Gardening Scotland

[Carol Shaw]

Just in case you have forgotten the Scottish version of Chelsea is on this weekend 1 - 3 June at Ingleston. The usual suspects will be manning the SRGC stand and David might even have enough time to rove and take some pix for everyone... Mind you Ian Y will be there too so I'm sure he will be busy with his camera. If you are looking for the SRGC stand in the show hall we are #9 in approximatley the same position as we were last year!

[Lisa Marie Claire]

Hello, I found this forum today!
I missed the Scottish Rock Garden Show this year as my partner whisked me off to Amsterdam, so i bought lots of unusual Orchids, some mimosa plants and lots of bulbs in the Bloomen Market to make up for missing the show. i usually make a real effort to go as my Mother always goes being a Member and helper there, appart from this year she missed it too so we were both miffed but i was pleased to see the photos Ian Young has posted they are excellent! i was really after a Tropiolum Tricolour and another kind thats deep red !Does anyone know where to get Tropiolums the dainty kind!

Gardening Scotland ...........
I have been soooo excited for months now about going as i have a garden in need of a serious make over which i have started and i am just loving it, i seem to have my mums green fingers too! I was hoping for inspiration from the show as well as some info on nurserys etc where i can get all the unusual plants i like from.
My Aunty is on the Bonsai Stand so i can leave plants with her during the day.
However my Partner Has done his back in and cant drive and neither can i till i hopefully pass my test next month so its looking like the chances of going are slim, i have been trying to think of ways of going as im despirate to go.
I Hope everyone enjoys it and i hope the weather is good for fri sat sun

[Ian Y]

Hi Lisa
 I will send you some Tropaeolum tricolorum in a few weeks when it has gone dormant.
Send me your postal address your postal address by email to info@srgc.org.uk.

[David Shaw]

Lisa
If you can get into Edinburgh there is a free bus service to the show from Haymarket. See www.gardeningscotland.com.
If you get to the show make sure to come past the SRGC stand and say hello.

[Lisa Marie Claire]

 :)Thank-you
yippeee im off to the show on Friday and i cant wait!
found a friend of mine who would love to go so we are off............
I will try and say hello to you but you will probably be quite busy.
we thought it may be quieter on friday?
I am so EXCITED

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Folks, rather bedraggled Maggi here... getting better from my assorted infections, but not in best nick!
 I am fit enough to tell you a little news from Ingliston, the Gardening Scotland show, though....
Our esteemed and much loved President, Ian, the Christie kind,  has won another Gold Medal for his nursery stand at the show. Ian and Ann work very hard, as is the way with nursery folk and since both have been very poorly lately, this is an especial triumph for them. Well done, Christies of Kirriemuir!!
The Best in Show Award, has been won for the second year running by Kevock Garden Nursery.... the business run at Lasswade outside Edinburgh by Stella Rankin and her husband David. This is great news for these stalwart SRGC Members (David is a former Edinburgh Group Convener) and no mean feat when one considers the competition from the big commercial concerns that have pots of money and manpower to throw at these events.
A definite case of small (plants) being beautiful! Many congratulations to Stella and her team for this success.

I opened the local paper this morning to find a photo of the newly elected Scottish First Minister, alex Salmond, with TV gardener and Chairman of Gardening Scotland, Jim McColl, in front of an attractive stand, clearly shown to be that of Kevock Garden... great publicity, eh?

But, it gets even better than that, for this note is just in from Ingliston.........

First Minister meets SRGC
Anne and Sandy Leven were the first to talk with Alex Salmond, the newly elected First Minister for Scotland when he walked into the Floral Hall at Gardening Scotland 2007 with his entourage. Gardening Scotland President and Beechgrove Garden presenter Jim McColl introduced Anne and Sandy to the First Minister then took this photograph to record the occasion.
Mr Salmond explained that he was interested in gardening but was at present ‘kind of busy with other things’. He said his wife was the main gardener in the family, that he was the assistant but did not like taking orders!
Anne and Sandy congratulated him on his election victory and wished him every success in the future.
Afterwards Anne said to Sandy, ‘Just as well you had your hair cut!’

Anne, Leven, Alex Salmond and Sandy Leven, pictured at the Floral Hall, Gardening Scotland Show

[David Nicholson]

Maggi, glad to hear (see!) you are feeling a bit better. We missed you.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, David, I was suffering SRGC Forum withdrawal symptoms, too, very unpleasant!
Here is the photo of Jim McColl ( Chairman of Gardening Scotland) who took the photo of Anne and Sandy with the new First Minister shown above... this was in the Press and Journal today


Here you can more clearly see the sign for Kevock Garden on the stand behind the men

There has been a lot of talk about the lack of congratulations given to the new First Minister for Scotland by the Government leaders in Downing Street, in contrast to good wishes seemingly sent to the Welsh First Minister.... you can see the start of the headline " Brown's belated congratulations to the First minister" below the photo....


I find it reassuring that the SRGC folks are more polite than others, though doubtless the average gardener is better brought up than the average  (any?) politician!!!

[Maggi Young]

When the Kevock stand was shown briefly in the (TV programme) Beechgrove Garden's coverage of the show preparations last Thursday evening I was delighted to see plants of Celmisia spectabilis 'Eggleston's Variety' featuring strongly in the display. It was one of these plants that David Rankin brought up to the Aberdeen show  the other week and which Fermi de Sousa chose as his favourite plant in the show! Neat that, eh?

Celmisia spectabilis Eggleston's variety




A rather fuzzy shot of David and Stella Rankin serving at their plant stall in Dunblane

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

Great to have you back in action and a very nice report on the show. Good to see those involved in Scottish alpines getting publicity etc.

Give those who have been lazy about taking a guess at plant identification for the book a bit of a push.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Welcome back MAggi. As David said we missed you. Take good care until you are fully recovered.

I'm interested to see a Scottish First Minister who looks like a normal, reasonable man. My only aquaintance with these august persons is through the pages of Ian Rankin's books so First Ministers to me have seemed rotten and corrupt to the core. And did I rightly pick up who had been elected in Northern Ireland? Dear God, whatever.....better not go down that track.

[Maggi Young]

Scottish First Minister who looks like a normal, reasonable man

Well, he looks okay in these photos!! I see him a lot at the BBC station on Sundays at work, he's there for the TV politics programme... he never looks so "hale fellow, well met " then, I must say... there's nothing like winning high office to put a smile on one's face it seems. I am rather cynical about politicians but I hope that this one does prove to be honest and reasonable.

[derekb]

Maggi, Welcome back to the land of the living, we all Missed you.

Derek

[shelagh]

Hi there Maggi, glad you're back on form and forum. At least Sandy and his wife will have some quality company next weekend, they are on the list for the Garden Visits run by Brian Davidson. I'll let you know if all this notoriety has gone to his head.

Shelagh

[Maggi Young]

Derek, I don't know about the land of the living yet, I'm more like the walking dead at the moment!!

Shelagh, Anne and Sandy are looking forward to the Galloway Gardens, I know... I don't doubt you will all have a great time....all the quieter for my absence, so that's something for you to be glad of!!

Speaking of noisy SRGC types, I have just had another phone call from Jean, the Wyllie Wifie, on her hols in the US of A.... she sends you all her best wishes....though I don't believe she's missing us at all... just ringing to make me green about the plants they are seeing... Erythronium, Eritrichium etc etc!!
She and Jim are having a whale of a time in Colorado at the moment.

yes, holidays,: a wonderful thing, pity you an't book 'em at home!!