Galanthus Events - Snowdrop Days etc 2013

[mark smyth]

Is anyone passing very close to Stansted on the way to the Gala? Are you returning that way also on the same day?

[emma T]

I havent a clue what my Mum and i will be doing now ............poor Mum has Shingles    and the relatives we were to be staying with have had to have hospital treatment  , so we cant stay with them   ( all our other relatives have tiny houses with no spare rooms )

Its a 4 hour drive for us to get there . I dont fancy driving that far doing the gala then having to drive the 4 hours back . Mum may or may not be able to help with the driving depending on how much better she feels 

If anyone can recommend a place to stay that wont break the bank i would be thankful .

[Maggi Young]

Emma, my best wishes to your Mum-  hope she doesn't feel too poorly and makes a good recovery.
And I do hope you can work out some scheme to get around to the Gala.

[emma T]

Thank you Maggi  Mum still wants to go to the gala , its just a question of how we go about getting there 

[KentGardener]

Ouch!  Both Ian and my brother had shingles and it wasn't pleasant.  Ian had it on his eyes and the hospital was very worried.  My brother had it on his waist and it was very painful - both were thankfully completely fine after a couple of weeks.

There is a free spare room here Em (and a couple of sofa beds in the office and living room if Mrs and Mr Lettace are with you)  if you can't find a better offer aned would be happy with a slightly decreased driving distance.  I'm always up by 6am so could make sure I chuck you out early so that you don't miss a second of the Gala.   

[emma T]

 

I will talk to mum and see what she thinks.

The shingles are on her back, near her shoulder blade, she has got some nasty tasting anti-virals to help get rid of it and some hefty pain killers .

[Maggi Young]

"Snowdrop Gala and other Spring Treasures" : Date : Sat, Feb 2nd, 2013

Venue : Ballykealey Manor, near Altamont, Co. Carlow

Programme :

9.30am : Registration, tea/coffee, biscuits.

10am -11am : Rod Leeds  "Galanthus, Some Favourites Both Old and New" (from the classic green tipped to the very newest cultivars)

11.30am - 12.30pm : John Grimshaw   "Growing Snowdrops – A Personal View" (John Grimshaw, co-author, editor of ‘Snowdrops’ will speak about his experience of growing a diverse collection of
snowdrops over many years, covering both cultivars and cultivation techniques).

12.45pm - 1.45pm : Lunch at Ballykealey

2pm - 5pm : Visit to Altamont, guided tour with Paul Cutler.
(Snowdrops, Spring bulbs, hellebores, etc for sale)
Avon Bulbs, Ashwood Nurseries, Harvington Hellebores, Rod Leeds and many more specialist nurseries.

This is a Ticket event with  limited numbers. It may be too late to get a place, but perhaps it is worth a try if you are keen to attend!
Cost of 70 euros  includes lectures, lunch, admission to bulb sale, guided tour.

Contact : Hester Forde (Coosheen Garden) - 086 8654972
Robert Miller (Altamont Plant Sales) - 087 9822135 
(00353 telephone  prefix from outside the Republic)

[lettuce begin]

Thankyou very much for the offer John,    but the Gala will be to much of a rugby scrum for me this year.
The bones are still mending  . i'll look forward to all the posts.

[Anthonyh]

As I can't make the Gala     I'm just looking at travel for the RHS London show on the 19th/20th and wondering which day is best (if there's any difference besides the closing time)? I haven't been before, and although I wouldn't be going principally to buy snowdrops... do any 'good ones' sell out on the first day? 



   

[Ding Dong]

Hi Anthony - If you are going to the show to buy, then you must go on the first day. You will see lots of forumists there too. If you are just going to look, then the second day is much quieter. See you there

[Alan_b]

Maybe I am speaking out of turn, but the RHS Show has never struck me as a good place to buy snowdrops.  You see these incredible displays with many rare and exotic snowdrops but these are not actually for sale.  Most of what is for sale is quite well-known and quite readily-avaiable.  That said, I have never got there much before noon on the first day so it's possible the really rare ones just sell-out in the first hour.

You might be better-off driving over to Harveys sale on 2nd February, if you can get there http://www.harveysgardenplants.co.uk/galanthus.asp .   

[Anthonyh]

Thanks Ding Dong and Alan.

I wish I could make the sale at Harveys, but I'm being dragged to a wedding in Staffordshire that day  February is not a good month for me this year- I'm going to miss most of the events/chances to buy the more desirable snowdrops! 

I will pop down on the first day of the show and see what's there. I have quite a lot of the readily available snowdrops, but I'll be interested to look around,  hopefully bump into/rub elbows with a few forumists, and if I find a snowdrop or two to buy, I'll be happy!

If you are on the Avon stand Ding Dong, I'll definitely say hello 
 

[KentGardener]

Hi Anthony

I would say the first day is best - for me this is because any that are being put before the joint rock committee are only there on the Tuesday.  Sadly last year there weren't any - but in previous years it has been my first ever viewing of certain flowers ('E A Bowles', 'Witchwood', 'Hugh Mackenzie', 'Greenfinch', 'Green Tear' and many more were all ones that I first saw at RHS halls).

A pick of Ding Dong trying to hide last year is here  :  http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8432.msg232081#msg232081

Also, as mentioned, it is the busiest day so is the day most likely to meet friends old and new.

[Ding Dong]

Ha - thanks for that John!! Have added a few more grey hairs since then!! See you there all

[johnw]

Quite right about the RHS Show.  I have picked up great new snowdrops there but these were ordered in advance and for pickup.   I did however find Foxgrove's big form of Whittallii at one show, it was on display but they had to bring it in the next day.  A good place to meet up with the notables like you, kentgardener and the cognoscenti.

johnw