AGS show Harlow - Saturday March 3d

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the AGS show in Harlow (third time I could visit a show) last Saturday. I had a great time and the show was very impressive indeed : Frits, Cyclamen, Narcissus, Dyonisia, Crocus, Corydalis and so much more were on the show benches in big numbers .... alas, not one single Pleione  .
The sales stalls were also very well stocked and I left with a car boot that could hardly close.
Too bad I couldn't take any pictures - but plenty of other people were so I hope somebody can post some !

[Maggi Young]

Luc, how nice that you could attend this show: sounds like you had a great time, even if your wallet is empty now! I very much hope that we will get some photos here.

[Maggi Young]

As I have posted in the Galanthus page, I'm told that among the snowdrops for sale was G. 'Primrose Warburg' for £15 !
The Farrer medal went to Ian Robertson for a lovely Cyclamen coum. Also out for honours were a big potful of one of the more unusual and very handsome frits,  Frit. davidii, shown by Rannweig and Bob Wallis and a superb Dionysia curviflora, grown by Alan Newton. This plant was MUCH bigger and even nicer than when it won in Edinburgh the other year.  I have been in touch with "the Newt" and though he was too busy on Saturday to take pictures, spending a pleasant few hours helping out on the Lever's Aberconwy stand, I have asked him to photograph some of his show plants, back at home in Ponteland, to show you here. I hope there will be more pix from Horsham, too.
Seems Lucwasn't alone on his visit, there were a handful of his countrymen there, too, I'm told!
If they all did as much shopping as Luc, it will do wonders for the UK export figures!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

We did have a magnificent day Maggi - it was really worth while and as I bought a lovely trough for my other half in a garden center on the way home - she even wasn't too shocked seeing the empty wallet.... 

The plants were stunning - the Cyclamen that won first prize was something I'd never seen before and the potfull of Frit. davidii was out of this world... I would even have preferred it to the huge Cyclamen... but then, this is personal taste obviously.

Was "Newt" the tall young man helping out on the Aberconwy stand ??  If so - he's responsible for about half of my empty wallet  - so he should be feeling guilty and come up with some pix to say the least....

And yes - if I didn't miss any, there were 7 or 8 fellow belgians at the show - Jozef Lemmens who's also regularly on this forum was one of them -  and all cars were hanging quite low when we left... boots packed with beauties

[Maggi Young]

Luc, our "Newt" is Alan Newton, former show secretary from Hexham and Ponteland shows, he has reddish fair hair and a very cheery face: the tall young man is Tim Lever, a charming lad who can part you as painlessly from your money as his Dad, Keith can....and you will  even be pleased to suffer it, as you found out!! They have some very good plants, don't they?  What a  pity they do not offer mail order, it is often quite complicated to get plants from Wales to here in Aberdeen!
Clever idea of yours to take home a nice trough as a present...though I am surprised you found room!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Maggi - obviously the trough was empty - so when we got to the garden center - bought the trough - emptied part of the trunk - put in the trough and filled it up with the plants....
Good logistics or not ? 

Thanks for filling me in on the Aberconwy team - I'll know for next time - and yes, they do have some nice and quite special plants - as do many of their collegues I must add.  Maybe for my wallet, it's not a bad thing that they don't do mail order....

[charlotte]

I was also one of the fortunate Belgians attending the Harlow show last Saturday.  It was my first show event in England.  It was well worth getting up at 0330.  A bit crazy I am sure some would say but I would not have missed it.  As Luc mentioned all the vendors presented plants to die for.  Yes, I too spent more money than I should have.
The show plants - one more beautiful and inspiring than the other.  And, lovely people!
I look forward to the next time!!

Best regards,
Charlotte