Rock Garden Quarterly

And East Yorkshire is no different.

Got mine on April 4th... just in time for some long weekend reading!

Ah, yes, all the makings for the weekend of general sloth that I've been enjoying!  ;D

On past performance the Europeans (including English and Scots) seem to get their copies about three weeks (sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more) after dispatch from Allen Press (it's in Kansas, Toto!). Dispatch was around March 22nd so I'd be expecting it fairly soon. And ther's a hostage to fortune!

Mine was in the mailbox yesterday - I only had time for a quick look on the way to town. Tonight I'm digging in!

No nor in East Yorkshire - I have asked the printer to check what they can about the delivery. Keeping fingers crossed
for appearance soon.

My RGQ also arrived a couple of days ago and I am enjoying it greatly. I would be extremely happy to have a rock garden like Panayoti's; I love the same plants but am only just mastering the axioms! Number 7 really chimes with me, and there is nothing more stimulating than growing plants from seed. I also found Tony Reznicek's article very helpful and clearly written, on what can seem a very complex subject. However, it is still hard to think of Dodecatheon as a Primula! I think gardeners and taxonomists will always be a little at odds.

Tim

I have to admit that captioning a picture of a shooting star as a Primula was my doing rather than Tony's but I hope it dramatized the bizarre changes that come along when we're not looking - fun isn't it. And thank goodness the Quarterly has finally got to UK members - apparently it landed in the UK on 4th April and has taken three weeks to get from there to individual members !!!!

It should have Cliff - have you upset your postman? I am putting a copy in the post to you this morning from East Yorkshire - first class!!! You will probably get your normal copy now.

Cliff

Think of someone who is susceptible to joining and give the extra copy to them as a sample - makes more sense - if of course you haven't posted it already - in which case thank you.

Malcolm

Dear NARGS member,

LAUNCH of ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY online

The world of publishing is undergoing the most dramatic changes since Gutenberg invented the printing press over 500 years ago. The Board of Directors of NARGS has recognized that we need to embrace this change, in line with our President's commitments at the last two Annual General Meetings.

The Rock Garden Quarterly is now into its 70th year and for all that time it's been changing to reflect the times, and to use new printing technology as it has become available.

So, now the Rock Garden Quarterly will be published in digital form as well as the traditional paper form--and members have access free. There will be an introduction to some of the features in the Summer issue of the Quarterly, but you can try the Spring issue right now on desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone, etc: <http://www.nxtbook.com/allen/roga/70-2>

In the future, the digital edition will be available around the same date that members receive their mailed copy.

This is not a replacement for the printed Quarterly--this is a BONUS. From now on NARGS members will be able to access the Quarterly online and read it on their electronic device, as well as continuing to receive their printed issues as they do currently.

The launch of the Rock Garden Quarterly online is a great development for NARGS, and we really hope you'll enjoy it in this new extra format.

Remember the electronic version is a free extra to members - have your cake and eat it too!

And to give those who aren't members a view of what we're doing, the same link works for non-members too.

Very best wishes,
Malcolm McGregor
Editor, Rock Garden Quarterly

Hi Rick

I've written a guide for the next issue of the Quarterly - but the answer is yes you can. USe the button at the top right with the downward arrow.

Malcolm

Great reception for the Digital Quarterly - the response has been unprecedented and all in favor but there have been various points in various emails and other contacts:

1. This will NOT replace the paper edition - it is a free bonus

2. Access is available to anyone at the moment and will be to the next edition (which is being worked on at the moment) after that you will have to be a NARGS member to get access.

3. NARGS members will have to register their email address with NARGS (email <[email][email protected][/email]> subject "NARGS email address") if they have not already - if you had an email notification of the new Digital edition of the Quarterly from us, then we do have your email.

As I say, I'm working on the next edition at the moment but have hit a holdup getting the proofs from our printer in Kansas. With Memorial Day last Monday and then the Queen's Jubilee holidays on Monday & Tuesday this week the proofs which would normally have been here last Friday did not make it and were delivered yesterday - unfortunately the Fedex driver managed to deliver them (and get them signed for) by someone unknown to us, and we don't know where (although we're hoping Fedex will be able to find out). So I'm currently waiting for Fedex to retrieve them and then try again.

Still hoping that we'll be able to finalize everything by the beginning of next week, uploading any revisions over the weekend. So still looking at a dispatch in the last week of June with the Digital edition online around July 1.

Fingers crossed...

NEWS

1. The launch of the digital Quarterly seems to have gone very successfully with great enthusiasm only tempered with the worry that there might be a move to stop issuing the paper version. As is made clear in the upcoming issue (Summer 2012) this is not the plan. The digital Quarterly has been initiated to offer members an extra format in an age when this is becoming much more popular. The hope is also, obviously, that we can attract new members.

2. The Summer 2012 issue of the Quarterly has been printed and is in the process of being dispatched. Lots of exciting stuff in this issue which has a one-off extra 32 pages - 128 in all

3. The digital version is scheduled for release on July 1. And having announced it I'm now going to be keeping my fingers crossed that we keep to schedule.

Very best to everyone

Malcolm

Summer Edition of DIGITAL QUARTERLY now online

www.nxtbook.com/allen/roga/70-3

Pleased to say we've met the deadline (which was pretty tight) and the new edition is now up and running - have fun - and do try the USER OPTIONS in the toolbox - you can turn sound and shadow on and off, and you'll also find the archive section (as yet of course with only two issues in there.)

So pleased your paper issue got through so quickly this time. Much quicker. I usually get my copy the same day as you but not this time.
Yes, I think the Digital Quarterly is really nice as an extra - in the long run all sorts of possibilities open up - extra pictures which space prohibits in the printed version, extended articles with extra material and so on.

I would thoroughly agree with Mark's scholarly overview. Not being so IT savvy i haven't discovered many of the features of the on-line Quarterly but can see how well it has been thought out - so thanks to everyone involved! It is a great issue, beautifully put together and must have been very satisfying to have produced. With the Quarterly on-line and the SRGC IRG it makes you really feel alpine gardening is going somewhere!

The FALL ISSUE of the Quarterly is now at the printers and our expectation is that it will be dispatched by them sometime next week.

The DIGITAL QUARTERLY will then be posted around October 1. The only way to view this issue will be through the website link - click through from the Digital Quarterly image on the homepage (or follow the RGQ Online link) and then clicking on the cover. You will be asked for

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER

THIS MEMBERSHIP NUMBER WILL BE ON THE WRAPPER OF THE QUARTERLY just above your address.
The Spring and Summer issues will remain open to non-members so that non-members can see what they are missing but, in line with the President's letter in the last issue, new issues will only be accessible to members.

FALL ISSUE of the Quarterly is now in the post.

DON'T FORGET TO MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER ON THE WRAPPER

Just had some feedback from a couple of people that the despite all Bobby Ward's efforts (and mine) with the printer the labels may have your membership number printed on the label to the left (rather than to the right) of your membership expiration date. Not had mine (nor has Bobby had his) so can't confirm - anyway, one of the numbers above your name and address is a date - the OTHER ONE is your MEMBERSHIP NUMBER

Sorry about that!

New digital Quarterly is now online.

Looks like everyone is pretty happy with the way the digital edition is operating given how few people have raised any problems.

Deadline for submissions for the next issue is November 1. This next issue will contain full profiles of all election candidates - the slate which you can view elsewhere on the website http://nargs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284&Itemid... and any other candidates who are nominated prior to November 1 to Lola Horwitz  <[email protected]>, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee.

WINTER QUARTERLY

This issue is now being proofread and is on target for dispatch by Christmas with the online edition being posted by Jan 1st.

Malcolm

... and initial pages have been uploaded to Allen Press for color proofing so things are moving forward.

The initial color proofs have arrived from Kansas and tomorrow I'll look at them in natural light as well as artificial light trying to get the best balance, then work through adjusting any pictures which seem like they might need it.

In the meantime corrections from proofreaders are now back with me and are being worked through.

There are periods of desperation mixed with frustration in assembling and negotiating things with contributors at times, but it's immensely satisfying when an issue starts to appear out of the cyber mists, crystallizing out into a complete edition. Things are complicated now by the parallel life of the digital edition which will be a much more significant beast with extra pages.