The Edinburgh & Lothians Show 2011

[FrazerHenderson]

Thanks Graham, Stan and Christine for the photos. I saw Liz Cole and Anton Edwards also taking shots with their impressive, professional get-ups (no doubt to grace future issues of the magazine).

I know that overseas folk (and those south of the border) like to identify pictures with names -

in the pictures above by Stan da Prato are shown the show judges:
Billy Carruthers (Binny plants), Ian Christie (obscured), Sandy Leven, Ian Bainbridge (show secretary - not judging) and Ron McBeath

and in another picture three other judges:
Dave Millward, John Mitchell and Alan Newton

It was a  great show, ably marshalled, as always, by Ian and Carole Bainbridge. Bill Robinson's N. obesum was stunning in the hall and the pictures can never do it justice. Cyril Lafong effectively took 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th with a range of awards for his plants. Stan da Prato won most points in section I and Mike Hicks won section II (for the third time). Section II was very full with many plants that would not have looked out of place in section I (The Mason's, for instance, showed a really good pulsatilla and Ian Pryde - who won a novice award - had some great narcissi and primulas. Christine Bowlby also showed some mighty fine plants as did Tom Green and Graham Catlow). The RBGE were awarded a Gold for their display and a professional Forrest for an Iris (sorry, didn't take a note, but it is at the back of their display on the right-hand side!)

[ChrisB]

I think the pics of the large 'blue' primulas were in Graham's set, and the colour of those primulas isn't as blue as registered in the camera.  That erythronium was the talk of the show, it almost looked like a turks cap lily, so I thought I ought to put the explanation in about it as well.  What a great show, and such a friendly crowd, I really, really enjoyed my day.  My wallet is quite empty though, spent far too much on plants at the stalls.

[angie]

Thanks everyone for showing us these wonderful photos. Looked as if it was a great show. Too many fantastic plants, so i couldn't pick a favourite.

Angie

[Lesley Cox]

Truly a magnificent show and a real treat to see everyone's pictures. Thanks Frazer for the names. I wouldn't have recognized Billy Carruthers, whom I only know when attached to a piece of sticky syrup cake. Nice man.

Whose were the paintings and were they for sale? May I have the sweet peas please?

[Stan da Prato]

Good morning Lesely - at least by Scottish time - the paintings are by Eileen Goodall who is a local member and she does sell some though I have no more details.
Stan

[Stan da Prato]

I shall now try to upload pictures of the award winning plants.
First a series of certificates of merit and some other things for Cyril Lafong.
Class 2 three pans different genera- certs of merit for Jeffersonia dubia alba and Tecophilea, Corsar trophy for best European Primula (Broadwell Milkmaid- it won the Farrer at Hexham the week previously) and Archibald rose bowl for the class.
Cert of merit for more Tecophilea this time in the class for three plants from one country - Chile.
Third cert of merit for Anemonella Oscar Schoaf.
Cyril also took the Bhutan drinking cup - with a new base from a Bhutanese Rhodo. - for best Asiatic primula P.yuparensis alba.
and another cert of merit for CL for a Paraquilegia sp.
 David and Stella Rankin won the Ulster Group Quaich for the best NZ plant - Celmisia spedenii in Class 58.
Peter Semple won the Midlothian Vase for best Rhododendron with Lucy Lou.
Class 5 for three from seed has the A O Curle trophy won by Tom Green.
Class 3 and the Elsie Harvey trophy for three new/rare/difficult went to Alan Newton for 2 Chiritas and an Oresitropha?
Alan also  won the Alf Evans Quaich for the best Ericaceous other than a Rhododendron  with a Rhodothamnus chamaecistus.

[Stan da Prato]

Now for the rest of the award winners.
Lowering the standard considerably I won the Boonslie cup for mini gardens with the only mini garden in the show.
For bringing  lots of plants to fill the benches I received the Reid rose bowl for most points in section one including Rhodo. Snipe.
The Kilbryde cup for cut alpine flowers went to Moira Peter.
The Midlothian bowl for best plant in section two went to Pulsatilla vulgaris from Euan & Jeanne Mason- I think from open ground.
Treasurer Mike Hicks again took the Bronze Medal for most points in secion two with this Iris bucharica among other plants.
Another committee stalwart Ian Pryde won the voucher for a first time exhibitor with this nice pan of Narcissus.
The Forrest Medal and the Carnethy Quaich for best bulbs was Bill Robinson's pan of N. obesus Lee Martin form -as seen in several earlier posts.
The botanics  also won a (professional) Forrest with this Iris wilmottiae as well as a gold for their display.

[Stan da Prato]

now for section 2 starting  with the 6 pan -most taken before judging so the cards are still face down.

[Stan da Prato]

one picture was missed when my first attempt timed out 

[ChrisB]

Thanks for the kind words Frazer, loved your semp..... not seen one like that before.

[DaveM]

Thanks to Stan, Christine and Graham for the pics - an excellent reminder of a very enjoyable, and uplifting, day.

Two thoughts have remained with me since Saturday. Firstly, that Section II was full of interest, mainly with entries from local group members. There were some fine plants that surely would have done well in Section I. Section II at many of the shows lately has been really thin (or even almost empty) and one wondered whether showing is on the decline. But no, in Edinburgh at least Section two is really alive and healthy. Well done to all those members who "gave it their best shot"!!

The second cheery thought from me concerns the Best in Show. Many of the Forrest Medal plants over the past few years have been not only magnificent, but HUGE plants; so much so that one might be forgiven for thinking that to be Best in Show, the plant has to be enormous. Saturday proved that notion to be wrong and that should please us all. So I take my hat off to Bill Robinson for showing his wonderful pot of the "Lee Martin form" of Narcissus bulbocodium obesus, referred to by some growers I think as the "Farrer Medal form". This was Bill's first Forrest and when told that he had taken the award he thought his leg was being pulled (as if...... ). It was only later on that afternoon that I think it had finally sunk in. Well done Bill.

My Trillium shown in one of your pictures Christine is T hibbersonii.

[ChrisB]

Oops, sorry Dave.  mea culpa...

[DaveM]

Nothing to apologise for, Christine. Glad you enjoyed your visit and hope you will be in Edinburgh next year!

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Stan for the information re the paintings. I thought they were exquisite here in the Forum. Must have been so much better in the flesh, as it were.

[Stan da Prato]

finally a quick tour of all the benches starting with Class 1 for 6 pans many of them primulas -four entries so 24 pots so two photos
then class 2 for three from  different genera
class 3 for new or difficult plants
class 4 one rare/difficult
class 5 for three from seed
class 6 one from seed
classes 7/8 bulbs from seed
class 9 two  Asiatic primulas
classes 10/11 one Asiatic primula species /hybrid