AGS East Lancs Show 2025

RHS Bridgewater Garden

We arrived on Friday afternoon with enough time to explore the new RHS garden at Bridgewater.  It certainly whetted our appetite, with some wonderful plantings, but is still definitely work in progress.

East Lancs AGS Show

The next morning we arrived at the show early, to everyone’s astonishment.  I have never visited the East Lancs show before, but had decided that I wanted to catch up with many old friends, who do not travel as far afield now as they did before CoVid.  I was not disappointed, meeting up with a number of exhibitors I have not seen for several years.

However, I hadn’t anticipated the size and weight of the pots in the large pan classes of the Open section.  This was familiar five years ago, but times have changed; I was going to have to work hard to photograph all the best plants.

Before I could start photographing the entries, there was judging to be done; for me, this was a chance to take some views of the show benches.

Promotional Display by the East Lancs AGS Group

At one end of the show hall, there was a display by the East Lancs AGS Group, featuring some lovely photos.  This was judged worthy of a Gold Award.  I believe this display was organised by my old friend John Dower, and that the photos were taken mainly by himself, and by his close friend Cliff Booker.

Display of Bonsai

In another corner, there was a display of exceptional bonsai, exhibited by a master of the craft, Tony Tickle.  It was disappointing to see this given only a Bronze Award.  I particularly liked the use of model figures in some of the exhibits, including Alice looking up at a Cheshire Cat hiding in the branches of one of the trees.

Display of Pencil Drawings

The final exhibit was a display of Pencil Drawings by Peter Barlass.  This wasn’t judged, but included some superb landscape drawings.  I photographed them in situ, rather than moving them one by one, and had dreadful trouble with reflections if I got the camera anywhere near perpendicular to the frame glass, so I’m afraid this low angle is the best I could do.

By now, I was hankering to make a start – there were some wonderful plants to photograph.  I borrowed a table from Robert Potterton, and started to set my gear up.  Although it was a lovely warm spring day, there was a hint of a breeze outside.  That is always a trial when taking photos, so in the end I put the table into a corridor where I was a little in the way, but had daylight on one side.

Athyrium nipponicum var pictum

There were no entries in the Novice section, but lots to choose from in the Intermediate section.  I began with this fern from Anita and Mike Acton – it is an attractive one I always like.  Congratulations to Anita and Mike on their first Silver Bar.

Athyrium nipponicum var pictum

Later on in the day, I photographed another specimen of the same fern, exhibited by my old friends Brian and Shelagh Smethurst, and displaying even more clearly the markings which make it so attractive.

Calanthe cultivar

Tony Hollingworth won the Intermediate Orchidaceae class with a Calanthe he was hoping one of the judges or other exhibitors could name.  Sadly, I think no-one could help.

The bright green sepals and petals might suggest the presence of C. tricarinata in its ancestry, but orchids have been hybridized for a long time and even an expert might struggle to put a name to the plant.

Sarcocapnos enneaphylla

I was delighted to find Sarcocapnos enneaphylla in the Intermediate section, exhibited by show secretary Alan Elwell.  I haven’t seen this little member of the poppy family on the show bench for a long time.

Trillium kurabayashii

Lew Clark exhibited a fine pan of a very short form of Trillium kurabayashii.

Soldanella hungarica

However, the Merlewood Trophy for the best plant in the Intermediate section went to Frank Dobson for this lovely pan of Soldanella hungarica.

Verbascum dumulosum

Despite strong competition from Anita and Mike Acton, and from Andrew Ward, the Mona Knowles Trophy for the Intermediate section aggregate went to Frank.  This is another of his plants.

Iberis sempervirens ‘Fischbeck’

James Watson exhibited an attractive pot of Iberis sempervirens.

Rhododendron ‘Snipe’

James also had a pretty little plant of Rhododendron ‘Snipe’.

Rhododendron ‘Wren’

Having walked past it all day, the last plant I photographed at the show was Tony Hollingworth’s Rhododendron ‘Wren’.

Daphne x susannae ‘Tichborne’

Turning to the Open section, but keeping to the small pan classes for now, Edward Barraclough had a good dome of the violet Daphne x. susannae ‘Tichborne’, one of Robin White’s cultivars from the cross between D. arbuscula and D. collina.

Cassiope selaginoides

Also from Edward, and something I haven’t photographed for a while, was this little Cassiope.  He protested that there were better specimens elsewhere in the hall, but this one made a good subject.

Cassiope selaginoides LS&E 13284

Later on, I did photograph this collected clone of the Cassiope, exhibited by John Dixon, but to be honest, I was just as pleased with the photos of the first one.

Cassiope wardii

This is a species we don’t often see, difficult to grow and difficult to propagate, so it was good to see a small specimen exhibited by Cliff Booker.

Vaccinium vitis-idaea var minus

One more Ericaceae, a tiny and charming form of the cowberry, exhibited by Chris Lilley.

Salix reticulata dwarf form

Brian Burrow exhibited several little willows, but this immaculate dwarf form of Salix reticulata was the one which caught my eye.

Stellaria roughii

Now a plant I have never seen before, also from Brian Burrow.  This little chickweed comes from high alpine screes in the Southern Alps in New Zealand.

Primula allionii x carniolica x albenensis

Brian is a Primula specialist, and this complicated cross is a plant he has grown and exhibited for several years.

Primula farinosa

My final plant from Brian Burrow is the true Primula farinosa, not Primula frondosa which is often sold and exhibited under that name.

Pulsatilla rubra subsp hispanica

This is the darkest purple form of Pulsatilla rubra, endemic to the Picos de Europa in Spain.  I grew it once, for five or six years, in a crevice garden trough, but it never set viable seed, and eventually died.  But it is a fabulous thing, and I was delighted to see it exhibited by John & Clare Dower.

Gentiana clusii violacea

This unusual form of Gentiana clusii looked rather curious under artificial lighting in the hall, but it was lovely when I brought it out into daylight.

Erigeron aureus ‘Canary Bird’

Another plant I haven’t photographed for a while, exhibited here by Michael Wilson.

Three small pans of rock plants distinct native to any one continent

At this show, there is a special trophy, the Leander Trophy, for the best small three pan exhibit.  In this case, the two main contenders were both exhibited by Mark Childerhouse, and this is the winner.  From the back, his plants were:

• Androsace hirtella
• Saxifraga pubescens subsp iratiana
• Saxifraga spruneri

Six small pans of rock plants

Don Peace won the Grainger Trophy for the Open section Aggregate, with 17 points, six of which came from his entry for six small pans of rock plants, which won the AGS Medal.  Don’s plants included:

• Hyacinthoides mauritanica subsp vincentina VH702
• Androsace cylindrica x hirtella

Uvularia perfoliata

The competition was too strong for my Uvularia, but I thought it looked attractive on the bench, and I was glad I had brought it.

Mukdenia rossii ‘Shishiba’

Tommy Anderson (it was good to see him again) staged a fabulous pan of Mukdenia rossii ‘Shishiba’ – I couldn’t taking close-ups of it.

Ramonda nathaliae JCA 686

Peter Farkasch had a small neat plant of this lovely form of Ramonda nathaliae, which won several Farrer medals for Ivan Pinnick.

Calanthe cultivar

In the Open section class for Orchidaceae, there was another unnamed Calanthe cultivar, this time exhibited by Norman Davies.

Cypripedium Emil gx

The Calanthe lost out to Don Peace’s Cypripedium Emil gx.

Pleione El Pico gx

Don Peace still had some great pans of Pleione, including this large pan.

Pleione Shasta

But my favourite Pleione was this small pan from Don’s small six-pan exhibit, still in perfect condition two weeks after I photographed it at the Midland show.  Maybe it isn’t the same pan; certainly there are only 7 flowers rather than 8, but Don may have taken one off / out if it was looking tired.

Clematis ‘Emerald Dream’

Brenda Nickels exhibited this beautiful Clematis in the class for a plant native to the Southern Hemisphere.  Sadly it was disqualified (not according to schedule), as it is a cultivated hybrid.

Primula sieboldii

Another plant which sadly didn’t find favour with the judges was this lovely violet Primula sieboldii exhibited by Carol Kellett.

Haberlea rhodopensis virginalis

Carol still needed one first for her first Gold Bar.  Fortunately, she won the class for three pans of Crassulaceae, and the Miniature garden class.  But my favourite exhibit from her (also the lightest !) was this white Haberlea.  Together, these first brought her the Jeanne Finch Memorial Trophy for the most first points by an East Lancs member.

Lewisia cotyledon

Bob Worsley exhibited a rather nice pink form of Lewisia cotyledon, which I liked rather better than the orange one I photographed last time.

Saxifraga pubescens ‘Snowcap’

I am turning now to the heavyweight classes and exhibits.  Brenda Nickels won a Certificate of Merit with this lovely saxifrage, and reached her Gold Medal.

Ranunculus amplexicaulis

Chris Lilley won the Jim Lever Memorial Trophy for the best pan of Ranunculaceae, with this fine specimen of Ranunculus amplexicaulis.

Iris subbiflora

Chris Lilley garnered some rude comments from me about this lovely plant, for which I have subsequently apologized.  It was one of the last pots I carried, and unexpectedly heavy (possibly the heaviest of the day), at a point when I was already exhausted – it was the straw which nearly broke the camel’s back.  Fortunately, Chris attained his fifth Gold Bar, so the first for bringing this plant was worth it.  He tells me he has now put some of his plants out to pasture in his allotment.  I rather hope we might see this one again.

Paris quadrifolia

Peter Hood exhibited a huge pot of Paris quadrifolia, which won a Certificate of Merit, but fortunately it was not quite as heavy as it looked, or I would have left it on the bench and photographed it there.

Androsace studiosorum

Geoff Rollinson exhibited a beautiful plant of Androsace studiosorum, in a form that looks a lot like the one which used to be called ‘Doksa’.

Androsace studiosorum

This plant was exhibited by Frank and Barbara Hoyle as Androsace sp. but the judges felt it was probably Androsace studiosorum.  It was second in its class – I think the only plant Frank brought which didn’t win – but received a Certificate of Merit from the judges.

Primula henrici

Another monster from Frank and Barbara Hoyle.  I thought this was a fabulous exhibit, but the judges said it had been better in previous years, and didn’t award a Certificate of Merit.  Some judges dislike it when the older flowers have darkened in colour to produce this two-tone effect.

Three large pans of Rock Plants

Next we come to Frank and Barbara Hoyle’s entry for the class for three large pans of rock plants.  What an astonishing group !

Draba ‘John Saxton’

The first of the three-pan entry was this large and frothy pan of Draba, which received a Certificate of Merit.

Hymenoxys acaulis hybrid

The Hymenoxys at the front of the entry also received a Certificate of Merit.  This is a hybrid seedling which appeared in Frank’s sand plunge.  One parent is presumed to be Hymenoxys acaulis, but Frank is uncertain about the other.

Androsace villosa GFS

The third plant in the three-pan entry was Frank’s specimen of Androsace villosa GFS.  I assume this means this is the same clone as John Dixon’s plant, which won the Farrer medal the previous week at Cleveland.

Androsace villosa GFS73

John Dixon’s specimen was also here, but I have (carried and) photographed it several times in the last couple of years, and decided to be content with a shot on the show bench.

Androsace villosa group

But the daddy of them all was this pan of Androsace from Frank and Barbara Hoyle, which won the Farrer medal.  Don’s picture of Frank with the plant gives you some idea of the size of it.

This is the plant which won Frank and Barbara the Farrer medal at Hexham last year, when Frank exhibited it as subsp. koso-poljanskii.  But several other experts suggested that it was not like the form they grew under that name, so Frank exhibited it this year as Androsace sp., and the judges settled on Androsace villosa group.

Well, I was just about exhausted, but I had had a wonderful time.  I spent a good part of it catching up with old friends among the exhibitors, and making new friends among the members of the local groups.

Thanks to show secretary Alan Elwell for organising such a terrific show, and to all the local group members for their hard work, particularly the ladies who kept me supplied with sandwiches and tea.  Thanks also to the judges and stewards, and to the exhibitors who brought a fantastic selection of plants, and reminded me of what the shows used to be like.  And finally, thanks to Robert Potterton for the loan of his table – I hope you feel I put it to good use.