THURSDAY, April 12 2018
Meeting at the Bellevue Botanical Garden
It is officially spring and there are lots of plants coming up from the ground even though it is still chilly outside. Trillium kurabayashii, ovatum, and rivale have all started to bloom and there are also Erythroniums opening up their buds. I was happy to see the very first flower of Erythronium idahoense that I sowed in 2011. The seeds were from our chapter member Ron Ratko and I have lots of his Erythronium that will be blooming later in the season!
Our April meeting is coming up soon! We are very excited to have a guest speaker from England, Kit Strange Alpine Horticulturalist from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This is rare opportunity to learn from an expert in the field!
Short bio for Kit:
I look after Kew's extensive alpine bulb collection, including the Juno Irises.
Repotting the bulbous collections annually. Sowing bulb seed and growing on germinated seedlings to adult stage. Maintaining the collections to a high standard for display in the Davies Alpine House, and making sure the collections are kept fresh by re sowing.
Developing exhibits for horticultural and educational events and demonstrating propagation techniques for horticulture students from Kew and UK horticultural colleges.
Supporting the MSB by taking part in seed collecting expeditions. Growing and developing horticultural protocols for plants from the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and producing plants for display at Kew and DNA collection.
Working with colleagues in the Falklands to propagate native species for sale to the public and restoration of degraded habitats and raising public awareness of native species conservation within the Falklands.
I have also been on several seed collection expeditions. Spain looking at Narcissus triandrus. Tajikistan, on a joint project with Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Collecting seed and bulbs in the mountains and collaborating with Botanists in Khorog and in Kulob. Also collaborating with Botanists in Azerbaijan and collecting live material there too. I organise the Harlow Early spring show for the Alpine Garden society which is a very popular spring show.
Also: Sale of books selected by Dan Douglas from the collection of Marvin Black and Dennis Thompson. Percentage of the sales will benefit our chapter. Bring cash! :)
Join us at the Bellevue Botanical Garden at 7:00 pm for social time, 7:30 pm for the meeting and program. Our meetings are free and open to the public.
See you all soon!