Alpine Garden Society - Dublin Group
Alpine Garden Society - Dublin Group
The 34th Alpine Weekend will take place in An Grianán, Termonfeckin, Co. Louth, on the weekend of the 17th - 19th November, 2017. For directions on how to get there, look further down this page, here.
The speakers will be as follows:
Kenneth Cox
Ian & Maggi Young
Tim Lever
Since its outset, the Alpine Weekend has always been held in the headquarters of the Irish Contrywomen's Association, An Grianán, a location which is really handy for alpinists both North and South, if a little hard to find on one's first visit. Google Maps and satnav nowadays take care of that problem. It's a very comfortable and friendly venue, with all the facilities we need for accommodation, dining, and lectures and, of course, a bar. The sea is very close by, so many of us venture down for a walk on the strand in the mornings before the day's events get underway.
The aim of the Weekend is for those of us with a passion for alpine plants to learn more about them, from the invited experts of course, but also from each other. There is much informal sharing of knowledge, and very often of seeds and plants too. The lecture topics are carefully chosen to give variety, covering both the cultivation of alpines and also their occurrence in their natural habitats.
We assemble late on Friday evening for high tea, followed by an informal session where members share their alpine experiences of the past year with slides of plants and gardens. It's a great way of socialising and renewing acquaintance.
After a leisurely breakfast on Saturday morning, we have time to view the specialist trade plant sales before the official programme begins. We hold three lectures on the first day, interspersed with refreshments of lunch and tea (and more visits to the plant sales). Then after dinner the evening's entertainment begins, generally a table quiz followed by an auction of plants contributed by members. Then, exhausted, we retire to the bar.
Between the two lectures on Sunday we hold the members' plant sale, an eclectic mix of plants, garden, alpine or even vegetable, contributed by members and whose sale contributes to the running of the Society's activities. There's also a discussion forum for members to get advice on all aspects of alpine cultivation from the (many) expert growers attending.
Finally we meet for tea, and the all-important raffle, before dispersing into the, by now, gathering gloom.
As usual there will be plants for sale, both those contributed by members, and, we expect, two trade plant stalls:
The lecture programme for the 33rd Alpine Weekend, 18th - 20th November, 2016, was as follows.
We had hoped to have John Massey, of Ashwood Nurseries fame, as a lecturer in 2016, but due to illness John had to cancel. We were very grateful that Kevin Hughes was able to take his place at short notice.
Saturday 19th November
Spring Flora of the SE USA - Kevin Hughes Why Alpines have adapted to their specific conditions - Peter Korn In search of Sheriff's Blue Poppy - Martin Walsh
Sunday 20th November
Western USA - a place of diverse plant environments - Peter Korn Gardening with bulbs - Kevin Hughes
The lecture programme for the 32nd Alpine Weekend, 20th - 22nd November, 2015, was as follows.
Saturday 21st November
Crocuses – cultivation and new species - Janis Ruksans A Turkish Crescent - Joan & Liam McCaughey Making the most of your plants through design - Drs. Carole & Ian Bainbridge
Sunday 22nd November
Modern rock gardening - Drs. Carole & Ian Bainbridge Choice bulbs through the year - Janis Ruksans
The lecture programme for the 31st Alpine Weekend, 14th - 16th November, 2014, was as follows.
Saturday 15th November
Shady Characters - Colin Crosbie Four Decades of Growing Alpines - Harold McBride The Caucasus where the best plants grow - Henrik Zetterlund
Sunday 16th November
Favourite Bulbs in the wild, Gothenburg Botanical Gardens and my own garden - Henrik Zetterlund Recent updates at Wisley - Colin Crosbie
The lecture programme for the 30th Alpine Weekend, 15th - 17th November, 2013, was as follows.
Saturday 16th November
Plant Hunting in Nepal - Ron McBeath Iberian Travels - Brian Duncan Highlights of Patagonia - Ger van den Beuken
Sunday 17th November
My way of growing High Alpines in The Netherlands - Ger van den Beuken Favourite Alpine Plants - Ron McBeath
The lecture programme for the 29th Alpine Weekend, 18th - 20th November, 2012, was as follows.
Saturday 19th November
A Revised Look at Growing Himalayan Plants - Jim Jermyn From Mullingar to the Mountains of Heaven - Liam and Joan McCaughey Plant Hunting on the Roof of the World - Harry Jans
Sunday 20th November
A Close Look at some Classic Species from the Eastern Alps - Jim Jermyn Plant Portraits - Harry Jans
The lecture programme for the 27th Alpine Weekend, 18th - 20th November, 2011, was as follows.
Saturday 19th November
A Revised Look at Growing Himalayan Plants - Jim Jermyn From Mullingar to the Mountains of Heaven - Liam and Joan McCaughey Plant Hunting on the Roof of the World - Harry Jans
Sunday 20th November
A Close Look at some Classic Species from the Eastern Alps - Jim Jermyn Plant Portraits - Harry Jans
The lecture programme for the 26th Alpine Weekend, 19th - 21st November, 2010, was as follows.
Saturday 21st November
The Woodland Garden - Christine Skelmersdale A Return to the Land of the Blue Poppy - Martin Walsh Crevice Gardening - Zdenek Zvolanek
Sunday 22nd November
Winter into Spring - Christine Skelmersdale The Magic of Limestone - Zdenek Zvolanek
The lecture programme for the 25th Alpine Weekend, 20th - 22nd November 2009, was as follows.
Saturday 21st November
Propagation - A Matter of Life and Death - Jim Almond Burren: A Rocky Place - George Sevastopulo The Pyrenees - Henry & Margaret Taylor
Sunday 22nd November
Out and About - Adventures of an Alpine Enthusiast - Jim Almond Growing and Propagating Bulbs in Scotland - Susan Band Bulbs from Spain - Henry & Margaret Taylor
The lecture programme for the 24th Alpine Weekend, 21st - 23rd November 2008, was as follows.
Saturday 22nd November
Rock garden design and growing in sand - Peter Korns From a packet of seeds - Robert Rolfe Bhutan - in the steps of Ludlow and Sherriff - Martin Walsh
Sunday 18th November
D-lights - Daphne, Delphinium, Dianthus, Dicentra, Dionysia, Dodecatheon, Douglasia, etc - Robert Rolfe Woodland, and building with peat blocks - Peter Korns
The lecture programme for the 23rd Alpine Weekend, 17th - 19th November 2007, was as follows.
Saturday 17th November
Bulbs from Central Asia - Janis Ruksans On The Rocks - Jim Archibald 30 years a'growing - George Sevastopulo
Sunday 18th November
Growing bulbs in Latvia - Janis Ruksans Andes, North - South - Jim Archibald