AGS Loughborough 7 March 09

[Diane Clement]

A few pix from yesterday.  Thanks firstly to Doreen, Eric and all the helpers for what must have been one of the most successful shows on record.  A massive number of entries caused by a harder winter than normal that held back the cushion plants.  The dionysias and saxifragas were (literally) weighing the tables down and were plants of the highest quality.  When David Hoare put his six pans of sax down he was concerned whether the table could take the weight.   
I didn't take many pictures, too busy catching up with everyone.  It was nice to meet up with and chat with lots of forumists.
So sorry, just a few pix

Wonderful Epigaea gaultherioides shown by Harry Roberts.  What a difficult plant to show, the flowers don't last long. Also difficult to photograph: icing sugar pink flowers in a room with yellow lighting don't go together

[Diane Clement]

Crocus dalmaticus shown by Robert Rolfe.  I am not sure whether this was the same pot that won the Farrer medal last week, as he had several pots of it.

[Diane Clement]

Two mini gardens in the class, very different
The winner was an amazing lump of tufa planted up mainly with Primulas and saxifragas by David Philbey
The second was a lovely garden from Mandy McLoughlin, with lots of different plants and foliage.

[Diane Clement]

Ypsilanda thibetica (shown by me) the best scent in the hall   

[Diane Clement]

And to finish, Narcissus cyclamineus - part of a 3 pan shown by John Gennard

and part of the same 3 pan, Hepatica japonica - I am reliably informed by my Japanese friend Kimihiko that the cultivar name is
Yumeji

[Paddy Tobin]

Diane,

That hepatica is a jewel, astonishing combination of colour and shape. Brilliant.

You said above, "Ypsilanda thibetica (shown by me) the best scent in the hall" What scent were you wearing?

Also, the miniature garden by David Philbey is an astounding example of perfection in cultivation.

Paddy

[ChrisB]

What a stunning hepatica.  Thoroughly enjoyed your pictures, Diane.

[hadacekf]

Thank you all together for the report of the show. Wonderful plants.
Diana, your colchicum be brillant!

[Lesley Cox]

Really super plants and pictures Diane, in spite of difficult lighting. A question about the Ypsilandra which I've never seen in this country. It looks as if it is related to Heloniopsis. If so, does it propagate the same way, from the outer leaf tips poked into compost, with a new little plant growing from there?

Fabulous Epigaea. I'm looking forward to mine.

[Diane Clement]

Really super plants and pictures Diane, in spite of difficult lighting. A question about the Ypsilandra which I've never seen in this country. It looks as if it is related to Heloniopsis. If so, does it propagate the same way, from the outer leaf tips poked into compost, with a new little plant growing from there?
Fabulous Epigaea. I'm looking forward to mine.  

Yes, Ypsilandra is in the same family as Heloniopsis (Melanthiaceae - which means honey flower, hence the fabulous scent). 
They do progagate in the same way as you say.  Also it is very easy just to pull apart divisions with roots. 
I look forward to seeing pix of your Epigaea 

[Lvandelft]

Just came after these pages this evening.
Thank you all for the beautiful pictures.
So many wonderful plants!

[Lesley Cox]

I look forward to seeing pix of your Epigaea 

It will be a while. The SEED is on its way to me as we speak. A case of hope springing eternal in my breast.

[Diane Clement]

It will be a while. The SEED is on its way to me as we speak. A case of hope springing eternal in my breast. 

Hmm ....  I think it takes some time from seed to flower    

[Peter Maguire]

I can confirm what previous forumists have said - a wonderful show, with oustanding displays in many classes, especially saxifrages, which seem to have dome well this year. Several classes had 16-18 entries, and must have given the judges a hard time.

I nearly didn't take my camera out of the car, as the artificial lighting in the hall seemed worse than usual this year, and the curtains had been part-drawn due to sunshine earlier in the day. However, after a day spent mainly in conversation (when non-gardening friends ask why I get up at 5.30 and drive three hours to a show I tell them it's for the chat), I dashed round with my camera in the last half-hour photographing plants that had caught my eye. I think that I've now found a way to restore the natural colours at Loughborough, so I'll risk a few duplications:

- Firstly a lovely Hepatica japonica forma magna from our very own John Gennard.
- David Hoare's six-pan entry of saxifrages
- Corydalis malkensis, again John Gennard
- Cyclamen coum from...... yes, Mike and Christine Brown, who else?
- The entries in the large corydalis class
- Ray Drew's Adonis 'Fukujukai'

[Peter Maguire]

- Saxifraga 'Coolock Gem' - the Jim Almond hybrid shown by Geoff Rollinson
- Ophrys tenthredinifera from Richard Manuel, one of many fine orchids he had on display
- A stunning plant shown as Hepatica nobilis, but later thought by all and sundry to be Hep. japonica, from Trevor and Angie Jones
- Scoliopus bigelovii from Bob and Rannveig Wallis. The blue mark on the leaf is, I think, a reflection from some ghastly blue lighting that was illuminating part of the raised stage, to complement the orange light elsewhere
- another Hepatica japonica form Clare Oates, this one was awarded a certificate of merit (and I think has previously won a Farrer medal)
- Diane's Colchicum szovitsii