News Letter June 2005

CONTAINER HAS ARRIVED WITH HUNDREDS OF TREE FERNS (DICKSONIA ANTARCTICA) FROM 1FT TO 7FT TRUNKS
£24 POUND PER FOOT OF TRUNK

Important news regarding Tree Ferns
DEFRA (Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), who were formerly known as MAFF, have tightened regulations concerning the importation of plants from outside the EU. From 2006 plants will no longer be collected from the wild for export, but must be nursery grown in their country of origin for at least one year before shipping to the UK. This has arisen because of concerns about the inadvertent importation of live invertebrates on the plants. Nursery grown stock must be maintained in a controlled environment where insect life can be monitored. Plants must then be thoroughly fumigated. This will no doubt have a serious impact on price and availability from 2006.
This change in regulations is not connected with concerns about plants being stolen from the wild. Tree Ferns from Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand are harvested under strict governmental control. It would be virtually impossible for Tree Ferns to exit their native countries, let alone pass through UK customs without the correct documentation to prove that they have been taken under licence (at times it seems nigh on impossible with the correct documentation).
Whilst the arguments continue over the ethics of the destruction of forests of Tree Ferns it should be remembered that these plants were considered a waste product and were burnt in their tens of thousands to make way for development, or the harvesting of wood for paper making.

LOOKING GOOD
Gingers – lots of different species of hardy and half-hardy gingers from £5.80
Grasses – lots to choose from, all sizes, shapes and colours, from £3.45
Lemon trees - lovely large, healthy specimens at £48
Ferns – excellent range of ferns in 2 litre pots at £4.50
Bamboo – many different species of wonderful, healthy specimens with lots of new shoots emerging.
Musa sikkimensis – hardy banana with red variegation, good size specimens available at £15 and £35.
Colocasias and Alocasias – Lots of species, from £7.50 (Borneo Giant available in August).

We will be at Shrubland Plant Sale (near Ipswich) on Sunday 12th June
East of England Show (Peterborough) on Friday 17th through to Sunday 19th June.
Royal Norfolk Show (Norwich Showground) on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th June
We are happy to take orders for collection at these shows

Look forward to seeing you soonLiz and Malcolm