Borders branch meetings start again

[Stan da Prato]

Yesterday Borders and some Lothian members met up in socially distanced fashion in the customary venue of Bowden village hall. Congratulations to convenors  Margaret and David Thorne  and . secretary Roberta Carruthers  for all their organisation. Everyone agreed  that  it was good to meet up in person again. We usually have a table display of members' plants. Thanks to Elspeth Ditcham  for the photos.

[Stan da Prato]

After the talk is the raffle and Jim's sales table of bargain plants  that does so much for group funds. The Borders branch is justly renowned for home baking. The final photo is of myself after several cakes. The group policy of bring your  own cup is pre- covid    to reduce the use  of disposable ones.

[Maggi Young]

Excellent to see  SRGC Members meeting again face to face - and  I have  no doubt you gave them a truly excellent talk, Stan! 

[shelagh]

Looks great Stan. Unfortunately our usual venue is  being used as a Vaccination Station so we are still using Zoom but hopefully in the New Year we may get back together again.

[Margaret Thorne]

It was great to be together again and Stan's talk 'Wildflowers and other wildlife of our local coasts' was absolutely excellent and enjoyed by us all.

[Stan da Prato]

The Borders group indoor progamme continues. Yesterday c 30 members  enjoyed  a very well illustrated  talk by Dave Binns on a six week trip to trek to Nanda Devi -the highest mountain in the Indian Himalaya. All had taken  a lateral flow test at home. it is ironic that these tests are  being  made presumably  for profit in China where the virus originated.

[Stan da Prato]

Organisers David & Margret Thorne signing members in . Jim & Margaret's sales table. Bargain plants  £1 each.  Raffle table bulding up  -so many prizes  I think  everyone  won something. The home baking is now socially  distanced. Plant  display of dwarf conifers, two Petrocosmeas, Skimmia Little Ruby and Rhododendron  lapponicum Siberian form.

[Stan da Prato]

Yesterday   over 30 enjoyed  another sucessful socially distanced meeting of the Borders branch. Skilled botanical artist and Meconopsis enthusiast Sharon Bradley talked about her  craft and brought along some examples of her  work. Two  fortunate members  won mec paintings in  the raffle. Seasonal snowdrops were on  Jim and Margaret's   sales table for branch  funds. The plant display was mainly of early bulbous iris. As usual  the superb  home baking rounded off the meeting.

[Véronique Macrelle]

oh, it's so nice to be able to have face-to-face meetings like this again.
 I wish I could teleport there!

[Stan da Prato]

Another  well attended  and  succesful Borders  branch meeting. Recently   retired  RBGE alpinist  Elspeth Mackintosh gave a most entertaining account of her 30 plus years in the garden.

[Stan da Prato]

After the talk a socially distanced  queue forms for the renowned home baking then a look at Jim's sales table  and the bulb display. The last pic shows  the bulbs  back in their crates for the  journey home.

[Margaret Thorne]

Everyone is welcome to join us tomorrow, Wednesday 4th May 2022, at 2pm at Bowden Village Hall for our last meeting of the spring. Stan will demonstrate planting up an alpine trough while Cath and Terry from Edrom Nursery will have a good selection of plants for sale. Admission is £2 which includes tea or coffee and home baking at the end of the meeting, as well as a ticket for the raffle. The star raffle prize will be Stan’s completed trough, an opportunity not to be missed. We look forward to a record turnout, do come if you can!

[Margaret Thorne]

Well, we did get a record turnout in May and now the summer has flown by and we are starting our autumn programme tomorrow, Wednesday, 7th September 2022. Beryl McNaughton will be presenting her talk ‘Ian McNaughton and the Autumn Gentians’ which explains how Ian went about selecting his prize-winning plants and the purpose of his breeding work.
The meeting will take place as usual at 2pm at Bowden Village Hall. Admission is £2 (no inflation there) which includes tea or coffee and home baking at the end of the meeting as well as a ticket for the raffle. Everyone welcome and we look forward to seeing you there.

[Margaret Thorne]

We are pleased to present the Scottish Borders Rock Garden Group’s new programme of talks to be held at 2pm in Bowden Village Hall on the first Wednesday of each month from September 2023 until April 2024 (with the exception of the January 2024 meeting on 10th). Our thanks to all the speakers for accepting the invitation to inform, educate and entertain us and to all attendees who contribute to keeping our Group vibrant.
Admission is still only £2 which includes a ticket for our raffle as well as tea or coffee and home baking, courtesy of Alice’s team from Gattonside. Group plant sales at every meeting and show plants on view too. Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you there.
David & Margaret Thorne, Joint Conveners

6th September 2023
Frazer Henderson
It's not all sand – The mountain flora of Yemen

4th October 2023
David Millward
Gardening a legacy- plants in our gardens from around the world
AGM

1st November 2023
Brian Whitton
Corydalis from mountain to garden

6th December 2023
Aaron Marshall, RBGE
Launching a Horticultural Career

10th January 2024
Carol and Ian Bainbridge
Starting out again – Planning and building our Galloway Garden

7th February 2024
Jeanie Jones
Primula I have seen in the Wild

6th March 2024
David and Margaret Thorne
The Snowman's Flowers - botanising Bhutan's toughest trek

3rd April 2024
Neil Huntley, Hartside Nursery
Roscoeas and other woodland plants
Plants for sale

[Margaret Thorne]

After a stunning run down the Tweed on Wednesday, with spectacular views to the snow capped Lammermuirs and Cheviots, we arrived in Bowden to find the surrounding area still shrouded in freezing fog. Despite this, 30 stalwart members were treated to a superb talk by Aaron Marshall, describing the various horticultural projects in which he had been involved before and during his present employment at the RBGE. Stan had brought plants to admire, Jim’s were for sale, nearly everyone won a raffle prize and there was home baking for all. Thanks to everyone for attending and contributing to another enjoyable meeting of the Scottish Borders Rock Garden Group.