Scottish Rock Garden Club

I had the pleasure of attending my first ever plant show at the weekend.  What a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon I had.

The Edinburgh and Lothians branch of the SRGC hold a show here in Edinburgh annually.  Being that it is very local for me, a ten minute drive round the city bypass, made it an ideal candidate in which I could dip my toe into the water so too speak.  Alpine plants have always fascinated me and have admired them more often than not, from afar!  As my confidence in gardening is growing - I am hoping that I can turn my hand to growing some of these special little plants.  The main purpose was to get some inspiration and talk to the people who grow them.

I met some lovely people on the day.  They were very willing to discuss their plants and more importantly answer some of the questions I put their way.  I did feel like a bit of a duck out of water - the show format was sort of baffling for a first timer!  I've since found that the show rules are available on their website - now that I've read them, I can look back with a bit more understanding.

As I walked into the hall - I was taken aback by the riot of colour that greeted me.  Members, visitors et al formed an orderly queue - I stood patiently in line until it was my turn.  There was plenty of oohing and aahing.  Heads were nodding, grins were beaming and appreciation was apparent.  The dedication and commitment could not be ignored.

The most coveted award in the show is the George Forrest Memorial Medal.  Named after George Forrest the Scottish plant collector and explorer.

   

"the winner is........Hepatica Transylvanica - exhibitied by David Boyd"

A few more shots of these fascinating little woodlanders

Hepatica auctiloba

Hepatica Ashwood strain

On the opposite side of the hall - pans of Primulas were lined up - their exhibitors, no doubt, waiting with anxiety just a few minutes before the doors were opened and results revealed.  Here are a few,    

Left to Right
Primula Gold Lace, Primula Jackie Richards and Primula Blindsee

Various prize winning Primula

Perfect white blooms

Another group of plants which were exhibited in their droves were Saxifraga.  Saxifraga are a fascinating group of plants - such a diverse group that have really taken my fancy.  There were many beautiful specimens on display - here is a group of prize winners.

By far the largest exhibitor on the day was the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh their display was astounding and had I more room and a proper camera (not my phone) with me - I could have show cased this panoramic scene better.  Here are a couple of shots from the display

Various bulbs inc. Muscari, Narcissus and Fritillaria

Fritillaria towering above

More spring bulbs

Erythronium 

The vast amount of spring bulbs on display was to say the least, impressive - I wondered if the extended winter that we have seen this year has anything to do with the selection displayed at the show.  Having looked back at previous show reports it seems so!  Not that it hampered my enjoyment of the show, far from it!

My favourites of the day.....

Crocus 'Prins Claus'

Techophilaea cyanocrocus

Saxifraga Georgei

I had agreed to meet up with a friend at the show and as she is a member of the SRGC - she needs to take her turn at manning the entrance table - collecting money and selling tombola tickets.  Her stint was to last 1 hour - this gave me the perfect opportunity to go have a look through at the Plant Sales room before we had lunch!

There was a few nurseries displaying their wares along with an SRGC members plant sales table.  I was speaking to the owner of the local nursery I frequently use - he told me that despite the hall only being open for a short time - sales were good and plants were just flying off the tables!  I cheekily told him that I would not be buying from him, I could do that any time and if I'm being completely honest - I already had most of the plants he was selling that interests me!  He just laughed and with a little wink said 'See you next weekend!' - he knows me well!

As I wandered from seller to seller - I felt it only fair that I should not show favouritism and purchased a little something from each of them.  That will be a topic for another blog of course but as I already had a little project in my mind before going - I'm going to have an attempt at something like this

or this

or this

  

These miniature gardens are fascinating - I'm hoping that I can recreate something similar.  Now that I've bought the plants - I'm excited to get started.  I have finally managed to find a local source of Tufa rock so will try to get there at the weekend.          
        
I hope you have enjoyed my novice look around the Scottish Rock Garden show but if you would like to learn or read more, the 2013 report has just been published and you can read it here.

About time!

Since joining the blogging community a little over 4 months ago - I have been patiently waiting the day I can take part in my first Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  

I know it is now the 16th and I truly wish I had a reasonable excuse for not turning up on time.  I would love to say that I spent the last 2 days opening the sacks full of Valentines Cards that made their way to my letterbox but sadly no, I just wasn't organised in time!  

Close ups of flowers

Galanthus 

Galanthus

Snowdrops, these are rescued Snowdrops, a neighbour of a friend was having a new concrete path put in their garden, the lady in question was about to have the old path ripped out - seeing that the snowdrops were just breaking the surface - my friend said to the elderly lady that she knew of a good home for them.  When she asked me if I could make room for them, there was no hesitation on my part, just make sure you get plenty of soil around them and get them to me ASAP!!  Were the instructions!  The first of the 5 clumps to open their delicate little flowers - I'm hoping that these will like my garden enough to stick around.  I've grown rather fond of them.

I made a declaration on Valentine's Day - 'My garden loves me' - I exclaimed!
Why? I hear you ask.

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin'

Those of you living in the UK will know just how wet summer 2012 was.  For the best part of June and July part of my garden was continually under 6 inches of water - this part of the garden usually the driest and sunniest.  An ideal place to plant some Iris reticulata bulbs in the green winter 2012.  Various shrubs and perennials were removed because they had drowned, a couple of plants were potted up and rescued.  It took me until December 2012 to decide the remainder were dead, yes, for a change I was being an optimist rather than my usual pessimistic self! In a final bid to tidy up before spring - I noticed lying on top of the soil that 3 tiny bulbs had started to sprout.  The must have lay there throughout the 3 weeks of frosts in November.  Knowing that they were Iris bulbs - they were potted up and deposited in the cold frame.  As I opened up the cold frame on the 14th - this beautiful sight greeted me.  There are 2 other bulbs just breaking the surface, I am very pleased.  Out of 12 bulbs originally planted, 3 have survived - AGAINST ALL ODDS!! 

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' is my favourite of the dwarf spring Iris - the powder blue colour of the petals is so delicate.  It can't fail to impress.  I have read that this is one of the fussier spring flowering Iris - drainage it's said to be paramount to it's success - now you can understand why I think my garden loves me - all that rain water and yet, it gives me a gift such as this!
There was also some deep purple Iris planted in this border - I wonder if they will survive - no sign yet, but you never know do you!  It's all so tempting to get rooting around in the soil but for now I'd rather leave things to surprise me.    

Helleborus orientalis

I've lots of oriental Hellebores scattered around the garden - most of which are budding up nicely - this lot in almost total shade is the first to grace my garden with some blooms.  Thus far, I have resisted temptation to allow them to set seed - I would like them to bulk out a bit and try propogation through division first.         

    

Helleborus x ericsmithii

Hellebore x ericsmithii - I fell for the foliage on this plant.  The grey marbled leathery leaves drew me right in at first sight!

This Hellebore needs a bit of sun - although planted to the rear of a Pieris - the sun shines happily through the fence.  Being so far back in the border, it proved rather difficult to get a decent picture of the flower.  As you can see there are plenty more to come.  

Helleborus lividus

Helleborus lividus, frost tender, so not something I would knowingly buy for my garden.  I picked this up way at the beginning of the season thinking it was a smaller, cheaper specimen of Ericsmithii - yes, I know, check the label!!  Never mind - I've planted it under the Fatsia japonica - where it should be protected from any further frosts over winter - I will lift it later in the year and attempt to store it in the cold frame.

This next plant will not be to everyone's liking - to be honest - I'm not sure I'm that keen on it myself, what do you think?

Primula Francisca

Yes, that green 'blob' in the centre is the flower, as it matures it will have a yellow eye.  An impulse buy a couple of years ago and up until summer of 2012 it sat in the pot it came in from the nursery - in a corner, as if it had done something wrong!

I divided it and managed to get around 8 plants from the 1 pot - all bar a couple have taken.  What on earth am I going to do with 6 plants I'm not sure I like.

Primula Francisca (Francesca) is supposed to flower from March until July, perhaps that will be it's saving grace - watch this space!




The weather here in Edinburgh has been tremendous this last few days and I have managed to be out in the garden without an outer layer on!  It's time to get those fingernails really dirty and if I'm lucky I may even break a few!!

Thank you for reading my first GARDEN BLOGGERS BLOOM DAY post - if you are interest in joining, pop over to MAY GARDEN DREAMS to find out how you can take part.     

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

What a week it's been!  A real mixed bag in terms of weather - you name it we've had it!  I really am stretching the truth there - we haven't seen a typhoon, tornado nor a tropical cyclone.  We have had sun, rain, frost, wind, snow and hail.   It's set a few things back and others it just hasn't hindered!

The other week Helene over at Graphicality UK asked us when we considered spring was upon us - whether your answer was 1st of March, 20th of March or 31st of March (Clocks go forward) either way - one thing for sure winter wasn't far away this week.  I think many of us here in the UK had a short sharp shock!  I feel kind of pleased with myself that I didn't take the plunge and prune the couple of the shrubs that need doing at this time of year - even the Hydrangeas still have remnants of last years flowers, I've normally succumb to temptation by now!  Yes, yes - I know I live in Scotland and frosts here should/can be expected right up until May - I've learned that lesson this year!  Who did that blog/meme? - I'd like to link but I can't for the love of me remember who.  Was it you? Or do you remember who it was?

My post for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is certainly not as bountiful as I might have hoped but those are the gardening breaks, aren't they?  After all, what doesn't flower this week, might just surprise us next.  Being a gardener requires so many virtues - do they sell those in the supermarkets?  If so, can I collect bonus points!!  I wonder, will they be limited to 3 per person or if I'm really lucky BOGOF!

Lets take a wee look

Helleborus x ericsmithii - Winter Moonbeam.  This plant made it's premier last GBBD - only had one flower back then.  Having been under 4 inches of snow 2 days before this picture it really has picked itself up, unlike a few of the orientals.

Another Hellebore - Helleborus orientalis - White Spotted Hillier Hybrid.  Looking rather lonely on Monday just as the snow started - then followed by some hail.

Just look at how it is today - spot the difference?  Mum came home with a few more clumps of Snowdrops from the lady who is having landscape work done to her garden I think they look quite good beside the Hellebore.  Free plants, you just can't beat it!  Can you spot Primula Don Keefe tantalising me with a little bit of colour?  Narcissus Jetfire, bullet like buds, are just showing too!

  
Another Red Oriental Hybrid Hellebore - a nice dark colour on the flower of this one - this one has come through last year's flooding but sadly the Ceanothus that was providing it with shade from the sun sadly did not!  Nearly forgot it's white neighbour - that was stood on and completely flattened as I tried to get the Ceanothus out the ground - don't you just hate it when your clumsy feet get in the way - I may just rename this corner of the garden Calamity Corner!

These Iris reticulata have been flowering for so long - they really do deserve another slot this month!  Under the snow on Tuesday but they are still flowering today - I forgot to take a picture earlier.

A bit of a worm's eye view here - you don't realise how old you are getting until you have to get right down to the ground to get a decent picture then there's the bother of getting back up again - especially when this bed is surrounded with gravel!  A few choice words as the stones cut into my knees.

Corydalis malkensis - only 4 inches high.  Did not suffer any set back from the snow either, it bounced right back!  These are gorgeous little woodlanders with lovely ferny foliage.  It provides a wee glimmer of hope that spring is on it's way here in Scotland - a while before many of the spring bulbs are even considering revealing themselves to the world!

Further along the bed a wee bit Corydalis solida Beth Evans - doing a similar job and like anything else growing here in Scotland needs to be sturdy enough to cope with anything the weather throws at it.

Before

During

After

Many of the blogs I visit have been busily posting pictures of their mature clumps of Crocus - I've been having to make do with admiring these from a far!  Yes, if that's you - I have been drooling - no excuses!
I could just not help myself.

Earlier this week, hope was on the horizon - miniscule tips of yellows and purples were beginning to appear. Before long they were under a layer of the white stuff!

Crocus crysanthus

The buttery yellow tones of this Crocus will soon enough open to reveal it's golden inners - today it is just teasing me!

I've a few purple Crocus dotted around the garden - they were odds in a group of yellow Crocus I planted a couple of years back - carefully removed and planted, they can naturalise til their hearts are content.  Plenty of foliage but lacking in blooms much to my disappointment.  I'm confident that disappointment will be short lived and I will have a tiny little clump of 4 or 5 flowers soon enough.

As usual - it's a delight to see you all and if it takes your fancy pop right over and join in with gardeners from around the globe share who post on the 15th of each month for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  This meme is kindly hosted by Carol and believe me - there is a garden for everyone!  Whether you are looking for inspiration or just a wee nosy - it's the place to be!

For more information on some of the plants I've featured today, please click the links or visit my 'What's Growing' page - it is a work in progress and hopefully I'm providing a useful reference guide to all the plants growing in my garden.  I'd be interest in some feedback - if you don't mind.  Cheers!