Introduction:2nd International Czech Rock Garden Conference - 2-5 May 2013

[angie]

Getting really excited now hearing everyone speaking about meeting up and having fun. I think we are all going to have such a great time, cant wait. If anyone is still thinking about going you better stop thinking about it and just book up now. Think what you are going to miss out on and I want to meet more forum members 

Angie   

[Susann]

To the ones that does not trust the cabbage; have you tried it? But of course if you keep to beer and strudels there will be more cabbage left for me.

But for now on, lets concentrate on all the plants and gardens we will see and all the new very interesting friends we will meet! Olga, if they try to give you more problems, just tell them that Mama Nilsson will give them her opinion, and as you already know she is dangerous...

My friend Sachiyo sends her regards and thank you for the help with the H versicarius. She was very surprised and happy. She will not join the Conference as she thinks her English is not that good. I think it is. She is heading for the National Parks in the Grand Circle instead, having a short vacation before nursery wakes up again. Perhaps we will se images later on from her trip.

[Maggi Young]

I expect Sachiyo will have a wonderful trip to the USA - it would be great to see some of her photos later 

I think there is still time to register for the conference and the garden visits for those still debating whether or not to attend.

I do believe that the hotels chosen are "top notch" and there is surely a good line-up of Speakers and subjects.
It is not too often that there is the chance to enjoy such an international gathering - this will be  a top notch gathering altogether, I think! 

[Lesley Cox]

Pork and strudel give me something to think about - and worry about On Saturday I was asked by one of my favourite vendors if I'd like some seconds (cherries) to make some cherry brandy. Of course I said yes please and expected the couple of kilos he gave me last year. But I had a box put into my arms and when I weighed it at home, it was over 10 kilos! So we're eating cherries all the time - they are barely marked, just a few hail marks - and are giving them away left right and centre.

[Lesley Cox]

When I tell local people about the conference I'll attend in the Czech Republic, I also say that only one of the speakers has English as a first language (I haven't forgotten Martin Sheader, but for the sake of the story... and that one is a Scot. They reply "he'll be the only one you can't understand!)

[Susann]

Cher]ries at this time of year, strange! Here is a little tease of what we will se in May.

It´s a Campanula biebersteiniana I was told, I have not checked it up if correct or not, so let us just enjoy the beauty of it. Unfortunally it is not in one of the gardens we are to see.

I was very happy when finding out that this beautiful specimen of Erigeron algidus recieved a prize at the exhibition last year. OK, I admit, I am quite into Asteraceae, at least the small one´s. Would love to go to North America some day to see lots of them. But right now I am more than pleased with Tábor!

[Lesley Cox]

Well it's high summer here of course Susann. Not that the weather says so, with hot/cold/dry/wet all on just about every day and wind all the time it seems. I've not known a summer quite like this before. Surprisingly, considering how wet it has been in the last couple of months, there is a really good seed set on many plants which never have before.

[Susann]

Oh, it seems as our strange summer weather went down to you then. At first it was the most splendid summer I remember, until it suddenly started to rain. In one night I got 155 mm in eleven hours. It does not occur in Sweden! Ican assure that I  had a very nice private swimming pool in the basement. After that the rain just wouldn´t stop. I went to nothern mountains, to an area that is the driest and sunniest in Sweden. A fortnight with rain, you could count the hours the water did not pour down. But the autumn was unusal dry with very early snow. And as you say, seed set as usual. My garden is very sandy, old pine forrest with tons of stones beneath ( There is a reason the Swedes from this area all left for USA) so the drainage is good. I guess that saved all my dear green friends.

[Diane Whitehead]

Has anyone else been required to pay "100% deposit" on the hotel bill?  I need to pay
by a wire transfer by January 31, and if I am late, I will be charged interest every day.

Is it my country, my age (I may drop dead before arriving), the unreliability of rock
gardeners?  Or is the hotel just desperate for cash because no one uses it in the winter?

My bank will have another interesting afternoon.  It usually involves a couple of tellers
and the manager as wire transfers are not commonly used here.

Diane

[Maggi Young]

Hello Diane, yes, we were asked to pay the full amount by the Tabor hotel for the conference itself.
The second hotel, base for the garden tours, has taken our reservations but has not asked for any money upfront.

We thought it a bit unusual  but figured the hotel thought we were an odd bunch - they may be right!
We got together with our little "gang" of chums going from Aberdeen to make single transfers which has saved us quite a bit on bank fees.

[johnw]

Diane -  That's unbelievable.  I have had to pay a one day deposit in Europe but never any more than that.    And I stay at a lot of hotels.......

johnw

[ChrisB]

The bank charges are ridiculous!   I'm a bit worried as we've not been asked to pay for either hotel, but we have assured bookings at both.

[Arie.v]

I did email them and asked them if I could pay by Visa, as the charge from Canada was $80.00 for the bank transfer.
They replied the next day, and told me if I could give them my Visa # and they would let me pay when we got there, so I called them with my Visa # rather than emailing my visa #.
Hope this works for you

[ChrisB]

That's very helpful Arie, I think I'll phone them and see if I can do the same.... makes sense as they have some security in knowing one is serious about the booking.

[Susann]

Chris,i Is it not possible for you to make an international transfer using their IBAN and BIC-numbers? In European union it is ( at least from Sweden) less than  £ 1 in charge?

We had to pay 100 % deposit as well, but I see it as a good thing as the Czech currency for some reason seems to always be worth much less in winter than in spring. It might be only comparing to our Swedish krona, though? I do know that for us, Swedes, it is much better to pay in Czech currency than in Euro.