Old House Gardens Heirloom Flower Bulbs

Gone Forever or Back Soon?

From America’s Expert Source for Heirloom Flower Bulbs

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Spring-Planted Heirloom Bulbs We Hope to Offer again

Though preservation is our mission, bulbs drop out of our catalog every year.
Sometimes it’s because the harvest was too small. Sometimes it’s because they’re widely available elsewhere and don’t need our help. And sometimes it’s because we’ve lost our only known source due to severe weather (cold, drought, etc.), health problems (a debilitating stroke), or economic woes (small farmers are always at risk).
The good news is that, in time, we’re often able to return these bulbs to our catalog. So here’s a list of many we’ve offered in the past. For an alert the moment they’re available again, subscribe to our free email newsletter. Or to find a similar bulb, try our easy Advanced Bulb Search.

Fall-Planted bulbs we hope to offer again someday:

Daffodils Tulips Lilies, Hyacinths, Crocus, Etc.

Heirloom Cannas We Hope to Offer Again

CITY OF PORTLAND, 1915 WEB ONLY

A tiny edging of gold highlights the deep rosy-peach petals of this 20th century American classic. Connoisseur Ian Cooke calls it “utterly reliable and very generous” with its blooms. Green leaves, 4-6 feet, from Oklahoma. Last offered web-only in 2007. Widely available elsewhere.

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Currently Unavailable

LOUIS CAYEUX, 1924 RAREST

Christopher Lloyd, the grand old man of English gardening, sent this luminous canna to the RHS’s landmark Canna Trial in 2002. Among hundreds of varieties, the judges ranked it one of the best, honoring it with an RHS Award of Garden Merit! No other canna does salmon-pink as radiantly as ‘Louis Cayeux’. No photo can do it justice, but its big, billowy, almost glowing flowers will draw you from across the garden. Green leaves, 3-5 feet, from France. Last offered in 2004. We’re increasing our stock and hope to offer it web-only in spring 2010.

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Currently Unavailable

PRINCE CHARMANT, 1892 RAREST

The flower spikes of this courtly canna nod in graceful arcs, as if bowing to Cinderella. One of the most truly “gladiolus-flowered” of that very old group of cannas, it’s a deep, deep watermelon rose (don’t let our photo confuse you, it’s NOT red). Extra rare, re-introduced by us from France. Green leaves, 3-5 feet, from France. Last offered in 2004. We’re increasing our stock and hope to offer it web-only in spring 2010.

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Currently Unavailable

STADT FELLBACH, 1934 WEB ONLY

A “cream of the crop” canna, according to UK National Collection holder Ian Cooke, this vigorous beauty is apricot pink highlighted by a blaze of creamy yellow and a curling, spotted tongue. Bred by Wilhelm Pfitzer, the 20th century’s greatest canna breeder. Green leaves, 3-5 feet, from Oklahoma. Last offered web-only in 2007. Widely available elsewhere.

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Currently Unavailable

Heirloom Dahlias We Hope to Offer Again

ARUBANITA, 1956 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Care-free and bright, this happy little dahlia may well remind you of vacationing in sunny Aruba. (It’s named for a popular 1950s dance tune by the composer of Aruba’s national anthem.) It came to us from France where it’s still a great favorite, and we’ve been loving its abundant, classic, ruby-red blossoms in our trial garden and bouquets. 4-5 inches, 4-5 feet tall, from Oregon. Last offered in 2006, and we doubt that we’ll be offering it again. You might like to try the similar ‘Bloodstone’.

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Currently Unavailable

KISMET, 1932 RAREST

Like sand dunes aglow with the rosy light of dawn, the ethereal color of this stunning dahlia is NOT pink (no matter what our photo suggests), NOT bronze (as the ADS classifies it), but wonderfully, shimmeringly, mysteriously both. It blooms like crazy, too, and its form is perfection. No wonder our staff voted it one of their favorite dahlias in last year’s trial garden! 6-8 inches, 4-5 feet, from Oregon. Last offered in 2007. We’re increasing our stock and hope to re-offer it in a year or two.

#SD53

Currently Unavailable

LOIS WALCHER, 1958 RAREST & WEB ONLY

One of our most asked-for dahlias, ‘Lois’ comes to us from the British National Collection of Dahlias. A big, poofy, flower, it has purple petals tipped with white, giving it a festive, almost spotted look. And who was ‘Lois Walcher’? Mr. Walcher bred the flower, so: wife? daughter? mother? sister? Definitely someone special! 5 feet, from Oregon. Last offered web-only in 2004, and we doubt that we’ll be offering it again. You might like to try the similar ‘Deuil du Roi Albert’.

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Currently Unavailable

MATT ARMOUR, 1932 RAREST

With all the simplicity and charm of ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and ‘Clair de Lune’, this wildflowery dahlia blooms like crazy — and the bees love it! First grown at Ireland’s romantic Glenveagh Castle, it’s named for the man who served there as head gardener for over 50 years. 2-3 inches, 3-4’, from the UK National Collection and now Oregon. Last offered in 2007. We’re increasing our stock and hope to re-offer it in a year or two.

#SD54

Currently Unavailable

ORANGE PRINCESS, 1942 RAREST

Perfect for perennial borders, this compact, apricot beauty is so packed with blossoms the whole plant looks like it was arranged by a floral designer. A long-time favorite in France, it grows about three feet tall and blooms exuberantly summer and fall with informal, 3-4 inch cactus flowers of apricot shading to fuzzy golden centers. The more you pick, the more it blooms! From Oregon. Last offered in 2006. Widely available elsewhere.

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Currently Unavailable

PARI TAHA SUNRISE, 1957

Hot and bright, this dazzling dahlia is the garden equivalent of those Fourth of July sparklers you loved as a kid. Its petals are exclamation points of brilliant yellow flamed with red. Bred in New Zealand, its Maori name means “cliff’s-edge sunrise.” 4-6 inches, 4 feet, from Oregon. Last offered in 2006. Widely available elsewhere.

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Currently Unavailable

PRINSES BEATRIX, 1939 RAREST

Improbably beautiful, ‘Prinses B’ combines unusual colors in dramatic flowers that we get all ga-ga about here. Opening golden-orange tipped white with peachy centers, they mature to pale, pale pink edged with orange-gold. Though it may sound weird, it’s oh-my-gosh lovely. Our photo can only hint at it! 4-5 inches, 4-5 feet, from Oregon. Last offered in 2004. We’re increasing our stock and hope to re-offer it in a year or two.

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Currently Unavailable

ROMANCE, 1945

A perfect Valentine’s Day dahlia (if only dahlias bloomed then!), ‘Romance’ has gracefully curving petals of rosy pink tipped with silver and a heart of French vanilla. It’s a great size for bouquets, and exquisite with our ‘Pearl’ double tuberoses. 3-4 inches, 4 feet, from Oregon. Last offered in 2006. Widely available elsewhere.

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Currently Unavailable

WILLO VIOLET, 1937 WEB ONLY

With unusually small pompon blossoms about the size of those giant gumballs we loved when we were kids, this grape purple, Australian-bred classic is “perfectly formed” and “still the best” according to Gareth Rowlands in The Gardeners Guide to Growing Dahlias. 3-4 feet, from Washington. Last offered in 2006. We may offer it again periodically, or we could special order it for you.

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Currently Unavailable

Heirloom Gladiolus We Hope to Offer Again

Gladiolus x colvillei, ALBUS, 1872

This dainty, white, wildflowery gem is one of the oldest garden glads, a true Victorian survivor. Its lower petals are marked with yellow, its anthers are blue, and it has an evening fragrance! It’s a sport of the original, red G. x colvillei which was bred in 1823 from two African species, the fragrant G.tristris and the relatively hardy G. cardinalis. 18 inches, very early blooming. Last offered in 2005. Unfortunately, ‘Albus’ is difficult to please in most US gardens, so we’ re not sure if we ’ll offer it again.

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Currently Unavailable

BEUNA WINCHESTER, 1920s? RAREST

What a find! From old country gardens in the Great Smoky Mountains comes this graceful, small-flowered, clump-forming, rosy-pink, pass-along glad. We’ve named it in honor of Beuna Winchester (say BYOON-uh), ambassador of old-time mountain culture, who’s been nurturing it ever since it grew in her mother’s garden 70 or more years ago. We hope you’ll join us in preserving it! Last offered in 2004. When our grower was hospitalized, we ended up losing virtually all of our stock, but we hope to offer it again eventually.

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Currently Unavailable

CONTENTMENT, 1957 RAREST & WEB ONLY

With a silvery throat and misty, hauntingly beautiful, soft lavender petals, ‘Contentment’ is a vision of loveliness. Lightly ruffled, tall, and strong-growing, it was once the world’s leading lavender glad, but today it’s very rare. The last time we had enough to offer it was in 2005, and we sold out every corm in three days! 4 feet, from Maine. Last offered web-only in 2007. We’re increasing our stock and expect to offer it again in spring 2010.

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Currently Unavailable

DAUNTLESS, 1940 RAREST

You’ll never mistake ‘Dauntless’ for a modern glad — and that’s a good thing! Its stylish, long-petaled, angular blooms recall an era of wide lapels and big, sexy hats. Pink dramatically brushed with ruby in the throat, it’s vigorous, early, rare, and choice. Preserved by the NAGC’s Old Timers Guild. 4 feet, from California. Last offered in 2004. When our grower was hospitalized, we ended up losing virtually all of our stock. Can you help us find more of this rare treasure?

#SGL12

Currently Unavailable

EMPIRE YELLOW, 1963

As ruffled as a party dress — from the year the Chiffons topped the charts with “He’s So Fine” — this Empire-state classic is a sunny light yellow burnished with amber. 4 feet, from Maine. Last offered in 2007. We may offer it again periodically.

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Currently Unavailable

GOLDEN STARS, 1961 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A deep, rich, sunflower yellow with a bit of ruffling and impressive vigor, this classic was once the standard of excellence for early-blooming yellow glads. It’s also so rare we won’t be able to offer it again till 2007, so get it while you can! 4 feet, from Maine. Last offered web-only in 2005. We may offer it again periodically.

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Currently Unavailable

GREY WING, 1934 RAREST & NEW

One of the oldest and most unusual glads we’ve ever offered, this exotic beauty really is gray — a silvery, smoky, pewtery, pearly, luminous gray that’s both unique and gorgeous. “It’s the most truly gray flower I’ve ever seen,” our grower says, amazed. Unfortunately we don’t have a good photo of it yet, so what you see is just a Photoshopped stunt double. 3-4 feet, from Washington. Last offered in 2004. When our grower was hospitalized, we ended up losing virtually all of our stock. Can you help us find more of this rare treasure?

#SGL14

Currently Unavailable

LITTLE MO, 1966 RAREST & WEB ONLY

From the psychedelic ’60s, this small-flowered cutie is a vivid coral-orange with a scarlet blaze at the throat for added zing. With as many as 22 buds per stem, it was a top show-winner for decades, but we think it’s a lot happier out in the garden where it mingles easily with perennials. Very limited quantity — thanks for helping us preserve it! 3 feet, from Maine. Last offered web-only in 2007. We may offer it again periodically.

#SGL39

Currently Unavailable

PETER PEARS, 1958 WEB ONLY

Named for a honey-voiced English tenor and pronounced “Peers”, this warm, summery flower is a harmonious orange blending to a golden throat (get it?) with a splash of strawberry. 4’, from Michigan. Last offered in 2006. Widely available elsewhere.

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Currently Unavailable

SILVER DOLLAR, 1962 RAREST & WEB ONLY

“It’s like a string of pearls,” says our usually matter-of-fact Maine grower of this pure white classic — “the ideal wedding glad.” It’s also so rare we won’t be able to offer it again till 2007, so get it while you can! 4 feet, from Maine. Last offered web-only in 2007. We may offer it again periodically.

#SGL33

Currently Unavailable

Other Spring-Planted Bulbs We Hope to Offer Again

Crinum, BRADLEY, 1927

Special offer: FIVE-POUND BULBS! When one of Texas’s most respected nurseries offered us huge bulbs of this classic crinum, we reserved them all! Order now; this offer won’t be repeated! With neat, slender foliage, ‘Bradley’ is small enough to integrate easily into perennial borders. Its fragrant blossoms are a deep rose-pink. 2-3 feet, zones 8-11. Last offered in 2005. Crinums are difficult for us to handle and we doubt that we’ll offer them again. Sorry!

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Currently Unavailable

Crinum, ELLEN BOSANQUET, 1930

Perhaps the most famous crinum, ‘Ellen Bosanquet’ (say BOEZ-n-kwet) is “one of the South’s greatest horticultural treasures” (Scott Ogden). With rosy burgundy flowers and a spicy fragrance, it blooms from June to fall, best with a little shade. Hefty, blooming-size bulbs from one of the country’s leading crinum experts. 3 feet, zones 8-11, from Texas. Last offered in 2006. Crinums are difficult for us to handle and we doubt that we’ll offer them again. Sorry!

#SP08

Currently Unavailable

Colocasia ‘Fontanesii’, VIOLET-STEM TARO, 1865

Extraordinary stems? You betcha! They're TALL — to 8 feet in ideal conditions, to 5 feet in a 10-inch pot on our porch here — and gorgeous, deep maroon-purple, darker than our photo shows, like antique mahogany. Its dark emerald leaves are great, too, and it multiplies by runners! Constant moisture is essential. Zones 8-11 or bring indoors in winter. Vigorous small plantlets, from Florida. Last offered in 2007. Widely available elsewhere.

#SP49

Currently Unavailable

Fall-Planted bulbs we hope to offer again someday:

Daffodils Tulips Lilies, Hyacinths, Crocus, Etc.

For our print catalog click here or send $2.00 to Old House Gardens 536 Third St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. phone: 734-995-1486 fax: 734-995-1687 charlie@oldhousegardens.com		For our free email newsletter, “The Friends of Old Bulbs Gazette” with tips, news, history, & special offers, send us an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to newsletter@oldhousegardens.com.
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