GARDENING SCOTLAND 2007 part 1
A rock gardener's view of this year's show by Sandy Leven

Despite the presence of hundreds of people with their own cameras, of Press photographers with big tripods and big cameras and a GS Press Department, pictures taken at previous Events are hard to find. On the day after this year's show finished. I could not get Google to find out much about this year's show. One would have expected at the very least to have found some pictures of our First Minister, Alex Salmond, visiting the show on Friday 1st June. Mr Salmond was shown round by Jim McColl, President of Gardening Scotland, who introduced us to the First Minister.



Mr Salmond talked to Anne and to me for a considerable time. He was obviously interested and knowledgeable about gardens, gardening and gardeners. He told us that in his family his wife had more time for actual gardening than he himself. He also listened attentively when we talked about the Scottish Rock Garden Club and its 75th Anniversary in 2008. He introduced us to his Deputy Private Secretary and asked us to correspond further with her about 75 years of the SRGC. It is good to know that such a busy man as Mr Salmond, is able to spend time talking and listening to people like us and to share our enthusiasm for plants and gardens.

Although it is not the job of the SRGC to publicise Gardening Scotland, I have little doubt that many of our e-members would like to see something about of show.

The SRGC had an information stand again and were given a special award card thanking us for our contribution. This year we furthered our educational remit and highlighted the construction of HYPERTUFA TROUGHS with a PowerPoint presentation which was well received by the public. We promoted our book shop to the public an widened its scope with a special input from Timber Press. Our daily practical demonstration on making Fish Box Troughs completed our educational input. As usual we had seeds for sale, thus encouraging the growing of rock garden plants while showing how we help to conserve plants in the wild by collecting and distributing seed from species cultivated in gardens.


The SRGC Information Stand at Gardening Scotland 2007

We were delighted when Kevock Nursery run by SRGC Council member David Rankin an his wife Stella was given a Gold Medal and Best Floral Exhibit in the Show.



They have a unique way of coping with the restrictions of a table top tableau display. Instead of using big trees to hide the backdrop, they build their own wee mountain outcrops and use rock plants and woodlanders on the whole display. As usual they had lots of Primulas in the display.



Stella Rankin at Kevock's Gold Medal Display at Gardening Scotland 2007

Labels are easy to render inconspicuous in displays of herbaceous perennials but when you combine readable labels and small rock plants the labels become intrusive but they have to be there.


Even good labels can become intrusive.

When faced with this on our SRGC displays when we used several troughs of small plants, we photographed the plants and had a key beside the display. Perhaps some such system could work on a table top?

I am certain that everyone who saw it was delighted with the Edelweiss, Leontopodium alpinum, near the front of their stand. The erudite would have seen a New Zealand Edelweiss, Leucogenes grandiceps, sitting on a higher ledge beside a big Celmisia.


Leontopodium alpinum


Leucogenes grandiceps (top)

I liked the combination of Primula alpicola violaceae and the white edged Hosta


Primula alpicola violaceae

PRESIDENTIAL GOLD

Christie's Nursery owned by SRGC PRESIDENT Ian III and our first lady Anne won another GOLD MEDAL for their fine display of woodland and rock garden plants.




As usual Neil Huntley of Hartside Nursery Garden put on a good table top display. Neil and I talked about the kind of plants needed for a display and agreed that to fill a display with 'pure' rock plants would be very difficult so that it is nearly always necessary to include woodland plants. Small herbaceous perennials extend the range available. When you look at plants in an SRGC members garden, these are exactly what you find in most [as well as many bulbs].
Neil showed a great variegated Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum odoratum 'Grace Barker'. I liked the way it sat between two small pines.


Polygonatum odoratum 'Grace Barker'


Cryptomeria japonica spiralis

Sitting on one corner was a fabulous group of the dark brown, almost black, American Fritillaria, F. camschatcensis. Sitting over from it and on the right of the picture was a smaller group of the golden form of F. camschatcensis.


Fritillaria camschatcensis, dark form

HERBACEOUS ARE IN? HERBACEOUS IS IN?
Whichever! There were several stands on which members and friends if the SRGC exhibited herbaceous perennials.
There were several 'herbaceous plant' stands and most demanded that one took time to look carefully to see all that was on display. This was done early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it was quieter. However to snap up treasures it was essential to belt round early on Friday morning to secure your choices.

ORCHIDS FOR ALL!
So they say. They have plants for beginners, experts and specialists.
Kincardine based Regal Orchids features some very choice plants. I like the we Masdevalias and Anne liked the big spidery ones. Unfortunately their labelling was not intrusive enough for me to read them or see them all. Luckily visit to Regal Orchids will be quite easy as they are in the rounds of Tullyallan Caslte beside the Police College. [The spellchecker went for 'Tell All' instead of Tullyallan!]


Masdevalia 'Peach Fuzz' and a 'spidery' orchid, which I think is Brassidium Shooting Star x longissima

The Bonsai stands had a good idea for public participation. They asked people to vote for their favourite plant and had rosettes which moved round according to current voting.


Bonsai with 'public vote' rosette on right

I nearly always buy a Hosta and a cactus when I visit a flower show, although they are completely different types of plant. I delight in the different colour schemes and textures in Hostas. At this year's show both Mickfield Hostas and Park green Hostas had superb exhibits. I note that there is an increasing number of miniatures on sale. These do well in fish box troughs.



INDIVIDUAL PLANTS WHICH I LIKED


Heucherella 'Sunspot'


Paeonia lactiflora 'Lotus Queen' [I think that is the variety]


Another great Paeonia


Verbena Seabrook's Lavender is darker than this flash photo and wil appeal to lovers of Verbena.


Gilenia trifoliata

The royal Botanic garden Edinburgh staged a huge exhibit, which was divided into quadrants each representing their four gardens Edinburgh, Dawyck, Logan and Ben More. They realised that the light in the hall often left much to be desired and so they used their own lights to highlight particular plants.




Views of the RBG stand


Next part more from the RBG Edinburgh and more plants

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