YES!!! The "I'm so happy" thread. 2009

[Anthony Darby]

Tomorrow we're off for a break in Italy - who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks  

Nice Weimaraner. Heidi is out of sorts as she is in season again - 4 months since her first! Doesn't stop her tearing up the sodden grass in the local park doing doggy handbrake turns at great speed!

[Ragged Robin]

Living with Weimaraners can be very entertaining, you never quite no what will happen next!  Heidi sounds full of energy Anthony - she is a great companion too it seems   

[Anthony Darby]

It is amazing how quickly she learned not to go onto the flower beds. I wish the children could have learned  the meaning of the word "no"!

[Maggi Young]

A new issue of the RHS magazine, "The Garden" arrived today and I see there is an article about Crocosmia.... featuring lots of great varieties , described by "Mr Crocosmia", Mark Fox. Hast ye back to the Forum, Mark! 

[mark smyth]

I've just been looking at it also.

Anyone see 'our' Jo Hynes on TV this afternoon? She was on the BBCs 'Open Gardens' where she had to decide if a garden was good enough to go in the yellow book. She said ....

[Paddy Tobin]

Yes,

Spotted Jo in some of the previous programmes.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Well .... I didnt watch the programme until now and although she is in the trailer she wasnt on this programme. Only 22 programmes to choose from.

[fermi de Sousa]

The Seed Season has started again! Received my allocation from NZAGS this morning! Time to get ready for labelling, potting, sowing and of course, getting donations ready to send overseas!
cheers
fermi
PS if Will was a member of the Forum he'd be posting this under the "Moan, Moan, Moan...." thread!!!

[David Shaw]

Today we ran a small stand at Inverness Horticultural Society Show, our purpose being to support a neighbouring society and to promote the Highland Rock Garden Club and the SRGC. Carol did the mandatory trough demonstration in half an hour whilst I manned the stand. It is the wrong time of year for our plants and, thank God, we didn't take any of our vegetables to show (the shame of it!). We spoke to large number of people and managed to sell enough seeds and bulbs to cover our small petrol costs.
The show seemed to be quite successful as they took about £700 on the door. I thought that admission was high at £2.50, and that did not include tea, but plenty of people came along.

[Martinr]

£2.50 does sound a bit steep. I know we're only a village but...we only charge 20p to get in. Then we try to get £1 off you for raffle tickets, Tombola tickets, plant sales, tea & cakes, auction, etc

[Rodger Whitlock]

. . . Inverness Horticultural Society Show . . . admission was high at £2.50, and that did not include tea, but plenty of people came along.

Our local RG society, VIRAGS, decided some years ago to stop having a fixed admission fee to our annual spring show. It's now "admission by donation". We actually take in considerably more money in admissions than we ever did with fixed-price entry.

Used to be that we sent out tickets for members to sell and the bookkeeping that ensued was a nightmare for the treasurer. Now life is simpler, plus the system works with electronic delivery of the newsletter, plus we make more money. This is called win-win-win.

[David Shaw]

This shows a great leap of faith by your committee, Rodger, to go to 'entry by donation'. As Show Secretary of Highland RGC youhave started me thinking but it is a very scary thought.

[Paul T]

Our local horticultural society doesn't charge at all for entry to our shows (be it donations or otherwise).  We make our money from the plant sales table.... the entry charges didn't add up to much.  Members and those putting in entries used to get in free, and they are the majority of the people who come to the show anyway.  I think that people like not having to pay entry to a show, and then tend to be more likely to spend that money on plants/devonshire tea etc. anyway. 

[Lesley Cox]

A lot of groups here have a gold coin donation for entry, $1 or $2 and it works very well, many people choosing to give the $2 coin. At our Farmers' Market, we have access to Cadbury's carpark across the road and Cadbury's staff donate their time each Sat morning to man it and take gold coin entry fee. So far this year they have taken about $40,000 all of which goes to a kids' cancer charity.

[David Nicholson]

Our local AGS Group meeting tonight if I can swim there (see Weather thread!!) and Wol Staines is speaking. I have it on good authority that he is bringing some snowdrops to sell as well