Butterfield catalogue

[Maren]

Hi, for those who are not aware of this, Ian Butterfield will be exhibiting at the Malvern Spring show http://www.threecounties.co.uk/springgardening/admission.html.

I like to go on the first day (Thursday) but am busy so will go on Friday. Yesterday I took a friend to see his nursery and Ian was busy putting together his display on his garage floor, just the bare bones and infrastructure, strategic dwarf trees. There were large rocks he made himself many years ago. They are light to handle and yet they look as if they had just come out of a river bed. He uses old wire bread baskets that he adapted to fit together and make a pretty solid base, hills and valleys, for his pleione landscape.

One learns a lot from watching him do things.

[Maren]

...and this was the outcome: Gold Medal (I believe his 14th at this venue) and Best In Show. HRH Princess Anne presented him with his medal and had a few nice words to say.

I think it was the best display he has ever produced, and he agreed. It was mainly his son's design, but the execution and plant material were exquisite. Here are some pictures, not my best, I'm afraid, only small camera, no tripod, dodgy light and people jostling, anyway, that's my excuse.

1 Best in show
2 another view of his stand
3 and another view
4 Pln Tolima 'Moorhen'
5 Pln Caroli 'Robin'  More detail in the next post.

[Maren]

Here are a few more:
Pln Gerry Mundey 'Tinney's Firs'
Pln Tolima 'Moorhen'
Pln Alishan 'Merlin' and others
Pln Lascar 'Purple Finch'
Pln Shantung 'Silver Anniversary'

[Maren]

and just a few more

Pln El Pico 'Pheasant'
Pleione group
Pln Lascar 'Dipper'
Pln Kenya 'Bald Eagle'.

[Maggi Young]

A truly lovely display of Pleiones, amply rewarded by the best in show award. Cue happy Butterfields all round, I'm sure! Well done on their effort.
Thanks, Maren for these photos..... a super range of colours to tempt anyone to these orchids, I'm sure. 

[Graham Catlow]

Thanks for showing these Maren.
It really is a wonderful display.
It's a long time since I last saw a nursery display of Pleione. Probably nearly 20 years ago at a garden show in Glasgow.
Perhaps I will have to put Malvern on my list of 'must attend'. Perhaps next year! Will have to make sure Ian is exhibiting first though!

Graham

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful pictures Maren !  Thanks so much for showing them !!

What a formidable display !!!

I had the pleasure and privilige to visit Ian's nursery about a month ago and was flabbergasted by what I saw !
I'm still recovering from "Pleionitis"  ... a wonderful desease by the way, one I can recommend to anyone ! 

[Maren]

thank you for your appreciation of my modest reportage. I believe anyone who has been to Ian's nursery will know that a display like this is just a small 'extract' of what's there.

I feel very privileged to be able to pop in there practically every week on the way to my own little nursery; there is always something I just need to ask him  . And every week, the picture is different as plants come into flower at different times. Seeing all this glory is good for the heart.

[Slug Killer]

Thanks for sharing Maren. I wanted to go myself but something came up at the last minute.

Does Ian do any other shows?

David

[karel_t]

Sorry David only this one  - maybe next year.
K.