10/99-31 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Christine Kelleher, 800-232-9557, Ext. 512 or Gary Doerr, 916-716-1889

The English country garden look has grown so popular in North America that it has created a trans-Atlantic pipeline of test-tube baby plants to keep pace with demand for Lavenders, Red Hot Pokers, Campanulas, Geraniums and dozens of other Blooms of Bressingham perennials.

The plants, nearly 100 varieties in all, are marketed by Blooms of Bressingham North America, which reproduces then in commercial quantities for sale to retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada under the Blooms name.

To cope with demand, the Blooms plant discovery center in England is preparing to use in vitro tissue culture to grow plants in sufficient quantities for the North American market. This is a means of obtaining thousands of clones from one exclusive plant by growing slivers of the original's tissue in a special solution in test tubes - making them, literally, test tube babies.

"Consumer demand for our exclusive varieties of traditional English country flowers has demonstrated how much American gardeners love English plants," said Gary Doerr, president of Blooms of Bressingham North America.

Before a new variety is deemed suitable for export, it first must be evaluated for its suitability to North America's varied climate. Vast numbers are then produced by North American growers for introduction to the gardening public.

"At the moment, most plants are sent by air. It is a traumatic two-day journey for any plant. American plant health regulations require that each plant be stripped of every grain of soil and have its own health certificate. They are normally shipped during the plant's dormant season to minimize potential damage," said Doerr.

Adopting the test-tube-baby technique will minimize damage and enable far more to be shipped for American gardeners to enjoy.