Wakefield tulip society show

[FrazerHenderson]

One of the growers Ulf Hanseen had sent his blooms by post from Sweden. On arrival the day before the show they were placed in water (in a fridge) to revive them and Ulf was rewarded with a 3rd prize in a novice class for his enterprise.   

The club secretary Teresa Clements advised me that blooms could be kept in a fridge (set to its warmest setting) to preserve then for showing. She also advised that by placing the stems in a lightly sugared water (1 teaspoon to the litre) the stems continued to extend and some showers had seen a 10cm stem growth despite being placed in the fridge. The fridge however does cause distortion on blue flowers (an issue perhaps worthy of further scientific investigation).

[FrazerHenderson]

...some more show blooms...

[FrazerHenderson]

..and a few more...

[Maggi Young]

One of the growers Ulf Hanseen had sent his blooms by post from Sweden. On arrival the day before the show they were placed in water (in a fridge) to revive them and Ulf was rewarded with a 3rd prize in a novice class for his enterprise.   

The club secretary Teresa Clements advised me that blooms could be kept in a fridge (set to its warmest setting) to preserve then for showing. She also advised that by placing the stems in a lightly sugared water (1 teaspoon to the litre) the stems continued to extend and some showers had seen a 10cm stem growth despite being placed in the fridge. The fridge however does cause distortion on blue flowers (an issue perhaps worthy of further scientific investigation).

This is quite extraordinary. Who would have thought it possible?  For a start the vagaries of the postal system must be terrifying, let alone the success of the assorted treatments. 

Enterprising work, indeed by Ulf Hanseen.... I hope someone took lots of pictures for him to see his success.

[FrazerHenderson]

..a few remaining...

As well as the show benches there were usual catering (great value) and plant stalls, book and card sales, displays of paintings and a very interesting review of a trip to Uzbekistan.

[Peter Maguire]

Fabulous blooms. I especially like the way they are displayed - emptying a beer bottle (without wasting a drop!) and soaking off the label sounds much more fun than scrubbing pots for an SRGC show.  

[Boyed]

Marvellous.

But what IS that black and white in the First Prize 12 rectified group?

I am surprised that 'Toyota' wasn't a runaway favourite.

Must look for Eyecathcer.

johnw

John,

I suppose this viridiflora tulipa is rather 'Pimpernel' than 'Eyecatcher'.

I grow 'Eye Catcher' and it looks different, and it is the same in the collection of my collegues.

I show the photo of mine

in the left - 'Virichic', in the center - 'Eyecatcher', in the right - 'Omnyacc'

[FrazerHenderson]

The website for the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society has been redesigned and updated, and now provides a good deal more of relevant information.Worth checking out!



http://www.tulipsociety.co.uk/

 

[FrazerHenderson]

The Wakefield & North of England Tulip Society has recently been awarded £10,900 by the UK Heritage Lottery Fund to establish the Society's archive.

The funds will be used to:
1. Create an archive which will be deposited at a specialist institution in York (and will also mean that local members will learn about conservation techniques and archiving from specialists).
2. Create a sound archive by recording memories, stories and comments from members and visitors to shows and other events.
3. Develop and produce presentations and displays for use at talks and exhibitions.
4. Create an on-line archive.
5. Conclude the project with a Tulip Heritage Day in May 2013 on the day after the Society's Annual Show with special events and talks etc to which the public will be invited.


Perhaps the SRGC should consider making a similar submission to HLF so as to create an SRGC archive - what do you think?

[Maggi Young]

Sounds like an excellent idea..... I think you should contact President Liz with this idea, Frazer.

I have sent this note to Liz and some other Council Members.

[Liz Mills]

Thanks Maggi for alerting me to this post.  I think it's a great idea and well worth exploring. I've often thought that we should be interviewing some of our older (and younger ones as well) growers and making a record of their superb plants and gardens - and an SRGC archive could include this along with lots of other things.  I'd be really grateful, Frazer, if you would contact me so that we could discuss how best to start such a project. 

[FrazerHenderson]

Liz

I've pinged you a message via the forum.

The Garden magazine also has short notice in its latest issue regarding the grant to the W&NETS.

Frazer

[FrazerHenderson]

Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society 177th Annual Tulip Show, Saturday 5th May 2012, Primrose Hall, Green Park Avenue, Horbury, WF4 6EG.

Show is open to the public 2.30pm - 4.30pm, admission free.

The Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society has always held its annual show in Wakefield, never missing a show in the last 177 years.

The 'flamed' and 'feathered' markings on the flowers are due to a virus, once highly prized and giving rise to Tulipomania. Many of the tulip varieties grown today by the society are well over a hundred years old and are grown and shown to the traditional florist's standards.

English Florists' Tulips had their peak of popularity in the mid 19th Century, with many florist societies growing the tulip and other florists' flowers like the ranunculus, carnation, anemone and the auricula.

The Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society is the only remaining society growing and showing these traditional florists' tulips.

The English Tulips are shown and judged individually, originally in small stoneware bottles or glass vases. Some of the old vases from the late 1700’s and early 1800’s are part of the collection at Wakefield Museum.

The stoneware and glass vases the society had eventually got broken and chipped through use, so they moved to brown beer bottles as these were a similar shape and size to the old vases and a good holder for showing the individual flowers. Many of the old show venues were in pub function rooms in Wakefield, so beer bottles were easy to obtain.

Many years ago, the society used to be called 'The Wakefield Tulip Society' and members had to live in Wakefield. Some of the old growers were miners with allotments in the villages around Wakefield, who grew some florists' tulips as well as growing food on their allotments, usually planting tulips after lifting their potatoes and traditionally planted on Lord Mayor's Day.

Membership changed over the years and declined particularly over the war years and the name was eventually changed to The Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society to reflect a new membership and interest from the North of England then wider UK.

When the Royal National Tulip Society closed in 1936 Wakefield became the last remaining tulip society, and one of the last remaining florist's societies.

The WNE Tulip Society is primarily 'a showing society' and many of the tulip varieties they still grow are very old and would have been lost without the continuity of the Wakefield growers. Since the 1970's there has been a steady rise in interest again for the English Florists' Tulips, with some membership and interest from as wide afield as Canada, US, Holland and Sweden, but the society has always remained rooted in Wakefield.

If you would like more information about the tulip show or the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society please see their website -www.tulipsociety.co.uk.


For UK residents check out the newly launched Landscape magazine currently in WH Smiths and other newsagents - it carries articles on both tulips in general and English tulips

[FrazerHenderson]

Some pictures from the 2012 Show.

The show was very well attended with growers/exhibitors from as far afield as Sweden attending.

I'll start with the four Dutch classes before moving onto the English classes.

[FrazerHenderson]

.