GARDENING SCOTLAND 2000
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by Sandy Leven December 2000.


Although the event took place 6 months ago we have had no spare time to write about Scotland's largest and most prestigious flower show, GARDENING SCOTLAND 2000. This superb show was held at Ingliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh at the beginning of June 2000. With this article I want to show something wonderful, namely the beautiful exhibit staged by Scotland's largest Horticultural Club - The Scottish Rock Garden Club. This display was based on our Gold Medal winning design at the RHS show last year. The key element in the design was our use of diagonal paths on a long thin site. Our's was an island site 12m x 4m in shape and flat on the ground. We used parallel raised beds in the centre angled at 30degrees to the long axis. This left triangular planting aas at either end one of which was a 'woodland bed

Our site in the marquee Before we started to build the exhibit we covered the floor with polythene. The brown boxes are the bases of the raised walls.

The raised beds were built up using individual boxes painted to look like stone. We took care placing the units to give different planting heights and different aspects.

Aster natalense is the bright blue flower. There are various saxifrages in this area.

Cotyledon simplicifolia
is the yellow flower.

The silver corner with spectacular celmisia plants. The beds were raised about 15cm and top dressed with gravel. One of the raised walls is seen in the background. The pink flowers are Lewisia ‘Pinkie’

Woodland corner. Susan, Anne and the two Ians planting the woodland area. You can see several Arisaema species especially in the two troughs , which were eventually half buried in the garden. Hostas and ferns provide quiet contrst plants for bright meconopsis and primulas. The woodland path started here. There is a pan of Pinguicola grandiflora in the foreground.

Covering the woodland path with bark. You can see the polythene in this area is covered with bark while the scree area had gravel. Carole and Jean are hard at work, Sandy is watching!

The woodland path completed. You can see along one raised bed of alpine plants on the left separated from the woodland garden by the path stepping blocks along its length. The path varied in height along its length. The red flowers on the left are Meconopsis puncea. You can see the crowds have started to arrive. We added a bit of height with the Acer tree.

The woodland path from the other end. David is wearing one of the yellow sweat shirts which helpers wore while the show was open so that they could be identified as members of the SRGC. In the left foreground are several heucheras. Variegated Irises give startling contrast and bold upright form. The pink plant in the wall is Phlox ‘Red Buttes’

The Blue Patio with various themed troughs of alpines and grasses. The blue decking reflects the sky or simulates the feel of water in the garden. The magenta of the planting box is a wonderful colour which compliments the pink, blue and silver plants.In the foreground is a New Zealand trough with some small Aciphyllas. Behind that a grass trough. These troughs will give interest all year round. There are also a Scottish trough and a Celmisia trough.

SRGC member Ken is here helping members of the public identify certain plants. The central double row of raised walls is shown in this picture. You can identify the feathery pink spikes of Saxifraga ‘Southside seedling’ planted on the wall. Note the fern trough sheltering on the shady side of the wall.

Anne guarding the patio. This view shows one of the strengths of our display. It was not possible to see everything at once. Attention to detail is critical. All the surfaces must be tidy. Even the board round the display had to be painted by Ian.

Our Carpenter Glassford surveys his handiwork. The corner boxes were sturdily built to hold the considerable weight of planting compost. Note that this being a sunny area it is topped with gravel. Jean is keeking over the central raised bed.

A Japanese trough with a young maple and other Eastern plants beside a pot of American Lupin albosericea. The trough of Saxifrages is in the foreground. A heather trough is behind.

Our display was awarded the Caithness Glass trophy for the Best Floral Exhibit in the Show. The trophy is here displayed on a patio table along with the SRGC Millenium Publication ‘Scottish Rock Gardening in the 20th Century’ and a copy of the ‘Back to Basics Book’. You can see the sandstone stepping stones behind the table.

Sandy (President, then of the SRGC) with wife Anne and daughter Johanna with the caithness Glass Trophy and award card, beside one of the raised beds.

Ian and Carolewith the Caithness Glass Trophy Ian & Carole are the organizers of ‘ALPINES 2001’, the 7th International conference on rock plants which is to be held in Edinburgh 28th June – 4th July 2001.

Note the SRGC stone in the foreground beside a trough of sempervivums.

During construction of the display we were visited by the team from the BBC television programme ‘The Beechgrove Garden’. Here you se presenter Jim McColl looking for the best place to broadcast from.

The SRGC Construction team ( minus Jean) posing with BBC presenter Jim McColl.

Sandy with Stirling Provost Tommy Brookes who came to congratulate us on winning the trophy for Best Floral Exhibit in the Show.

Lord Steel, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament is here presenting the trophy for the Best Floral Exhibit to some of the team. On Lord Steel’s right is Professor Fred Last, President of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society and on his left is the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Eric Milligan.

A final look at some of the plants in the woodland garden. There are many Primulas, Roscoeas, Geraniums, Meconopsis, Arisaemas and orchids