Snowdrop Events, 2018

[Alan_b]

Bernadette, I believe there is a degree of rivalry between the organisers of the two events.  Had it been otherwise, then one event could have been staged in the morning and the other in the afternoon and people might well have been tempted to go to both.  As it is, we have a choice - but both options look good.  Perhaps the loser is the Myddleton House sale on 27th January?  This used to be the first sale of the season but it was moved to be a week later and so is now superseded by these other events.     

[Brian Ellis]

Sellers (pre-publicised) are Harveys themselves, Glen Chantry, Richard Bashford, John Foster, Michael Broadhurst, and Edulis Nursery.[/li][/list]

I have checked with Richard and Valerie and they will not be attending this event - just in case anyone was hoping to see them there.

[Alan_b]

Brian must mean Richard Bashford (and his partner Valerie Bexley).  I looked on the Harvey's Garden Plants web site and, surprisingly, could find no details of their snowdrop event there beyond the date and the time.  I had to look back at a mailing I received at the beginning of December and the poster that was at the start of their sales list to find those details.  Things must have changed (or not come to fruition) after that was published. 

Similarly, I struggled to find first-hand information about the other event online.  It is on the Facebook page of Blacksmiths Cottage Nursery but not on their web site (that I could find).

I guess this demonstrates the power of this web site and others that maintain a list of snowdrop events, so the event organiser does not need a lot of direct publicity.

   

[Brian Ellis]

Brian must mean Richard Bashford (and his partner Valerie Bexley).  I looked on the Harvey's Garden Plants web site and, surprisingly, could find no details of their snowdrop event there beyond the date and the time.  I had to look back at a mailing I received at the beginning of December and the poster that was at the start of their sales list to find those details.  Things must have changed (or not come to fruition) after that was published. 

Similarly, I struggled to find first-hand information about the other event online.  It is on the Facebook page of Blacksmiths Cottage Nursery but not on their web site (that I could find).

I guess this demonstrates the power of this web site and others that maintain a list of snowdrop events, so the event organiser does not need a lot of direct publicity.

Yes indeed I did mean Richard and Val from Woodchippings.  Like you I could find nothing on Harvey's site and I had been told they would not be there so was surprised to see that you said they were and thought it best to check.  I know the others will be there and I can imagine who I might have seen in the queue if I had wanted to go.  As always these are as much social occasions as sales so I shall miss seeing people but hope to catch up at Myddelton which I always used to think of as the start of the season until Mr Harvey started his sale a week beforehand, now there are two - whatever next!

[Alan_b]

Yes, Brian, there has been such a proliferation of snowdrop events that clashes are becoming almost inevitable.  The Myddleton House sale was on the 24th January in 2015 and the 23rd January in 2016.  If they had stuck to this slot of the Saturday before last in January then they could have hung on to their premier position but I think they made a strategic error by deciding to take the last Saturday in January.  As the AGS had muscled-in on the first Saturday in February then Roger Harvey, and now Ben Potterton, have been squeezed into this earlier weekend.       

[David Lowndes]

I’m going to have to miss Myddleton this year because I expected it to be earlier and can’t make the later date. Foolishly didn’t check and now have to entertain visitors. This will be pleasant but I will miss the frenzy which is always entertaining!
I must say though that I enjoy the way that snowdrops dominate the first two months of the year.  So many new events and even more new snowdrops!

[Alan_b]

Actually David, we knew in 2014 when the date of Myddleton House's 2018 sale was to be: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11895.msg353188#msg353188 .  And we know their date for next year is 26th January 2019.   I don't know if dates for any subsequent years have been announced but I think attendance at this event has dropped and they should try to win back customers by opting for 18th January 2020 in order to reclaim their position as first sale of the season.  I enjoyed it more that way.

[Maggi Young]

From the Chelsea Physic Garden - which always hosts several snowdroppy events each year!



 28th January - Renowned galanthophile Joe Sharman of Monksilver Nursery returns. Join Joe on this lecture and tour for a glimpse into the intriguing world of snowdrops.

This talk will be held twice at 11:30 am- 1 pm & 2- 3.30pm. Talks are free with Garden entry but seats will be on a first come first served basis. 


https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/heralding-spring-27-jan-4-feb

[steve owen]

Actually David, we knew in 2014 when the date of Myddleton House's 2018 sale was to be: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11895.msg353188#msg353188 .  And we know their date for next year is 26th January 2019.   I don't know if dates for any subsequent years have been announced but I think attendance at this event has dropped and they should try to win back customers by opting for 18th January 2020 in order to reclaim their position as first sale of the season.  I enjoyed it more that way.

Alan, if indeed attendance at the Myddleton House event is declining, the organisers need to address one or two other things apart from the date.

[Alan_b]

I could be wrong, Steve, but I don't think that the queue stretched back as far last year as it has done previously. 

[Blonde Ingrid]

Alan, if indeed attendance at the Myddleton House event is declining, the organisers need to address one or two other things apart from the date.

Good point Steve but this takes us into the world of Marketing, which generally is missing from much of the snowdrop world. Footfall at shows is almost certainly not a useful indicator of the health of the snowdrop market. A marketing expert would undoubtedly point out many other issues and indicators.

[Brian Ellis]

I could be wrong, Steve, but I don't think that the queue stretched back as far last year as it has done previously.

I thought the same, but I am told the attendance overall was just as good as before, obviously the hardened galanthophiles after the latest drops were in the queue and others turned up later.

[Alan_b]

That's interesting to know, Brian. 

As far as Myddleton House is concerned, they make their money by charging for entry to the sale and, presumably, by charging each seller for their 'pitch'.  I have no idea how much is charged per 'pitch' and whether this has ever changed nor whether that or ticket sales makes the most money for Myddleton.  But I can envisage a year when there is a lot of footfall and not so much sales which appears as a success for Myddleton House and a failure for the vendors.  Or it could, potentially, be the other way around with lower footfall but higher sales.  However I, naive about marketing, would imagine that sales and footfall are more likely to go hand-in-hand than not.

Anyway, a short term success for Myddleton House is higher ticket sales and a long-term success is that they can charge a higher price per pitch.  That's right, isn't it?

     

[steve owen]

Disappointed to see the Great Comp site advertising its snowdrop event ("Snowdrop Sensation") with these words:
"Galanthophiles’ or snowdrop collectors, are among the most competitive varieties of plant nuts – some will stop at nothing to get hold of a rare bulb; even stealing from other galanthophiles isn’t ruled out."

Call me old-fashioned, but speaking as someone who has had snowdrops stolen in the past, how is it acceptable for a website to appear to be condoning such behaviour by endorsing it? 

[Blonde Ingrid]

Disappointed to see the Great Comp site advertising its snowdrop event ("Snowdrop Sensation") with these words:
"Galanthophiles’ or snowdrop collectors, are among the most competitive varieties of plant nuts – some will stop at nothing to get hold of a rare bulb; even stealing from other galanthophiles isn’t ruled out."

Call me old-fashioned, but speaking as someone who has had snowdrops stolen in the past, how is it acceptable for a website to appear to be condoning such behaviour by endorsing it?

QED!