Allium Purple Sensation p13 Romulea bulbocodium p5 Erythronium revolutum p27 Sanguinaria canadensis p43 Mail Order Catalogue Crocus speciosus p3 Autumn 2021 Tulipa Negrita BULBS AND PLANTS TO FLOWER THIS AUTUMN AND NEXT SPRING Telephone 01460 242177 p52 www.avonbulbs.co.uk of P&P only) (UK mainland Orders over £100 are sent free WINNERS OF… 30 Gold Medals at Chelsea in 31 years (1987 – 2017) Avon bulbs contacts Email: Welcome [email protected] Web: Horticultural mail order businesses have been very busy because of lockdown and we www.avonbulbs.co.uk have benefitted in that regard. However the pattern of life has changed quite a bit, as Tel: it has for everyone, in particular with our lack of attendance at the flower shows. We 01460 242177 thought that they were an integral part of who we were as a business, but not having 01460 249060 participated in one for 18 months we find that we have been busy enough ‘at home’ and that the work that we are able to do in the times when we should have been away Burnt House Farm has resulted in more (and more timely) propagation of plants and a tidier nursery. We Mid Lambrook South Petherton, also find that as a consequence we are much ‘greener’ - our electricity costs (running Somerset cold stores) are 41% lower. Our small solar array now generates 35% of the electricity TA13 5HE that we use. Our use of diesel (transport to shows) is now under 10% of what we were spending pre Covid. On the other hand we have never shied away from the fact that a proportion of what we sell is bought in, very mainly from Holland. It is now (post Brexit) much more costly in effort, time and cash to obtain bulbs from Europe. Until recently I could order bulbs More on a Monday knowing that they would be with us the same week at very little additional Information cost. I now anticipate at least a month to get all the permissions, licences and documents in order. At the same time a greater number of growers in England (and The website allows much more Europe) are retiring from horticulture and it is becoming more difficult to source the detail about individual plants sort of interesting plant material that we are happy to list. Were we all 30 years younger and we are gradually building there are probably new opportunities in UK horticulture for enterprising young growers, up that information source, but I am afraid that it is ‘different’ now with the costs of starting up much higher with so do have a look online if increasing pressure to reach an efficient (large) size more quickly. That makes ‘niche’ you are left wanting to know horticulture and plant specialisation more difficult. Customers in Europe (and Northern more about a particular plant Ireland) will be disappointed to know that the costs of getting orders inspected to or family and their suggested provide Phytosanitary Certificates far exceeds what might have been expected and planting instructions. Individual what is reasonable and we cannot, as a result, send orders outside of GB. planting suggestions are provided again when you get Last year I experimented with a catalogue arranged in a flowering order rather than sent your order. alphabetically. I only received a few emails to say that it was unhelpful (and rather fewer from folk who indeed liked it) but on balance we found that we too needed to use the The website also indicates Index rather too much! Something that we normally do not need. The order has now availability and if an item is returned to an alphabetic one within the ‘seasons’ that the catalogue covers and as a Sold Out it will be indicated result there is no Index. there. This is particularly useful for later orders. I would encourage our customers to order early. With news of shortages likely I had to order from Holland in March what I thought that I might sell this autumn (something If an item is marked Out of I am usually reluctant to do till the end of May) and it may be the case of ‘when it Season you can “Register has gone, it has gone’. It was also a ‘weird’ spring as you gardeners will remember, an Interest” and with no too wet in February, too dry in April and it only warmed up in mid May. All that may commitment receive an email affect harvests and bulb sizes so putting an order in early should ensure that you get back when it is next in stock whatever we have available that you need. It will cost you nothing more as we only and can be ordered. charge your card accounts as we despatch the order. There are occasionally varieties Successful Gardening! that missed the catalogue and get listed online. Chris Ireland-Jones ii Avon Bulbs Mail Order Catalogue Autumn 2021 LATE SUMMER 2021 Bulbs that mostly flower in the autumn, shortly after planting or else ones that much prefer early autumn planting despite being spring flowering. We aim to deliver orders made from this section ahead of orders for the Autumn section in mid August to early September. Please use the form at the end of this section. GAP Images GAP Images Acis autumnalis Acis nicaeensis Amaryllis purpurea major Colchicum autumnale ACIS AMARYLLIS autumnalis The Amaryllis and their hybrids Slender wiry green or russety are winter growing and flower coloured stems, carrying delicate before they come into leaf in the looking white papery bells. They autumn. South African in origin were thought to be autumn they consequently require more flowering forms of the snowflake sheltered positions, we have some (Leucojum) family but are now in a that do well every year at the base of a south facing wall which is (in distinct group of their own. Ideal for Somerset) good enough. In cold a trough or container that stays that areas one might need to grow them much drier. Naturally small bulbs, in pots that one can protect them only the size of large peas which further. They enjoy a hot summer get planted close together. baking when they are without their 1” (3cm) leaves and planting them too deep Aug / Sept 9” (22cm) means that the soil might not get 106-10 £8.00 for 5 warm enough to suit them. These are the ‘simple’ species types, nicaeensis not Hippeastrum which are easily A spring flowering French confused and are of hybrid origin Snowflake – they were in the and generally ‘treated’ to flower in Amaryllis x Parkeri alba Colchicum autumnale album Leucojum family but have now the winter. been split off to become Acis. They hail from a small area in southwest purpurea major COLCHICUM autumnale France where they live in limestone Tall stemmed with a slightly lop- Softly, satin-sheened in mauve. Easy to grow in reasonably deep crevices. Here they are an alpine sided flower arrangement of They naturalise most effectively moisture-retentive soil, these appear needing some winter protection and magnificent pale pink fragrant either in sun or partial shade where from their summer dormancy without a drier summer rest. In flower they trumpets. The earliest to flower of they often produce several flowers have a flattened bell-shaped white all the Amaryllis. We will try and lift their leaves to flower in the autumn – hence their common name of from each corm. An easy British flower over rather lax leaves. them early (to dissuade them from ‘naked ladies’. A pointer to the end native known as Meadow Saffron, 3” (8cm) flowering for a bit longer) but for late of summer, their bright flowers last Wychwood Forest has thousands Spring 8” (20cm) orders they may well have flowered. flowering each autumn. 106-11 £9.50 for 3 incredibly well considering their 9-12” (20-30cm) apparent fragility. The leaves appear 4” (10cm) August 24” (60cm) in the early spring. They need Sept 6” (15cm) 56-15 £7.50 planting 3” (8cm) deep - perhaps a 73-05 £13.00 for 3 little more for ones with bigger bulbs x parkeri alba – and 6” (15cm) apart. They will autumnale A hybrid form (Amaryllis x Brunsvigia) naturalise effectively, but the mower album which forms big, rounded bulbs will have to be restrained until the The white-flowered form of the and flowers with apple-white hugely leaves wither away in June. species above, although some scented trumpets. **Please order early – after the are pinkish-white. They tolerate 9-12” (20-30cm) end of September they seem full sun but are especially useful Aug/Sept 12” (30cm) to flower regardless of the 56-10 £8.50 conditions** in some shade in damp, but not waterlogged conditions. = suggested plant spacing in garden situations 3” (8cm) Flowering time Flowering height Sept 6” (15cm) Item Code Price 73-06 £10.00 for 3 Tel: 01460 242 177 • Email: [email protected] • Website: www.avonbulbs.co.uk 1 GAP Images Colchicum speciosum Colchicum Waterlily Colchicum byzantinum Innocence Colchicum x agrippinum Colchicum speciosum album byzantinum speciosum WaterLily x agrippinum Innocence album A multi-petalled variety which A smaller plant that the others we Thickly textured goblet shaped The very best Colchicum which has opens out widely in the sun with list and one to treasure in a raised flowers in white with purple tips been lost to commerce for many multiple flower stems, flowering bed or in a trough. The flowers to the very ends of the petals and years and sorely missed except somewhat later than the others.