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Dave's Top 20 (Continued)
Voyager - Number Eleven, the largest flowered yellow variety in commerce today, of modern Dutch breeding. Its first flowers are well over three inches in diameter, but sadly later flowers get small as they open up the stem. A tender variety but can be grown and overwintered in a container and placed back in the border the following year.
Emily McKenzie - Number Twelve, a very large flowered orange and burgundy
variety, and quite common to find, however inferior forms / seedlings of this are sold in the trade, and must be avoided. The true form has large burgundy patches towards the centre of the flower, and the petal are large and rounded. Reputed to be a sport from the Earlham Hybrid called Comet. Discovered in the 1950s.
Norwich Canary - Number Thirteen, an unlucky number for quite an excellent plant as it is a very good hardier bedding variety with pure canary yellow flowers as its name suggests. Good for the front of mid border, and produces an excellent display.
Lucifer - Number Fourteen, well it had to be on the list somewhere, and here it is.
Lucifer is perhaps the most well-known and most sold Crocosmia of all time, and is sold all over the world. Vivid red flowers, incredibly hardy, and has been found to be one of the best plants of the summer and autumn in attracting hummingbirds to American West Coast gardens. Another little known fact, is that it was bred by Alan Bloom by Blooms of Bressingham as early as 1966.
pottsii 'Culzean Pink' - Number Fifteen, a small flowered pinky peach hyrids that was discovered growing at Culzean Castle in Scotland. This hybrid also appears in the horticultural trade as 'Culzean Peach' but this name is a later addition to reflect the fact that it is not a pure pink hybrid. However, nomenclature being as it is we must revert to the original name for that is what it is best know as. It is quite possible that this hybrid or one like it, could be a much older variety called
Crocosmia pottsii 'Rosea', which originated in the 1920s in Belgium. Without a doubt it is the best of the smaller flowered pottsii forms and of an unusual colour for a Crocosmia. The plant has a very erect habit and is ideal for growing between other plants within a herbaceous border. Height can vary depending on where it is planted, but it should make three feet on good soil.
Mount Usher - Number Sixteen, of all the small flowered yellow pottsii types of
Montbretia we regard this as the best variety to choose from as this hybrid is perhaps the most floriferous, and is a similar hybrid to Honey Bells, Citronella, Citrina and Morning Light, for those that know these. Found at Mount Usher Gardens in Ireland it is likely that this variety is a far older hybrid, and perhaps one of Lemoine's original French varieties. A very good hardy yellow bedder.
Eastern Promise - Number Seventeen, a charming plant, a bit of a novelty but
non-invasive and is a hybrid of similar constitution to the species Crocosmia aurea,
although I have found this hybrid to be much hardier than Crocosmia aurea. It's flowers hang like falling stars, and another good thing about it is that it can be grown in semi-shade for best effect. However, it is a hybrid that can be prone to slug and snail damage earlier in the year, so precautions need to be taken.
Lady Hamilton - Number Eighteen, a very vigorous hybrid bred by George Davison of Westwick Hall, Norfolk. Quite tall, to nearly four feet, this hybrid produces tall spikes of medium sized flowers which are quite Watsonia like. Orange buds open to a golden-yellow colour with splashes of peachy orange on its petals. Again a very good bedder and quite hardy.
Dark Leaf Apricot - Number Nineteen, this was a seedling found by Colin Rogers, head gardener at Coleton Fishacre Gardens in Devon. Formerly known as 'Coleton Seedling' or 'Coleton Solfatare', but best known as 'Dark Leaf Apricot' which best describes it. This hybrid can now be found in the horticultural trade as 'Gerbe d'or', but the change in name is in error, and this is why I revert to the previous name of 'Dark Leaf Apricot', however, it is likely that we will have to revert to its first name, that of 'Coleton Seedling' in the future. This hybrid is perhaps the hardiest of the bronze leaved forms of Montbretia. It is a sturdy plant with slightly pendulous spikes of apricot flowers, and a good bedder. Unusually, the corms of this variety are red in colour.
Constance - Number Twenty, a modern Dutch hybrid, not dislike the common
montbretia, however it is more refined and produces slightly larger and deeper
flowers, and performs well, both if grown in a pot or the open ground. Well worth a try. A good substitute for the common montbretia if that's whats required.
Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder, but the plants selected for this list have been chosen to provide people with as wide a variety to chose from as possible.
For more information on how to grow them see the page on cultivation.
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