VAULTS

January 20th 2000..... David Mowle

'High alpines in the garden and under glass'

Apart from being a long standing and valuable member of the group, David is known both Nationaly and Internationaly for his encyclopedic knowledge and and dedication to solving the problems of growing difficult plants. This should prove to be a very interesting lecture.

February 17th.....Will McLewin

'Paeonies'

The Dwarf Paeonies are among the most interesting and neglected of alpine plants. There being more species than one might first think. Will McLewin will be covering these as well as some of the larger species more suited to the larger parts of ones garden.

March 16th.....Mike and Polly Stone

'Choice plants for the Peat Bed'

Mike and Polly garden in Scotland and as such their climate is suited for the growing of a different range of plants than are grown further south. The soil being acidic in nature opens up an interesting range of Ericaceous and moisture tolerant plants. With difficult plants such as Shortia soldaneloides self sowing around their garden 'Askival'. This testifies, in no small measure, to their expertise as propagators. Mike and Polly are well know in alpine plant circles and as the writers of the Stone Column in the Bulletin of theScotish Rock Garden Club. Much traveled in their pursuit of plants in their native habitats, this time their travels lead them south to us here in Lancashire.

March 18thMorecambe Show.

April 20th.....John Saxton

'Dwarf Conifers and Shrubs'

John is a familiar figure around the Alpine Show circuit and is an expert at growing and propagating of dwarf shrubs and conifers.

SUMMER EVENTS

Sunday June 11th Flora and Fauna walk with Brian Burrow.

Birkdale Dunes Nr Southport, Lancashire.

Meet at the very end of Westbourne Road, at 1-30pm.
Follow Lord Street right along to it's southern end, past the church where the Southport Alpine Show is held, straight over the roundabout and after a couple of hundred yards there is a road forking off to the right, take this right along to the very end.

Sunday June 18th Flora and Fauna walk with Darren Sleep.

North Walney Nr Barrow in Furness.

Go into Barrow along the new A590, go right at the Rugby Ground/Tesco roundabout.(the first you come to)
Right at the next roundabout and cross the bridge.(get in lane early) Go right at the lights at the end of the bridge then go along the promenade for approx 1/2 mile.
Turn left into Mill Lane then right into West Shore Road and met in the large car park at the end at 2pm.

CHAIRMANS RAMBLINGS January 2000

Happy New Year.
Peter Blands comment that 1998 was the wettest and mildest since his records began has been overtaken by 1999 being the U.K.'s warmest year ever. This makes the advice of the earlier generations of alpine gardeners even more applicable today; E.B.Anderson in "Rock Gardens" 1959, Anna Grifith in "Collins Guide to Alpines" 1964 and Will Ingrewson in "Gardeners Chronicle" 1968 all repeat the message "drainage, drainage, drainage" whether in the garden or in pots in a greenhouse.

Will described an experiment he did over a number of years with"a very large pot filled with 3cu ft of pure stone chippings from which every vestige of dust and organic matter had been scrupulously washed. Into this I planted a selection of Androsace, Saxifrage, Draba, Primula, Dianthus, Thlaspi, Ranunculus glacialis, Silene acaulis, Petrocallis pyreniaca, and even Erythrichium nanum, from whose copious roots I had washed all soil". Will's Plants " grew slowly, were healthy and flowered abundantly"

I decided some time ago that too many of my pot plants were not being looked after properly. The job of propagating from them and releasing the offspring into the garden has gone slowly. Over the years interests change and the early pots of saxifrages and primula allioniis from which every whithered leaf had to be removed before Christmas have given way to pots of dwarf bulbs such as colchicums, crocus, fritillarias and narcissi (N cantabricus & N romeuxii in bloom Christmas week) in a large Crittal frame. The plants freed from pots have a new lease of life in what was a sloping part of the lawn partly converted to a rock garden with builders aggregates, stone from a neighbour's revamped garage and car bootfuls of more stone dug up by British Gas when laying a new pipeline. An early life with children brought up on the Wombles left its mark.

Now is the time to get on with planting seeds. Mine go into pots to stand outdoors on the north side of a hedge, protected by fine wire mesh from birds and mice. Having learnt the hard way I try to inspect them daily, for a potful of seedlings devoured by a slug in the night can be mistaken for "did not germinate". As soon as a seed germinates in a pot that pot comes into a light airy part of the greenhouse.

Charles Aitchison Chairman

A.G.M. report.......

From our Secretary comes this report.
The annual general meeting took place on December 16th. Peter Bland announced that he was standing down after five years as Chairman. He took the view that in any Group or Association it was not healthy for a Chairman to stay in office for too long a period. Members reluctantly accepted his view although there was no doubt that if he had been willing he could have continued for a further five years. Warm tributes were paid for his achievments.

Charles Aitchison was unanimously elected as Chairman. Darren Sleep is now Vice-Chairman and Sid Cumbus takes over as Treasurer. The re-election of Ken Kitchen as Secretary, Les Brown as Membership Secretary and Lional Clarkson as Show Seretary were approved. Linda Brown after three very efficient years as Treasurer, is to be nominated as Treasurer for the Morecambe Show. Beryl Bland and Tim Roberts will continue as Committee members and Eddie Simpson will take over responsibility for slide projection.

The Traesurers Report was warmly welcomed as it showed a considerable improvement in the Group's financial position.

Ken KitchenSecretary

Snippits.......

Those of you who enjoyed Beryl Blands recent talk on Saxifrages, will be pleased to learn that Beryl's new book on Silver Saxifrages is now available. It is nice to think that we have so many talented people, like Beryl, as members of our group.

One of our members Tim Roberts, has recently been on an expedition to nepal. We hope to persuade Tim to write us an account of his exploits for a future issue.

This years show season has got off to a good start for local member Tom Anderson. Afer winning a large six pan class at East Lancashire Show he went on to win both the large and small six pan classes at Hexham and repeated the feat at Cleveland Show. Winning, in the process, the trophy for the A Section aggregate points. Well done Tom.

FARRER MEDAL(Best plant in show)was awarded to John Saxton, Sutton in Ashfield, for a magnificent plant of Hepatica nobilis.

HOLLET TROPHY(most first prize points in the open section A) G Rollinson, Holmfirth.


MICHAEL ROBERTS TROPHY(most first prize points in section B) Mr R Hall, Wolsingham.


REGINALD KAY TROPHY(most first prize points in section C) Mr M Childerhouse, Brigg.


SRGC Bronze Medal(subject to SRGC rules) Mr R Hall, Wolsingham.


A.G.S. Medal(Class 1 - 6 pans rock plants distinct not more than 3 of any one genus) Mr J Almond, Shrewsbury.


A.G.S.Medal(Class 45 - 6 pans rock plants distinct not more than 2 of any one genus) Dr A.J.Richards, Hexham.


Kirkby Cup (Best foliage plant) Mr G.W.Young. Stocksfield. with Celmisia insignis.


Duncan Lowe Award ( Best plant in a 19cm pot) new award Mr A. Furness, Hexham. with Frtillaria crassifolia.


Narcissus Salver (Best pot of Narcissus) Mrs K. Rimmer, Eccleston. with Narcissus watieri.


Certificate of Merit (Plant of outstanding merit) Mr F.F. Hunt, Invergowerie. for Fritillaria aurea


Certificate of Merit (Plant of outstanding merit)Mr J. Almond, Shrewsbury. for Iris graeberiana.


Certificate of Merit (Plant of outstanding merit) Mr D.J.Pickard, Ebchester. for Dionysia MK9107


Silver Award (exhibit of outstanding merit) Mr S Cumbus, Lancaster. with a photographic display of the 'Spring flora of South Africa'.

SHOW REPORT

This years Morecambe Alpine Show, was held on Saturday 18th March, and for those members who attended they were treated to a wonderful display of plants brought from far and wide.

90 exhibitors showed 632 plants including seven local group members. Special mention must be made of first time exhibitor Mrs H Luker who in Section C, got a first for Trillium rivale grown from seed, in this her first show.

Mr F Hoyle, a relative newcomer to alpine exhibiting, had a good day. Followed a week later by winning the Booker Prize (no not THAT one) for the best plant in Section B at East Lancs Show.

Our Treasurer Sid Cumbus was awarded a Silver Award for his Photographic Exhibit of ‘Spring Flora of South Africa’.

Darren Sleep won his Bronze Medal and Tom Anderson had a good day which started a 'purple patch ' for him. He won the large 6 pan at E Lancs a week later and followed it up with both a large and a small 6 pan at Hexham a week later, no small feat.

The ‘Farrar Medal’ for the best plant in the show was won by our next months speaker, John Saxton, with a magnificent plant of Hepatica nobilis.
The Joint Rock Committee met to assess the merit or otherwise of plants submitted to them, which included. Corydalis incisa alba, Shortia uniflora kantoensie (a photograph of which can be seen on our website), Shortia ‘Leona’, Draba ossetica var racemosa, Dionysia ‘Eric Watson’, Saxifraga georgei, and Saxifraga x ‘Mollie Broom. You will be able to read about those that were successful in ‘The Bulletin’.
Although we were restricted to one hall this year most people found the cosy atmosphere enjoyable.
A big thanks must go to all those who helped and gave unstintingly of their time and especially to Lionel Clarkson for all his hard work (as usual) that ensured such a smooth running, splendid show.

SPEAKERS AUTUMN/WINTER 2000/2001

September21st.....Rosemary Cox

'A Greek Odyssey'

October 19th.....Steve Furness

'Troughs and Trough Gardening'

November 16th.....Gerry Stephen

'Wyoming-The Blooming Bighorn'

December 21st.....

'A.G.M. and Members Evening'

January 18th 2001.....Tony Goode

'A Gardeners Guide To Crocus'

February 15th.....David Haselgrove

'Patagonia and the Argentine/Chilean Andes'

March 15th.....Ian & Carole Bainbridge

'The Dolomites'

March 17th..... Blackpool Show

For new venue details and directions see Blackpool Show

April 19th.....Jim Almond

'Primulaceae in Pots'

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