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

[ChrisB]

I don't think its the same here Susann, when I paid for the conference there was a hefty charge to transfer.

[Susann]

I do not know about UK of course, but I use International transfer when paying to  companies and private persons in UK. As it is an european agreement between the banks, the fee should be about the same? But of course, you know best living in the country. But, if you have not checked it up, please do. It might save you some money ( to be spent in plants once we are there)

[Lesley Cox]

For the conference itself, I was able to hang onto Maggi and Ian's coattails and have my booking done by them for the hotel. I hope I sent enough money to cover this Maggi. Let me know if not.

[Maggi Young]

I hope I sent enough money to cover this Maggi. Let me know if not.

For the conference itself, I was able to hang onto Maggi and Ian's coattails and have my booking done by them for the hotel. I hope I sent enough money to cover this Maggi. Let me know if not.

Happy to help, Lesley.

[Olga Bondareva]

Oh I am not alone with transfer problems!

The hotel is too expensive for me and I am not ready to pay 100% deposit. I booked another hotel in Tabor.

[Jiri Papousek]

I called hotel Dvorak in Tabor and credit card can be accepted as guarantee, without any need for bank transfer to avoid charges.

[ChrisB]

Wish I'd known this sooner Jiri.... I'm now keeping my fingers crossed that my transfer has gone through ok.  Was confusing because I got 2 invoices with 2 different banks on them!  The second one came up as being in Austria.  They told me it is the correct one but I'm still a bit nervous.  Should know if it worked early next week.

[Susann]

The second one came up as being in Austria. 

Dear Chris, I do not think you have to worry, as it is a top class hotel. And, I have also learnt that many Czech seems to have their banks abroad, so perhaps Czech companies find it convinient too.
 But Jiri, we were not asked by the second hotel to pay anything ore leave any kind of security such as credit card number. ( Which, by the way is totally useless as a company is never allowed to charge your card without your permission). Do you think we have to worry that has not paid anything?

[Jiri Papousek]

As far as I know the second hotel - Academic in Roztoky doesn't require any pre payment or credit card number.
Chris, don't worry, they had some difficulties with foreign payments to their standard bank, therefore for this they use also second account of Raiffeisenbank. It standard bank in our market http://www.rb.cz/en/, just it has Austrian name.

[ChrisB]

It helps to know Jiri.... it did confuse me.

[Maggi Young]

There is still a little time to  book for this event - here is what  SRGC member Judith Broome has written in the latest  Journal about the first Czech event :
  A Prague Spring- from Judith Broome.pdf (81.39 kB - downloaded 104 times.)

[Maggi Young]

There is still time to book for this event- see what SRGC member Judith Broome has written in the latest journal about her visit to the last event :


A Prague Spring         Judith Broome


Four members of the South West of Scotland Rock Garden Group
decided to attend the first International Rock Garden Conference in
Beroun. Allan and I were relative newcomers to the SRGC so we
thought that it would be an informative break. A very interesting time was
had by all. The beautiful gardens of all the leading Czech alpine gardeners
were visited, with plants for sale at them all.

Now this is my amusing follow up to the problems that this brought:
Our friends bought about forty plants, while Allan and I bought sixty five.
Others at the conference even went above a hundred plants. Now you
have to bear in mind that these were specialist plants averaging about fifty
pence each. Could you have resisted?
When you prepare a bucket of soil and grit for potting up your
precious alpines, how many pots does it fill? Now reverse the process.

Are you getting the picture of the amount of soil I am talking about in our
pots? Before we get to that point though, the question arises of how we
are going to transport them when soil-less. Let me tell you that Beroun
had a complete sell-out of plastic boxes. The supermarket just had an
empty shelf where the boxes had been but we found a shelf that had
some plastic boxes with two dozen buns inside - and we bought one.
The buns were offered to everyone at the next coffee break. We also
needed kitchen roll, rubber bands and plastic bags.

So now we were all set. I removed the soil from the plants while
Allan wrapped them in wet kitchen roll, put them in a plastic bag and
then in the boxes. I was starting to struggle after twenty plants. What to
do with the box full of soil? Julia Corden (she of Explorers Garden) was
going to solve the problem by disposing of her soil in some empty
planters outside the hotel. However, on returning from one of our many
fascinating tours, a groan came up from Julia - the council had been that
day and planted them up.
So Allan and I decided that our solution was over the wall. The wall
in question was over the road from the hotel. On the other side of this
wall were two yards of riverbank and then the river. Can you imagine the
strange looks from the receptionist in the foyer? Seeing all her guests with
boxes full of soil.
I can tell you that the Seven Hills of Rome were nothing
compared to our mounds on the river bank.
It all worked rather well, as we had very few losses.

We had a wonderful break in the Czech Republic and made some very good friends
at the same time.

Anyone tempted by or wondering about going to the 2013 Prague
Conference should book now – you will not regret a moment.

Bohemia’s woods and fields await you - with rock gardens!

[Leiomerus]

I will come by car, so I can load loads of plants ....

[Tim Ingram]

I think that may have decided it for me as well! Forty plants per box, how many boxes can I get in the car...?

[angie]

I think that may have decided it for me as well! Forty plants per box, how many boxes can I get in the car...?

Okay Folks, those that are going with their cars from the Uk need to think of us poor folks that have to pack what we can in our cases. So don't fill your cars up completely just incase we need to squeeze some of our plants in your boots.
I am already thinking of what is the least amount of cloths that I need to take, Plants or cloths, I wonder what will win 

Angie 
Getting excited now and cant wait to meet up with everyone, hope we will have name tags.