Snowdrop Event 2016 - Luisenpark Mannheim

[Anne Repnow]

  A bit early, I know, but I thought this way I might catch your attention...

Starting at the end of February 2016 (the date hasn't been fixed yet) Luisenpark in Mannheim will host a yearly snowdrop event: Schneeglöckchentage im Luisenpark. Apart from talks about snowdrops, a snowdrop exhibition is planned and it is hoped that specialised nurseries will sell snowdrops (and other perennials). A winter walk is being discussed but will not be realised by then.

Luisenpark is a large public park (104 acres) in the centre of Mannheim, a city of about 300,000 inhabitants in the southwest of Germany. Luisenpark offers beautiful plantings of perennials and annuals and many recreational facilities for grown-ups and children, including a magnificent Chinese tea-house, a small zoo, a little farm, a lake with gondolettas, an open-air stage, several restaurants and many playgrounds. Every year, 1,2 million people come to visit the park! More information on Luisenpark at www.luisenpark.de (in German, sorry).

Mannheim is easily reached by motorway or by ICE train and is well connected to many major German cities: Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Karlsruhe, Freiburg etc. It is also very close to the border of France (Alsace).

Visitors only need to pay for park entry – the Snowdrop Festival is free of charge. There will, however, be an admittance fee for the talks. There is excellent free parking for visitors, there are restaurants in the park and there is no shortage of toilets... 
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So much for the official line. As the Luisenpark is a non-profit organisation and as such not very well funded, park management have asked me to organise the event for them. Although I feel very honoured, I am also a little daunted by the task. I have some experience of organising events, however, I am a novice-galanthophile with only a few years of immersion in the subject. So I would be very grateful for any suggestions, support or even help.

I would, for example, be enormously glad to hear of any nursery willing to exhibit/sell snowdrops and/or other special perennials at the Luisenpark event. (There will be no charge for exhibitors/sellers)

[Hagen Engelmann]

das ist aber weit und weise voraus gedacht...
a long and wise idea......

[Maggi Young]

Forward planning always a laudable idea, Anne!  I'm sure we'll do all we  can to help in any way we can.....

[Uwe]

Which is not so easy. The date of the event is very important because the weekends from mid-February to mid-March already occupied with similar Events: Boschhoeve, Nettetal, Hamburg, Erfurt, Frankfurt/Main.

[Alan_b]

Uwe had the same thought as me.  If your event clashes with another one in the area then you will get fewer attendees and fewer vendors.   

[Anne Repnow]

Right. That is why I haven't fixed the date yet. I want to speak to some exhibitors/nurseries first. The problem is that those in the east of Germany prefer March because they have continental climate and in February it is still very cold. Those in the west (Netherlands, GB) prefer earlier dates because Galanthus flower earlier there. You can't win....

[Anne Repnow]

There are no snowdrop events in the south of Germany as far as I know. In fact an event in Frankfurt is new to me - I only know of Nettetal and Hamburg. Everybody I mentioned the idea to in the past weeks told me that an event in our region was really needed. But maybe they were just being kind???

[Uwe]

whether in nettetal, hamburg, erfurt or frankfurt, there are almost always the same seller, and much more seller does not exist (except for some small exceptions

[Uwe]

in Frankfurt even without snowdrop, but Erfurt is developing well

[Anne Repnow]

You are right, Uwe. Nevertheless, all events start sometime and some even stop at some time. Life is dynamic and I will not give up easily.

[Maggi Young]

whether in nettetal, hamburg, erfurt or frankfurt, there are almost always the same seller, and much more seller does not exist (except for some small exceptions

But as someone who is not very familiar with other snowdrop events, I expect Anne will be grateful to be told just who these usual sellers might be - it is sometimes rather hard to discover these things if one does not attend personally- I hope help will be given to Anne as much as possible by the people who do attend and know these things.

[Uwe]

but as long as Nettetal, Hamburg, Erfurt are successful, the seller will not leave these events. there is in Germany a few gardeners with rare spring flowers

[Maggi Young]

But need they "leave " those other places? Is another chance to sell in a new place not good?

[Uwe]

I want to mention this, it will not be easy.

[Anne Repnow]

I realise that, Uwe. We will see.