Dedicated to the Growers and Their Plants Who Have Inspired Me
My inspiration for Clivia breeding has always come from many sources — wise words, a photograph, a show-winning plant, a visit to an exceptional collection, or a breeder who has achieved goals we used to dream about.
Visiting growers who are passionate about their collection and willing to share knowledge, seeds, and seedlings has been one of my greatest inspirations for more than 20 years. These breeders laid the groundwork for modern Clivia collections, and I hope to one day pass my knowledge on to aspiring breeders.
Here are a few of my cherished memories from visits to some of these remarkable breeders and their collections.
Pat Gore’s Clivia Heaven (2006)
The late Pat Gore, fondly known as Oom Pat, inspired me deeply during my 2006 visit. Attending the 2006 International Clivia Show in Pretoria, I spent the weekend in what felt like “Clivia heaven.”
His greenhouse overflowed with flowering treasures. I helped prepare plants for the show and learned many valuable tips for grooming and display. His famous plants include:
Olympia Pink
Diana Peach
Fighting Port – named after the fierce competition among growers for its offsets
Oom Pat attended every AGM except one, an achievement in itself. I left Pretoria with seeds, special offsets, and unforgettable memories of stunning flowers.
Rudo Lotter and His Amazing Plants (2010)
In 2010, I visited the late Rudo Lotter near Pretoria. The colours in his collection were breathtaking. Despite simple shade houses and some frost damage, the variety and quality of his plants were unparalleled.
Rudo continued his father Wessel Lotter’s legacy of breeding interspecific Clivia, and also produced outstanding miniatas in a wide colour range. Highlights include:
Meyer’s Apricot – a line-bred hybrid (Meyer’s Peach × Group 2 yellows)
Beautiful pinks from Appleblossom crosses
Exceptional versi colours from Naude’s Peach
His vision and breeding achievements continue to inspire my own Clivia breeding goals.
The Guillaume Family Legacy
I first connected with the late Oom Bertie Guillaume over the phone in 1998 when starting my Clivia collection. He guided my plant choices and generously shared advice. Sadly, I never met him before his passing in 2009, a loss felt worldwide in the Clivia community.
In 2010, I visited the family farm and met Tannie Erda and their daughter Celia. Their hospitality was legendary. The farm had:
Mass plantings of flowering Clivias under trees
Multiple shade houses filled with colour
Iconic plants such as Bella Donna, Bertie’s Bronze, and Apple Blossom in flower
Since then, Tannie Erda has also passed, and the collection is now lovingly maintained by Celia and her brother. Their passion continues to inspire breeders today.
Carrie Kruger
Utopia Clivias – Sedgefield, South Africa
