Members' On-Line Discussion
Topic: AGS Shows
Discussion thread: London AGS Show 2009
Started by: Jim McGregor
Latest contribution - John Humphries, 14 April 2009, 18:05. Go to last contribution.The London Show at the Westminster Halls was judged yesterday and continues today. Entries are well up on last year (by over 50%) thanks to the encouragement of exhibitors by the new Show Secretary Jon Evans. The official results and a picture gallery went up last night on the 'official' results section of the site.
www.alpinegardensociety.net/shows/results/
Anyone who was there can add more pictures here.
I'm still sorting out loose ends from the show, but here are some pictures. These are quick snaps, taken with a compact camera around the benches, as I had neither the time nor the energy to do the show photography. I have no idea how Peter Maguire managed to take such good photos last weekend whilst running the Northumberland Show.
First of all, here are some views of the show benches, set off as always by the large Artistic Section. Whilst the benches may not look crowded, they are a great improvement on last year, and I offer thanks and gratitude to the regular and new exhibitors who found their way into Central London by car, not once but twice, to stage and then retrieve their plants.
Plants of Iran by John Ingham and Bob Charman
A wonderful, colourful display.
Artistic Section - London only classes
Lets take a closer look at the Artistic section ? here are some photography classes which appear at London only; first class 202 - 6 alpine plants photographed in the wild
Class 208 ? three close ups of alpine plants
The Artistic Section includes paintings and drawings as well - here is just a sample.
Calandrinia caespitosa by Martin Sheader
Martin Sheader won the photographic section with some magnificent images brought back from Argentina.
Kath Baker won the Art section ahead of some stiff competition. Here is her painting of Paeonia japonica.
Gentiana acaulis painted by Caroline Jackson-Houlston
A botanical illustration of Iris fosteriana by Rannveig Wallis
Lastly a delightful design in ink of Paris quadrifolia by Rosemary Powis
New Exhibitors
This year, for the first time in several years, we had not none, not one, but two competitors in C section. Here is Tulipa praestans Unicum exhibited by Tony Hale
Tulipa clusiana Lady Jane exhibited by Colin Rogers
There was competition in B section as well
Draba grown by Robert Amos
Primula Wharfedale Gem grown by Tony Hale
Rhododendron pemakoense grown by Clive Dart
Special delivery from Pershore
Some of the increase in entries in the open section may be put down to the efforts of the Pershore team; we received a special delivery of plants from the Worcester area in the AGS van which brought the books and publicity materials down to London; here are some of the best.
Eritrichium howardii entered by Richard Clements
Shortia uniflora from Brian Walker
Primula denticulata and Primula vulgaris from Alan Keay
Some plants from the Director of Shows, Jim McGregor
Narcissus bulbocodium ssp. conspicuus
Saxifraga diapensioides
Lewisia brachycalyx
Lee and Julie Martin
Lee and Julie Martin followed up their success last year by taking holiday to bring a car load of plants up from the South Coast.
Possibly the best of these was Iris graeberiana White Falls which was awarded a Certificate of Merit.
Best Plant in a 19cm pot
Narcissus bulbocodium - also Lee and Julie's
Trillium rivale - best plant from North America
Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha
Androsace vandelii - Lee and Julie staged several seedlings of this, all of a similar size and equally well flowered.
Anemonella thalictrioides Oscar Shoaff
Woodland Flora
Not to be outdone, our stalwart regular exhibitors also brought many excellent plants. Usually London is the first show at which the high alpines from the early shows start to be replaced by woodland flora, and this year was no exception.
Anemonella thalictrioides forma rosea from Ray Drew
Cyclamen pseudibericum, also from Ray
Six-pan of Erythroniums
Ray staged a six-pan of Erythroniums - here are just a couple. First Erythronium americanum
and Erythronium helenae
New or Rare
Ray entered plants for the new or rare classes. Here a Muscari species (possibly neglectum)
Also a viola, shown as Viola flettii. There was some debate about whether this name was correct, but it was beautiful, whatever it should be called.
More Woodlanders
Dick and Valerie Bathe also brought woodland bulbs. Here is Anemone x lipsiensis, from a three-pan entry of different species / forms of yellow anemone.
and Corydalis solida G.P.Baker - an easy garden plant, but beautifully presented on the day.
Joy Bishop brought a variety of interesting plants. First Daphne gemmata
Erythronium oregonum Sulphur Form
Fritillaria collina (syn lutea)
Lewisia tweedyi var rosea
and Ornithogalum fimbriatum
Iris pseudocapnoides
Colin and Elaine Barr were awarded a Certificate of Merit for this Iris
Pleione Britannia Doreen from Pam Turtle
Primula 'Stella' - part of David Philbey's 12-pan exhibit of primulas.
Cecilia Coller
Last but not least, Cecilia Coller once again brought a huge and wonderful array of plants crammed into her little white 'Tardis-like' van, including the wonderful Farrer medal winning pan of Ipheion sellowianum (my picture is in the main photo-gallery). She brought entries for over thirty classes, a superb effort. Here is Epimedium davidii.
Correa pulchella
Iris babadagica
Pleione formosanum 'Snow Bunting'
And lastly, Pleione grandiflora
I would like to thank the exhibitors, helpers, judges and visitors, all of whom make an extra effort to keep this show going. The friendly atmosphere of cooperation, where the real challenge is not to produce the best plant, but to ensure that as many plants as possible can be transported safely into and back out of London, and are tended carefully while they are there, is what makes this show special.
Thank you Jon for all your hard work during the London show and for making everyone so welcome especially me after the drive from Pershore. We will be back to support you again next year.
Thank you Jon for the sterling effort not only in running the show but also in posting over 50 excellent images very shortly after the show was over when, as you say you were getting everything else sorted out.
SUPERB SERIES OF IMAGES
Magnificent photo essay Jon ... many congratulations.
Corydalis 'Blue Heron'
One that specially caught my eye from Ray Drew, an absolute stunner.
If I'm not mistaken, this got a certificate of merit, more than can be said of my photographs.
Alongside another picture of his Anemonella thalictriodes fm Rosea
I never tire of any plant named after or introduced by Pere David Armand.
Here is Colin and Elaine Barr's Fritillaria davidii
Finishing with Cecilia's superb Epimedium davidii.
Sorry, one more as I notice the Farrer is missing from this chain.
Again Cecilia's, although this picture taken on the second day probably fails to do it justice.
Personally, for me the Epimedium would have got my vote, I always wish I knew what the close seconds were.
Well done Cecilia, in either case, and well done to everyone involved in keeping this show going.