East Lancs. Group AGS Show 19th March

[veteran vet]

There was one plant |I would have liked to have taken home with me above all others and that was
Ranunculus crithmifolius from Don Peace in rare in cultivation (89), grew it for quite a few years then one year did not return, collected the seed but still no germination some 6 years on, now live in forlorn home that something might still germinate...the exhibit and notes
There were two exhibits of
Fritillaria kittaniae one for John Dixon in class 70, the other from Vic Aspland in 79, I show both as at first glance they do not appear to be the same cultivar but the explanation may be that, after talking to Vic Aspland is that his plant, usually grown in an outside sand plunge covered by glass, had this season not had the cover because of gales/storm damage so had full exposure to the elements, hence the reduced size
A Show with a lot of silverware to be won

[veteran vet]

By any chance had Mr. Booker shoved some (a lot!) plants up his shirt?

Nearly creased myself, did make me laugh, really fine comment

[ranunculus]

Nearly creased myself, did make me laugh, really fine comment

Anybody else want a go?   

[David Nicholson]

Nearly creased myself, did make me laugh, really fine comment

It takes a Yorkshireman to see and tell the truth George.

[veteran vet]

A few Crocus
Crocus kosaninii (76) Vic Aspland
Crocus heuffelianus 'Brian Duncan' (76) George Young and from the same
Crocus vernus albiflorus
Rhododendron 'Linda' from John Savage  (31), he also had
Grevillea Poorindra Rondeau, although he used a different spelling (Gravillea)...more later   

[veteran vet]

Galanthus ikariae ikariae  (71) from Ian Kidman...although he calls it Ikea ikea, doubt that the Swedish brand has ever produced such a fine product!
Two from Barry Tattersall
Serapias neglecta (
Anacamptis laxiflora (20), a tall plant not easy to get a good pic of
Leucojum vernum carpathicum (2) Tommy Anderson, a good garden plant
Primula allionii 'Mary Berry', Geoff Rollinson (, just to show that can be done in the AGS as well as Sam Sutherland did at Kinkardine...well done Sam, keep up the good work

[veteran vet]

Narcissus jacetanus from Ian and Maria  Leslie (75)
Narcissus cyclamineus 'Mite' (125) Frank Dobson (wrongly spelt on the label) as was
Iris Katharine Hodgkin by Pauline Carloss in 123...there is just no excuse for wrong labelling given the wealth of information out there, even in the Novice classes
Primula 'Joan Hughes' from Frank Dobson, best plant in the Intermediate section
Back view of the Rhododendron classes

[Maggi Young]

Dear me, the Iris Katharine Hodgkin is badly affected by virus.

[veteran vet]

Tulipa kurdica from Edward Barraclough (22)
Narcissus obesus 'Lee Martin' 77 Anne Wright...suspect it should be N bulbocodium obesus
Corydalis macrocentra (I think) from Don Peace in 13. He also had a nice winning fern in
Cheilanthes lindheimei in class 85
Bench view

[veteran vet]

I agree Maggi
Now for some help from the Forum community. I attach a picture of Erythronium multiscapoideum plus a close up in the next image showing different spellings plus at the show another such exhibit had a Judges Note re the spelling showing that it should be multiscipideum plus quoting a reference. All the years I have known this plant it was spelt as I have started this post but it seems there has been a review...what do the experts on the Forum say
This brings me on to a 'grouse' that has begun to get at me when going round a show, one is the inappropriate size of the labels compared to the size of the exhibit and secondly, and of more concern. is the amount of miss spelling of plant names that I notice, not just in the lower sections of the show but even in the open section. In addition the quality/legibility of the writing on some labels leads much to be desired, there is no reason from my point of view for labels to be written in long hand that only the writer can decipher when simple neat printing should be so easy.
Dionysia 'Tess' from David Morris (142) winner of much silverware, would for me have looked better with a smaller label given the size of the plant...but still a nice plant   
Two from Geoff Rollinson to finish
Primula renifolia and its notes in class 89

[Maggi Young]

Spelling of Erythronium species  as queried by veteran vet :  this plant has been mis-named for many years, because, I believe of a spelling error that was repeated in various books and so became in common usage.   
 This note is from the Pacific Bulb Society :
 "Erythronium multiscapideum (Kellogg) A.Nelson & P.B.Kennedy (note: spelling of species name corrected from earlier common, but incorrect spelling, Erythronium multiscapoideum , used in many reference books) "

It has never been known as  "E.multiscipideum"  to my knowledge - this must be yet another spelling error on the label.
See also : http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?25184&expand=1

As to the size of labels - I have noticed many show goers straining to read labels so perhaps the bigger labels are a good way to allow  more people to read the plant name more easily?!

[veteran vet]

'As to the size of labels - I have noticed many show goers straining to read labels so perhaps the bigger labels are a good way to allow  more people to read the plant name more easily?!'

Thanks for your thoughts on the labels Maggi but another way of looking at it is that some of the writing/printing on the label is so badly written as to be near unreadable in some cases, I find myself peering at the writing trying to decipher the writing rather than because the label is too small. My other point is that sometimes the label size 'dominates' a small plant or pot when smaller would be in keeping with the exhibit. Can I recommend viewers have a look at the Don Peace labels on his exhibits, this is the standard we should all be trying to achieve

The Erythronium  name spelling issue will no doubt resolve itself in the fullness of time

[Maggi Young]

Repeating a pot with a label  that Veteran Vet  states is a goo example - no argument with that!