You are here: Shows & Events | Club Events | 2024 |  2024 Scottish Autumn Show  | 2023 | 2022 | 2021

In addition to the competitive show at the Autumn Show in Livingston we will also have, in a separate hall, a series of talks and workshops that will cater both for the ardent alpine gardener as well as those with a broad interest in gardening and plants.

The outreach element of the day will bring the appreciation of rock garden and related plants to gardeners not familiar with our Club events. We are supporting this event financially via our David Boyd bequest. David left the Club some funds to use for this purpose, and he would have been happy to see so many gardening clubs and organisations involved.

Our headline speaker at the event is Margaret Thorne the well-known field botanist, plant-hunter and lecturer, and an authority on the floras of Greece and the Himalayas, especially the genus Meconopsis. Margaret will be kicking off the day’s lecture programme with a talk on plant-hunting in Greece. This will then be followed by a series of short 15 minute talks by a diverse range of interesting speakers .We will also have a workshop on how one can create a stunning miniature alpine garden in an old fish-box, something that can fit into the smallest garden or even a balcony!

The program of talks and demonstrations for the day will be as follows:

10am-10.40am  Talk:  "Greece - a plant lover's paradise" with Margaret Thorne.  

Margaret is the well-known field botanist, plant-hunter and lecturer. She is an authority on the floras of Greece and the Himalayas, especially the genus Meconopsis, and will talk about plant-hunting in Greece.

11am-11.15am  Talk:  "The Status & Distribution of Scotland's native Alpines"

Matt Harding, Scotland Officer, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) will talk about Scotland's native flora.

12noon-12.40pm  Workshop:  "How to turn a fishbox into a convincingly planted alpine trough"  

Drs Carole & Ian Bainbridge, past presidents of the Scottish Rock Garden Club, will show us how to plant an alpine trough.

1pm-1.15pm  Family Event:  "The Weird and Wacky World of Plants"

Professor Herbie Flowers, Cerritulus University

1.30pm-1.45pm  Talk:  "Fifty shades of Blue? The genus Meconopsis" with Margaret Thorne.  

Margaret returns to introduce us to the diverse world of the fabled Blue Poppy.

2pm-2.15pm  Talk:  "Scotland’s Heritage Apples" with Colin Wren.  

Colin, Gardens and Designed Landscapes Manager, National Trust for Scotland will talk on Scottish apples and there will be an apple display and identification service available.

2.30pm-2.45pm  Talk:  "Creating a Community Garden in Murieston" with Dr Janey Cringean.  

Janey is Chair of Murieston Community Garden in Livingston.

3pm-3.15pm  Talk:  "The Caley" with Pam Whittle CBE SHM 

Pam is Past President of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.

As well as our usual classes for SRGC members, we have classes where the general public can bring plants to exhibit - see here for the Show Schedule of Classes. We wish to encourage participation by everyone who attends the Show.

8am-9.15am Show hall open for staging of plants.

9.30-11am Show closed for Judging.

11am (approx) Show open to the public

3.15pm Presentation of Prizes

3.30pm Show closes

You can click on the following link to view the Schedule of Classes for exhibitors and also the Show Rules.

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Plants and bulbs can be purchased at the event, starting from 10am and larger orders can be pre-ordered for collection at the event.  The nurseries attending will be the following:

Ardfearn

Members 50:50 Plant Stall.  

Please bring your spare plants and seedlings for sale (these can be on a 50:50 basis with you retaining half the proceeds and the other half donated to help pay for the cost of running this event.

Several other organisations will be attending and will man stands and provide information to visitors:

National Trust for Scotland  will have an Apple Identification table with other information.

For Satnav use EH54 6BW and follow brown HPC tourist sign. From Glasgow or Edinburgh exit M8 at Junction 3; follow A899 dual carriageway towards Livingston Centre; take the Almondvale exit (Howden, Craigshill South), then 2nd exit at roundabout. At traffic lights beneath dual carriageway turn left and follow brown road signs to Howden Park Centre. Alternative route from south‐west via A701, A71 to A899, exiting at Almondvale slip road.
By bus: 10 minute sign‐posted walk from Livingston bus station.