Mid to late Sept. $6 each
David
Burdick
Grower of
Daffodil Flowers and Bulbs
& More
Offering
Undiscovered Varieties Belonging in All Gardens
2008 Catalog
At the present time we are not accepting orders through this website. Please make your selections from this catalog and mail your order to Daffodils and More, PO Box 495, Dalton, MA 01227.
Click here for a printable order form
&
More
Camassia
Colchicum
Anemone
Snowdrops - Galanthus
Other Fall Shipped Bulbs and Rhizomes
& Even More
Notecards and Trowel
Return to Catalog Table of Contents
Camassia
Relief for "Post-Daffodil Depression"
CAMASSIA - The current passion for native plants has thankfully resulted in increased awareness and use of our own Pacific Northwest's camas lilies. Although naturally found in rich, moist meadows, Camassias are without a doubt some of the most versatile bulbs for landscape use. Adaptable to sun or light shade, try them between shrubs, in the perennial border, massed in grass, or even in containers. If one wanted to try a bulb in heavier clay soils, this would be it. I have never had any "critter" problems with them, and every four-legged member of the food chain seems to cross our fields nightly! The flowering begins as the last poeticus narcissus are fading and "post-daffodil depression" begins setting in. We prescribe taking five to six weeks of Camassia bloom as part of a comprehensive wellness program. Bulbs of the species and cultivars we offer should be planted 4-6" deep and 6-8" apart in groups of three or more.
Camassia leichtlinii ‘Electra’
- Occasionally Camassias get some well-deserved horticultural press. For years I
would read the articles that always declared the cultivar ‘Electra’ as the gem
of the genus, yet also always ended with the frustrating footnote “a source
could not be found for Camassia ‘Electra’”. After ten years of searching I
finally located some, and have since built up enough stock to allow what I think
will be the third release of this bulb in the U.S. The flowers are a shimmering
light blue with lavender undertones, carried on three-foot high stalks. What
makes this variety distinctive is the size of the flowers (at least half again
larger than the normal 2”diameter Camassia flower) plus the increased numbers of
open flowers on a scape at any one time (most Camassias will have only 3-5
flowers open, ‘Electra’ usually has 6 or more). These considerably beefed-up
floral clusters give this “meadow hyacinth” extra carrying power in the garden.
Very limited supply $35 each
Camassia leichtlinii subsp. Suksdorfii
- Splendid native bulb with 36 inch spikes filled with starry violet blue
flowers that are produced just as the last daffodils are finishing. They thrive
anywhere, but especially love damp places. Deer do not feed on them, but the
first returning hummingbirds
do!
$3 each or Smaller but flowering size bulbs 5/$10
Camassia leichtlinii ‘Blue Danube’
- A selection from the subsp. Suksdorfii described above, with the same bloom
period and dark violet blue flowers on spikes growing only 30” tall.
$3 each
Camassia
leichtlinii ‘semiplena’ -
The semi-double, creamy white variety of camas lily. Surprisingly, it
begins bloom one to two weeks after the violet blue form we offer does. Good cut
flower.
$3 each, 3/$8, 5/$10, 10/$14
Camassia cusickii
- A succession of pale, icy steel-blue flowers with yellow anthers on flower
stalks reaching 24-30”. An example of “fine design by accident” occurred when I
grew these in front of the taller dark blue-violet Camassias—the color of each
was dramatically intensified. C. cusickii makes large distinctive pointed
bulbs.
$3 each, 3/$8, 5/$10, 10/$14
Camassia cusickii ‘Zwanenburg’
- Cultivar of similar size and habit as the species, selected for its flowers of
a few shades darker blue (with some lavender undertones). The bulbs produced are
of a smaller size than those of C. cusickii.
$4 each, 3/$10, 5/$12
Dipping
our toes in new water
Colchicum
COLCHICUM - Researching new plants that I may want to offer starts with studying the written word of others in articles or catalogs, but invariably has to include a field trial where I buy as many varieties as I can find (or afford) and grow them on. I tried most of the big ball-shaped alliums and quickly decided they were not for me. The fall blooming colchicums have been a quite different story. Flower buds magically mushroom out of the ground in September and October from oddly shaped corms (there is an extension at the bottom part of the bulb called the “foot”, from which the first roots and flower tubes emerge) and mature as clusters of 4”-8” stemmed wine goblets in every shade between rosy-pink and purple (there are some white forms too). Their wide, green, Hosta-like leaves do not appear until the following spring, eventually maturing and dying down in mid-July. First year planting will yield floral rewards in just a few weeks, provided that you can get the bulbs early enough. Late August planting is recommended, the first weeks of September at the latest. Making things somewhat more difficult is the fact that the bulbs begin pushing buds regardless of whether they’re planted or not--if they are blooming outside, they are also probably blooming anemically in their display boxes at the local garden centers. Getting there too late will make you have to wait a full year before seeing any flowers from your efforts. We want you to have immediate success, so will only accept mail orders for Colchicums until September 7th. After that, a few stocks get potted for local sales, but the rest is replanted in our fields so we can observe the flowers too (necessary for quality control).
Colchicums require a well-drained soil and prefer sunny locations. Because it is essential to leave the foliage to the bitter end, incorporating them into herbaceous borders can be difficult, as the mass of leaves from established clumps can smother neighboring plants when it does its flop near the end of its growth cycle (though we have successfully used them next to some of the classic late season perennials and annuals like Asters, Japanese anemones, hardy mums, ornamental kale, etc.). The sunny spots at the bases of trees and in between shrubs display them well, and they will perform happily here provided that competition with surface roots is not an issue. As with most bulbs, if it’s hard to dig the hole where you’re trying to put them, it’s probably not a good place for them to grow. Plant the corms 6”-8” deep and 6”-8” apart.
Colchicum
autumnale ‘Nancy Lindsay’
- While the individual flowers of the Colchicum autumnale types may be smaller
than most (2” wide), the numbers produced per corm make a clump just as showy as
those of larger flowered ones. Most noticeable about ‘Nancy Lindsay’ is that the
tube of the flower is the same purple as the petals--in most of the species and
hybrids, the stems of their floral chalices are white or greenish white.
Mid to late Sept.
$6 each
|
Colchicum
‘Lilac Wonder’
- The variety most often available at the local garden center, and its healthy
floral production and plant vigor keeps it popular. A succession of true lilac
colored blooms is produced, the earliest flowers eventually tumbling over to
make way for those that follow. Not as tulip-shaped as others because its petals
are separated from each other instead of overlapping. Mid to late Sept. $6 each |
|
|
Colchicum
‘Poseidon’
- This hybrid always seems to be the first Colchicum flowering for us, certainly
by the second week of September and sometimes even earlier. Plentiful large
cup-shaped blooms (3”-4” wide) flower low to the ground. It is a solid deep
lilac color with bright yellow anthers and a floral tube that goes purple with
age. Vigorous grower and a favorite. $10 each |
 |
|
Colchicum
speciosum
- An aspect of some Colchicums that can be quite appealing is the presence on
the flowers of a checkering pattern of darker color, called tessellation. The
true C. speciosum should not show any, but the bulbs that are being sold as such
in the trade (including ours) have strong markings both on the inside and
outside of the petals, indicating it is probably some sort of hybrid. The
overall color of the large (3”-4” wide) goblet shaped flowers is a
lavender-purple with some slightly bluish undertones. Also one of the taller
Colchicum blooms (7”). Mid Sept-early Oct. $6 each |
 |
ANEMONE NEMEROSA - Is there yet another thing I need to collect? I bought my first varieties of the European woodland anemones years ago when installing a “purple” shade garden for my landlady. I was quite surprised to receive what looked like little twigs packaged in peat, and per instructions planted the rhizomes horizontally 1”-2” deep in bright shade in a soil with lots of incorporated organic matter (leaf mold is best). The first spring there was very little bloom (a trait of most all the varieties--this is a plant you have to be patient with) but the 6” high divided foliage was quite attractive, emerging with a sinister purplish cast and eventually turning a deep green. By the third year though, a floriferous spreading mat of delicate windflowers had been created, which never interfered with but only enhanced the look of the neighboring plants. I started wondering about the other clones available, and saw whites, pinks, blues, purples, yellows, and even green varieties out there for sale. Then I met a couple from Canada who said they had over 200 in their collection, and realized I was on the verge of going wacky over yet another plant. It’s been years since I’ve purchased my last varieties, but have continued to propagate and grow on my two favorites.
Anemone nemerosa ‘Allenii’ - Many of the A. nemerosa cultivars have flowers with coloration that differs on the inside of the petals and the outside (termed the reverse). The showy inside of ‘Allenii’ is a bright lavender-blue that contrasts perfectly with the yellow stamens, while the buds and reverse side of the blooms are a violet-purple with overlays of gray. 1” wide flowers open on fair weather days to face the wind atop 6”plants during the first three weeks of May. 3/$12
Anemone nemerosa ‘Mart’s Blue’ - Purchased originally from Latvian grower Janis Ruksans, whose friend discovered this form in Estonia. It has the truest blue color and longest lasting foliage (into August, where the others disappear in July) of any variety I have seen. Both the flower (3/4” wide) and plant (4” high) are on the dwarf side; the rhizomes are smaller too. Begins blooming a week to ten days after ‘Allenii’ starts. 3/$25
Snowdrops - Dipping our toes in new water
GALANTHUS - As I write this, March winds drive the cold rain horizontally; the soils are nothing but thawing mud. I really should be out looking at snowdrops. Honestly, I am not so bitten by the bug that I am willing to endure this weather on hands and knees for the opportunity to argue varietal names based on shapes and amounts of green on the inner petals. Not yet anyway. I do appreciate the snowdrops' willingness to brave these conditions though, and feel an obligation to occasionally share their pain as we both anxiously await the first warming days of spring. My collection is small but growing, and the process of evaluating the different clones as garden plants is in its very early stages. These first two offerings were easy choices.
Galanthus 'Atkinsii',
now called ‘James Backhouse’
- Apparently
there are a few clones going around carrying this name, and all
the plants with this tag seem to be robust growers and very early
bloomers. After reading Snowdrops by Bishop, Davis, and Grimshaw
I have concluded that the variety we are listing is the
'Atkinsii' they are renaming 'James Backhouse'. Indeed this is
the plant that is described as having frequently deformed
flowers, but the malformation for me occurs most often as just an
extra outer petal (four instead of three). I had to get down on
my hands and knees to really notice it though.
$ 7 each
| Galanthus x
valentinei, (an unregistered selection found at Compton Court)
- Beware world, Brian Duncan is starting to collect snowdrops! This one was
growing on the property of one of his old friends in Somerset, house name
Compton Court. Once again, Brian’s eye for a good plant is on display as I think
it would be pretty hard to find a better snowdrop for the garden than this one.
Opening as the long, slender petaled ‘James Backhouse’ begins winding down, this
clone is large and round when tight in bud, then opens wide on sunny days
providing a very showy and fragrant display. Best of all, a majority of the
bulbs produce two flower stalks each season. Vigorous beyond belief, allowing a
low introductory price. $18 each, 3/$45 |
.jpg) |
Other fall shipped Bulbs and Rhizomes
Muscari botryoides - The true “grape hyacinth”, which seems so
hard to come by, but grows so well for us. I have no explanation for why the
white form ‘alba’ seems readily available, while this grape scented and grape
colored original remains scarce. A much superior plant for harsh climate
gardening than the ubiquitous Muscari armeniacum and its selections! My problem
with that species is the fall production of its grass like foliage, which by the
end of our winters looks tattered and burned. This sorry mess is what the bloom
spikes emerge from in late May. M. botryoides waits until spring to produces its
wider deep green leaves; these form the perfect backdrop for the 6-8 inch stalk
that carries the clusters of spherical fragrant flowers which cheerfully bridge
the season between late daffodils and early tulips. Best planted in a sunny
well-drained location where they can be allowed to seed freely and form a
carpet. Plant loads of this wonderful, wonderful bulb.
5 bulbs/$8
Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Flore Pleno’ - The majestic double-flowered
bloodroot. Granted, this is a truly ephemeral flower, but when in bloom it is
without a doubt the star of the garden and the envy of everyone who sees it.
Landlocked water lilies of the purest white emerge from within beautifully
wrapped gray-green leaves for a week or more of pure rapture. All forms of this
northeast native are said to grow best in shade or partial shade in gravelly,
moist ground that is high in organic matter, yet we find this plant amenable to
even quite sunny situations if the soil is well prepared and well mulched too.
The rhizome should be planted horizontally and just below the soil surface.
We offer two flowering sized rootstocks, 2-eye $15, and 3-eye or more $18.
* The “& More” part of our name refers to the many other interesting plants we are evaluating and growing for sale. Besides the previously mentioned Trollius and Camassia these include hardy and tropical ferns, bromeliads of all kinds and sizes, some of the new New Zealand delphinium strains, plus many biennials including lots of foxgloves. At this time not all of what we grow are available as mail order items. The best methods for discovering our other plant selections is to come see us at one of the many enjoyable horticultural events we regularly attend as vendors.
Events we are scheduled for
May 16th,
2009 (Saturday) - Trade Secrets, Sharon, CT
A benefit for Women’s Support Services of Northwest Connecticut. Carefully
selected vendors assuring quality and diversity of rare plants and antique
garden furnishings. Admission fee is charged.
http://www.tradesecretsct.com
June 6th,
2009 (Saturday) - Tower Hill Botanic Garden, West Boylston, MA
Annual plant sale benefiting the
Worcester County Horticultural Society and featuring Society Row, where
representatives of many diverse plant societies sell their unique wares and
dispense information about their particular plant obsessions.
508-869-6111
www.towerhillbg.org
June 26th,
2009 (Friday) - The North Hill Symposium, Mt. Snow Conference Center, West
Dover, VT
Wayne Winterrowd and Joe Eck’s annual garden symposium. Invited vendors offer
rare plants, garden ornaments, and garden books. Registration required, Box 178,
Readsboro VT 05350
Wilcox Stainless Steel 202S 14” Trowel
Our favorite planting tool!
Indestructible. The best trowel there is for all your garden needs. Perfectly
balanced.
Endorsed mightily by Kate Reade of Carncairn Daffodils, N.
Ireland.
$18.00 Postpaid
Note cards
I remain continually amazed by those who can look, see, and interpret what we all seem to be seeing, and then perfectly portray it with a series of pen strokes. We are proud to be able to offer the first set of daffodil note cards penned by artist Rebecca Brown of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Rebecca produces additional sets of cards with differing themes-“Historic Gettysburg Battlefield Homes” is just one example. Contact us or the artist directly (717-334-2304) for details.
Daffodil note cards - Six note cards, two of each design $5.50 postpaid