Gardeners in Norwich are being asked to help find varieties of a flower which has disappeared from gardens across the county.
Over the coming weekend, a competition will be held to tempt gardeners in the county to hunt around their flowerbeds for signs of lost or rare varieties of crocosmia.
Varieties of crocosmia - a South African plant - were bred by enthusiasts in Norfolk in the late 1800s and the early 1900s, including the Earlham giant crocosmia, but the "dig for victory" campaign of the Second World War meant many were lost when patriotic homeowners replaced their flowerbeds with growing vegetables .
Norwich in Bloom launched the annual crocosmia competition in 2005, hoping to find the lost flower among entered specimens .
Terry Bane, of Norwich in Bloom, commented: "We are hoping that one day somebody will bring varieties in that we don't know of and are rare."
"A lot of the hybrids got lost after the war, but we think there are still some around. They might be some in people's gardens, tucked away in a corner."
"They are very vibrant in colour at a time of year when some of the other summer plants are starting to fail and are good performers at the end of the summer and that's why people like them."
Norwich in Bloom also established the Norfolk Crocosmia Heritage Garden at the Assembly House, with the help of crocosmia expert David Fenwick.
The garden contains around 65 varieties, all of which have links to Norfolk, although plans are being considered on expanding the collection.
The competition takes place on Saturday at the Notcutts Garden Centre – sponsors of the event . Judging will take place later in the day and a trophy will be awarded to the winner.
More information on the competition can be found at: Crocosmiaheritage.com
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Competition Launched To Help Find Lost Flower
Thu, 30 Aug 2007
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