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Gardening in New Zealand

Perennial Specialist

21 years ago

Hi, I am a specialist on all types of perennials, particularly shade loving and rare and unusual ones. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

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Comments (10)

Sparaxis
21 years ago
Several people have asked you questions on the Aussie perennial forum. I don't see any answers from you though!
lomatia
21 years ago
Phillipa, I have purchased an Aconitum labelled as "nepalensis" but I can't find any reference to that name anywhere. Is it a synonym? Or is it more likely to be a label error for napellus? The leaf is not as cut as napellus.
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I usually buy lilies(and other stuff) at Costco.....this is my system.I plant the lilies 3 to a pot and set them in the basement. They get light from a ceiling fluorescent that is about 6 and a half feet about them. I water them moderately and it is rather cool down there.When weather permits I move the to the back shed....there is good light there. ....then as things warm up they go to a sheltered position in the back yard. Finally I simply sink them in the garden pot and all. They are fine in the pots...they live there, grow there, and finally bloom there. When the normal fall time of lily planting comes around, I remove them from the pots and plant them in their permanent location Lilies are best planted in the fall, but we all know that the deals are in the spring and the bulbs have undoubtedly come over from Holland...so we have to do the best we can. My system allows me to move new (spring planted)lilies around in mid-season and also to give some as gifts in full bloom. My puchase this year was Scheherazade, an Orienpet hybrid that is really a knockout in bloom.....17.99 for 18 bulbs at Costco.... and normally about $10 per bulb from lily specialists.Good luck with the lilies. newine
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In Greater Cincinnati we have some sales too. Natorp's Wholesale Nursery Outlet Sale (Snider Rd. in Mason near I-71) which started last weekend continues today and tomorrow, Sept. 25-26 (until 5 PM each day) The nursery is where they raise the plants they sell at their two garden stores, supply their own landscapers, and sell to retailers and independent landscapers--it's HUGE so wear your walking shoes. I bought boxwood for my replacement landscaping project, but also found named daylilies for $2.00-3.00 in the Bargain Bin--some NOID, but others brought in from the fields and bursting gallon pots because they were not divided this spring. Also in BB were pots of past-bloom tiger lilies (Lilium) with old stalks surrounded by new growth--$3.00. Knew I had four bulbs from the old stalks and saw little bulblets on many stalks. At home I removed 59 from just one stalk! I learned last year to check back in the Bargain Bin since I live so close. Additional plants are added as space opens and prices go down more at the end. Going back now to see what they have added today. The perennial specialist Greenfield Plant Farm on Stephens Road off Ohio 48 near Maineville has reduced the 4-inch potted perennials and rock garden plants to $1.00 and all other perennials are 25% off. They are open until 5:00 also Sat. & Sun. Wear walking shoes there also as they have 28 greenhouses I believe and plants you see only in catalogs--everything in prime condition or it's on the $1.00 bargain bin, even gallons. Loveland Greenhouse on Lebanon Rd. in Loveland, Ohio, (not far from I-275 one way or I-71 the other way) continues its sale of all perennials except mums--Buy one, get one free. They operate like an old-fashioned local nursery should but with many garden baubles and pretties too. They also grow the majority of their own plants from seed or cuttings and sell in quarts and gallons. The majority of gallon perennials are $8.95 regularly and the quart price depends on quantity purchased. Anyone coming from any distance should visit Earthscapes also on Ohio 48 while they are here, especially for native plants. Check their inventory online--great prices all the time and plant material in outstanding condition. Absolutely wear walking shoes there and old ones if the weather has been rainy. Loveland, Greenfield, and Earthscapes have planted areas (and a large pond at the last two) where you can see plants at mature sizes and steal ideas for groupings. Great staffs with plant knowledge, suggestions, advise plus owner and/or grower usually working on grounds most days, are all available to visitors. These places are within 30 min. or less driving time of each other. Peg
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My contribution to this thread is less a pet peeve but more a casual observation about "selling". Though I am now out of the biz, I used to sell plants at the local farmers market and before that at our city's massive flea market. Before I set up shop I spent quite a bit of time doing research to figure out the best way to go about things. I also read everything I could get my hands on and all the printed word went on and on about how to treat your customers. I don't kiss a lot of you-know-what so I was concerned that my attitude would possibly rub some people the wrong way but then I noticed that some of the big shot vendors at the markets were people that in no way hid their rough-around-the-edges personalities. One guy was so rude that I wouldn't consider buying from him, but he always sold out and had a long line of loyal customers. People remembered him for his sourness AND the quality of his plants. And when someone wanted to buy something knowing full well they were only going to use it temporarily and then bring it back for a full refund - they never took advantage of him, he'd tell them just what to do with their plants and use a lot of foul language in the process. Now I don't think that everyone selling stuff needs to step over to the dark side, but at the same time everyone should be allowed to set their own limit as to how much they will endure. You can only be so nice, so much of the time. When I was coaching another newbie vendor at the flea market I would always point out that behind every flaky "customer" there is a person with money in their hand that wants to buy your product no questions asked. You have to develop the skill at getting rid of the people that only seem to want to waste your time. This approach won't fly in a brick and mortar store, but in open air markets you often get these people that aren't really there to buy anything and they don't mind tying up a lot of your time if they can.
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phlip
Original Author
21 years ago
Hi there, I'm sure there is an Aconitum Nepalensis... to be honest I have just packed my most fantastic reference book as I am moving to Singapore on Saturday! As soon as I get there I will check it out for you... Is that okay?? Regards Phlip
Sparaxis
21 years ago
Lomatia, A. napellus is correct. Do you use the internet search engines? I use google all the time. It only takes a minute to check a lot of these things. A search for A. nepalensis only brings up the above conversation.
Cheers, Jan

www.google.com
lomatia
21 years ago
I did, of course Jan, did a google search, found one ref. but thought that there might be a syn. The plant i bought came from a reputable perennial nursery. I suppose label writers can make a mistake. - it was hand written. The leaf is not the same as napellus but may be a hybrid.
PS I thought everyone used google!
john
Anna_B
21 years ago
John, as you may have discovered there are several species of aconitum such as A. cammarum, A. x henryii, A. carmichaelii.

It could be that the label may be a mistake on the part of the nursery. Nepalenis means the "from Nepal" and napellus means "little turnip" and refers to the shape of the root.

Apart from that, how do you feel about growing Aconitum? I have wanted a plant for ages after seeing it growing at the cold climate botanic garden in the Blue Mountains (for the life of me I can't think of the name at the moment). I bought one recently but I must admit I am rather terrified at handling it. I have planted it at the back of a garden bed and am very aware when I am digging or planting nearby. This is one plant that I am going to make sure that I wear garden gloves around.
lomatia
21 years ago
I have A. napellus, A. x arendsii, A. delphinifolium in the garden as well as the one that started this thread. Have
tried A. anthora from seed (nothing yet!) and have A. septentrionale 'Ivorine' sown and in the fridge. A. napellus 'Newry Blue' didn't germinate. I lost a lot of A. napellus seedlings to bloody slugs! Can you believe that? My plants in the garden are out of the way and can't be readily reached. I believe that you need to consume a fair bit to be affected but I don't take any chances and don't handle them much except to tie them up and collect seeds. To germinate it seems that 1. the seeds need to be fresh 2. 4-6 weeks at zero or thereabouts after sowing and as the weather warms they come up like weeds.
They can be dug in Jan. and the tiny tubers on the main tuber planted for vegetative reproduction but this is too much handling for me!!
Anna_B
21 years ago
John, I think you must be the resident expert on aconitum....what an interesting lot you have. Are all these available from Australian nurseries. Isn't that amazing about the slugs....obviously they are not affected by the poison, more's the pity.
lomatia
21 years ago
Anna, they are a bit intriguing - maybe because of their sinister reputation. Norgates had A. napellus for sale. Collect your own seeds (they look like shrivelled grey flakey things) and sow fresh, follow the stratification process and up they come.
DerbyTas
21 years ago
Do you know anything about perennial vegies ...if so can you give me a list please
Peter

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