Next AGS Show - Summer North Saturday, 15 June

[veteran vet]

Saxifraga cebennensis (40) John Mullaney
Saxifraga ilonakhensis (40) Tommy Anderson
Primula forrestii (40) Alan Furness
Campanula pelia (41) John Bunn (he of Pudsey Pig fame this year)...split his shirt carrying this back to the car!!)
Euryops acaeus (43) Cecilia Coller

[veteran vet]

The South American high altitude cactus type plants are not often seen at our shows but they certainly add colour when they appear. Unfortunately I did not get the class or exhibitor for the first three shown in a 3 pan class
Echinops backbergii
Rebutia fiebrigii
Gymnocalycium bruschii var niveum

[veteran vet]

The Farrer Medal was won by Alan Furness with what he says is his oldest plant, 25 years or so
Lewisia rediviva (44)
Allium crenulatum (48) Tommy Anderson
Allium nevskianum (49) Ivor Betteridge
Allium campanulatum (49) Robert Rolfe, as enthusiastic as ever
Rhodohypoxis thodiana (50) Ivor Betteridge

[veteran vet]

I was fortunate enough to win the small 6, some of the plants I had in the class were
Arenaria hookeri v desertorum
Leucogenes leontopodium
Silene argaea
Dianthus 'Pudsey Prize'
Eriogonum ovalifolium var nivale

[veteran vet]

Rebutia simoneana (51) Paul Street...he may have been the exhibitor on those shown earlier
Nassauvia guadichaudii (51) George Young
Rhododendron camtschaticum (51) Dave Riley...was a better colour than the picture shows but the sun was streaming in through the roof at the time
Leucogenes leontopodium (52) Alan Furness..all right I have already shown a picture of another one but is worth it
Celmisia semicordata ssp stricta (53) Alan Furness

[ranunculus]

Wonderful report and images, George ... just one correction - the superb Saxifraga ilonakhensis in Class 40 was exhibited by Geoff Rollinson and not Tommy Anderson.

[Tim Ingram]

So nice to see Calceolaria tenella; I remember growing this years ago and thinking what a delightful plant it is. And I must have seen that Lewisia rediviva in Alan Furness' greenhouse 12 years ago (after the Edinburgh Conference). It was well after flowering and the old seed heads were distributing seed all around. How incredible to keep a plant like that for 25 years! I also remember that Alan was constructing a wonderful circular tufa bed; I wonder how this looks now?

[Maggi Young]

Wonderful report and images, George ... just one correction - the superb Saxifraga ilonakhensis in Class 40 was exhibited by Geoff Rollinson and not Tommy Anderson.

There's a bit of confusion around these show plants, I believe    Some assistance has been received from my good friend Jon, who hopes to get his photos of the show loaded later  tonight to the AGS site.


"A couple of corrections to George Young's show photo captions. 

The three cacti including Echinopsis backebergii were exhibited by Martin &
Anna Sheader.

And the Saxifraga llonakhensis  was indeed exhibited by Tommy Anderson.  Geoff
Rollinson exhibited an even finer specimen, winning a Cert of Merit and a
PC, but the one shown in the photo is Tommy's."

Thanks, Jon! 

[ranunculus]

My apologies, George ... I knew Geoff had received the C. of Merit, but hadn't spotted Tommy's fine plant on the day.

Geoff Rollinson's Cert. of Merit exhibit.

[veteran vet]

Thanks for the additional information, the Sax was indeed Tommy's, I had suspected that the cacti were from the Sheaders but as the exhibit was at a very busy junction of benches in the show hall I just quickly took the pictures and moved on so as not to block the gangway for the paying visitors.
Its too hot outside (yes too hot, even in Northumberland) so I will put up the rest of my pictures
Phlox hendersoni (60) Brian Burrow, I like this, is nice and compact, he grew it from seed circa 2004 so not a young specimen
Campanula betulifolia (71) Pamela Anderson
Campanula exhibited as betulifolia by Cecilia Coller but as far as I am concerned is not, still rather nice mind you
Rhododendron campylogynum (I think) (77) Norman Davies was the best plant in the Intermediate section...another large pan
Iris acutiloba ssp lineolata (99) Andrew Ward

[veteran vet]

Cypripedium lothal Pinkepank (10) B&J Walker, in the main their were fewer orchids on display this year than I remember from earlier years, still like them even if I struggle to grow them
Campanula formanekiana (7) Robin Pickering, by the amount of bud will flower over several weeks
Rhododendron trichostomum (2) Brian Russ, was just too large to get as one decent photo on the bench so you will have to make do with a close up
Lilium mackliniae 'Tantallon Group' (14) W&J Wright

[veteran vet]

Last few. Living in the Pickering household in the run up to shows must be a bit fraught as husband and wife show as individuals so who decides who is going to get the prime specimens must lead to the odd argument unless they have strict his and hers greenhouses, frames etc. Nevertheless Margaret produced
Ramonda myconi rosea and
Delphinium nuttalianum in a three pan class that drew plenty of attention.
Last but by no means least, got missed in my earlier posts is
Moltkia petraea (54) Ivor Betteridge...is a better plant than the picture suggests

To repeat it was a good, interesting show with many fine exhibits, the Nursery stands seemed to do a good trade as they did not seem to have much to carry out at the end....as usual, despite saying I am cutting down on what I grow, came away with 5 new plants from them...will I ever learn. Again, as usual, the catering kept the inner self well replenished throughout the day. The tombola was massive, every ticket was a winner....never seen that before...so plenty smiling folk carrying off some distinctly odd prizes, but prizes none the less.

[shelagh]

George was kind enough to show our Sedum brevifolium indurratum in the 3 pan Crassulaceae. It was only just coming into flower last Saturday, thought you might like to see it now. Talk about flower power. Also Cecelia Coller's Sedum trollii was spectacular.

[Maggi Young]

Shelagh, that's a corker!

Looking at the number of large plants on the benches at Pontefract - specifically those which overhang the bounds of their pots -  I  feel I must say a word of congratulation to the exhibitors who must suffer great anxiety - as well as logistical problems - to transport these huge and often very fragile plants to the shows for our enjoyment. It's a nightmare to pack a car with these things, as I know from personal experience.
Well done to you all!