Now that the weather has warmed up nicely the hostas are shooting out of their dormancy and almost growing in front of our eyes. The first shows on our 2009 calendar are fast approaching so why not take a day out and come and see us. Our '2009 tour' starts at Harrogate - hope to see you there...
| Back
to the future This month we return to our parentage series but this time with a twist. Over the next four newsletters we will be tracing the ancestry of h. 'Dorothy Benedict' backwards to it's species origin, h. sieboldiana. The following list of sports and crosses from h. 'Dorothy Benedict' is arranged chronologically, according to the date of registration:
Last year we added three more h.
'Dorothy Benedict' cultivars to our collection: Established in 2006, the Benedict Garden Performance Award recognises hosta varieties that have proven themselves stars in the garden. Hostas that gain any aspect of this award will have been voted for by judges from across North America. Therefore, we can assume that, given the wide range of weather and environmental conditions experienced across the continent, the chosen varieties should perform at least as well in our own UK gardens. We will be watching the AHS website later this year to see which varieties receive the first medals. |
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PSST... beware
dry weather in the spring Warm, dry spring weather is a wonderful respite but don't forget your pot-based hostas may need watering from quite early on to ensure they do not dry out. |
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H.
'Dorothy Benedict'...
is a striking cultivar, which exhibits deliciously
varied leaf markings with some mottling and rugosity.
The result is a plant mound full of leaves that look highly individual.
It is a small hosta with leaves typically 6" x 6". The near
white flowers have purple markings and sit on 12" scapes.
H.
'Frances Williams' is the pod and pollen parent
and will be the subject of the next newsletter.
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H.
'Dorothy Benedict'
 Herb Benedict registered this cultivar in 1983 and named it after his wife, Dorothy. |
Looking at h. 'Dorothy Benedict' it is easy to imagine it would make a fascinating breeding hosta. The following sports and crosses listed do not constitute an exhaustive list as it only focuses on those varieties we have in our collection. However, it might be enough to whet your appetite to find more and an excellent place to start is the Hosta Register.
2009 Tour Dates
It's that time again when we go on the road with our
lovely hostas - click on the show names to visit the show websites:
Harrogate
Spring
23-26 April
Malvern
Spring
7-10 May
Gardener's
World Live
10-14 June
Hampton
Court
7-12 July
Tatton
Park
22-26 July
Harrogate
Autumn
18-20 September
Suffolk dates:
24 May
NCCPG
Plant Sale Helmingham Hall
24-25 May
Flower & Continental Market
Bury St. Edmunds
Check out our show page for more details.
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We re-open the nursery
gate this month so if you are planning
a visit to Suffolk, do call in.
 We would love to show you around the collection. |
| Next month: | We profile h. 'Frances Williams'... |