Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
SRGC Shows and Events => SRGC Shows Questions and Answers => Topic started by: Peter Maguire on March 26, 2008, 10:54:25 PM
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Just thought that I should remind folks that this weekend sees this year's Northumberland show in Hexham, one of the largest in the country. We had about 500 plants on the show bench last year and this year's entries look to be running at about the same level.
Just to whet your appetites (or tempt you along to the show), here's a view over last year's display:
Peter
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I'd love to come and bring my Robinson's Barley Water but I'm afraid I'm on Rugby duty with James. Have a great day.
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Can I just pinch Peter's thread and say it is also the South West AGS Show on Saturday in Exeter, here in Devon, at the end of the known world!!
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All best wishes to Show Secretaries and Exhibitors alike for these two shows ..... oh for a fast helicopter!! ::)
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I'm managing it in a virtual way - my photographs will be at Exeter, my plants (and me) at Hexham!
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Way to go, Peter! 8)
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Just returned form the Hexham show which finished just over two hours ago and seemed to be enjoyed by all present. We had a respectable number of plants on the bench (637) and of many highlights, the Forrest medal was won by Don Peace, with Androsace muscoidea (which won a Farrer Medal at Cleveland last week - a rare feat to win the two medals in one year).
Unfortunately, although I took my camera, I didn't have time to take a single picture (sorry Maggi ::)), but Don Peace's plant was pictured at Cleveland last week. Another winner, Jim and Wilma Wright's Cymbidium goeringii, which won the SRGC diamond Jubilee award (1 plant from Japan/China at this show - we already have a cup for the best plant in a small pot) was coincidentally pictured at Hexham in 2007 in the AGS bulletin which was waiting for me when I arrived home.
Plenty of pictures were taken - Diane Clement was active with her camera, as was Ian Christie, but they have longer journeys home than I do so you'll have a little to wait for the pictures.
Off for a long soak in the bath...... ;)
Peter
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637 plants on the bench! Wonderful!
What a delight....I do hope all the visitors and exhibitors get home safely.....the weather is terrible here and I saw a snippet on TV before the Boat Race of the rain pouring down in London, too, so it looks likethe bad weather is all across the country . I hope there might be kinder conditions for the travellers, but I doubt it :-\
An exciting day for Don Peace with his Androsace; Cheers, Don!
Cymbidium goeringii was pictured at Cleveland, too, but I don't think we were told whose plant is was.....I must say, it is one I would LOVE to grow!
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A taste of Northumberland for you:
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And more:
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More
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More....
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Few more....
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Show was well attended, and everything looked wonderful. I bought too many plants yet again, and had a jolly good time!
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Sorry, I didn't spot this thread, so I made a new one for Northumberland Show My pics are there for you to view. Is there any way you can fix it Maggi? Mea culpa
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Not to worry, Chris, it is done!
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Thanks Maggi, you are a star!
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Lovely shots Chris....many thanks for posting.
Congratulations to everyone involved.
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My goodness, I seem to be travelling the country to see various Alpine Shows this evening and ... I went to see Florida also.
Great report and photographs, Chris.
Many thanks, Paddy
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Chris, which Nurserymen were at the Show? What did you buy?
Paddy, I am feeling a little dizzy too... it must be the medication :P Let's have a cup of cocoa, that should sort us out!
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Having set off for Hexham show this morning at 3.00am, its now 9.30 pm and i'm back home, supping Stella and looking at all the wonderful plants on the show bench - which i didnt get time to look round during today. Thanks for an excellently organised show Peter.
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A long day for you, Robert.... I hope Chris' shopping habit made it worth your while!! ::)
Enjoy your beer.... wonder if Peter has staggered out of his bath yet?
These "virtual" show visits are great, no early start, no driving through dodgy weather and football traffic.....the only downside is the missing of the chat and the shopping, really. :'(
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Well, Maggi, I got a very nice pot of Muscari aucheri 'Blue Magic' from Bob for a start, then, as the Show was ending, and Bob was packing up, I wandered by his stand and he offered that he had just three pots of Narcissus 'Little Witch' left and I got them for a bargain basement price! But Timpany was there, and I had ordered a couple of Primulas from her over the net, which I collected, Ron McB was there, got something from him of course, Edrom was there, I got a nice new tiny daphne (xwhiteoreum 'Beauworth) from them for a sink I'm going to re-do (don't really like the dwarf rhodo that's in there, so that will be potted up to hand on to someone who'll love it more. Got a few more seeds to sow too. There was a real 'buzz' there this year, more than I've noticed before.
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Oh my word, so LOTS of shoppertunities! Of course, with that large hall there is plenty room for trade stands and the Club Plant stall etc. which is something that other shows are too short of. :-\
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I think there were 9 nurseries altogether, plus the local group sales table, plenty of chances to spend any spare change you might have. And the worst part is - there is a cash point in the Waitrose store next door!!!
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My goodness, I seem to be travelling the country to see various Alpine Shows this evening and ... I went to see Florida also.
Ah! The vicarious pleasures provided by the SRGC forum!!!!!
Wonderful!!
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And the worst part is - there is a cash point in the Waitrose store next door!!!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D 8)
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What a fabulous show that obviously was!!! I'm sure you in the UK don't take such events for granted but you can have no idea how fortunate you all are, to be able to attend the SRGC and AGS shows, almost year round and to see such amazing plants, superbly grown and from all corners of the world. We in the southern hemisphere are a permanent shade of green and we do thank Chris, Peter, Diane, Cliff and all the many others who provide such wonderful "virtual" tours so that we too, can see these incredible displays.
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So glad you are enjoying them Lesley et al. I for one don't take all this for granted, as a relative newbie to this magical world, I still find it all awe inspiring and cannot begin to understand how people have the amount of patience they must have to put on such displays. I am humbled by the expertise of the exhibitors, they are the ones we should all thank I think!
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Looks and sounds like a great show, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks to Peter for organising a super show yesterday, and to Chris for the pictures so far. Sorry I didn't get to meet you Chris, but your avatar doesn't help to recognise you ;D ;D
OK, I know my current one doesn't, but I am waiting for "someone" to take a flattering one of me to replace the treacle pudding version. I realise this is an incredibly difficult challenge! ::)
I had a problem with my camera at the show and didn't realise until too late that all my pictures were coming out too dark. Back home and searching through the manual, I realise that an icon appearing on the screen looking like a shower head indicated that it was set for external flash. As I don't have an external flash, I don't know how or why it had got this setting but I do know that most pictures were no good. However, I got a few pictures in the final few minutes, although they are not very good quality, sorry. To start, here's 2 pictures for this week's Caption Competition
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Yes, hearty congratulations to Peter for organising such a splendid show yesterday. A wonderful drive down through Northumberland in the early morning sun - quite made up for the horribly early start. But here comes yet another excuse for not uploading pix: I left in such a hurry yesterday morning that the one item I did forget was the camera..... :-[ :( :(
Such great plants on the bench. Lots of dionysias, primulas in particular. The Frit bucharica in Ian Kidman's 6-pan class was outstanding - must have been more than 20 'stems'. The Hepatica nobilis (David Boyd), featured in one of Chris' pics, got a certificate of merit, but he also showed some fine specimens of Hepatica acutiloba which in my humble opinion were even better!!
Sections B and C had some excellent plants too - some of which would have done very well in the open section. So that's all very encouraging.
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Hi Diane,
You are much better off leaving my appearance to your imagination ;D, but so sorry I missed you. I saw nothing that looked like a treacle pudding whilst I was there, and I did the raffle duty for an hour at the busiest time too. Course, I didn't win the raffle, I never do, but there were tickets on the prizes at the end so someone sure did. Managed to get hold of some more armeria seed too, from the surplus stall. Must get on and sow them today. Do you have any way of telling me the provenance of the seed by any chance, all wild collected. Just in case you can, the ones I got were A. maritima alpina (Martin Hughes); A. multiceps (Ralph Rackstrah) and A. alpina (Dieter Zschummel). As I'm starting (hopefully) a national collection, it would be nice to have this sort of detail.
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Hi Dr. Rock, Yes, you are probably right about David's plants, but that one of H nobilis was the most wonderful colour, and the photo isn't too far away colour wise either. I didn't touch it up at all. Too many wonderful plants, too small a memory card.....
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Hi Diane,
Do you have any way of telling me the provenance of the seed by any chance, all wild collected. Just in case you can, the ones I got were A. maritima alpina (Martin Hughes); A. multiceps (Ralph Rackstrah) and A. alpina (Dieter Zschummel). As I'm starting (hopefully) a national collection, it would be nice to have this sort of detail.
Yes, I can give you information about AGS wild collected seed. Best thing is to pm me with the AGS numbers from the packets, and I will do what I can.
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Hello Folks, some pix received from President Ian from Hexham.
Don Peace' Androsace muscoidea
Alan Newton being supervised as he makes some last minute tidying to an exhibit
A wonderfully marked leaf form of Trillium rivale ..... maybe from Geoff Mawson, if I guess correctly ?
Cymbidium goeringii ..... a suberb little hardy Cymbidium with oodles of prescence and charm, which won the SRGC 75th Jubilee award ( for a plant from China or Japan in this case) for Wilma and Jim Wright, who are shown in the photo with President Ian and Show Secretary Peter Maquire.
Many congratulations to the Wrights and all the other exhibitors.
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Here's another doing his weekly shopping ...
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Not much wonder that Waitrose needs a cashpoint!
You can see in this last shot of Diane's just how wide an area that supermarket draws its customers from ;).... there's Lionel from Blackpool, the bearded chap behind is Sam Sutherland from Kincardine and in the far background, AGS President Frank Tindall, from Huddersfield, is chatting with Ian Bainbridge, from Edinburgh.... not too many stores can boast so far flung a clientele, eh? 8) ::)
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Good to see another lad from Huddersfield doing well!
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David, you just cannot keep talent like that hidden!
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I know. I know! :-[
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A small selection of pictures, all I can do this time :-[
Firstly, a couple of splendid hybrid Cyclamen. David Boyd is a superb grower of hepaticas, and cyclamen. His plants always look very large and very healthy.
Cyclamen schwarzii (C pseudibericum x libanoticum)
Cyclamen wellensiekii (C cyprium x libanoticm)
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some frits
Fritillaria crassifolia karaghadensis - I think the name of this is now F (crassifolia) kurdica? shown by Peter Farkasch
Fritillaria fleischeriana neat little striped job shown by Mike Bramley
Fritillaria albidiflora - interesting Chinese species shown by Alan Furness. Looks like an albino version of something else
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A general view
and a mini garden from the maestro of the craft, John Dower (sorry for blurry pic)
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Diane, your description of David Boyd's plants sound rather like the Boydie himself..... large and healthy!! Happily I hear he is now keeping in better health after he was poorly recently....though his plants escape such mishaps as befall the man himself..... hope the new central heating boiler arrives, soon, David!!
No-one seems to be taking you up on your earlier caption competition so I'll make a start....
first pic...... "AGS and SRGC sources announced today new measures to assist their ageing Membership to continue exibiting......"
second pic........."Mr Ian Kidman after his winning Supermarket Dash"
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Saving a few gems till the end
Sebaea thomasii with a fabulous scent shown by John Bunn
Viola columnaris shown by Bill Robinson
and one for me to drool over
Jean Wylie's Narcissus Twin Stars
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That little garden is a cracker and no mistake.
I cannot say I know the name of Frit. albidiflora, at all..... thought it might be the work of a Chinese splitter .....I see it was grown from seed .....curiouser and curiouser ??? ::) Just looks like a tortifolia, don't you think?
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The scent from Sebaea thomasii is very strong.... when Cyril Lafong has one of his huge potfulls around you can tell from miles away.......Cyril is just a real expert on this plant... I have never seen flowering examples like his...... mind you, I myself would be more than pleased to draw level with the one shown here :-[
The Viola is better presented here than at Dunblane. Makes a big difference. Always a concern about covering too closely with top dressing and smothering/damping any young rosettes underneath, though.
I'm not surprised you like Narissus 'Twin Stars' , it is a little gem, indeed and much admired up here, too.
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Pic one
"Oh God, I forgot she told me to get bananas!"
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'Twin Stars' is indeed a lovely thing. I hope we get to see it (and be able to buy it) in its homeland some day.
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Caption suggestion: "Hurry down to Tesco's (or other propriety-brand supermarket) for their amazing Alpine Clearance Sale!"
Another: "Customers are advised not to leave valuables unattended in their trolleys"
cheers
fermi
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Great show everyone ! :o
Thanks a lot for sharing !!!! 8)
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I cannot say I know the name of Frit. albidiflora, at all..... thought it might be the work of a Chinese splitter .....I see it was grown from seed .....curiouser and curiouser ??? ::) Just looks like a tortifolia, don't you think?
Yes, I think it is tortifolia. Take a look at article by Martyn Rix in AGS bulletin Vol 73 December June (sorry! ::) ) which has a picture showing F albidiflora with flowers in the shape of coolie hats like Frit liliacea.
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Diane, thanks for the reference, though in fact it is in the Vol. 73 June Bulletin.... page 184.
That is the only reference I recall about the species, but perhaps lots of folks are growing it? ::).... or think they are!! ;)
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Sorry for the late arrival of a few more pictures - really must stop having to go to work!
David Boyd hepatica
a turks cap erythronium
jolly pleiones
narcissus alpestris
iris suaveolens violacea
and next to it on the show bench with exactly the same colouring Corydalis solida
pulsatilla vernalis like a small furry animal
and finally a soldanella from section c
great day, thanks to all who took part.
Sue
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What a cracking Soldanella, great pics Sue.
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And in case you haven't had enough here's a few more
Primula Wharfedale Village
Fritillaria obliqua
Fritillaria hermonis
Pleione forrestii
Primula x pubescens
Haemanthus albiflos
That's all as everyone else has posted everything else
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Well worth waiting for Martin, two really well grown Primulas, especially Wharfedale Village. What a marvellous plant.
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Wonderful show images everyone...many thanks.
By the way, the utterly charming gentleman with Alan Newton in the image Hexham. prep. jpg is Harry Roberts from Ashby-de-la-Zouche....a veritable Show legend in his own right.
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Thank you, Cliff. I know I should have recognised that venerable gentleman 8)
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Thank you, Cliff. I know I should have recognised that venerable gentleman 8)
Venerable indeed and a true gentleman. Harry is the AGS champion Rhododendron exhibitor, rarely misses a show and always arrives early with a car full of fantastic rhododendrons, other ericaceae and sometimes a few surprises up his sleeve. He must have driven 400 miles round trip to Hexham. Every week he neatly rules a sheet of paper which he carries on a clipboard with all his classes carefully written down. A wonderful example to us all.
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And in case you haven't had enough here's a few more
We never have enough Martin.
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Has anybody seen (or taken a photo) of Primula marginata "Johannes Hoeller"? The plants was shown from Susan Tindall.
Johannes Hoeller
(Hans)
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Sorry Johannes, I didn't :(
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Has anybody seen (or taken a photo) of Primula marginata "Johannes Hoeller"? The plants was shown from Susan Tindall.
Johannes Hoeller
(Hans)
Does anyone know Susan Tindall well enough to ask her to post a pic of Hans' namesake plant? I for one, would love to see it.
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I have emailed Susan to ask that very thing, David!
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and here is Susan's reply:
"Dear Maggi,
Just popped out and took picture, hope it is OK. Johannes Hoeller who lives in Austria, collected the seed in Austria. The picture does not do it justice. The foliage is quite remarkable even when a 'young' seedling.
Great to hear from you.
Susan"
So good to hear of a plant raised from seed from "one of us" getting into commerce and being a success!
and here's the plant......
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Thank you Maggi! As I have heard the flowers are very large too. But the seed was collected in Italy or France, in Austria P. marginata does not grow !
Hans
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That is a lovely marginata Hans, I shall look out for it, it's not in Susan's catalogue yet.
edit from Maggi:
www.timpanynurseries.com is the new webaddress for Susan Tindall.
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and here is Susan's reply:
"Dear Maggi,
Just popped out and took picture, hope it is OK. Johannes Hoeller who lives in Austria, collected the seed in Austria. The picture does not do it justice. The foliage is quite remarkable even when a 'young' seedling.
Great to hear from you.
Susan"
So good to hear of a plant raised from seed from "one of us" getting into commerce and being a success!
and here's the plant......
The wonders of the Forum! ;D
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What a beautiful form, in both leaf and flower..
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Here is an other photo of marginata "Johannes Höller" (a little etiolated by being in Susan's car for a few days). Photo taken by the consumer of the plant.
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Photo taken by the consumer of the plant.
I hope it tasted as good as it looked? :P
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Re: Hexham Show 2008
« Reply #45 on: March 30, 2008, 10:26:36 PM »
Viola columnaris
This lovely plant has raised some discussion about the care of these South American gems:
The plant shown at Hexham, and previously, at Dunblane, was grown by Bill Robinson, of Paisley, who has been kind enough to tell me how he cares for this plant. Bill got the plant as a youngster in 2003 ( the viola was the youngster, not Bill ;) )from Cyril Lafong. Bill has only repotted the plant a couple of times since then. It is grown in a sand plunge in a glass house, in a mixture of John Innes 3 and grit, a 50/50 mix. Though given some shading in summer the plant enjoys a fairly sunny position through the rest of the year. Bill says he does not cosset the plant in any way, treating it much like any other. He tends not to water too often, preferring to water lightly and not too often; even waiting until the plant shows signs of stress, before giving a good plunge in a bucket of water when the plant is wilted. Bill has made a few attempts to froot cuttings from the plant but has not yey succeeded in this.
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Maggi,
Thanks for the information on the Viola. The South Americans remain VERY high on my list of things to learn to grow some fine day...
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Hi Maggi,
Ref the viola, has he ever flowered it? Just wondering what colour the flowers were. The foliage is a winey-grey-green colour. Looks almost magical, but of course, you know, you've seen it too :)
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I don't think the viola has flowered as yet. :-\ I'll see Bill on Saturday in Edinburgh and ask him then.
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I don't think the viola has flowered as yet. :-\ I'll see Bill on Saturday in Edinburgh and ask him then.
Maggi,
Thank you for these most interesting detailed directions for growing Viola columnaris!
Chris,
Flowers are white to lilac, with pale violet lines
- sometimes yellowish
Gerd
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Thanks for this fantastic photos of the show - did not know the andean viola are possible to grow in this perfection :o
V. columnaris is similar to V. cotyledon?
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Hans,
Cultivation is so easy:
Rent about 10 sqm at one of the highest peaks of Mallorca, build a layer of 50 cm pumice and fence the place in. Then plant these violets and don't forget to show pictures in this Forum ;D ;D ;D
Gerd
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The best rosulate viola I've ever seed in cultivation was a few years ago, grown by Alan Taylor.
Here's his Viola dasyphyllum. It was at the end of its life and shortly after this picture, it was divided up to be propagated, but sadly none of them survived.
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@Gerd - give me three years... 8) ;D
@Diane- thanks for this pic. wow :o
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Oh my! That one was so beautiful Diane, and thanks for posting pic of the other Gerd, lovely to see the shape of things to come!
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Fantastic pics of wonderful plants. 8)
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The best rosulate viola I've ever seen in cultivation was a few years ago, grown by Alan Taylor.
Here's his Viola dasyphyllum. It was at the end of its life and shortly after this picture, it was divided up to be propagated, but sadly none of them survived.
Diane,
Thank you for showing this extraordinary plant - indeed perfectly grown.
In Chile these kind of rosulate violets are called ' escarapela ' - cockade -
a name, which describes the arrangement of the rosette and the flowers.
Gerd
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As a late follow up to the Hexham show, you may be interested to know that the North East England Group of the AGS is staging a rather fine display at Alnwick Castle tomorrow.....my info comes from Alan Newton and the busy Mala Janes who has been beavering away today in the set up.
[attach=1]
I would suggest if you are out and about in the Alnwick area tomorrow, this is worth a visit....there's a wee show and plants for sale, too. 8)
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some pictures from the show at Alnwick
general view of the stand
and from the other side
a planted tree trunk
view of the daffs in show
and the alpines
finally Terry Teal getting his prize for the best alpine from the Duchess of Northumberland
Sue
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Sue - Do hope you will get a photo of your weird plant to post here soon.... loved the tree stump all planted up. Mike Dale did a very fine job on that. Must have been some weight to transport, good job he took his wheelbarrow! Well done everyone....wish I could have been there.