Wilk wrote:Mine are coming with me, though I have no imminent plans. Tender species inside the coffin and hardy species planted on top. Time Team will have a field day when they dig me up in 300 years time.
I like this one. You will have your hobby with you when you cross over to the other side.
I'm hoping I can manage another 60 years yet personally, but anything with decent botanical value (i.e. less common species, plants grown from habitat seed, and my fairly well documented collections of specific genus like Melocactus), I'd like to see be offered to collections that will take them. Anything else will go to whoever wants it!
Mine is all taken care of in my will. No children to leave anything to. If my wife and I die prematurely a friend will come and make sure the best plants get re-homed. Probably in is garden... everything else goes to the RHS.
Interesting thread at this time. A good friend and C&S grower of many, many years has very recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer and is rapidly fading. This has all happened in two months. His one concern is to get the decent stuff from his collection passed to people who will understand and value them before the cold nights set in, So what are we left with as his friends trying to fulfill this request? A collection much reduced in size and quality from its heyday simply because of what you can cope with when you are elderly combined with a certain fadiing of the attention to detail, so the mealy is a bit rife in some corners of his g/h. However still plenty of unusual plants that, at best, need a bit of TLC and, at worst, propagating for new, clean material.
We have opted for a simple sale this coming Sunday, given the time available, so hopefully it will move the best plants, generate a bit of cash and set his mind at rest for the time he has left.
Point of this post : you never know when the time is going to come it pays to plan ahead.
Regards,
Pete
BCSS Macclesfield and East Cheshire
12x8 greenhouse : main interests Echinopsis (incl. Trichocereus, Lobivia etc) hybrids and (because everyone needs a bit of challenge in their lives) Stapeliads!
Many of us don't have much contact with BCSS for various reasons, i.e. moribund local branch; distance; whatever; and this forum forms the only means of discussion with other enthusiasts.
I can foresee that sometime within the forthcoming few years I shall commence to reduce my collection of some thousands of plants. Those of notable monetary value shall probably go onto Ebay, but regrettably, very many good plants will be binned. That's a depressing thought. Plants that some folk would welcome the opportunity to own being thrown into a skip.
A suggestion: Could there be 'Collection Dispersal'' section in this forum? Of course, dispersals are mentioned in Bob's Corner, but not everyone looks at that. Having a separate section would have so much extra impact, and the outcome would probably be the rescue of substantial numbers of plants. I believe that if there was to be such section it would be used and appreciated.
Peter, I completely agree with your summary and thank you for posting this sad tale; I am sure that your efforts have brought some comfort to your friend.
Something we can all do is to remember to include our plants when making a will- mine are also going to my BCSS branch. But it is also good to be able to recognise when we can no longer care for our plants. Probably about 25 years ago, an older couple at my branch sensibly realised that they needed drastically to reduce the size of their collection. They decided to give the majority away to friends who they knew would care for them. I still have some of those plants, now very mature specimens, a happy memory of those friends.
Croydon Branch member, growing mainly cacti and Echeverias
In Sheffield we've had a couple of collection dispersals in the last few years, due to the owners' deaths. It doesn't take long for plants to start deteriorating when not given any attention. My family have instructions that if I die the plants are to be given to Sheffield branch for them to dispose of, as soon as possible, proceeds to the branch. I prefer the idea that the plants go to a new home rather than die in the greenhouse. Time of year clearly affects how quickly plants will deteriorate, but for example no watering and strong sun in late spring/early summer will have serious ill effects quite quickly.
Think about having someone to take action straight away, rather than after probate has been granted.
In Holland there is very neat solution. A guy called Gerrit buys collections from people - either relatives of the recently deceased or older people who cannot maintain their collections. Saves people the worry of what to do as he comes along and buys the whole lot - within the society there he is well known. He will take the very best plants for his own collection then sell off the remainder - he is a regular at the shows like ELK and BUNK open day and always does brisk business. He considers it to be a side line and not a money making exercise, having a day job already, so his prices are very reasonable.
He is always my first port of call when in Holland as he often has old, slightly mis-shapen specimens that have had a lard life - perfect for me to plant outside at relatively little cost.
Paul: how does he get to know about all these collections apart from those mentioned in the society? My point about having a collection dispersal section in this forum is that people who have no connection with BCSS do have access to the forum and could use the facility.
everything else goes to the RHS.
