer.” Ted Oliver. David Small

We were not allowed to laze around the hotel pool each morning Gardening with Hardy Heathers, 2008 but would, instead, board our coach, with David always in 22 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 7 Memories of David Small A thank you to Anne Small

Richard Canovan Dee Daneri 10 Queenborough, Toothill, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 8DU, England 11 Pinecrest, Fortuna, CA 95540; [email protected] [email protected] Most of us can easily recall the time it took between our first My first memory of David is from the 1988 Heather Society (THS) expression of interest in heaths and heather and our knowledge of conference in Gregynog Hall, University of Wales. David Small. For me, it was just six months from learning of these wonderful plants to finding myself parked in front of the Smalls’ This was The Heather Society’s jubilee, commemorating its first 25 house in Creeting St. Mary, England. It was 1993. years. So large was the attendance (78 according to the Year Book report) that some of us had David and Anne welcomed me like royalty. They insisted that I be to be accommodated in the their house guest, arranged for me to be David McClintock’s guest cottage and a few more in at the Wisley Flower Show two days later, took me to a local garden a nearby B&B on a farm. club meeting, wined me and dined me, then sent me away with David and Anne Small, two the first heather collection to come to California for an upcoming others, and I were in the botanical garden. latter. They made me feel very welcome. The 1989 They both seemed to be working in many directions, with a Conference at Houghall, synergism of teamwork that I will never forget. At first glimpse, Durham was to have an the hoop-houses in the Small garden seemed to be a myriad even larger attendance of of confusion. But not so fast. David had a very sophisticated over 90 members. Those database system, even by today’s standards, showing location, were the days. David and Anne Small in 1988, at The Heather Society confernce in Wales. Photo quantity, accession date, and more, for every plant in this huge by David Plumridge. collection. During the daytime, the Small kitchen turned into a In the early 1990s, plant collection sorting area, as the couple zipped from cutting conferences hardly ever failed to have a presentation by David bed to cutting bed, as if there were neon signs pointing to what about exciting new cultivars, often from Kurt Kramer. These were they wanted. The computer system was monitored and labels were invariably followed by a sale of rooted cuttings, from which I created. Then, as if a time capsule had suddenly burst, I was back have derived much pleasure. In 1991, David negotiated for the in Fortuna, sorting the new collection that would spread across Society a bargain for the conference at the Butterfly Hotel in Bury Northern California. St Edmunds, Suffolk, offering tremendous accommodation and a great programme. By 1994, I was repeating the drill, only this time at least able to keep up with the spirit and the urgency with which David worked In 1992, at the Dundee conference, David was elected Chairman. and Anne kept pace. David was there leading, showing, and always Membership was now falling, but he was full of hope. We then had sharing. I can remember taking 110% from David Small, but I can a reception at which a plaque was presented to Bell’s (the whisky remember no opportunity to return the gift of his time. distiller) for maintaining the stunning Cherrybank Gardens at

8 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 21 weather extremes, and I shall be interested to see if the additional their headquarters in Perth. attention to drainage improves their chance of surviving future cold spells. One of many examples of David’s generosity was his giving me, in 1994, a plant of Erica × darleyensis ‘Erecta’ because he did not have Baker, H.A. and E. G. H. Oliver. 1967. in Southern Africa. left for sale the Erica erigena cultivars I had sought. I still have the Cape Town: Purnell. original plant and have propagated it, and it is one my best winter bloomers. I treasure it, because this cultivar is rare. I ordered Bulletin of The Heather Society 5 (18): 4 (1999). many plants from his Denbeigh Heather Nurseries, often after having received David’s careful advice as to which plants would Hall, Allen. 2002. The hardiness of some of the less familiar be suitable for my situations. heathers in the English Midlands. Yearbook of The Heather Society 2002: 37–42. In July 1996, David held a cuttings session at Denbeigh. Members McClintock, David. 1983. Inter Hispanicum Ericaceum. Yearbook were invited to bring along samples to root if they wished, an offer of The Heather Society 3 (1): 33–40. I took up as I had a promising sport on a Dalmatian plant. This was to become Erica manipuliflora ‘Toothill Mustard’. Metheny, Dorothy. 1991. Hardy Heather Species. Seaside, Oregon: Frontier Publishing. The First International Heather Conference, held in Elmshorn, Germany in 2000, was a great event. David arranged an Nelson, E. Charles. 1999. Erica umbellata in Norfolk. Yearbook of outstanding post-conference tour of German and Dutch heather The Heather Society 1999:10. nurseries. This involved meticulous planning and was typical of David’s attention to detail and catering for everybody’s needs. Nelson, E. Charles. (Forthcoming 2011). Hardy Heathers from the Northern Hemisphere. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew-Botanical At the separate annual general meeting of THS in Buxton in Magazine Monograph. University of Chicago Press. September 2000, David stood down as chairman. I still remember some of the group going to a pub for lunch before dispersing. His Nelson, E. C. and D. J. Small. 2000. International Register of Heather chairmanship ended on as high a note as it began. But I specifically Names. Creeting St. Mary: The Heather Society. recall his explaining how on earth a heath as outstanding as Erica Yearbook of The Heather Society 2000: 108. mackayana ‘Shining Light’ could possibly be losing its Award of Garden Merit. [It apparently was not considered sufficiently “available within the UK” by the powers-that-be in the Royal Horticultural Society – as if availability had anything to do with merit!] David wrote up the full awards list for the autumn 2002 Bulletin of The Heather Society. This was later excerpted in the winter 2003 issue of Heather News Quarterly under the title “Awards of Garden Merit: The RHS giveth, taketh away”. Erica nana is one of the more cold- tolerant species recommended as Of course, as president of The Heather Society after retiring from suitable for pot culture by David Small. its chairmanship, David continued to be ever present in heather Photo by Barry Wulff. 20 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 9 affairs, whether this involved THS council meetings or his opening temperature in Jan. did not rise above 3°C (37.4°F) and reached of the THS franchise to obtain an even wider range of plants for as low as -12.5°C (9.5°F). However, here E. umbellata was members. But my most enduring memory of David will be that, unharmed. until his illness, I felt free to call him and chat about any aspect of heathers, the heather society, or other matters. He was always Hall reports from his own garden that after a very mild early graciously available to help others. winter (no frost before Christmas), there was a long cold spell in January with several snowy days and two weeks when daytime Perhaps the single greatest contribution by David - and Anne - temperatures stayed close to freezing and the ground remained must, if measured in terms of how others and I have used it, be The frozen, though night temperatures were “not excessively low, Heather Society’s Handy Guide to Heathers. An invaluable source of perhaps down to -5°C (23°F) and there were no strong winds. information on cultivars, suppliers, and national collections, the February was also cold with many frosty nights.” After this winter, three editions of the Handy Guide required a tremendous amount his plants of E. umbellata, an unnamed pink clone (not ‘David of work to compile, not to mention maintain, the information Small’) and the white clone now named ‘Anne Small’ suffered no contained therein. I eagerly bought each of the three editions and damage and flowered beautifully in May–June. have longed for a fourth edition that, alas, was not to be. That Karla Lortz should be considering publishing a similar guide in Dorothy Metheny (1991) describes the species as of “questionable the United States is testimony to how widely the Handy Guide hardiness”. In 25 years, she lost nine plants “mostly to one freeze was treasured by all those with an interest in heathers. or another” and suggests that E. umbellata is best planted only where one can guarantee that the temperature does not drop The last time I met David was, sadly, at the funeral service for below about 20°F (-12°C). Arnold Stow, near Amersham in November 2009. He appeared to be in much better health then than he had been for several years, Charles Nelson (forthcoming 2011) believes that the secret of which makes his subsequent deterioration so much more tragic. success in growing E. umbellata is excellent drainage. “[W]hen grown in water-retentive soils, E. umbellata is not so tolerant of David’s philosophy was best summed up for me by his outline, cold.” My own experience of growing ‘David Small’ may bear this published in the autumn 1994 Bulletin, of the 25th Annual out. The plant lost before the December cold spell was the one Conference, to be held in Ireland in 1995. “Please do not think growing on the steeper slope, so it was probably a victim of the that you need to be an expert on heathers to attend Conference. summer heat. The remaining plants were on only a slight incline, Many that attend are not and would be the first to say how much and it is quite possible that insufficiently amended soil over the they enjoy the event”. Never must that spirit of openness and clay base of the berm contributed to the severity of winter damage welcome be lost! through standing water at their roots, rather than the cold per se.

Am I going to acquire more plants of ‘David Small’? Undoubtedly. The cultivar is so outstanding that it is well worth trying again. This time when I plant them, I shall take special care to provide them with excellent drainage, as I now am doing with E. cinerea, by amending their soil not only with sand and organic matter but also with quarter-ten sharp gravel. We are quite likely to have more

10 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 19 actually froze to a depth of several inches, something that rarely Erica umbellata ‘David Small’ happens here. Worse, this cold spell arrived after a relatively warm fall that had not encouraged plants to enter winter dormancy. Ella May T. Wulff Plants already weakened by the summer heat now faced another 2299 Wooded Knolls Dr., Philomath, OR 97370 [email protected] challenge. Why am I so fond of Erica umbellata ‘David Small’, other than its In the spring of 2010, the only damage apparent in the surviving cultivar name reminding me of a special man? First, because E. two plants of ‘David Small’ was dead branches in the center of umbellata is a “bridge species”. That is, it bridges the gap between each, where freezing had split the stems. I pruned these out and the end of the winter/spring blooming season and the beginning assumed that later light pruning around the edges of the holes of the summer season. Erica umbellata has a shorter period of would encourage the plants to make new branches and eventually bloom than do most other heathers, usually about four weeks in fill the holes. In May, the plants bloomed so well that only someone my garden; but when ‘David Small’ is blooming (from May into standing directly above the plants would notice the central holes. early June in western Oregon), few other heathers are. Some of the tree heaths flower into June, and a few of the long-season summer Alas, that was their last fling. The plants began a steady decline bloomers, such as E. cinerea and E. tetralix and its hybrids, begin throughout the growing season, and by autumn 2010, they looked to open their then, but the main show of the former is pathetic. ‘David Small’ was not the only cultivar to suffer this usually earlier and of the latter slightly later. When ‘David Small’ slow decline in my garden. Some plants of E. erigena that had is in full bloom, covered with so many flowers that they hide the only a few dead patches in spring had much larger dead spots by foliage, it outshines all others. fall. A few Calluna plants died completely. At our local garden center, many herbaceous perennials that had looked fine in spring A second valuable asset of ‘David Small’ is its color. No shrinking turned “toes up” by summer. It was an odd year, indeed. violet this, its vibrant flowers demand attention. Although flower color within E. umbellata can vary from white through As of early January 2011, one plant of ‘David Small’ has a few rosy purple, the official color description of ‘David Small’ in the branches with green . Whether it can recover this spring will International Register of Heather Names (Nelson and Small 2000) be anyone’s guess. is “vivid amethyst” (H1 on The Heather Society Colour Chart), to which Charles Nelson added “to heliotrope (H12)” in his Kew Erica umbellata is considered winter hardy to USDA Hardiness monograph on the European heathers (forthcoming June 2011). Zone 8, and reports from British heather growers substantiate I’d call it hot pink or screaming magenta. This would probably not this claim. Allen Hall (2002) reported on his own experiences be a good cultivar to plant next to a red-flowered rhododendron growing the species in the English Midlands and in the same article that blooms at the same time, nor to interplant with red tulips. It recapitulated earlier winter survival reports from other gardeners. does, however, harmonize well with those few other heathers in E.g., Albert Julian had reported that the Yorkshire winter of 1981- my garden whose bloom seasons overlap its season. 1982 had the lowest recorded temperatures of the century, going down to -16.9°C (1.5°F) on one occasion. That winter, all E. The third reason I particularly appreciate Erica umbellata ‘David umbellata plants growing at Harlow Carr garden were killed. Small’ can be ascertained only by viewing the flowers close up. Unlike other European heathers, whose flowers are either In 1980, Bert Jones reported that in his Somerset garden, the spherical or, more commonly, longer than wide, E. umbellata

18 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 11 ‘David Small’ has a fused corolla a little wider I was usually too busy with other garden chores to think about than long. The corollas are slightly flattened pruning the umbellatas. I think I probably pruned them only balls (in botanical language, the corolla shape twice in about eight years, and that only lightly for shaping. They is “depressed globose” – see drawing #1 by tend to be rather compact bushes and looked fine without the Henry Bolus pictured on page xlvii in Baker and yearly pruning that is a necessity for callunas and beneficial to Oliver 1967), with their dark colored anthers most other heathers. protruding from the pinched together corolla lips as tiny tufts on the top of each ball (the You may have noticed that I refer to my plants of ‘David Small’ flowers generally face upward or outward, not in the past tense. Western Oregon experienced a dreadful hot downward). spell during the summer of 2009, with several successive daytime Erica umbellata highs exceeding 100° F (38°C). Nearby Corvallis reached 107° However, not all plants of E. umbellata have flower. F (41.6°C) on July 28. Several of my heathers reacted noticeably corollas of this shape. There is wide variation Drawn by Dorothy to the heat, most notably cultivars of E. carnea. The umbellatas Metheny. within the species. Some plants have slightly appeared to be all right, but by autumn, the lowest plant – on elongated corollas, some have the anthers the steepest part of the slope – was failing and soon expired. I included within the corolla or barely protruding from it, and didn’t worry too much about that, because the two upper plants there is one variant lacking anthers completely, several plants looked fine. They would probably grow wide enough eventually of which McClintock (1983) observed in Galicia, where ‘David to occupy its space. Small’ originated. Despite flower shape and color variations, all are borne in terminal inflorescences of two to eight flowers, with In early December, the weather had another go at the garden, this their pedicels preading out from each branch tip like the spokes time with record nighttime lows for a week and a half. The soil of an umbrella, hence the specific nameumbellata .

On 21 July 1982 during a field trip to Spain, David McClintock, David Small, and Charles Nelson took cuttings of selected variants of Erica umbellata at Cabo Vilano, La Coruña, Galicia (Yearbook of The Heather Society 2000). The collection locality is in the extreme northwestern part of Spain, an exposed coastal site. According to Charles Nelson (personal communication), David Small took the cuttings home in his portable propagator (some already rooted!) to Denbeigh Heather Nurseries and then sent half of them on to National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin (Ireland, where Nelson was then working). If the collection was a random selection, as at Cabo Vilano, and the cuttings were also divided up randomly, then Denbeigh Heather Nurseries and NBG may have Plants of ‘David Small’ in the Wulffs’ Oregon garden bloomed profusely in May had different stock. “It was quite by chance that the plant I had 2010 around central holes left by stems that had split after a week and a half of obtained somehow, on moving to Outwell [England], was good nights below 10° F in December 2009. and worth naming: to be honest, I do not know if David himself Photo by Barry Wulff.

12 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 17 I do not remember exactly when I planted ‘David Small’ in my gave it to me or whether it came from NBG Glasnevin.” garden, but within a few years of planting, my three plants of ‘David Small’ had grown large enough to command attention At Outwell, on the Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border, Nelson grew when they bloomed. (By 2009, they were just under a foot high the plant of E. umbellata later to be named ‘David Small’ in an but about 20 inches wide.) I was delighted to find that our native old ceramic sink filled with peat and in 1999 wrote a brief article deer were not in the least interested in them, although they had about it for The Heather Society Yearbook, with accompanying been planted close to the deer trail and the deer regularly sampled photograph. “It has survived temperatures well below 0°C, and flowers of the adjacentDaboecia ‘Silverwells’. does not appear to be affected by the cold, dry winds which are a characteristic of our region.” Despite his giving it more benign neglect than special care, it flourished and bloomed profusely every May. Charles wrote to me shortly after David Small’s death in November 2010, “That plant is long since dead – it did survive another 3 years [after the article was written], but I suspect it is a short-lived species in gardens and probably doesn’t like pruning. That plant was never pruned.” In his Kew monograph, Charles reports that the plant in the sink grew “outdoors, unprotected . . . for more than 10 years.”

During The Heather Society’s annual general conference in September of 1999 (see report in the autumn 1999 Bulletin of The Heather Society), THS President David McClintock presented David By spring 2008, the plants of Erica umbellata ‘David Small’ in the Wulff garden, and Anne Small with certificates stating that twoE. umbellata plants rarely pruned, were touching each other and loaded with flowers. collected some years earlier had been deemed worthy of naming: Photo by Barry Wulff. the white plant was named ‘Anne Small’ and the pink one ‘David Like Charles’s plant, my plants of ‘David Small’ received little Small’. The rare white cultivar named for Anne Small had been attention. They were planted in the greatly amended soil that raised by the Smalls at Denbeigh Heather Nurseries from seed covers our Philomath clay, on the slightly shaded side of a berm, sent from Spain. To my knowledge and great regret, ‘Anne Small’ on a definite slope, and well mulched with chopped hemlock is unavailable in North America. If it is even half as beautiful and bark. When I ran soaker hoses along the berm to provide water interesting as ‘David Small’, it is well worth having. during our summer droughts, I made certain that all three plants were located downhill of a hose, because the part of Galicia where The plant named for David was the one from the McClintock/ ‘David Small’ was collected has rain almost all year and generally Small/Nelson 1982 expedition growing in Charles Nelson’s sink. cooler summers than Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Unlike Erica The official registration certificate (#159) of this cultivar states that arborea, a native of regions that experience dry, hot summers, these the plant was named after David Small, Chairman of The Heather plants would not survive without a drink now and then. Society (1992–2000), to mark his outstanding contribution to the work of The Heather Society and his endeavours in propagating I rarely got around to pruning ‘David Small’, mainly because of and promoting heathers. the odd blooming season. By the time it had finished flowering, Continued page 16

16 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 13 Cape heaths recommended by David Small Some Heather Associated with David Small for pot culture Photos by Barry Wulff.

Calluna ‘Caleb Threlkeld’, collected by Charles Nelson and introduced by Denbeigh Heather Nurseries, makes excellent groundcover for a steep slope.

Calluna ‘Clare Carpet’, another fine groundcover heather, with beautiful foliage texture, was collected inches away from ‘Caleb Threlkeld’ and also Above: Erica versicolor growing above introduced by Denbeigh Heather Tradouws Pass, Western Cape Province. Nurseries. Above right: E. regia pot-grown at Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town.

The flowers of Erica umbellata ‘David Small’ resemble tiny, bright pink balls. Erica blandfordia, growing in the Bainskloof Pass, W. C. P. Erica vestita, growing on Jonaskop, W.C. P.

14 HNQ # 132 Fall 2010 15