Cleveland Show April 19 2014

[Peter Maguire]

Primula aureata: I know that Aberconwy Nurseries have had it in the past, as I've killed several of their plants. 

I notice that it's not in their spring list this year. Perhaps they haven't propagated enough stock this season. Of course they don't do mail order, so you'll have to go to a show to collect any plants.

[veteran vet]

Well we did have a good day at Cleveland, both from the results point of view, from the fact that it was a lovely day...even had the sunroof open on the car to keep it cool when parked, I have been to this show when it has been thermal underwear and still cold, plus I judged with Robert Rolfe and Chris Lilley so there was plenty of discussion so Robert did not always get his way but he took it very well!!!. I was impressed by the standard of plants on display when it has been an odd season and to be frank I was a bit worried as to how the entries might be but both Open and Intermediate were very well supported but the entries in the Novice were very few when usually this show has been good in the past.
It had been my intention to take a few crowd shots but the day went pretty fast so concentrated on the plants instead. I started at the end of the Open section as that was the least busy end of the hall when I had camera in hand, as usual is what I could photograph easily without getting in the paying publics way and also whatever I liked, was easy to take a picture of and although most I took were in the first three of a class not all were.
Eritichium howardii Geoff Rollinson (83)
Hymenoxis torreyana in the same class from me....both of these plants were from Alplains seed
Oxytropis prenja from Peter Farkasch (80)
Eritichium nanum from John and Clere Dower (81) ... I remember when I first saw this in Switzerland, I was busy taking loads of pics when a German male came over to see what I was looking at...I said Eritichium nanum, king of the mountains...he looked, stared disdainfully at me and said 'nein, Gentian' and stalked off
Iberis pygmaea From Alan Furness in 82...he said it seeds around on his scree so I said I would have a bit!! as rather liked it

[veteran vet]

Re Primula aureata Susan Tindall from Timpany Nursery in Northern Ireland certainly had it earlier this year, she has a web site and does mail order and responds to email so could be worth a try.
Rhodothamnus chamaecistus from Ian Leslie (75) went up for the Farrer
Daphne petraea 'Grandiflora' from Ivor Betteridge (73), never seem able to get my Daphne to grow no matter what I do
Two forms of Benthamiella in the same class (72), Jim Watson got a red sticker (first pic) but my one zippo....I thought there might be a few on display but these were the only two, not often you see them so well flowered
Benthamiella patagonica 
Androsace lehmanniana from Geoff Rollinson (71)

[veteran vet]

Ramonda serbica from Fred & Pat Bundy (69)
Fritillaria collina from Derek Pickard (66)...sure I used to have this, not seen for a while which is why I took the pic.
Fritillaria pallidiflora from Anne Wright (66), used to try to show this but always got leggy so planted down in a woodland bed a few years ago, is flowering very well today
Fritillaria tuntasia from Don Peace (65) who had the most points in the Open section...again!!...you can't keep a good man down
Iris iberica ssp lycotis (Fred and Pat Bundy (64)...my plants have not performed well this year...yet I hope

[veteran vet]

I was lucky to be given by the late Jack Brownless, a stalwart of the Cleveland group and bulb expert a piece of
Iris pumila  from a colour variant collected by Jim and Jenny Archibald (not sure but think it was from seed), which is always greatly admired when I have taken it to a show and as I did not take a good picture at the show at least was able to redo the attempt today...I have to say that what is in the picture is not exactly the same as what I exhibited as some bits found a new home at the end of the show
Cypripedium macrantha  from Brian and Shelagh Smethurst (62), great travellers and supporters of alpine shows
Pleione formosana 'Vicky', I am sorry but I could not read my picture of who the competitor was
Lewisia tweedyi from Martin Rogerson (61) makes me aware that my one plant ahs a fair way to go before it makes a show
Dicentra cuccularia 'Pittsburgh' from Ivor Betteridge (58) always makes me think of Kath Dryden as she said, when she sold me a plant, that you needed rose tinted specs to see the pink colour, she was nearly, but not quite right!

[veteran vet]

Erigeron montanensis (57) from George Young...bought a few years ago at the Glasgow show from Ardfearn...has always been much admired
Primula bracteata Geoff Rollinson (53)...in case you wonder why from my various show postings the same exhibitor names keep appearing after every show, its because they keep on producing good plants
Androsace cylindrical x hirtella from Clare Oates (50)...she seems to have the knack of producing this plant in lovely condition
Iberis saxatilis from Ian Instone (47)
Gentiana acaulis from Lionel Clarkson (47), always makes you have a good look this plant

[Martinr]

A few more pictures posted on the AGS site here

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows/Cleveland+Show+th+April+/18526/

[veteran vet]

Primula daonensis alba from Peter Farkasch (46) which was a three pan class and he also had
Calceolaria darwinii which was what he had on the label, others thought it was not but posted the picture none the less
Androsace robusta ssp robusta Don Peace (46)
Sempervivum cv 'Cmirals Yellow' from Rod and Shirley Johnson (39)
Rosularia serpenticola from Ivor Betteridge, (39) can't recall seeing this before, is a really dark colour

[veteran vet]

The Open Small Six (class 45) was won by Don Peace, his exhibit from front to back left side first was Fritillaria meleagris 'Saturnus', Anemonmella 'Oscar Schoaf' Androscace robusta ssp robusta, and right side Fritillaria crassifolia ssp kurdica,  Primula aureata and Androsace vandellii
Phyllodoce nipponica tsugifolia from Trevor Harding (32)
Daphne x whiteorum 'Beauworth' from John Richards (30) who also had
Rhododendron smirnowii as a red sticker
Pleione speciosa 'Rev Bi Phillips' (22) Wilf Lombard

[veteran vet]

I had a run of red stickers in one section of the show so
Erigeron aureus....must be one of my oldest plants, a venerable beast
Trillium pusillum pusillum both in (26) a three pan one continent (the other entry was Erigeron montanensis)
Mimulus niandinus (25), as I could not make my mind up which was the best pic so you get both
and
Fritillaria affinis, the Farrer Medal winner, is again a very old plant, grown from seed probably in the 80's, I don't have the record any more. I have to admit to taking the picture at home today as was quite difficult at the show

[veteran vet]

Another plant I had difficulty in taking a photograph, took at least 6 and not too happy with any was of
Calanthe 'Kozu Orange', I think was shown by John Savage but not certain
Soldanella hungarica from Wilma and Jim wright (10)
Androsace vandelli in the large Androsace class   (7), another on mine
Primula frondosa (6) Clare Oates
Omphalodes cappadocica Chris Lilley in (20

[Maggi Young]

"Rhododendron smirnowii as a red sticker "

Crikey, that might be a very nice young plant - indeed it IS a very nice plant - but it's not much like a dwarf  rhodo for the rock garden....... a bit like the baby conifer at the midland show- it is a youthful plant of what are in adulthood, large plants.  When there is a tendency for judges to look down their noses at some of the NZ clematis and climbing tropaeolums I'm a bit surprised these plants are accepted on the show bench.  My R. smirnowii is about 2.5 m high.

[veteran vet]

No Cleveland Show would be complete without a few winners from Ian Kidman and he had 2 plants in class 4 that caught the eye
Vitaliana primuliflora and
Androsace villosa taurica...you see what we mean by Rock Gardening in this one
Lewisia cotyledon from Barry Winter (class 1). was his best plant of his six.

[veteran vet]

I see your comments re the Rhodo and I take the view that we judge what is there to be judged, while there are exhibits that grow large and so can grow too large for  to take to a show, if they look ok and flower ok when young and the exhibitor is prepared to make the effort to take it to a show then that's how I look at it, for me as long as the plant looks healthy, is flowering well and does not look 'starved' ... and there were in this class as I was one of the judges of the class...then it gets judged as seen on the day, the particular plant may never be seen again on the show bench but yesterday it was ok
Two from the Intermediate Section
Cyclamen persicum (96) from Bob Worsley
Gentiana acaulis 'alboviolacea' from Hazel Rodgers (124), well grown plant but not sure what it really is
And finally one whimsy that I liked, not sure I have seen before, would like to find one one day
Centaurea triumfettii v stricta...another small plant long name...shown by Brian & Shelagh Smethurst

That's all I have, many plants there that should have been photographed but lets hope that they (and I) are there next year

[Steve Garvie]

Many thanks Peter & George for the advice on where to source Primula aureata.