Saxifraga Event at Waterperry March 2012

[Leiomerus]

Nice Saxes Adrian, especially 'Gregor' is a fine one.

Greetings from Leiomerus

[Leiomerus]

This is my very charming Sax. 'Allendale Charm', with its life in the gutter.

[Maggi Young]

That shows the soft pink perfectly. 

[Palustris]

Well Maggi, you asked for pictures from Waterperry. So, how many did I take? None. A very disappointing visit in terms of photography. The raised beds were beautiful, but in terms of identifiable plants, very difficult. The collection itself was there to see, but in small pots at ground level,so extremely difficult again to get identifiable pictures without picking up each one individually. Not with my back and knees. So, sorry.
The sales of Saxifrages on the other hand ............wonderful and we came away with loads. The people running the event were friendly, obviously knowledgeable and approachable.

[Maggi Young]

Never mind Eric, it's the thought that counts  
Sounds like you had a most enjoyable.... and productive, visit in any case, which was the object of the exercise  

[brianw]

According to Harry Jans http://www.jansalpines.com/index.php?page_id=5&lang=en tufa is available in several mainland European countries; but unfortunately very little in the UK.
On a much remembered visit to BC in Canada, a few years ago, I met a young lady tree planting, who had a dog at home called Tufa, and she did not know it was a form of local rock.

[Maren]

Hi, went to the Waterperry Saxifraga event, it's only a few miles up the M40. The place looked very pretty, lots of colour, very neat and tidy, but the identification of plants was haphazard and unsatisfactory. I even asked advice from one of the resident gurus and was treated like some oaf who couldn't read.

The original idea is quite good, instead of littering the beds with labels, have diagrams that show the rocks in the beds and then have the names of the plants relative to the rocks. Trouble is, the rocks in the diagrams don't look anything like the rocks in the beds and some plants aren't there any more and other plants have been inserted for which there is no name. I walked away somewhat miffed.

Obviously, the people there who look after the plants know exactly what is what, and, it seems, the marks (you and I) don't count. Rant over, I do like the place and I gleaned some interesting facts listening to one of the people in charge. So here are some pics, please don't shoot me if the identification is incorrect, I did my best.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for posting Maren. I couldn't make it but would have liked to have been there. I have to say I share your "miffiness" about the plant identification on the Sax displays at Waterperry (sorry Adrian!). On a previous visit I spent ages trying to decipher the planting diagrams and found them very difficult to come to terms with. So did Mrs N. so they must be wrong

[Maren]

Here are some plants:
S cumulus
S dinniki Stasek
S federici x augusti Coll Holubek
S Marie Stivinova
S Mirko Webr
S Norman
S Poluanglica
S unifoveolata
Unknown beauty.

[Yann]

Cumulus is well named, a cloud of flowers!

[Tim R]

Spent the weekend at Waterperry. The weather was perfect, the majority of the kabschia's were in flower and looked wonderful.
I would like to make it clear to some people who attended that the collection has been re-established by Adrian in his spare time, until recently that meant most Saturdays. A lot of the plants have been purchased by Adrian on his self funded trips to the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and all over the UK. Since he retired he does the 2 - 3 hour round trip from his home often 3 times per week. He has aquired funding for major construction (winter cover, shading, new beds and the new tufa) from various plant groups.
The stock area was opened for the weekend to let people see the new and rarer plants, the spares along with many that still require planting out.
Yes the labelling isn't ideal. If you have useful suggestions or maybe you can help with the funding for a better system speak up.
Appreciate the collection, enjoy the beautiful plants, it is a collection not a botanical gardens, they are all labelled if you know where to look.

Just the one picture from me. It is one of my collections of the newly named natural hybrid between Saxifraga cineria x S. poluniniana (S. x bhratangensis) collected in 2001 near the village of Bhratang in central Nepal at an altitude of 3000m. Sax. TJR 810-A
Tim

[Lesley Cox]

That last plant, the hybrid is a glorious thing, with its pinked edge and delightful colouring.

I shouldn't speak at all really re the labelling because I'm so far away and have never been to Waterperry (had a penpal there once, way back in Valerie Finnis's days) but if I HAD been able to visit, it would have been disappointing and frustrating to find poor labelling. For plant growers and especially plant buyers, the label is PART of the plant and essential to the observer who may, at some stage wish to buy or propagate such a plant. I can understand the difficulties as explained above Tim, but surely Waterperry, synonymous with the genus Saxifraga, should be right on top of things such as good and accurate labelling, clearly understood?

[Tim R]

Lesley
The labelling is accurate. The problem is it is not easy to understand (it uses overhead diagrams). The area is out of site in an enclosed area, so theft of plants could be a problem.
I understand Adrians point of a lot of visible labels being intrusive, but I do agree a better system is required.
Another of my collections from the same location, S. x bhratangensis TJR 810-05 closer to S. poluniniana shot yesterday at Waterperry.
Tim

[Lesley Cox]

Fair enough Tim.

[David Nicholson]

20 minutes on the computer and some crafty manipulation of some good pictures of the exhibited plants to add names should do the trick. These then might be available for those interested to view on a computer in the office or other backstage area at Waterperry. I can understand the fear about plants being stolen. My solution seems to steer a course between an open and and a supervised system.