Pontefract AGS Show 20th September 2014

[ranunculus]

I must say that Steve's plant was the first image that I took upon entering the hall on Saturday morning (before judging had started), so it must have made a very good impression from the outset.  I was captivated by the quantity and quality of the flowers and didn't really notice any of the 'implied' shortcomings to the exhibit as a whole.
I am not a judge and would probably make a poor one as I am quite generous of spirit ( ), but I did consider Steve's exhibit to be as worthy of a Farrer as quite a number of the recipients of the past few years.

[SJW]

Really? Even though it seems you like to grow the plants in terracotta ?
 Looking at the pots we have here, it would be jolly difficult to find a suitable pot to double pot a long-tom into. 
I admit I  love the look of Steve's plant - yes, a taller form but  not etiolated and the growth is compact and dense.

Yes, I do like terracotta for my larger plants. I badly phrased my earlier comment. What I really meant was that, for showing purposes, it would probably have been wiser to repot into plastic back in the summer and then double-pot for the show. At the time though, I wasn't thinking about the AGS show (Cyclamen Society shows may be a little more relaxed about this sort of thing ) and just chose a pot I liked of a suitable size, in my opinion, for the tuber. I agree, finding a suitable pot into which I could double-pot the long-tom wouldn't have been easy!

[Maggi Young]

Just thinking that if I had a pound for every time I've heard a conversation about a judging decision at any show of any kind, from plants to rabbits, which was felt to be unfair, I could be typing this from a villa in the Bahamas!

And, any minute now, we'll all be beaten about the head for having the temerity  to discuss an AGS judging decision 

[SJW]

And, any minute now, we'll all be beaten about the head for having the temerity  to discuss an AGS judging decision 

I blame nature and plant genetic diversity. It's just a wilful refusal to conform to the show standards of plant societies

[Maggi Young]

I blame nature and plant genetic diversity. It's just a wilful refusal to conform to the show standards of plant societies

   you could also say that without the "plant" bit ...   "I blame nature and  genetic diversity. It's just a wilful refusal to conform to the show standards of plant societies" - that works for us too!! 

[cycnich]

That plant was a farrer all day long. Be proud of it Steve. Well done mate.

[Tim Ingram]

Really interesting to listen to this debate - I take something of the same position as Cliff, especially since I have rarely exhibited plants and am more interested in seeing the botanical variation of genera and families. But just from the experience of selling plants - potting on into bigger pots immediately changes the impression of the plant even though it hasn't changed an iota - double potting is an excellent idea, but potting on is a lot of work when you run a nursery! (and tests the springs of the van, as well as the muscles). One can take consolation that judging becomes more and more critical the better the plant is!

[Tim Ingram]

There are some lovely pictures of plants at the Pontefract Show by Jon on the AGS (Discussion) pages, but why do I come away feeling so exhausted after seeing them? It would be lovely to hear the views and impressions from visitors to the Show as well. It recalls to me how nice it was to see Rachel de Thame speaking to visitors to Hampton Court who had bought plants and the thrill that this somehow gave them. Remember, I am a nurseryman, so forgive me my particular view - and the Shows are brilliant and the plants very beautiful. So too is the enjoyment that comes from growing them.

[Roma]

I'm very impressed with your Cyclamen, Steve.  How old is it?  My one has been flowering since early August and still has more flowers to come but the flowering looks sparse compared with yours. 

[SJW]

I'm very impressed with your Cyclamen, Steve.  How old is it?  My one has been flowering since early August and still has more flowers to come but the flowering looks sparse compared with yours.

Roma - the seed was sown autumn 1999 so that makes it 15-years-old. Flowering has really improved with age. My memory is that it was quite slow to get going and the seedlings/young plants I have from it don't seem to be that precocious either...