Pursuing a passion for Alpine plants

Peter, from Goring, is vice-president of the British Iris Society and chairman of the Chichester Alpine Garden Society and has travelled widely in pursuit of his passion for Alpines.

The Greek mountains, the Italian Dolomites, Interlaken in Switzerland, the USA Rockies and the east coast of Scotland are among the places he has visited to track down these small, beautiful and sometimes inaccessible plants.

Alpine is the Swiss word meaning 'summer meadow' and the Alpine zone of a mountain forms above the tree line where the scree has moved slowly down the slopes and settled.

The plants are watered by the trickle of water filtering down from the often snowcapped mountain top.

It is amazing how these lovely plants grow among just gravel and rock.

Many slides showed plants such as phlox, aquilegia, clematis, asters, lilies, saxifrage (meaning appropriately 'rock breaker'), campanula, convolvulus and crocus but all in miniature form and all seeding freely without human interference in these harsh environments.

Interlaken became popular in Victoria times as the place to visit to see these wonders, as many Victorian women discovered the joy of botany.

The evening concluded with refreshments and wonderful cakes made by David Donovon.

Peter judged the show table: 1, Ken Mason; 2, David Donovon; 3, Julie Insull.

Peter pointed out the Alpine David had taken along '“ Alpine Pelargonium Oblongatum '“ was indeed quite rare and difficult to grow.

The club's next meeting in Jubilee Hall, Chalcraft Lane, North Bersted, will be on Thursday, May 22 at 7.30pm.

Harry Townsend will be the guest speaker, on making up hanging baskets. Entrance is 1.50 for non-members.