AGS North Midland Show, 5th April

[Martinr]

Another great day out. Thanks to Show Secretary John Savage and his team...really top quality bacon butties! I'm sure Mr Booker will be along soon with loads of top notch pictures but in case you can't wait there is a small selection on the AGS Discussion pages here

www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows/North+Midland+Show+April+/18510/

[ranunculus]

Just back from another excellent Alpine Garden Society Show (the North Midland Show held at Chesterfield, Derbyshire) … images to follow when time allows. Hearty congratulations to East Lancashire and North Lancashire AGS Group members, Frank and Barbara Hoyle from Chipping on their magnificent Farrer Medal with what must be the largest Draba ever exhibited at an AGS or SRGC show.

[Maggi Young]

Mmmmmm ...... bacon ..........     

My goodness - that is one BIG Draba  - you're right, Cliff, I think it is even bigger than the giant that Harold Esslemont grew and exhibited then passed on the the RBG Edinburgh.
 Congratulations to Frank and Barbara Hoyle for staging that super-sized plant  and winning the Farrer!
It must have looked like a  moving field of oil-seed rape travelling in their car 

[ChrisB]

My goodness that is one MONSTER plant!  Bravo

[Maggi Young]

Been reflecting - Harold's giant which went to the RBG E was not Draba longisiliqua but a Draba mollissima . Ian Kidman has shown some huge Draba longisiliqua plants in the past. Seems there are 'mega-genes' in these plants!

[Peter Maguire]

He had the same plant at Hexham but the flowers weren't fully opened on one side. I know they were keeping their fingers crossed that it would stay in condition for the Chesterfield show.

If I remember correctly, Frank said it was one of the first alpines that he ever bought, xx years ago, and it only began flowering like that about five years ago, but always had some flowers that were slower to open, giving it a patchy appearance. So, finally it performs properly! 

[astragalus]

Thanks for posting pictures, Martin.  The color of the Lewisia tweedyi was incredible.

[Maggi Young]

He had the same plant at Hexham but the flowers weren't fully opened on one side. I know they were keeping their fingers crossed that it would stay in condition for the Chesterfield show.

If I remember correctly, Frank said it was one of the first alpines that he ever bought, xx years ago, and it only began flowering like that about five years ago, but always had some flowers that were slower to open, giving it a patchy appearance. So, finally it performs properly!

 It certainly couldn't be expected to do better than this - I wonder how often he repots it - surely cannot go up a size in pot so perhaps he removes compost and refreshes it - to a greater or lesser extent. Fascinating!

[ranunculus]

Apologies to you all, but time is very tight at the moment, so I have posted a host of images from the AGS North Midland Show on the link that Martin kindly posted at the beginning of this thread.  I hope you can all access and enjoy these images?  More to follow when time and tide allow.

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows/North+Midland+Show+April+/18510/

[Maggi Young]

He had the same plant at Hexham but the flowers weren't fully opened on one side. I know they were keeping their fingers crossed that it would stay in condition for the Chesterfield show.

If I remember correctly, Frank said it was one of the first alpines that he ever bought, xx years ago, and it only began flowering like that about five years ago, but always had some flowers that were slower to open, giving it a patchy appearance. So, finally it performs properly! 

 I believe Stan pictured the plant arriving at Hexham :

[Peter Maguire]

 It has proved very useful having a supermarket adjacent to the Hexham venue. 

Now that ownership has changed to Waitrose, we have a better class of trolley available. 

[veteran vet]

A miserable wet morning in Northumberland, glad I spent yesterday out in the warm sun rather than posting to the web site. I have to say that getting up at 4-30 to go to a show has lost what little appeal it ever had and even setting off at 5-20 I got the very last parking spot within reasonable distance of the door.
Having lifted some of the large pots at judging time to the inspection table I can assure you that some of them were heavy, had to be at least 40-50lbs weight, I think the AGS should supply strong young men to lift these pots for us of the older generation or supply fork lift 'trucks' or any other suggestions?
In the main the pictures run from class 1 onwards but nearer the end they jump around a bit.
Daphne petraea 'Lidora' (1) Lionel Clarkson, best shrub was in a 30cm pot to give you an idea of size
Draba longisiliqua (3) Frank & Barbara Hoyle, the Farrer plant, also best European if I remember correctly, don't fancy repotting it. To give this plant another angle, think of a field of oil seed rape, the whole field, crammed into an ~35 cm pan and you get the scale of it 
Primula irregularis hybrid ( Jim Watson
Primula juliae (9) Clare Oates
Primula 'Lindum Limelight' (10) Brian and Shelagh Smethurst, another very large pan

[veteran vet]

Cecilia Coller had the most points in the Open section, so nothing new there had
Rhodanthe anthemoides in (14)
Draba dedeana (15) Lionel Clarkson, used to be seen often on the bench, not so much now, this was as big as I have seen it
I have carted this pot of
Saxifraga porophylla around for years, first time it has won (18)

[veteran vet]

Cypripedium formosanum from Barry Tattersall (20).
I know I have posted Della Kerrs
Erythronium multiscapoideum several times over recent weeks but it was at its best in Chesterfield....best bulbous plant
Tulipa shrenkii (22) F&B Hoyle for the tulip fans
Tecophilaea cyanocrocus (28) Ju Bramley

[veteran vet]

Lamium armenum (30) Alan Spenceley
Pleione formosanum 'Snow Bunting (30) Cecilia Coller
Rhododendron dendrocharis (32) Alan Spenceley
Saxifraga diapensiodes (33) Geoff Mawson, another one not so commonly seen these day
Draba acaulis (34) F&B Hoyle, Cert of Merit, now this one was really heavy, was sown in 1992. Should hold on well for next week with luck