Re: Botanique Nursery

MALOUF@ESTD.NRL.NAVY.MIL
Tue, 3 Aug 1993 16:36:47 -0400 (EDT)

Hi Jeff,
Botanique Nursery is a rather small operation owned by two
gentlemen, one of which is a plant physiologist. His name is
Rob Sacilotto, and currently he is on travel and won't be back
until after Aug. 18. Visits are arranged by appointment, and I
believe that weekends are the only times that visits may be
scheduled. You'll need to call Rob after Aug. 18 to schedule
a visit, and to get directions to the nursery.

I have never visited any other CP nurseries so I have
no way to compare Botanique to something you might be familiar
with. I can only describe some of the things I saw (I've been
there twice last year, and my memory of the trip is a little dull).

There are three outdoor cultivated rows of various
Sarraceniae and their hybrids, each row measuring roughly 4 feet
by 40 feet. Rob has them cataloged and controls the hybriding.
Nearby is another area with gorgeous specimens of Dionaea, most
of which are used for propagation. The greenhouse is fairly
small, and contains the Nepenthese (Infundibuloformis, Alata,
Khasiana, some hybrids, and others I've forgotten). There are
also various Droserae growing wild among the Sarraceniae, and
cataloged in separate planters. Ooops, I forgot, the Sarraceniae
included Oreophila (sp?), Flava, Purpurea, Psitacina (sp?),
Leucophylla, hybrids, and maybe others I've forgotten.

Other interesting plants include all sorts of hot peppers,
Peruvian corn (18 feet tall!), orchids, and lots of stuff I
overlooked. One orchid in particular, he called it a coconut
orchid, made the inside of the greenhouse smell like coconut
tanning lotion. He pointed to the plant, and I was surprised
that two small flowers (each the size of a dime) could throw
a fragrance that permeated the entire enclosure.

If you're an enthusiast, then the trip might be
worth your while. I have the phone number if you need it.

Perry