Book your place now for our autumn Conference - Alpine Garden ...

Autumn Conference booking form 

PRICES 

2-day residential delegates: 

£199 per person for one night’s B&B in a shared room at Stratford Manor Hotel, two 

hot buffet lunches and three-course Conference Dinner 

£238 per person for one night’s B&B in a single room at Stratford Manor Hotel, two 

hot buffet lunches and three-course Conference Dinner 

Day delegates: 

£55 for Saturday including lunch; £65 for Sunday including lunch 

The four-star Stratford Manor Hotel is just five minutes from the M40 and set in 21 

acres of landscaped grounds. It offers a range of spa and leisure facilities. 

Please tick as applicable or book on our website 

We would like to reserve two residential places in a shared room (total cost £398) 

I would like to reserve a residential place in a single room (total cost £238) 

I/we would like to reserve .......... day delegate places for Saturday including lunch 

(£55 each) 

I/we would like to reserve .......... day delegate places for Sunday including lunch 

(£65 each) 

I/we would like to reserve .......... day delegate places for Saturday excluding lunch 

(£40 each) 

I/we would like to reserve .......... day delegate places for Sunday excluding lunch 

(£50 each) 

YOUR DETAILS (block capitals please): 

Name(s): 

Address: 

County/country 

Post/Zip code: 

CHEQUE PAYMENT 

I/we enclose a remittance of £ made payable to the Alpine Garden Society. 

CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD (Visa/MasterCard/American Express/Switch) 

Please charge my card £ 

Name on card 

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Start date Expiry date Issue No. (some debit cards) 

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All information is protected by the Data Protection Act. Your information will not be disclosed to a third party. However, the AGS may wish 

to pass your details to our local groups. If you do not wish to receive information from our local groups then please tick this box. 

AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP, UK 

Phone: 01386 554790 Fax: 01386 554801 email: ags@alpinegardensociety.net 

Issue 41 March 2013 

AGS news 

IN THIS ISSUE 

Newsletter of the Alpine Garden Society 

Book your place now for 

our autumn Conference 

The AGS Conference on November 9 

and 10 will feature an impressive 

programme of speakers, including three 

from overseas, giving members access to a 

wealth of knowledge and experience. 

The Conference, entitled From Spain to 

Turkey: A Celebration of European Alpines, 

will follow the Society’s annual general 

meeting at the four-star Stratford Manor 

Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. 

Vojtěch Holubec from the Czech Republic 

will speak on Eastern European Mountains, 

Harry Jans from the Netherlands will give 

a talk on Greece, and Christopher Grey- 

Wilson will share his extensive knowledge of 

the Picos de Europa. 

In addition, Phillip Cribb from RBG Kew 

will speak about Hardy European Orchids, 

while Peter Erskine’s subject will be the 

Western Alps and Apennines. 

There will also be talks by Tim Lever from 

Aberconwy Nursery, Jo Everson and Katie 

AGS Annual Awards 10 

Access Frames offer 19 

Ranunculus glacialis photographed 

in Switzerland by Peter Maguire 

Price from RBG Kew, and primula expert 

Syd Clark. Practical workshops will be led by 

Brian Burrow and Tim and Keith Lever. 

Before the conference, Oron Peri from 

Continued on page 3 

NEW AGS SNOWDROP DAY: SEE PAGE 4 

Local Group Shows 6 

Book Shop 12 

Tours 20 

WIN CASH PRIZES BY PLANTING A CONTAINER: 11 

www.alpinegardensociety.net

AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, 

Worcestershire, WR10 3JP, UK 

Phone: +44(0)1386 554790 

Fax: +44(0)1386 554801 

Email: 

ags@alpinegardensociety.net 

Registered charity No. 207478 

Annual subscriptions: 

Single (UK and Ireland) £28* 

Family (two at same address) £32* 

Junior (under 18/student) £10 

Overseas single US$54 £30 

Overseas family US$60 £33 

* £2 deduction for direct debit 

subscribers 

For details of life membership apply to 

AGS Centre. 

AGS CENTRE 

EASTER CLOSURE 

AGS Centre will close at 

5pm on Thursday, 

March 28, and will not 

reopen until 9am on 

Wednesday, April 3. It will 

also be closed on Bank 

Holiday Mondays, 

May 6 and 27 

© Alpine Garden Society 2013 

Send items for the June 2013 issue 

of AGS News to Jackie Cooper at the 

address above or email 

jackie@alpinegardensociety.net. 

The deadline is April 31, 2013. 

NOTICEBOARD 

AGS Shows 

March 16: Blackpool Show 

March 16: Kent Show 

March 23: East Lancashire Show 

March 26 & 27: London Show 

March 30: Cleveland Show 

April 6: North Midland Show 

April 6: Dublin Show 

April 13: Northumberland Show 

April 13: South West Show 

April 20: Midland Show 

April 27: Ulster Show 

May 4: East Anglia Show 

May 11: Malvern Show 

May 18: Southport Show 

June 1: Summer Show South 

June 15: Summer Show North 

July 13: Summer Show Mid West 

September 28: Autumn Show South 

October 5: Loughborough Autumn Show 

October 12: Newcastle Show 

Full details for each show are in the 

AGS Shows Handbook, on the AGS 

website and in the shows pull-out that 

was included with the December 2012 

issue of AGS News. 

LOCAL GROUP CHANGES 

Wiltshire: Grahame Fowkes, Secretary 

(from Cliff Herbert) 

Ulster: Priscilla Dodd, Secretary (from 

William McKelvey). 

Central London: Roy Barker, Secretary 

(from Sue Morris). 

Nottingham: Sue Miles, Treasurer (from 

Peter Noon). Alwyn Foster, Secretary 

(from Christine Foster). 

Continued from page 1 

Israel has chosen Turkey as his subject for 

the E B Anderson Memorial Lecture, which 

is part of the AGM and free to all members. 

The Stratford Manor Hotel is set in 21 

acres of landscaped grounds and is located 

just five minutes from the M40. There is a 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 

AGM and E B Anderson Memorial Lecture – free to all AGS members 

9.30am Registration & Coffee 

10.45am Annual General Meeting & Presentation of Society Awards 

12 noon Presentation of Show Awards 

12.30pm Lunch 

1.30pm Late Conference Registration 

1.45pm E B Anderson Memorial Lecture: Oron Peri, Turkey 

2.45am Close of AGM 

BEGINNING OF CONFERENCE 

2.50pm Opening remarks and lecture: Christopher Grey-Wilson, Picos de 

Europa 

3.50pm Practical Workshops 

4.20pm Coffee 

4.45pm Lecture: Phillip Cribb, Hardy European Orchids 

5.45pm Mini lectures (Tim Lever & Jo Everson) 

6.15pm Finish 

7.30pm Conference Dinner & Plant Auction 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 

9.30am Registration 

10am Lecture: Peter Erskine, Western Alps and Apennines 

11am Practical Workshops 

11.30am Coffee 

12 noon Lecture: Vojtěch Holubec, Eastern European Mountains 

1pm Lunch 

2pm Mini lectures (Katie Price & Syd Clark) 

3pm Lecture: Harry Jans, Greece 

4pm Closing remarks by David Haselgrove & coffee 

2 3 

spa offering a range of treatments plus a 

leisure club with pool and gymnasium. 

Conference numbers are limited, so it is 

advisable to reserve your place by using 

the booking form on the back page of this 

issue of AGS News or book on our website. 

The full Conference programme is below.

NOTICEBOARD 

SPECIAL OFFER 

ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY BULLETINS 

10 AGS Bulletins (pre 2010 issues) for £16 (post free). 

One Special Offer per member. 

Please send your written request to: AGS Centre, 

Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP. 

Cheques should be made payable to ‘Alpine Garden Society’, or give a credit/debit card 

number with expiry date MM/YY and three-digit security code. If using a Switch card please 

add the issue number or start date. 

AGS SNOWDROP DAY 

Saturday, February 1, 2014 

In the grounds of the NFU headquarters 

at Tiddington, Stratford-upon-Avon, 

Warwickshire. 

Plants sales plus lectures. 

Lunches available. Ample parking. 

This promises to be a great day out for 

galanthophiles. Put the date in your diary 

now – more details will be given in the next 

issue of AGS News. 

SEED ENVELOPES FOR SALE 

Glassine-type envelopes, as used in the 

AGS seed distribution, are available in 

two sizes at the following prices: 

73x41mm (2.8x1.6in) self-seal £2 for 50 

98x64mm (3,8x2,5in) gummed £2.50 for 50 

Order from the AGS Centre (details on page 2) 

Postage is free to UK members 

Overseas members should contact AGS Centre for postage quotes 

Membership survey will help 

to guide Society’s development 

Thank you to all those who took time 

to complete the membership survey 

published in the June 2012 issue of 

the newsletter and on the AGS website. 

There were 630 replies, representing 

nine per cent of the membership. 

The replies have been collated and 

the results will help to guide the Society 

in developing benefits and services for 

members. 

Over 90 per cent of respondents rated 

their AGS membership overall as either 

good or excellent, with more than half 

opting for excellent. 

The most popular types of plants 

grown by members were bulbs (89 per 

cent), followed by easy alpines (88), 

herbaceous plants (79) and woodland 

plants (66). The least popular were 

dwarf conifers (34) and hardy cacti (14). 

We were keen to find out whether 

members felt that the Society’s name 

could put off potential new members 

who were not aware of the wide range 

of plants in which we take an interest. 

Seventy-two per cent of respondents 

felt the Society’s name properly 

reflected its interests, while 32 per cent 

did not. Given the majority, it has been 

decided not to change the name of the 

Society. 

The print quality and standard of 

photographs in The Alpine Gardener 

were rated as excellent by more than 

90 per cent of respondents. The 

4 5 

most popular articles were those 

offering practical and cultivation 

advice, followed by plant profiles and 

interviews with expert growers and 

nurserymen. The least popular were 

show reports and photography/artistic 

articles. Over 95 per cent were happy 

with the current size and format of the 

journal. 

More than 90 per cent of users were 

satisfied with the website, with over 

50 per cent rating it as excellent. With 

the addition of the AGS Encyclopaedia 

of Alpines and the AGS Image Library, 

use of the website is growing and it 

will play an increasingly important role 

in the future. As such, a redesign and 

restructuring of the site plus other 

improvements are now under way and 

will be unveiled later this year.

NOTICEBOARD 

AGS LOCAL GROUP SHOWS 

Bedfordshire Group Annual Show 

Saturday, March 23, at Wilstead Village Hall, 

Cotton End Road, Wilstead, MK45 3BX. 

Doors open to the public at 12 noon. Entrance £1. For more 

information contact Robert Amos on 01767 627487, 

or visit www.bedfordshirealpines.com 

Dorset Group Show and Plant Sale 

Saturday, March 30, at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne, BH21 1AS, 

from 11.30am to 3pm. Admission £1, AGS members free. 

Contact johnchappell321@btinternet.com for further information. 

Cotswold and Malvern Group Show and Plant Sale 

Easter Monday, April 1, at Maisemore Village Hall, 

Maisemore, near Gloucester, GL2 8JE. 

Open to the public from 12 noon to 4pm. Admission £3. 

AGS members free. 

Entries to the Show Secretary John Fitzpatrick by Saturday, March 30. 

Please call 01981 580134. Show schedules also available. 

Refreshments will be served all day. 

Essex Group Annual Show 

Saturday, April 27, at the New Village Hall, Church Road, Rawreth, 

near Rayleigh, Essex. SS11 8SH (opposite The Forge Nurseries). 

Open to the public from 12 noon until 4pm. Free entry. 

Classes for all AGS members; non-competitive displays; plant sales; 

tombola; ample parking and refreshments. 

For full details please contact the Show Secretary Mike Sullivan on 

01277 203481. 

Please support your Local Group events 

Meconopsis Open Day 

June 3, 2013, at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag 

Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB. 

This open day follows the Meconopsis trial at Harlow 

Carr. Ian Christie will demonstrate how to propagate 

and grow the plants. Dr Evelyn Stevens will give a talk 

on the results of the work of The Meconopsis Group 

in clarifying the identities and names of plants in 

cultivation. Andrew Willocks and Amy Browning will 

provide a talk on Harlow Carr’s experience and use of 

Meconopsis in the garden, and there will be guided 

tours of Harlow Carr’s alpines and Meconopsis. 

AGS members £20. Non-members £25. 

To book call 0845 612 1253 

TAKE PART IN THE AGS ONLINE SHOW 

OVERSEAS AGS GROUP CONTACTS 

6 7 

The 2013 AGS Online Show is open for 

entries. This is a great opportunity for 

members who can’t normally get to shows 

– particularly those who live outside the UK 

and Ireland – to show off their plants and 

gardens. 

There are almost 90 classes to enter, 

ranging from alpine beds in a garden 

setting to orchids and cut flowers. 

Visit the AGS website (address on the front 

page) where you can also view the online 

shows of the past seven years. GOOD LUCK! 

AUSTRALIA Secretary: Fermi de Sousa, 24 Old Ford Road, Redesdale 3444, Victoria, 

Australia. Email: Fermi.DeSousa@cobaw.vic.gov.au 

DENMARK Lis Nielsen, Parkvej 168, DK-6710 Esbjerg. Email: lisbent@esenet.dk 

NETHERLANDS Secretary: Aalt Musch, Nievwendaal 47, 3985 AC Werkhoven, Netherlands. 

NEW ZEALAND President: Adrian Bliss, PO Box 2984, Christchurch, New Zealand. 

email: janandadrianbliss@xtra.co.nz Fax: 00643 3126696.

NOTICEBOARD 

Part of the AGS garden at Chelsea in 2011 

Visit our garden at Chelsea 

The Alpine Garden Society is 

constructing a garden at this 

year’s Chelsea Flower Show. The 

garden will be built in the Great 

Pavilion and will promote the AGS 

to the show’s 157,000 visitors from 

May 21-25. 

The garden, which will be open on 

all four sides, has been designed 

by Ray Drew, the Society’s Director 

of Shows. It will include a pool and 

waterfall leading to a bog garden, 

a paved area with troughs and 

pots, and steps down into a sunken 

garden featuring a raised bed and 

seating area. 

There will also be a crevice garden, 

other areas of alpine planting and a 

terraced woodland. The entire site 

will be intersected by a path. 

The garden has been partly 

sponsored by Choice Landscapes, 

the alpine plant nursery based in 

Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. 

Great books at big discounts! 

Mountain 

Flowers: The 

Dolomites 

by Cliff 

Booker 

and David 

Charlton 

Cover price 

£9.95 

AGS price 

£7.95 

SAVE £17! 

Alpine Plants 

of North 

America 

by Graham 

Nicholls 

Cover price 

£35 

AGS price 

£18 

Great 

Gardens of 

Britain by 

Helena Attlee 

Cover price 

£16.99 

AGS price 

£13.50 

To order use the form on page 18 or visit our 

online bookshop at www.alpinegardensociety.net 

8 9 

The 

Complete 

Guide to 

Saving 

Seeds by 

R & C Gough 

Cover price 

£16.99 

AGS price 

£13.50 

SAVE £7! 

Succulent 

Plants of 

the World by 

Fred Dortort 

Cover price 

£35 

AGS price 

£28 

Hardy 

Succulents 

by Gwen 

Kelaidis 

Cover price 

£14.99 

AGS price 

£12

NOTICEBOARD 

AGS ANNUAL AWARDS 

NOMINATIONS ARE INVITED FOR THE FOLLOWING AGS AWARDS: 

Lyttel Trophy for meritorious work with alpines. 

The Sir William & Lady Lawrence Award for an outstanding contribution to 

work with alpines from those new to horticulture in the last five years. 

The Award of Honour for sterling work on behalf of the AGS, not necessarily 

during the previous year, but over a period of time. 

The Ferrier Charlton Award for outstanding work for the Society in an 

administrative capacity. 

The Kath Dryden Award to recognise meritorious work on basic cultivation 

and/or new plant introduction within a single genus or group of alpine plants. 

Local Group Awards to recognise outstanding service within a Local Group 

over a number of years, the impact of which is felt more widely than just 

the local area. Nominations for this award must come from the Local Group 

concerned. 

Website Award to recognise the best contribution to the Society’s website 

during 2012. 

AGS LITERARY AWARDS 

The Alpine Gardener sets extremely high standards in horticultural journalism 

and photography, and every year the Society seeks to honour the very best 

of the contributions. We do this by appealing to the judgement of the most 

discriminating and informed critics – you, the readership. Members are invited 

to nominate contributors to The Alpine Gardener Volume 80 (2012) for the 

following awards: 

The Clarence Elliott Memorial Award for the best article published in The 

Alpine Gardener in 2012 (Vol. 80). 

The Lionel & Joyce Bacon Award for the best practical alpine gardening 

article published in The Alpine Gardener in 2012 (Vol. 80). 

The Christopher Grey-Wilson Award to recognise photographic excellence 

in The Alpine Gardener in 2012 (Vol. 80) for the best ’feature’ article that 

must contain a minimum of ten photographs. 

All nominations must be submitted on the appropriate form (available from 

AGS Centre) and sent to Christine McGregor, Director, AGS Centre, Avon 

Bank, Pershore, WR10 3JP by July 31, 2013. 

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL GROUPS: 

JOIN IN THE FUN AT MALVERN 

At the Malvern Spring Gardening Show from May 9 to 12 the AGS 

is staging an exhibit of planted containers, giving you the chance 

to win cash prizes! You can plant alpines into any sort of container 

– old boots, hats, kettles. In fact the wackier, the better. The only 

stipulations are that they must fit on the show bench and can be 

easily moved. 

There will be three classes to enter: 

1. Alpines planted in the most innovative container by an individual. 

First prize £50 Second prize £25 

2. A Local Group exhibit in any container, from troughs to tin baths. 


3. The best planted small trough or miniature garden by an individual. 


So come on, let’s have some fun. The AGS will help to arrange the 

transport of your exhibits to Pershore in the week before the show 

and will take care of them. 

To enter, call the AGS Centre on 01386 554790 

Good planting and good luck! 

The Fritillaria Group of 

the Alpine Garden Society 

Spring Meeting and Annual Show 

March 17, 2013, at the Hillside Events Centre, 

RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, from 9am to 4pm. 

All visitors welcome. Photographic display in 

the main hall. Spring Show in the garden room. 

More information on our website: www.fritillaria.org.uk 

10 11

AGS BOOK SHOP AGS BOOK SHOP 

NEW BOOK OFFERS 

SAVE 20% 

Hardy Cypripedium: Species, 

Hybrids and Cultivation by Werner 

Frosch and Phillip Cribb 

A superb photographic account 

of the species and hybrids of the 

much-admired slipper orchids, 

featuring 427 beautiful images. 

Written by two of the leading 

authorities on the genus, it covers 

the plants’ discovery, biology, 

distribution, ecology, conservation 

and cultivation. 

Cover price £45 

AGS price £36 

[Order code 846] 

SAVE 20% 

Snowdrops 

by Gunter Waldorf 

First published in German, this 

little gem of a book has now been 

translated into English. If features 

photographs of more than 300 of 

the best varieties of snowdrops. 

Cover price £14.99 

AGS price £12 

[Order code 848] 

TO ORDER COMPLETE THE FORM ON PAGE 18 OR VISIT THE 

AGS BOOKSHOP AT WWW.ALPINEGARDENSOCIETY.NET 

12 

Order 

code 

Title and author Members’ 

price 

GENERAL ALPINE TITLES 

032 Alpine Gardening for Beginners by John Good £6.50 

772 Alpines from Mountain to Garden by Richard Wilford £23.20 

028 Alpine Plants: Ecology for Gardeners by John E G Good & David Millward £12.00 

244 Alpine Plants of Europe by Jim Jermyn £20.00 

457 Alpine Plants of North America by Graham Nicholls £18.00 

292 Alpines: An Essential Guide by Michael Mitchell £15.00 

024 Alpines in Pots (New Edition) by Kath Dryden £4.00 

026 Crevice Gardening by Zdenek Zvolanek £5.50 

033 Portraits of Alpine Plants by Robert Rolfe **NEW LOW PRICE** £15.00 

729 The Rock Garden Plant Primer by Christopher Grey-Wilson £16.00 

SPECIFIC GENERA 

019 Androsace: The Genus by G.F.Smith & D.B. Lowe £8.00 

694 Bleeding Hearts, Corydalis & Their Relatives by Mark C Tebbitt et al £20.00 

277 Dwarf Campanulas by Graham Nicholls £12.00 

Clematis (The Gardener’s Guide to Growing) by Raymond Evison £10.50 

643 Clematis (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by Mary Toomey £12.00 

263 Daphnes: A Practical Guide for Gardeners by Robin White £20.00 

669 The Daylily by John P Peat & Ted L Petit £18.00 

008 Dionysia: The Genus by Christopher Grey-Wilson £8.00 

374 Epimedium: The Genus by William T Stearn £34.00 

745 Geum by Sue Martin £6.00 

271 Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide by C. Colston Burrell and J. Knott Tyler £20.00 

248 Heucheras & Heucherellas by Dan Heims & Grahame Ware £16.00 

288 Hostas (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by Diana Grenfell & Michael Shadrack £12.00 

753 New Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack £28.00 

778 The Book of Little Hostas by Kathy Guest Shadrack & Michael Shadrack £14.50 

380 Lavandula: The Genus by Tim Upson & Susyn Andrews £22.00 

283 Peony Rockii and Gansu Mudan by Will McLewin and Dezhong Chen £25.00 

799 Phlox: A Natural History and Gardener’s Guide by James H Locklear £28.00 

706 Hardy Rhododendron Species: A Guide to Identification by James Cullen £25.00 

282 The Genus Roscoea by Jill Cowley £30.00 

13


Order 

code 


price 

021 Silver Saxifrages by Beryl Bland £3.00 

766 Thyme Handbook by Margaret Easter and Susie White £8.00 

700 Saxifrages (A Definitive Guide to the 2,000 species) by Malcolm McGregor £28.00 

BULBOUS PLANTS 

860 **NEW** A Gardener’s Guide to Bulbs by Christine Skelmersdale £20,00 

234 Arisaema: The Genus by Guy & Liliane Gusman £40.00 

599 Autumn Bulbs by Rod Leeds £8.00 

027 Bulbous Plants of Turkey and Iran by Peter Sheasby £25.00 

243 Bulbs in Containers by Rod Leeds £16.00 

034 Bulbs of Greece (A Field Guide to the) by C Grey-Wilson £23.00 

280 Buried Treasures by Janis Ruksans £24.00 

653 Calochortus: Mariposa Lilies & their Relatives £8.00 

798 Crocuses: A Complete Guide to the Genus by Janis Ruksans £24.00 

268 Cyclamen by Christopher Grey-Wilson £2.50 

795 Galanthomania by Hanneke van Dijk £23.00 

673 For Galanthophiles by Clemens Heidger £28.80 

241 Kirstenbosch Gardening Series - Grow Agapanthus by Graham Duncan £4.50 

861 **NEW** The Genus Lachenalia by Graham Duncan £96.00 

608 Pocket Guide to Bulbs by John E Bryan £12.00 

232 Snowdrops: A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus by Mat Bishop et al £48.00 

246 Snowdrops Booklet by Jackie Murray (second edition, 2011) £3.50 

266 Tulips (Species & Hybrids for the Gardener) by Richard Wilford £10.00 

ORCHIDS 

265 Growing Hardy Orchids by John Tullock £16.00 

804 Growing Hardy Orchids by Philip Seaton et al £10.00 

698 Ophrys: The Bee Orchids of Europe by H Aerenlund Pedersen & N Faurholdt £27.00 

274 Orchids of Britain & Ireland (A Field & Site Guide) by Anne & Simon Harrap £24.00 

658 Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by Pierre Delforge £24.00 

597 Orchids of the British Isles by Michael Foley & Sidney Clarke £36.00 

349 The Genus Cypripedium by Phillip Cribb £48.00 

SUCCULENTS AND CACTI 

741 Cacti and Succulents for Cold Climates by Leo J Chance £20.00 

Order 

code 

14 15 


price 

817 Hardy Succulents by Gwen M Kelaidis £12.00 

740 Gymnocalycium in habitat & Culture by Graham Charles £48.00 

749 Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin £16.00 

264 Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World by Fred Dortort £28.00 

PERENNIALS 

588 Ornamental Grasses (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by Rick Darke £12.00 

691 Perennials: The Gardener’s Reference by S Carter, C Becker and B Lilly £28.00 

589 Shade Perennials (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by W George Schmid £12.00 

725 Tall Perennials by Roger Turner £20.00 

649 The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust £20.00 

791 When Perennials Bloom by Tomasz Anisko £25.00 

TREES & SHRUBS 

840 A Natural History of Conifers by Aljos Farjon £24.00 

786 Buddlejas by David D Stuart £20.00 

736 Best Hardy Shrubs (The Gossler Guide to the) by R, E & M Gossler £20.00 

775 Conifers (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by Richard L. Bitner £12.00 

652 Conifers for Gardens by Richard L Bitner £32.00 

621 Dirr’s Encyclopedia Of Trees & Shrubs by Michael A Dirr £40.00 

630 Hebes by Lawrie Metcalf £15.00 

660 Japanese Maples (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by P Gregory & J C Vertrem £12.00 

761 Palms (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by Robert Lee Riffle £12.00 

751 Planting and Maintaining a Tree Collection by Simon Toomer £16.00 

316 Shrubs: A Gardener’s Handbook by Ian Cooke £8.00 

267 The Genus Sorbus (Mountain Ash & other Rowans) by Hugh McAllister £30.00 

735 The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers by George Brown £12.00 

250 Timber Press Encyclopedia of Flowering Shrubs by Jim Gardiner £28.00 

712 Trees for All Seasons by Sean Hogan £20.00 

286 Viburnums by Michael A Dirr £20.00 

661 Winter-Flowering Shrubs by Michael W Buffin £20.00 

FLORAS AND FIELD GUIDES 

278 Alpine & Sub-Alpine Flora of Mount Jaya (A Guide to the) by R J Johns et al £75.00 

687 Crossbill Guide to Extremadura £16.00


Order 

code 


price 

793 Crossbill Guide to France (Cevennes and Grand Causses) £16.00 

285 Crete: A Unique Paradise of Flowers by Johannes Flohe £18.00 

425 Easy Ways to the Plants of the Bernese Oberland by Philip & Jean Talboys £6.00 

680 Endemic Plants of the Altai Mountain Country by A I Pyak et al £25.00 

245 Flowers of Crete by John Fielding and Nicholas Turland £52.50 

733 Flowers of Greece (set of 2 with DVD) by T Lafranchis & G Sfikas £95.00 

808 Flowers of Western China by Christopher Grey-Wilson £56.00 

810 Genziane d’Europa By Engidio Anchisi £35.00 

569 Mountain Flowers: The Dolomites by Cliff Booker & David Charlton £7.95 

809 Mountain Flower Walks: The Eastern Alps Incl. The Dolomites by Jim Jermyn £17.60 

031 Mountain Flower Walks: The Greek Mainland by John Richards £12.00 

454 Frank Kingdon Ward’s Riddle of the Tsangpo Gorges £28.00 

737 Picos de Europa (car tours and walks) by Teresa Farino £11.00 

696 Plantsman’s Paradise – Travels in China by Roy Lancaster £32.00 

697 Seeds of Adventure – In Search of plants by Peter Cox & Peter Hutchinson £28.00 

730 Swiss Plant Life by Ewald Weber £20.00 

478 The Caucasus and its Flowers by Vojtech Holubec & Pavel Krivka £45.00 

GARDEN DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION 

747 Big Gardens in Small Spaces by Martyn Cox £16.00 

303 Colour in the Garden by Val Bourne £15.00 

814 Designer Plant Combinations by Scott Calhoun £10.00 

565 Designing and Planting Borders by Roger Harvey £10.00 

103 Designing Small Gardens by Ian Cooke £8.00 

807 Designing With Conifers by Richard L Bitner £16.00 

797 Designing with Grasses by Neil Lucas £16.00 

Garden Stone by Barbara Pleasant £12.00 

838 Rock Landscapes: The Pulham Legacy by Claude Hitching £28.00 

291 The Essential Garden Design Workbook by Rosemary Alexander £15.00 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

631 Digital Photography (A-Z of Creative) by Lee Frost £12.00 

279 Digital Photography: An Introduction by Tom Ang New edition £18.00 

704 Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers by Alan L Detrick £15.00 

Order 

code 

16 17 


price 

OTHER TITLES 

238 Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family (second edition) by Deni Brown £20.00 

774 Bees, Wasps and Ants (The Indispensable Role of Hymenoptera in Gardens) £15.00 

272 Complete Guide to Saving Seed by Robert Gough £13.50 

773 Container Plants (The Encyclopaedia of) by Ray Rogers & Rob Cardillo £20.00 

609 Creative Propagation (second edition) by Peter Thompson £15.00 

779 Dear Christo: Memories of Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter £17.00 

336 Encyclopedia of Garden Ferns by Sue Olsen £32.00 

831 Foliage by Nancy J Obdra £10.00 

610 Gardening with Woodland Plants by Karan Junker £24.00 

622 Great Gardens of Britain by Helena Attlee £13.50 

629 Ground Covers (Timber Press Pocket Guide) by David S Mackenzie £12.00 

257 Hardy Bamboos (Taming the Dragon) by Paul Whittaker £20.00 

101 In the Footsteps of Augustine Henry by Seamus O’Brien £32.00 

340 Joseph Hooker: Botanical Trailblazer by Pat Grigg & Jim Endersby £8.00 

Marianne North: A Very Intrepid Painter by Michelle Payne £9.50 

559 Native Plants of Britain & Ireland by Rosemary Fitzgerald £12.00 

662 On the Wild side by Keith Wiley £16.00 

104 Organic Gardener’s Handbook by Michael Littlewood £13.50 

703 Plant Form (Illustrated Guide to Flowering Plant Morphology) by Adrian Bell £28.00 

510 Planting the Dry Shade Garden by Graham Rice £12.00 

777 Practical Bamboos by Paul Whittaker £12.00 

247 The Jade Garden by Peter Wharton, Brent Hine & Douglas Justice £20.00 

828 The Pruning Answer Book by Lewis Hill and Penelope O’Sullivan £7.50 

841 The A to Z of Plant Names by Allen J Coombes £10.40 

314 The Garden Plants of China by Peter Valder £36.00 

844 The Kew Plant Glossary: An illustrated dictionary of plant identification terms £15.00 

517 Timber Press Dictionary of Plant Names £20.00 

754 Uncommon Climbers for Every Garden by Allan M. Armitage £10.00 

806 Waterlillies and Lotuses by Percy D. Slocum £20.00 

515 Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens by L Springer Ogden & S Ogden £13.50 

222 Wildflower Wonders of the World by Bob Gibbons £15.00

AGS BOOK SHOP 

Membership number: 

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code 

ORDER FORM SPECIAL OFFER FOR AGS MEMBERS: 

SAVE 25% ON ACCESS COLD FRAMES 

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statement is sent, if different: 

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Please make cheques payable 

to AGS Publications Limited. 

We can also deliver books postfree 

for collection at AGS shows. 

Visa/MasterCard/American Express/Switch details (no extra charge for paying by credit card) 

Name on card: 

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Start date: Expiry date: Issue No. (some debit cards): 

Send this form to AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP, UK. 

Access Garden Products are offering AGS 

members an exclusive 25% off their range of 

cold frames and bases until April 30, 2013. The 

popular cold frames are ideal for alpine growers 

because they offer large amounts of space with 

excellent ventilation. The glass panels on the 

top and sides slide away for easy access and 

ventilation. For safety, only toughened safety 

glass is used. It is much stronger than standard 

horticultural glass — the roof glass will withstand 

2ft (60cm) of snow on it. If the glass does break, 

it shatters into tiny pieces. 

Also available are sturdy, pressure-treated bases for the cold frames, 

raising the frame up to reduce bending. The bases are constructed 

from 1¼in deck board which is mitred at the ends for a neat 

appearance. Stainless steel screws ensure a long life. The base can be 

filled with soil for direct planting, or a very sturdy timber floor can be 

added to allow Alpines to be placed either directly on the boards or on a 

couple of inches of grit. A useful option is the louvre vent. This replaces 

one of the 2ft x 2ft sheets of glass at the end of the frame, providing 

additional ventilation. The louvre aids winter ventilation as the slats 

prevent rain ingress. A vent can be fitted at either or both ends and is 

available as a manual or fully automatic vent. 

To order, or for a 

free copy of the 

Access 40-page 

catalogue, call 

0800 298 6284 

and quote 

‘AGS-13 offer’. 

18 19 

Code 

FF3 

SF3 

EF3 

TF3 

The sturdy architectural aluminium framework 

comes with a 25-year guarantee. Access has 

been producing these frames for 35 years 

and original examples are still going strong! 

For a really special finish, the cold frames are 

available with an optional colour coating. This 

hard-wearing finish is available in six colours. 

Please call for samples and prices. The cold 

frames are 4ft wide and are available in four 

lengths: 4ft, 6ft, 8ft and 10ft. 

PRICES AND DIMENSIONS 

Length List AGS 3-tier Timber Delivery 

price price base floor 

4ft/1.21m £209 £167 £93.60 £48 £24 

6ft/1.83m £264 £211 £116.10 £74.25 £34 

7ft 9in/2.36m £314 £251 £152.10 £93 £39 

9ft 11in/3m £349 £279 £161.10 £115.50 £44 

Width: 4ft (1.21m) Height: 2ft 8in (0.82m) Base height: 15in (36cm) 

Bases are approx. 3in/6cm wider and longer than the frame. 

Manual louvre vent: £59 Automatic vent: £79 

Access Garden Products, Crick, Northampton, NN6 7XS 

www.garden-products.co.uk sales@garden-products.co.uk

View above 

Fuente Dé and 

Saxifraga felineri 

A rich flora and 

splendid views 

May 24 to June 2, 2013 

Leader: Christopher Grey-Wilson 

Cost: £550 (excluding flights & car hire) 

After the highly successful self-catering 

tour led by Christopher (Kit) Grey- 

Wilson to the Picos de Europa in 2010, we 

have decided to repeat the tour in 2013. 

The Picos de Europa, shared between 

the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias, is 

one of the great scenic delights of northern 

Spain. The Picos are very different from 

the mountains of central and southern 

Spain due to their proximity to the Atlantic 

Ocean. The scenery is splendid: the high 

mountains are rugged limestone in the main 

with wooded slopes and valleys. Wild bear, 

lynx and boar still roam and the area is 

renowned for its birds and butterflies. The 

flora is rich and includes a good number of 

endemic species such as Aquilegia discolor, 

Asperula hirta and Genista legionensis. 

PICOS DE EUROPA 

JUST TWO 

PLACES LEFT! 

In spring (April to early June) the high 

meadows are full of colour, particularly 

with Narcissus and orchids. 

The tour will be centred on the mountain 

hamlet of Tudes and we will stay in 

beautifully converted self-catering farm 

buildings, which are fully equipped and 

English-owned. The charming medieval 

market town of Potes is close by and has 

excellent restaurants and shops. 

Day excursions (by car) from Tudes will 

include Puerto de San Gloria, the cable-car 

ascent at Fuente Dé, the Picos de Macondiu 

and Somaniezo. There will also be plenty 

of time for local walks and visits to ancient 

mountain towns. Couples and singles can 

share apartments, which range from two to 

four-person. Transport will be by hired car 

(not coach) as the latter restricts the places 

that can be visited. If any participants wish 

to stay longer, this can be arranged. 

Christopher Grey-Wilson is an 

experienced tour leader and has visited 

the Picos several times. The Picos is very 

accessible from the UK with flights from 

Stansted and elsewhere to either Bilbao or 

Santander. 

For further information on this tour please contact AGS Centre 

Phone 01386 554790 or email ags@alpinegardensociety.net 

CORSICA 

WITH 

April 14-21, 2013 

Leaders: Paul Cardy and Tristan 

Lafranchis 

Cost: £1,595. 

Brick pink cliffs sweep down to 

the sea draped with lime-green 

Euphorbia dendroides and pretty 

Erodium corsicum. Limestone 

intrusions at Bonifacio host endemic 

Morisia monanthos and orchids such 

as Orchis pauciflora, Ophrys morissi, 

Ophrys eleonorae and Ophrys aprilia. 

Large-flowered Serapias cordigera is 

joined by Serapias neglecta, lingua, 

vomeracea and local nurrica, as 

well as plenty of gorgeous Orchis 

Call Greentours on 01298 83563 or email enquiries@greentours.co.uk 

or visit our website at www.greentours.co.uk 

20 21 

longicornu. Narcissus tazetta 

decorates rocky crevices almost to 

the high tide line on the Pointe de 

la Parata. Moving inland we’ll find 

Brimeura fastigata and Pancratium 

illyricum, whilst Chestnut woods are 

full of Corydalis solida. Cyclamen 

repandum blooms at all altitudes and 

higher up we’ll see pretty lilac Crocus 

corsicus (pictured). Helleborus 

argutifolius flowers amid fresh green 

birch woods where we can find redmarked 

yellow Dactylorhiza insularis 

and intense purple Romulea requienii.

TAIWAN 

WITH 

April 20 to May 7, 2013 

Leaders: Owen Mountford and 

Richard Foster 

Cost: £3,995 

The breathtaking Taroko 

Gorge cuts like a knife 

through Formosa’s untouched 

mountains. Here are elegant 

Arisaema formosanum and huge 

Amorphophallus flowers emerge 

with blue Iris formosana and exotic 

Gesneriads. We’ll see yellow 

Disporum shimodes, the toad lily 

Tricyrtis formosana, and stands 

of Lilium formosanum and Lilium 

longiflorum while woodlands 



22 

harbour Cypripedium debile, C. 

macranthos and stunning pink C. 

formosanum. Mount Hehuan, at 

13,000ft with a road almost to the 

top, will be covered in the pink 

Rhododendron taiwanalpinum and 

Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum. 

The Taiwanese rate Rhododendron 

formosanum as their most beautiful 

species, but we think it might be 

scarlet Rhododendron noriakianum 

or perhaps Rhododendron kanehirai, 

which sets the peaks ablaze with 

blooms from fuschia to red-violet. 

In Mingchin’s deep emerald mossy 

forests are Trillium tschonoskii, 

gaultherias, begonias and strange 

Boschniakia himalaica among an 

amazing variety of ferns. 

WITH 

ARARAT: NAKHCHIVAN & TURKEY 

May 14-26, 2013 

Leaders: Ian Green & Başak 

Gardner 

Cost: £2,565 

Ararat forms the centre of the 

heartland of the Oncocyclus 

irises. To the east we’ll explore tiny 

Nakhchivan, a beautiful Azerbaijanii 

enclave that has recently opened its 

1km-wide border with Turkey. Arid 

slopes in the Aras River drainage 

host rare Iris grossheimii (pictured) 

and the dark flowers of Iris lycotis 

as well as unusual forms of Iris 

paradoxa. Mountain meadows 

have the rarely seen yellow Juno 

Iris atropatana while the valleys 

below have hundreds of thousands 

of impressive Iris imbricata. In the 

Kars Highlands we’ll find Fritillaria 



23 

alburyana and, around Van, golden 

Fritillaria minima and Tulipa 

koyuncii. On the slopes of Ararat 

we’ll see some magnificent shows of 

Iris elegantissima while Van’s steppes 

host Iris barnumae and populations 

of Iris sari, including one that has 

hybridised with Iris paradoxa to 

produce a wonderful variety of 

different colours and forms. We’ll 

finish with the ghostly flowers of rare 

Iris gatesii.

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