On 8th November , Nursery Manager, Ian Christie entertained and informed us with some of the insights he has gleaned in his over 35 years of experience growing woodland plants. He’s known for his snowdrops, and had a few interesting tips to share about meconopsis, including the fact that exposure to sunlight changes the colour within hours – a fact of which many of us present were totally unaware. But the stars of the show, due to both the stunning photographs and Ian’s obvious deeply felt delight in them, were the trillium hybrids.
Ian’s pleasure in these trilliums, and in the tricky art of raising from seed, were infectious: it was fascinating to see the different seeds, to hear just how long many of them take to flower, and to see the seemingly endless variety possible. There were some useful tips about protection of seedlings/bulbs from mice and squirrels too. I for one am determined to find a space in my garden for trilliums… and to get on my knees for a closer look at my snowdrops next Spring: who knows, there might be a priceless gem that’s drifted in from some bird’s beak….