Small world

[Maggi Young]

Hot on the heels of their successful exhibit in London, the Amand Family have been busy in the USA.
 


Bulbs Mondrian - the Jacques Amand International display at the famous  Philadelphia Flower Show.


"Influenced by the Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian, Jacques Amand International presents the landscape, Bulbs Mondrian, emphasizing the principles of abstraction and simplification. The sharply defined areas, created by horizontal and vertical lines of turf, give special prominence to each bed of color and bulb variety, establishing an overall balance and harmony of vision. An abstract steel sculpture by Lisa Fedon creates a visual focal point echoing Mondrian’s ideal of universal harmony. "
The John Amand and his sister Nesta have exhibited at the PFS for many years, and John has judged there as well.


Such a Small World really - British designer Andy Sturgeon was invited to  be the 'Convenor of Judges' at this years' Ellerslie Flower Show  in New Zealand - where NZAGS team won a Silver medal.
He was overseeing the judging process which allocates medals of Gold, Silver Distinction, Silver, Bronze and Merit, as well as five Supreme Awards for Design Excellence, Horticultural Excellence, Construction, Lighting and the coveted Judges’ Supreme Award. 
At the same time his team was preparing an exhibit at the Philadelphia flower show in the USA, which won several awards there:
"A Speculation...
Debate will always continue over whether the English artist Ben Nicholson was a painter or sculptor,as much of his three-dimensional work was executed with only subtle relief. This exhibit speculates what he would have produced had he explored garden design, and explodes and expands that subtle relief into a fully three-dimensional piece where sculpture becomes structure,and even architecture,to frame vignettes of the garden like paintings in a gallery."

[Maggi Young]

See more photos from the Amand stand at the Philadelphia Flower show on their "twitter"  pages :
https://twitter.com/JacquesAmandInt

[Maggi Young]

Such a Small World really - British designer Andy Sturgeon was invited to  be the 'Convenor of Judges' at this years' Ellerslie Flower Show  in New Zealand - where NZAGS team won a Silver medal.

No photos or report here from the NZers  but they have got something on their own website  see here  

[Maggi Young]

Quote from: Anthony Darby on March 02, 2014, 10:17:29 AM

    .........at the Ellerslie Flower Show.........

Where I believe the NZAGS won a Silver medal for their display. Congratulations to all involved in that after what seems to have been a tricky season all round. 

At a time when there is debate in the UK about the continued viability of the large flower shows run by the likes of the RHS - we learn that similar problems beset friends thousands of miles away.

What a shame to read in the NZAGS bulletin that there will be no Ellerslie Flower Show in 2015.
It has been remarkable, of course, that after the earthquake that did so much damage to the Christchurch area the show was able to continue at all but it seems especially sad fater that determined effort to pull through that it should cease now.
We must hope that it will re-emerge in future years as the NZAGS bulletin says :
"Sadly there won't be an Ellerslie is2015, as the show has suffered from declining visitor numbers and has been operating at  loss post-earthquake. However, Christchurch City Council has not relinquished the Ellerslie name and plans to work with the gardening and events communities to work out what form a show could take in 2016."

Naturally, NZAGS is  in favour of this  saying " We hope this materialises, as although the show entailed a great deal of work from our team, it was a great shop window for our Society and raised our profile with the public."

Which is, of course, precisely what we hope to do for NZAGS here by highlighting such things in the Forum to a wider audience.

[Maggi Young]

 NZAGS Study Day 22/11/14

Earlier in this thread Terry Hatch was mentioned and most here know Ian - the Christie kind- a former SRGC president.
These two "weel-kent" chaps are to be the speakers at the NZAGS Study Day  to be held at Ohoka on Saturday 22nd November 2014.

Ian Christie will give several presentations, on  "Scottish Snowdrops and Recent Introductions" - (which ties in nicely with a piece in the NZAGS bulletin from Ann Cartman about growing snowdrops  from seed ) and, in two sessions, Ian will talk about "The Nursery Garden: 35 years of growing"

Terry Hatch , from Auklnad, will take "Looking back on bulbs" as his subject.

A Christmas Party at a local private  garden is planned as well as plant sales
- keep an eye out on the NZAGS website for more news - or why not join and get your own bulletin  delivered ?

www.nzags.com

[astragalus]

Maggi, thanks so much for posting the site link.  Who has Iris "eyecatcher" for sale?
It is beyond belief.  Is it hardy?  Is it one of the reticulate irises?

[Maggi Young]

 I know Iris 'Eye Catcher' has been exhibited by  Jacques Amand  www.jacquesamandintl.com  bulbs@jacquesamand.co.uk
Address: Jacques Amand International, Ltd, The Nurseries, Clamp Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex HA73JS
Telephone +44 ( 0)20 8420 7110 -I'm not sure if it is in stock.

Wonder if Janis stocks it?  Or if it is one of Alan McMurtrie's breeding?

[fermi de Sousa]

It looks a lot like the one Gerben T showed a few years ago when he was at Goteborg,
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Yes, similar to the hardy iris shown by Gerben  here: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=77.msg1587#msg1587

As far as I can make out so far, the Iris Eyecatcher shown by JA  in the UK is not yet in commerce.

I cannot find where Anne found the name via the NZ link though, to find if it is the same plant 

[fermi de Sousa]

I found the picture on a Twitter item about the iris on the JA stand by searching for Iris + eyecatcher
cheers
fermi

[astragalus]

Maggi, I can't find it now either.  Maybe it was on the Twitter site you mentioned?  That just seems to go on and on.  Maybe I had a bit more time when I looked.  It was more than opne picture and reference.

[Maggi Young]

Maggi, I can't find it now either.  Maybe it was on the Twitter site you mentioned?  That just seems to go on and on.  Maybe I had a bit more time when I looked.  It was more than opne picture and reference.

 Easy to lose track - I do it all the time! I bet it was on Twitter though. Will let you know when I hear anything from J. A.