What is a winter-hardy bud-bloomer?
Terminology & origin of the bud-bloomer
From the wasteland plant to the most important garden plant
The witch-broom heather – Calluna vulgaris – has accompanied humans in Western Europe since a few thousand years. Kurt Kramer (Edewecht) just assisted Mother Nature with his horticultural knowledge and skills to write a success story with the introduction of the Gardengirls®.
Heather grows naturally on especially infertile soils. The heath areas increased around 3.000 B.C. due to slash and burn agriculture to gain feeding areas for livestock. Those cleared fields desolated and ling or witch-broom heather plants (Calluna vulgaris) settled in. Around 1800 those areas had the largest expansion only suitable for grazing sheep. By the way, the National Parks and Protected Land-scapes with heather known to us today are just 3 % of the previous areas.
The heath areas were used for beekeeping and harvest of organic litter material. The dried sods were used as litter for stables. The sods were drenched with manure from the animals, brought out to the nearby field and incorporated. With those nutrients, cereals and fodder plants for livestock could be produced. For most of the people in those times heather had a rather negative meaning.
At the end of the 19th century artists discovered the heath. All landscape painters up to Eugen Bracht were enchanted by the beautiful, but also desolate landscape. Sand, heath and moor surrounded by forests of birch and pine are up to now the main ingredients of oil paintings of those times up to the early 20th century.
Since the 19th century heath was used for recreation. The landscape offered space for extended walks. Looking more detailed, people discovered variations within the heather plants, for example plants with white flowers. Branches were taken home. A custom developed to give away a bouquet of white heather as a lucky charm. Heather not only served as a symbol for luck but also to fulfil dreams and wishes. The idea was that a bunch of white heather under the pillow made dreams come true.
Also, naturalists explored the heath. P. Graebner described this in 1985; Joh. Jansen continued after 1927. W. Beijerinck created a monography about Calluna published 1940 in Amsterdam. Here, the first time, bud-bloomers are mentioned.
Horticulturists propagated the plants, searched for planting material and sold them. Cultivar names were given to special selections. Heather gardens were established.
As early as 1927, the first gardening book for heather, called “The low Road”, was written by D. Fyfe Maxwell. The second book came out in 1928, titled “The Hardy Heath” and written by A.T. Johnson. The first propagated varieties received botanical descriptions like “alba” (white) or “plena” (double-flowered). Later, names described the location, where the wild plants were found, as in ‘Kynance’. Later, it became custom to name a plant honouring the botanist or a famous person, for example ‘H.E.Beale’ or ‘Sir John Charrington’.
The concept of heather gardens was imported from England to the continent, first to the Netherlands, then to Germany. Harry van de Laar wrote the book “Het Heidetuinbook” in 1975. The German translation “Heidegärten” appeared 1976. In the former Eastern Germany (GDR), Eckart Mießner published “Das Heidegartenbuch” in 1972. The “Heather Society” started in England as the first plant lovers society. Similar organizations were established later in other countries including the USA.
Initial activities in Edewecht
Kurt Kramer had his first heath experiences in 1965 during a military exercise in Scotland. As a horticulturist, he was surprised by a few white flowering plants sprinkled in otherwise very uniform heath areas. Most likely this was the jump-starter for his future horticultural vocation as a breeder. Later, Kramer worked with heather plants while working for a cemetery gardener. He recognized pot heather (Erica gracilis) and Calluna. The latter were in rather bad shape compared to the potted heather. This should change very soon!
After attending the Horticultural Technical School, Kurt Kramer established his own nursery in 1970 at the small agricultural farm in Edewecht. He specialized in propagating heather plants. The sandy soil with high organic matter was ideal. He tested all known and available species and varieties known in the Netherlands and in England to check for winter hardiness and horticultural suitability.
Up to 1980, approx. 330 varieties were collected and compared. From this pool, around 20 made it to propagation. From other 20 European heather species (Erica), six species and 1 hybrid were considered worthwhile, but with light winter protection using fir branches in the production area or sufficient hardy in the garden. By 1990, from those species annually 350.000 pots were produced, mostly Calluna, then called summer heather due to the flowering time.
All varieties at that time were random discoveries in nature, incidentally occurring crossings from gardens, seedling propagation or mutations (sudden genetic changes within established cultivars). Beginning in 1974, Kurt Kramer started to gain new varieties by breeding. The first breeding success resulting in an improvement compared to the standard variety, happened with the interspecific hybrid Erica x darleyensis. It was named ‘Kramers Rote’ and introduced in 1984. Today, this variety is produced by growers in Europe, Canada, USA and New Zealand.
Several Calluna varieties were introduced, but had no impact. This changed with the breeding and introduction of the Calluna bud-bloomers. Important for new varieties is also the protection under the Plant Breeders’ Rights, comparable to a patent in the technical world. By granting the protection only the holder or a licensed contract partner can use this improved variety.
The bud-bloomers have a significant advantage compared to the wild form witch-broom heather. The buds won’t open. The natural occurring plant flowers from June/ July to August. The bud-blooming heather shows colour from August well into winter, depending on the variety. Light frost periods can’t harm the plants. Such an important improvement connected to the high commercial and gardening value needed a name. 1997, the brand “Gardengirls” was created and registered. The varieties received girl’s names, making them to the “Girls for every garden”. The English name is also understood in Germany and other European countries.
The success story
From that time on, Kurt Kramer and his team established the term “Bud-Blooming Heather” and “Gardengirls” on the market by promoting the advantages for growers and consumers. The demand for this crop increased. Rising production numbers led to rising income from the licenses used for more intense breeding.
When naming new varieties, sometimes special names were chosen. A beautiful red variety received the name ‘Athene’, the especially long lasting white ‘Helena’ using Greek goddesses. The famous singer Vicky Leandros, originally from Greece, baptized those varieties at a public garden exhibition.
In the meantime, there are 60 varieties of the Gardengirls® with the best colour range from August-October. The bud colours of the Late Line lasts well into winter. In a newer development, Kurt Kramer also worked with varieties with colourful foliage without buds or flowers. The ornamental value comes from the leaves in silver, green, yellow to red and an almost black. Some varieties have a pendulous growth habit.
More background information about heather under: Heidewelt
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