December 2020

Welcome to the December 2020 edition of Shade Monthly.

Special Issue – Woodland Bulbs

I am delighted to share this special issue of Shade Monthly with you. All the articles here were contributed by members of your S&W committee – Diana Garner, secretary; Wilma Keighley, treasurer and membership secretary; and Nigel Parkes-Rolfe, chair. We hope you enjoy this edition, and that it brings you some spring cheer in the middle of winter.

May we wish you all a merry and peaceful festive season.

As ever, please send any articles, comments or images to [email protected]. Thank you.

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Daffodils in the wood - ‘Marjorie’s Mile’ Text and images by Diana Garner

Our daffodil planting project started in 2003 when we wanted to develop a small area of our wood in memory of John’s mother, Marjorie, and decided on a 100 m avenue of daffodils which we could call “Marjorie’s Mile”. We were fortunate enough to buy the 3 acre mixed woodland at the end of our garden in 2000, and it had been used as a hand-made brickyard in the 1960s, and just left since then to grow scrub trees, brambles and holly.

Having never tackled a project on this scale before, we consulted Avon Bulbs. We wanted the bulbs to start flowering near Marjorie’s anniversary in December and to carry on through the Spring. We had about two metres one side and one metre the other side of the path for planting. They recommended planting in about five metre blocks of any one variety before there was a break to another type, such as bluebells or just grass. These blocks should be in amoeboid shapes so they are not too regular, and they suggested taking a handful of bulbs that represents a couple of metres, throwing them on the ground and planting them where they fell.

The varieties recommended giving a variety in flowering time from December through to April, height, colour and scentedness were:

N. ‘February Gold’ N. ‘Jack Snipe’ N. poeticus var. recurvus N. ‘Cheerfulness’ N. ‘Topolino’ N. ‘Rijinveldt’s Early Sensation’ N. obvallaris N. lobularis N. ‘Sweetness’

As we were going to be planting over 4,000 bulbs we decided to split the order and planting over three Autumns, and in fact, have continued to add a few more bulbs each Autumn since.

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We purchased a petrol auger which was really great for making the holes for the initial planting, as the area was full of tree roots and brick rubble. It was also useful to making holes in our ground for other shrubs and trees once the main bulb planting was done. We also used an upright planter, and a small hand bulb planter.

There are now four areas planted in the same sequence along the 100 m stretch, and we added an extension in 2016 when we lost a large tree which enabled us to link the walk to our Fernery which is planted in an old clay pit.

There have been varying degrees of success with different varieties. Some are well suited to the conditions (‘February Gold’ and ‘Rijnveldt’s Early Sensation’) whereas others (‘Cheerfulness’ and ‘Sweetness’) have been disappointing and have vanished. Avon Bulbs believe this has much to do with the level of light in the area, so we have introduced more of the earlier flowering varieties which can enjoy the light before the leaf canopy closes in.

To date we have planted nearly 6000 narcissus bulbs, in addition to the 3000 snowdrops which were eaten by mice. As winter draws to a close, the early daffodils brighten up the day and make us all look forward to the Spring.

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In January N. ‘Rijnveldt’s Early Sensation’ and ‘February Gold’ are just starting to push above ground and throw out the occasional flower.

N. ‘February Gold’ with the outer petals slightly swept back and dark yellow trumpets flowering in early March. 4

The varieties with the lighter petals such as ‘Topolino’, ‘Jack Snipe’ and N. lobularis really light up the wood, and N. poeticus var. recurvus is the last to flower and waits for the few bluebells.

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Bottom end – on right N. ‘Jack Snipe’, ‘Rijnveldt’s Early Sensation’, and N. lobularis at the bottom. On the left N. ‘February Gold’, N. poeticus var. recuvus and N. ‘Topolino’ still growing and N. obvallaris at the end. Acers and Rhododendrons have also been planted in the wood and some of the ones the muntjac and roe deer have left alone have grown into fine specimens. Annual maintenance: anyone is allowed to deadhead! I scatter blood, fish and bone along the whole length when they have nearly finished flowering, and the whole grassy area is strimmed once all the wild flowers have finished about July time, to let light and rainwater (hopefully) into the area for the rest of the year. I also try and make a note of any gaps, and each Autumn top up with another couple of hundred bulbs. You know as gardeners how much your garden changes each season without you doing anything particular – in March 2017 the daffodils all decided to flower at the same time – it was stunning!

Montana, Shire Lane, Cholesbury, Herts HP23 6NA is open for the National Garden Scheme (NGS) by arrangement from March until the end of July.

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Martagon Lilies

Text and images by Wilma Keighley

Let me admit, straight away, that I am not an expert on Martagon Lilies. I volunteered to write this section simply because I love these lilies and thought it would be useful to do a bit of reading around the topic to pass on to others who may know as little as me, while in the process, hopefully, I’d become a bit more knowledgeable.

Basics first: martagon is hardy throughout UK and most of Europe tolerating at least down to - 20C (classified as H6, zones 3-7 or 3-9 USA) and will grow from full sun to partial shade though it will need a more moist spot if in full sun. Ideally they will have a half a day of morning sun since, although they will survive, they won’t flower well in deep shade. Not too fussy about soil pH with a slight preference for alkaline, and of course as much humus as they can get. Like all lilies, they need good drainage in winter, so an edge of woodland spot often suits as the tree roots help to keep things drier in winter (and they also look really good in that setting). Not really recommended for heavy clay that waterlogs, in which case some experts suggest adding grit to the planting hole. At the same time, most sources advise against soil that is too dry! I garden on heavy clay and all I’ve done is to add as much compost as I can at planting time to try to improve the soil. That seems to have worked OK. My are flowering well and seem to be increasing in size. Since martagons flower in June, they should be planted in autumn/winter and, being from mountainous regions, will not mind some frost although better not to when its freezing. Planting depth should be 2 to 3 times the height of the bulb, so about 4 to 6 inches with spacing of about 4 to 6 inches, and in small groups. One suggestion is to space the plants farther apart as the amount of shade increases. This is to allow for increased circulation and faster drying of wet plants, thus reducing the risk of botrytis. Hostas planted between martagons make nice “spacers” and provide a good structural contrast in a woodland garden. My lily groups are only of 3, because larger groups were too costly, but I have some grandiose plans for huge drifts from seed - more later. Martagons are easy going with no major disease worries currently and no particular pruning regime requirement, just cut the flowering stalks down when the leaves have yellowed. Diseases such as Xylella fastidiosa and Plantago asiatica mosaic virus may come to be a problem for martagons as our climate warms. DEFRA classifies Xylella as medium likelihood to affect martagons and high seriousness, with Plantago mosaic as very high likelihood to appear and medium seriousness.

Although said to be prone to slugs and aphids, the only pest I have encountered is that pesky lily beetle. Despite my best efforts (I go on lily beetle patrol every day in spring/summer) many of the plants have lacework leaves, but although this is unsightly the flowering doesn’t seem to be affected. I have not had to stake any of my hybrids but note that some people recommend growing through shrubs to support the stems. Possibly this is necessary with some of the really tall cultivars? The species and Lilium martagon var. album, both of which have the RHS award of garden merit, often take a couple of years to get into their stride after planting although martagon hybrids seem to be more accommodating.

Botanically, martagons are “true” lilies, placed in Division II of the genus Lilium. Five different species make up the Martagon Group of lilies which share the features of whorled leaves, small down-facing flowers and smooth re-curved petals (except L. tsingtauense), good-sized seedpods and delayed hypogeal seed germination. Martagon hybrids are the result of crossing non identical lilies from the martagon group: Lilium hansonii, Lilium martagon, Lilium tsingtauense, Lilium distichum and . The first three of these are reasonably well available commercially if you feel like trying some hybridization, the latter two less so. 7

The species has been in cultivation for a long time (see Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 303.) while amateur hybridisers were certainly at work by the mid 19th century, most prominent hybrids being the Backhouse series of martagon/ hansonii crosses by Robert and Sarah Backhouse of Herefordshire. Most of these hybrids are no longer available commercially with the exception of a lovely golden hybrid, ‘Mrs R O Backhouse’ (AGM 1921). The hybrids (there are more than 500) are generally accepted as being easier to grow, and more vigorous, than the true species and the colours available and ultimate size of hybrids has a far wider range from pure white through pinks, deep reds to almost black and all shades of yellow from cream, tinged with peach, through golden to rich orange. I lost count of the number of new or newish hybrids when I researched these with many originating from Canadian enthusiasts (the Manitoba, Fox and Arctic series for example) but these seem to be easy enough to obtain by mail order (if your pockets are sufficiently deep). Clumps can be divided in autumn when dying down, or scales can be placed in moist warm peat until bulbils develop and grown on from there.

In order to get enough plants to have a nice drift, I often grow from seed and have, for the last two years, sown trays of L. martagon var. album from seeds obtained in the HPS seed exchange. Martagons are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs), pollinated by moths and butterflies. The seeds ripen from August to September and should be sown immediately. The seed displays delayed hypogeal germination which means that in the first summer, the seed will turn into a micro-bulb with a root. The cotyledon never occurs above ground but acts as an umbilical cord between the seed and the micro-bulb. The micro-bulb will then wait for a longer period of cold temperatures and when the temperature in the second spring again increases it will send up a true leaf. Stored seed needs a warm/cold/warm cycle of stratification. Most sources recommend leaving the seedlings in the original pot at least until year two. Imagine my disappointment to read that flowering typically takes more than 7 years from seed, so my grandiose plan of a drift of white martagons growing through hydrangeas, with a sea of Crocus ‘Firefly’ for spring interest may take some time! The Alpine Garden Society recommends feeding the seedlings regularly while in growth to help minimise the time to flower.

There are several scholarly articles regarding hybridization within the martagon group, detailing which species prove the most successful pollen parents and which the best pollen acceptors. Newer developments also include the hybridization of martagons with lilies from other lily groups. In most cases, these crosses are not viable naturally with the embryo being rejected before the seed can form but now the embryo can be “rescued” and grown in a test tube to become a small bulb. Examples include a cross of Lilium martagon var. album with non-martagon Lilium pumilum (from Asiatic Lily Division 1) and Lilium martagon with non-martagon lilies from Division IV, the American lilies. You can find these details in articles from the North American Lily Society (www.Da.lilies.org) and the RHS Lily Yearbook (see ‘News from the old martagon country’ by Petr Srutka at https://www.rhslilygroup.org/RHS_LilyYrbk_1512.pdf) if you are interested in knowing more.

With a 7 year wait for something that might turn out to be a disappointment, I expect many of us will prefer to buy hybrids where we can see in advance how the plant should develop. Some internet resources with great photographs that you might find useful in selecting are: hwhyde.co.uk; hartsnursery.co.uk; lilynook.mb.ca; gardenia.net

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So far, I have only grown easy-to-come-by hybrids: L. ‘Claude Shride’, L. ‘Arabian Knight’ and L. ‘Orange Marmalade’, and could recommend any of these as ‘good doers’ and lovely with it. I have detected no fragrance from any of these. Different sources claim that the martagons smell unpleasant, musky, delightful or fragrant, or not at all (unpleasant odour see Woodcock. and Coutts. Lilies - Their Culture and Management. Country Life 1935, sweetly fragrant, especially at night see Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440- 8). Maybe some do and some don’t or maybe it’s all in the mind of the smeller.

Here are ‘Claude Shride’ and ‘Arabian Knight’ in my garden. This is their second year.

Two random ‘facts’ to close: All parts of the martagon lily, especially the pollen, are extremely toxic to cats, but the tubers can, and have, been used a substitute for potatoes (see pfaf.org - I am not recommending trying this!)

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Tulipa sprengeri Trotter’s form

Text and photos by Nigel Parkes-Rolfe

Most tulips will make a reasonable attempt to grow in damp part shade but nobody who has ever tried will claim that many of them look happy…and that always assumes they don’t die from a wet winter first. Two that will do much better than most are T. sprengeri and T sylvestris. This piece covers my experience of growing T. sprengeri Trotters form which is apparently slightly taller and has larger flowers than the straight species. The plant is named for Dick Trotter, a friend of E.A.Bowles, a keen plantsman and long-time treasurer of the RHS. ‘It only grows for you if it likes you’ was a sentiment from Judy Pollitt’s article referenced at the end of this piece. Well it certainly likes me and at one stage looked set to take over the garden…but I was/am so in love with it that I would have happily let it go where it wanted.

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'Trotter's form' flourishes in ’edge of woodland’ conditions as some authors describe them. The long slender buds on 12-16" stems above the fresh green sharply pointed and slender leaves appear towards the end of May in my Derbyshire garden. The buds open to reveal lovely flame-red flowers with contrasting golden anthers. Again, like the leaves the flowers are slimmer more than round. It does need a bit of sun to encourage the flowers to open but that’s about its only solar requirement in my experience. A group of them really stand out against a dark background like a hedge. They are the last of the tulip species to flower.

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A seed catalogue describes it as tall, vigorous, red, gorgeous and easy. I can testify to all of those, particularly the latter. It is known to self-seed into grass and under trees…and I can now exclusively add to that list, gravel, between slabs and crevice gardens!

Their bulbs tend to pull themselves right down into the soil and, being on the small side, are difficult to find and extract. I speak from experience here as I had to clear my 20-year- old colony to make way for a new shed. The seeds from my original purchase had just been left to their own devices and with each coming to flowering size after about 3 years, they had formed a wide-ranging patch. It is just as well then that this Tulip does not need to be lifted regularly as I damaged a fair few getting them up and transferring them to pots.

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I read somewhere that in the earliest years of the Alpine Garden Society seed exchange (circa. 1950), the then-director of the exchange, E. B. Anderson, specifically asked that no seed be sent in of T. sprengeri as it was that easy to grow.

What did he know…absolutely everyone should grow this. The only problem tends to be finding it nowadays. I got my potful over 20 years ago from Bob Brown’s nursery but haven’t seen many of them offered for sale since. A shame as they are probably extinct in the wild now. Note - Judy Pollitt wrote an engaging article on these Tulips in the Autumn 2019 edition of Cornucopia entitled ‘It loves me, it loves me not’

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One of my favourite woodland bulbs for naturalising – Erythronium revolutum

Text and photos by Beccy Middleton

There are so many beautiful woodland bulbs to choose from, and whilst it can be lovely to have some gems to cosset, its also useful to have some plants which will make themselves at home, spread out and make a good show. When it is happy, E. revolutum will self-seed gently and spread itself around, creating lovely drifts of pale purple in spring.

This species is native to the west coast of North America, where it grows in forests and woodlands up to 1000m. It prefers damp soil and semi-shade, and is unusual amongst Erythronium species in that it doesn’t mind damp weather in summer, making it very suitable for cultivation in UK gardens. The other pink Erythonium you are most likely to come across in the UK is E. dens-canis, which differs in its slender anther filaments and random blotchy leaf markings (in E. revolutum these can vary in colour but the markings follow the leaf veins).

E. revolutum is one of the easier Erythonium species to grow, and is tolerant of a range of soil conditions and very hardy. However, it prefers leafy, well-drained soil which is damp in spring and likes some shade during summer. It can be introduced by planting bulbs or sowing seeds. Bulbs are best planted in late summer, around 10cm deep. Try to avoid bulbs that have dried out too much or are soft – look for firm ones or if these are not available buy containerised plants in growth. Seed can be sown directly or into seed trays in autumn, and you should have flowering plants in four or five years.

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Good places to see – NTS Inverewe (Highland), Wemyss Castle (Fife, sometimes open for SGS), the Garden House (Devon), RHS Wisley (Surrey)

There are some excellent sources of information available on this genus, for example:

Wiley, K (2014), Designing and Planting a Woodland Garden, Timber Press : London

Young, I (2008), Cultivating Erythroniums, SRGS Bulb Blog #6, available at: https://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2008/070208/log.html

Clennet, C (2014), The Genus Erythonium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew : London

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revolutum, seeding itself among Darmera peltata rhizomes

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