Does anyone know where I can purchase a couple of elder shrubs, Sambucus
Nigra, in the Liverpool area? Or even where I can legitimately dig up a
couple of self seeded plants in the local wild? It does not seem to be a
stock item in any of the bigger nurseries.

TIA

In message , Zipadee
Doodar writes
Does anyone know where I can purchase a couple of elder shrubs, Sambucus
Nigra, in the Liverpool area? Or even where I can legitimately dig up a
couple of self seeded plants in the local wild? It does not seem to be a
stock item in any of the bigger nurseries.

Are you sure you want to plant it in your garden? You could always pinch
some berries and grow it from seed. The seed grows well enough, but I
suspect it may need to pass through a bird's gullet first.

It is sufficiently prolific that if you asked a landowner with seedlings
on their land I expect they would be happy to pay you to take some away!

The less vigorous golden leaf cultivar is sometimes offered in garden
centres.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

"Zipadee Doodar" wrote in message . uk...
Does anyone know where I can purchase a couple of elder shrubs, Sambucus
Nigra, in the Liverpool area? Or even where I can legitimately dig up a
couple of self seeded plants in the local wild? It does not seem to be a
stock item in any of the bigger nurseries.

They come well from both seed and cuttings, in my experience: I even
got a good one by accident when I picked up a concrete block I'd
apparently dropped on an odd bit of stem a few months earlier. Of
course it's illegal, but I can't see anybody minding if you haul out a
couple of seedlings in a country lane or a bit of waste ground -- if
you can find any: it's surprising how few tree seedlings one can
actually spot when one actually wants one. Winter dormancy makes it
harder, and that's when you should really do it.

A specialist native-plants nursery will sell them, though: try
Buckingham Nurseries, who are efficient and charge modestly. There are
a couple of attractive variant forms around, too.

If you're down in Berks when the berries are out, somewhere outside
Reading is the Courage Brewery Shire Horse Centre, at the back of
which are (or used to be) some very fine ones with extra-big berries:
you might get rather special trees by grabbing a few seeds there. I
think it's either an unusual variety, or a North American species.

If I'm reading your mind right, once your trees are established feed
and mulch them for a good crop.

Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Zipadee Doodar" wrote in message
. uk...
Does anyone know where I can purchase a couple of elder shrubs, Sambucus
Nigra, in the Liverpool area?
If you're down in Berks when the berries are out, somewhere outside
Reading is the Courage Brewery Shire Horse Centre, at the back of
which are (or used to be) some very fine ones with extra-big berries:

If I'm reading your mind right, once your trees are established feed
and mulch them for a good crop.

Mike.

Thanks for the advice. I am hoping to get the children to plant an area of
my school with native UK plants this year. Elder is surprisingly hard to
source.

ZD

"Zipadee Doodar" wrote in message k...
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Zipadee Doodar" wrote in message
. uk...
Does anyone know where I can purchase a couple of elder shrubs, Sambucus
Nigra, in the Liverpool area?
If you're down in Berks when the berries are out, somewhere outside
Reading is the Courage Brewery Shire Horse Centre, at the back of
which are (or used to be) some very fine ones with extra-big berries:

If I'm reading your mind right, once your trees are established feed
and mulch them for a good crop.

Mike.

Thanks for the advice. I am hoping to get the children to plant an area of
my school with native UK plants this year. Elder is surprisingly hard to
source.

Ah, right: not winemaking! We did a school wild-life area once: a
marvellous experience, and if I lived near you I'd be right there
making a nuisance of myself. Have you asked the Council people where
they get their trees? We got some good freebies from them. The local
Conservation Volunteers? the Woodland Trust? the County Naturalists'
Association (or similar name)? (You don't mention how urban your
school is; but even in cities there are things like that going on.)

By all means email me if you want me to dig out some rusty knowledge.

Mike.