AGS NORTH MIDLAND SHOW at Chesterfield on 14th April 2007

[ranunculus]

A very warm day for the AGS North Midland Show at Chesterfield .... entries down a little, but still a magnificent display of beautiful alpines to greet the many visitors.  Congratulations to Mike and Judy and their super team for staging another excellent event. The Farrer Medal went to Mike and Christine Brown from the Wirral for a large and floriferous Paraquilegia (and before you all reach for your keyboards to tell me that they have already won a Farrer Medal with that plant at Cleveland Show last Saturday, it must be stated that this is their NUMBER TWO plant....the previous Farrer winner was ceremoniously 'given away' to a fellow exhibitor after the success at Cleveland)!!!  What a pair of growers they are.
Just a few images to start the ball rolling....so many cameras were clicking away that this wonderful forum should soon be awash with colour and form.

[ranunculus]

More from Chesterfield AGS Show this afternoon.... 14th April 2007.

Dionysia Khuzistanica
 Amblynotus Rupestris2
 Amblynotus Rupestris
 Clematis Tenuiloba
 Asarum Delavayi
 ShowBenchOne
 ShowBench2
 Viola Pedata Bicolor2
 Viola Pedata Bicolor
 Solmslaubachia Detail

[ranunculus]

....And there's more....

Callianthemum Kernerianum
 Fritillaria Gentneri Detail
 Iris Milleta
 Iris Sari
 Paraquilegia Farrer Plant
 Primula Bracteata
 Primula Bracteata Detail
 Primula Spectabilis
 Ranunculus Calandrinioides
 sixpan

[Maggi Young]

Ranunculus crithmifolius  always reminds me of an old joke whose punchline is " Yethh, and I'm only thithteen"
We grow this buttercup in one of the raised slab beds... the one that used to be full of New Zealand plants but which has now been re-jigged to have Saxifragas and allsorts in it , too!


What can you say about Mike and Christine Brown?   They are great growers, indeed. I imagine that if the new owner of last week's Farrer medal-winning plant can keep it in half as good condition as the Browns' then he/she will be well-pleased!!

Keep 'em coming, Cliff, this is great!

[ranunculus]

....And finally....for now.....

Lewisias et al
 Narcissus
 SebaeaThomasii

[Maggi Young]

Is the Farrer plant not quite as good as their No 1 version, do you think?  I thought the No1 was even more fully flowered... must look back to check!
I must say, for my money, I would have been tempted to send the medal in the direction of that Primula bracteata... if it was as good as it looks in the pic, then it is a STUNNER!
And what about the colour of that Viola pedata? Just beautiful!  Many thanks, Cliff, we'll look forward to you getting your second wind!!

[ranunculus]

You could well be right about the Paraquilegia Maggie...but when I have one at home that is blessed with only eleven (admittedly darker) blooms then I'm certainly not about to quibble!
....But, then again, can any grower profess to mastering ALL the available gems?

[Maggi Young]

But, then again, can any grower profess to mastering ALL the available gems?

Well, they might but they would be lying!!

[t00lie]

Absolutely magnificent pics Cliff. :

Especially the colouring of Frit.gentneri--then there is Iris sari-- the bicoloured Viola pedata...........(i could go on and on).

A big thank you from all of us down here who couldn't attend the show in person.

Cheers Dave.

[admin]

Is the Farrer plant not quite as good as their No 1 version, do you think?  I thought the No1 was even more fully flowered... must look back to check!

Have to say I am surprised that was a Farrrar winning plant. Perhaps it's just the photo but it does not appear to  be very well flowered and the flowers seem  quite small. Used to grown a lot of these (hundreds) and the variation in flower size over  a selection of plants from the same seed batch can be  surprising. It is a very easy plant to grow up here. Judges seem  "sympathetic"   towards certain plants – Pulsatilla vernalis is another that often wins top awards when less than pristine. I know – I won a  Forrest with one that did not bear too close inspection foliage-wise. 

[ranunculus]

Another small batch of Chesterfield AGS Show images....Where are you Diane, Martin, et al?

Cassiope Wardii
 Celmisia Spedenii
 Cyclamen Pseudoibericum
 Cypripedium
 Daphne Petraea
 Fritillaria Meleagris
 Gentiana Acaulis Detail
 Iris
 Iris 2
 Iris Detail

[ranunculus]

....And finally.....

Jeffersonia Dubia Detail
 Narcissus Detail
 Narcissus Hawera
 Phylliopsis Sugar Plum
 Pieris Japonica Sarabande
 Pleione Formosana Detail
 Sanguinaria Canadensis Multiplex
 Saxifraga Charles Chaplin
 Three Helichrysum Amorginum Hybrids
 Trillium Luteum

[Diane Clement]

Where are you Diane, Martin, et al?

No chance trying to get a picture in edgeways when you're around.  
Also my problem is too much yakking and I forget to take any pictures.  So just a couple from me and one is a swap with Cliff.
Sebaea thomasii (by the way, what a fantastic scent this plant has!)
Primula Linda Pope

[Joakim B]

Thanks for the photos
I especially like iris, orchids and primula so I got quite a lot in these pics. 
Fabulous iris I must say.

Kind regards
Joakim

[ranunculus]

I notice you didn't fill in the rest of the crithmifolius joke for our perhaps less enlightened readers Maggie?
Illustrated, of course?