EXHIBITOR PROFILE
Let me take you back a few decades where a healthy debate was taking place in a garden in Dunblane between Dr Evelyn Stevens and her joiner, Jimmy Bayne. The subject: who had the best specimen of a big blue poppy. This exchange was the little seed that grew into a fine collection of Meconopsis admirers!
The outcome of this discussion was the formation of The Meconopsis Group, established to study the genus and to promote its cultivation and conservation. The group was formally set up in 1998 by Dr Stevens and Mervyn Kessel with the aim of clarifying the identities and names of the many big blue perennial cultivars being grown in Scottish gardens. 25 years on and as that task is near completion, the group has turned its attention to other projects such as DNA analysis and continued conservation of the species.
Despite stories to the contrary, Meconopsis do grow well in Scotland. Our climate suits them and you can find a National Collection of Meconopsis at National Trust for Scotland's Branklyn Garden in Perth.
Like all plants they have some simple lessons to learn. Grow in good, rich soil, do not let them dry out, but they must not drown either. Mulch in the spring or autumn with some leaf mould or fresh compost. They are greedy plants so if your soil is not too good, feed in the spring with well-rotted manure or organic chicken pellets.
The large perennial plants benefit from being divided every three years or so. They display better colour when they are planted in an area in the garden that gets some shade during the day meaning they do not dry out too quickly. They can, but not necessarily, grow better in a soil that leans more to the acidic side and most do not tolerate any added lime.
There are many colours within the genus including yellow, pink, and purple. The most popular, easiest to grow, and most readily available, is Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’ or Meconopsis baileyi. Both of these can be grown from seed, helpful information can be found on our website.
There are a number of specialist suppliers of Meconopsis in Scotland such as Macplants, Kevock Garden, and Tinnisburn Plants where there is also a study bed of George Sherriff plants. After a long closure, The Explorers Garden in Perth are now working hard to reinstate their wonderful collection.
There is a section on our group website listing all the gardens and nurseries where Meconopsis can be viewed or purchased.
Throughout its history, the group has been affiliated to the Scottish Rock Garden Club and the Royal Horticultural Society. It is also supported by the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The group now has 240 Members from all around the world, particularly in the Northern hemisphere, and is solely funded by its members.
Membership allows for excellent communication and advice from our more experienced members or professional horticulturists. A big part of the group is the seed exchange which allows members to secure the freshest seed to give the best germination results of many different cultivars and species.
Looking ahead, an exciting project is on the horizon. We will be creating a Meconopsis Group display stand in the Floral Hall at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2025. This is a big undertaking and will take a huge amount of organisation. Planning has already started and mock up displays are being trialed in pretend show rooms in a member’s garden. Members will have the opportunity to supply plant material for the display and take part at the show.
Our next meeting is October 12th 2024 at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. It will be a very interesting gathering and guests are welcome. Our special guest speaker will be Martin Hajman from Tromso Botanic Garden. Further details and the full agenda can be found on the website under meetings. Our AGM will be in March 2025.
Joining the Meconopsis Group could not be easier. Visit the Meconopsis website at www.meconopsis.org and go to membership/login along the menu at the top. It currently costs £12 per annum and each year you will be able to choose 10 packets of seed from the seed exchange in November, for no additional cost. Members also have access to our private members’ resources section that lists all the information and talks from 25 years of the group.
We offer free membership for students in horticulture or botany for two years. If they continue in education or the industry for a further two years, we offer an additional free membership thanks to the generosity of a donation to encourage further education. We have complimentary members who assist in many ways on a day-to-day basis and honorary membership for those who have made a huge contribution to the genus.
Supported membership is available to those living in countries where Meconopsis are originally from, providing they can share information and photographs about plants in the wild. This allows us to record the location of species and note how the genus is surviving, which is an important part of the work we do to preserve these captivating blooms.
We look forward to welcoming you to the group!
*Images have kindly been supplied by Sharon Bradley
If you would like to see your community gardening group or horticultural society featured in a future edition of Scotland Grows magazine, please do get in touch to mail@scotlandgrowsmagazine.com - we would love to hear from you!