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Plant Heritage Hepatica Day in Lancashire

Posted on Tuesday 2nd February 2016

Ashwood Nurseries is taking part in a Plant Heritage Hepatica Day in Carnforth, Lancashire, the highlight of which is an illustrated lecture ‘The World of Hepaticas’ by nursery owner John Massey VMH.

The day begins with a visit to Glenn Shapiro’s National Collection of Hepatica at Hazelwood Farm. This impressive collection is held on behalf of Plant Heritage (the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens).

Glenn Shapiro with her National Collection of Hepatica

Glenn Shapiro with her National Collection of Hepatica

Glenn’s collection now approaches 400 taxa including the latest euro-asiatica cultivars and intricate double japonicas, as well as easy garden hepaticas (Glenn is keeping her fingers crossed that most of them should be in flower). There will be welcoming coffee and cakes in the conservatory and a chance to view Glenn’s lovely spring garden.

The event continues at the Gaskell Memorial Hall, Silverdale where plant specialists Edrom Nurseries will have a display of hepaticas.

Here John will give a superbly illustrated lecture in which he takes an in-depth look at this beautiful genus, one of the loveliest of all Spring-flowering plants.

John Massey in his Hepatica Greenhouse

John Massey in his Hepatica Greenhouse

The World of Hepaticas’ will give a fascinating insight into the various species and cultivars, their habitat in the wild, their uses in the garden and alpine house, as well as a look at developments in plant breeding. John will also share some wonderful anecdotes about his travels in search of hepaticas, introducing some of the extraordinary characters he has met along the way.

Ashwood Nurseries is one of only a few nurseries in the UK specialising in hepaticas and John is widely regarded as being one of the UK’s leading experts: he has his own private plant collection and has travelled to China, Japan, Korea, Kyrgysztan, North America and Europe to see them in the wild.

John’s hepatica exhibits have won numerous Gold Medals at the RHS London Shows and in May this year he hopes to achieve his ambition of an Hepatica exhibit at The Chelsea Flower Show.

After the lecture a light buffet lunch will be provided, then the day will be rounded off with a question time around the theme of ‘Growing Hepaticas

Essential Information:

Date: March 20th 2016
9.30am-11.15am: Venue: Hazlewood Farm, Hollins Lane, Silverdale, Carnforth LA0UB (telephone 01524 701276)
11.15am: Venue: Gaskell Hall, Emesgate Lane, Silverdale, Carnforth LA5 0RA
11.45am: Lecture ‘The World of Hepaticas’
1pm: light buffet lunch
2pm-4pm:Growing Hepaticas’ and Question Time
Tickets: £25 (Plant Heritage members £21) including all refreshments. Tickets must be pre-booked from Anne Porter (email contact preferred: [email protected])
• This is a Plant Heritage NCCPG Event
• More information: at www.hazelwoodfarm.co.uk

Barbara Cartwright