Blackpool SRGC Show

[SusanS]

Darren and I had a lovely day.  It was great to meet up with some forumists in person.  We hope to catch up with the Scots that couldn't make it to Blackpool due to the bad weather, when we go to Hexham show.

[Maggi Young]

It's always especially nice to see some people pix, susan... and seeing John Forrest  with that big smile is just GRAND!  Thanks!

[Lesley Cox]

Yes indeed, I am very pleased to see John Forrest because all I've heard of him recently or even for a couple of years was that he was very ill. I hope this picture means that things are much better now. He looks a really nice man and I know he is generous.

There were comments earlier about the lighting at Loughborough. Too yellow. Blackpool looks just that. Like a black pool. Was it really as dark as the pictures suggest?

[SusanS]

The photo with John on it is very dark as it was taken up on the stage which wasn't lit very well. 

The hall itself is darker than many venues, with limited natural light.  One wall of the hall is glass panels however it is on the North side of the room.  No natural light enters on the east side of the hall, the south side has small windows very high up, whilst the west side is again glass it is not directly adjacent to the show area.  This area is where the nursery stands and catering are.  The magnolia paint on the hall walls gives the photos a yellowish cast.  The ceiling lights as you can see from the attached photo appear to be ordinary incandescent bulbs.  (The photos were taken with a little compact camera which does not have a very strong flash, which doesn't help.)

For viewing the plants in person, the lighting is adequate and does not cause strange colour effects in flowers of a certain colour, unlike the lights at Hexham which makes Darren's red Ranunculus asiaticus "Ken Aslet" look very peculiar indeed. 

[angie]

Susan it looks as if it was a great show, when I see all the lovely plants I just think to myself why didn't I go. I should make more of a effort. It's nice to meet members as well and I could have bought some plants.
Maybe next year I will just pop down.

Angie

[David Nicholson]

Lovely to see JoF and looking so well too.

[Palustris]

Some of the plants at the show. If you spot any mistakes in the labelling, please let me know, if you can spare the time.
http://www.ideasforgardens.net/palustris/Blackpool/

[Dionysia]

Hi Palustris
Excellent pictures and plenty of them!! You asked for spelling alterations, I've spotted a few.
5  delavayi
11 Asarum heterotropoides
36 angustifolius
44 Bernd
49 Ewesley
50 Ewesley
51 gaubae
54 lurorum x aretioides
55 Lycaena
58 termeana
61 Zdenek
73 aurea
77 elwesii
101 romieuxii
145 Derek
146 Derek
177 Bridget
184 Goring
190 poluanglica
191 poluluteo-purpurea
Keep up the good work.
Paul R

[Darren]

Congrats on the Forrest Paul!

I'm afraid the genus Dionysia (except aretioides) have a lifespan measured in milliseconds with me, so I'm envious of your ability.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Paul, and Gill, congratulations on that Forrest win and all your other fine plants.... you had a very successful outing there and we have all enjoyed seeing the show even though we could not be there.

[Palustris]

Cheers Dionysia, will attempt to correct them.
Ewesley Theta is spelt Ewersley on the plant label.

[Dionysia]

Thanks for the sentiments Darren and Maggi. It all depends what you've devoted your energies to. I find them easier than Saxes and other supposedly easier genera but they do punish any inattention at all. Don't even get me going on bulbs. Maggi you were right there was a single pan of bulbs in the coordinated boxes, the Fritillaria aurea on Palustris' site (recorded as glauca) but that was an exception. I am full of admiration of anybody who can grow bulbs well. If I can't see it; ie when it's dormant then I'll probably either over or underwater it!! The only ones I'm reasonably competent with are those that need to be kept reasonably moist all the time like Crocus banaticus and Erythronium dens-canis.
Paul

[Dionysia]

Hi Palustris
The Ewesley mistake has been perpetuated in the trade. The series was created by the late Eric Watson who I visited at his home in Ewesley Gardens in Wide Open, Newcastle. Ewesley is 100% the correct spelling as confirmed by several show and joint rock write ups (not to mention maps!!), the latter actually setting the validity of the name even if misspelt. A great grower, primarily responsible for the genesis of hybrids along with Michael Kammerlander.
Paul R

[Palustris]

Hopefully the mistakes in the web pages have been corrected now, thanks to Paul and Maggi. I am not an expert on either plant names or web page creation so am very much reliant on others for getting things right. Have to say I did notice a  number of plants wrongly labelled at the show (and at others too). Even more frustration is given when the labels are either positioned so that one cannot see them at all or are illegible. It might not matter to the cognoscenti, but to us ordinary mortals it is very annoying.
BUT if you want real frustration, the web pages I created are visible to me when being made, but once on the web I cannot see them except by being very very patient.
Thanks again folks!