Meconopsis Trial 2010-2013 Report

[ichristie]

Hello all, the Meconopsis continue to flower with more each day, I am posting several pictures of Meconopsis Strathspey a grandis type from a PSW collection. The flowers have opened over the last few days and they are a very unusual pink in years past this plant has produced the darkest blue flowers, we had a little sunshine at the weekend so you will see from the pictures what this has produced, cheers Ian the Christie kind

    M. Strathspey 1
    M. Strathspey 2
    M. Strathspey 3
    M. Strathspey 4
    M. Strathspey 5
    Mec Mop Head open
    M Huntfield 3

[Maggi Young]

'Huntfield' is lovely- what a blue!

Ian, what does "PSW" stand for, please?

[ichristie]

Hello Maggie it is for Polunin Sykes and Williams who collected the plant around 1956 it is a Mec. grandis which is now sterile sets no seed The Meconopsis Group decided to name with agreement from Jim Gauld who lives in Aberdeen he got plants from Jack Drakes nursery and kept it going by dividing it up. I would like it to be Meconopsis grandis Strathspey not Meconopsis Strathspey grandis type but who am I to disagree with  Meconopsis Group.  cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ichristie]

Hello another very stormy day with a biting cold wind, I am posting a picture of my group of Meconopsis Strathspey grandis type showing the colour range the dark blue ones opened recently as we had a little sunshine yes sunshine, cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ichristie]

I spent some time over the weekend potting some Meconopsis seedlings which have been very slow to get going, in one picture I pricked out some M. integrifolia and M. baileyi in the same tray to show how different seedlings can be. I have also noticed some other seedlings are at last germinating hope to at least get some to overwinter especially M. tibetica which is very new only a few seedlings. I am keeping the potted seedlings in a cool shaded glasshouse as the weather we have at the moment is wild windy and very wet. Please note that the pots of seedlings are covered with fairly large grit this has not prevented good germination for me it helps to stop moss and weeds. The Meconopsis punicea perennial form are the best so far they did germinate first, not all these seedlings will be perennial plants but those that are can easily be divided, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

    M. punicea perennial_resize.JPG
    M. paniculata_resize.JPG
    M. Lingholm_resize.JPG
    M. integrifolia M. baileyi_resize.JPG
    011_resize.JPG
    012_resize.JPG
    013_resize.JPG
    014_resize.JPG
    015_resize.JPG

[ichristie]

 Hello all, I have been very busy with Gardening Scotland what a superb effort from the team.I visited the trials at Harlow twice already with one visit to Holehird. The plants at Harlow suffered badly from the very dry March and looked really sick on the 17th May thank fully the rain came and plants recovered remarkably to produce flowers for the next visit on 29th May all the George Sherriff Group are so late we are to visit again on 13th June so will post the pictures and report then.  The plants at Holehird were superb and the whole garden is run by volunteers a realy wonderful garden do visit if you are near Widermere. My own plants are now stunning which is hard to believe with such a foul month in April I removed all the early flower spikes which were about 30cm high and only one flower that was malformed a little feeding was given and we now have the best show with most now in flower except my George Sherriff group are late as well. More news and pictures as soon as possible,  cheers Ian the Christie kind

     Mec Broughty ferry 1.jpg
    Mec Crewdson group.jpg
    Mec Evelyn1.jpg
    Mec Huntfield groiup.jpg
    Mec Inverewe.JPG
    Mec Mrs Jebb 2.jpg
    Mec S.D heads group.jpg
    Mec Willie Duncan.jpg
    Mec Planting 1.jpg
    Mec Planting 2.jpg

[Maggi Young]

I've just received, from Ian the Christie Kind, this report from the ongoing Mec. Trial. He will be adding photos from the trials when he can.

 2012 Mec Trial Report :  Mec.Trial 2012 June 13th Harlow.pdf (34.49 kB - downloaded 160 times.)

[ichristie]

Thank you Maggie as always your help is appreciated.  Meconopsis Trials 2012, I visited Harlow Carr Gardens 3 times this year to observe the plants first visit was on 17th May, we arrived to see the plants looking very sad they had suffered badly with the weather first was the dry hot spell in March then the cold wet and windy time in April. Some plants were looking o/k but I did wonder how many would survive until our next visit which was on the 30th May. Our garden contact is Andrew Willocks he and his team had done a great job adding a bit more water to plants it is surprising how well the Meconopsis had recovered, we must also thank Elizabeth Balmforth curator at Harlow for her input for these trials.  RHS trials officer from Wisley Andrew Mcseveney has also been greatly supportive in fact he came up to visit all the Meconopsis gardens in Scotland we wanted him to see just how well Meconopsis could grow then we went to Harlow on 13th June to judge the plants. We we indeed treated to some superb plants in flower Andrew Willocks had liquid fed them which made a big improvement some had finished flowering a few had died but the rest were worth the visit. I also visited Holehird on 29th May where the Meconopsis were superb probably a higher rainfall, every plant in the garden looked great run by local volunteers well done to them do visit if you are near this garden.  I will add pictures probably over 3 pages,  cheers Ian the Christie kind

    M. Slieve Donard_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Bobby Masterton_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Bryan Conway_resize_resize.jpg
    M. P.C. Abildgaard_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Stuart Annand_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Mrs Jebb._resize_resize.jpg
    M. Crewdson Hyb_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Crarae_resize_resize.jpg

[ichristie]

Next 8 pictures.

    M. Willie Duncan_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Keillour_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Inverewe_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Marit_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Huntfield_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Jimmy Bayne_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Dalemain_resize_resize.jpg
    M. Susans Reward_resize_resize.jpg

[ichristie]

Final set from Harlow.
    M. Barney's Blue
    M. Ascreavie
    M. Lingholm
    Meconopsis Mop Head
    M. Louise
    M. grandis Himal Skies
    M. grandis Strathspey

[ichristie]

I will now post two pictures taken on 30th May at Harlow showing the flowers which at that time unfortunately Mec. grandis #Strathspey did not make it. One pic is M. Marit and one id M. grandis Himal Skies. cheers Ian the Christie kind

[Maggi Young]

Those members interested in Himalayan blue poppies may like prior warning of a Meconopsis  Open Day on Monday 3rd June at Harlow Carr.

Speakers will be Evelyn Stevens,  Andrew Willocks who is in charge of the  Mecs at Harlow Carr and a practical demo by Ian Christie, sponsored by SRGC.

This programme will be repeated in the afternoon with the exception of Andrew's presentation..
Guided tours of the Harlow Carr Alpine House and the Meconopsis trial will be available morning and afternoon.

The charge is £20 for RHS members, £25 for non-members and booking details will be  announced later.

[frits.kp]

Do you have any times for this event or contact details, email

[Maggi Young]

Not yet, Kevin.
Details will be given here when those become available , as well as the booking contact when that is in place.

[Maggi Young]

Booking is now open for the Harlow Carr  Meconopsis Event via the RHS :   telephone 0845 612 1253

Timetable for the day:
Tea and coffee from 09.30, lecture at 10.00, lunch break 12.30, conducted tours alternating with the lecture programme which is scheduled to end at 16.15.