The Channel Islands, nestling in the Bay of Normandy off the French coast at the mouth of the English Channel, although not big enough to appear on any but a large-scale map, are known throughout the world for many things.
Famous Jersey And Guernsey Breeds
Their breeds of Jersey and Guernsey cattle are justly famous. They are the original home of the knitted, woolen garments known as “jerseys.”
The state of New Jersey in America, once the property of Sir George Carteret, treasurer of the Royal Navy in the time of Charles II, was so christened after Sir George’s birthplace.
Guernsey County, Ohio, gets its name from these islands, as do many other places in the United States of America.
The nearer home, they are well-known for their steady output of horticultural produce. Jersey Island exports some 35,000 tons of potatoes and 30,000 tons of outdoor-grown tomatoes annually to the English markets.
Guernsey Island concentrates on cultivating tomatoes under glass, exporting some 40,000 tons during ten months every year.
Cultivation Of Forced Plants Under Glass
In addition to tomatoes, which are produced from February until Christmas, with the bulk yield in April, May, and June, there is much trade in the cultivation of forced daffodils, iris, gladioli, and the like under glass.
Outdoor-grown crops of similar stock follow these, besides grapes, chrysanthemums, ferns, anemones, tulips, and wide other varieties of fruit and flowers, as well as vegetables, are shipped to English markets by air transport or by steamer.
However, within the last 100 years, however, organized or systematic soil cultivation has been undertaken on any of the twelve Channel Islands, of which only seven are inhabited.
Jersey and Guernsey are the largest, but it is possible to walk around either coastline in a single day. Sixty thousand people live within the 45 square miles of Jersey, while another 5,000 reside within the 24 square miles of the smaller Guernsey.
Climatic Conditions In Both Islands
The climatic conditions in both islands are “early” when compared with the South coast of England, but they vary considerably between the two islands themselves.
Guernsey drops from an approximate 300-foot altitude to sea level in a gradual decline towards the North. At the same time, Jersey, besides being a little distance further South, has the advantage of a natural slope in the same direction.
Of the climate, as regards flowers, Duncan says, “Many of the Cape heath and hardier geraniums, as well as several shrubs and plants, natives of Australia, of the central parts of America, and other warm climates, easily survive our ordinary Winters.
The Bath scarlet geranium has been seen clothing cottage walls to the height of 10′ or 12′ feet for years. However, the Cobaea scandens, Maurandia barelaiana, and other creepers are still hardier and spring up naturally from seed.
Fuchsias grow with surprising luxuriance; shrubby calceolaria last many years; and even the tender Heliotropium peruvianum continues to bloom till late in November.”
Dealing With Winter Growing Plants
Dealing with winter growing plants, mention is made of “the innumerable species of ixia, sparaxis, and other cognate genera of Cape bulbs.”
Among the amaryllis tribe, pride of place is given to the Nerine sarniensis, or Guernsey lily, already known for centuries on the island since its apocryphal arrival by way of a vessel wrecked on its shores while returning from the Far East.
The soil of both islands is fertile and warms up for planting early in the season. It varies in structure from heavy clay loam to pure sand, according to its slope, although many properties may be found which contain all types within these limits in a small area.
The number of horticulturists in business today on the Channel Islands is smaller than might be expected in such intensively cultivated areas.
This is accounted for by the decrease within the last century of the class of landed proprietors whose stock purchases were extensive and frequent.
There is, however, on Guernsey one nursery which, in addition to supplying the annual demand of the small-garden lover, also specializes in the cultivation and propagation of a large stock of semi-tropical and exotic plants which have been collected during the century since the foundation of this nursery on the island by a young Scotsman.
Peat-Loving Plants
Peat-loving plants are particularly suitable for Guernsey due to the absence of lime in the soil. However, despite this lack of lime, Guernsey’s soil is not acidic; it may rather be called neutral.
Thus the use of bracken peat is found most suitable in propagating and, indeed, in first potting onwards; the proportion of this mixture is two parts to one of leaf mold and one of loam, with a very liberal amount of coarse sand.
The only manure used is a top dressing of cow dung; no artificial fertilizers are ever applied to the soil.
Reason For Old Camellias Presence
The reason for the presence of large numbers of very old camellias on Guernsey is because at the time of this shrub’s introduction to Europe from China about 1739 by Kamel, a Jesuit after whom it is named, trade between France and the Channel Islands was greater than the commercial connection between the Islands and England.
These conditions existed for at least another century, in fact, until the introduction of steam navigation.
Thus in one of the earliest catalogs issued by Charles Smith, founder of the Caledonia Nurseries on Guernsey, under the date 1874, there were already listed over 100 distinct varieties of camellias.
Many of these had been imported from Belgium and France, and many showed traces of the influence of Italian origin.
Mr. Smith also maintained close contact with Louis Van Houtte of Belgium, who imported directly from the Far East, and many of these specimens came to Guernsey to receive their first names.
Until the last war upset trade, camellias and other shrubs were imported directly by the Caledonia Nurseries from Yokohama, Japan.
Also, the number of collections was for years wider and greater than could be found in England; thus, many nurseries, even as they do today, drew from the island source for their stocks of wide unobtainable varieties elsewhere.
General Method Of Camellia Propagation
The general method of camellias propagation closely followed the Japanese enrichment system for Camellia japonica. This produced a strong, healthy plant, which was set out for two years or more before the sale.
Even half a century ago, no self-respecting horticulturalist would have dreamed of selling a young camellia until it was at least two or three feet high.
Those spacious days when the time was of a little moment have gone for good, and the present method, also influenced by the heavy freight charges for goods shipped from Guernsey, is to strike cuttings and to sell smaller but more plants, mostly in their second year.
Those wealthy residents who could afford the upkeep of country mansions with their large gardens and a staff of gardeners are no longer represented on the island or in England today. Customers will not wait for the nurseryman to “grow on” the shrub of their choice.
Hardy Plant Camellia
It was on Guernsey that it was first realized that the camellia is an extremely hardy plant and not the half-hardy exotic needing shelter that was at first supposed.
Proof of this is to be found in many places on the island, both in private gardens and in those once estates of the landed gentry, now public parks.
Here, at such sites as Saumarez Park, Candie Gardens, as well as on the estate of St. George and others, will he found many specimens of 15′ to 20′ feet in height and broad in proportion, which have survived the winter storms and prospered during the long summers of more than 100 years.
Those varieties named by Charles Smith in Guernsey about 80 years ago include the following:
- Lady Clare (rosy red)
- Lady Marion (rose)
- Lady Vansittart (white with a faint stripe of a deep rose)
- Lady Vere de Vere (deep red)
- Nagasaki (large crimson)
These have been allowed to run free to their frill growth without trimming; however, younger plants are sometimes cut down to about 3’ feet, the result being an attractive compact growth that requires no further treatment for several years, at least.
Magnolias In Guernsey
Magnolias came to Guernsey later than the camellia and it was only about 80 years ago, they attracted attention and began to sell in quantity.
The early issues of the Caledonia Nurseries catalog printed in the 1870s do not even list these.
Although of Chinese and American origin, they received their name after Magna, a French botanist.
Perhaps the finest of these is that it was raised some 80 years ago at the Caledonia Nurseries and has grown to over 30′ feet.
This is M. grandiflora, Goliath, one of the finest foliage varieties of this section, also carrying the largest flower, a pure white.
This particular specimen last year received the Award of Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
Another free-flowering Magnolia is M. grandiflora, var. ferruginea, also a white bloom and somewhat more robust and free-flowering than its sister plant the Exmouth variety, M. g. exoniensis.
It is indeed quite commonplace to find specimens of the M. grandiflora section of varieties in the grounds of old houses, such as the publicly owned Saumarez Park.
Generally admitted to being the finest specimen of the deciduous varieties of magnolia to be found in the Channel Islands is a giant Magnolia Campbellii, which rears its beautiful head over 50′ feet high in the Caledonia Nurseries.
Other varieties of magnolias common on the Channel Islands are the many subsections of M. soulangeana.
Rhododendrons In Guernsey Soil
Among rhododendrons, the usual collections of garden varieties are to be found. These became popular in Guernsey at the turn of the present century when horticultural trade with India was opened up.
They were brought from the Himalayas and China by many plant collectors.
Guernsey soil is particularly suitable for cultivating rhododendrons in all sections, especially for the tender, sweet-scented Edgeworth hybrids.
There are also some fine specimens of R. arboreum fortunei and the Auckland sections, many of which grow to 25’ feet or more and thrive under local conditions.
Azalea Collection At Caledonia Nursery
Finally, the collection of azaleas at the Caledonia Nurseries is outstanding, if not unique, in the range of some sections, such as the amoena and kurume.
Originating in Japan, imports have been made from England, Belgium, and Holland, and today all sections of varieties thrive in the island climate.
The propagation method of the evergreen sections is by layer or cuttings, and in the Ghent and mollis sections, by layer only.
44659 by Basil C. De Guerin