Helianthus Salicifolus

Does anyone know where I could get some seed of this. The normal sources - Chilterns etc don't do it. For those who don't know it, its known as the Afghan Hound sunflower and is grown for its foliage rather than its flowers.
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/HORT300/plantlist%25207/Plant%2520List%252018a/img077.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hort. cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/HORT300/plantlist%25207/Plant%2520List%252018a/sld077.htm&h=450&w=600&sz=322&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=u15X_Vo1qN4dSM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/imag es%3Fq%3DHelianthus%2BSalicifolius%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/h/images/helianthus_salicifolius_wls-02.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display. asp%3Fprodid%3D475%26account%3Dnone&h=196&w=161&sz=8&hl=en&start=44&tbnid=4BmwkRqExrWPmM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=85&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHelianthus%2BSalicifolius%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26s vnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

 

Had a bit of a Google because I like the look of it :rolleyes: (seriously going to need a bigger garden at this rate!!)

Cotswold Garden Flowers have it in stock.
http://cgf/index.php
Dunno???? Link doesn't seem to be working????
Oh well, just google Cotswold Garden Flowers on UK pages and up she'll pop!!!

[ 08. December 2006, 05:25 AM: Message edited by: windy miller ]

 

Thanks Windy. I actually saw it there for the first time - growing in a bed, and they do advertise it in their excellent catalogue. But they are 200 miles away from me, though I have visited twice as I drove past on the M5. The problem with buying a plant is that a specialist nursery can be a long distance to go, and may not have any in stock at that instant.

I would thoroughly recommend Cotswald Garden Flowers catalogue to all. Bob Brown rates his plants on a scale of 1 to 10. Whilst his choice must be personal, I have bought some of those plants with the highest scores, and then later found that other people rate them very highly as well.

 

http://www.cgf.net/ got them for me, Windy! Thanks for the tip! When I got there, I found I had been there befre, re the Ixia viridifloria that was mentioned a while ago, I think by Froggy or Palustris.....

Like the look of your Helianthus, Peter!

 

Had it, killed it!

 

How did you kill it Palustris - is it a difficult plant - or was it operator error. :D

 

It got crowded out by H. Lemon Queen and H. Meteor and I did not notice until it was too late, so I suppose operator error is right. I have seen it on sale somewhere recently, but we cannot remember where. I may well replace it next summer if I do find it.

 

Thanks Palustris. I might see it for sale next year somewhere, but its not on the standard list of plants that garden centres sell. The more I read the more I realise that there are thousands of good plants out there, that are well worth having - but they don't hit the best seller list. Even when you find a specialist nursery selling unusual things, its only sells a few dozen of the thousands of candidates.

 

The Hardy Plant Society and The NSCPPG often have plant sales and they are the best for the less common things.

 

Thanks Palustris