AGS show Harlow 28th February 2015

[Maggi Young]

Show Sec. at Harlow is Kit Strange - who will be in Dunblane the previous weekend 21st February, talking at the SRGC Early Bulb Day
Dunblane Early Bulb Display 21 February  2015 - Victoria Hall, Dunblane
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

"Kewing for Bulbs with Kit Strange"
with talks at 11am and 2pm by Kit Strange of RBG Kew.

 

Harlow show poster

[Maggi Young]

Our VRV friends had a problem with their transport arrangements and had to cancel their coach trip to the AGS Harlow show, but forumists Wim Boens and Ruben Billiet have made the trip privately - so they'll be enjoying themselves today  at the show, whose Secretary is Kit Strange, recently the speaker at the SRGC Dunblane Day.
In related news, John Amand (a regular attender with his wife Helen at  SRGC events the Early Bulb Day and DWE) who gave Kit a lift  to and from the Dunblane event ( after  an appearance with Nesta at the RHS London Show which won their nursery another gold medal ) has since whizzed over to the USA for  the Philadelphia Flower Show, where they have won yet another award!




From the "Philly Show" - Well done to all involved!

But back to the Harlow Show, where I learn from Twitter that Bob and Rannveig Wallis have won another Farrer Medal with   a  pot of Scilla libanotica


Photo by Jim McGregor, from Twitter



 

[David King]

Just back from Harlow with 191 photos to look at (not all for the forum!) but just one to start.  Lots of orders ready to be collected.  The picture of the Farrer Medal is interesting although the colour isn't correct. My pictures came out with much the same colour and it is far too mauve.  I will post some later that I think I have got nearer to the real thing but want to consult the memory of others first.

[David King]

This is the Farrer Medal winner with the white balance altered so we think this is probably nearer to to the colour we saw but a mixture of natural and electric light is not easy to control.

[David King]

A few more.

1.  The exhibit by the Alpine and Rock section of Kew
2.  Gymnospermium albertii within the exhibit
3.  A nice lot of people there. Or are there? And nearly a selfie!

[Maggi Young]

That last is a clever shot, David - and lots of fun!

[Maggi Young]

I do like Gymnospermium albertii - though I wish I had enough botanical knowledge to understand it as a member of the Berberidaceae ! 

 We used to grow it in an open frame where it seemed happy enough - but the mice liked it even more than we did.....

[Tim Ingram]

That is a superb picture of the Kew exhibit. Harlow is incredibly lucky to have this link with Kew that brings people and plants to the Show. This was one of the busiest Early Spring Alpine Shows that I remember for a long time - I think there must have been a strong attendance from non-AGS members as well as members, and a reasonable number of younger gardeners which was heartening to see. David Haselgrove gave a short welcome and appreciation of all those who had put the Show together, and encouragement for visitors to get involved which was very nice too - and important for the Society. There were rather less plants on display but never the less some superb examples like these below, and an amazing range for sale from the nurseries, which is always such a feature of the Harlow Show.

1. Bob and Rannveig Wallis's lovely grouping of plants with the Farrer winner.
2. Paul and Gill Ranson's fascinating dionysia display. Great way of comparing plants - would be interesting to see this done with saxifrages! or androsaces!!!
3. Galanthus 'Sophie North' from Don Peace, showing why this is such a perfect snowdrop for display like this.
4. Another grouping of plants from Don: I like these particularly probably because first and foremost it is combinations of plants in a garden setting or in nature that appeal so much.
5. Another mix from Ivor Betteridge.

Nice to meet quite a few snowdrop enthusiasts some whom I have only known from the Forum here before!

[Maggi Young]

The Kew display is lovely, I would really have enjoyed seeing it in person.

The RBGE alpine department, headed by John Mitchell and Elspeth Mackintosh,  work very hard to bring a display like that to most of the Scottish SRGC  shows, including those  in Northern England which are held jointly with the AGS.
Elspeth is usually aided by Struan Harley and the two of them can be seen hauling  masses of quality plants to and from the shows in all weathers. The quality of display is always superb and it is a wonderful example of "outreach" from the RBGE to a wider audience.

The Ransom display - smaller though it may be -  is of huge interest and attractive to boot.

[Dionysia]

The non competitive display pot we have shown at South Wales and Harlow has caused quite a lot of interest which is gratifying. What hasn't always come across is that it is a specific display of D. afghanica and its f1 and f2 hybrids to show the tremendous colour variation. I thought it might be useful to post the notes which have been on the bench with the pot but which have not been posted on this or the AGS site. With luck and space it might make Loughborough as well.
Paul R



( Edit by M to move photo of notes to full size and add Tim's photo of the display)

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Paul  - I've brought in Tim's photo to show all together.

[krisderaeymaeker]

The non competitive display pot we have shown at South Wales and Harlow has caused quite a lot of interest which is gratifying. What hasn't always come across is that it is a specific display of D. afghanica and its f1 and f2 hybrids to show the tremendous colour variation. I thought it might be useful to post the notes which have been on the bench with the pot but which have not been posted on this or the AGS site. With luck and space it might make Loughborough as well.
Paul R

    I like that display very much Paul !   

[Dionysia]

Thanks for the editing Maggi. You'll gather that being a Luddite I had a problem with the resizing! Glad you enjoyed it Kris. When we got home the show plants finally showed some sign of waking up so will hopefully have some better entries soon (or am I tempting fate knowing the Met Office's track record)
Paul R

[Maggi Young]

Happy to help, Paul.

I'm confident that at some point during the show season the audience will get the full benefit of your lovely plants - best wishes for  a  good year !

[Tim Ingram]

I know I have sometimes questioned the very strong emphasis on exhibiting alpines but that is only because I think new gardeners are much more likely to be drawn to the Specialist Societies and the Shows by a stronger attraction of alpines as garden plants as well, which is much to do with them receiving far better recognition from the gardening media in general. Paul and Gill Ranson's and all the other plants I showed really warrant a much wider recognition. They are brilliantly grown but very special in the eyes of many gardeners. Greater publicity about alpines, however it can be done, would be worthwhile and is important to stimulate more people potentially to consider exhibiting plants too.

The cost of hiring a venue like this school is pretty high and falls largely on the nurseries involved - and yes many travel considerable distances which is a big cost in itself - so getting a good attendance is important. But the other point is - these plants are not simply gardened with, they are part of a much greater understanding and appreciation of the plant world in general (it's not only Botanic Gardens that have this) and so they are actually pretty relevant to all those kids and teachers who attend these schools that are so often used for Alpine Shows. It's interesting that Ross Barbour found such a good response from children in primary schools to the idea of growing alpines - but what about kids in secondary schools? There was that beautiful display from Kew at Harlow and I expect Kit and Joanne and all those who made it would have been excited if a lot more potential younger gardeners had seen it too. (I speak as someone who was introduced to alpines in my early teens and have been fascinated professionally and intellectually about plants ever since). Obviously you can't make kids interested if they are not - my own children don't have such a great interest and they have been surrounded by plants! - but there is that spark which some young people get on seeing the detail of alpines which can then carry on throughout life. So it would be good if the schools themselves got a bit more involved with what is going on, and conversely the societies providing that information and educational displays that might appeal more to younger gardeners.