AGS Pershore show 10 July 2010

[Diane Clement]

Pershore is a warm part of the country and the couple of weeks leading up to the show have been hot, and it's been dry for several weeks in many areas.  I must admit that I thought the show benches would be a bit thin as plants would have gone over quickly, but I was proved wrong as the benches were full of glorious colour. 

Some visitors had even driven 300+ miles from Scotland to see a summer show   

OK, I'll cut the chat and get on with the pictures ....
They're in a rather random order that I took them in, but I haven't the energy to make any logical order of them

Pinus mugo "Suzy" shown by David Philbey

[Diane Clement]

Possibly my favourite plant of the day,
Androcymbium striatum shown by George Elder
Thymus cilicicus shown by Tony Lee
and another pot of the same shown by Ivor Betteridge

[ranunculus]

Lovely images, Diane ... many thanks for posting.

[Diane Clement]

One for Lesley
Campanula "Blythe Spirit" - there were several plants on the bench, the notes accompany Graham Nicholl's entry, but the picture is of Eddie Spencer's plant.  I think the notes contain a slip of the pen, and should say that the seedling was from Maie Blythe.  

[Diane Clement]

Best plant in the show (although not winning a Farrer medal) was Trachelium asperuloides shown by new Show Secretary, Eric Jarrett. 

[Diane Clement]

I'll continue with the campanula theme
Campanula raineri x pulla shown by Lionel Clarkson.  One of Brian Burrow's hybrids, hence the BB number on the label

Campanula "Stansfieldii"  shown by Brian and Shelagh Smethurst
Campanula fragilis shown by Eddie Spencer

[Diane Clement]

A general view of the large 3-pan Campanula class, the nearest winning threesome was from Paul and Gill Ranson

[Diane Clement]

Another pan of Campanula fragilis, this one shown by Cecilia Coller

[Diane Clement]

Congratulations to John Bunn who won his gold medal, with this pan of Dianthus erinaceus "Duguid form"
(how does it differ from the normal form, does anyone know??)

I have a few more pictures, but they will now have to wait until tomorrow.

[Maggi Young]

This looks like a lovely show.... many thanks Diane for taking us there.
There are some terrific Campanulas but why was it decided that that super Trachelium asperuloides was not worth a Farrer?  Seems very mean!

[Lesley Cox]

Congratulations to John Bunn who won his gold medal, with this pan of Dianthus erinaceus "Duguid form"
(how does it differ from the normal form, does anyone know??)

By not flowering?

Thanks Diane for the campanula picture, but actually, quite a few slip-ups there and GN should have known better as he's had it all in writing.

Campanula 'Blithe (not Blythe) Spirit' is a seedling from C. 'Maie Blyth' (not Blythe). It was a friend who raised it but I got some going for him. The other, 'Silver Chalice,' is one of mine but isn't white, but a very pale silvery lavender with a typical carpatica-type flower, just about stemless over a cushion-shaped plant. The flowers are much bigger than 'Blithe 'Spirit' and more so than its parent 'Maie Blyth' The whole plant in full flower is exactly the same shape as that glorious Trachelium. BUT..... I have come very close to losing it in recent hot, dry summers and am having to start all over again to get some propagated.

[Diane Clement]

This looks like a lovely show.... many thanks Diane for taking us there.
There are some terrific Campanulas but why was it decided that that super Trachelium asperuloides was not worth a Farrer?  Seems very mean!

Although the trachelium was considered good enough to be best in show, I think that it wasn't given a Farrer as it was thought not to be big enough (it was in a 19cm class, in that size pot). 

[Diane Clement]

Thanks Diane for the campanula picture, but actually, quite a few slip-ups there and GN should have known better as he's had it all in writing.
...   

Thanks for putting it all straight, Lesley.  There were about 6 pots of "Blithe Spirit" on the show bench, from various exhibitors.  I guess these were all propagations from Graham's original plant.   

[Maggi Young]

Although the trachelium was considered good enough to be best in show, I think that it wasn't given a Farrer as it was thought not to be big enough (it was in a 19cm class, in that size pot).

Good grief! Size isn't everything.....   Surely the award is to the best ( most meritorious plant in the show, I don't remember the rules saying anything about the biggest.

[Diane Clement]

Surely the award is to the best ( most meritorious plant in the show, I don't remember the rules saying anything about the biggest.    

I think there is a difference in rules between AGS and SRGC, in that the Farrer isn't automatically awarded to the best plant in the show.  After all the judges have voted for the best, another vote is taken to establish whether the plant is worthy of a Farrer.  So on this occasion, the majority voted not to award a Farrer.