Mickfield Hostas news

Issue 7 | July 2007

This month... we look at the work of Eric Smith, perhaps the most recognised UK breeder of hosta cultivars, who crossed H. sieboldiana 'Elegans' with H. 'Tardiflora' and developed the 'Tardiana' group of hostas. This group of glaucous-blue leaf cultivars are much better suited to the average garden as they range from dwarf to medium in size. This issue of our newsletter lists the Tardiana group and briefly introduces some of the cultivars that have been created since focusing on H. 'Halcyon' and H. 'June'.

The Tardiana group
According to Georg Schmid, Eric Smith has been attributed with 25 separate cultivars and he also breed a further 8 cultivars in association with other breeders. At the time of writing, The Genus Hosta, Georg listed a further 11 cultivars within the Tardiana group that had been introduced by other growers. The Tardiana group is listed in the side column and each cultivar links to further information about that plant together with links to Hosta Library images of mature varieties.

H. 'Halcyon'
Perhaps the most recognisable cultivar in the Tardiana group is H. 'Halcyon', with its distinctive veins, leaf shape and bloom. H. 'Halcyon' has produced some highly desirable sports and these have in turn produced further sports...

H. 'Halcyon' sports	Sports of the sports or crosses	H. 'Halcyon' crosses
H. 'First Frost' Registered in 2002	H. 'Moonstruck' Unregistered sport of H. 'Dress Blues'	H. 'Dress Blues' Registered in 1995 - a breeders choice cross
H. 'Paradise Joyce' Unregistered	H. 'Paradise Sandstorm' Unregistered sport of H. 'Paradise Joyce'	H. 'El Nino' Registered in 2003 - parentage unspecified
H. 'Kathryn Lewis' Unregistered	H. 'Olympic Sunrise' Registered in 2005 and a sport of H. 'Kathryn Lewis'	H. 'Lacy Belle' Registered in 1992 - an H. 'Neat Splash' cross
H. 'Devon Green' Registered in 2005	H. 'Silver Shadow' is an unregistered sport of H. 'Devon Green' and a lovely planting partner for the cultivar	H. 'Crusader' Registered in 1989 and a cross with H. 'Resonance'

The rest of the H. 'Halcyon' sports and crosses we have in the collection are listed in the side column with links to images and further information. The next section is devoted to perhaps the most popular sport of H. 'Halcyon' - H. 'June'.

H.'June' H. 'June' is a delightful cultivar, registered in 1991, which exhibits different colouring depending upon the conditions it grows in. H. 'June' has produced a number of sports and crosses including:
H. 'June' sports		H. 'June' crosses
H. 'Early Times' Unregistered	H. 'June Fever' Registered in 2004	H. 'Remember Me' Registered in 2001 - parentage unspecified
H. 'High Noon' Registered in 2004	H. 'Touch of Class' Registered in 1999	H. 'Fragrant Star' Unregistered cross with H. 'Invincible'
H. 'High Society' Registered in 2004	H. 'May' Registered in 1994

The Tardiana group
Cultivars attributed to Eric Smith (and associates):
H. 'Blue Belle'
H. 'Blue Blush'
H. 'Blue Danube'
H. 'Blue Diamond'
H. 'Blue Dimples'
H. 'Blue Moon'
H. 'Blue Skies'
H. 'Blue Wedgwood'
H. 'Brother Ronald'
H. 'Camelot'
H. 'Curlew'
H. 'Dorset Blue'
H. 'Dorset Charm
H. 'Dorset Flair'
H. 'Eric Smith'
H. 'Grey Goose
H. 'Hadspen Blue'
H. 'Hadspen Hawk'
H. 'Hadspen Heron'
H. 'Hadspen Pink'
H. 'Halcyon'
H. 'Happiness'
H. 'Harmony'
H. 'Kingfisher'
H. 'Kite'
H. 'Osprey'
H. 'Purbeck Ridge'
H. 'Sherborne Profusion'
H. 'Sherborne Songbird'
H. 'Sherborne Swallow'
H. 'Sherborne Swan'
H. 'Sherborne Swift'
H. 'Wagtail'

Cultivars in the group attributed to other breeders:
H. 'Blaue Venus'
H. 'Blaumeise'
H. 'Blauspecht'
H. 'Fumiko'
H. 'Goldilocks'
H. 'Grünspecht'
H. 'Naomi'
H. 'Nicola'
H. 'Nordatlantic'
H. 'Silberfeil'
H. 'Tomoko'

H. 'Halcyon' sports
H. 'Edge of Night'
Registered in 1988 and a cross with H. 'Green Gold'
H. 'Gay Blade'
Registered in 1988 and is a cross with H. 'Resonance' and a breeders choice
H. 'Goldbrook Glamour'
Unregistered cross with H. 'Wide Brim
H. 'Goldbrook Glimmer'
Unregistered
H. 'Kiwi Blue Baby'
Registered in 1999
H. 'Sleeping Beauty'
Regstered in 1997

H. 'Halcyon' crosses
H. 'Carolina Blue'
Registered in 2000 and a cross with H. 'Riptide
H. 'Chantilly Lace'
Registered in 1988 and a cross with H. 'Calypso'
H. 'Torchlight'
Registered in 1990 and a breeders choice cross.

Coming up...
During August we will be attending the Wisley Flower Show between 21-23. If you would like us to bring plant orders up to Wisley then you will need to let us know before Wednesday 15th August (How to order)

Next month:

Find out how our 2007 season is progressing as we enter August.

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