25 replies to this topic

[Richard Bunn]

Seeing as nobody has done so much for the hobby as Adrian Slack I thought it would be nice to have a thread all about him.  

I don't know anything about him, or even if he's still alive.  All I know is his work in cultivars and hybrids and that he owned Marston Exotics.

There must be plenty of people on here who can contribute to this thread.

[Daniel G]

He wrote a book.... A good one...

[Flytyer]

Just three lines in Wiki, I reckon he deserves more than that CLICKY

[BobZ]

You might find this to be of interest:
Cantley, Robert, Martin Cheek, Paul F. Gardner, Phill Mann, Barry Meyers-Rice, Norman Parker, and Paul Temple (2000) Favorite Anecdotes on Adrian Slack. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 29(4):109-116

http://www.carnivoro...9n4p109_116.pdf

[Sockhom]

What a nice read I just had. Adrian Slack looks like a godfather to many CP authorities.
Thanks for the link Bob.

Edited by Sockhom, 30 April 2012 - 21:49 PM.

[JohnP]

I too had also been wondering what had happened to Adrian Slack. Thanks for the link , an excellent article!

[Flytyer]

A very interesting read, I didn't know he'd done so much for the world of CP's.

[alexa]

Can't really add more than the Bob's link, thanks for that. I had been trying to gather all of Slack's Sarracenia cultivars for ages, along with Mike King. Finally last year Mike was able to confirm that we had found what I had suspected to be the original S 'Daniel Rudd', and a year before that, S excellens 'Lochness' had turned up. As far as I'm aware, there are now no other plants that are missing, but there are a few strange crosses that are reputed to have come from Adrian but have no cultivar status.

I've never met him, but I know that he still lives in the West Country, I believe that he grows a couple of plants but don't think that he has any real interest in CP commmunity.

Cheers
Alex.

[Laurent]

Thanks a lot . I bought his book "Insect eating plants an how to grow them" 20 years ago. I read it so many times. And I'm still finding advices today.

Laurent.

[Richard Bunn]

Thanks so much Bob for some delightful reading.  Wikipedia certainly needs some updating as it certainly doesn't do Adrian justice.  

I've had his 'Insect eaters' book for a couple of years. (one of the reprints, I found it quite cheaply at the Eden Project).  I've requested his first book as one of my birthday presents in a couple of weeks; along with Stewart McPherson's Pitcher Plants of the Americas and Barry Rice's book. These will join my collection which includes Peter D'Amato's lovely book and Marcel Lecoufle's abomination.  Oh and the dinky Wisely handbook that I've had since childhood.

[Nigel H-C]

He lives about 4 miles from here with his sister. I grew up reading his books, and apparently he had some greenhouses here in West Pennard where my nursery is based, though I'm not sure where exactly.

I see his sister most years, and extend the invitaion each time, but she's not driven him over yet. I'd love to meet him, as without the enthusiasm in his books I doubt I'd be where I am today.

Nigel HC

[Daniel G]

Thanks for the link Bob!

[meizwang]

Is Adrian Slack still alive today?

[Andy Collins]

Here's an interesting read Adrian Slack

Best to right click on link and save to your computer or it takes forever to open.

[gardenofeden]

that's the Nature Watch article

[John Jearrard]

drat - that means I've just wasted 1p buying the book on Amazon!

[Amar]

BobZ, on 30 April 2012 - 21:08 PM, said:

You might find this to be of interest:
Cantley, Robert, Martin Cheek, Paul F. Gardner, Phill Mann, Barry Meyers-Rice, Norman Parker, and Paul Temple (2000) Favorite Anecdotes on Adrian Slack. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 29(4):109-116

http://www.carnivoro...9n4p109_116.pdf

A great read, thanks very much Bob!

[Peatmoss]

Enjoyed reading about him! I found his books to be quite instructive.

[linuxman]

In my first incarnation as a CP grower some friends and I once travelled down to Marston Exotics from Derby one summer's evening just to buy plants. All that way in a Triumph Vitesse! That was in the early 1980s and I remember seeing someone we assumed to be Adrian at the nursery but was too shy to ask him to autograph his book. I've still got the Marston Exotics sale catalogue that has wonderful drawings by Adrian - you never see anything like it today. Also I've kept the price lists from 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984 and the Tuberous Sundews of Western Australia supplement. They certainly make interesting reading! How things have moved on.

[alexa]

meizwang, on 02 May 2012 - 17:37 PM, said:

Is Adrian Slack still alive today?

Yes, but he has been very ill. Maybe someone else knows his present condition.

Alex.