On 22 Nov 2004 20:30:46 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:

Not in mine - I have no room for the former, and I find most of the
latter (as grown in the UK) rather wimpish. I am very fond of them,
but feel that they should be chest high and blazing colours.

I grow mostly species Kniphofias. K. linearifolia is at least chest
high, as is the hybrid Prince Igor.

Thanks for that - I must look out for them.

Nick.

Sorry, I overlooked your requirement for them also to be in blazing
colours. K. linearifolia is variously orange, old-gold and greenish
orange, interesting but not blazing. Prince Igor is a more traditional
colour, orange-red at the top of the spike fading to yellow. An
established plant will put up flowers to over six feet (a 'must have'
when I saw it in a nearby garden!). Another good one is K. rooperi,
again with traditional colouring but flowers of a more rounded shape.
Height when established, at least 5 ft. (the kniphofias that form an
avenue around the east side of St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, and
that flower so spectacularly in September, are these). K. praecox is
a good bright red and fairly tall, but as mine will only flower for
the first time next year, I can't be definite about it. I've not grown
K. northiae, but it has a reputation for having massive flower heads,
although I don't think it's especially tall or brightly coloured. It
likes a damp spot.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net