Karen Platt’s blog

International Black Plant Society

I formed the International Black Plant Society in 2002 for a curious reason apart from my deep passion for the plants. A US publisher, who should have known better, tried to force me to sign a very poor contract and said they would take my book if I refused. Fortunately I had already published the book ‘Black Magic and Purple Passion’ in 2000 and it is now in its third edition, still published by me - I hate people forcing me into a corner. Making the most of adversity, I formed the society to further the knowledge of black plants and help to bring them into cultivation - something I have perhaps been too successful at- as everyone does black these days. I have been acknowledged as the inspiration of the black plant cult and many garden designers have thanked me but nurseries rarely do. I was the first person in the world to run a black plant nursery in 1996. Unfortunately there are always some who jump on the bandwagon - and I fear that black is becoming diluted. It is now one of the most common names given to plants - ‘Black …’ and usually used when the plant is nowhere near black, it has merely become a selling point. Sad. Sad too that people who know of my work do not give any credit to me - come on writers and editors, you credit many people and nurseries, why not the source and inspiration? I have worked tirelessly to bring black plants into the limelight. I remember when I began and people said that no-one would want black, nursery owners told me they could not sell it, someone told me I would be lucky to sell 6 copies of my book, the publisher Frances Lincoln’s editor Erica Hunninger turned it down saying “There is no market for this.” Curiously, afterwards she edited Christopher Lloyd’s book ‘The Adventurous Gardener’ in which he wrote about black plants. Here is my book in its third edition having grown enormously and now being illustrated with over 400 photographs of black plants. It’s a testimony to my insight, vision as one American described it and proof that yes, people do want black plants. I was the first to find a way to describe the plants ‘black is an umbrella term for the darkest plants in horticulture’ and to say ‘Don’t argue the colour, use it’. My research has stretched around the globe in the hunt for dark plants and I have described over 2750 black plants in my book ‘Black Magic and Purple Passion’ so wherever you live, there are plants for your site.  USDA zones are given in the book. I worked with an American propagator for some years, but once they had all the plants they ditched me and broke the contract we had. They still sell the plants, but don’t pay the agreed royalty, so just remember that when you buy a PW plant (Proven Winners). Joining the society brings you a newsletter and the latest in black plants plus offers. I have noticed a ‘Black Plant Society’ in the US being promoted, it claims to be the first- this is not true and this society is not affiliated with The International Black Plant Society in any way. We have been around for much longer and have over 350 members world-wide in 8 countries. I appreciate the support and those who are gracious enough to recognize my work and pay tribute to what I have achieved in the last 10 years.  Here, amongst other things I shall be posting past articles from the IBPS newsletters, so stay tuned. The future is black.