Scottish Rock Garden Club 1933- 2013- Anniversary Party in Pitlochry June 23rd

[Maggi Young]

Scottish Rock Garden Club  1933- 2013- Anniversary Party
 
2013 is our 80th anniversary. A birthday party was held at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre on Sunday 23rd June. The day included talks by two of our long-standing supporters, picnic lunch and a chance to visit the Explorers Garden.
The day began  with tea and coffee.Lectures for the day were by  Ron McBeath and our friend Panayoti Kelaidis from Denver Botanic Garden.
Lunch was a picnic - literally!
Later there  were refreshments in the Douglas Pavilion at 3:30 p.m.

The weather was not as good as might have  been hoped for late June, but a photo has arrived  to show the assembled crowd from the event - thanks to Anton Edwards for these 

Scottish Rockers celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Club - assembled outside the Explorers' Garden



( this photo is wide and will require scrolling to see the whole group - but I wanted to let you see everyone as clearly as possible!!

 Panayoti travelled from the USA for the event - but he was beaten in the air-miles stakes by Kim Roberts  from New Zealand ! Kim is sitting ( on the large rock, left,  next to Jean the Wyllie Wifie) in the front row

[Maggi Young]

To our great regret, Ian and I  were unable to attend this historical party   (we are both unwell at the moment)     
 - imagine our increased chagrin when we saw these pictures of the meconopsis  on offer......





The blue poppies are often associated with Scotland, since they grow so well here and , of course, they are the symbol of the Explorers' Garden  so they were a fitting subject for this tea-time treat

I do not know who made all those yummy cup-cakes -  they do look to have been a cheery reflection of a happy occasion.

Long Live the SRGC!

[ranunculus]

Get well soon, 'you'se two's' - it wouldn't have been a 'proper' party without you both - though the gathering looks ready for fun.

[ChrisB]

This must be catching.... sure hope we all recover quickly....  Must have been a great party folks, even if it does look a bit chilly.

[Maggi Young]

There are a lot of happy faces there, Christine, as you say, in spite of the "summer" weather 

Ours is a splinter group :   the Scottish (W)RECKED Gardeners Club 
 - may we all at least be just "creaking gates"


 From : a creaking gate hangs longest
a proverb that ill people often live longer than healthy ones. ( a creaking gate still always works, it just creaks a lot !) 

[Peter Maguire]

To return the conversation to a more civilised level - my best wishes for a speedy recovery for all those who were unable to attend as they were 'under the weather' 
We were under a different kind of weather and I have many pictures (including people!) to post when I get back home from work later.

[Maggi Young]

Thank you Peter, both for your kind wishes to the sick  (and the mischief-makers!)  and for the prospect of more photos to come. 

[jomowi]

I do not know who made all those yummy cup-cakes -  they do look to have been a cheery reflection of a happy occasion.

Julia made the cakes, - on Thursday night when I spoke to her, she still had 200 to ice!  Presumably this was a repeat of those done for the Explorers own 10th anniversary earlier in the week?  A big thanks must go to Julia and her helpers for organising such an enjoyable party.  Apart from the events yesterday, she had organised an outing to Keltneyburn on Saturday where 12 of us saw 8 different orchid species, plus some hybrids.  No doubt these will be amongst Peter's pics in due course.

[Peter Maguire]

I've finally worked through my pictures of the event on Sunday - it was dry when I got home from work, so weeding took precedence. There are a lot of photos that I haven't included; folks who were there will be relieved that there no pictures of them with eyes half-closed, the backs of their heads, their 'bad' side, etc (with one exception which will be obvious later). I was trying out a new camera with a phenomenal zoom on it, so there are some paparrazi-style photos thorough foliage etc.

1. Let's start with a general view of people chatting at coffee time before the proceeedings began. On photos where there are a lot of people, I have not included names (and on some of the others, there are names missing - it's nothing personal, I have the same problem with plants also). 

2. Ron McBeath gave the morning talk with a review of some of the varoius growers, past and present, who were/are of special note in the club's history, and whom he had encountered. I also took some photos of Carole starting the proceedings and Julia introducing Ron, but the lighting in the hall was tricky, and it was difficult to catch people at a moment when they weren't moving.

3, 4, 5. Lunchtime discussions

[Peter Maguire]

6. Further lunchtime discussion: Pearl Dale, Mike Dale, Tom Green and Barry Caudwell.

7. After lunch, as there was time before Panayoti's talk, I wandered up through the Explorers Garden. This Rhododendron 'Mrs T H Lowinsly' was in the peak of condition where other many other rhododendrons were just past their best.

8. First of the paparazzi pictures: Steve McNamarra, Ann Christie, Ian Christie and Jens Nielsen

9. A newly-planted trough on the verandah of the Douglas Pavillion. There were a number of these, all attractively labelled as shown - this was my favourite.

10. The Meconopsis were looking stunning. I have not tried to identify species/varieties, suffice it to sat that they belonged to the blue group (mostly).    Ann Christie in background

[Peter Maguire]

11. Also in the meconopsis area was this magnificent group of Primula (P. alpicola I presume)

12. Meconopsis close-up

13. Primula and Meconopsis medley

14. A white Meconopsis for variety

15. Raindrops on Meconopsis - a clue as to why they grow so well! 

[Peter Maguire]

16. Margaret and Henry Taylor

17. Jim McGregor looking deep in thought as he reads one of the descriptive display boards.

18. The audience settling down for the afternoon talk

19. Afternoon master of ceremonies, Ian Bainbridge.

20. Christine McGregor was there to represent the AGS and convey their best wishes for the SRGC's 80th birthday. The RHS was represented also, but I have no pictures of Colin Crosbie or Jim Gardiner.

[Peter Maguire]

21. Panayoti Kelaidis gave a wide-ranging, and fascinating talk on steppe plants in the afternoon, showing a wide variety of plants from around the various stepe regions of the world that thrive in Denver.

22. Bette Ivey gave the closing address with her usual witty observations: here she is addressing her fans.

23. The audience were still awake!

24. Gathering for the photoshoot which began this thread

25. A patient photographer - Anton Edwards waits for the excited crowd to calm down.

[Peter Maguire]

26, 27, 28. Afternoon Tea was served in the Douglas Pavillion. This gave me the opportunity to take photos of people following me up the path through the garden - and still reach the tea-tent as one of the first in the queue. 

29. It was worth the trek.

30. Lionel Clarkson said I should take a picture of a half-eaten cupcake. So I did. 

[Peter Maguire]

31. The 80th birthday cake  - they were cutting it as I left (3 hour drive home) - I hope it was as good as the cupcakes.

32. You couldn't stop people talking, even with cake. Liz Mills in centre and Stan da Prato on the right.

33, 34. Views inside the Doulgas Pavillion, lined with pictures taken by Julia in Bhutan, and decorated with what looked like Pitlochry's answer to the prayer flags of the Himalaya.

35. At this point I had to leave but these primulas caught my eye as I walked back through the garden.