Shaftesbury snowdrop study, sale and social 2015

[emma T]

I think we are 

Sorry I didn't get chance to say more than hi to you Mike

[Mavers]

That's good news Emma.

No worries I expect you were being pulled in all directions.

[emma T]

Yeah I didn't really chance to chat to anyone before the garden walk round except the sellers when we were setting up .

[Mavers]

What a strange question from someone in the audience to put to Steve after his talk....'If you were invisible.......' 

[Maggi Young]

What a strange question from someone in the audience to put to Steve after his talk....'If you were invisible.......' 

Goodness me - wonder how that could have been relevant?  There are sometimes the very oddest questions from an audience - you'd wonder what talk they'd been listening to at times   

[Mavers]

Yes Maggi we were all in the snowdrop zone when out of the blue 'If you were invisible............'

[johnw]

even as a bona fide piglet, I would feel terrible about eating that creation - even saving the top sugar flowers would not be enough - a crime to cut and eat it!

Odd, I was certain those snowdrops were doubles when the cake arrived...................

[Anne Repnow]

 

I greatly enjoyed Shaftesbury - though the crush at the sale was remarkable.

The talks were great, too. Both wonderful speakers - Steve Owen's humour was catching. And Matt showed far too many mouthwatering photographs. However, Steve's method of keeping all his snowdrops in line has strengthened my resolve never to use that amount of chemicals in my garden.

[Mavers]

Same here Bolinopsis.

I enjoyed Steve's talk until mention of applications of Jeyes Fluid & other strong chemicals to the bulbs & soil.

I appreciated him telling us how he grows snowdrops, however I prefer to work with the soil to keep it healthy & I look after my little wormy friends. 

[Anne Repnow]

It is probably a matter of numbers. I cultivate about 100 varieties in a well sized garden and have - so far - only lost one. Touch wood.
((But my personal opinion is also: if you start seriously messing with the natural equilibrium of the soil, you are in trouble... I love my earthworms and my slow worms.))

[Mavers]

I love slow worms too.

My sister had them living at the bottom of an old hedge, I tried getting some to like my garden too.

They decided they didn't & moved out 

[Anne Repnow]

They love rotting wood in the ground - like old treestumps. They overwinter there in groups (probably telling tales to each other...)

SORRY - nothing to do with Shaftesbury, of course...

[steve owen]

Same here Bolinopsis.

I enjoyed Steve's talk until mention of applications of Jeyes Fluid & other strong chemicals to the bulbs & soil.

I appreciated him telling us how he grows snowdrops, however I prefer to work with the soil to keep it healthy & I look after my little wormy friends. 

What do you do when stagonospora appears?

[mark smyth]

Steve have you ever thought that Jeyes Fluid is killing all flora and fauna in the soil. When a bulb with stag arrives it runs riot because there is nothing there to stop it

[Anne Repnow]

I didn't want to be disrespectful, Steve! I greatly admire the way you have built up this enormous collection and I loved your knowledgeable and amusing talk. I think we galanthophiles must be grateful  to you for looking after so many snowdrops and thus safeguarding all these varieties. I suppose, however, that the size of your collection may be a health hazard as pests and diseases tend to spread wherever there is crowding.

I personally would rather not take the measures you take to keep your plants healthy. I'd rather treat them outside the ground - or get rid of them. But I can easily say that as my collection is miniscule compared to yours and - touch wood - I haven't had any problems yet.