E-magazine feature on SRGC Website

[Maggi Young]

October's IRG tells of a botanical trip in the Chilean Desert by John and Anita Watson and  Zdeněk Zvolánek, inspired by Panayoti Kelaidis, praises  pin-cushion plants - free download via this link:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Oct261509039468IRG94.pdf



an updates Index from Glassford Sprunt is also online here

[Maggi Young]

What is in this month's International Rock Gardener ?

TOWNSENDIA by Gerrit Eijkelenboom

WHAT IS CROCUS NUBIGENA Herb.?  by  Jānis Rukšāns

SAXIFRAGA  DINNIKII ´JINDRISKA´ by Zdeněk Zvolánek

GENTIANA HYBRIDISING NEAR ROLLSDORF by Fritz Kummert

 Download IRG here  http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Nov231511460835IRG_95_November_2017.pdf

Cover photo: Harmonia axyridis on Townsendia flower, by Gerrit Eijkelenboom

[Maggi Young]

Time to spend a pleasant interlude with those North American gems,Lewisia rediviva and  Eritrichium howardii Why? Because we can of course, with the help of contributors, David Sellars from British Columbia and Yara Horáček in Alberta. Zdeněk Zvolánek encourages us all to try growing Cyclamen with the stimulus of the fine plants grown by Kirsten Andersen and Lars Hansen in Denmark. Thanks for all the support from our readers over the past year - the eighth year of the IRG - we look forward to hearing from you and providing more plant-based information in the magazine next year.

Thanks to all readers and contributors from around the world. Wishing you all a great year in 2018.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Dec281514484120IRG96.pdf



A full index is also available - thanks to Glassford Sprunt  -  http://files.srgc.net/journals/IRG-Index.pdf

[Maggi Young]

We tend to think of Siberia as being a snowy wilderness - and of course, it can be - but it is good to read about one of the areas with a rich flora from a new International Rock Gardener contributor, Ole William Purvis, a lichenologist, researcher and author who writes about the Sayan Mountains.

From the Czech Republic, Zdeněk Zvolánek introduces the photography of Ladislav Blažej, of plants in the Pirin mountains of Bulgaria.
Download  IRG97  free - here : http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Jan271517084243IRG_97__January_2018.pdf


Ledum palustre on the cover of IRG 97  - photo W.O. Purvis

The IRG began in January 2010 - at the time we thought it would be online for a year as an experiment but as the ninth year of the IRG begins - there is hope that our marvellous contributors will continue their support in sharing information about the fascinating little plants of the mountains and wild places of the world with a truly international audience. All brought to your desk for free, with hopes of a wonderful year for readers and their plants alike!

IRG full Index: http://files.srgc.net/journals/IRG-Index.pdf

All issues from this page :  http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/index.php?log=international

[Maggi Young]

IRG98 of February 2018 presents  plants from the Chilean garden of John and Anita Watson,  tips from Ian Young  on how to landscape a trough and  finally this month there is the description from Anne Wright of a new Galanthus hybrid, G. ‘Dryad Venus’.

 http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Feb221519324634IRG98.pdf


Cover photo:  Saxifrages in flower in trough with concrete “rocks” – photo J. Ian Young.



Galanthus 'Dryad Venus' - photo Anne Wright

[Maggi Young]

March in the Northern hemisphere suggests that Spring may be in full flower - sadly we cannot guarantee that from one day to the next.

Matters of the science or practice of classification are the subject for IRG this month. Jānis Rukšāns discusses how best to delineate a Crocus species, a subject which he has spent many years addressing.  Dimitri  Zubov and Leonid Bondarenko describe a new species of stoloniferous Iris- Iris sisianica  from Armenia.

Click here to download the IRG for March 2018   http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Mar291522354177IRG100.pdf(link shows #100 but is truly #99 !)




This is the 99th IRG - so here is an image to commemorate that - though perhaps only UK  readers will understand the reference!

[Maggi Young]

International Rock Gardener, the free e-magazine on SRGC.NET reaches issue #100  Thanks to all contributors and readers for your support - we couldn't do it without you!

This month learn about the  buckwheats  of  America from John P. Weiser and  get some news of The Beauty Slope, garden of  ZZ

Download here : http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Apr271524820121IRG100April.pdf

[Maggi Young]

For  IRG 101, we are pleased to introduce Peter Tallbo from Mora in Sweden who is redesigning his garden to make it a better place to grow and propagate plants as well as becoming a more aesthetically pleasing space.  Gerrit Eijkelenboom from the Netherlands, returns with Part 2 of his report, with his wife Iep, of their travels to see orchids in Sicily.  Finally this  month, we are pleased to be able to publish a new species of rosulate Viola from the Chilean based duo of John M. Watson and Ana R. Flores – Viola farkasiana sp. nova.



 Download the  e-magazine from this link :
 http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018May241527184409IRG_101_May_2018.pdf

[Maggi Young]

International Rock Gardener June 2018   IRG102


The IRG Team is pleased to be able to publish a description of a new species of peony, named for the late, great Jim (J.C.) Archibald by two of his many admirers, Jānis Rukšāns and Henrik Zetterlund. The SRGC is proud to host online the Archibald Archive to represent the work of Jim and Jennie Archibald in bringing such a wide range of plants to the attention - and gardens - of so many plant lovers worldwide. Imagine then, our delight to be given another species description by these two famous plantsmen, this time of a crocus to be named for two of our team.  That Jānis and Henrik have chosen to honour them in this way with Crocus youngiorum is deeply appreciated by Maggi and Ian both for themselves and for the association with the SRGC. The third new species this month is an Andean Alstroemeria from Chile, described by John M.Watson, Ana (Anita) R. Flores with Gloria Rojas.



cover with  Paeonia archibaldii

Link for IRG 102  of June 2018 : http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Jun291530286276IRG102June2018.pdf


Janis and his wife  Guna - celebrating Midsummer


Crocus youngiorum


Alstroemeria piperata

[Maggi Young]

Link for IRG 102  of June 2018 : http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Jun291530286276IRG102June2018.pdf

[Maggi Young]

IRG 103 begins with a tour in Sardinia by Gerrit and Iep Eijkelenboom. They encountered good weather and were able to picture a fine range of plants in bloom. Italian islands are somewhat simpler to access than Chile so perhaps not many readers will be able to see the Chilean flora for themselves. The second part of this issue of IRG features the background article by John and Anita Watson on the interesting area which shaped Alstroemeria piperata – as was indicated in the June 2018 IRG issue 102 where the species was described.

Download here : http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Jul261532613984IRG103-July2018.pdf


 
Cover photo: Tristerix aphyllus, one of the scarlet mistletoes in Chile, photo John M. Watson.

An updated index is also available for all IRG issues.

[Maggi Young]

We hope this issue of IRG provides a diversion from the  disasters, natural and man-made that beset so many countries at the moment. The last while seems to have been filled with reports of fires, floods and more.

In IRG104 John and Anita Watson describe two new viola species from Chile; we learn a little about grant aid available to horticultural students  and  remember Rod and Rachel Saunders of Silverhill Seeds.

Click the link to download... http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Aug301535657804IRG104-August2018.pdf
 


Cover photo: Cryptantha aspera, macro photo by Ana R. Flores (Anita Flores Watson)

[Maggi Young]

Reception for last month's cover image was good - so I chose another white  flower for this issue too!
Cover photo:  Blumenbachia prietea, photo ARF(Anita Flores Watson).



This month’s IRG (International Rock Gardener) e-magazine  has  a double North American connection, as we review some of the plants in the Wappinger Falls garden of Anne Spiegel in New York State.  A trip further south takes us to South America, where Chilean based botanists John and Ana (Anita) Watson write of some Patagonian plants.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Sep271538076603IRG_105_Sept2018.pdf

[Maggi Young]

October's IRG - #106 - is online now.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Oct251540501603IRG106October2018.pdf


Viola trochlearis

Some plants from Crete and more on the violas of South America are featured.  Thanks to main  contributors  Vlastimil Braun with  Zdenek Zvolanek, and to Anita and John Watson. 


Remember - if you've got something you'd like to write about for this monthly e-magazine - why not send it to me ?
 I'd be delighted to hear from you!   Send  submissions to  editor@internationalrockgardener.net
 

[Maggi Young]

Latvian plantsman, Jānis Rukšāns describes a new species of Anemone this month. “Windflowers” - as the little anemones are known in English - are a favourite for those who have the good fortune to see them in their native habitats and also because many species are readily available in commerce and make excellent garden plants. This new species is  named for Sergey  Banketov.

 John and Anita Watson, who live in Chile, relate some of their plant-hunting escapades in South America and how their obsession began!  Most of us will never have the chance to visit there, so these insights from the Watsons into the flora and fauna give us an armchair trip to savour.
We are also delighted to introduce the new SRGC President, Julia Corden.

 http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2018Nov291543526367IRG107-November.pdf