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Sparoza/Sally

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Umbrian

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Sparoza/Sally
« on: March 05, 2021, 08:09:30 AM »
So sorry to hear the very sad news from Greece yesterday - the death of Sally Razalou the custodian of Sparoza. Sally was a founding member of the MGS and its first President but it is for her unstinting love and care of Sparoza for which she will be most remembered and missed. A warm hearted, knowledgeable and generous friend to all those who were privileged to know her. R.I.P. Sally.
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.
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JTh

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2021, 03:43:15 PM »
Yes, these were really sad news. I wonder what Sparoza will be like without Sally.
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.
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John J

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2021, 04:39:37 PM »
This morning we joined a Memorial Service for Sally held on the patio overlooking the walled garden, on Zoom. Obviously the numbers attending were restricted by the Covid regulations but I believe there were over 50 attending via Zoom. It was a very moving ceremony with both Sophie, her daughter, and Demetri, her stepson, reading poems that they had written.
I believe it was being recorded but I don't know how it can be accessed. If anyone would like me to contact Sophie to find out please let me know.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2021, 04:41:10 PM by John J »
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Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2021, 10:37:02 PM »
What sad news. Although I never met Sally personally, I did see one of the videos she featured in. It was that which inspired me to get a Salvia discolor and it, or cuttings from it, have been with me ever since. Of course, the very fact that I am using this forum is in large part due to Sally as she was one of the founding members of the MGS. Thanks for passing on this news Umbrian. Thanks too, Sally, for bringing so many like-minded people together.
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I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

David Dickinson

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2021, 02:16:33 PM »
Today in the garden there are one or two suitably peace-inducing flowers to post here - Vinca difformis 'Greystone', Vinca minor (a white variety of which I don't know the name) and Freesia hybrid. Even though it is not in flower at the moment, I include a photo of the salvia which Sally spoke at length about in the MGS Garden video, Salvia discolor.
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I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.
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Charithea

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2021, 03:02:19 PM »
David you are correct about white being peace inducing. We have a lovely white Freesia hybrid , our  Vinca major, Salvia discolour, Scilla Peruvian all violet purple colour are in flower. The  last two came from Sparoza and our Trifolium angustifolium?, seeds came from Sardinia,  has flowered but once again the large flowers are a washed out pink colour.
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I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.
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JTh

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2021, 06:20:25 PM »
I have a Salvia discolor which I got from Sally a well. I took new cuttings from it today, to make sure it will continue to be on my window sill. My hope is that one day one of them will survive in Greece as well, so far I have not had much luck with these.
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Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Umbrian

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2021, 08:14:44 AM »
Lovely memories of Sally and of her generosity for sharing both knowledge and plants😊
She truly was an inspiration to so many.
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.
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John J

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2021, 11:37:54 AM »
We have several plants that remind us of Sally as she either gave them to us or we bought them from the Sparoza nursery. The most prominent one is a giant Acanthus arboreus that she gave me as a 'baby' as she described it. There was a very large one growing on the terraces at Sparoza and I can still see her on one of my visits when I couldn't find it and asked where it had gone. Her reply was that it had grown too big and troublesome so "I murdered it".
The 'baby' is now a giant that I have to attempt to keep in check, a painful experience as it has vicious spiked leaves. I have been tempted to 'murder' it but can't bring myself to do it.
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Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)
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John J

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Re: Sparoza/Sally
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2021, 12:00:53 PM »
The plant mentioned above. Hard to tell from the photo but it is over 2 metres tall. Those spikes are deadly.
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Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)
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