HARROGATE AGS SHOW 28TH APRIL 2007

[ranunculus]

The AGS held a national show on the Saturday of a four day event in Harrogate and it proved a wonderful day in every respect. The sun shone for much of the day and huge crowds flocked to the enormous show ground.
I managed to capture a large number of images from the AGS marquee and of other diverse stalls and displays throughout the show. I will divide my postings into three sub-sections....a) prior to judging, b) during judging when I managed to cover many of the other marquees and c) after judging when the crowds poured into the halls and the floors, tables and plants started to bounce!!!

Many thanks to everyone involved with the staging of this excellent event.

AGS STAND1
 AGS STAND2
 AGS STAND3
 AGS STAND 4.
 AGS STAND 5
 BENCH DURING STAGING
 CORNUS CANADENSIS
 ARISAEMA SIKOKIANUM
 CALANTHE SIEBOLDII
 DIANTHUS CONWY STAR.
 

[ranunculus]

Still featuring images captured prior to judging....

CYPRIPEDIUM GISELA
 CELMISIA PHILOCREMNA
 DURING STAGING 1
 DURING STAGING 2
 DURING STAGING 3
 HAASTIA PULVINARIS
 HIMANTOGLOSSUM DETAIL
 IRIS KIRKWOODII.
 IRIS KIRKWOODII AND DIANE CLEMENT
 LAMIUM ARMENUM

[Heather Smith]

Are those first images displays?  We have nothing like that and they look wonderful.  As a photographer I know all about bounce!  I find taking photos of plants in situ is best done during judging.
Looking forward to more pictures.

[Mick McLoughlin]

You are quick off the mark there Cliff, haven't even downloaded any of my pics yet. Looking at the quality of yours, I'll have to blame mine on the bounce!
It was nice to meeting you and Dianne face to face.

[ranunculus]

....And a few more prior to judging.

It was a pleasure meeting you both Mick.....and yes Heather, the first few images are of a superb display garden constructed by members of the West Yorkshire and Cleveland Groups. Gained a well deserved medal from the main Society.

PHLOX BRYOIDES
 PRIOR TO JUDGING 1
 PRIOR TO JUDGING 2
 PRIOR TO JUDGING 3
 RHODODENDRON x KOTSCHYI
 SIX PAN FEATURING TRILLIUM.
 TRILLIUM IN A SIX PAN
 TRILLIUM (CERT. OF MERIT).
 TROLLIUS EUROPEAUS DWARF FORM
 STAGING AND IVOR BETTERIDGE

[ranunculus]

Batch Two - During judging.

I wandered off around the show ground and found some displays that seemed worthy of a shot or two (but the dreaded 'bounce' ruined many images in such badly lit marquees).  Here are the remnants of my efforts....apologies for the poor quality....you MAY get a general impression of the delights to be found?

AGAPANTHUS.
 ALPINE BARROW
 AQUILEGIAS
 AQUILEGIAS DETAIL.
 CACTI
 CLEMATIS
 CLIANTHUS
 CYPRIPEDIUMS ON AMAND'S SUPERB STAND
 CYPS ON AMAND'S STAND
 HOSTAS.

[ranunculus]

...And just a few more before we get back to the main event....(and apologies to Amands for adding an aberrant 'r' into their name)....


 FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS
 VIOLAS
 SWEET PEAS
 PELARGONIUM
 NARCISSUS
 HARDY ORCHIDS
 FROM THE HARDY ORCHID STAND
 LILIUM NEPALENSE ON ARMANDS STAND
 EVEN AUTHENTIC ARCTIC HOMES!!!!!

[ranunculus]

We will return to the AGS Show hall tomorrow after a wink or two of sleep, but we can't let the evening go without congratulating Ian Leslie from North Wales on his magnificent Farrer Medal winning Cassiope.

....And perhaps I can provide a splash of colour to whet your appetites for the morning?


IAN LESLIE WITH HIS MAGNIFICENT FARRER MEDAL WINNING CASSIOPE
 BENCHES FULL OF COLOUR

[ranunculus]

Well, a little bit of shut-eye later and a group garden open day to prepare for (an East Lancashire Group visit to a member's lovely cottage garden in Tottington), I had better continue this long and (tortuously) varied posting about Harrogate AGS Show....on with the batch of images taken after the judging....


 ARRANGEMENT OF ALPINE FLOWERS
 CYPRIPEDIUM GERD KOALS 2
 CYPRIPEDIUM GERD KOALS.
 DAPHNE ROLLSDORFII ARNOLD CIHLARZ
 CUT ALPINE FLOWERS ONE.
 CUT ALPINE FLOWERS 2.
 CYPRIPEDIUM GISELA DETAIL.
 FLOWER ARRANGEMENT 2.
 TULIPA LINIFOLIA.

[ranunculus]

'After the goldrush'....as the wonderful Neil Young would sing....



SILENE ACAULIS FRANCES
 SAXIFRAGA PUBESCENS SNOWCAP
SAXIFRAGA LONGIFOLIA
 RHODODENDRON x KOTSCHYI
 RAMONDA NATHALIAE
 PRIMULA POLYNEURA
 PRIMULA ALBENENSIS
 PLEIONE AUREATA

[ranunculus]

....And there's more....as Jimmy Cricket would remark......



CALOCHORTUS ALBUS DETAIL
 ARISAEMA DETAIL
 GENTIANA ACAULIS
 GENTIANA ICEBERG DETAIL
 HESPEROCHIRON CALFORNICUS
 PICNIC TIME AT HARROGATE
 PICNIC TIME AT HARROGATE 2.

[ranunculus]

....And, as a VERY brief finale to Harrogate 2007, can I finish with a flourish of cacti seen at one of the stalls in the plant marquee....three pan cacti, now there's an interesting thought!  I know they aren't 'alpine' but they may please one or two of you?


CALOCHORTUS ALBUS DETAIL
 ARISAEMA DETAIL
 GENTIANA ACAULIS
 GENTIANA ICEBERG DETAIL
 HESPEROCHIRON CALFORNICUS
 PICNIC TIME AT HARROGATE
 PICNIC TIME AT HARROGATE 2

[Ian Y]

Tell Me Why, Southern Man, you wait Till The Morning Comes.
Do you not need sleep?
Your After The Gold Rush is a magnificent post.
I Believe In You, Oh, Lonesome Me.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
From another Neil Young fan.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Here's another Neil Young fan bowing in admiration and speechless in front of all these works of art.
Thanks again Cliff for your steady hand....

[Joakim B]

Very nice pictures so thanks a lot.
I think the name of the one of the cypripediums are wrong. I Should be "Memoria Gerd Kohls".
Nice to see the huge varity of the flowers thanks for showing that as well as the typical alpines.
Kind regards
Joakim