Harlow - AGS Early Spring Show

[tonyg]

Looks like a cheap round so far .... no need to buy a whole cake when a couple of slices will do ... unless we mail the rest to the frozen North?

[PeterT]

Happy to split the postage with you Tony 

[Maggi Young]

I thought it was going to be a fine sunny weekend but the forecast I saw early today says rain..... so maybe you might need to eat  a whole cake yourselves to keep your strength up and keep warm.....

[PeterT]

we could have one each!

[tonyg]

Happy to split the postage with you Tony 

By the time we got there they were down to 40p small slices     and by the time we were introduced we'd eaten them!

Nice to meet you Peter - hope to have much longer to talk next time.  Also nice to see the two Lucs (with Kurt Vickery), Rob Potterton, Ashley Saddler (time you stopped lurking!) and all my other old friends.  It was a flying visit - just a couple of hours - must make more time in future.

[Maggi Young]

So----- which plant won the Farrer Medal? 

[tonyg]

So----- which plant won the Farrer Medal? 

I had so little time I failed to notice

[Maggi Young]

So----- which plant won the Farrer Medal? 

I had so little time I failed to notice

Ah well, no one will ever accuse you of being a "pot hunter", Tony, if you can visit a show and not notice the FM plant!

[Diane Clement]

one will ever accuse you of being a "pot hunter", Tony, if you can visit a show and not notice the FM plant!   

and hot off the press the results and pix from Harlow are on the AGS site here:
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/shows/results/shows2011/index.html

[Maggi Young]

and hot off the press the results and pix from Harlow are on the AGS site here:
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/shows/results/shows2011/index.html

Excellent.... thanks Diane. What a fine pot of Corydalis popovii from Michael Chadwick.
 Quite unusual for a corydalis to get a medal, I think..... so that's extra special for the corydalis fans.

[tonyg]

So----- which plant won the Farrer Medal? 

I had so little time I failed to notice

Ah well, no one will ever accuse you of being a "pot hunter", Tony, if you can visit a show and not notice the FM plant!

It really was a flying visit ... and with so many folk to chat to the plants got short shrift!
However, I did take a few pics of my rapidly chosen favourites for you.  I passed up the myriad Dionysias, even the gorgeous D. afghanica but was drawn to the following selection.

Primula 'Arduaine'
Callianthemum anemenoides
Hepaticas - plenty of these.  Did I really see one on sale for £130 in the sales area?
Hepatica americana - a feast of flowers
Narcissus cantabricus clusii with Narcissus x susanae
Massed Corydalis species including a nice C popovii but NOT the FM plant
Scilla indra
Saxifraga 'Coolock Gem'
Muscari discolor

[tonyg]

AND there was a fab display from RBG Kew.
Here is a better view than on the link posted earlier - split into two halves to give you a closer look.  Finally a close-up of their Iris nusairiensis.

[Maggi Young]

How lovely.... Don Peace's primula is gorgeous and the Ransons have some fine plants, don't they?
And I see David Hoare's Saxifraga season is well in train  

Nice to see the Kew display, too, I spot a few favourites there.

It is good to know you didn't spend all your time chatting and eating cake, Tony!

[tonyg]

How lovely.... Don Peace's primula is gorgeous and the Ransoms have some fine plants, don't they?
And I see David Hoare's Saxifraga season is well in train 

Nice to see the Kew display, too, I spot a few favourites there.

It is good to know you didn't spend all your time chatting and eating cake, Tony!

Without realising it at the time it seems I do have an eye for well grown plants .... all those named are top notch growers!

Ummm ... actually I did spend nearly all the time chatting and eating cake

[Maggi Young]

More photos from Jon Evans on the AGS site: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows//Early+Spring+Show+Harlow+th+February+/486/?page=1

It seems Kit Strange and her team have organised another super show, they and the exhibitors must be happy this weekend.