Birthday Greetings to a Forumist

[Tim Orpin]

Hi Maggi and the SRGC Gang. Thanks for the birthday wishes. I was quite distraught when I didn't get a mention yesterday but have since moved on with the help of a bottle of red - my proven form of therapy. No walnut cake for me as I need to share my birthday celebration with my 14 year old son - his order takes precedence and he chose pavlova with fresh summer berries - very yummy so no complaints from me.

Lesley, I don't know anyone who publicises their birthday - especially women!

No new Trilliums for my birthday as they are all still sitting in New Zealand. Though I did get Trillium seed from Dave Toole and planted it on my birthday. Birthday prezzies were all appropriately botanical, frits, Eucryphias and 3 Wollemi nobilis - one from each of my children and an assortment of other greenery.

Oh, and just is case anyone was wondering, that is how Dave Toole normally dresses. Do not be deceived!

[Lesley Cox]

Women are quite happy to publicise their birthday (how are they to get prezzies otherwise?) just not the number of years that go along with it!

David-in-Devon, you'll be thrilled to hear that Dave down here has already left the country on his way to Dunblane for your party. I'm a bit worried though because his lurex was really VERY gaudy and I'm afraid he may be arrested in Dubai or somewhere so maybe he won't get there after all. But hey, we're not too concerned about how Dave dresses. We have a very high profile lawyer here (used to be a policeman, Pres of the Police Assn) who dresses in drag as some protest against something. He went to court on a contempt charge a few days ago in just-above-the-ankle length "Alice in Wonderland" dress and petticoats, button shoes and topped off with his own, shiny and bald head. So no, Dave hasn't got a problem.

[t00lie]

"' He went to court on a contempt charge a few days ago in just-above-the-ankle length "Alice in Wonderland" dress and petticoats, button shoes and topped off with his own, shiny and bald head".

And very fetching i thought   

Cheers Dave

[David Nicholson]

Look forward to seeing you Dave, I have reserved you a seat at my right hand. We are a very open minded lot in the old UK as far as cross dressing is concerned, indeed it is highly likely in the next few years that it will be entered as an Olympic Sport (one of our few chances of a Gold Medal!)


Birthday greetings to Mick and Tim also.

[Maggi Young]

entered as an Olympic Sport (one of our few chances of a Gold Medal!)

I take exception to that : I myself feel confident in my chance of success in the cake eating contest and quite a few of us are vying for a place on the gossiping team.

[Maggi Young]

Tim, I am pleased that you took sensible measures to cheer yourself because of your belated birthday message. What a shame you did not, at least, spot the little birthday cake icon that appears on your profile summary on your birthday. It'll have gone now, of course, until next year! Next year I promise to be more thoughtful about your time zone!

[udo]

All plantfriends,
many thanks for the birthday greetings.

[Lesley Cox]

As promised, 1 virtual birthday cake for 1 virtual birthday party to be held after the early bulb show. This is for David in the first instance but also for Dirk, Mick and Tim and any one else with a birthday around now. It's coffee with a little chocolate as well to give it a good colour. Enjoy, everyone.

[Maggi Young]

Wow, Lesley! Just back from Dunblane (and what a FAB day it was, you'll hear all about it later and see some pix, I hope) it seemed like half the forum was there so a very busy day of chat, I think we are all more than ready for this cake: what a bosker! As I was clicking down the photos, I could swear I caught a whiff of coffee scent !Yummy! David et al will be beside themselves with such a treat, just hope there's enough to go round!  As well as forumists at Dunblane, there were lots of lurkers as well, evidenced by the number of folks going up to Mark and saying, "I know you, you are Mark, aren't you a fine tall lad !" It was all a bit much for him, I don't know how long he'll be able to stay at the party, not sure if he is tired or just had a better offer! Sue Gill was there, with newest Forumist Chris Boulby, lurkers from the Newcastle Group  Alan and Brenda Newton and David Boyd came up too, with loads of wonderful plants for the display, and for sale too, I bet, though I couldn't get through the throngs at the SRGC plant stall to find out! I thought David wouldn't mind if we invited all these folks to the party, too, so if that is okay, then John "don't mess wiv me"Finch may have a harder job as bouncer than he anticipated!

[Mick McLoughlin]

The cake looks lovely Lesley, thanks. Just potted up the Nerine bulbs Mandy (the better half) bought me for my birthday. Any hints on growing them?

[Lesley Cox]

Glad you liked the cake Mick.

Make sure the necks of the bulbs are above the surface in the pots is step one. Bon't bury them. Keep warm and sunny, frost free when in growth (autumn through spring) though some are very hardy here at least, bowdenii and flexuosa alba in particular.  Water well from late summer but make sure they're well drained. If you are continuing to grow them in pots, a high potassium fertilizer applied when growing well, after flowering probably (Ian?). They flower best when crowded, but will eventually need dividing and repotting.

I think EVERYONE is at that party. I usually have 30-50 emails from the Forum but only 4 this morning. Hope the cake didn't make anyone ill?

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, that cake was G E O R G O U S, I waited until all the others had taken a piece, took the remains outside and wolfed the lot

[Maggi Young]

And I nabbed all the walnuts! Coffee and walnuts, a match made in heaven!

[Paddy Tobin]

Mick,

As with Lesley, Nerine bowdenii is perfectly hardy here in the south of Ireland and increases at a good rate. As Lesley said, they flower better when a little congested but do eventually need to be separated. This time came for me this year and, when lifted, there were buckets and buckets of bulbs to replant, leading to the situation of having difficulty finding space to replant them all.

I grow some of the more tender ones in pots, again, as said, with the neck well proud of the compost. Indeed, as they grow and begin to fill the pot they will lift right up out of the compost completely almost with just the root system left below it will seem. This seems to suit them perfectly and should not be taken as a sign that it is time to repot. Leave this until they stop flowering.

Great plants and the variety of cultivars available gets better all the time, it seems.

Paddy

[Susan]

To those of you in the 'virtual' world.  I have to say that over here in the 'real' world - that the coffee/choc cake was absolutely delicious.  Lesley left a quarter of it at the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning.  Went very well with a few bubbles last night when we went over to celebrate our daughter moving into her new house.  The rest was to go to our son who is in a flat full of starving students, but it was so yummy he has lost out.  I'm sorry Maggi, but I have to rub it in, those walnuts were very nice - from Central Otago Lesley.

Charming outfit Dave, the lurex will probably set off all the security alarms in airports throughout the world.

Susan