The island Guernsey , one of the English Channel Islands , is known for its clematis production . That ’s due in large part to the ebullience of stock breeder Raymond Evison . Over 2 million young works a class are being produced at his 4.5 Akka company Guernsey Clematis Nursery , which supply 20 % of the earthly concern ’s annual requirements of young clematis plants . The biggest market is the USA , Canada , Japan , South Korea , China , the United Kingdom , Ireland and Europe . After years of breeding in cooperation with Poulsen Roses , Raymond is infix a new raising program under his own company name Raymond J. Evison Ltd.
Raymond Evison and Lindsay Reid of The Cuernsey Clematis Nursery at the IPM Essen 2019 .
Moving yield from UK to Guernsey“I originate in plants and gardening in England when I was 15 long time old . By 23 I was managing director at the business that my male parent had started where we were specializing in the output of new clematis plants . We get the product up to 250,000 plants a year . During the wintertime of 1981 temperatures in the central part of England , where our caller was located , fell to -26 Celsius . We drop off a third of our plant fabric in our greenhouse and our gardens were devastated . It was a tough meter and then I adjudicate that I want output of clematis in a milder climate . So in 1984 I set up a clematis nursery in Guernsey . First we sharpen on the UK mart , two years later we exported to Germany . And when a drought tally the UK in 1989 , we started to sell to North America too . Our business has been develop ever since . ”
Clematis in the glasshouse at Guernsey Clematis Nursery
Breeding compact clematisOver 75 percent of the plants Raymond Evison Clematis sells are loan-blend that are the issue of the Evison - Poulsen upbringing program , which ran from 1995 to 2008 . The nurture program focused on the demand of the end consumer , make for succinct plants that would flower on the shelves and for a longer period in the garden and that could be pruned and keep easier . " From those years , we put 100 patent cultivar on the market . "
Clockwise ; Diana ’s Delight ( “ one of our successful hybrids " ) , Rebecca ( " our best selling clematis " ) and Sarah Elizabeth our 2018 introduction
Own brandingAfter the fruitful cooperation with Poulsen , Evison started his own breeding program ; the Evison fostering program . “ I did n’t start the brand name just for my self or my money box account ” , he excuse with a laughter . “ We started the brand 15 years ago when we had very sloshed fountain three years in a dustup make the garden center gross sales very dreadful . Our agriculturalist in England were producing good plants , but once put in the garden centre the clematis waiting for sales event grew two centimeters a day and got entangled , which made sell them even harder . So with two English growers we started to expect at a range of Evison Poulsen clematis choose the best and most stocky varieties and made them Raymond Evison brandmark clematis . We used my signature as the brand logo . ”
TrialsAfter the cooperation with Poulsen Rosen , Evison continued breeding and 2019 will be a yr full of test . “ The first selections were produce in 2016 - 2017 and in 2018 we flowered 2000 new hybrids . Then we keep back 180 of those plants and bulked up for extra testing and coming April we have 2,500 more seedlings waiting to be examine . We especially are await to bring forth secure clematis in red and dismal colours and also double forms . After all this testing we will only put only the very in force on the market . I expect the first varieties to put on the food market in 2 or 3 years ’ time . ”
How demand developedRaymond noticed that brands sell really well in the North American marketplace and calls David Austin as a example . “ We are many years behind of what they are doing . The popularity of clematis has croak up and down in the last decades . Now , demand is increasing and we do all publicity that we can to push it to the end consumer and through Raymond Evison Clematis , I wrote and put out books on how easy it is to grow and defend clematis in the garden . I certainly see professional raiser to whom the clematis is a new crop starting to grow this plant all over the creation , for example South Korea where they see them more as a efflorescence spate works than as a garden plant . People in Chile are also very concerned in clematis and new customers originate arise them in North America . I am happy to see that clematis is becoming a plant life people want to grow . ”
Bijou . " This variety is doing very well in China and even gain an laurels . "
Excited about the futureWhen call for him about the future Raymond is probably even more enthusiastic as he is when he is talking about the past . Although he is 75 year old , his great erotic love is to get his boots on and go rise mint in China to find plants and clematis species . “ I would get it on to bring perfumed variety to the market . While breeding I do my best observe pace what the UK market requires and keep an eye on the EU market . And also the Chinese grocery where they have stale winters and blistering summers . Every market inquire for a dissimilar character of clematis . Also in the US we have to take into account the temperature , in geographical zone 4 to 9 our clematis are cold audacious , in other zones we need to breed hybrid that are more winter stalwart . ” Then there are all kinds of shapes and colors to keep the breeder busy . According to Raymond there is a mart for gnome clematis like Filigree and the Bijou which won an award in China . “ Consumers all around the populace would care to have a pretty garden but they do n’t have the meter and the space to grow bombastic plants , so compactness is very of import in these days . ”
Display at Chelsea Flower Show 2018 .
Chelsea Flower ShowAs Evison is so eager to countenance the end consumer learn and show the clematis , he is showcasing his plants at the Chelsea Flower Show for many long time now . And to date , he has been awarded 29 Chelsea Flower Show Gold medals ( including 15 consecutive Chelsea Gold Medals ) as well as many other annual RHS awards for owing exhibits of clematis works . This year , he hopes to see the thirtieth Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal being awarded . This year the exhibit will have 2,000 plant of at least 29 clematis variety . peculiar this year is the launching of a new clematis variety ; Vicki , appoint after Evison ’s groovy friend from Guernsey , Mrs Vicki Smith .
Vicki ’s life history as florist and flower arranger took off in 1960 when she qualify at Constance Spry in 1960 and worked on their Chelsea Flower Show exhibit that year . As part of a team , she also arranged the wedding flowers of HRH princess Margaret and the celebrated " Ballroom of Flowers " for the American Ambassador . Afterwards , she became the NAFAS youngest Demonstrator and Judge . Over the next 50 + years , she has embellish everything from Village Halls to Royal Palaces . Now , she is retired and still in love with flush and arranging ; she creates display for her own home on the island of Guernsey .
For more informationRaymond Evision ClematisRaymond EvisonEmail:[email protected]www.guernsey - clematis.com
Guernsey Clematis Nurserieswww.guernsey-clematis.com
© FloralDaily.com/Elita Vellekoop
