Thanks to the kind invitation of the Alpine Garden Society, Northern members had the opportunity to enjoy a lecture by Colin Crosbie on ‘Shady Characters’ on the afternoon of Saturday 21st January. It was entertaining and informative, full of useful recommendations for good ‘doers’ in shade, whether dappled or deep which, as he pointed out, is essentially what most of us on the island of Ireland enjoy most of the time. His plants ranged from bulbs and herbaceous plants through to shrubs and trees; some of the main genera included Arisaema, Epimedium, and Roscoea while ferns, lilies and hellebores were also well represented.
