Saxifraga "days"

[Maggi Young]

I was browsing happily on the website of Forumist Martijn Jansen: http://www.dereuvenkamp.nl/ 

Martijn offer some good plants, and a range of Saxifragas.
So it was that I arrived at this website, from Martijn's link page:   http://www.alpigena-saxifrages.nl/
 A site unknown to me before, but since Martijn has a link, I am thinking it is worth mentioning this:

Saxifraga Days 2008!
Zaterdag/Saturday 8, 15, 22 and 29 March

Alpigena Saxifraga Nursery
Bart and Hannelore Moerland
Bilderdijkstraat 129   7442 VK
Nijverdal
The Netherlands

I would hate to think that those snowdrop folks had all the fun with their days out!
It seems a good opportunity on these open days at the nursery to buy some Saxifrages to adorn your troughs and screes!

[Greenmanplants]

Speaking of Saxifraga days.

We had a day out recently at the home of the national collection of kabshias, Waterperry near Oxford, looked after by Adrian Young.

Despite being bitterly cold, windy and having a few hailstone showers, it was an excellent day out, the plants revelling in the conditions.

         

[Greenmanplants]

Ah, on the old forum that would have given a side by side view, Apologies.

Here you can see the two main raised beds, with over 5 tonnes of tufa all planted up with the collection.  I'll post some more later if there's an appetite for it.

Anyone down this way should pay a visit, very well worth it. 

[Maggi Young]

John, I have edited your post to show the two pix side by side....if you click on it yourself to "modify" you'll see what I did!

Lovely place, by the way.... somewhere else I have not visited.... did I tell you I don't get out much? 

[tonyg]

I'll post some more later if there's an appetite for it.

John - Yes please.  Looks very interesting, I wanted to click on the pic for a larger version - close-up.
The planting looks very well thought out, both the plants and the site.  Pictures of both plants and the structure ?over and around them would be great.  It's given me an idea for my own plant collection.  Thanks!

[Greenmanplants]

Thanks Maggi, that's very neat, I just swapped them over.

Hope you enjoy Perth tomorrow.

Tony, at some point tomorrow I'll sort out some of the pictures I have of the shading structure on the collection, it is very neat and is used both as summer shade and winter wet protection.

The raised beds are essentially mostly builders concreting ballast, sharp sand and aggregate to 20mm topped with a grit dressing, two sleepers on edge high.  Pure drainage, no food, the plants are as hard as the Tufa.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very impressive John !
I wouldn't mind seeing a couple more either... 

[Katherine J]

I'll post some more later if there's an appetite for it.

Yes there is a great appetite for it!!!

[Greenmanplants]

This is really just to show the structure of the wooden frame and the height it stands at.

Totally practical, Adrian reckons this does the job fully, in winter corrugated perspex sheets are inserted in the top of the frame and are held in place with simple batons.

Adrian on left talking with Ron Beeston and Mike Baker with his back to us.

[Greenmanplants]

In the summer, the perspex sheets are removed and slotted shading the size of fence panels put in place.

[Greenmanplants]

On the picture above, you can just see the 'Maps' pinned to the frame.

Here is a sample in close up showing how you find your way about the plants.

This saves having labels all over the place, getting lost pulled out by the blackbirds etc.

The fact that the Tufa is pretty well permanently in place means that the occasional loss of a plant in situe does not disrupt the mapping.... as when you have ......'E' between 'B' and 'D' and one of the three dies leaving you with ED BD or BE, which if you know your plants, is fine....but when as Adrian has the general public and idiots like me around....being able to see the plant at the bottom right of the triangular rock is Nancye......is ideal.

[Greenmanplants]

The same mapping system works very well for the various troughs about the place.

Here are 5 of them.

[Greenmanplants]

Last batch..I was having a bit of a blurry day with the camera, so these are probably the best of the rest...you really need to be there to appreciate all that there is....not just Sax either there are a few other gems about.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great pix John !
Thank you very much for taking us around this remarkable place !
Beautiful and very interesting at the same time. 

[johnw]

John - Thanks so much, what a marvellous group of pictures and the designs so thoughtfully executed.

johnw