Special Bulb and Plant Sale Weekends

[Rob Potterton]

That will be quite a trek Tim, thanks for making the committment and look forward to welcoming you. Expecting a sunny day with light breeze. 

[Maggi Young]

Great to hear more about these special weekends - am looking forward to coming up to Lamberton on 10th. They really show how much the specialist nurseries are at the heart of our gardening, so perhaps the tide might be beginning to turn against the cult of the Garden Centre! Since Fergus Garrett was mentioned they are holding a similar event at Great Dixter on 1st and 2nd October with some great nurseries attending.

I think this bears having a tad more info........

Great Dixter Plant Fair
Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October 2011
Starts: 11.00 to 16.00

Great Dixter’s second Plant Fair will be held on the weekend of 1st and 2nd October. Small specialist plant nurseries from Belgium and the Netherlands will have their chestnut pole stands next to famous UK plantsmen, such as Derry Watkins, Bob Brown and Marina Christopher. From asters to salvias.

http://www.greatdixter.co.uk/Plant%20fair.htm

This is what the event will support........

The Christopher Lloyd Student Bursary
Last year over £1,000 was raised at the plant fair and it is hoped that a similar amount will be achieved in 2011. The grant will be awarded to a young gardener enabling them to get a place on a plant expedition; get nursery experience, attend a conference, or such.

[Rob Potterton]

Below images taken during the final Lamberton Nursery Open Weekend for Ron & Susan McBeath. Saturday morning commenced with (according to Ron) a typical Scottish heat-haze (looked more like fog to me) but the sun later appeared together with many folk. Peter Korn's lecture was superb watched by a large audience - the talk will be repeated next Saturday 17 September at Pottertons Open Weekend.

[Rob Potterton]

.................. and how many lecturer's would agree to do this for their hosts ....

[Martinr]

Not on quite such a grand scale but just in case anyone in striking distance of Derby has any money left! The AGS Derby Group have a bulb and plant sale on the 25th September. A bit of an experiment to see if we can make a success of it. As far as I know Choice Landscapes and Bramcote Bulbs will be there along with the man from Terrapot (the man who sells clay pots at Loughborough Shows). There will also be a good members stall and tea on tap. All for £1.

If anyone needs more information please ask and, as a special treat, if any Forum member asks nicely I might just let you see my garden, warts and all. It's right across the road from the hall.

[Tim Ingram]

We have just arrived home after an epic journey up to Lamberton and Edrom, across to Cally Gardens and on to Logan. The car is completely full of plants! I would like to thank Ron and Susan McBeath and Robert Potterton for their hospitality and the opportunity to come up to Lamberton and listen to Peter Korn's lecture. His garden is truly remarkable and inspirational! He talks of throwing away the rules - a good thing to do now and again(!), especially when you have as strong an understanding of plants and their requirements as he does. Trouble is I don't think I can hide a huge pile of sand in the middle of the lawn from my wife, however much she enjoyed the talk! More on this journey (and a few comments about the AGS and 'gardening') on the AGS website.

[Maggi Young]

You must be exhausted, Tim... so glad you had a good time.
As Hagen E. said in another thread, talking about a 700km trip to a plant event....
" At first it was a long way to snowdrops,
now it`s a short way to friends. "

Says everything, doesn't it? 

[Maggi Young]

Martin, some of us will be disporting ourselves at the SRGC Weekend in Dumfries on the 25th, so otherwise engaged....but I'm sure we all wish your Group well with the day.... good weather and lots of full wallets to make the event a success!
With a potential vist chez Martin, I hope you can cope with the charabanc loads arriving? 

[Lesley Cox]

Trouble is I don't think I can hide a huge pile of sand in the middle of the lawn from my wife, however much she enjoyed the talk!

Do we all dissemble sometimes? I've taken to having my plant orders sent to a friend's address and collecting them when Roger is away for a few hours.

[Tim Ingram]

Lesley - I think I am bringing my wife round to my plant buying habit! She is propagating them all for the nursery!! Here is a nice box full from Lamberton waiting to find homes, plus a few pictures from Edrom. Specialist nurseries have something of the appeal of exploring the mountains, because you always find something new and different. The people who run them, I think, are rather remarkable, invariably stimulating, and modest about their acheivements (though it is rather difficult to say this if you are one of them!).

[Rob Potterton]

Pottertons Nursery 40th Anniversary special weekend just past, really was special. We hope to include images on our web site in due course and wish just to say a big thank you to all who made this a wonderful two days, especially to Peter Korn but most particullarly to Ron & Susan McBeath, now in their last full week before their retirement.

[Maggi Young]

So glad it went well, Rob.

Lovely photo of Susan and Ron.... they look demob happy already!!

[Tim Ingram]

All Ron's plants are now planted out and hopefully set fair for flowering next spring and summer. A few I think we have already taken cuttings of, and I look forward to propagating more of them next spring.

The Plant Sale at Great Dixter was hugely enjoyable and more on this is on the AGS website (which needs a little stimulation!). Not many alpines in evidence but some very good nurseries and friendly atmosphere. One visitor even said that it was Fergus who directed her to her parking space (!), which shows dedication. The garden was as amazing as ever, and just a few tasters below.