The message
from Dave Poole contains these words:


There is a wonderful variety of nervosa called 'Westland' and I
really urge folks to hunt this one down. The leaves are silvery
bronze-green in summer, deepening to a reddish-purple bronze in
winter. It is probably only hardy to around minus 7C. before damage
sets in, but hardiness improves as the plant gets bigger.

Yes! I have Westland and can heartily recommend it. It's absolutely
gorgeous at all times of year, one of my favourite plants. It looks
stunning beside grey and purple leaved plants, with a big grey granite
boulder sheltering it. My garden gets very little frost, only a degree
or two below freezing for brief periods. A friend has been waiting ages
for myA. Westland to bulk up enough for detaching offsets, but this
plant is seriously tough. It's very difficult to wrestle/prise any bits
off with root attached. The last lot taken 2 months ago are not dead
yet, so fingers crossed. Not long ago, someone told me the trade uses
micropropagation. It's available atm at Binny Plants in Eccslefechan,
they have a website and do mail order.

Someone gave me a rooted bit of a green/silvery one (not sure which, it
was a nameless hand on ) which seems less robust and hasn't really done
much. Brodick Castle garden has some big specimens of a. chathamica
which must be many years old, but it's rather clumsy and muddled
looking imho.. no-where near as elegant and handsome as Westland.

Janet (Isle of Arran).