The NYT published a very interesting article online. A bulb hunter in Texas is "reintroducing flowers long out of vogue, committing himself exclusively to those that have ably asserted themselves against the particular cruelties of exceedingly hot weather for decades, even centuries." He searches out old line bulbs and asks owners for permission to harvest a few for his company.
As a senior at Texas A & M, he devised a senior project around collecting bulbs from the area, propagating them and selling them to nurseries and on the internet. His company The Southern Bulb Company "has gained him considerable attention, earning him a spot on House & Garden's list of most important American tastemakers in April and turning him into a sought-after speaker on the garden club circuit." He goes to old neighborhoods to find these heirloom plants.
I love the fact that he is dealing in rare and heirloom bulbs which have climatized to the warm (hot) nature of the south. This is of special interst to me in zone 23 because I know that many bulbs do not grow in California because the weather isn't cold enough. Mostly bulbs are one season only. I saw he has a bulb which looks like it is related to the early snowdrop, one of my favorite bulbs. This seems like a great company.
He has a blog which chronicles his adventures in running his company. Very interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment