Let me introduce myself ...

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi I do like your little lad watering the cactus plant. It reminds me of a time some years ago when a rugby team returning home after a match stopped outside my place and a couple of them proceded to "water" a rose I had climbing on the fence. The rose was no problem to them but I happened to have a high pressure hose in my hand at the time.......

As of yesterday (4th) we have lived exactly 10 years at our current address. That being so, why is my garden STILL largely a collection of pots and weeds?

[breconeer]

Hello All - I'm John Latusek. After 33 years in the design,survey,construction, maintenance and restoration of buildings (apart from dropping out for six years to work as a rural postie in the eighties) I quit the day job a few weeks before my 50th birthday (9+ years ago) and downsized to a hovel north of Swansea, so I could play the stockmarket online for a living instead, and switch off whenever the sun comes out

I've always had a preference for plants that don't need mollycoddling. I like plants that grow happily in scree beds, walls, crevices, and which look after themselves with minimum input from me! Those which I grow in soil also need to be hardy self-sufficient ones that will cope unattended when I am away. I am no good with annuals and vegetables.

I would be happy living just above the treeline, with a disused quarry as my garden. Or on a windswept rocky coast. Instead I live in the Amman Valley, which is damper than some alpines like. But my assorted sedums, saxifrages, sempervivums, etc grow happily enough. As do my various ferns. And various other stuff (lavenders, osteospernum, ornamental grasses, hebes, potentilla bushes, spirea, foxgloves, and wild things which I don't remember the names of).

Although newly registered in this New Forum, I did make a few postings under the same name last year in the Old Forum.

[mark smyth]

Hi John good to see another new member to the forums

[Maggi Young]

welcome back, John!

[gote]

Hi everybody.
I am Göte Svanholm. I live in Örebro in mid-Sweden but I do nearly all gardening at the old family estate 25km away (sounds grander than it is - totally only ca 35 hectares) where my mother still lives (93 years old).
The "garden" is in a woodland area on a lake (Hjälmaren 25km across 40km long) shore. I used to grow alpines but now my main interest is woodland - especially monocots.
I try to specialize in everything but I am not very sucessful in that .
So I try to grow species lilies, trilliums, corydalis, berberidaceae, nymphaeas, anemones, hardy orchids you name it
I used to be an engineer but am now trying to retire.
Wife Birgitta (yellow martagon) since soon 50 years,
Two daugters. Four grandchildren.
That is all I think.
   

[mark smyth]

welcome Gote! That now makes two Gotes in here

[Lesley Cox]

Are you quite sure about that Mark? The Gote above, is the only one I know about. And he is so well known both through this Forum and through Trillium-L.

You've been around here a long time Gote, but still, welcome to the Forum. It's good to know a little more of your background and your garden. I treasure your lovely cards with your own flower photos on them.

[Paul T]

I promised back at the beginning of December to post a pic of my little doggie.  I know I at least promised it to Maggi and she ocassionally emails me to remind me I still haven't....... so this'll get her off my back!    I was tossing up between this thread and the wildlife thread, but our dog isn't particularly wild (she has her own doona to sleep in, so you can't really call that wild!!  )

Anyway.... Let me introduce my little Maltese Terrier......



Her name is Elfinraer, or 'Elf' for short (which fits, because she is a small mischievous creature like the elves of legend!!  ) and she is a bit over 12 years old, despite still looking like a pup.  She's a tiny little thing but such a big part of the family!! 

[Maggi Young]

HA! Elfinraer, at last! And JUST as I was about to send another reminder, Paul! What a cutie, can't believe she is quite an old lady, she looks in the peak of health, bless her. As you might imagine, since the arrival of our Little White Dog, Lily, in March, we are even keener on LWDs than we were when Molly was only visiting. Having spent so many years with cocker spaniel dogs, these wee terrier girls have been a revelation to us... we love 'em! We are waiting to meet another LWD, one peggy Sue, a Bichon Frise puppy who is ruling the roost of some chums. I feel another obsession coming on!

[Paddy Tobin]

Paul,

Now, at last, I understand where that  photograph came from.

Paddy

[Paul T]

Paddy,

So you were thinking I'd just gone to the dogs eh? 

I thought it was much nicer to have a pic of my doggie instead of having to see my ugly mug up there looking at you every time I make a posting!! 

Maggi,

Yeah, she's cute isn't she?  She's only 3.5kg, never run to fat like so many Maltese do.  She's like the engergiser bunny, just keeps going on and on and on.  I have no idea where she gets her energy from but I am SO jealous at times!!    I didn't know you had a new LWD so congratulations!!

[Maggi Young]

Paul, see page 10, reply 141 of the "Weather moans to 31st March " thread..   
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=146.msg6886;topicseen#msg6886

We rehomed Lily in March. We are besotted with her !

[fermi de Sousa]

Maggi,
so you should be, she is a delight!
cheers
fermi

[ashley]

Hello all,

I came across the forum (and Ian’s fascinating Bulblog) late last year, and have greatly enjoyed lurking since.  This soon moved me to join the SRGC (though neither a Scot nor owner of a rock garden, as my teenage son Michael so scathingly observes).  However I’ve been a member of the Irish Garden Plant Society and Cyclamen Society for quite a while.

We live near the mid south coast of Ireland (roughly USDA Zone 8b), 20 km west of Cork city and almost the same distance inland.  Our 0.4 ha garden is beside the River Lee on good alluvial soil, south facing and partly wooded. As the main gardener in the household I have a greenhouse, several raised bulb beds and plans for frames to provide drier summer/winter conditions.

All my life I’ve loved growing plants and seeing them in the wild.  Major interests are bulbs and trees but mostly I’m just an unfocussed plantaholic.  Above all, I enjoy growing from seed.  Unfortunately I can’t offer any great expertise to the forum but continue to learn and may chip in occasionally.

Good growing!

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Ashley, a very warm welcome to the Forum.

mostly I’m just an unfocussed plantaholic

... bless you, it's no crime and there is much fun to be had with this condition! we are delighted to have you join us and we will look forward to hearing what is and isn't doing well in your garden.
Be so good as to reassure Michael that lack of Scottish blood and/or a rock garden are no barrier here.... I know any number of folk who belong to golf clubs but they are a long way from being Tiger Woods! Also, I don't suppose you are actually a garden or a plant, either, and the Irish Garden Plant Society are pleased to have you... how did you come to raise this literalist child? Perhaps it is just his age!

I am sure it is the fact that you have always loved seeing plants in the wild that has lead you to the SRGC.... I know not all wild flowers are alpines, but I am willing to bet that seeing LITTLE wild flowers has piqued the interest of many millions of gardners, even if they spend time growing giant delphiniums!
Charming little wild flowers and beautiful scenery.... hard to beat that and it is everything that we are about here!
Glad to hear about your bulb enthusiasm... Ian will be pleased to hear of another Bulb-lover around!