Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:01:38 PM

Title: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:01:38 PM
Yesterday I was at the snowdropweekend at Kalmthout in Belgium. A very well organised event with a sale, talks by Stefan Vidts and John Grimshaw and a very nice exposition.

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:04:08 PM
Exposition with nice medaillons with snowdropscenes behind glass.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:06:15 PM
Few more.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: johnw on February 10, 2013, 03:11:05 PM
Lina  - What a clever idea and they are so artistically executed!

johnw
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:14:01 PM
It was great to meet friends from the VRVforum and to be able to talk to Stefan Vidts again and ofcourse to meet John Grimshaw.
We had a nice lunch with Loes and her husband and Andre Bourgogne.
And finaly met Wim Boens.
I was able to buy G. 'Sweet Alice'. I am very happy about this.
This was the start of our snowdrop season. Thursday we will go to the Boschhoeve to meet more people and buy a few more snowdrops maybe?

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:15:40 PM
Forgot to add the picture to the last post.

Lina
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: JacquelineJ on February 10, 2013, 03:22:25 PM
I love the Snowdrop Medallions Lina, you can always trust the Belgians to do something wonderfully artisic with their flowers and plants. I lived in Ohain/Lasne for 15yrs and miss the flair of floral art.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 03:38:35 PM
Good to see the Speakers being well supplied with cake- that is VERY important!

Rika has a snowdrop hat! Fantastic!    I  really enjoyed seeing the film of her garden this morning - I like he garden even better now I see she has this hat!  :) 8)
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: WimB on February 10, 2013, 03:41:09 PM
It's just a shame Lina forgot to photograph herself,...oh wait....there she is, together with Rika  ;)
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 03:42:06 PM
It's just a shame Lina forgot to photograph herself,...oh wait....there she is, together with Rika  ;)

Perfect!!    Thank you Wim. Did you enjoy your day?
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: WimB on February 10, 2013, 03:46:45 PM
Perfect!!    Thank you Wim. Did you enjoy your day?

Yes, it was a wonderful day. Met a lot of people from the VRV-forum and John Grimshaw of course...a bit chilly in the sales-area though, luckily Cathy let me visit the talks, so I could warm up a bit in the afternoon. Still not converted to a hardcore-galanthophile, though   ;D ;D
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:47:02 PM
Wim, if you look closely, you can find me in picture 'Expo 5'.
But only in the background. I am a little shy.

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: WimB on February 10, 2013, 03:47:55 PM
Wim, if you look closely, you can find me in picture 'Expo 5'.
But only in the background. I am a little shy.

Lina.

Ah, indeed, a double reflected Lina   :D
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 03:48:45 PM

Ah, indeed, a double reflected Lina   :D

I thought perhaps Lina had a twin?!!
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 03:54:57 PM
Jacqueline, this exposition is so nicely done. You should see it in the flesh. These scenes looked like fairies were living there. So most beautifull.

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 03:56:47 PM
Jacqueline, this exposition is so nicely done. You should see it in the flesh. These scenes looked like fairies were living there. So most beautifull.

Lina.
The quality is superb - are they done by one person or is each one by a different person?
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 04:13:33 PM

We had a nice lunch with Loes and her husband and Andre Bourgogne.

This was the start of our snowdrop season. Thursday we will go to the Boschhoeve to meet more people and buy a few more snowdrops maybe?
Lina.

But it is too early in the season for AndreB to see some paeonies......  ;) :D
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: andré B on February 10, 2013, 04:23:01 PM
Maggi, the peonies are still fast asleep so they won't notice if I am temporarily unfaithful to them. Come
april this will be all different of course.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 04:23:29 PM
The quality is superb - are they done by one person or is each one by a different person?

I do not know the answer, Maggi. Maybe one of the belgian forummembers knows.

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: WimB on February 10, 2013, 04:30:49 PM
The quality is superb - are they done by one person or is each one by a different person?

I have no idea either, I thought they were all made by the same small group of volunteers of the arboretum! Not sure though  :-\
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 04:34:05 PM
Maggi, the peonies are still fast asleep so they won't notice if I am temporarily unfaithful to them. Come
april this will be all different of course.

But the snowdrops may whisper it to them......... :o
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: KentGardener on February 10, 2013, 06:05:43 PM
Many thanks for the pictures of a what looks like a fantastic event Lina.  I should have been there - a missed opportunity for me!   :-\  Hopefully next year I will make it.   ;D

I can't quite work out the meddalions - are they windows hanging on a wall with flower arrangements behind?  How big are they?

That must be an Emma hat surely?......   ;)
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 06:37:01 PM
John, the arrangments are in closed boxes with a medaillon model window. The first pitures are the medaillon windows. The other pictures are with the camera against the glass medaillons. The glass medaillons are about 50 cm high, I think.

They also did put pots with snowdrops between mirrors. So you could see the snowdrops from every angle without touching them.

Rika is wearing an Emma, indeed. Mine was in my handbag.  :-\

It would have been a great event to visit with you. Next year there will be another opportunity. Hopefully again not at the same day as Nettetal.

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: steve owen on February 10, 2013, 07:09:01 PM
Super pictures, Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: emma T on February 10, 2013, 07:10:53 PM
wonderful pictures  :-*  loved seeing the "Emma hats"
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: KentGardener on February 10, 2013, 07:21:04 PM
Not sure anyone will see (of even understand this) - but one of your pictures really reminded me of Leigh Bowery.

(sorry all - just my weird brain springing into action!)

Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 10, 2013, 07:32:51 PM
Thank you Steve and Emma.

Not sure anyone will see (of even understand this) - but one of your pictures really reminded me of Leigh Bowery.

(sorry all - just my weird brain springing into action!)


Very funny, John.
I don't know Leigh Bowery, I'll have to google him.  ;D

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Maggi Young on February 10, 2013, 08:00:34 PM
You gave us a laugh here with the Leigh Bowery connection, John.


Must take this chance to remind everyone about the Galanthus pages of our Sister Forum of the VRV  :

http://www.vrvforum.be/forum/index.php?board=20.0 (http://www.vrvforum.be/forum/index.php?board=20.0) - worth looking there to see the snowdrops in some of the Open Gardens described there...... 8)
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: hwscot on February 11, 2013, 10:22:40 PM
But the snowdrops may whisper it to them......... :o

Very like Clint Eastwood, then, in Paint Your Wagon
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Brian Ellis on February 12, 2013, 10:13:59 AM
Just found this thread after a busy weekend!  Thanks for sharing it with us Lina, I am sure John will come to Kalmthout and enjoy the sales tables as they do not seem to have crowds around them.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 12, 2013, 10:29:30 AM
Brian,
Indeed it is not as crowded as I see in the pictures made at sales in England.
It has a relaxed atmosphere.

This gives everyone the possibility to get what they are looking for.

Most people went first to the stands of Valentin and Ruben.

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Brian Ellis on February 12, 2013, 10:35:39 AM
That's good Lina, the crowds round the tables in England make seeing what is for sale quite difficult at the start of the sales!  I hope you also had plenty of time to see some of the lovely Hamamelis Lina? 
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 12, 2013, 11:07:35 AM
When Rika and I were at Kalmthout 3 years ago, we did look at the collection of Hamamelis. This time we only took a look at ones showed in pots at the entrance. You can see them in the picture of the entrance. We needed the time to talk to all the friends we met.  ;D

Lina.
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Brian Ellis on February 12, 2013, 12:07:53 PM
We needed the time to talk to all the friends we met.  ;D

Just as important Lina ;D
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Alan_b on February 12, 2013, 12:58:14 PM
When I went to Kalmthout in 2011 there were talks in the morning, then lunch and only after lunch did the sales open.  That said there was a bit of a queue and the sales room was small and did get crowded.  Whilst this year the UK Gala had a large room for sales and everything seemed civilised.

You need good waterproof boots to view the Hamamelis collection, not to mention the snowdrops and snowflakes in situ. 
Title: Re: Kalmthout snowdropweekend in Belgium.
Post by: Lina Hesseling on February 12, 2013, 01:53:49 PM
Alan, maybe it helped that we were first in queue.  ;D

Lina.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal