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Back Cover Above : Clematis x cartmanii Joe Garden Front Cover – Iris pumilo, Hugh McAlister, Ulster Show 2015 Newsletter No:14, August 2015 Contents:- Editorial History: Early Beginnings of our Group Stories behind some of our Cups and Trophies The Carol McCutcheon Cup – by Susan Tindall The Frank Walsh Cup – by Anne Walsh Helleborus x hybridus and its wilder relatives – by David Ledsham Mementoes of Garden Visits Obituaries Alpine Cuttings - or News Items Book Reviews Information:- Programme 2015 -2016 From the website – some plants at the Ulster Group Show Editorial 2015 Continued History of the Ulster AGS Group – People and Trophies During this past year your editor has had her wings (or should I say foot) well and While the earlier history of our Ulster Group was documented in early AGS truly clipped so travel to far off fields has had to be postponed. It has however Bulletins, strangely enough the more recent history can only be gleaned from the made me appreciate good health and recognise the problems disability brings and local group’s minute book and members’ memories. also the pleasures to be found nearer home. It is amazing how little local AGS committee meetings have changed over the last Our past President had to retire last year for health reasons, Harold McBride very fifty years with the same subjects being discussed – meetings, speakers, venues, kindly and ably stepping into that role and I am glad to report that Bob can still tours, constitution, shows etc. – and I found it frustrating that the final outcomes enjoy his garden although travel is more restricted. Once again I wish good health were not often documented. to everyone and please take care not to trip or fall! I found virtually no mention of our 30 years of ‘Troubles’ save one record of an I would like to pay tribute to all our members, both past and present, who have English speaker who in 1974 preferred not to come to Northern Ireland ‘at the shown such generosity to the Ulster Group over the years. Whether in giving time present time‘. It is interesting that at the 2nd International Rock Garden to serve on committees, opening their gardens, making tea, helping at meetings Conferences in 1951 E.B.Anderson quoted another great gardener ( also with an and shows etc – in so many ways everyone has helped to keep the Ulster Group Irish connection) Sir Frederick Moore - ‘Plants have no politics’. So whether alive. We now live in a very digital age and perhaps to survive, patterns will have there were any difficulties due to the unrest the subject was never discussed - to change. However social contact is important and the tours so smoothly perhaps unfortunately for future historians. organised by Cilla are very much appreciated in bringing together both older and more recent members when we have time to chat. While I have been documenting Meetings took place at St. John’s Parish, Malone until the 1980’s when in 1983 a past history it is important to look to the future and good to be able to report some move was made to the Extra Mural Department at QUB and the main Show contact with a younger generation. Life is so busy for young people today that all moved to Greenmount. Two names that come to the fore around this time are Dr societies are having recruiting difficulties but a love of alpines, plants and Molly Sanderson and Mrs Nan Toner. Mrs Toner introduced the mini or gardening can give lifelong pleasure. members’ show, and the first annual luncheon took place in 1984 when a rose bowl was presented to the Dublin Group. A Jubilee Show took place in 1989 and This ‘summer’ has been a long cold wet season so far with only a few bright from this period names appear within my memory and many are still with us so I moments but we have had some good news locally to brighten the days. Our feel should not be relegated to history just yet. Show Secretary, Pat Crossley has announced her engagement to Gordon Gray, a photographic judge at the Show. Congratulations and we wish them good health So far I have only been able to get tantalising glimpses of the people behind many and every happiness in their future together. of the names in that earlier period. A silver cup belonging to a Mrs Hill was given to the group in 1978 by Miss Elisabeth Hill and engraved, on Mrs Toner’s suggestion, the ‘Betty Hill Trophy’. ------------------------------------------------ Many of us will remember that great department store, Anderson and McAuleys, which had a connection with Mrs Phebe Anderson, who, I presume, gave the cup with her name. I was astonished to find in Ann’s excellent account on her father, a reference to a visit to the garden of Major Garrett, so perhaps Ann will be able to fill in some gaps there next time. Helen Dales’ daughter, Dr Joan Bruce, was able to tell me some of the details of The Carol McCutcheon Cup – by Susan Tindall her mother’s life. Helen qualified in Botany from Edinburgh and moved to Belfast in the 1920s to work in the seed department of the Ministry of Agriculture, then in Carol and I met at an Alpine Garden Society meeting Eglantine Avenue. A keen member of the Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club, she met about 30 years ago. In those days the meetings were held her husband there but after his death she went back to work in QUB. As well as in one of the old lecture theatres in the main building at joining the AGS she was a keen artist, exhibiting at the Ulster Art Academy and Queens University Belfast and we instantly became very the minutes record a presentation to her in appreciation of selling her paintings of good friends, both having an interest and love of plants. Alpine Plants for Group funds. One of her paintings, a lovely primula, is annually Her garden in Killinchy, which she designed, created the presented at the Members’ Show, our treasurer, Mrs Nancy Derby, being the right conditions for the plants she grew there. Not only worthy winner this year. Her daughter’s one regret is that the family don’t have did she design the garden, she built it herself, placing more of her paintings. stones to the best effect to complement the plants she As a result of my failure to find more information on some of the earlier cups this wanted to grow in her scree garden, herbaceous garden issue gives details of more recent ones – The Carol McCutcheon and the Frank and the woodland area. Walsh cups – and next issue will see more details of awards such as the John Carol had been to Art College in Belfast, and her artistic talent showed in McWhirter. everything she did, being a very creative lady. She was also quite a shy person, ---------------------------------------------- and, while on a one to one basis she had no problem talking about the plants she loved, always eager to give information to anyone who ever asked her how to prepare plants for the show benches, she could not stand up and give a talk however much she wanted to. Her artistic abilities came to the fore when she presented a plant for the AGS show benches. Carol was a Farrer/Forrest Medallist, only taking plants to the show which she knew would win prizes. She very rarely took more than six plants, each one grown to perfection and all good enough to win a first prize. I do remember her winning a Forrest Medal at one of the at SRGC Discussion weekends with Gentiana depressa, an autumn flowering Gentian. That same gentian was grown from a cutting given to her by a gentleman at an earlier SRGC weekend. She had taken it back to Ireland, bulked it up and within three years won the Medal with it - well deserved as it not the easiest of gentian to grow. She was Cassiope ‘Stormbird’ indeed a very talented plants-woman. The Ulster Group lost a much loved and valuable member with the early illness This year the winning plant was Cassiope’Stormbird’ - a Mike and Polly Stone and death of Carol and it is very fitting that her friend, Susan Tindall, gives an cultivar which Susan keeps in a tunnel in standard ericaceous compost and is appreciation of her this year, as Susan won her cup awarded to the best pan of never allowed to dry out. Ericaceae. Most of us will remember Frank Walsh and this year his daughter Anne kindly years with other members of the AGS. donated a cup in his memory and also gave us a memory of her father. I have continued to keep the link with the AGS and I felt honoured when I was The Frank Walsh Cup – by Anne Walsh asked to present the Frank Walsh Cup to a deserving winner. I was delighted to present the Frank Walsh Cup to It seemed appropriate that Don Peace who came over from England to direct our the AGS (Ulster Group) in memory of my dad. A Show should be the first winner of the Frank Walsh Cup (Class 13 – best pan of keen gardener all of his life, Dad gained a great bulbous plants) with Fritillaria Alfredae Glaucoviridis deal of pleasure from belonging to the AGS. A true plantsman, he loved nothing more than ---------------------------------------------- spending hours in the garden caring for his plants. Before he retired, Dad's first stop on returning home was into the garden and then into the greenhouse.

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