Excellent New Resource: A Midland Alpine Gardener's Diary

[Diane Clement]

Roma, I think you've got a much easier climate than me to grow Meconopsis.  I think spring is the problem, no the winter as they start to grow now and they don't want soggy weather on those hairy leaves.  Every year I struggle and get slightly more successes to balance the failures.  This is the first time I have tried a little roof and the plant is still looking good - the roof blew off today with the gales but soon got it back on and no harm done.  I've got several pots of seedlings coming on, including one beautiful looking plant of M punicea from wild collected seed ex Holubec - waiting to be planted out in a few weeks.  Is it self fertile? as I've only got the one  ....

[Maggi Young]

Diane's latest Diary is online: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+February+/326/
 Particularly interesting is her series of photos of  the stages of germination of cyclamen seed...... see it and learn 

 Also rejoice at Diane's pix of seed pots sprouting like cress.... very satisfying! 

[Gunilla]

I haven't tried sowing cyclamen before but this time I ordered seed from both the SRGC and AGS seed exchange.  I followed Diane's very clear sowing instructions and now 5 weeks later they are beginning to sprout  .  I'm so pleased.
Your photos of the germination process are super, Diane.

[Roma]

To go back to Meconopsis punicea Diane,  I didn't think it was self-fertile but got seed last year from a single plant.  I wasn't sure if the seed would be viable because the did not look big enough or plump enough so I did not send any to the exchanges.  I sowed some myself, rather thickly in July.  To my surprise when I checked some of my seed pots today I found they have germinated like cress.  I did have Meconopsis cookei 'Old Rose' growing quite close, but do not know if it has viable pollen.   

[Maggi Young]

Some of us were very interested in a new class  that Diane talked about briefly with her photos from the AGS Loughborough show..... the class calls for
“3 pans rock plants, distinct, all requiring similar cultural conditions. Educational information about 'How and Where to Grow' to be provided.  These classes are intended to educate the public on how and where to grow a group of plants. They will be judged not only on the quality of the plants exhibited but also on the educational content of the accompanying notes.  In judging these classes, the educational information should carry as much weight as the plants themselves.”

Diane has written about her entry in her latest Midland Diary... it got lost for a few days but it is now resplendent on the AGS website , here:

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+March+/336/

[Nick_the_grief]

I think it's a brilliant idea if only to encourage more people.  The NAtional Chrysanthemum society tried something similar with a class for Boulou pot chrysanths - mind you I find them damn difficult to grow

[Maggi Young]

I think it's a very good idea too. A similar thing has been tried in Scotland with
"3 pans distinct,2 parent species and a hybrid or three cultivars" or some such.... not to any great success a regards entries, I'm afraid.



In my ignorance I did not know what a Boulou was .... so for anyone else in my shoes, here's a page from the NCS.....http://www.nationalchrysanthemumsociety.org.uk/NCS-boulous.htm

[Nick_the_grief]

Sorry Maggi - should have thought of that! and anyone fancy any then Steve Budding from Brookside nursery in Leicester is the man to speak to ( advert in the Loughborough show schedule I noticed  )

http://www.brooksidenurseries.co.uk/xanths.html

[Maggi Young]

Nae probs, Nick.... I've enjoyed finding out about them.

[Lesley Cox]

I would have liked to talk a little about Diane's super entry in the feedback part of the AGS site but as previously I have forgotten my login and username so can't. Because of major problems with my computer recently I've also got rid of all the deleted items and emptied the recycle bin, as they were about a week ago so can't go back to the AGS replies to my email for help with the login etc. So will have to email Jill Larner and hope she is patient enought to help me yet again..

BUT in the meantime, I too think this class is an excellent idea because more and more as for many years, people's gardens have become smaller and smaller and if one happens to have a small plot in full sun or in cold damp conditions, or fully exposed to wind or whatever, it must be helpful to be guided towards plants that will do well in those conditions, whatever one has been landed with and perhaps therefore, avoid plants which may look great in the nursery or the catalogue or on the showbench, but haven't a hope of succding in one's own garden.

Diane's information for the hepaticas and how she is growing them was to my mind, exactly what the class should be wanting and I'm surprised that the judges didn't go there, though of course I have no idea what else was entered, to make a comparison. Having said that, I would have interpreted "3 plants, distinct," as being 3 plants of separate genera which would all grow well in the conditions described. Whatever, they are beautiful plants and a real pleasure to see them.

[Maggi Young]

In  SRGC rules and AGS too, "distinct"  can mean a difference as simple as three colour forms of the same species while "different genera" is used when calling for that category.

One could enter three genera in a more general three pan class.....  so that 3 pans bulbs, distinct, could be either three different daffs or a Scilla, a Muscari and an Ipheion, for example.
More usually though, a class calls for  three pans Asiastic Primula, distinct or three pans Crocus, distinct.

The meanings  of 'distinct'  and 'different genera'  are something that puzzles a good few new exhibitors.
 

[Diane Clement]

If the definition of a weed is "A plant in the wrong place", then our garden is full of weeds at the moment. However, just because they have sown themselves doesn't mean they are not attractive.  Click here for my Midland Diary no 40

Midland Diary No 40 - A plant in the wrong place

[Maggi Young]

Diane, this is a diary entry which really speaks to me of Spring. Is there any flower more lovely in the British Isles at this time of year than the primrose?

Your pictures are so charming that I am almost diverted from my feelings of envy that you have such an overabundance of these wonderful plants - almost   

One would make a wish for all our gardens that all 'weeds' were as lovely and desireable.

It is funny how sometimes one's own 'weeds' are someone elses' treasure.... in our garden our worst weed is Tropaeolum speciosum ! I would willingly swap it for your native gems!

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Diane, I would not mind at all having the environment that invites primulas to self sow as freely as seen in your photo.  I only wish to have such an environment for my hepaticas some day, so that I can describe them as “my weeds”, like Maggi.

Koko

[hadacekf]

Diane,
Primula vulgaris - a beautiful plant. I like  this 'weed'.