Let me introduce myself ...

[Lesley Cox]

I will also be spending a lot of time on field trips but there are not many bulbs native to NZ.

There are NO bulbs native to NZ Ian, except some little pseudobulbs attached to orchid species. When the subject of bulbs comes up (and when doesn't it?), we in NZ hang our heads in deepest shame - "But we haven't got any " - which is why we love everyone else's so much  .

[Ezeiza]

Dear Leslie and dear all:
                                Many thanks.
                                Sadly Rolf died many years ago. He moved to Patagonia to start a nursery long ago when it was too early for that. The whole venture was a failure and now lots of nurseries hit the big time over there.

                                 Although there are no bubs (Iphigenia?) native to New Zealand yet the quality of the stock in cultivation over there is superb, about the best in th world. 

                     


Best

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Alberto for your note. I didn't know about Rolf Feidler and am very sorry to hear he had died. I remember his amazing talk at the "Alpines `81" conference on Nottingham.

The nursery business is such a contrary thing. Little specialist nurseries which flourished in the 70s and 80s are now almost a thing of the past, here anyway with just a single nursery at present specializing in alpines. The "chain" garden centres do very well but they grow more and more of fewer and fewer plants, often not suitable for the local climate. Those of us who love the little plants and always crave something new, are relatively hard-done-by, especially when bio-security rules prevent the import of any new material at all. But don't get me started on that.

[Ezeiza]

Dear Leslie:
               Rolf frequently mentioned that talk and how scared to death he was in front of the fantastic audience, many luminaries attending to it and Brian grinning to encourage him to get into the arena!

               The biohazard is an interesting subject but I am sure it has been treated many times.


Regards

[Martijn]

Dear friends,

I am Martijn Jansen and live in a small town called Tonden in The Netherlands.

I was infected with the alpine-virus 15 years ago and first started with the ´easy´ alpines. Fortunately, Harry Jans lives about 15 kilometers away, and he was so kind (and had the patience ) to teach me how to grow the ´rare´ alpines.

About ten years ago, I started a small nursery in my spare time, specialising in rare and unusual alpines. My interest goes to Daphne, European Primula´s and natural hybrids, Gentians and Campanula. For those memebers with the same interest, I am always interested in exchanging plants!

During ´our´ conference in Wageningen in 2005, I had the pleasure of meeting some of you.
It is always a pleasure to see how many of us are visiting this perfect forum, keep up the good work!

Good gardening,

Martijn

[Maggi Young]

A very warm welcome to you Martijn! You are indeed lucky to have been able to learn from the wonderful Harry Jans... he is a fine man and a great grower.
It is interesing that you make mention of your fortune in learning from Harry, this is related to a matter we have been talking about in another thread... see here...

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=918.270 
Reply #273 on: January 13, 2008, 10:33:01 PM »onwards....

Perhaps you, with your experience of growing these alpines will  mark a renaissance in discussion of more "alpine" plants in the Forum! 

[Lvandelft]

Nice to meet you here on the Forum at last, Martijn! This is really the best Forum,
but I believe you will have known this for years already?
Too many Dutch are a little shy for publicity!

Veel plezier in de club!

[Martijn]

Hi Luit,

You are right, it is the best forum...I discovered it recently, I think I was too much in the garden

I am not sure, but is the picture Dactylorhiza foliosa? Please tell me it isn´t......I heard some fantastic stories from Peter...See you in April in Utrecht!

[Lvandelft]

Hi Luit,
I am not sue, but is the picture Dactylorhiza foliosa? Please tell me it isn´t......I heard some fantastic stories from Peter...See you in April in Utrecht!

Yes it is!

[Lars S]

Hello all,

I guess it is time to take the step in from the cold so to speak (I have noticed all comments about "lurkers" on the forum).

I am Lars Stark and I live in Stockholm, Sweden, with a wife and two little girls. I have had a somewhat slumbering interest for bulbous plants for some time (especially crocus and narcissus) and now I have finally gotten around to try to grow them from seed.
Reading the posts on this forum has also opened my eyes for the fact that there are so many other bulbous plants (even though many of them probably won´t survive our harsh climate ...)

I really look forward to benefit from all the knowledge on this forum even though I may not have so much to contribute with myself.

Best wishes

Lars

[Thomas Huber]

Welcome Lars, to the best source for information on bulbs in the world!
We're looking forward to see many great photos from Sweden!

[Maggi Young]

A warm welcome, Lars, good to have you join us.
Have you visited the Göteborgs botaniska trädgård? There they grow so many bulbs  in Gothenberg it is hard to imagine... and there are so many experts, too!

See here:http://w3.goteborg.se/botaniska/index.html

 site in English for other: http://w3.goteborg.se/botaniska/engelska/english_start.html

[ranunculus]

I will add another warm welcome Lars.

Now that you have raised the subject of Gothenburg Maggi, does anyone have any helpful advice about where to stay in the city, about other gardens, nurseries or places of interest for an alpine gardener/photgrapher and travel tips that would assist a first-time visitor to Sweden?  There is a possibility that we may visit for a few days in mid-April.
Many thanks in anticipation of any advice or assistance.

[Hjalmar]

I am a lurker in the Gothenburg/Göteborg area. We are happy to have two world class attractions, the Botanical Garden and Peter Korn's garden. Peter also sells plants.  There is a smaller botanical garden/park called Trädgårdsföreningen, which is less interesting, but since it is in the middle of the city you will probably go there. Then there are of course lots of interesting private gardens, but the two first mentioned you definitely should not miss.

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Hjalmar, I see you have had no replies to your question about Pterospora andromeda yet   

Though I have not had the pleasure to vist the Gothenburg/Göteborg area myself, I feel quite familiar with it, because of all the stories I hear from Ian and our Friends when they are visiting there. I have seen so many photos I could probably find my own way around!

The town (city) of Göteborg is full of interesting place to visit, also...no shortage of attractions outside the plant world either. Great restaurants, and the  local people are all most helpful to idiot foreign visitors, I am glad to report! Ian, Jean Wyllie and the Gang have stayed in the Hotel Flora, which I suppose you can google, but I'll look out details and post them later. It's not fancy, but central and very comfortable.... Ian was pleased with his stays there and would go again. Public transport is very good so that is always a bonus.