Perth SRGC Show Saturday 21st APRIL 2007

[Maggi Young]

The next SRGC show is the Perth Show, to be held at the Bell's Sport Centre, Hay Street, Perth, next to the North Inch, Perth.THe show will be open from 12noon to 4pm, but the plant sales and refreshments will be available from around 10am.
Now, I know you are expecting me to tell you that the best reason for visiting the Perth show is to sample all the scrumptious local home baking that this show is famous for  ... so I will skirt over this major attraction to concentrate on the usual high standard of entries to the show and the very pleasant setting of the venue.
Look out for all the Band Family andlend a hand with loading up the Band Wagon  (usually a horse box)at the end of the show, if you can .......every last thing has to be transported to and from the venue and many hands make light work, as they say!
Show Secretary, the effervescent and vivacious, Julia Corden  will be pleased to receive your show entries and any help you care to give, I'm sure.
The BD and I will miss out on this terrific day out because Lily the Westie has to have an eye operation and will have stitiches in and a "bucket" on her head to protect same, so we will be at home making a fuss of her... all the more reason, (She wrote, somewhat selfishly...) for you all to go along to enjoy the day and then post some opinions and pictures here afterwards!! Just don't upset me too much with tales of how fab the cakes were!

[Joakim B]

Maggi the date must be wrong or the show is already passed
Joakim

[Maggi Young]

OOOPS!!! Yes, Joakim, I mean Saturday APRIL 19th, not March! Thank you for telling me!
So, there IS still time for some of you to make arrangements for a visit!

correction: it is Saturday 21st April !!

[Joakim B]

Maggi I hate to be telling people that they are wrong but is it tomorrow or on saturday? 19 is tomorrow
Am I the only one that is so impolite to tell You when You wrong? 
I hope Lily will be fine.
Joakim

[Maggi Young]

Joakim, you are the only one sensible enough to tell me I am wrong!! Thanks again. What would I do without you, Joakim? Why is no-one else helping me out?
I am very worried about our little dog today, who has had another operation on her eye, so I don't think I am concentrating very well on anything other than her! She is home from the vet's now and is feeling very sleepy and annoyed that Ian is not here!
SO: the Perth Show is on Saturday 21st APRIL 2007 !! Let's hope I have it right this time. 

[DaveM]

Maggi, I hope Lily is recovering well; sorry you all couldn't make it to the show today, 'cos it was super!!

Firstly, the Forrest went to Fred Hunt for his incredible pan of Fritillaria liliaceae, well over a hundred flowers said one punter (too many for me to count on one hand)

[DaveM]

Forgot to mention the yummy cakes........

Some pix of the benches to show the general picture. Apologies for the quality, the lighting in the sports hall was not the best and I had to rely on flash. Pix taken during a lull in the flow of visitors.

[DaveM]

Some well known forumists did well..... congrats to them both

Susan Band won some silverware for plants that included this really deep red form of Primula maximowiczii.

And the Bug Buff, aka Antony D had a Certificate of Merit for Serapias neglecta

[Maggi Young]

Dave, we were thinking about you all down there having fun! Glad the day went well. What a fabulous pot of Fritillaria liliaceae ! You don't often see it grown to that standard, well done Fred, you've excelled yourself again!
And what about Susan's truly spectacular Primula ? That is a corker, I love it! The Bug Buff's Serapias looks in very fine condition, we don't grow any, so I am always interested to see them  in the shows.

The benches look in good order altogether, with many entries and all looking smart, so Julia will be a happy little show secretary, I expect.
The Perth Show is always a great day out, and usually a good bright sunny day, too.... we had rain here in Aberdeen, did it stay dry in Perth?
What about the Forth Road Bridge traffic hold-ups? Were there bad delays, or did you take the "long way round"?

You'll notice I am avoiding any talk of cakes... it is too sore a point! Lily is making progress, but it'll be a long haul for the poor little soul. She is enjoying all the sympathy she's getting though, that's for sure!

[DaveM]

Yes, the Frit was magnificent. If I recall correctly Fred won the Forrest a few years ago with one of his two clones of this plant - a small flowered and a large flowered form. Typically for me I can't remember which today's was. I don't know of anyone else north of the Border who grows this well enough to exhibit. Fred gave me some rice grains a few years ago; I've still got it but I'm not making much headway getting it to increase and flower 

The day was a wee bit cold, with some drizzle at times. Just had to take tea and cakes (very yummy) to keep energy levels up.

Not much trouble with the Bridge at 7.30 this morning, all clear. Thought it might be bad this evening, but southbound was almost clear: not funny for those northbound though.....

[DaveM]

Forgot to add, I think I'm right in saying that this was Fred's 25th (yes, twenty-five) Forrest Medal, plus one Farrer....... Quite outstanding!

[TC]

Some more pictures from the Perth show. 

[DaveM]

Some more pix, some of my favourites....

Arisaema taiwanense (x2) such a super exhibit from Ann and Viv Chambers
Lewisia hybid  there were a number of these on the bench. Such garish colours really give the show a lift, particularly in the rather dull sports hall

Pteridophyllum racemosum... this little woodlander from Japan (I think) is new to me. Its ferny foliage is well contrasted with the dainty white flowers. Again from Ann and Viv

Daphne arbuscula grandiflora (the Glenrothes Greenfingers). We usually see a couple of very splendid large D petrea at this show, but not this time. The one present was rather disappointing. However, this super form of arbuscula made up some way scent wise.

[DaveM]

Yet a few more.....

One of many very well grown Cyclamen from David Boyd.

Trillium rugellii (x2)

And the 2-pan Asiatic Primula class: P sinolisteri and P bella.  The first is entirely new to me, the latter a wonderfull plant, not too often available. Grown by Stella and David Rankin

[Anthony Darby]

Here's some more piccies of an excellent day. Firstly an overview of the flower show hall. Then Daphne arbuscula radicans, Uvularia grandiflora, Viola columnaris and Coronilla glauca. Carol and David Shaw and finally Fred Hunt buckling under the weight of his trophies.