The Backhouse Dynasty

 

Presentation: The Backhouse Dynasty by Peter Williams

Peter told us the interesting story of the Backhouse family who came from the Midlands and moved to the North East. They were a wealthy, Quaker family opening the Sunderland Bank, associated with Barclays.

The family played an important part in British horticulture. Brothers Thomas and James opened a nursery in York initially specialising in Alpines. They bred Narcissi including the first triploid The Emperor and Empress and the Weardale Perfection, which was the first tetraploid. They supplied plants to the large estates and their catalogue was impressive in the number of species it contained. James went away for ten years on a missionary trip and sent plants back,

The family bought out Riggs Nursery and imported many new plants including orchids. It became known as Kew of the North, although it was actually bigger and had more plants. Over time, the company experienced fierce competition from other nurseries and sold a lot of their land in 1921 and closed the company in 1955,

Display Table

Judith’s elegant arrangement contained Heuchera villosa ‘Bronze Beauty’, Helichrysum from seeds from a free packet off a magazine, Phytolacca laka boom grown from seed but not hardy, Roscoea 'Spice Island' which needs lots of fertiliser, Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’ and Senecio vira vira.

Kate brought Callicarpa ‘Profusion’. Euonymus alatus, Begonia grandis ‘Claret Jug’, Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’, Dahlia Bishop’s Children (sown from seed this year), Rudbeckia deamii and Aster

 Maggie Y's Erigeron 'Lavender Lady'

                                          

 Maggie wanted to know if this seedling she raised was a Francoa

 Ann brought Persicaria affinis and Persicaria J S Caliente, Actea racemosa, kirenge shoma palmata, Hesperantha, Ceratustigma ‘Desert Skies’, Zauschneria, Itea ilicifolia, Crocosmia Harlequin and Amicia zygomeris.

Suzanne brought a bouquet which went really well together: Hydrangea ‘Sundae fraise’, Anemone ‘White Swan’, Salvia ‘Nachtviner’, Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’, Penstemon ‘Hidcote pink’, Rudbeckia Goldstrum, Sedum Herbsfreude and Aster frikartii

 

 Trevor brought Dahlia ‘Arabian Night’, a yellow and a pink Dahlia from Home Bargains, an orange Poppy, Papaver rupifragum, which came from a seed ‘found’ in Ilkley, Aster novae-angliae 'Herbstschnee' and a Fern which came from Jenny

 Sandra saw this plant, Sinningia tubiflora, in a nursery and kindly brought it for Ann who was looking for one

Next Meeting:

4^th October – Harvest Forum with a baking competition and quiz

Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures – Henry David Thoreau

 Bulb Bonanza

Members were given a forced hyacinth bulb to plant up and return for the Christmas Forum to see how they have fared. Each bag of bulbs contained 1 x White Pearl, 1 x City of Haarlem, 3 x Jan Bos, 1x Sky Jacket and 2 x Blue Star. It was pot luck which bulb was selected, so we should have a surprise when they bloom.

Some of the points from the discussion that followed about bulbs in general:

Linda had purchased good value bulbs in Lidl and Maggie M had bought bags of tulips there.

Norma gave out tulip seeds, which may take rather longer to flower.

Derek recommended Allium Summer Drummer which flowers in the summer and his grew exceptionally tall.

Acis, the Autumn Snowdrop, was another recommendation and Maggie was pleased with her Narcissus Snowbaby and Ballerina which have proved very reliable.

If buying bulbs by the bag, Trevor’s tip was to alternate the layers with the point end up and then pointy end down to maximise the number in the space provided.

Judith told us that bulbs will be on sale shortly at York Gate and bulb catalogues from various nurseries were available for members to look through.

Display Table

The table was full of containers of plants from the gardens of members. The colours, variety and scent show that there is still plenty of interest in our gardens in September.

 Kate's jug contains Astrantia 'Buckland', Anemones 'Pamina' and 'Pretty Lady Susan',Plectranthus, Persicaria 'September Spires', Perovskia 'Blue Spire', Knautia macedonica, Ceratostigma willmottianum and Sweet Peas

 Kate's Cornus Kousa

 Judith's arrangement includes Bergenia leaf of Tubby Andrews and Dahlias

Not taken from the best angle, Maggie brought Clematis heracleifolia Cassandra, Roses:  Iceberg, Blush Noisette and Pink Perpetue, Ceratostigma willnottianum 'Coted'Azure' and plumbaginodses, Inula, Lysmachia and Persicara believed to be Golden Arrow

 Ann brought Kirengeshoma palmata, Clematis Lambton Park, Hedera Buttercup, Amicia zygomeris, Hydrangea querofolia Little Honey and Crocosmia

Gill brought Penstemon 'Apple Blossom', Aster Monch, Rose, Begonias, purple and white Lavender, Sweet Peas, Cyclamen coum, Diascia 'Coral Belle', Cosmos, Rudbeckia, Verbena bonariensis, Osteospermum, Fuchsia, Geranium striatum and Leycesteria.

Carol's Euphorbia with attractive red stems and small leaves

Sue G's container of Clematis heracleifolia 'Cassandra', Verbascum 'Sunrise/Sunset' from a seedling, various shades of Hesperantha coccinea including 'Pink Princess' and huttonii bauri and Helenium 'Sahini's early flowerer'

Peter's well fed fly traps; Sarracenia

Liz's container includes Dahlia 'Happy Days', Lychnis and a purple Salvia?

 

Marjorie brought an offshoot of a Cosmos plant from a boggy part of her garden.  It didn't flower but imagine if it had!

Next Meetings:

20^th September - Peter Williams is giving a presentation on the Backhouse family.

4^th October is our Harvest Forum. We are having a baking competition. The categories are:

Fruit scones, savoury scones, Victoria sponge and shortbread and entrants can use their own recipes. Suzanne Tagger has kindly agreed to judge the entries.

A heads up that on 1^st November is our Friday Forum Gardeners Question Time. Please submit questions by 18^th October, preferably by email to me or Kate (vanheelk@me.com). On the panel will be Ann, Sue Gray, Peter and Wendy Platt.