SRGC Discussion Weekend 2012- Dumfries 28th to 30th September

[Maggi Young]

Kris, good to hear you  are safely returned home. It was very special for us to welcome you and Ingrid to Scotland. It was an honour to have the VRV President attending the DWE.

It was a pleasure to see Vic and Janet Aspland back in Scotland after quite a lonfg while, and to welcome Cliff and Joan Curtis, with Sharron White and Carole Smith, and Helen Seal and Simon Wallis from the Cambridge Botanic Garden,  to their first, but we hope not last,  Discussion Weekend.
A great disappointment was the absence of Clint Callens from Waregem in Belgium, who was to be one of the Speakers. Clint is unfortunately feeling poorly at the moment.  We hope he will be able to come another time to our DWE.  Get well soon , Clint!

[Maggi Young]

Other "first-timers" at the DWE were husbands of Anne W.  and Diane C. - I hope they both enjoyed themselves- they seemed too- perhaps because I had hardly any chance to chat to them!
There were other new faces there too- wish I had got round to meeting  them all.

[Roma]

I had a couple of hours to spare before I caught my bus on Monday so did a bit of botanising on the wall outside the hotel.
Three species of fern
Asplenium trichomanes
Asplenium ruta-muraria
A solitary Asplenium scolopendrium
Campanula and a couple of Willowherbs

[David Shaw]

Thank you for the lesson on ferns, Roma! A. trichomanes has invited itself into our garden and I have long intended to try to id it. I wouldn't mind if A. ruta-muraria did the same. We brought a piece of A. scolopendrium back from the Bainbridge's last year and that has established itself.

[Richard Green]

Thanks Roma, I was in too much of a hurry to stop and look at them.  I think there was some Aubretia there as well!

A. scolopendrium prefers very much damper conditions than the other two.  The best ones grow with their feet in water and no sunlight and have leaves to 30cm.  No wonder the Dumfries example is looking a bit sorry and burnt up.

The other two species curl up in dry conditions, but refresh themselves once the rain comes on again.  I find them very easy to establish in stone walls here.

[carolesmith]

Cliff, Joan, Sharron and myself all arrived home safely after the Discussion weekend in Dumfries.  Congratulations and thanks to those involved in the organisation, their hard work certainly paid off and was much appreciated. We met lots of lovely people and hope to return another year.
I am including a small piece of writing composed by Cliff when he was awake during one of the nights which maybe reflects his pleasure:
"The moon is rising over the wee hills and looking out over Dumfries this evening for all to see. I wonder how often this occurs, each week, month, year, perhaps only when we are here, just a little gift to us."

[ChrisB]

That's a lovely anecdote Carole.... nice reminder of the weekend.  Had such a nice time...

[shelagh]

A great time was had by all.  Just a few pictures.

2 of the finished crevice garden.

2 of the trophies at the DW out on show including the new Reivers Trophy.

A shot of Brian and I handing over the Crawford Cup to Stan da Prato.  We were joint winners of this trophy at the Glasgow Show in May.

The gala dinner, well our table.  Also Vic Aspland beating off the Papparazzi as I tried to get a picture of him in a suit, a rare occurence I was told.  Janet looks well too, despite a pot arm.

[Maggi Young]

The DWE show raised some controversy this year, since the judges did not award a Forrest medal.  Our show rules state only that a Forrest Medal "may" be awarded and also that Judges should withhold any prize, trophy etc if they feel the standard is below what is expected.

While there were some very attractive plants on show, the judges felt, after full discussion and consideration of all alternatives, that on this occasion, the Forrest Medal would not be awarded.

The two plants which were under discussion for that award were a  plant of Cyclamen africanum and of Cyclamen cilicium.

On close examination the C. africanum was found to have some flowers that were going over, flowers that were mis-shapen, and foliage that had suffered some sort of damage,  either from frost or aphid damage, that was deforming  some leaves.

The C. cilicium had a few flowers that were not absolutely fresh. For these reasons, the judges decided that neither plant was perfect enough to warrant the premier award of the Forrest.

The C. cilicium was, however, judged to be the best cyclamen in the show, and so was awarded the Jim Lever Trophy.

As was mentioned earlier in the year, when a Farrer Medal was not awarded at a Show in England, such decisions my sometimes appear  mysterious, but , as in this case, there is likely a simple explanation that is clearly demonstrable by the judge's explanation. 
In Dumfries the Show Secretary, Jennifer Watson, was privy to all the judges' discussions and was able to confirm that all proper steps had been taken in the making of the decision.

I am pleased to be able, as one of the Dumfries judges, (along with colleagues Alan Furness and David Mowle) to make this explanation of our decision to a wider public.


So, on to the photos... My apologies for the fuzzy nature of too many of these pictures - hope you at least get a flavour of the show.
 

[Maggi Young]

first set of show photos.
Including the Cyclamen cilicium and, pictured as the rear plant of a three pan class, the Cyclamen africanum  which were part of the Forrest Medal debate.


As usual : click on the photos to enlarge them

[Maggi Young]

more, in random order :

I had a problem to capture the charm of the dainty blue Adenophora in the last pix.

     2 celmisias
    2  in fruit
    3 bigger cyclamen
    3 smallcyclamen
    3 pan with Thalictrum ichangense
    Neat little Aciphylla crosby-smithii
    adenophora1.jpg
    adenophora2.jpg

[Maggi Young]

next set
    asplenium grown  from spores in 2001 - neat plant- shaky photo!
    autumn-shades1
    begonia
    conifers
    crocus banaticus 1
    cushions 2
    cushions.
    cyclamen cilicium and intaminatum
    cyclamen graecums

[Maggi Young]

some more
     cyclamen hederifolium with silvery foliage
    cyclamen foliage
    cyclamen rohlfsianum
    ericas
    ferns 2.
    ferns 3
    foliage2

[Maggi Young]

more foliage.... including a Heuchera trio

[Maggi Young]

more, including mini gardens