George Forrest Memorial Medal Winners - 2004
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This is a special year for Forrest Medals, as 2004 is the centenary of George Forrest's first trip to China.



Abovr is the Farrer medal plant from Blackpool (picture by Jean Wyllie) The plant is Dionysia viscidula x freitagii EWG /Mk 91/4. It was shown by Paul and Gill Ransome from Chippenham. This is seedling raised by the late SRGC President Eric Watson. What a superb plant and a very worthy winner of the top award. Since the show is run jointly by the AGS and SRGC a Forrest or Farrer medal is awarded in alternate years.



Cyril Lafong retained the Forrest Medal at Edinburgh with his fabulous Pulsatilla vernalis for the 3rd time. If you want to see how it has grown over 3 year look at it in the Edinburgh reports of 2002 and 2003! I have described the plant in superlatives before so this year just look and admire! Well done Cyril.


NORTHUMBERLAND SHOW, HEXAM Run jointly by the SRGC & the AGS Clare Oates from Scunthorpe, took the top Honours at Hexam with her magnificent plant of Viola jooii. The plant nestled at the front of the bench between a Lathyrus and an Epimedium and as soon as you saw it you could see its quality. As fine a posy of violets as Eliza Doolittle might ask for, if ever she manages to get to the church on time! Clare's plant boasted at least 150 flowers on 2-3cm stems, above perfect mid-green shiny heart shaped leaves.
This plant has been to Hexam regularly over recent years and members with a keen eye watched it increase in stature. Clare managed to have a trailer for her plant included in the report of last year's Northumberland show in the recent AGS bulletin [Vol 72 p79 photograph as well!]. AGS President, John Richards recognised Clare's Viola jooi as one of last year's stars. John wrote:- "Although freely available [from 10 sources last year (2002)], Viola jooi is rarely shown, perhaps because this distinctive Rostratae violet is often treated as a woodlander rather than the high alpine it really is. Coming from near the summit of a few limestone peaks in the Northern Romanian Carpathians, it made an appealing exhibit." [AGS bulletin Vol 72 p79]

Well done Clare! This is a special year for Forrest medals being the centenary of George Forrest's first trip to China


Stirling Show 2004 How many ways are there to score a hatrick? On Grand National day Cyril Lafong romped home in the Forrest Medal Stakes in Stirling’s Albert Hall. With his superb plant of Androsace muscoidea ‘Dome Group’, Cyril again had the top plant in Stirling.
This Androsace muscoidea was part of his 3 pan entry in class 1 along with Sebaea thomasii and Draba dedeana. Regular SRGC show watchers will remember this Androsace at Edinburgh a few years ago when it was recognised as a fine selection by the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee. Once again, ‘CONGRATULATIONS, CYRIL’. Thank you for bringing such stupendous plants to our shows.


Perth Show 2004 The Perth Show Forrest Medal went to Cyril Lafong for his superb plant of Sebaea thomasii (front left in the photo).

Well done yet again Cyril.


Glasgow Show 2004

Cyril Lafong is still unstoppable! With a fabulous painful of the wonderful American bulb Fritillaria conica he triumphed again. Only a few years ago a corner of this panful would have been rewarded with top honour. I still remember David Mowle bringing a plant to Perth many years ago and how members drooled over the plant. We are brainwashed into expecting that Frits will be Greeny / brown and fuddy duddy and dull. Frit conica represents the beauty pageant end of their race. And this plant is surely 'MISS FRIT WORLD 2004'. Well done hardly seems enough when congratulating the maestro but here goes, Very Well Done' Cyril


Aberdeen Show 2004

Bob Maxwell's extraordinary plant of Fritillaria pontica won the Forrest medal at Aberdeen. As you can see it is magnificent panful. Bob had a great day out as he won the 3 pan rock plant class, with F, pontica as part of his entry as well as the 6 pan class and the Jubilee 6 pan class. On the day that Turkey hosted the Eurovision song contest it is fitting indeed that a pontic plant reigned supreme in Aberdeen. Many congratulaions Bob! It is great to win the forrest but even better to win it at home.


SRGC /AGS AUTUMN SHOW IN PONTELAND 2004

Mike and Christine Brown confirmed their reputation as growers of magnificent Cyclamen by winning The Farrer Medal at the AGS / SRGC show. Their huge plant of Cyclamen hederifolium forma alba was part of their magnificent 3 pan entry, the other two being a superb Gentiana and a completely prostrate Oxalis speciosa. They had 2 white C. hederifoliums in contention for the medal. Both had huge numbers of flowers but the judges chose as the wining entry the plant with leaves as well. The leaves had to be content with a narrow ring round the edge of the pot as there were to many flowers in the centre. Congratulations to Mike and Christine for cultivating an 'ordinary' plant to such extraordinary proportions. [Farrer and Forrest medals are awarded in alternate years at this show]


Highland Discussion Weekend 2004

The Highland Discussion Weekend held in Elgin was a great event with many interesting plants at the show. The Forrest Medal was won by Aberdeenshire's Roma Fiddes, with a charming Cyclamen rohlfsianum. Roma is an expert with cyclamen, as her several of her exhibits showed. Roma is a great believer in growing from seed. She has a knack for it, that's sure. Well done, Roma.

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