Mark Mazer

Mark and Fredrika (Freddi) Mazer live on a 31 acre farm in the small historic town of Hertford in Perquimans County, North Carolina, USA. The landform is coastal plain. The latitude is 36.269, longitude is -76.536 and the elevation is 9-20 feet above sea level. We have a frost free growing season of about 240 days and the average annual rainfall is 48-49 inches. Normal low temperature is 10-15 °F and the mean annual air temperature is 61 °F. Significant snowfall is not common and the ground may freeze 2-3 inches in depth during a normal winter. Our top soils are fine-silty/sandy acid loams of marine origin that overlay fine-silty clay loams and clay. The soils are poorly drained with moderate to slow permeability and slow surface runoff. The farm is in agricultural production of corn, soybeans and winter wheat. The 8-10 acres of woodlands consist of loblolly pine, sweetgum, water oak, willow oak, green ash, blackgum, red maple, and yellow poplar. There is a branch (creek) along one side of the property that drains into the Perquimans River and the Great Dismal Swamp is visible a short distance away. There is no significant garden as of yet but there are several venerable beech, pecan and oak trees. Many juvenile trees and shrubs were planted this winter. A frost-free 30 x 36 foot greenhouse houses our collections of bulbous plants. Among the genera represented are Lachenalia, Sparaxis, Crocus, Romulea, Geissorhiza, Lapeirousia, Babiana, Clivia, Zephyranthes, Ixia, Calochortus,Brodiaea, Trillium (the Paris collection was disposed of prior to our recent move south), Narcissus, Cyrtanthus, Fritillaria, Aroids, Amaryllids, and many others. Several cold frames have recently been installed. We grow most of our plants from seed and prefer the species rather than selected forms. We are always amenable to exchanges and trades of bulbs or seed. Archival quality giclee prints of many of the more striking flowers are available. Visitors are welcome by appointment; late winter and early spring are best.