Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
SRGC Shows and Events => Events => Topic started by: Stan da Prato on July 09, 2015, 06:43:42 PM
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A group met up today to discuss what we should do for Scotland's national gardening show which will run from 3-5 June 2016. Not everyone who helped so effectively this spring is available but others have come aboard and are keen that we mount a display. It will be based on the previous stand but modified to extend the drier gravel habitat by incorporating a crevice section. We are always looking for people so we can spread the workload. As we will start the build on Sunday 29th May and will not get all the plants away until Monday 6th June we want to have a group building and planting, another doing finishing touches on judging day and others on the days the show is open to the public. We also need help on the last Monday morning to finish clearing up. And of course we welcome offers of plants for the stand. Please let Liz Mills know if you are able to help. Several of us will be at Dunblane for the club's summer event if anyone wants more information.
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Hello Stan, I'd like to view the pictures of the SRGC stand at Gardening Scotland but am not sure how to find these on the Forum. Can you help please?
Eileen Goodall
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http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=13124.0 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=13124.0)
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Hello Eileen, David has given you the link for the main thread for GS 2015 - but, this note may be of help to you in future:
When you are logged into the Forum it is best to use the SEARCH facility from the line of options displayed near the top of each page. The SEARCH button is fourth from the left in that line of options.
Portal.. Forum.. Help... Search... Profile ..............Donations Logout
Cheers,
Maggi
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Rob Graham has again been checking that the framework of the stand is OK as well as adding a board which we hope will be the base of a sloping crevice section. The snap shows the addition in his garage. To make this work we will need to add lines of stone that will link to the existing rock work and hold enough compost and gravel to disguise the plant pots but not add excessive weight. We also hope to add a small grassy area simulating an alpine meadow.
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Wow! You fellows are , once more , right on the ball - these changes sound really impressive. Not easy to achieve, but will be great, I'm sure.
With the snowy weather it's as well Rob has the garage, eh?
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With the snowy weather it's as well Rob has the garage, eh?
I think he is allowed into the house if he behaves himself.
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I think he is allowed into the house if he behaves himself.
:o What a relief! ;) ;D
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Rob continues to work on the base of the new crevice garden and meadow
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trial with turf in place for the meadow
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Hello getting ready for SRGC display have taken advantage of the cooler day however some plants need sunshine some pictures of the plants ready will go early on Monday the back on Wed that is the plan for now might change, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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next.
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a few more must get back to work will probably need to put some plants back inside, hope to see you all at the show come and say hello please, cheers Ian The pot with the Cypripediums is very heavy any offers to lift for me??
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This afternoon Rob Graham and I started to build the stand in the Caley Floral hall at The Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston. The base and boxes are just as in previous years.
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Good work - nice to see Rob 'in the frame'...........
Wishing you the best of everything in your endeavours!
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As the Scottish Rock Garden Club gang of volunteers are preparing for the display Gardening Scotland Liz has been up to Ardfearn (- thanks folks!) to collect these goodies for the stand.
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Pictures and message from Sarah MacRae of Ardfearn
"Lovely selection of plants heading off with Liz Mills for Scottish Rock Garden Club's display at Gardening Scotland. Good luck, everyone, hope it all goes well!"
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and some more plants from Ardfearn Nursery, (http://www.ardfearn-nursery.co.uk/) near Inverness for GS....
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Well done Liz for driving up to collect these beauties from Ardfearn Nursery Thanks for the photos Allie and Sarah!
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This photo of the SRGC Gang working on the display was posted in social media by The Caley (Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society)
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Ian Christie, close,right, Sam Sutherland left, far side
Good Luck to The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, Macplants Nursery, Kevock Garden Plants, Nesta Jolliff and Jacques Amand, Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries, Binny Plants, Hartside Nursery, North Berwick in Bloom and all Scottish Rock Garden Club pals Gardening Scotland - also hoping the sun shines for the show days!
These pix of plants arriving for the show from Show Manager Jim Jermyn ...
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Gardening Scotland have high hopes of good weather .... they've posted this screenshot of the weather forecast for the show!
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The Show is at the Highland Showground, Ingliston, by Edinburgh 3rd to 5th June
You can see a full list of exhibitors in the Caley Floral Hall here: http://www.gardeningscotland.com/floral/ (http://www.gardeningscotland.com/floral/)
Rumbling Bridge Nursery isn't attending the show this year but have kindly given plants for the SRGC Display.
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Hello have spent all day at the show with Stan da Prato, Sam Sutherland Rob Graham, Richard Green lots of plants arriving a few pictures, cheers Ian the Christie KInd
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A few more as I am sure Snapper Stan will add more, cheers.
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Hello have posted the wrong pictures, cheers A bit muddled after today
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A few more I am sure Maggi will edit the wrong ones, cheers.
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Marvelous progress- amazed at how it is coming together. It must be a bit odd working in the light of the hall - I wonder you are able to see the colours okay - though it appears you are!
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Hello have posted the wrong pictures, cheers A bit muddled after today
Malt ??? ;D
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Hello Dave unfortunately all I had was coffee and yes my eyes were a bit strained once you went out it was so bright hurt the eyes will be back tomorrow maybe more lights on then, maybe loan the Management a few bob to get more light (nae chance) cheers.
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car loads of plants arrived so we started planting them -besides those mentioned above an excellent contribution from Ayrshire via the McNultys and Simpson Watts which none of us seem to have photographed
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continuing
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We really did make good progress thanks to excellent teamwork. Finally a rare action shot of myself - note how thoughtful Richard had brought in biscuits that match the colour of the compost!
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The Rheum nobile also came from Ardfearn. Many of their plants are raised from seed from both the SRGC and AGS Seed Exchanges.
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More good progress today. Four of us who were at Ingliston yesterday were joined by Trina who once again did a lot of labelling, something that is really important for a display.
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A set of step ladders allowed high vantage points of the club stand and Kevock next door. Our plants have been brought to the show in club members cars. The vehicle used to bring plants for the big Caley stand which will dominate the entrance to the floral hall is rather larger.
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Crumbs! I hope you only have to write about those big plants on the Caley Stand and not lift 'em, Stan!
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Well, you can call me biased - but I think the SRGC gang already have the stand looking great!
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Members of the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee are in Sweden visiting Göteborgs botaniska trädgård. Few Scots are able to attend since many members are busy with preparations for Gardening Scotland #GS2016 Show this weekend.
Luckily the RHS and AGS members have finished with Chelsea at this time.
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The keen eyed will spot Peter Semple and Sandy Leven, both former SRGC Presidents.
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Today Ian, Peggy and self finished planting the lower level.
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A tour of the stand
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....final photos for today. Tomorrow others will clear up our mess and get the stand ready for judging in the late afternoon. It is always good to have fresh eyes when looking for any mistakes.
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WOW!
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Yes WOW - well done the growers, the goers, the showers, the photographers and the posters for sharing, I look forward to seeing the stand on Saturday.
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Well done everybody involved, it looks great.
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Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries got their stand ready at high speed - Gary McDermott said he was going to be busy elsewhere - now we know why....
From Twitter
Philip Clayton @clayton_philip
Cracking day at Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries with Roy Lancaster on our latest jaunt for #TheGarden
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https://twitter.com/clayton_philip/status/738066119332925441
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Who's Philip Clayton?
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He is the Assistant Editor of the RHS magazine the Garden, David.
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He is the Assistant Editor of the RHS magazine the Garden, David.
Thanks Maggi, I read The Garden every month and I still had no idea ::)
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Pictures from Beryl McNaughton of Claire and Gavin getting to the end of preparation on the MacPlants stand at Gardening Scotland .....
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A selection of photos taken by Alan Gardner of the finished SRGC display just before he left the Floral Hall this afternoon - he thinks it's looking pretty good and so do I - lets's hope the judges agree!
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some more ....
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Checking the finishing touches is Margaret Anderson - who is always a stalwart of these display teams and was formerly the SRGC Treasurer. SRGC folks are multi-talented, you know!
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In the background - Big John Amand and Ian Bainbridge.
Amand International always have a stand at Gardening Scotland in the way they always support the SRGC Early Bulb Day and Discussion Weekend.
Ian and Carole Bainbridge will give a trough making and planting demo in the RHS Theatre at the show- in fact many SRGC members are involved in the theatre events, Question and Answer sessions etc.
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more from Alan, who will be one of the cheery SRGC people helping out at the SRGC Stand -for those wishing to meet him, he says he's the one who looks like Brad Pitt. :-X
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Seeking respite from the burning sun at the pallet gardens I looked briefly into the hall and took a couple of snaps of the tidy up team today. I believe Beechgrove were to film at our display this evening so look out for a slot about the crevice section in tomorrow evening's programme.
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The triumphal arch made by Rob Graham and Liz Mills in the picture in the previous post was prophetic - SRGC has been awarded a Premier Gold Medal at Gardening Scotland!
We've seen here the work put in by the team of volunteeers and it has paid off! Well done!
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My word- it gets better!! 8) 8) 8)
Latest news from Liz Mills - " Jim Jermyn has just informed us that the Scottish Rock Garden Club have been judged as the best alpine display in the Show - the Alf Evans Award is given to the best commercial display and that goes to Kevock. Fantastic news!
Premier Golds have also been awarded to Macplants, Kevock Garden Plants, Dibley Nurseries and the Ayrshire Bonsai Group (who also won Best Exhibit in Show). Congratulations to them all!
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Relayed by Liz Mills - a message from SRGC President David Rankin.....
President David sends his congratulations to all the members involved in mounting a magnificent display at Gardening Scotland. The plant quality is outstanding.
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Fantastic news, well done to everyone involved - I look forward to seeing it tomorrow morning.
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That's fantastic news! Very well done to the team. I shall enjoy seeing the display tomorrow.
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I think the Stand is great this year. Plenty of admiring visitors, and the seed sales are going well too. Just taken a few(!) bags of plants back to the car, and then going back to shake a few more hands!
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Photo from Liz Stewart, RHS Development Manager, Scotland of Ian Bainbridge giving a trough demo in the RHS Theatre at Gardening Scotland - good audience.....
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From Gardening Scotland site :
2016 Awards
We would like to thank all of our exhibitors and visitors for making Gardening Scotland 2016 another successful Show. Your support is greatly appreciated and we look forward to what is in store for the 2017 Show.
The Best in Show Awards Go To…
Best Floral Exhibit
Ayr Bonsai
Best New Floral Exhibitor
Ayr Bonsai
Best Show Garden
SRUC Edinburgh – “Hive Jive”
Best New Show Garden
Scottish War Blinded – “Silhouettes in the Fog”
Best Floral Art Display
Dumfries Flower Club
Best Alpine Exhibit
Scottish Rock Garden Club
Alf Evans Award (Best Commercial Alpine Exhibit)
Kevock
(full floral hall awards list now available HERE (http://www.gardeningscotland.com/gardening-scotland-2014-floral-awards/) (with 2014 on url, but it is for 2016!) )
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Retweet from SHG Coordinator https://twitter.com/NTS_SHG/status/738770211889893376- Billy Carruthers at Binny Plants - they've won Gold @GardenScotland - first design by David Wong
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Very well done to all who participated.
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The McNaughton Family won Gold with their display - here are Beryl and Gavin with the Medal card in front of their stand.... well done!
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Bravo everyone!
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This morning the joint rock lot met in the hall starting at the club stand then on to Kevock
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some other nurseries
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and more
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What were the Joint Rock lot doing? From what has been explained to me before (ad nauseum) they are about awards to individual plants. Since this wasn't a show about individual plants but a show about display of collective plants and the design of their environment at the show. ???
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The Joint Rockers are looking to see if any individual plants on any of the stands are worthy of award or further trials ....- people had submitted plant names to the committee for consideration and instead of looking at the plants in a pot (carted to them in a room somewhere, away from the show bench) they go to the stands andlook at the plants in situ.
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Good to learn today that Hartside won Gold and J.Amand silver gilt.
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Well done team. Really lovely display. Not long back, had a nice day out a managed to buy a few more plants. Where I will find space to plant them I don't know .
Angie :)
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David
On a slightly different tack, I have been to many shows to find certain plants have been removed for "consideration" by JRC and despite hanging about for an hour and a half, have never appeared back on the bench when I have been there. The only time I may get to see them is if they are later posted on the Forum.
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The morning after the show before.
At close of show yesterday an energetic group dismantled the stand and bagged up all the bark and gravel. This morning Liz, Rob and self met up in the no longer Floral hall, Liz to take away the plants we had bought in for eventual sale, Rob and I to take the materials back to the club hut at Binny Plants. Adding the crevice garden has inevitably meant even more stone to shift! We finally left the show ground at 1pm.
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Well it's all done and dusted, and as one of back-room boys I would like to pass on my compliments to the front of show staff, particularly Stan, Liz, Peggy, Ian Christie and Sam - I'm sure there are others that I should mention ::). It's a team that achieves without really any order from the 'heady'.
Stan de Prato is the manager par eminence - always there, but never seeming to issue an instruction (I did have 'order' there, but that's certainly not Stan). The hours he has put in are well beyond just duty. I did a bit on the woodwork front this year for the lower crevice bed and the stream bank; straightforward enough joinery, but I didn't really have the confidence that what was in my mind was plantable so Stan was dragged across from East Lothian a number of times to pat me on the head and say yes that's going well ! Thanks Stan.
I'm not sure that the final crevice thing was quite what I'd hope for - yes it was good enough for the judges, but the interface to the grass bank was not good, and if someone could produce the lovely cerise primula hirsuta next year for the grass bank, some gentiana verna and some soldanellas that would be really good. I've photos of these in the high alpine meadows from a trip to the Italian Alps at this time of year. Unfortunately I don't have anything that shows how the screes blend in with the meadows so that's a guessing game.
I've just found a picture on Google of soldanellas coming through snow - can we do a snow-field next year please ?
Rob
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- can we do a snow-field next year please ?
Thanks Rob - just keep taking the tablets. There will be a post show meeting soon about the future as not everyone who helped so much this year will be able to do so again.
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SRGC's Gardening Scotland Gang have excelled themselves - yet again. what stars - we are so lucky to have such members.
Thanks to Rob for taking the time to mention the extent of Stan's role - of course those of us who rely on his superb show reports are already much in his debt.
Just thinking - if you were to be short of help next year, a snow-field might be the perfect answer - thick layer of snow - couple of rocks sticking out, three small plant at the edge - sorted- sounds like a low-maintenance solution!
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A Big Thank You to all the Club members who helped make our Gardening Scotland display the best in recent years. Here's a list of everyone involved – and my sincerest apologies if I've missed anyone out.
Suppliers of Plants: Stan da Prato, Ian Christie, Sue Simpson & George Watt, Sheila & Neil McNulty, Cyril Lafong, Sam Sutherland, Alan Gardner, Sandy Leven, Jean Wyllie, Liz Mills, David Millward, Richard Green, Peggy Anderson, Anne Chambers, Ardfearn Nursery, Rumbling Bridge Nursery, Macplants.
Suppliers of Seeds: SRGC surplus seed beautifully packaged by Ian Pryde, Ian Christie
Building the Stand: Stan da Prato, Ian Christie, Rob Graham, Peggy Anderson, Sam Sutherland, Richard Green, Trina Rogerson. Chief 'Titivators' on Thursday: Peggy Anderson, Alan Gardner, Ian Bainbridge.
Manning the Stand (promoting the Club to the public attending the Show, giving information about the plants and their cultivation, selling lots of seeds): Jackie Thomlinson, Helen Donald, Anne Bush, Liz Mills, Richard Green, Ian Bainbridge, Alan Gardner, Ann & Ian Christie, Maureen Wilson, Ann Steele, Ken East, Peggy Anderson, Linda & Sam Sutherland, Rob Graham, George Watt
Display Supremo: Stan da Prato
Administration: Liz Mills