Alpines for the Enthusiast

AGS Loughborough Autumn show

2008-10-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

The usual fine standard of Autumnal alpine splendour was maintained at Loughborough. Numbers of both exhibitor and exhibits were down somewhat due to clash with a conference north of the border (but there was still plenty to photograph).

The premier award went to Jim McGregor's lovely pan of Crocus kotschyanus - just look at the buds still to come!

This fine Cyclamen graecum ssp anatolicum was also in the hunt for awards - taking the Cyclamen salver.

A spectacular pan of Cyclamen graecum ssp candicum too....

I couldn't resist bring a few more species to your attention, Cyclamen species certainly dominated the show.

Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Nicholas'

Cyclamen intaminatum

Cyclamen cilicium

Cyclamen cilicium album (best plant in section C)

Cyclamen cyprium flowers normally open pure white - this small exhibit featured a lovely form with flowers opening flushed pink before fading to white (scented nicely too)

Cyclamen hederifolium 'Ruby Glow' - as deep a shade as they come.

A few more bulbs including the diminutive treasure, Cochicum cupanii...

Crocus niveus - seed raised from the Pelopponese

How about this spectacular large pan of Nerine gaboranensis (no, I hadn't heard of it either!) Certificate of merit worthy!!

A closer view at the blooms of Nerine filifolia.

There were of course some pretty fine non-bulbous exhibits including the ever popular genus Petrocosmea:

Pertrocosmea forrestii

Pertrocosmea minor

An Autumn show wouldn't be the same without Gentiana sino ornata

And the lovely red-purple tones of Gentiana scabra var buergeri...

Rapidly becoming an Autumn 'must have', the flowers Empodium flexile have delightful scent too (pineapples??)

A certificate of merit beckoned for this outstanding pan of Liriope muscari....

A closer look at some lovely bulbous plants....

Atop the 18" flowering stem, the flowers of Bessera elegans make an excellent subject.

A stalwart of the Autumn scene, Allium callimischon var haemostictum, small but beautifully marked flowers.

Allium thunbergii album - I just love the anthers....

Finally, a foliage selection:

Aruncus aethusifolius - judged the best plant for Autumn colour, fruit/seed etc...

Who needs flowers when Cyclamen hederifolium has foliage like this? (Apollo type)

A Mammilaria hybrid - always a source of discussion as an 'alpine' exhibit - no denying the quality of the foliage as a photographic subject though....

Holland - Dutch Alpine Garden Society

2008-01-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

An invitation to speak to the Dutch Alpine Society, was always going to be met with the reply - "yes please!" Despite the earliness of the season, it was also a great a chance also to see how our Dutch friends grow plants.

My host was Eric Breed and I became a 'new member of the family' in Lisse for a couple of nights. The Saturday was quite busy with lectures to the group both in the morning and then after lunch. I think they enjoyed - they certainly made me most welcome!

The meeting was held at the University of Utrecht. With the Botanic Gardens on the campus and the Curator, Wiert Nieuman in the audience, as a fitting conclusion to the meeting - a small group adjourned to the gardens for a look around.

The highest mountain in Holland!!

The 'alpine balls' are the first things to attract your attention and these have featured in several garden related publications. Carefully layered and shaped slivers of rock have created a striking and functional home for a good range of crevice lovers. Following construction over ten years ago, the North side was planted with Haberlea rhodopensis, which has seeded around and established a huge colony. Daphne arbuscula was also growing well on teh sunny side.

We may have witnessed the finding of a few selected Crocus tomassinianus forms, the location of which was duly marked. A bank of naturalised Crocus had seeded about giving rise to some fantastic variation including this superb striped form.

There were some delightful drifts of snowdrops but the one which caught my eye in the rock garden was a well established stand of G. gracilis, at the peak of it's display.

The use of strata in both paths and walls was imaginative. It was both functional with wall based plantings and highly decorative.

I left Wiert becoming intoxicated by the scent of various flowers collected during our stroll.

Next, it was a short drive to the bulb-field and glasshouse of Sjaak and Aad de Groot. There were many many years of bulb growing in that car and Wim Lemmers waxed lyrical about his years of bulb growing and field study (and to think I had the temerity to include 'twin scaling' of single bulbs in my talk) - these guys propagate by the thousand.

It certainly is a culture shock and eye-opener to see the fantastic range of rare and desirable bulbs being grown outside. The light sandy soil, straw top dressing and careful maintenance of water levels in the surrounding ditch combining to provide perfectly managed conditions for bulb growing.

Here we had Iris hyrcana, bakeriana plus many more reticulata type hybrids in flower - totally unprotected.

A plastic cloche covered area was home for various juno Irises (now my eyes did light up). There were only two in flower: Iris rosenbachiana and I. stenophylla ssp allisonii. A traditional frame was also used to protect the junos and other more temperamental bulbs.

A final mouth watering treat of the non-alpine variety was in store. A huge glass house full of Cymbidium orchids - all peaking for the seasonal Valentine trade. I had only a few seconds before the camera lens misted up, this was hot stuff.....

Professional bulb growers can also enjoy their garden. Sjaak and Aad had created a mini mountain complete with gushing torrent which meandered down to a woodland setting where a collection of 80 odd named Snowdrop varieties were growing. You can tell from the motion effect of the water, light was now fading fast!

I left with many memories, mainly the people and plants, but also samples of the local spirits: Beerenberger and Koornwyn, both served straight from the freezer and madking for interesting nightcap sessions (the alcohol content ensures they never freeze). No wonder I slept so well!

There were also birds! I discovered that Eric shared my passion for birds and even though our quest for White-tailed Eagle drew a blank, I did come away with shots of the local White Stork pair......

The Eagle can wait until next time, as Eric advised me - we shall dig in!!

AGS Loughborough Autumn Show

2007-10-13T01:37:00.000-07:00

The cream of Autumn alpines well represented at Loughborough and just to show rarity is not a prerequisite how about this fantastic specimen of Cyclamen hederifolium var albiflorum grown by Mike and Christine Brown. The rare and sweetly scented Cyclamen colchicum below was another fine plant from the same exhibitors.

In the hunt for major awards were these fine specimens from the Southern hemisphere - Trochocarpa thymifola and the Autumn fruiting Coprosma brunnea x petriei

Celmisias earn their keep by being show worthy all year round and these are two of the best examples - Celmisia semicordata ssp aurigans and Celmisia spedenii. A wait of many years is needed when/if flowers are produced on Lobelia keniensis but in the meantime it makes a fascinating huge rosette!

Crocus banaticus is one of the most rewarding Autumn Crocuses and with those shorter inner tepals almost Iris-like. The clone 'Snowdrift' shown by Robert Rolfe was much admired with a close view of the normal lilac-blue flowers and below seen in close up, a superb two-tone form.

Crocus laevigatus is a diminutive stunner and this white form is as good as they come!

The range of Autumn flowering Snowdrops is now increasing with Galanthus peshmenii becoming widely available. Two clones were on view here, the 'mainland' form with leaves developed at flowering time and the 'island form' seen below.

No sign of easing up on the production front, two Autumn Gentians from the Keith Lever stable: Gentiana 'Silken Giant' and G. 'Silken Night'.

A fine pan of Oxalis purpuraea 'Ken Aslet' = the secret is good light at all times to keep the foliage and flowers from becoming drawn.

Finally, the bright yellow daisies of Heterotheca alpina.