Intoducing Paul Gooderham- New Plants Development Manager- R A Meredith & Son

[ideasguy]

Members all, I'd like to introduce you to our member - NewPlantsGuy - Paul Gooderham.

Paul is the New Plants Development Manager for R A Meredith & Son (Blooms) Ltd,  a UK Business Partner of the famous Blooms of Bressingham.
Blooms of Bressingham has a world wide network of Business partners, the head quraters is in Sacramento USA and headed by Gary Doerr.

We've been working together for the best part of two years now to fine tune Ideas Genie Pro for documenting his plant trialling records (now thats an exciting application  )

I'm sure all gardeners have read about Blooms of Bressingham in Gardening Books and Magazines.
You can read the heritage here:
http://www.bloomsofbressingham.co.uk/about/heritage.asp
Heres a little extract:

Three generations with a passion for plants
Alan Bloom was one of the great British plantsmen of the twentieth century. A gardener from the age of 16, he bought Bressingham Hall, Norfolk in 1946 and founded a world-renowned gardening dynasty that today spans three generations.

Many UK members will be well familiar with the Blooms of Bressingham Wyevale Garden Centre chain.

Start at the .com Blooms of Bressingham website (for extra information)
http://www.bloomsofbressingham.com/
You'll find a link to announce that Mr Alan Bloom died in March 2005, at the ripe old of age of 98.

You'll find links to local websites for United Kingdom, North America and New Zealand

If you click on United Kingdom, you will find links which will take you to the following pages:
Plant Discovery Centre
http://www.bloomsofbressingham.co.uk/about/directory.asp
Pauls contact details are shown on that page.

Have you ever wondered how a Cultivar is brought to market?  The plant has to go through a rigorous trialling process, and from my own limited knowledge, I do know that many plants are tested, and only a very small number make the grade.
Thats the operation which Paul manages.
Lets get to that. Go ahead and click the New Plants link.
The navigation changes to offer links to plants introduced in 2006
At the end of that list, you'll find links to the Archives: Takes you to 2003, 2004 and 2005.
What about the ones in 2007? Perhaps Paul will make that announcement when the time is right 

What about the New Plants for 2008 and 2009 ad inifinitum?
If you've managed to grow an unusual plant from an otherwise uniform flush of seedlings, or notice a shoot on a shrub or tree with with unusual characteristics - that could be the new plant of the future, and Paul has indicated that he will be keen to hear about your discovery.
Who knows, we may be buying a cultivar called Acer 'Fujiyama Garden' in a few years time 

Matter of great interest. Are any of our members growing any of these plants? Post a message here and tell us about them.
See anything you fancy? I'm very fond of Veronica prostrata. I have 2 cultivars in my garden, and I definitely want to get the one introduced in 2004 Veronica prostrata 'Goldwell'. Actually, that will probably be the starter for 10 (or so). Why not collect them all 

Now, Ive made the introduction, and got the ball rolling.
Ive asked Paul if he will answer our questions on the forum, and he said "Of course, George"

So, Over to you folk!

Perhaps Paul will be so kind to expand on my introduction, and tell you more about New Plant Discovery and New Plant Development.

[Roseman Stan]

Hello George and Hello to you Paul! 

It is great to have someone with such a wonderful resume here at the Ideas Genie Community. I am mostly a rose lover but thoroughly enjoy all forms of gardening. It comes from my farm life background I suppose??? Anyway, I would love to hear more about any new research you are involved with Paul when it comes to the wonderful world of roses and new introductions.

I have several rose related website saved on my computer from other countries. I am in the USA but love to check out the beautiful roses around the world. Your guidance to some fine informational sites would be most welcome as well.

Nice to meet you in this manner Paul and thank you George for the introduction! 

Roseman Stan

[newplantguy]

Hi,
Thank you George for that introduction.
Need to just clarify a few things.
Blooms of Bressingham has a world wide network of Business partners, the head quraters is in Sacramento USA and headed by Gary Doerr.
I work for the UK Business Partner - R A Meredith & Son (Blooms) Ltd - Not Directly by Blooms.
My postion there is New Plant Development Manager.
The Nursery is based at Bressingham, in the UK.
My Grandfather was Alan Blooms Hybridist - look out for Kniphoria Pery's Pride and Campanula Percy Piper.
I have been involved with Blooms for over 30 years.
I trial plants for Blooms and Meredith, plants introduced are marketed as Blooms Perennials or under the Meredith own brand of Country Fresh.
We sell into Garden Centres and multiples across the UK and into Europe.
Also we have our own specialist young plant facility producing young plants for our own use and other growers.
Roseman Stan, mainly I'm looking for perrenials, I will look out some sites here in the UK for you.
I will write some more soon about our new plant development programme.

[ideasguy]

Ive edited my original posting per the information in your posting, Paul. Please let me know if it is correct.

I'm glad you've made that reply. We've communicated for quite a while now, and I didn't know about your "pedigree".
You must be very, very proud of your grandfather, Paul - what a legacy to leave to you - and the entire gardening world.
May I ask, is he still alive?

Ive done a little surfing on "your" plants, and found details and photos on quite a number of sites for Kniphofia 'Percys Pride'.
Its carried by all the major Nurseries in the UK, so it has certainly remained reliable.
Bridgemere
http://www.bridgemere.co.uk/plantdbdetail1.cfm?item=393
Burncoose
http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pl_id=2435
Nice photo here at Special Perennials:
http://www.specialperennials.com/Kniphofia/kniphofia_Percys_Pride.htm
AND, its also available in the US:
http://www.diggingdog.com/pages2/plantpages.php/P-0205

Kniphofia ?Percy?s Pride? 
The tightly clustered light yellow to lime flowers of this Torch Lily are just about the largest of all the species we offer. They bloom several times each year, and contrast strikingly with the inch-wide straplike leaves. For a range of yellows, we plant ?Percy?s Pride? with Stachys ?Primrose Heron?.
Blooms May?June.
Size: 3' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6.

The same goes for Campanula 'Percy Piper'. Do a google and it returns loads of results.
Its praises are sung on the BBC web site:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plantprofile_campanula.shtml
Avondale Nursery
http://www.avondalenursery.co.uk/Content/Catalogue/perennials_C.asp
Where we learn that it has been awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the RHS

60cm AGM
Rich lavender flowers, shorter than type.

In the US, it gets a recommendation on Bella on line:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13983.asp
so- its a good'un!

My next bit of research was to have a look in "our" Master Database, and - guess what? BOTH are already in the database.
So, in the next breath - you've just gotta have a few photos somewhere, Paul. Would you be so kind to contribute one (or a few) of each for the database? It circulates to all FG, IG and IG Pro users.
Knowing the family tree, I'm sure most of us will make a point of going out and buying one or two of each.

This may be a silly question, Paul, but was your grandfather called Percy Piper?
Looking forward to hearing more about your grandfather (I'm sure there are many a tale to tell) and your own fascinating work.

[newplantguy]

Hi,
My Grandfather was called Percy Piper, he is no longer alive having passed on in 1997 well into his 80's.
A quiet unassuming man you will find references to him in Alan Blooms books. 
The Veronica Goldwell was sent into me as 6 small cuttings which I rooted. We developed Goldwell from these original plants.
It is now sold in the UK, USA.
I will look out some pictures of this and of the Kniphofia and Campanula.
Look out for one of our best plants to-date - Geranium Rozanne.

[ideasguy]

Did your grandfather teach you the trade Paul? It looks like youve inherited his genes!
Were your father/mother inspirational in your career choice? I'm asking to see if theres a skip of a generation (my own personal curoisity - I'm "worried" about my immediate offspring! However, my grandson is only 2, but he absolutley loves digging and working with compost and hort.grit.
I have just pointed my learned friend André (Greenfinger on the forum) to this posting. He is currently very much enjoying the writing of Christopher Lloyd. He translates from English to Dutch as he goes. What a guy!
He will be very interested to read about your grandfather in Alan Blooms books. Have you got any of Alan Blooms books André?

What a fascinating job you have Paul, and I'll certainly buy that plant you have recommended Geranium Rozanne.
Ive just added it to the Master Database, and to my Plants To Buy in IG Pro.

I discovered more than a year ago that I have one of the plants that came through (you can confirm this) your trialling process.
Polemonium ?Brise d?Anjou?
I bought it for its attractive and very unusual foliage. I recall seeing it in the New Plants page. Is there a section on any of the websites that trace the archives further back than 2003?
On the Master Database I have now created a Gardener called "New Plant Development-" and under that, I have created a Garden Area called  R A Meredith & Son (Blooms) Ltd.
I can then add all your new plants under that section, and give details with each plant (Year introduced, etc) and we just HAVE to get photos for each plant.

Those six cuttings you rooted, from which you developed Goldwell - are all the Goldwell plants which we can now buy descendants of those those original six cuttings? I imagine they have to be 
Keep up the good work!

[newplantguy]

I got interested in the trade through my grandfathers work, but not directly.
My father worked for a local farmer milking cows, he was interested in gardening but growing vegetables. My mother had a full time job looking after me and my 3 brothers and 1sister. I guess I just knew thats what I wanted to do, I had my own patch of land and used to grow plants and some vegetables.

Polemonium Brise d Anjou came through our trilling having been discovered in France at a gardening show. We built this up in TC and trilled the original plants at Bressingham.
All plants of Goldwell have originated from those cuttings, through they were grown on separately to start with to check they were the same.

Any one heard of another Blooms introduction from the past - Potentilla Red Ace - now there is a story --------------

[ideasguy]

RE:

I guess I just knew thats what I wanted to do, I had my own patch of land and used to grow plants and some vegetables.

I think you had a head start on a lot of us, Paul! Definitely strongly in your genes!

RE: Polemonium ?Brise d?Anjou?
Nice to know I have one of the plants that came through your trialling process, Paul! Its one of my favourites, so congratulations on securing that beauty.
You have a lot of things to pass on to your grand-children!!

I will definitely get a Goldwell!

RE: TC
Does that abbreviation = This Country??

Any one heard of another Blooms introduction from the past - Potentilla Red Ace - now there is a story --------------

Yes, I came across it in my earlier days of gardening. I think it was mid 90's. I hope that fits in with its date of introduction?
My next door neighbout had it - it was a lovely dwarf little plant. I took a few cuttings of it, and a dwarf companion in orange/yellow.
I still have two of the orange/yellow plants, but not Red Ace. I took the attached photo, but I think its the parent plant in my neighbours garden

Now - lets hear that Red Ace story!!

[newplantguy]

Hello from Bressingham, well just a few miles outside.
The abbreviation refers to Tissue Culture
The Red Ace Story,
Introduced in 1975 I first came across it on the nursery having just started. Working in propagation.
I have to say those days give me some of the happiest memories of my early career.
We were taking thousands of cutting every week.
Adrian Bloom told me that I could not tell anyone what I was working on, not Even my mother, or Father.
When it was released at Chelsea a security guard was employed to stand guard over the plants.
It was a unique plant a colour break.
it actually originated at the world famous Hopleys Nursery, and was produced under License by Blooms.

[ideasguy]

I'll be keeping a close eye on my neighbours garden to see if Red Ace is still growing. I think it is, but the proof will be when those special red flowers appear.

I want to buy one of each of your plants, Paul, and perhaps other members will follow suit, now that we know that they are something we can feel "friendly" with.
Can you point us to mail order outlets -  in the UK and elsewhere ?

[newplantguy]

Hi George,
For Mail order you should go to www.bloomsofbressingham.com and follow the link to the Uk Blooms site, as the garden centres are now part of the Wyvale group you will find this is a Wyvale mail order site.
At this time Meredith do not sell mail order and Blooms of Bressingham do not sell directly though mail order the new plants. However we are looking at developing a site to promote the new plants and possibilty of having a mail order site.
In the USA by folllowing the Blooms link to the USA site you will find a link for mail order, in the USA only.
You will find Blooms Plants avaialbe accoring to season in Blooms Garden Centres, Wyvale, Dobbies and other good independant centres.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for that info Paul.

I'm trying to negotiate these sites to see if I can find the new plants, and the ones in the archives:
http://www.bloomsofbressingham.co.uk/newplants/archives.asp

[ideasguy]

Paul has updated his web site, folk, with some new additions.

http://www.ideasforgardens.net/meredith/Blooms_Plants/

Ive done a search on the Wyevale (Blooms) web site, but cant find any of your plants listed Paul. It looks like they dont offer their full range on the on-line shopping cart??

[newplantguy]

No unfortunately you cannot get the full range, someting we are looking at.
The plants will appear in Garden Centres through out the season, not all will be available all of the time.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for clearing that up Paul.

[ideasguy]

Ive found a photo of that Campanula named after your grandfather, Paul - Campanula latiloba "Percy Piper" 
Guess what? Its grown by, and featured on the web site of our new members Lyn and Malcolm. Heres the home page:
http://www.lynandmalc.co.uk/herblistpics/campanulapercypiper.htm
and the home page of their web site is:
http://www.lynandmalc.co.uk

Thats really nice!

[Lyn and Malcolm]

I just hope we have got the right plant pictured there George.

Lyn and Malcolm

[ideasguy]

I'll invite Paul along to have a look Malcolm.

I'm pleased to say we've managed to put names to a few "mystery" plants on the forum recently.   
Theres a few outstanding, and Ive more to show our members soon.

[newplantguy]

Hi,
Looks like you have the right plant, it's quite rare now, we no longer grow it.
Look out for another Kniphofia Percy's Pride.
Excellent garden by the way.

Paul