THE NORFOLK CROCOSMIA HERITAGE GARDEN AND CHALLENGE CUP CROCOSMIA COMPETITIONS BY TERRY C. BANE – NORWICH’S HORTICULTURAL OFFICER

I first came to know about the lost Earlham Hall Crocosmia Hybrids when National Collection Holder David Fenwick phoned me from Plymouth at my home one evening late in November 1994.

David had been told through the grapevine that I had worked at Earlham Park Nurseries and may have some knowledge of what varieties existed and were still growing on the nursery and in the herbaceous borders. David and his wife Colleen also believe that many of the hybrid corms may still be growing in many local Norfolk gardens, perhaps amongst ancient woody shrubs, in a overgrown hedge or even hiding at the back of a compost heap, producing only weak growths and no flowers to reveal their secret.

The Fenwick’s enthusiasm and passion about these late summer flowering beauties was so strong that I felt I must help them with their quest to find The Lost Earlham Crocosmia Hybrids, but felt the time was not right as I had recently moved house and changed my job and would not be able to give the time the project deserved.

Over the next six years I stayed in contact with David and Colleen taking a great interest in their work, watching their website develop and considering ways I could help them.

During my 14 years at Earlham Park until 1990 I developed a great interest in my work and surroundings, I collected and read many books about the plants that I grew in the glasshouses and gardens, I was very lucky to discover Percy Lubbock’s Earlham 1922 edition in a second hand bookshop in Swaffam. Lubbock recalled the lifestyle of his relatives The Gurney Family he describes the gardens and Park but mentions nothing about the breeding of Montbrietia’s now known as Crocosmias, he was remembering his youth at Earlham some years before the arrival of Sydney Morris as the new owner around 1912.

The Norwich Crocosmia story first begins with George Davison in 1895 Head Gardener at Westwick Hall who bred around thirteen varieties before he donated his collection to Sydney Morris and his Head Gardener George Henley at Wretham Hall in 1908, both Davison and Henley both named their first hybrids after themselves.

George Henley and Sydney Morris bred six varieties together, Henley retired at Earlham Hall around 1916/17 and handed over to Jack Fitt who in 1913 had supervised the new landscape design to the grounds for his employers Wallace and Co., Morris was so pleased with Fitt’s work he asked him to stay on at Earlham.

From 1916 until 1924 when Morris died a amazing thirty five hybrids had been bred at Earlham Hall winning many awards and RHS medals, Fitt was bequeathed the Montbrietia collection and took them with him to Breccles Hall as the new Head Gardener for Mrs. Edwin Montagu just before the sale of Earlham Hall. From 1924 until 1939 Fitt bred thirty six more cultivars calling them Earlham hybrids in memory of Sydney Morris, Fitt’s ambition was to breed a pure white and pink form, unfortunately he did not succeed, sadly he died in 1964 leaving others to carry on his work and memory.

During March 1999 I was approached by Alma and Bradley Simmonds from The Friends of Norwich in Bloom to discuss a planting project by the voluntary group, one thing led to another and I found myself rejoining the committee again after a absence of nine years. I now find myself the Vice-Chair for my sins to the ever youthful Chairman William Webster or Bill to his friends, who in his 80’s has the energy and enthusiasm of a twenty year old, it must be something to do with growing plants or the cooking of his wife Phyllis!

Every year The Friends run The Local Bloom Competitions sponsored by Highway Nurseries Garden Centre, they also plan and enable a community garden project. Earlier this year I proposed that this years project should be to help David and Colleen Fenwick with their quest to find and conserve lost Crocosmia Cultivars for future generations to enjoy, everybody agreed.

Over the last few years a great partnership and friendship has developed between The Friends and The Assembly House to the extent that earlier this year, the manager Michael King offered a piece of the Assembly House grounds for a Norwich in Bloom garden project, this presented the ideal location and opportunity to provide and develop a Norfolk Crocosmia Heritage Garden to grow a unique historic living collection for study and visitors to enjoy.

I talked to David Fenwick about the project and we arranged a identification and awareness day which we held on the 20th July 2002 at The Assembly House, we did not expect to see any lost varieties but we kept our fingers crossed. David identified many Crocosmia crocosmiiflora variants, lots of modern hybrids including Lucifer and Firebird, we were also very pleased to meet Peter and David Fitt, sons of Jack Fitt. Peter phoned us a week later and agreed to long-term loan all of his father’s certificates and medals which are exhibited at The Assenbly House. During the day we were also delighted to meet George Henley’s grandson, many visitors also pledged corms from their gardens to help the heritage collection, which we intend to have a trial bed to grow them in and confirm their identity.

Since Identification day and the media attention attracted we have discovered George Davison’s garden, the new owners invited Bradley and myself over to see surviving Crocosmias and have pledged corms.

I have known George Ishmael, a gifted local Landscape Designer for many years, George has been inspirational and instrumental in the use of “New Wave Perennials” (Herbaceous and Ornamental Grasses) displays around Norwich, Bradley and I invited George to work with National Collection Crocosmia Holder David Fenwick from Plymouth to produce a plan of the new garden at The Assembly House in the heart of Norwich.

The brief for the new garden was to have a garden that provided colour and interest for as much as the year as possible but the plants had to be good companions to the summer display of specie and Norfolk Hybrid Crocosmias.

During early November 2002 The Friends of Norwich in Bloom, Norwich City Council Green Spaces Staff, Norwich Allotments volunteers and Ian Harris of Hockering Nursery worked together to become “The Greens Forces Team” using well seasoned skills, favorite gardening tools and muscle power existing flowerbeds were enlarged and new ones created, we also prepared our first trial bed to receive pledged corms of unknown Crocosmia varieties. After a good mornings work and completing the job in hand much sooner than anticipated a well-earned and magnificent sandwich lunch was provided by The Assembly House.

The trial bed was planted up by the corm donators and children from Hewett Under 5’s in late November, Bradley had previously asked Richard Briers then appearing as Prospero in The Tempest at The Theatre Royal if he would like to join in our “Good Life” planting, we were delighted that Mr. Briers found time to support our project and very much enjoyed the experience.

We will be aiming to create two more trial beds in the next two years, the unknown plants will be grown, studied and identified over a period of time by World leading experts David and Colleen Fenwick on Identification days in August, we invite you to bring your unknown varieties along for David to identify.

Early April 2003 we invited David and Colleen Fenwick to come to Norwich to plant up the new garden with The Greens Forces Team, David and Colleen packed their car with around 53 species and Cultivars in total about 1,000 corms and just managed to squeeze some luggage and their selves as well. The journey from Plymouth to Norwich is around 400 miles, the Fenwicks were very pleased to receive a warm welcome from Lisa and Kevin Breslin at The Black Horse Public House on Earlham Road who have been supporting the project providing sponsored accommodation and excellent food during their stay, the Black Horse Gardens also have a unique collection of Crocosmia Hybrids personally planted by David and Colleen with trowel in one hand and a pint in the other.

The Fenwicks brought two pots of very special Crocosmia hybrids with them recently named David Fitt, these hybrids were bred and raised from seed by David Fenwick and named after David Fitt son of Jack Fitt who is the only member of the Fitt family not to have his father name a cultivar after himself, we were greatly honored to have David Fitt plant the new hybrid in the heritage garden.

The Norfolk Crocosmia Heritage Garden was formally opened on Saturday August 2nd 2003 by Jack Fitt’s oldest son Peter and his family we also held perhaps the first National Crocosmia Challenge Competition for the Best 6 stems of Crocosmia in a vase, a new trophy named in honor of the Fitt family and prize was awarded to the winner, we are very pleased to receive entrants from all over Britain. We have expanded the competition and will continue to in future years and name trophies to honor Norfolk breeders of Crocosmia, if you or your business would like to sponsor a trophy and category please contact Terry Bane at terrybane@tesco.net

If you would like to find out more about The Norfolk Crocosmia Heritage Project visit David and Colleen’s new website www.crocosmiaheritage.com

If you have any information about the Earlham Hybrids, or would like to support the project please contact Terry Bane at Green Spaces, Norwich City Council, 27 St. Giles Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1UY or email terrybane@tesco.net

WITH YOUR SUPPORT TOGETHER WE CAN HELP NORWICH, NORFOLK AND BRITAIN CONSERVE ITS PLANT HERITAGE

David & Colleen Fenwich & the Norwich in Bloom Team