Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: TheCroftWorkshops on April 17, 2007, 11:59:27 AM
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Short version-
I need to know the correct colour blue for a Spring Gentian (gentiana verna) I've found loads of images, my problem is that they all seem to be different shades of blue and I was wondering if there is a “correct” blue and how embarrassed I would be when someone who knows what they're looking at tells me I’ve got it wrong.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew
Longer version-
Hi all. I'm not sure where to start really because I know very little about plants in general never mind the specific area of the rock garden. However I should probably start by being honest and hope you will forgive my vested interests. I am a goldsmith living and working in Durham city. Don't worry I’m not going to try and plug my shop/website. You may or may not know about the County flowers scheme? Well it turns out that the Durham county flower is the Spring Gentian (gentiana verna). To cut a long story short Durham County Council have approached me to make a range of jewellery based on this flower. I've searched all over for images and found more than you would think. My problem is that they all seem to be different shades of blue and I was wondering if there is a correct blue and how embarrassed i would be when someone who knows what they're looking at tells me I’ve got it wrong. If anyone is interested I will post an image of a mock up version.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew
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Kew should have a colour key for this flower, and this should be comprehensive enough to include the type found in North East England?
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It would probably be easiest to get yourself a plant - they will be coming into flower soon. A trip to an alpine nursery, or maybe Harrogate Spring Flower Show next week would probably do the trick.
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mine have died over the winter but I would guess, using my RHS Colour Chart, that they are Blue Group 99B
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Andrew, I think there is no correct colour blue for a Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna). In the wild you see many different shades of blue. Of course many colour blue are similar, but there are always brighter and darker flowers. The colour depends also on the time of day and on weather.
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I knew Mark would come up with the goods and as Franz says, there are many shades. This is why I suggested Kew, as that which comes from Pink Panther country will be distinct and certainly different from any commercially grown clone.
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Here are two pictures of presently flowering Gentiana verna in my garden. It is the correct colour blue?
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Franz, I would say that these two pix show very well the colour that we would typically recognise as Gentian Blue. There are, as you point out many shades but to the lay person, this would be the classic colour.
So this should be some help to Andrew... always supposing his monitor is giving the same reproduction to the colour of Franz' pix as mine is!! ::) ???
PS... have visited your site Andrew, some interesting designs there! Perhaps you would like to show some here?
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Hi Andrew: I wish the county that I live in had such a magnificent species as its flower!! As you are living in that wonderful city of Durham, may I suggest that you are ideally placed to see the gentians and their colour for yourself. Take yourself up to upper Teesdale, around Cow Green. They should be in flower in about 3 weeks or so, maybe sooner if the weather remains unseasonably warm.
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It does Dave, it does. The elusive Snow Gentian [Gentiana nivalis] has stunningly blue flowers 8) and is found in the Lawers range and the Angus glens.
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Thank you guys, I wasn't expecting such a good response. Turns out my step-dad has one in his rock garden but it's not flowering yet. So I’m eagerly awaiting a phone call so I can see it for my self. The photos are stunning Franz thank you. I made a quick mock up of some of the pieces in the range but from what I’ve see from your pictures and the yet to flower plants in my step dads garden I have a lot of work to go before I do them justice. Here's what I've done so far.
(http://gentain mock set.jpg)
www.croftworkshops.co.uk (http://www.croftworkshops.co.uk)
hope this works i've not posted a picture befor.
I'll keep you up to date on how I’m doing over the next few weeks.
Thanks again everyone.
Andrew
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Just another quick one. Here is the design i plan to use for my next attempt. Any obvious flaws?
thanks,
andrew
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The only flaw that I can see, Andrew, is that you are down in Durham!
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These will be really attractive souvenirs of the city, for people visiting Durham. If I ever get there I'll certainly be a buyer and all alpine growers would be tempted I'd say. And we may also be in at the "birthing" of a new alpine gardener, if Andrew gets the bug!
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Maybe they'll be available by credit card on the Internet?
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Mmm. That's given me some ideas for future birthday presents...... :)
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Andrew, a piece with Dryas octopetala and one with Gentiana acaulis would go down well with SRGC and AGS members, and both have the advantage of being fairly simple shapes to translate into three -d metalwork. For the american market , the NARGS logo is a Dodecatheon...you could have hit a rich vein here, Lad!
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I’m, not sure. They are going on sale in the Durham city tourist information office in a few months time. I imagine that they will be able to post them out and take payments over the phone? I don't want to say too much really because I know I’m not supposed to advertise on this forum. I'll find out the details closer to the time, every thing will be on my web site when I get a moment. If things go well they might start appearing in other local tourist outlets. Still at early stages yet though.
I know it's probably a futile effort but a bought a spring gentian and I’m attempting to keep it alive on my window sill in the workshop. Not it's natural habitat I know. The one in my step dads’ garden is flowering now but my photography skills are not really up to the task. I'll have a go though and see if I can post a picture.
Andrew
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Maggie, I don't know if you know but there was a pendant made for one of the SRGC anniversaries a long time ago. It was a Dryas in silver and gold, mum often wears it at the disscusion weekends. It was one of our relations that made it, nothing to do with us, I hadn't started growing plants then.
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Andrew, advertising is only advertising when we don't want it. If we DO want it, it's the legitimate giving out of sought-after information.
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I will second that.
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Well in that case, if anyone is interested, i can make any kind of flower you want ether in an abstracted form like the gentians in silver and enamel or more realistic physical shapes in gold, white gold, silver, platinum or any combination of the above. Even stone set how about a nice big yellow diamond in the centre of your platinum Dryas Octopetala? Ok, sorry, I'm getting carried away now but you get the picture.
It's hard to give a price range obviously because it depends on size, materials, complexity and other factors but if you have an idea let me know and I’ll work something out. The Spring Gentian pendant in the picture will probably retail around £65-£75 and I’m doing a smaller one with a single flower which will be about £55. Plain silver ones will be even cheaper at around £40. Like I said earlier those are going to Durham Tourist information so they get final say on the R.R.P.
Here is a picture of a poppy model I made for my girlfriends mum. The rear flower is detachable and can be worn as a pendant. It is made from silver and gold and would be around £365 if you’re not my girlfriend mum. Pendant alone about £85 :)
Andrew
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Hi all!
I thought you might like to know that after a very long wait the city council has finally given the go ahead for the gentian jewellery. I've just begun production so the pieces will be turning up in the tourist information in the next week or so. :) I'll post a picture when I get a chance.
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Congratulations, Andrew. I hope the range is a big success and we look forward to seeing the pix.Also, we'll need the address of the Tourist office for orders!