Ponteland (Newcastle) Autumn show 2011

[Stan da Prato]

Small cushions;  various small bulb classes; classes for plants from single countries /continents

[Stan da Prato]

grey leaved plants; other foliage; berries; things from seed; very attractive sets of alpine flowers in little vases; new class for alpine fruits/seeds etc in vases -to test the interpretation two deliberately included shoots from larger plants/trees and were duly  NAS.

[Stan da Prato]

a few of the plants in sections two and three

[SusanS]

Smashing photos Stan, thanks for posting such a comprehensive "tour" of the show. 

It was a lovely day out, Darren and I enjoyed our first visit to the Ponteland Show.

Susan

[Peter Maguire]

Thanks for taking all those photos Stan, it gives a great flavour of the show, from plants to people (via the food!)
I was taking photos for the journals during the day and will add some close-ups to supplement Stan's images - I'll add them through the day as a break from the paperwork that I'm doing on the computer all day  
Firstly Sue Gill's wonderful Cyclamen mirabile, then Ian Kidman's Viola spathulata, and Anne Vale's Vaccinium vitis-idaea 'Red Candy' (aptly named!)

[Peter Maguire]

3 more.
Mimulus niandinus from George Young. A slightly sprawling plant but the flowers were attractive, and unusual for a Mimulus. The close-up unfortunately shows up the dust/sand on the leaves, time for a quick dusting with a paintbrush I think.  
Oxalis perdicaria 'Cetrino' from Ivor Betteridge. A beautifully compact little plant, with a delicate lemon yellow colour to the petals (a difficult colour to get right in a photograph, but I think that this is correct)
Primula capitata from Mike Dale. This plant had 11 flower heads, and had apprently been flowering for months, so it was not just a couple of unseasonal flower spikes. (there was also a very nice and well-flowered Daphne petraea 'Michele' from Ian Kidman whuch would not have looked out of place in a spring show but I forgot to photograph it   )

[Peter Maguire]

Two more for now, both from husband and wife teams.
Shortia uniflora grandiflora shown by Carole and Ian Bainbridge
Cyclamen graecum ssp anatolicum - Bob and Rannveig Wallis. Most of the cyclamen on display, and certainly all of the 'big' cyclamen, were a little patchy in flowering, with none of the wall to wall flower coverage we have seen in previous years, probably a reflection of a hard winter followed by a peculiarly difficult summer. This was my favourite of the cyclamen on the show bench, with dainty, well-marked leaves and an intense pink flower - showing it's best side.

[ChrisB]

Lovely pics everyone.  I didn't take many myself, serving teas and cakes, as seen in pics above, but had a wonderful day and thanks to everyone who made it all happen!

[Maggi Young]

What a great show it looks!  Well done to all the exhibitors and I hope all those beavering to feed the masses have been having a quiet day today.

The last photo of the cyclamen , with the leaves covered in pollen, reminds me of quite a discussion I once had when judging, with a colleague who wanted to disregard some similar plants for prizes since, in their opinion, the fact that the pollen was falling was a sign the flowers were "past it".  

[Stan da Prato]

A final snap of two local worthies in action

[veteran vet]

re Peters comment on my Mimulus miandinus with regards to sand etc...it was actually growing in the sand plunge in one of my greenhouses as a self sown seedling (original plant from Ron McBeath) and as it was flowering well, allbeit a bit sandy from wind blown sand (its right at the open door end so gets all the wind going and theres been a lot of late) I dug it out of the sand and potted it up for the show last Friday hoping it would not droop, as I thought folk might like to see it. It used to be called 'Andean Nymph' but Ron says this is the name now. Looking in the plunge today I see there are more self sown seedlings appearing as the exhibited plant had been in flower for weeks and weeks and I have left on the old capsules to self sow.

[angie]

Thanks folks for sharing this great day with us. What a great show. One to put in my calendar for next year.

Can't get over the amazing amount of plants that are looking so good. Well done.

Angie 

[james willis]

Thank you Stan for being so quick off the mark with the photos.  I have just had a splendid wallow in nostalgia and perhaps perversely, took greater pleasure from seeing so many known faces and views than I did from the super plants.  I really must get back to the North East next year either for the Hexham or the Ponteland Shows.

[Onion]

Every time, when I see pictures from a show I ask me:
Do you know what a dream this is for people from the continent?

So congratulation for Stan and all the other person that such shows are now available for the poor members of the continent  via the Forum.

[Anthony Darby]

Lovely pics. Thanks for posting. That Nerine is beautiful. Must look out for it here in New Zealand.