ABERDEEN SHOW SATURDAY 19TH MAY 2007

[Maggi Young]

The Ardfearn stall was very colourful


lots to tempt here


The show hall before the crowds


Christie's Nursery had a stall, too, here's Ann Christie having a chat with Ian Bainbridge


Here's Fermi, looking a bit worried ...must be hungry

[Maggi Young]

This plant drew a lot of attention, Arisaema griffithii, one of a three pan of Arisaemas shown by Annne and Viv Chambers from Killearn.


look at the markings and sculptural effects inside the flower


the vevelty black areas start flat at the edge of the flower and raise upright towards the centre..stunning! As one moves one's head, the stripes of black and green  appear to open and close like a venetian blind and when 'closed' the velvety interior is inky black.


the stems are textured too.. I described the lumpy purple/black markings as pustules but they are correctly, verrucose stems.


With neither pustules nor verrucas, thank goodness, here is Anne Chambers, with a selection of greetings cards derived from her botanical watercolour paintings.

[David Nicholson]

Looked a lovely Show Maggi, thanks for the pictures and glad to see Lily is feeling better

[David Nicholson]

David, in case you do not have your own copy of 'Primula' by John Richards, and if you would find it useful I would be mor than happy to transcribe for you what he says about Primula polyneura.

[ranunculus]

Super show report Maggi....many thanks.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Cliff, quite a lot more to come still but I obviously haven't got your stamina! Ian took the photos, and now I discover that he hasn't taken half the stuff I would have liked him to!
 Hey, ho... so many folk to speak to, so little time, eh?

[David Shaw]

Thanks for the offer of a transcription of John Richards book, David, but I do have access to it.
There is also an excellent selection of pictures of P polyneura on Pam Eveleigh's web site www.primulaworld.com
I am quite happy with the id of mine being polyneura - until somebody suggests otherwise

[Maggi Young]

Anthony Darby sent up three plants, courtesy of Jean Wyllie and Glassford Sprunt (don't tell Shore Porters) and proceeded to do rather well with them... his Cypripedium parviflorum ssp. pubescens won its class, as did his entry in class 63, for two pans distinct, which also meant he won the rather attractive trophy that is the Brian Bull Bowl. This engraved caithness glass bowl is in memory of a respected Aberdeen member who died, tragically at too early an age, some years ago. Anthony won the class, which had four entries in tiotal, with a pair of orchids..... Serapias lingua and Serapias orientalis...

Anthony's Cyp.


The lovely pair of Serapias: I am grateful to Anthony for sending up this photo.. Ian didn't "snap 'em" !

[Maggi Young]

Let's see what else we have, before I take Lily for a walk....
Here are three gesneriads from Brian and Maureen Wilson


This is a Brigsia cross, which I cannot recall the name of... it will, of course, be "one they made earlier", for that is a Wilson speciality..

this is a flash shot that is a bit off,but better shows the hairs on the flowers


Brian and Maureen with Ron Smart, who is also very keen on orchids and native plants. These three live only about half a mile apart, so they have that in common, too.


Jancaemonda vandedemii ( Jancaea x Ramonda)


x Ramberlea 'Inchgarth'  (Ramonda x Haberlea)


Good, arent' they?

then there's this one:
Haberlea rhodopensis 'Connie Davidson'

[Maggi Young]

Oh, did I mention gesneriads and the Wilsons?
Ramonda myconi alba


Here are Brian and Maureen having a discussion with Henry and Margaret Taylor


Brian recently wrote in the Forum about finding Paris quadrifolia in the wild quite locally... Henry and Margaret showed a pot full of this quietly beautiful plant in the class  for a Scottish native plant


There were other Paris in the show, see the Rankin's ones, already posted.
Back now to that six pan entry of Stella and David.... Ian took pix of four of the six
Polemonium pulcherrimum


Erinus alpinus


Primula japonica 'Postford White'


Primula cockburniana, yellow form

[Maggi Young]

You will see that the Polemonium got a Certificate of Merit. Other plants which gained a Certificate of merit were Cyril Lafong's Cypripedium parviflorum





Lewisia leana alba, also from the stable of the Glenrothes Greenfinger

[Maggi Young]

Cannot lay my hands on the show records at the minute, they are still under a pile of show debris, but I think Cyril also got a cert. of merit with his Cypriepdium 'Sebastian'   but no pic of that.

John Graham, (the one from Laurencekirk, partner of Lois,  not the one from Grantown)
won the Aberdeen Quaich for the best plant in Section 2 with this pot of Tiarella wherryi


The Saxifragaceae class


Stan da Prato from Tranent brought up a very good selection of plants to win a Bronze Medal in Section 2. This Convolulus cneorum was one of his entries


and this Mammilaria plumosa


as was this trough, planted with dwarf hostas




A quiet spell during the day

[Maggi Young]

Some more people pix...
Four Angus Group chums, Robert and Ella Paton from Dundee and Alice and Fred Hunt from Invergowrie. Fred and Robert are hill-walking companions as wel as gardening friends. Fred was disappointed that he did not have more plants to bring to the show, but he has suffered from the season as many of us have. He still had some good plants on the bench, though!


Carol Shaw and Carole Bainbridge take a break


Cyril Lafong and John Lee from Glasgow have a chat


It is Cyril's winning  three pan entry, in the foreground, comprising the Forrest Medal plant, Silene hookeri var bolanderi and Certificate of Merit winning Cypripedium and Lewisia




David Shaw, Alastair McKelvie, (former  SRGC Journal Editor and Membership Secretary) and Carol Shaw, wearing the smart suede jacket she bought on her birthday... the day of the Inverness show... it suits her so well and she loves it all the more because it was a bargain!! ( Woman after my own heart in that respect!!) They are discussing a Saxifraga, by the looks of things, but there are some big lewisias alongside...



Former local Convener, Bob Maxwell had this bright Lewisia as part of his contribution to the show

[Maggi Young]

another shot of the Lewisias



Jean Wyllie and Cyril Lafong



Brian Hammond brought a large and  very attractive and instructive display of Sedum species and varieties, both hardy and not so hardy... he was awarded a Gold Medal for this interesting exhibit.








more  folks viewing the display



SRGC Honorary President Bette Ivey takes a stroll around the benches with another of the club's most popular members, local member, Peg Crosland ( who I hope will forgive me for whispering to you that she will be 94 next birthday) Peg's late husband, Jack, was one of the club's most accomplished growers, winning huge numbers of Forrest Medals, ( thirty or more !!??) all aided and abetted by the charming and gracious Peg. The two of them traveled all over Britain as Jack gave talks, as well as exhibiting.
Just visible behind Bette and Peg is Angela Townsley, a local committee member busy with show duties. angela's husband, Derek, very kindly brings the tables we hire for the show to and from their storage facility in one of his vans. Thanks, Derek,  we are really grateful for your help. Thanks too, to all the strong souls who work so hard to assemble and dismantle the show every year....where would we be without you?

Local Group Convener, one of that band of hearty workers, here with his wife Liz, also an exhibitor...she looks a bit bothered, I don't know why, her plants did well!


Bob Maxwell chats with Stan da Prato

[ranunculus]

What an incredible three pan...one Forrest Medal plant and TWO Certificates of Merit....How does he do it?