Meconopsis now

[Ian Y]

Tom  I hope you will keep us posted with the building of the guitar, as a bit of an addict I have six guitars three acoustic and three electric oh and tree banjos not counting the one hidden in the loft.
In case you were all thinking it is a bit silent from Maggi she has been in bed with a throat infection, a bad cold and some kind of eye infection that has caused her eyes to go all red and sore.
I think she is coming out in sympathy with Lily whose eye on the other hand is recovering well now.
What ever it is it is not wise for her to sit in front of a PC screen.
Normal service will be resumed from her as soon as possible.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Tell Maggi we wish her all the best and a speedy recovery.

[Carol Shaw]

Ian - wish Maggi well for us and tell her whatever the bug is it came from Aberdeen Show as we both got it too! See you at Gardening Scotland!

[Lesley Cox]

Best wishes from all down here too Maggi, (when you're well enough to read here again). We all hope you'll recover very soon.

[TC]

Tom  I hope you will keep us posted with the building of the guitar, as a bit of an addict I have six guitars three acoustic and three electric oh and tree banjos not counting the one hidden in the loft.
In case you were all thinking it is a bit silent from Maggi she has been in bed with a throat infection, a bad cold and some kind of eye infection that has caused her eyes to go all red and sore.
I think she is coming out in sympathy with Lily whose eye on the other hand is recovering well now.
What ever it is it is not wise for her to sit in front of a PC screen.
Normal service will be resumed from her as soon as possible.

Whatever Maggi's got there is a lot of it about.  The trouble with throat infections is that they often don't stay there.  The infection has a habit of travelling round the throat and nasal passages but usually clear up in about 7 days although it is miserable until it's over.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.  Tell her Cindy and I were at Logan gardens today sniffing the Edgeworthii, lindleyi and maddenii rhodies. on her behalf
Talking about guitars, I have three acoustics and one 5 string banjo.
The guitars are one Martin 000-18 purchased in 1960.
One Sigma Martin DR-28 circa 1972
One Raimundo classical guitar circa 1978
After saving wood to make a guitar myself, I finally decided to give the wood to Jimmy Moon in Glasgow to make one for me.
We have planned it as a near copy of a Martin 00 model as refined by Collins, depending on how the wood shapes out.
The back and sides are made of pernambuco -a virtually unobtainable deep red tonewood which I have had for 36 years.
Bindings, end strip and rosette of tortoiseshell. Mother of pearl dots on the fingerboard of Gabon Ebony   A master grade German spruce top, ebony pyramid bridge with bone saddle and a bone nut. Neck will be slotted Honduras mahogany with 12 frets to the body , 1 7/8" at the nut and a scale length of 25.6"with light gauge strings. .  Machine heads by Schaller gold with black buttons.  Hopefully ready in early October.
The banjo I have was made by the Ode co. in Boulder Colorado bought and imported by me in 1961 and is the Pete Seeger long neck model.  I couldn't get one in the U.K. at that time.
For a short time, I used to sing and play in the folk song club in Montrose St. in Glasgow until I heard a recording of my voice on a tape recorder.  From then on public performances ceased !!  I can remember regular artists were Matt McGinn, the Corries, Archie Fisher and later, Billy Connolly, Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger and a regular succession of American artists likeTom Paxton and some blues guitarists and singers.  Sorry for boring non interested parties but I can easily get wound up on the subject of Folk music, guitars and blues and ragtime guitarists.  It's goodnight from him.

[Ian Y]

Thanks for all the guitar info Tom, we share a lot of interests.
I first played the Folk Club in Aberdeen around 1964/5 and then Maggi and I were in many groups through the 60's and 70's. My Grannie bought me my first banjo for passing my highers in 1967 - it was a second hand Clifford Essex with a regular neck. My other banjos are both about 100 years old. I just bought one of them on ebay a month ago it is fretless something I have longed for since the 1960's when I firts heard the music of Frank Profit and Hobart Smith.
The acustic guitars are a WASHBURN R306 (1998)
EC-, gloss natural finish, 0-size, X-braced solid cedar top, 13-5/8" lower bout, 24.9" scale, 1-7/8" nut width, 3-1/2" to 4-1/4" body depth, rosewood sides and back, 12-fret mahogany neck, slotted headstock, rosewood peghead overlay with fancy inlays, white-bound body body, fretboard and headstock, herringbone top trim and soundhole rosette, 18-fret rosewood fretboard with fancy inlays, fancy rosewood "fan" bridge, chrome Schaller tuners with white pearloid buttons, basically a Reissue of an 1890's Washburn. Sounds similar to the one you have comisioned.
A modern Takamine with a heavenly tone and a Dobro crome body reosnator guitar.
The electrics are two Fender Strats and a Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro.
To keep on topic the only Meconopsis we have out just now is some Betonicifolia

[Anthony Darby]

I bought three Meconopsis horridula from the wee nursery on the way to Crieff. I didnae ken they would disappear into the soil and thought they were dead. Just as well I didn't have other plans for the site. All three are doing well and the first flower opened today.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

It's a real stunner Anthony !

[Susan Band]

After last summer most were dead

[TC]

I was trying to file umpteen magazines when I came across the January issue of " The Rock Garden".  For my sins, I had never read it or even remember seeing it.  Inside is an article on Meconopsis x Cookei written by our current President Ian Christie.  My apologies for this oversight Ian.    As to my remark that I didnae ken it , well I ken noo !!!!

[Paul T]

I was just catching up with this thread and was fine until I came across the "Meconopsis in bulk" comment.  About then I suddenly couldn't see anything for this green blaze of envy!! <sigh>  I don't think I am meant to grow these little blue treasures...... enough losses should give me the hint, then a generous sending from Tasmania being held up in the mail (which pretty much NEVER happens) and suffering badly should have pushed the issue firmly.  I still know I'll try them yet again next time I get the chance.  I'm guessing that my seedlings from Lesley a couple of years back suffered from not being moist enough when young, as she mentioned.  Maybe they're another candidate for my 6m x 10m bog garden!! (see references in the Easy Primula thread if you're wondering when I got a bog garden!  )  At the rate I am thinking of things to put into it the 4 x 6m that Rob suggested would never be big enough.  And to have a "bulk" of blue mecs I'd be willing to sacrifice a few things.

Wonderful pics everyone.  At least way I can enjoy them from afar!!  Such glorious colours!!  An absolute joy, even if only on the computer screen and not out in my garden where they SHOULD be!! 

[Lesley Cox]

It's not Meconopsis time here in the far south, everything firmly underground at present but yesterday (7th) there were 20 new tiny seedlings up of M. punicea from a December sowing of my own seed. They're amazingly consistent. In 02, 05 and 06, they started to germinate on August 8th. I didn't sow any in 03 or 04.