Margaret Owen, famous snowdrop collector has died

[Dr Dowling MUNRO]

I first met Margaret Owen as a fellow guest, at one of Richard Nutt's snowdrop lunches. We happened to sit next to one another, and started talking snowdrops.  I soon realized that I was being "taught" how to grow then, and was rapidly instructed that snowdrops did not grow well in aquatic baskets.  Fortunately I soon met Sue and Wol Staines who confirmed that there might be other points of view.  I gave her a clump of my own October flowering G. elwesii "Hollis" about 14 years ago, and I was pleased when she phoned last spring to confirm the name, because she was selling a lot of this bulb for her Multiple Sclerosis sale, and she told me that this bulb, flowering now, was the "best of the hiemalis group" and had made significant money for her charitable work.

I loved her enthusiasm, and made so many snowdrop friends on visits to her snowdrop lunches over the years.  She will be very sadly missed by her friends, but if all of us could die after having contributed to so much pleasure to our friends, we should be well pleased.

Dowling Munro

[Alan_b]

The 2007 Galanthus Gala was held near Shrewsbury and was meant to include a visit to Margaret Owen's garden in the afternoon.  Unfortunately there was a few inches of snow that day so the visit could not take place as all the snowdrops were buried under it.  My wife and I had decided to spend the weekend in Shrewsbury and the following day, Sunday, was bright and sunny and warmer.  We explored the area in the morning, had lunch, and by then the snow had more-or-less melted away.  Purely on spec. I went back to Margaret's garden that afternoon to find that some others had got there a little before me and were being shown round.  I was a bit hesitant but Margaret welcomed me to join her tour and spent the next hour or so guiding us round her garden and her snowdrops.  Unfortunately this was so involving for me that the fact that I had left my wife sitting in the car slipped to the back of my mind.  By the time I returned she had got very cold indeed and my ratings in an opinion poll of one had slipped to very low indeed.  There followed a rather silent drive home to Cambridgeshire with the car heater full-on.  But for me it was a demonstration of quite how captivating Margaret could be when talking about the plants she loved. 

[pontus]

Not Only was Margaret a great snowdrop grower, she was also a great lily grower, often contributing superbly grown bulbs to the annual lily group bulb auction. She often brough rare sp that where often simply unobtainalbe and unavailable in nurseries due to their rarity.

Last year I had a long chat with her about an intriguing lily she had brought along, in full bloom. We came to the conclusion that it might have been a natural hybrid between lilium henryi and lilium rosthornii, as the leaves where close to henryi and the flowers more like rosthornii....

Yet another great plantswoman sadly lost,

here she is with her mystery lily

Pontus

[Mavers]

An indomitable reputation I'd heard, yet when I briefly spoke to Margaret at the Exbury NAAS visit two years ago she was engaging & amiable.

I expect, like Mark, many people will have a tale or two of amusing encounters with Margaret.

I wish I'd known her better.

A great loss.

[mark smyth]

Margaret Owen

[Mavers]

Thank you Mark.

[Maggi Young]

Emma T. has provided this link to a Telegraph obituary for Margaret Owen:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11213044/Margaret-Owen-obituary.html

A fitting and rather poignant reminder of the lady.

[mark smyth]

Why cant my Camassias look lime that!?

[mark smyth]

Margaret Owen's memorial service will be held in Acton Burnell Church on November 15th at 2pm. There will be a marquee reception at the son's house afterwards - the big house opposite the Patch
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.613113,-2.692823,15z

[Maggi Young]

I find that John Grimshaw  had posted a blog on 16th November, in remembrance of Margaret Owen - the piece is headed with a super photo of the lady- a fine way to remember her.

http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/margaret-owen-mbe-1930-2014.html