SRGC Discussion Weekend- 1st -3rd October 2010

[ranunculus]

On my way out I checked the bar and noticed a good stock of Malts.

That, unfortunately, few can afford!!! 

[Anthony Darby]

They do sell it by the measure Cliff! A malt whisky should be not much more than the price of a pint!

[ranunculus]

They do sell it by the measure Cliff! A malt whisky should be not much more than the price of a pint!

You obviously haven't purchased wine or beer at the Inchyra, Anthony ... there will be a lot of delegates visiting local supermarkets this weekend!   

[TC]

Interesting discussion !  I have to confess that I have no idea about the cost of a dram, or even of a bottle of whisky.  However, I canremember that in 1961 when I started my job as an Excise Officer in bonded warehouses and distilleries, that a proof gallon of whisky was worth 37/6d ( £1.78 ).  The price probably has increased somewhat since then although the government make a lot more out of it than the producers !!
Enjoy the conference and be kind to your liver - it's the only one you have.

[Sandy Leven]

WELL 2010 DW IS OVER.
I had a great, time meeting old and new friends. I will need a bigger garden to house my purchases especially the tree magnolia.
I want to say a big thank you to Maggi for all the time she must have spent on the tedious work of preparing named bags for all the bulbs which were given so generously. Thank you also for all the bulbs. I wasn't sure whether to but a glass of wine or a world class collection of crocus chrysanthus but the Crocus won. I told myself I could get wine in Tesco but not the Crocuses.
Jean's choice of speakers was excellent and so were the lectures.
Liz's organisation was spot on.
Willie was unflappable as show secretary. He should give lessons!
Ian was master of all the technology as well his lecture on some obscure genus of bulbs called Erythronium. I have learned again that E. dens canis is not considered a Scottish native even if it did appear spontaneously in my grandad's garden in Auchtermuchty in the 1950's.
Thank you all for a great weekend.
2011 - DUMFRIES

[Lesley Cox]

me off to Perth for a rehearsal for Tallis' 40 part motet "Spem in Alium", which has nothing to do with onions,

I love this motet but changing Spem to spam, always think of it as "steak and onions." Best wishes for the performance Anthony. It will be a thrill to take part I should think.

[Lesley Cox]

You made a good choice sandy, crocuses instead of wine which if not cheap as water nowadays, is at least as available.

Tom, haven't you heard of liver transplants? OK, silly question for a serious subject but a (little of a) good single malt is hard to beat.

Sounds like a wonderful weekend was had by all, with Dave on show to boot. You know Dave, that you'll have talk to do back home too. Keep the camera clicking.

[Anthony Darby]

They do sell it by the measure Cliff! A malt whisky should be not much more than the price of a pint!

You obviously haven't purchased wine or beer at the Inchyra, Anthony ... there will be a lot of delegates visiting local supermarkets this weekend!   

Very true Cliff, but then I would only have a single malt to round off the day. I seem to remember the complaint last year was there was only one species of malt on offer.

[Maggi Young]

Just home from the wonderful SRGC weekend, after driving home with Knud Lunde, our Norwegian pal and after lunch  we spent a couple of hours in the garden, winding down.
Ian's off to the airport with him and I'm catching up with three days of emails after my "hols".....  

[Richard Green]

Absolutely splendid weekend again.   So much information in such a short time, and so much money spent on irresistable plants in such a short time as well.

When I finished Saturday night with an empty wallet my wife would not lend me any more money from the housekeeping purse.  At least next year in Dumfries we might be closer to a cash machine......  

Well done everyone !

[annew]

A masterclass in organisation, plus great company and irresistible plants. Thanks so much for all of everyone's efforts. It was great to meet TOOlie and Luit and their wives, and the other forumists who otherwise we can only imagine! (Dave thought I was TALL!)

[ChrisB]

I'm just back home this afternoon.  Its been just the tonic I needed to bolster me for the dark nights ahead.  All the speakers were terrific. I shall have to start saving soon to buy the new cyclamen book Brian Mathew promises is on the way.   The plant purchasing budget was totally shot on the Connoisseur Bulbs, I'm busy potting them up already. Its been great to finally meet Toolie, and for those of you not fortunate enough to come to the weekend, you've a treat in store if you do get to meet him.  His talks were super, and those NZ mountains were a sight to behold, to say nothing of the flora he finds on them.  We are all now waiting to see him striding out in his new kit (presented to him after the talk).  And it was such a treat to hear our own Bulb Despot tell us about erythroniums as well.  He's been to our group to talk about them a while ago, so hearing it for the second time served to remind me why I must grow more of these little beauties.  The garden at Tromso is now on my list of places I must go some day, Finn did a great job of showing us why it is such an important garden to visit. 

Thanks Maggi for all your work getting those bulb bags ready, Thanks Luit for the bulbs, Thanks Ian for your technical tricks, Willi for your entertaining auction, and everyone I met and chatted with during the weekend!
Fellow forum members, you MUST save up to come to the next one, these weekends are too good to miss!  And finally, hats off to Liz, Jean and your team, you've done a splendid job!

[Roma]

So glad you all had such a good time .  I am green with envy that I did not manage to come this year.  Never mind there's always next year.  I will keep away from other people's horses and have sold my unpredictable one so hopefully will be fit.
I am still waiting to see some pics of the show and of the people enjoying themselves.  Who won the Forrest medal and with which plant?

[Maggi Young]

 Forrest medal was not awarded, Roma.  I just had to go and ask Ian that because the only glimpses of the show I had was when I used the show room as a thoroughfare..... it was a busy weeekend! There were quite a lot of pretty plants, nonetheless and Sandy won the prettiest trophy, and Stan da Prato seemed to win everything else!
 Judy and Howard Humphreys had their wonderful huge wooden gentian filled trough that was there last year.... though Ian doesn't seem to have a photo...

Stan was taking a lot of pix so perhaps he will come to the rescue later....


 Here are some pix in random order, just as I've re-sized them off Ian's camera....

2 oxalis and Sax.fortunei Fumiko
Aciphylla subflabellata     Raoulia haastii
Aruncus_aethusifolius
bench_colour
3 cyclamen .... Sandy's .....I think
Aberconwy nursery  display

[Maggi Young]

and some more.....
 a couple of views of the benches
Brachyanthus  ??       Aeschynanthus   from Aberconwy
Cornus canadensis     "       "
Pernettya 'Pearls'       "       "
Gentiana farreri SilkenGroup
Gentiana 'Silken Giant'     .... both gentians from Aberconwy