Editorial

Martin Gibbons, c/o The Palm Centre
mail@palmsociety.org

The Latest News

If for nothing else, this issue will go down in history as the latest! Inconvenience aside though, in many ways, this is a good, rather than a bad thing. It is an indication of just how busy the palm world has been so far this year what with meetings, get-togethers, and tours, and me moving the Palm Centre to our new and bigger nursery took its toll of free time. This presents an opportunity for me to announce the fact that the European Palm Society now has a new address too, and new phone and fax numbers, though letters sent to the old address will continue to be forwarded for some months to come.

India Tour...

Our April guided tour of the palmy delights of north-east India was a great success and the 12 enthusiasts who attended had, I believe, a great time. Twelve days of concentrated palming left us all very satisfied and full of energy and enthusiasm to work on our own palmy projects.
The story of our tour can be read later in this issue and if after reading it you think that you might be interested in joining another such trip at some time in the future, please get in touch with me at The Palm Centre

...And In The South West

Then there was Richard Darlow's well attended trip to Cornwall to see the gardens there, together with many of the palms that can he grown outside in this country. Though I didn't attend myself, the reports I heard indicated that it was very well received, and I for one am looking forward to reading about it in the next issue of this magazine.

Spanish Meeting

Arrangements for our Summer meeting in Almuñécar in southern Spain are well under way. It looks as though we will have a record turn-out, over 60 people have already signed up.

If you haven't already registered and fancy, among other things, a 'cook-out' barbecue in one of the best private botanic gardens in Europe, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, with the lights of the African coastline twinkling in the distance, surrounded by Bismarckia, Neodypsis, Royal, and many other palms, and an extensive collection of cycads,the evening perfume of jasmine, gardenia and honeysuckle, then please do so immediately. We must close the list soon.

I was really upset that the agency we are working with in Spain decided to issue their own version of the programme, 3 days instead of 4, and to invite members to register direct with them rather than through the EPS. The first I heard of this was when one of their leaflets was sent to me. It caused a great deal of confusion to all concerned which I really regret. However, hopefully things are hack on an even keel now and arrangements should progress smoothly from now on.

Felicitations

We should offer our congratulations to Steve Swinscoe of south-west France, who many of us know through his attendance of various meetings, who has recently been elected to the Presidency of the Fous de Palmiers. Steve will be a great leader and a marvellous ambassador for palms. He has unflagging enthusiasm for the subject and being born an American, has one foot in each camp, so to speak. With Steve at the French helm, we can look forward to a period of much greater cooperation with the Fous than before. (Odd he has a Jubaea fixation, that's the only thing....).

Inevitably...

I can't let an opportunity to talk about the weather pass without at least some reference to the extraordinary extremes we have had this year. Such weather! Blisteringly hot in May, cold and wet in June (in the UK at least, it was the wettest June for 120 years) and miserable and cool in July. Wimbledon tennis washed out, Glastonbury pop festival turned into a quagmire, and all my Trachycarpus absolutely loving every minute of it and showing it by growing at a record pace. Now it's blisteringly hot once again. Oh how we love our weather!

On the subject of Trachycarpus, would anyone who has a 'Waggie' (Trachycarpus wagnerianus) of flowering age and of either gender please contact me as soon as possible, as I want to arrange a pollen exchange and a 'breeding programme' next spring. Thanks.

French, German

The translations into French and German have been very well received and have increased our membership to the extent that we are now one of the largest palm societies in the world. Members in France or Germany get one automatically, if you speak either of those languages and live elsewhere, just drop me a note and I'll see to it that get the copy of your choice, free!
Meanwhile enjoy this issue whatever language you speak. M.G.