Highland Group Show, 26th April 2008

[Maggi Young]

i was invitied to go to Nairn today to judge, with Davie Sharp of Lhanbryde, the Highland Group show. This is not a full SRGC show, but one held annually by the Inverness group for local members. This was the first year in the attractive venue of the new Community Centre in Nairn.  It is not a huge show, but as you will see from the pix, the hall looked bright and colourful and local members obviously take their plants very seriously.

3primulas from Carole and David Shaw, local show secretaries and Carol is convener Primulas are , back to front, White Lady, Hyacinthia and an auricula hybrid.
Abrotanella species
 Anemone ..named as ranunculoides but  is pallida
 Anemonella Gentiana Dianthus.( front to back)
 Armeria in crate waiting to be placed on the bench
 Bench1 view
 Bench2 view
 bendch3.jpg

[Maggi Young]

Carol and David at their paperwork
Cassiope myrsenoides
Celmisia in lilac pot
a chubby Gypsophila aretiodes caucasca
Corydalis wilsonii
Daphne from above
Daphne petraea
David Shaw and Maeve Lewis..... I had to leave before I met Maeve's little daughter    ... Dannielle, who is barley six months old.
Draba longisiliqua ( spelling??) in front and Draba mollissima behind in the cusion class

[Maggi Young]

Davie Sharp and John Graham
A lovely bulb class... in Section two... Trillium rivale Purple heart from John Owen.... now of Askival, and two good frits... in front, Fritllaria pontica, not quite fully out, and behind, the plant which won Best bulb and best in show... Fritllaria affinis Sun Ray, from Jimmy MacDonald.
A close up of Frit. affinis Sunray
a lovely gentian with very pointed flowers... labelled as G. clusii, but Davie had doubts
Hacquetia epipactis
An Iberis from  Win Behan ( Bevan?) one of the friendly local ladies helping with the teas and plant stall.
 Lewisia brachycalyx
A very showy Lewisia hybrid... full of flowers but the leaves were not in such good shape!
Lewisia tweedyi alba
Olive Bryer, who won most points in Section I, preparing her plants for the bench

[Maggi Young]

A view of part of the hall
Pleione Tongariro
Primula  Harlow Carr which won Best primula
Primula marginata Hyacinthia
Primula mdesta fauriae
Primula 'Arundel Stripe' ... hard to get this one correct, because it was so white in its white bits!!
Primula Butter Yellow
Primula 'Pear Drop'.. this was a rather odd colour
Primula veris
plants ready to be staged

[Maggi Young]

 Pulsatilla Papageno
 pulsatillas
 Pulsatilla vulgaris , lifted from the open ground
 Scleranthus uniflorus
 shiny pink lewisia
 show hall
 Soldanella alpina
 soldanella alpina
2  three pan entries

[Maggi Young]

a last few....
tidying the benches
Tina staging
Townsendia formosa from Tina Finch
Trilliun rivale Purple Heart from John Owen

[Maggi Young]

Many thanks to Carol and David for asking Davie and I along to judge.....we thoroughly enjoyed our task.
Sorry I missed meeting baby Dannielle but it was good to see "old" friends like Lorna and Arthur Milnes instead!!

[hadacekf]

Fantastic Daphne petraea. Thanks for your photographs.

[Anthony Darby]

What a lovely display of plants.

[David Shaw]

Thanks for the posting, Maggie

[mark smyth]

Couldnt Maggi see the huge clothes moth on her blouse?

[Paddy Tobin]

Ah, the best photographs kept 'til last. Presumably Ian received a Farrer Medal or equivalent for staging this last exhibit.

Great photographs of the show, Maggi. Glad you had time after all the judging.

Many thanks, Paddy

[David Shaw]

A few of the plants from the benches:

Firstly Olive Bryer's Primula 'Harlow Carr'
We were privileged that the new occupier of Askival, John Owen, brought along the original Trillium rivale 'Purple Heart' for an outing
Jim Sutherland showed this deep coloured Gentian clusii, unfortunately most of the flowers had yet to open.
Best Plant in Show was this Fritillaria affinis 'Sunray' proudly held by Jimmy MacDonald from Longmorn.
Who says that judging is a serious business!

[David Nicholson]

Looks a good little Show. Perfect for the newcomer to showing to start.

[Carol Shaw]

Yes David it is a good way for newcomers to get used to the idea of Showing. Tina Finch, who took the trophy for best plant in show with a plant in Section II last year, has since shown at Aberdeen and I am hoping she will be able to do so again, she works at a nursery so can't get away to many of the shows.

Where Jimmy had been hiding that Frit. I don't know... I personally think that if it had looked like that and been put on the show bench at Perth it would have got a first. Jimmy and Hanna, his wife, were actually going off to the west coat for a weeks holiday and arranged with a friend who lives in Nairn to look after their plants for the week once they came off the show bench. Jimmy was so glad he'd taken the time to show his plants even though he is now in Section I!

Given that there are only about 2 dozen of the group who actually appear for talks and some of them never show I thin kthat we had very good benches. If anyone is interested in showing at the Highland Show next year please get in touch with David or myself.