Overview:
John Lonsdale will discuss and illustrate a wide variety of the many uncommon and beautiful shade and sun-loving “bulbs” which he grows in his zone 6b garden and greenhouses in Exton, PA. In addition to the true bulbs, such as snowdrops, the presentation will feature plants utilizing tubers, corms and rhizomes – anything that allows geophytes to live through periods of adverse weather. John is particularly interested in pushing the hardiness limits of these plants, and his talk will emphasize methods for their successful cultivation and propagation, especially from seed. The presentation will showcase fall and spring-flowering Cyclamen, Galanthus, Crocus, Sternbergia and Colchicum, as well as a variety of spring-flowering treasures such as Erythronium, Arisaema, Corydalis, Trillium and other less well-known genera. In addition to the presentation, John will bring several specimen potted plants, to further illustrate their beauty and versatility, and cultivation techniques. A selection of potted bulbs will be available for purchase in addition to complimentary light refreshments.
About the Instructor:
John Lonsdale is the owner of Edgewood Gardens, a rare plant nursery and garden in Exton, PA. Born in England, John has grown a wide variety of alpine and woodland plants and bulbs for more than 40 years and is a recipient of the Alpine Garden Society Gold Merit Medal. He has traveled extensively to study plants in habitat, especially Trillium in the SE USA. John regularly contributes articles to the publications of a number of horticultural societies, lectures widely and maintains a website (www.edgewoodgardens.net) featuring over 20,000 images of plants growing in his Exton, PA garden. He contributed a chapter discussing Cyclamen in North America to the book, “Genus Cyclamen in Science, Cultivation, Art and Culture”, published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. John received his Ph.D. from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1985 and spent more than 35 years working in biomedical research.
Tickets: $50