Time to introduce myself to this exciting new forum (and to extol the virtues of contributing as opposed to simply lurking) in the hope that this may encourage other, more reticent, members to do likewise.
I am Cliff Booker - an aged alpine reprobate from across the pond - an enthusiastic (nay maniacal) NARGS, AGS, SRGC and AC of BC member from East Lancashire (near Rochdale), with many years of alpine growing, slaying, propagating, exhibiting, photographing, lauding, lecturing and loving behind me.
Along with alpine names like the sadly departed Jim Lever and the still kicking Alan Grainger (now resident in Kentucky), my lovely wife Sue and I founded the still thriving East Lancashire Group of the Alpine Garden Society way back in December 1986 and I have been either the Secretary, Vice-Chair or Chairman (current) ever since.
We garden high on the moors above Whitworth in a tiny plot of thirty feet by fifteen feet to the front of the house (rock garden, scree, troughs and raised beds) and a similar sized area to the rear containing a small greenhouse, cold frames, troughs and many hundreds of exhibition pots in various states of frost damaged disarray, despair and dereliction. LOL.
I have somehow managed to gain my AGS Gold, Silver and Bronze Merit medals and two rather fortunate Farrer Medals at national shows here in the U.K. and, though I now seem to spend more time using my camera to record them, I am still very enthusiastic about shows and showing and will try to exhibit more plants when time and tide allow.
I am a regular (if mentally erratic) contributor to the magnificent forum of the SRGC and to the developing forum of the AGS and I posted many images on the popular pages of Alpine_L.
We have been very kindly invited to take part in a NARGS Eastern lecture tour in 2010 which will take in six Chapters and we look forward to meeting some of you during that eagerly anticipated trip - my apologies if I appear as nervous as a litter of kittens when I arrive, this won’t be our first visit to the States but will be my first lecture in your country.
Anyway folks, enough about us - please introduce yourselves and post your ideas, queries, advice and images - let’s get this excellent resource off to a resounding start.
