Philadelphus Petite Perfume Pink (P1)
Alan worked as a propagator at Hillier for over 60 years, joining at the age of 15 and retiring in 2024. Training at a time of Hillier Nurseries when shipments of seed were coming in from all around the world to increase the range of plants both in Sir Harold Hilliers collection (now the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens), but also to swell the ever increasing range available to purchase from the nurseries. Alan worked alongside such legendary propagators as Peter Dummer, Alfie Alford and Peter Moore. Many of these propagators were also hybridising plants to see what some of these species arriving in the UK could produce. Alan recalls spending many lunch breaks watching Peter Dummer hybridising plants to learn the tricks of the trade.
The breeding of the Philadelphus was carried out in Alans garden using plants in pots plunged into beds, the first crosses were made in 2014, seed sown 2015 and first flowers in 2018. His wife Jackie recounts stories of just leaving the house with coats on ready to go when Alan realised that the pollen was ripe – coats were quickly removed and Alan proceeded to make his crosses before they could leave. The plants always come first!
The aims were:
Philadelphus Petite Perfume White (W1) was the first hybrid to be launched by Hillier at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2024. This seedling was selected from the same cross and sowing as Petite Perfume Pink and was chosen for its outward facing white flowers with a sweet jasmine fragrance carried on a compact shrub that flowers freely from an early age.
Philadelphus Petite Perfume Pink (P1) is a dwarf growing, heavy flowering, winter hardy plant with a sweet fragrance.
Both these hybrids are hardy and superb garden plants.
