The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Climbers => Topic started by: MikeHardman on February 10, 2013, 11:08:30 AM
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Helena kindly brought this plant to my attention, specifically Kennedia prostrata, running postman.
Some species are climbers, but this is groundcover.
Not having heard of it before, and initial searching confirming it worth looking into, I come to our forum to ask if anyone here has experience of it.
A couple of useful write-ups:
- http://www.australianplants.com/plants.aspx?id=1554
- http://www.thelovelyplants.com/page/8/
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I found K. prostrata came very easily from seed sown under glass in the early spring, but none of the plants I planted out in our hot Greek garden in the following autumn survived - I'm sure that I left planting them out too late, and think they may have been more successful sown in situ.
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I think you are right about dorect planting Alisdair. Plants sold here by the local Woods & Forests Dept nursery are grown in very long plastic tubes with no bottom. The seedlings produce a very long first root and go, naturally enough, straight to the bottom and out into the gravel on the nursery standing ground. So the plants are sold when they seem very small but it is the best way since the tap-root 'resent' being broken during transplanting or potting on. tn
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Where did you get the seed from, Alisdair?
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From the RHS Lily Group (none in their list this year).
But I know you can get seeds from Chiltern Seeds (http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_740_kennedya_prostrata_seeds) and from Rareplants (http://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?P_ID=7821) - both listed in our Forum List of Plant Suppliers (http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=158.msg504#msg504), but if you click on their names in blue, in this posting, you should go straight to their websites anyway.
Incidentally, most of the Australian Kennedya species including K. prostrata are now reckoned to be Caulinias, but everyone still seems to call them Kennedyas - which is why I haven't followed our usual rule and renamed this thread.
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Many thanks for the replies, folks - what a mine of information the MGS is :)
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What a shame about the name change. Kennedy was a nurseryman entrusted with many early seed collections in Australia inc those by Joseph Banks and Solander. Kennedy's daughter is said to have been 'afinnanced' to Joseph Banks for many years during which he was travelling and botanising but when he finally returned home she was dropped by him. The cad. tn
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Trevor, Is that the same Kennedy, Edmund, who made the Cape York expedition with Jacky Jacky? I have a new book of poems by Andrew Snedden 'Ghost Armies' about that journey. The particular poem is the Wait-a-While Vine, referring to the 'lawyer' or 'wait-a-while' vine. In his note p.69 AS says that the vine is a Calamus whose 'thorns get their hooks into you, and force you to wait while you unhook yourself.'
Kennedya had a slightly second-best reputation in subtropical gardening in the 60's and 70's. It was seen as a poor relation to Sturt's Desert Pea.
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I'll have to check in the Dict of Biography but I don't think that was Kennedy's Christian name. tn
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The nurseryman Kennedy was Robert. I'm still trying to check Edmund - strangely he doesn't figure in the Dictionary of Australian Garden History. tn
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I am delighted to see so much interest in Kennedia .... hope this helps - according to Wikipedia "The genus was named by Etienne Pierre Ventenat after John Kennedy, a partner in the renowned firm of nurserymen, Lee and kennedy of Hammersmith, London."
Something to remember when growing Australian native plants: They dislike having their roots disturbed so plant them carefully and leave alone. Also forget about transplanting if you put them in the wrong spot.
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Thanks, Alisdair.
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We grow two climbing members of the genus: Kennedia coccinea and K. nigricans, both rampant and aggressive climbers. The latter specially can grow 4 meters high , or more, in one season. It is in bloom right now, and will go on until April; the flowers are very exotic but not really showy, being jet black with a yellow tongue they sort of disappear among the foliage; anyhow they are very attractive and piece of entertaiment for visitors, who marvel at its blackness.
The coccinea , on the other hand, is really showy and the red flowers are beautifully enhanced by the fresh green foliage.
Never tried the prostrata. but it looks very interesting, worrth trying!
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Did you find them in an Italian nursery?
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Well, coccinea has been growing here for decades, I think Lady Walton imported it from UK. I bought Nigricans from an Italian nursery that is based in Lucca, that I already mentioned before - La Casina di Lorenzo.
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Thanks for your reply. Perhaps La Casina di Lorenzo agreed with your comment about their website because it 's now "under construction". I'll try again later in the season. How do you think that the Kennedyas blend in with other mediterranean plants?
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Uhmmm... they would be for the irrigated areas, near the house for instance, or a pergola for dining al fresco. I think they would also do well at the base of a retaining wall, where moisture collects. They tend to behave like a clematis - take shade on the roots and go look for light with their canopy.
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The Running Postman, the red flowered species, is a prostrate scrambler that grows quite flat and trails over rocks and soil, so it would be well displayed falling over a wall. The black flowered sp. is a very vigorous climber, twining its way skyward by any means of support including trees, sheds and large pergolas - and even then the buildings would be smothered with rampant growth that seems completely undeterred by pruning or hacking. tn.
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Thanks to both for the help.