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Worsleya Procera in Tasmania

© Gary Buckley

One mild winter and the belief that hearsay is always truth, this writer decided he would give the again fashionable Blue Hippeastrum a try. Well at the time it seemed like a good idea and never being one for waiting; god how we hate waiting. Yes that's a hint folks. We can forgive anything, except being kept waiting. Anyhow we decided that at my time of life I could not wait for Worsleya procera to grow from seed, We also knew that said seed was hard to get.

Then there was the vexed question of growing mediums and all the old husband tales on their culture. About this time I knew in my heart that one would never stumble across a bulb or two of this in a price range that this writer could afford. So I thought this could be one of those endless quests, where futility would eventually prevail.

So I contented myself reading Vanishing Garden: A Conservation Guide to Garden Plants by Christopher Brickell, Fay Sharman

"The Vanishing Garden" is for all those who are concerned about the future of our cultivated plants. It draws attention to the serious threat facing them and shows how many garden plants are in danger of disappearing and how many may have been lost for ever. Based on eighty plant genera, the book describes several hundred endangered species and varieties and illustrates what steps can be taken to safeguard them.

The book covers herbaceous plants, alpines, shrubs, trees and greenhouse plants and ranges from old cottage garden favourite to exotic new introductions. The entries are accompanied by line drawings and colour photographs are provided to help the reader with identification. There is also a list of recently established national plant collections together with a guide to further reading, bring biographical notes and a comprehensive index.

Then by chance I came upon a man who has been quietly growing these for the past three decades.

A quick phone call and I was placed on a short list. Should one become available then I would be phoned.

My attention was then drawn to an article in The Gardeners' Chronicle May 25, 1929 on Hippeastrum Procerum (Worsleya Procera).

Bulb: From two to five feet long, rooting on rock, and taking a stance varying from nearly horizontal to one of about 45 degrees above the horizontal; evergreen, somewhat flexouse and ascending towards the apex; about three and a half inches in diameter at the base.