Sad news from South Carolina

Manfreda sp.

In October 2008 Sean Hogan and I had a wonderful couple of days in Charleston, South Carolina, hosted by Linda and J Guy at their home in the heart of the old city. We spent an intense day going round their 700 acre Carolina Nurseries, where plants for Southern gardens were produced on an epic scale. New discoveries (such as the Manfreda above) were being trialled, and a breeding programme was doing all sorts of exciting things. Most exotic of all, however, were the alligators living in the ponds and reservoirs that formed the water management system: on occasion they were to be found prowling the nursery.

production of Aloe polyphylla at Carolina Nurseries - more plants than in the whole of Lesotho

Now, however, comes the news that the global credit crunch has led to failure of financing for the business and last week the stock was auctioned - five million plants of it (link here).  A sad end, and one can only hope that the rarities find good homes and that the Guys are somehow able to continue their work in promoting good plants.

x Gordlinia grandiflora at Carolina Nurseries

Magnolia virginiana 'Mardi Gras'