Blackpool Show 2008

[John Forrest]

Great picures Mick. It's my local show so I was busy for a great part of the morning logging the prize winners into the computer and then being close to home nipped back to let Teasel out for a play and a pee and then watched a wee bit of the rugby. When I got back I only had a brief time to photograph one or two exhibits before the light went.
I remembered to take my portable black curtain to hold behind the exhibits to get rid of the distracting backgrounds.
1 Primula Pink Aire, a rather impressive perfect dome.
2 Primula Arduane which was nicely top dressed with moss and so looked very natural.
3 A beautifully balletic Erythronium oregonum
4 There was just enough light from the window to backlight this lovely Pulsatilla Budapest Seedling and show off the gloriously hairy stems and flowers.
5 Pulsatilla Budapest Seedling from above.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Hi John,
Didn't recognise you as the man with the black cape, I just strolled around and took pictures of anything that took my fancy. The light was a bit difficult for me, still learning with new camera. I've had to adjust one or two of the pictures as they seem a bit dark on my screen, if other forumists can let me know how they show on their screen would be helpful.

David and Luc they are nothing special Just an Armeria, Sempervivum and Primula to get a feeling of how a show works. John please thank everybody involved for a well organise event.

Now some more pics.
1) First a close up of the Farrer winning plants flowers
2) A 3 pan in flower entry
3) A Saxifrage 3 pan entry
Then a raft of Dionysia:
4) Dionysia ewesley lamda
5) Dionysia ewesley delta
6) Dionysia bryoides
7) Dionysia 'monika'

[Mick McLoughlin]

Another batch now starting with a selection of the Primulas on show. I particularly liked the Primula 'mars' must keep an eye out for this one.
1) Primula 'aire mist'
2) Primula 'pink aire'
3) Primula 'mars'

4) An example of a 'pan planted as a rock garden'
A couple of Saxifrages
5) Saxifraga 'Coolock gem'
6) Saxifraga oppositifolia 'Iceland Form' which I think won a special award but can't remember what or to whom sorry!!
Two Fritillaria to finish this bit.
7) Fritillaria acompetala ssp Wendelboi
Fritillaria aurea

[tonyg]

John - the pulsatilla photo highlights the exquisite beauty of an alpine plant, exactly why I/We love them so much.  Just seeing that makes me yearn for the mountains in summer!

[Mick McLoughlin]

Don't know where the smiley came from in last post, perhaps its that pixie again Maggi??
A couple of Hepatica
1) Hepatica 'gyousei'
2) Hepatica 'Millstream merlin'
3) Ipheion sorry can't make out the full name from the label.
4) Draba longisiliqua
5) Massonia pustulata
6) Pleione eiger
7) Narcissus wateri x gaditanus
8 ) The Narcissus flower close up

[Mick McLoughlin]

Great pictures John, I must see about making a screen for my shots at home. Last few of my pictures now
1) Iris suovealens
2) Soldanella carpatica alba
3) Soldanella close up
4) Crocus heuffelianus 'Carpathian wonder'
for Cliff (even though he's away sunning himself)
5) Ranunculus asiaticus
6) Colchicum szovitsii
7) Cyclamen pseudoibericum
The Pulsatilla would have been here but John's picture does it far more justice than mine.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Specially for Luc and David seeing as they haven't interupted me:
My three entries.

From another post:
By the way David daffseek wasn't opening for me either.

A correction on the Sempervivum name. It should be Sempervivum calcareum 'Grigg's Surprise'. Many thanks to Luit for the correction.

[Diane Clement]

Don't know where the smiley came from in last post, perhaps its that pixie again Maggi??

Mick, the little smiley with sunglasses (cool) came because you typed 8 followed by a bracket.  which is the code for a cool smiley!

Thanks for the pix Mick, and well done for your first show.  I'm sure you will now be hooked and come and join us again at another show. 

A few of my pictures to add
Scilla bifolia Norman Stevens shown by Robert Rolfe
Trillium nivale shown by Alan Spenceley

[Diane Clement]

Cyclamen coum
Mitella makinoi
Narcissus Betty Mae

[Diane Clement]

A fantastic trio of Celmisias shown for foliage by Ian Leslie

C spedenii
C semicordata aurigans
C philocremna

[Diane Clement]

A very compact Fritillaria bucharica shown by Jim McGregor

and another Frit shown by me that looks rather like the previous one but Janis Ruksans thinks could be a new taxa or a hybrid

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Many thanks for the further pix everyone ! 
And congrats for your entries Mick - they look excellent !  Thanks for divulging the secret. 

[SueG]

Thanks for all the pictures, congratulations on doing so well Mick, the plants looked glorious, sorry I couldn't make it this year.
Sue

[hadacekf]

Congratulation all exhibitors and thanks the photographers.
Of a Forum member that cannot visit the Shows .
Franz

[Lvandelft]

Beautiful pictures, Beautiful Show.
Thank you for sharing.