Did you know the Miller Library houses hidden treasures not listed in the library catalog? In the small room just across from the reference desk is a collection of over 500 retail and wholesale nursery catalogs (usually the most recent edition only), and these can be browsed alphabetically by name. There is also a
subject index to help you find what you are seeking.
This month we are featuring Liberto’s Seeds and Bulbs, a recent addition to this collection. If you are interested in Mediterranean gardening, unusual bulbs and perennials, or rock garden plants, you will find the array of seeds and bulbs a serious temptation. “Liberto Dario” is the
nom de plume of Eleftherios Dariotis, an avid and erudite plant collector, gardener, and Salvia fanatic in Athens, Greece. I met him through a Facebook page dedicated to plant identification, and have since been thrilled by his photos from botanizing expeditions and impressed by his propagation of so many gorgeous flowering plants, from Albuca to Zephyranthes, and so much in between. Through his photography and effervescent enthusiasm, I have learned about species of plants that I had never encountered before. This is his first official catalog offering (though he has been involved with the North American Rock Garden Society and informal seed exchanges). There are four separate sections to the catalog:
- Bulb seeds (Liberto assures me that growing bulbs from seed is not difficult, and is an economical way to experiment with adding otherwise hard-to-find species to your garden. He has a special affinity for South African bulbs, which are well-represented in the catalog.)
- Wild collections (sustainably harvested in small quantities from diverse habitats around Greece)
- Garden seeds (collected from plants in the two gardens he maintains in the Athens area)
- Salvia seeds (“The genus Salvia can easily keep you busy trying new species for the rest of your life.”)
For more about Liberto/Eleftherios, see a recent
feature in the horticulture blog Plinth.
