Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
SRGC Shows and Events => Events => Topic started by: Maggi Young on December 02, 2009, 08:15:02 PM
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Advance Notice.... to cheer you through the winter.......
This next SRGC Early Bulb day will again be held in the Victoria Hall, Dunblane, from 10 am to 4.00pm on Saturday 20th February 2010.
Display plants of flowering bulbs and alpines are invited. There will be plants for sale from the Club Plant Stall and various Nurseries.
The highlights for the Day will be two talks, one at 11am and one at 2pm by DAVID VICTOR, the subjects will be the Bulbs of South America and the Bulbs of South Africa. 8)
Edit 31/12/09 change of programme, see later post!
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Yes Yes Yes
Cant wait Maggie book me a front seat please, a talk on South African Bulbs amazing, roll on the 20th February all I need now is to get more of these bulbs and I will be happy.
Angie :)
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I wonder if I can pull out of our snowdrop day ::)
Do you mean the Gala :o :o :o I thought you were one of the speakers
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No Arthur, the N Ireland snowdrop day with 4 gardens open. Tea/coffee on arrival at the second one, then lunch in a hotel and tea/coffe and home made cake at the fourth garden. Already one forum member, not me, is attending
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Well, there has been a change to the Programme for the Dunblane early Bulb Day: now the talks will be as follows:
TALKS:
11.00 am
Ron MacBeath 'Down Under '
2.00 pm
Robert Rolfe 'Crocus and Iris - Iridaceae's Twin Peaks'
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I'dove to go to one of these days but alas...
I presume Ron's "Down Under" is about what's happening under the surface rather than in NZ and OZ since bulbs are not prominent in either of our Floras, totally absent in ours. :'(
Now I think about it, Down Under could also be South Africa or South America, but never seems to be, somehow. ???
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We'll be there as will John & Helen Amand... David will have the books and I'll have a cheque book :)
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The coach is booked for the Aberdeen Gang's trip..... 8) 8) ;D 8)
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Yes we are all getting excited already about Dunblane, hope Ron will talk about some South African bulbs but spoke to Susan Band last Monday who thinks all her new collection will be frosted. Susan have you managed to have a look or is everything still solid it is here but I risked watering some bulbs this week maybe wrong but things were dry.
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Roll on Dunblane :). Looking forward to the day. I always think that when this day comes around its not long after that the garden shows all its hidden treasures. I wasn't sure if it is better to hold off with the watering when it was so cold. I did give things a small amount of water as like Ian's plants mine were really dry. I hope the nurseries bring along plenty of plants as I think lots of us will have lots of holes to fill.
Susan I hope your bulbs will be okay.
Angie :)
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"Down under" only ever means Australia to me, but I suppose that could include New Zealand?
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Of course Anthony. We are even downer and underer than the Aussies. :D
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;D
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Of course Anthony. We are even downer and underer than the Aussies. :D
..... in the week that Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi were at Buckingham Palace to be given awards (OBEs) by the Queen..... you might even say the Kiwis are ..."down, down deeper 'n down...."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJbvHGRnkDs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8513192.stm
I don't think that Status Quo ever played the Victoria Hall in Dunblane, but if they did, they won't have had a better audience than the one which gathers for the SRGC Events there!
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Plant stalls expected at the Dunblane Early Bulb day will be..... as far as I know... Amands Bulbs; Christies ; SRGC Club plant stall; Beryl and Gavin McNaughton of MacPlants, the Rankins of Kevock and the Sutherlands of Ardfearn....
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Hope these stalls will take plenty of plants I think I have lost a lot with the weather and with my mum being ill I seem to have neglected my plants. I am away to empty my piggy bank, hope I have saved enough ::)
Cant wait till Saturday, hope to meet some folks from the forum there. Would just like to say thanks to everyone who organised this event, cant wait.
Angie :)
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Angie, do you know that Forumist "KentGardener", John Finch, is coming up tomorrow to come on the bus with us?
With the snow today I'm thinking that another fine strong chap might come in handy if we end up having to push the bus! :D
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Angie, do you know that Forumist "KentGardener", John Finch, is coming up tomorrow to come on the bus with us?
With the snow today I'm thinking that another fine strong chap might come in handy if we end up having to push the bus! :D
He has only just recovered from a very bad back - no pushing.
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Angie, do you know that Forumist "KentGardener", John Finch, is coming up tomorrow to come on the bus with us?
With the snow today I'm thinking that another fine strong chap might come in handy if we end up having to push the bus! :D
He has only just recovered from a very bad back - no pushing.
I know.... I thought he might read this and be terrified!! ;D ;D
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Angie, do you know that Forumist "KentGardener", John Finch, is coming up tomorrow to come on the bus with us?
With the snow today I'm thinking that another fine strong chap might come in handy if we end up having to push the bus! :D
Yes I do know the name and face, one of those snowdrop collectors :-X, I wonder if his sore back is caused by bending down looking at all those sweet snowdrops. I was out at Raemoir garden centre today looking at all the snowdrops, but they are all lovely , what more do they have to do to make themselves anymore special....Sorry.
Looking forward to meeting another forum member and all the way from Kent.
See you all on Saturday. :-*
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Galanthophiles do not incur sore backs looking at snowdrops, just damp knees.
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Aberdeen group, we wish you a safe trouble free trip tomorrow. Wish we could join you.
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Thanks, Brian and Maureen... there will be lots of folk asking where you are, of course..... it is such a pity that you are not well enough to join the charabanc trip..... we should tell them you've had the sense to stay cuddled up at home rather than venture out in this!
Ian the Christie kind has no snow at the moment.... so perhaps the trip may not be as horrible as feared. :-\
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Aberdeen group, we wish you a safe trouble free trip tomorrow. Wish we could join you.
Sorry to hear that you are unable to come with us tomorrow, you both will be missed. Hope to see you both at the next meeting.
We have an awful lot of snow here so I hope we will get out our road tomorrow if not I will be getting Derek up really,really early and walk to the Stonehaven Road.
See you all tomorrow.
Angie :)
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Looking forward to hearing all about it and good luck with the weather
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Woke up this morning to glorious sunshine on snow. Would have been a grand day to go to Dunblane, but busy with preparations for my daughter's wedding (2 weeks to go). Have fun folks, and post many pictures
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Back from the early Bulb event.
The number of plants in the"show" was down on last year - due to the ground being frozen (my own garden pond has been iced since 18 December) - but nonetheless the quality remained.
Ron McBeath, in his talk, guided us around the Drakensburg (SA) and Patagonia whilst Robert Rolfe provided an overview of iris and crocus. I'd never heard Robert before - it was spellbinding to listen to 55 minutes of fluent, encyclopaedic knowledge communicated with such ease (without faltering or notes).
All in all a splendid event to kick off the season - thanks to Sandy and organisers (and especially the kitchen team who provided great fare at such a reasonable charge - and thus provided an excuse to overindulge).
Looking forward to the Autumn bulb event at the RBGE and the start of show season in a month's time....
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I had a very enjoyable day out. Congratulations to all involved.
Here are some photos of the crocus.
Graeme Strachan
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What a super day and display it must have been for all concerned. Just as well I was nowhere near the place, with that list of nurseries involved. ::)
I see Frazer Henderson ISN'T in the Yemen just now. Just as well.
Maggi, is the word "charabanc" still in general use in the UK? I doubt if I've ever heard it here and have always associated it with the time of Sherlock Holmes. :)
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That's very funny re. the "charabanc" reference. I was going to make a posting yesterday to the effect that sometimes this forum reminded me of reading a Jane Austen novel... but I refrained. ;D
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Graeme, good to see the crocus baytopiorum colour hasn't beaten you!
Lesley, I did not actually get a chance to speak to Frazer, but I saw him from a distance and can attest that he appears in rude health and fully present in Dunblane.
Lesley, Lori.... I have to admit that perhaps my vocabulary is not necessarily a true representation of the vernacular of the day in our fair land..... but charabanc is one of my favourite words and I take the chance to utilise it on any appropriate occasion. To me it conjures an image of a group of factory workers, embarking on a works outing in times past..... full of fun, good company and nonsense.... describes an Aberdeen Group outing perfectly!
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Well, that's two forumists I didn't meet. :-\ Heigh ho. Had a great day and it was nice meeting John Finch. Here's some pics of snowdrops on show.
Galanthus nivalis 'Wedding Dress' grown and exhibited by Sandy Leven.
G. plicatus X nivalis 'Lady Dalhousie' grown and exhibited by Ian Christie and given an Award of Merit.
G. woronowii 'Elizabeth Harrison' grown and exhibited by Elizabeth Harrison and give a Certificate of Preliminary Commendation.
G. plicatus byzantinus 'Sophie North'.
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What a super day and display it must have been for all concerned. Just as well I was nowhere near the place, with that list of nurseries involved. ::)
I see Frazer Henderson ISN'T in the Yemen just now. Just as well.
Maggi, is the word "charabanc" still in general use in the UK? I doubt if I've ever heard it here and have always associated it with the time of Sherlock Holmes. :)
I've not heard reference to charabanc since hearing a song on an extremely dubious tape by Doc Cox's alter ego.
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Anthony can you show a tighter shot of Wedding Dress?
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Mark, Sandy had two pots, so here are both of them.
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Here's another of Sandy's: Galanthus elwesii 'Alexander the Great'.
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Isn't Wedding Dress an albino rather than Poculiformis Group?
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Here's a pic of a gardener from Kent speaking to Elizabeth Harrison's husband. Elizabeth herself is facing the camera. Glassford Sprunt is in the background.
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Lesley, Lori.... I have to admit that perhaps my vocabulary is not necessarily a true representation of the vernacular of the day in our fair land..... but charabanc is one of my favourite words and I take the chance to utilise it on any appropriate occasion. To me it conjures an image of a group of factory workers, embarking on a works outing in times past..... full of fun, good company and nonsense.... describes an Aberdeen Group outing perfectly!
An absolutely charming picture and usage of the word! I have to admit I am sometimes puzzled by certain turns of phrase... how must younger Americans, for example, feel? ;D Not to worry, though - just part of the adventure!
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I see a beard was trimmed for the Scottish trip.
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Isn't Wedding Dress an albino rather than Poculiformis Group?
You tell me Mark. I just read the label and took the pictures.
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Here's Sandy's other pot of 'Alexander the Great'.
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A pot of one of Ian Christie's 'Castle group' plicatus 'Lady Alice'.
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Absolutely superb photos Anthony.
A few great snowdrops added to the must have list. Where will it end?
johnw
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Thanks to those who managed to enter such wonderful early potfuls of bulbs and to Graeme and Anthony for the terrific photos showing every detail of their success - the best start to the season one could imagine :)
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Thanks for the photos Anthony, some great looking pots of galanthus, also good to see a picture of Elizabeth Harrison herself. Looks to have been a good day.
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Lesley, Lori.... I have to admit that perhaps my vocabulary is not necessarily a true representation of the vernacular of the day in our fair land..... but charabanc is one of my favourite words and I take the chance to utilise it on any appropriate occasion. To me it conjures an image of a group of factory workers, embarking on a works outing in times past..... full of fun, good company and nonsense.... describes an Aberdeen Group outing perfectly!
An absolutely charming picture and usage of the word! I have to admit I am sometimes puzzled by certain turns of phrase... how must younger Americans, for example, feel? ;D Not to worry, though - just part of the adventure!
For those who have never seen a Charabanc, here is a picture taken circa 1920 - guessing by the hats- of Cindy's aunt on a works outing. Some formidable looking ladies here!!!
Definition of a charabanc is an open top coach with bench seating
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What a unique archive photo, I wonder where they were off to?
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Dunblane Early Bulb Show of course! ::)
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My dear old Dad always referred to coaches (ie as opposed to ordinery service buses) as "Sharrers" )
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For those who have never seen a Charabanc, here is a picture taken circa 1920...
And one from a little earlier on...
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd273/Sundowner_album/misc/CharabancHorsedrawn.jpg
(This is the sort of picture that sprang to mind :D)
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For those who have never seen a Charabanc, here is a picture taken circa 1920...
And one from a little earlier on...
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd273/Sundowner_album/misc/CharabancHorsedrawn.jpg
(This is the sort of picture that sprang to mind :D)
Lori, you have some outdated views of us here in the old country... we do have the internal combustion engine, y'know! ;D ;D
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Anthony,
Many thanks for the snowdrop photographs you posted from the show, a very nice selection, some I had not seen previously.
Any more?
Paddy
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Many thanks to all the exhibitors who brought plants to our show in Dunblane. Although we had fewer plants than in previous years there was still a lot to see. When the Aberdeen bus rolls in the exctiement goes up a notch. It is remarkable that Snowdrops and Irises flower on time each year. Jean Wyllie showed lots of Crocuses and as usual won the 1st, 2nd and third prizes in the Brookfield prize. As usual the weather was kind in that it was dry and sunny but still very cold.
Ron MacBeath and Robert Rolfe are to be commended on stepping in to give the lectures at quite short notice. It is great that the sRGC has such dependable members.
Thanks also to those who brought food and soup [soup is food too] The catereing staff were knack... exhausted at the end of the day. They worked hard and did not hear the talks. Real dedication. I enjoyed the day of meeting friends, seing the lectures and buying a few more snowdrops!
Sandy
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Sandy your display of Snowdrops should have an award. Can we get a sponsors!!
The day was spectacular.Two excellent talks. Lots of people to chat to. Good food and soup as usual.
Thanks to all who signed the card for Jack Brownless get well ASAP.
See you all next year
Jean
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It was a damned good day. The plant colour was low, unless you count white as a colour, but the crack was great. The talks were really excellent and both Ron and Robert gave really great talks. Thanks to all who contributed to the day, most specially, Ann and Sandy who put in a huge mount of effort to make it work.
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It was a damned good day. The plant colour was low, unless you count white as a colour, but the crack was great.
It sounds as though you have unusually liberal bulb days north of the border! :o
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Mark, wedding dresses shouldn't be too tight or we can't get into them again. ???
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Here are four more pics.
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Nice pix capturing the colour in the displays, Anthony.
There were certainly fewer snowdrops on display than last year, when the benches were groaning under the weight of them but with the bad weather there has been this season, I was more than delighted to see any plants at all! I thought the selection on view was lovely and terrific that those shoiwing flower could be prised out of their greenhouse plunges to be brought to the hall...... the nights before Dunblane Day were horribly cold and many plants were firmly stuck in the plunges, I know!
The bus trippers from Aberdeen ( and Kent!) had a great day out and a good journey both ways.... it was as well that our numbers did not fill the coah, since the storage areas of the vehicle were frozen shut in the morning cold and all plants being taken down for the plant stall and display , plus a large box full of a complete run of SRGC Journals,( being delivered to a keen member in Twickenham, by John Amand, on behalf of an Aberdeenshire member giving up his collection)all had to be taken into the bus and safely stowed there for the drive down.
Luckily these compartments were able to be opened for the homeward trip... just as well since Angie would have filled more than half the bus with her purchases alone! I think she really enjoyed her treat of retail therapy and she certainly deserves it. The rest of us were mostly able to carry our spoils without the need for Sherpas. :)
The trade stands were not so full as usual, either.... but what else can be expected when the weather has been so harsh? There seemed still to be plenty money changing hands and a great many bags of plants around the hall at the feet of the happy audience members for the excellent talks from Ron and Robert.
Ron took us "Down Under" to South Africa and South America....I have a feeling that the plants hear Ron is coming and spring to attention for his camera.... all the best specimens want to be featured in a talk by the Doyen of modern day Scottish Plant Hunters :) Ron teased us, and his wife, with a final slide of Susan McBeath, standing on the deck of a small boat touring the edge of an enormous South American Glacier...... "you spend thousands on travelling to the far ends of the earth on holiday to see these wonders, and yet does Susan look happy?" said Ron.... well, Susan was looking more than a little cold, and it is hard to look really pleased when you're perished!
Robert Rolfe was surely innoculated with a gramophone needle but luckily, he seems also to carry a Juke Box gene.... he speaks at a phenomenal speed but he has a huge range of tunes to play us,so he never runs out of subject matter!
Robert galloped through "Crocus and Iris - Iridaceae's Twin Peaks" with barely a nod to a gladiolus or three in passing.....and kept the audience, by this time well capable of falling asleep in a warm hall after large quantities of homemade soup and cakes had been scoffed at lunchtime, well entertained.
All aspects of the Day went well, and I would like to record my thanks, and those of the Aberdeen Gang to all involved and particularly to those working so hard in the kitchen, w ho are so busy with the volume of people to be fed that they even miss the talks to provide the rest of us with sustenance for our busy and very enjoyable day out.
Well done, everyone!
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Mark, wedding dresses shouldn't be too tight or we can't get into them again. ???
Lesley
re: 'Wedding dress'
I could get into that one! In fact sold, I think I'll take it anyway. ;)
johnw
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Whatever takes your fancy John. :D
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Lori, you have some outdated views of us here in the old country... we do have the internal combustion engine, y'know! ;D ;D
Well, you just have to pardon us colonials... just because we're all speaking Esperanto and flying around in jet cars, we assume everyone is. ;D
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Whatever takes your fancy John. :D
Lesley
In retrospect I guess I (or everyone else) should be be thankful that snowdrop wasn't named 'Tutu'. ;D
johnw
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Thanks for the stories and the pictures everyone !! :D
Good to see and hear that despite the weather, everybody had a great time !!
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Hi everyone had a great day at Dunblane , would just like to say thanks to everyone that organised the event. Its fantastic meeting everyone and thanks to the nurseries we had a good selection of plants to choose from ( I didn't buy much plants did I Maggi ) ::) ::)
Also it was lovely meeting our young member from Kent easily recognised by his photo on the forum. I hope he has defrosted by now.
The snowdrops were lovely and so was Maggi earrings they were shinning in the sun ;).
Cant wait for all this snow to go away I am dying to get out in the garden and plant up my new purchases and dig out all my losses.
Thanks again to everyone that organised our wonderful day out.
Angie :)
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Lori, you have some outdated views of us here in the old country... we do have the internal combustion engine, y'know! ;D ;D
Well, you just have to pardon us colonials... just because we're all speaking Esperanto and flying around in jet cars, we assume everyone is. ;D
See! I just knew you had your own jet car!! All this talk of bikes and hiking is just a blind to make us feel less underprivileged! ;D ;) ;)
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Good to hear you all had such a good time and a safe journey. Maggie, I like the occasional use of the old term Charabanc. It reminds me of a more relaxed way of life in the first 25 years or so of the 20th century. I remember my late Father who was a coach builder saying they fitted Pianos in some, I guess about 1925-30. Seems much better than the universal DVD, Radio1/TV of today, but does require someone who can play.
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Thanks, Brian, yes, we did have a lovely day. Lots of people asking after you both, as you might imagine.
On the way down we passed a nice older coach from Cheshire..... our driver Jane, knew the owner/driver of this old coach, and told us about the family firm..... we were intriqued as we pulled past the coach, exchanging cheery waves to driver and passengers, to see that it was fitted out with seats in fours, around tables, as om a train..... little lights on the tables, flowers, the whole jing bang.... Jane told us the travellers get served tea and coffee en route.... it was really charming. We debated the likely cost of fitting out such a coach to that standard today and decided it would be prohibitive.
Some of us were not sure that we would like to be travelling "backwards" in a bus, though, as half the passengers were :-\
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Not too many years ago I remember travelling on the connecting bus between Gatwick and Heathrow and it was similar to the one you describe. Four seats round a table and a hostess to serve tea and coffee etc. It was a modern bus but would not have been as elegant as yours.
Are you going to hire the bus you saw for next years trip?
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Whatever takes your fancy John. :D
Lesley
In retrospect I guess I (or everyone else) should be be thankful that snowdrop wasn't named 'Tutu'. ;D
johnw
We are in the middle of Orientation Week here at present when all the Uni students are back and Dunedin's population swells by around 25,000. Or Week consists of the students getting to know local firms, facilities and everything else that's offered around the city and provence and among others includes banks, ski fields, local bars etc (as if they needed to be told THAT. Students have a built in homing device that takes them to anywhere that provides alcohol.) Otago Farmers' Market is also taking part and we have a mobile kitchen at the uni with different chefs doing student flat-type meals each day, using Market produce. It's proving very popular. Why I mentioned it was John's reference to tutus. At last year's Or Week we had a procession past our stand of new students (freshmen, to the Americans) having partied the night before, all wearing either fig leaves or tutus, usually pink. One guy labelled "the naked chef" was wearing just a skimpy chef's apron in front, the back totally naked. Another group were wearing sheep suits, very woolly in the heat, and were herded by a girl in cowboy boots and bull whip, not much else.
Do other uiversities have this kind of stuff happening? It used to be capping week but Orientation Week seems to have taken on the madness. Locals including the police are very tolerant for the few days.
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Freshers week in most universities in the UK (except St Andrew's and Dundee). Usually October time.
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Anthony
Enjoyed the pics. I must tear myself away from the English snowdrop calendar and get up to Dunblane - maybe next year? Meanwhile, your two resized pics posted of "Wedding Dress" seemd to show different colouring - one green, the other distinctly limey, particularly the ovaries. Can you recall which is closest to the true colur of the potful? Thanks,
Steve
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Steve, if my memory serves me correct, the green version is more correct. The first pics were taken outside in bright sunlight, whereas the second pot was taken inside on the show bench. You'll have to come and see it for yourself next February. ;) (N.B. the second pic is a different pot.)
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So pleased that sensible people can bring back the proper subject to a thread rapidly degenerating into the ridiculous, all because a snowdrop is called 'Wedding Dress.' (Perhaps too soon though to discuss ovaries? Delete that Maggi if you feel like it. :D)
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Beautiful snowdrops & so well displayed.
Are the snowdrops actually grown in the pots they are shown in or lifted from the open ground & potted for the show bench?
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It can vary , Mike.... though I think most looked this year to have bee grown in the posts... just as well considering the snow and frozen ground over much of the catchement area for the show.... if everything had needed to be lifted there would have been almost nothing able to be shown!
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Yes I guess you're correct about that Maggi. Even down here in Somerset the snowdrops are at least a couple of weeks later than we have come to expect.
The people that manage to grow such perfect potfuls of snowdrops are very skilled indeed.
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I think that it would have been very difficult to lift anything from the garden and pot it up last week.
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Just been talking to Peter Brownless Jack's son. He was delighted to get the card with the signatures from last Saturday. It made his day. He is on the mend very slowly.
Thanks to all who signed it.
Jean
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So sad that on the day of the Blackpool Show dear Jack Brownless passed away, after we had so hoped he was making progress.
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Sandy Leven's Bulb Day report is on the main website here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/shows/earlybulb/index.html