Fritillaria Otto's Garden.

A visit to Otto's to view the Fritillaria.

On my last visit to Otto's all he could do was to point a stick down to the bottom of his garden telling me that Fritillaria imperialis was coming into flower. I did not have my camera with me so I planed another visit to take photo's of his Fritillaria's in flower. But before we could see the Frits we came across Corydalis marshaliana variety purpurea-lilacina an import from Ruksan's (above) a very unusual colour, that was quite striking.
Our first Fritillaria is F.conica (below)

Fritillaria affinis syn F.lanceolata the tallest Otto has ever seen, this variety does not usually get this tall.

Fritillaria burcharica.

Fritillaria davisii above and below.

Fritillaria forbesii.

Fritillaria imperialis the reason for the visit, but by now it was starting to rain, not heavily just a nuisance really. There are slight colour variations in the crown imperials, the first photo is slightly darker in colour.

This is the paler flower on Otto's crown imperials, they really are beautiful. In Ireland, when we were visiting, we went into a small supermarket and there were onion bags full of Fritillaria imperialis for sale for a few pounds, if only. I know of Nurserymen importing Fritillaria imperialis by the container full from holland, ploughed the paddocks, planted them all, only to have a few hot days and have lost the lot. Heartache.

Otto's Fritillaria's are all planted in the lower part of his garden where it is cooler in the summer, and the leaf litter is thicker maintaining even temperatures.

Fritillaria montana  "oh thats just F. montana" so dark like velvet.

Fritillaria pudica.

Fritillaria rixii above and below, quite a rare Fritillaria.

Fritillaria sibthorpiana eugeniae (below).

A lovely clump of seedlings, creamy white Narcissus cyclamineus from different angles, the traditional N. cyclamineus in the background, so you can see the difference in colour.

Ornithogalum bungei from seed and it is setting seed now in the lower flowers, very unusual.

Polygala chamaebuxus my favourite form white and yellow flowers, I have tried many times to establish this plant and fail every time. Western central Europe, rocky grassy slopes.

One of the rarest plants in Otto's garden is Rhodothamnus chameacistus next to Salix Boydii.
R. chameacistus is an ericacious plant from the eastern European Alps. Notoriously difficult to propagate from seed, cuttings and layering probably why it is rare in cultivation.