Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

SRGC Shows and Events => Events => Topic started by: KentGardener on September 25, 2010, 08:01:23 PM

Title: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: KentGardener on September 25, 2010, 08:01:23 PM
Have been back a couple of hours from a hard, and thoroughly enjoyable, days work on the AGS plant sale stand at the show in Rainham, Kent.  Sorry if I didn't say 'hello :)' to anyone - I am really rubbish at remembering names and faces so could well have not said hi.  If I haven't met you already please do come and say hi if you see me at any future shows/events.   ;D

Another good show - I took lots of photos, but as always is the case in School halls - it was rubbish light which has mostly resulted in me taking rubbish photos - sorry   :-[  (...what is that saying about 'a bad workman always blames his tools' ;D)

These are the first few pics that have jumped out to me this evening - I'll try to go through the rest of my snaps again tomorrow to see if there are some others worth posting.

1 - Maggi always likes an SRGC group photo.  Great meeting 'the Lucs' and 'Arthur' again (if there were others members there sorry you weren't in the group photo as I didn't recognise you.   :-[  I think I am being 'talked into' helping out at this local show in the Spring too so please do come and say hi to me at the sales table next March.  :)

2 - the biggest pan of Cyclamen graecum I have ever seen.  A well deserved 'First' and I seem to remember 'Saunders Spoon best Cyclamen' and also a 'Farrer Memorail Medal best plant in show'

3 - The wonderful colour on Biarum pyrami

4 - Tilebarn 'Helena' (First)

5 - Cyclamen three pot (First)

(Looking after a sick 16 year old cat who lost his twin brother 10 days ago  :(    will try to go through the rest of the photos in the morning).

John
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: David Nicholson on September 25, 2010, 08:27:34 PM
Lovely start John, keep up the good work.

Bet there's a shortage of John Innes in the South East now and a very over-weight ferry back to Ostend.
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: angie on September 25, 2010, 10:58:36 PM
Lovely pictures, boy those boys get around  ::) ;D
Wow could only dream of a cyclamen like that.
Looking forward to see some more pictures soon.

Angie :)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: KentGardener on September 26, 2010, 08:13:45 AM
Some more photos from yesterday.  Had to use the flash on some because of the difficult lighting.  I can't remember all that got prizes but have tried to make a note in the file name where I could.

1 - Bessera elegans (Joint Rock recommends an award of merit)
2 - Lewisia (second)
3 - Crocus vallicola (First)
4 - Galanthus reginae-olgae (Second)
5 - Gypsophila aretiodes(Second)
6 - Colchicum cupanii
7 - Crocus kotschyanus
8 - one of the Cyclamen benches
9 - Saxifraga fortunei 'Mt Nachi' (Third)
10 - Saxifraga longifolia (Second)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Brian Ellis on September 26, 2010, 08:32:36 AM
Great photos John, the Crocus vallicola is lovely, I don't think I'd want to carry those huge pots of amazing cyclamen far :D
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: KentGardener on September 26, 2010, 08:37:10 AM
A quick question - Have I managed to get another SRGC member in the group photo by accident?  Just behind Luc's shoulder in a black wooly hat?
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: ashley on September 26, 2010, 09:33:30 AM
Have I managed to get another SRGC member in the group photo by accident?  Just behind Luc's shoulder in a black wooly hat?

Wasn't me guv ;) ;D

Excellent pictures and interesting report John; many thanks 8)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Maggi Young on September 26, 2010, 09:36:55 AM
A quick question - Have I managed to get another SRGC member in the group photo by accident?  Just behind Luc's shoulder in a black wooly hat?
I can't make out who it is, John, but given that a very large percentage of members of SRGC and AGS are members of both organisations, it is highly likely!    8)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Paddy Tobin on September 26, 2010, 09:57:33 AM
Goodness, John,
That Cyclamen graecum is an extraordinary plant, so well grown.

Great report. Good to see the forum members. Paddy
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on September 26, 2010, 02:51:12 PM
Lovely start John, keep up the good work.

Bet there's a shortage of John Innes in the South East now and a very over-weight ferry back to Ostend.

Yep, David.  The raid on the J.I. shop near Folkestone was once again succesful but we take the ferry to Calais as it is less of a problem for the over-weight, the crossing being a lot shorter  ;D ;D

Thanks for posting the pix John, it was great seeing everyone again and quite a surprise to see you buying other plants than Galanthus... ??? :-X ;D
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: KentGardener on September 26, 2010, 03:53:40 PM
....quite a surprise to see you buying other plants than Galanthus... ??? :-X ;D


Sssshhhhh!  That's our secret!   ;)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Martinr on September 26, 2010, 05:47:51 PM
Crikey, if the Gypsophila was second what was first!
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: KentGardener on September 26, 2010, 06:16:44 PM
Crikey, if the Gypsophila was second what was first!

Dionysia tapetodes Peter Edwards H1164 (First)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: cycnich on September 26, 2010, 07:12:30 PM
A quick question - Have I managed to get another SRGC member in the group photo by accident?  Just behind Luc's shoulder in a black wooly hat?
I know that guy he is in the sas and was was assigned to shoot any galanthophiles on sight but was not very good at his job. Thank you for the sophie north I purchased on the plant sales from you I presume and at a very sensible price.
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: ruweiss on September 26, 2010, 08:08:17 PM
John, many thanks for showing us the photos of these outstanding
plants, the Cyclamen are simply amazing.
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Diane Clement on September 26, 2010, 10:53:45 PM
Thanks to John for posting these pictures.  I'm assuming the Farrer medal cyclamen was Ian Robertson's, as seen last week at the Cyclamen Society show?

(Reply #4 of this post http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6036.0 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6036.0))
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Lesley Cox on September 27, 2010, 05:28:06 AM
Why does Gypsophila aretioides not flower - or not much - in the UK? It does here, and quite well. Having said that, I have to admit to losing mine a few years ago but at its best it had about 200 flowers on a bun about 20cms across.
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Maggi Young on September 28, 2010, 10:38:18 AM
Friends, more photos from the show  8) from Jon Evans  in the AGS pages:

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows/Autumn+South+Show+/435/

I see the Crocus vallicola that Alan N. took down for Alan Furness won a certificate of merit.... and there is an unusual gesneriad from Alan Newton himself....  :)
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Tony Willis on September 28, 2010, 03:55:01 PM
John lovely pictures with some beautiful plants.

I wonder whose was the three pan of cyclamen because the Cyclamen intaminatum looks very different to any I have seen before and I am interested in its origin.I would have expected it to be smaller and more delicate in all aspects than the C. mirable next to it.

The bessera is a lovely plant but I am a little perplexed by the judges comments reported on the AGS site as last year it was being sold dried in packets as a late summer bulb at the garden centre and has no special cultural needs.
Title: Re: AGS Autumn show - Kent
Post by: Maggi Young on September 28, 2010, 04:22:50 PM


The bessera is a lovely plant but I am a little perplexed by the judges comments reported on the AGS site as last year it was being sold dried in packets as a late summer bulb at the garden centre and has no special cultural needs.

 I think you may have a point there,  Tony.... here are various commments from the Forum in September 2008 on growing these lovely flowers......

 "Bessera elegans, just a few years ago so hard to find and now at most gardens centres, opened a few days ago.  Easy to grow but difficult to store dry as the bulbs are so small and they will tolerate no winter moisture, at least here.  It would be of interest to know how others store them and how early they plant them.
They are a magnet for slugs, one night alone I picked 14 slugs (not the huge banana slugs but the nasty small flesh-coloured ones) off the badly damaged leaves, resolved by placing the pot up on a trough. "     (Canada)



"..... they are as easy as possible.Put them in a pot in the spring ,water and wait for then to flower! They also multiply with lots of offsets.  "  (England)

  " .....They were planted in  the field in April/May...." (Holland)

this last comment accompanied this photo of Bessera elegans flowering happily in a  Dutch bulb field.....
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