SRS/RSCG Joint Conference RBGE, 5/10/24
The Joint conference was held in the conference room in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. A wonderful place to have a conference in with lots of horticultural pictures, relics, herbarium specimens and so on the catch your eye walking into the conference room. Teas/Coffee was ready and everyone was enjoying catching up with friends.
Some 40 plus members attended the meeting “Modern Day Botanical Explorers”, which was to support and share our news about our Education and Exploration fund. The fund was set up two years ago to help those in the horticultural industry, to attend conferences or maybe join organised trip to see plants in their natural habitat. At one time these trips would be referred as “Plant Hunting” but with the many agreements and treaties in place, plant hunting trips collecting seed are not allowed, and here in the UK it’s a total “No-No”.
With our friends in the Rhododendron Species Conservation Group attending, we in Scotland are doing our fair share of promoting and conserving the genus we all love and have in our gardens “Rhododendrons”. With all the other woodland, trees and shrubs, primulas with meconopsis, and lastly these alpine plants from the high mountain sides.
Our first speaker of the day was Richard Moore, who had studied at the RBGE and is now involved in a local nursery, Kevock Plants, helping to set up propagation facilities and now set to help with plant propagation.
Richard’s talk was on his trip to NE Nepal, his slides showing the rugged mountain scenery, pictures of orchids, alpines, and of course many rhododendrons mainly from the high alpine areas. Richard was our first recipient of an award from our E&E fund, we all enjoyed his enthusiastic talk on NE Nepal.
Grant Moir, the Head Gardener at Westerhall down near Langholm is our SRS social media and website specialist. Grant then give us another talk on a visit to Yunnan and the Doker La, again the pictures showed how the landscape changes as the higher you get up the mountains, from almost tropical forest, through the range of trees and shrubs until you get to the Alpine meadows, then scree. The trip was to go over the pass to the Dulong valley, but they were stopped by snow. Super pictures told us the story of the trek. John Roy also was on that trek, and I am sure brought back lots of memories for him.
After lunch and the AGM of the Rhododendron Species group, we were given a very exciting and educational talk of species primulas in the Sino Himalaya by Jeanie Jones who lives near Lockerbie in the Scottish Borders. Jeanie has visited Bhutan, Sikkim, Arunacal Predesh, Yunnan, Sichuan with mainly Alpine gardening groups. Her talk showed us the habitats as well as the plants from these areas, with some minute primula plants to your larger candelabra primula plants that many of us grow in our gardens.
Our last talk of the day and the second recipient of our E&E fund award was from Colin Jones Head Gardener at Salterbridge Gardens Southern Ireland. Colin joined at trip to N E Yunnan following the footsteps of George Forrest and Frank Kingdom Ward. Colin started his talk by saying “I want to see plants growing in their natural habitat that I grow in my garden at home”, so many of his pictures were plants we grow at home. Colin also was keen to explain where plant names originate from, including some of the history involved in the naming. It was a really super and educational talk.
So, the 4 speakers, were just excellent and the conference delegates certainly enjoyed their day at the Botanics in Edinburgh.
We are now in the run up to the seed exchange for 2025 and seed in already being cleaned, packeted and labelled for next year.
The seed exchange is and important maker for the SRS and most of the monies goes to our E&E fund.
So if you have gathered or collecting seed, please send in in sealed packets, clearly named and cleaned if you can.
Send to Willie Campbell. Address in protected members area.
We also are working hard in improving our website and so we can maybe attract new younger members (aged 50 and over) as they are the future of our Society, committee members and people to love and conserve rhododendron in the future. Please invite your friends to come along to our show, garden tours and our conferences next year.
Willie Campbell
13/10/24
Presidents Pre Conference News 2024
Presidents Pre Conference News
Just a little news before we have our joint conference in the Conference Room in the RBGE, Main Building in Edinburgh.
The Address is 20a, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR. WWW.RBGE.ORG.UK if you are attending, please familiarise yourselves on its location. Plenty parking close by behind the Goldenacre Rugby ground or on the main streets, as Saturday Parking is “Free”.
In the conference room Teas/Coffees and biscuits will be on available BUT BRING YOURSELVES A PACKED LUNCH.
The RSCG will be holding their AGM during the lunch break, delegates can stay and join in the meeting or make a visit to the gardens via the East Gate, and enjoy a walk or sit and have your lunch there.
I will be bringing a selection of books with me to sell; sales monies will go to the E&E fund. Plants like rhododendrons are not allowed into the Botanics in case of disease or infection, so no plant sales this time. Please contact me via e-mail if you have any questions. Contact details in members area.
The conference is about “Modern day Botanical Travels” and we still have some places available, again contact me if you would like to attend.
Our third recipient of an award from our E & E Fund is Helen Knowles from Tinnisburn Plants and Chair of the Meconopsis group. Helen will be joining a party travelling to Sikkim in the next few weeks. We can look forward to hearing all about Helen’s travels at one of our conferences next year.
Provisional Timetable for Joint SRS/RSCG Conference
RBGE Saturday 5th October 2024 – Conference Room
9.30 – 10.00 Teas/Coffee Soft Drinks available with biscuits
10.00 – 10.10 Introductions/Housekeeping
10.10 Talk by Richard Moore on his trip to NE Nepal our First E&E fund recipient
11.00 Break Teas/Coffee
11.15 Grant Moir talk on his travels
12.15 Lunch Break (Those not wanting to attend RSCG AGM can take a wonder to the gardens)
12.30 till 1.30 RSCG AGM Ian Sinclair/Matt Heasman/John Roy
(Meeting on Zoom ?)
13.30 Jeanie Jones
14.30 Break
14.45 Colin Jones 2nd E&E fund recipient
15.45 Closing Questions
16.00 Clear up and Finish.
Matt, will set up Talks, Willie will provide catering supplies
A couple of weeks back we had our SRS Autumn committee meeting at Katrina Clow home in Ayrshire. Annette our new Secretary was taking the minute for the first time, it was a lively meeting with some committee attending via “Zoom”. One topic that was discussed was new Spring Tour.
Initially I thought to resurrect the Tour to Southern Ireland, but most of us thought that may be difficult to organise. So, we are thinking of a tour back in the UK, but where to and what gardens to visit.
On recent tours numbers have not been great, and another thought was maybe joining with a tour group from the RCMG. They have a new Scottish Representative who also is their Tour Organiser.
What are your thoughts?
Seed Exchange – As always at this time of year, I ask you to join others and send me some seeds to the Exchange. If you can look in your garden, or if you have a woodland, just collect some seeds of any rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, specimen trees or shrubs, companion plants,
primula or meconopsis. If you enjoy growing it, I am sure other members will as well. Just make sure you name and put seeds in secure packet.
For rhododendrons, you can send me capsules for me to dry off and sieve the seeds before packeting up. Post them to Willie Campbell. Contact details in members area.
Lastly, I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Greg Morris recently. Greg was the perfect companion to Grace who just loved gardens, tours, conferences and so on, because Greg always came along and supported Grace in all she did. They created a wonderful woodland garden at Colintraive, down near the Isle of Bute. As a group we visited the gardens many times and we were just amazed at what they both had created, it was full of all the woodland plants you could think off, all enjoying the Argyll weather, frost free. I am sure all the members of the SRS extend our sympathies and condolences to Grace and her family at this sad time.
If you have any questions, ideas or points you want us to discuss or share please contact me via e-mail. contact details in members area.
Its your Society, just get involved.
Willie Campbell
SRS President.
PS Have you had frost yet? We have had frost here in Doune already, hard winter ahead?
Summer News 2024
Scottish Rhododendron Society
Summer News 2024
It’s been a few weeks since I have sat down at the laptop to update you as to some of the latest news of your Society.
First of all, let me introduce you to our new Hon. Secretary Annette Treble, who has taken over from Katrina Clow who will remain on the committee, still helping run our most successful event, the Show at Garelochhead.
Annette’s first job is to keep me right at our next committee meeting in early September. If you have anything you would like your and I mean your committee to discuss, action or just something you would like to see us doing, please contact Annette. (Contact details in publications and members area)
Seed Exchange 2025
Last year was actually a poor year for rhododendron seed but we had about 100 lots of species, hybrid and azalea seed. This year should be a bumper year for seed, and we may freeze the excess seed for the lean years.
As always, we cannot have a seed exchange without seed donations, and I hope you all are looking to collect seed of rhododendrons, trees, shrubs, magnolias and companion plants. It would be wonderful if the seeds were hand polinated but open polinated will be accepted, we want you to grow rhododendrons, from seed, transplant, pot on and plant out in 3 years.
Please make sure you packet, seal and label seeds, if you are aware of a collection number add it, and we will mention OP from that number. You can send sealed packets of seed capsules to me, and I will dry out.
I am continuing to run the seed exchange, which I took over from the late Stephen Fox in 2009. It’s a lovely winter job, that needs a bit of space to dry seed, sieve, packet and label. I then update the seed listing using last year’s format.
Your seed exchange donations make our seed exchange.
Gift Aid Forms.
Your Society claims “Gift Aid” every year but sometimes new members fail to fill in the form. Or if you think you have never filled one in, please contact our Treasurer Colin Whitehead on email. (Contact details in publications and members area).
Please note that because of Gift Aid, Donations to Plant Sales and the Seed Exchange and your thrifty committee, subscriptions have remained the same since Colin took over the Treasures job in 2012.
RBG Palm House donation – the SRS have had a long association with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, I asked our committee if they thought we could donate to help the refurbishment of the historic Palm House, and we have donated some £500.00 to the fund which will be match funded to £1000.00. If you feel you could give a little, just look up te RBGE website.
Joint Conference SRS/RSCG
This year it’s the SRS, that are organising the Joint Conference at the RBGE in Edinburgh. Many of you will have been at conferences at the RBGE, its easy to get to and parking is Free on Saturdays.
We have 4 speakers lined up, Richard Moore, our first recipient of a grant from our E&E fund, and will talk on Trip to NE Nepal, Colin Jones from Southern Ireland joined a trip organised by Seamus O’Brien to Yunnan just a few weeks ago, and if the photos on social media are to go by, it should be a wonderful talk. Our own Primula expert Jeanie Jones, a veteran of trips to Yunnan, Bhutan, Tibet, Turkey, Arunachal Predesh, Sichuan and Sikkim, Jeanie’s talk will cover about 70 primulas she has seen and studied in these countries. Grant Moir our website administrator will give a talk on his travels to the Himalaya with John Roy.
It has been agreed to hold the RSCG AGM at Lunchtime. The day cost £15.00 includes Teas, snacks and soft drinks but bring your own lunch. The first 25 have booked up but we are hoping for many more of you to come along and join in.
One of our new members Victoria Winters, who is part of the “Friends of Crarae” is in talks with Argyll and Bute Local Authority regards the state of Kilmory Gardens at Lochgilphead. These gardens hold collections of rare plants from many of the plant hunters. I look forward to hearing some positive news that the gardens can be restored to their former glory.
The SRS Website
Have you looked at our website lately? Grant Moir has been working at updating the website content to reflect a Scottish Rhododendron Society that is attractive and modern to join.
Please take the time to look at the content, comment on it now or what you our members would like to see.
Tours
After this year’s successful tour of Argyll and Kintyre Gardens, where would you like to go next year?
How about Southern Ireland? Gloria and David Stark had organised at tour to these parts just as Covid was kicking in, twice the tour was cancelled.
We are thinking of resurrecting the tour, using private hire minibuses or your own car, maybe carsharing. Colin Jones and Seamus O’Brien two of our members have agreed to help us with the Tour.
What do you Think? Email myself if you are interested.
We still are looking for help in organising tours and events, if you think you could help, please contact myself.
As always John Roy is looking for articles, your garden, your favourite plants or just anything that members may be interested in.
To our newer members, please come along, join in with likeminded people, you certainly don’t have to be an expert, just keen on gardens, plants and of course rhododendrons.
Last of all, on your behalf let me thank Katrina Clow for all her work during her term as Secretary. Katrina took over from myself in 2013.
Enid May, one of our longest serving members sadly passed away at her home in Girvan, on the 9th June, see was 97.
One of my first real experiences on joining the SRS was to attend the Show in Ayr in 2003, most will remember it because hardly anyone turned up to the huge hall.
However, Fiona and I were meeting up with the SRS tour staying at a Hotel in Stranraer, not sure what to expect but we quickly found out they were a friendly bunch, liked a drink before dinner and we settled into the tour.
One of the gardens we visited was John and Enid May, who were creating a garden I think near Castle Douglas. Both when out of their way to show us round the garden, and as always, the teas and cakes were delicious. I often wonder who stays there now, did they still love the garden.
Enid did recently attend some of our events, coming along with Florence after she moved to Girvan.
Enjoy your garden, if is like our “Wee” garden in Doune, this year everything has doubled in size, Fiona is already filling the brown bins. Also if you are passing “Pop in and see us”
Willie Campbell
May Newsletter 2024
Scottish Rhododendron Society
May Newsletter 2024
It’s mid-May, Fiona and I have had a little evening walk round our garden, enjoy what we have planted over the last thirteen years here in Doune, Central Scotland. When we first started this garden, we planted a lot of plants from our Gargunnock where I was working at the time.
We both realise it’s that time when some plants have outgrown their allotted space, others need cut back and some are coming out as they are not performing. Perhaps your garden is like ours and maybe there is a bit of a story to tell, and you want to share it, send a few pages to John Roy our Publications editor. That would make John very happy.
After our AGM at Garelochhead, the hall was readied and set up for the first of our exhibitors to set out their trusses and sprays in the vases, add a little moss to set out the perfect display ready to set out on the show benches.
As always, we had a good turnout of exhibitors, and soon the show benches were full, little disappointing that in the novice section there were few exhibits. The show was a week earlier this year, so species exhibits were up, except for the triflora sprays, hybrid entries were about the same with deciduous azaleas just a few.
Fast forward to Saturday morning, show benches all neat and tidy for the judging, David Chamberlain, Richard Baines and Maurice Wilkins would decide the first, second and third places. On queue the hall doors were opened at 12.00 to let in mostly members at that time.
When the prize winners were read out, clearly it was not the usual winners, Paul Haynes from Morar won best Truss in the Show, plus two other cups, Philip Rankin won three cups and Glenarn won 3 cups.
As always at the start of the show David Chamberlain who has judged our shows for some 40 years gives an introductory opening speech, this year he was surprised and delighted to receive the ARS “Pioneer Achievement Award” for his outstanding contribution to rhododendron taxonomy. Richard Baines from Logan BG presented the Scroll to David.
We also had an outstanding day with plant sales, book sales and some 75 visitors paid the £2.00 to view the show.
Big thanks to all the show team, the exhibitors, those who contributed plants and books.
A week later 12 off us started our Spring tour in the Oban area, all the gardens we visited were full of flowering plants and with so much interest.
On the Wednesday we visited Kilchoan gardens a few miles west of Kilmelford, to where Luke Senior is head gardener. The garden was full of interesting plants, statues, church and lots of garden features, its defiantly one to come back to in a few years’ time.
Then on to the Kintyre part of our Trip, first to a garden we visited around 15 years ago, Stronchullin. Mary Broadfoot the garden owner had kindly put her car down on her drive with large SRS sign on it so we could not miss the drive up to the house. Buy this time the party had increased to 20 as Mary set off around a garden of giant flowering rhododendrons.
The Thursday morning was sunny and calm for the crossing to Gigha, Fiona and I visited Achamore gardens a few years back and were keen to see how it was fairing under Bryony White the head Gardener, we were astonished at the difference the garden team had made in these few years, making the whole Gigha experience as one destination your “bucket list”.
Friday morning, leaving Stonefield Castle in bright sunshine we headed off to Baravalla, the garden managed by the RSCG. Matt Heasman had been up bright and early, setting up the generator and urn. Matt led the party round the gardens, pointing out plants of special interest that the “Two Peters” had planted. After a break for refreshments, its was down to the lower woods, almost at the sea where the big leaved falconera and grandia sub section plants are found. Baravalla is one of the key gardens in Scotland, if you ever feel you can help out, please contact Matt Heasman.
So that is a short summary of this year’s tour, more in the Autumn Journal. These tours are great for forming friendships, like minded gardeners who just enjoy looking at plants, you don’t need to be an expert.
Now just a bit about the AGM, I was in the chair and it was attended by about 25 members with some on “Zoom”. In my President’s remarks as always I pleaded with our membership to come forward and help us on committee, many have been on committee for 20 years and longer.
Last year attracted three new committee members, Annette Treble who now has agreed to become minutes Secretary, with Katina Clow still keeping her role as Secretary on the Show Committee.
Grant Moir, Head Gardener at Westerhall-on-Esk, was tasked with bringing our website fit for this modern world with social media included, Grant has already revamped the site with lots of new features and ideas. Our Facebook page is visited daily by hundreds of like-minded rhododendron enthusiasts. Not everyone’s “cup of tea” but this is a sure-fire way of promoting rhododendrons on this exceptional year of flowering.
Lastly,
As Always, we your committee want feed back on what we are doing, have you any suggestions, thoughts, articles for John Roy, want to help, please contact myself at William.campbellwj@btinternet.com
Willie Campbell SRS President, May 2024
Spring Report Mar 2024
Scottish Rhododendron Society
Spring Activity Report March 2024
All over the UK rhododendrons are well budded up for a spectacular show this year, already the Social Media sites are posting pictures of our favourite plants.
Our seed exchange has been well used again this year with over 60 requests and after taking off expenses, we should be adding another £750.00 to our Education and Exploration Fund.
Talking about our E&E fund, the second recipient Colin Jones has been awarded a sum of £1000.00, Colin is Joining a Botanical trip to Yunnan, which is being organised by Seamus O’Brien.
We are holding our Joint Conference with the RSCG in the conference room at the RBGE, which is a venue we have used on many occasions.
“Modern Day Botanical Travels” on Saturday 5th October. We will have talks from Richard Moore on his trip to NE Nepal, John Roy, Jeanie Jones (Primulas) Grant Moir and hopefully Colin Jones about his trip to Yunnan.
We would be arranging garden visits on the Sunday, along with our usual plant auction. (more details later)
However, we still have our AGM and Spring Show at the Gibson Hall at Garelochead on 26/27th April to look forward to, with Plant and Book sales. Teas and Cakes on offer as well. (again, more information from the show committee later)
The updated show schedule can be download from our website.
As we are talking about our website Grant Moir has been busy modernising how we go about attracting members of the public to visit the website at
Scottishrhododendronsociety.org.uk
Please check it out for yourselves, also with links to plant databases.
As members you can visit our members area
Lots of interesting articles, notice board and details on cultivation of rhododendrons.
Other Social media news is that our Facebook page is being visited daily by many and Grant Moir is setting up an Instagram page hoping to reach the younger generation of the public who may eventually become interested in our favourite plants.
As always, your committee is here to help answer questions or queries you may have on plants, gardens to visit, also if you our members may have some suggestions you may like to see the Society becoming involved in, please contact anyone on committee..
With Gardens to visit, our spring tour itinerary is complete, wonderful gardens in the Oban area, with Baravalla and Achamore on Gigha at the end of the week. Hotels at booked in Oban and Stonefield Castle our old favourite down at Tarbert.
We have had someone drop out of the tour, so we have a single room already booked, so if you’re interested in coming along, please contact myself by email. (contact details in members area)
You may like to join the tour just for the day, again contact myself for details.
All for now, snowdrops at my old garden at Gargunnock have been outstanding as have the early rhododendrons, like praecox, Christmas Cheer and sutchuenense blooming away just fine.
Willie Campbell
Newsletter Feb 2024
I do hope you all have had a good festive season and find that the weather in your part of the world has been kind to you and the garden is all budded up for a spectacular flowering season. I look at my own garden in Doune in Central Scotland, with snowdrops, aconites, early daffodils, crocus and primroses already giving Fiona and I some early season pleasure.
Although the Seed Exchange is now closed, still have plenty seed left and if you would like to get a £10.00 or £5.00 surprise package of rhododendron, trees and shrubs along with companion plant seed. Just Email me. william.campbellwj@btinternet.com
Again, we as a Society must thank all the seed donors, without them no seed exchange. This year so far, we have had over 50 requests and should add around £750.00 to the Education and Exploration Fund.
Other good news is that we have a nomination for the SRS secretary, if anyone else would like to be nominated at our AGM on the 26th April, 2.00 at the Gibson Hall at Garelochead, contact Katrina our current Secretary.
However, we still are looking for new committee members.
1) Someone to help with editorial work on our publications to take over eventually from John Roy. Perhaps taking on editing the Spring and Autumn journals to start with.
2) Someone to come on as Treasurer, again not this very instant but to shadow Colin Whitehead who has been in the job for some 12 plus years.
3) Someone to take on the Tours and Conferences, I have taken over this task, but hope someone will take over completely.
4) General committee, just come on help out with what ever tasks are needing attention, shadow members many of have been on much longer than the three years as per constitution.
As always, we only meet “Face to Face” twice a year, you can now work remote and join meetings on “Zoom” so no excuses, that distance is an object.
Our Spring Tour to Argyll Gardens this year is all booked, Hotel wise but you can still join on a daily basis, please contact myself for details.
Just a reminder, subscriptions were due at the beginning of the year, if you have not rejoined yet, please do so NOW.
I would also like you to join with me and all my committee in wishing one of our Society founder members Peter Cox a very Happy 90 Birthday.
Kenneth has asked if you want to send Birthday Greetings to Peter, just send to cards to
Kenneth who will read your personal messages out to Peter on the 28th of February 2024.
As always, we want you to be involved in the Scottish Rhododendron Society, you can tell John Roy about your Garden, ask Matt Heasman to identify a plant you have, ask advice on plant propagation or John Hammond on the History of our gardens.
Hope to see you all at the Show 17th April at Garelochhead. More details later.
Regards
Willie Campbell
email contact in members area