South West AGS Show-Exeter-Saturday 29 March 2014

[David Nicholson]

Fine day in the old SW for a change. Good Show taking all things into account and a good attendance.

Farrer awarded to Lee and Julie Martin for a large pot of Narcissus obesus 'Lee Martin'. I think I'm right in saying this form  has been around for a few years now in a number of different guises (indeed my friend Mike Quest was on the 'shortlist' for a Farrer at Exeter a couple of years ago) when it was called 'Lee Martin Form', well Lee told me that it has now been officially named.

More pics to follow when I can get them re-sized and Mrs N doesn't shout up the stairs for me to talk to her since I haven't seen her since 0600 this morning.

[Maggi Young]

Lee and Julie's form of that charming wee narcissus has indeed been around for a good while.  I think the Martin's still grow it as  well or better than anyone else though -  must be a 'parental care' thing
 
I think the fact the flowers are well above the foliage make it so pretty and while this is a big potful, you can still see and appreciate the individual blossoms. (Unlike the squashed flowers one sees on some large pots of bulbs in particular)

[Maggi Young]

Long trip for Lee and Julie to Exeter for the show - worth it for a Farrer though!

[Gerry Webster]

....... a large pot of Narcissus obesus 'Lee Martin'. I think I'm right in saying this form  has been around for a few years now in a number of different guises ..........

You are right David. Rannveig Wallis listed it in 2000 (& possibly earlier) as N. bulbocodium ssp. obesus with a reference to Lee Martin & the Farrer Medal.  While it  is a good form, to my eyes it is no better than the form collected by Mike Salmon at Cape St Vincent (MS451)  so I don't understand why it is considered worthy of a name. But then I don't understand the whole business of cultivar names.

[David Nicholson]

Long trip for Lee and Julie to Exeter for the show - worth it for a Farrer though!

about 200 miles, downhill though!

[David Nicholson]

You are right David. Rannveig Wallis listed it in 2000 (& possibly earlier) as N. bulbocodium ssp. obesus with a reference to Lee Martin & the Farrer Medal.  While it  is a good form, to my eyes it is no better than the form collected by Mike Salmon at Cape St Vincent (MS451)  so I don't understand why it is considered worthy of a name. But then I don't understand the whole business of cultivar names.

Gerry, I have it my mind that Tony Goode introduced this form quite a few years ago. I'm sure it's been referred to on the Forum?

[David Nicholson]

First few from Exeter.

A winning three pan from Lee and Julie Martin again. Primula allionii 'Eureka'; Primula x meridiana 'Miniera'  the true form I'm told and nothing like either of my two plants of it, one of which I was told was the true form. C'est la vie!; and Cyclamen pseudibiricum.

Primula 'Gordon'. If there aren't ten plants in that pot I'm a Dutchman (with apologies to friends in Holland)

Paul and Gill Ranson's winning 3 pan in Class 9

[David Nicholson]

More from Exeter:

From Paul and Gill Ranson a winner in Class 10 with Dionysia sp. aff. gaube

A beautiful winner from Eric Jarrett and I didn't get it's name.

Jean Morris's winners in Class 15 and I didn't get the names of any of them. Sorry.

From Cyril Dart Frit. graeca ssp. thessala. A lovely plant

Lee and Julie Martin again with Grevillia lanigara Mnt. Tamboritha

[Maggi Young]

You are right David. Rannveig Wallis listed it in 2000 (& possibly earlier) as N. bulbocodium ssp. obesus with a reference to Lee Martin & the Farrer Medal.  While it  is a good form, to my eyes it is no better than the form collected by Mike Salmon at Cape St Vincent (MS451)  so I don't understand why it is considered worthy of a name. But then I don't understand the whole business of cultivar names.

If this was the form brought before the Joint Rock Plant Committee, Gerry, then an award will have been made subject to it  being given a cultivar name - it's how the JRPC works.

This is often a bit on the odd side, when a species that is quite stable is awarded and has to get a cultivar name  when all "forms" are worthy plants. 
It's another of life's oddities.

[David Nicholson]

Some more from Exeter:-

Had I been a judge (but I didn't have the Latin)[one for the Peter Cook fans out there!] this would have got the Farrer-Barry Starlings wonderful pot of Cassiope 'Muirhead'

Anacampsis papilionacea 'Heroica' that got a first for peter Summers in Class 59

again from Peter Summers a lovely Primula three pan that got a first in Class 84

Hepatica 'Millstream Merlin' a first for Audrey Dart in Class 99

Peter Summers again with a lovely pot of Primula 'Aire Mist', a first in Class 101

More later.

[David Nicholson]

A nice Primula marginata 'Dwarf Form' from Duncan Bennett that got a first in Class 113

Cyclamen persicum from Alan and Janet Cook, a first in Class 51

A first for Paul and Gill Ransom in Class 52 for 3 pan Dionysia. From the front D. cristat-galli; D. bryoides and last D. 'Selene'

Cyril Dart's winner in Class 48 with Primula 'Tony' 

[David Nicholson]

A lovely 3 pan from George Elder gaining a first in Class 60 with Geissorhiza inaequalis-sown September 2005; Romulea requenii and Trillium rivale.


A Dionysia that won a first for Paul and Gill Ranson in Class 76. This one sown November 2011.

[David Nicholson]

and finally:-

From Paul and Gill Ranson in 3 pan class 75 Dionysia diapensifolia; D. bryoides and D. 'Chris Grey-Wilson'. Together with some Dionysia information.

[David Nicholson]

Well, it was a good Show but some of the "giants" of the showing world were conspicuous by their absence and the "senior growers" classes seemed to me a bit thin in quantity. I did wonder if perhaps this was because the trip down to Exeter, near the last precipice of the known World, was a step to far but they have always managed it before. Someone suggested to me that it because there was no Joint Rock. This I found difficult to understand since I share the same problem as 99.99% of the nation by not knowing what that is, does, and why it's necessary. Whatever, an awful lot of work done by a small and ever decreasing number of people goes into mounting shows and maybe it's reached the stage where consideration needs to be given to circumstances that are important to the first class growers as well as attractive to those taking their first step towards the benches.

[astragalus]

The Grevillia you showed is stunning.  I first saw this plant at the Nottingham Meeting and thought it beautiful.