"Mountain Man" that I am, I've never been a big fan of the
beach, so when my kids were little and we took them to romp in the sea,
I'd wander about looking for something to do. Now, West Virginia, a
land-locked state, is about 8 hours from the closest beach, the Outer
Banks of NC. On one of my travels, I stumbled upon The
Elizabethan Gardens in
Manteo, NC. These gardens were born in the early 1950's as a memorial to
the first English colonists who came to North America in 1584-1587 with
visions of colonizing the new world under Queen Elizabeth I. The garden
volunteers were so friendly and the gardens so delightful that they soon
became a regular pilgrimage for me.
It was on one of those visits that I discovered a charming plant with the
most inviting, warmest, unique flowers and graceful arching habit. I
queried all the staff and volunteers as to the identity of the plant and
was quite surprised that no one had any idea as to the name of the plant
or its origins. However, they all commented on how much they treasured it
and used it for cut flower arrangements and to how well behaved the plant
was. They generously offered me a division and I went merrily on my way.
I planted their gift in a shady spot in my garden where it has been
happily and reliably flowering for the last 20 + years.
I've since identified the plant as a Crocosmia and have shared it with
several other folks. It seems that it is a unique, unnamed selection so I
have bestowed upon it the name Crocosmia 'Elizabethan Gardens' in honor
of its homeplace. Crocosmia 'Elizabethan Gardens' seems equally happy in
sun or shade and in average soil.
Crocosmia is a small genus of perennial species in Iridaceae, the Iris
family. They're primarily native to grasslands of the Cape Floristic
Region of South Africa. The name Crocosmia is derived from the Greek
words krokos (saffron) and osme (smell), referring to the
saffron-like scent when dried flowers are dipped in water.
This particular Crocosmia has been perfectly hardy down to -12 degrees
Fahrenheit with no snow cover. It seems to be sterile and has never set
seeds, so there is no problem with aggressive seeding around. It's a
clump forming plant and doesn't run all over the place. The deer and
other varmints have never touched it and this Crocosmia makes an unusual,
colorful and long lasting cut flower. Many new corms are set each year so
it's a nice pass-along plant to share with friends. Sounds almost too
good to be true, doesn't it? No bad habits!
I've been building a good stock of Crocosmia 'Elizabethan Gardens' to
share with you.
What you'll receive are large, 5 year old bareroot blooming size corms in
full active growth. They'll arrive wrapped in long fibered, unmilled
sphagnum moss. This material is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and
a very useful material.
The prices shown below include FREE SHIPPING on bareroot plants out of their 2" pots. If you would like to receive the plants undisturbed, in their pots, please add .95¢ per plant to cover the extra cost of shipping soil and pots.
7 for $ 35.00 delivered ($5.00 ea)
10 for $ 45.00 delivered ($4.50 ea)
15 for $ 60.00 delivered ($4.00 ea)
20 for $ 70.00 delivered ($3.50 ea)
50 for $150.00 delivered ($3.00 ea)
Larger quantities at even lower prices upon request.
Ordering couldn't be easier! Just fill out the order form at
https://www.sunfarm.com/orderform.pdf
![[]](http://www.sunfarm.com/images/croelizgar-1.jpg)
"Mountain Man" that I am, I've never been a big fan of the
beach, so when my kids were little and we took them to romp in the sea,
I'd wander about looking for something to do. Now, West Virginia, a
land-locked state, is about 8 hours from the closest beach, the Outer
Banks of NC. On one of my travels, I stumbled upon The