The gardens never stand still and plans are already afoot for a large alpine house to be built not far from the site of the show hall. Presently, the Alpine collection is housed ‘out the back’, from which the Rosemoor Nursery Team created a non-competitive display which gained them a Silver Award.

The Otter Trophy, for the best exhibit in the Novice section was won by Alistair Hudson, a relatively local Exonian, with a fine plant of Myosotis pulvinaris , a cushion forget-me-not from the Southern Island of New Zealand, a good-sized plant for the Novice section with no signs of any die-back sometimes associated with the species.

Alistair also showed a lovely plant of Hepatica japonica var. pubescens amongst his Dartington Trophy winning plants, awarded for the Novice section aggregate.

Andrew Ward is no stranger to shows but today saw his first AGS award for his 6-pan entry in the Intermediate section. Among his entry was a good-sized plant of Iris lutescens, with 6, well flowered stems with an equal number waiting to open. It takes a little bit of courage to stage a 6-pan exhibit, as one plant can let the whole thing down, making five potential winning plants into the equivalents of five ‘2nds’. This entry, along with several others, gained Andrew the Dartmoor Trophy for the Intermediate section aggregate.

The best plant in the Intermediate section was awarded to a well filled potful of Tecophilaea cyanocrocus, shown by Jim Loring. For many, it’s love at first sight, with its unique deep gentian blue flowers. A plant once thought extinct in the wild due to over-collecting by our Victorian predecessors has now been rediscovered in reasonable quantities. Readily grown in a gritty, well-drained compost in the Alpine house or, if you’re lucky, outside in a sheltered spot in southerly climes. Not content with showing his talents with this plant, Jim was also awarded a Certificate of Merit for a more floriferous slightly larger specimen elsewhere in the show.

Several other Certificates of Merit were awarded, showing the quality of the plants exhibited. A huge plant (and ridiculously heavy – I carried it!) of Saxifraga ‘Allendale Charm’, shown by Mark Childerhouse, is no stranger to AGS shows. A serial winner at numerous shows in the past was well deserving of its acknowledgement. (Incidentally, Mark lives in Brigg, a mere 6hrs drive away!)

Unsurprisingly, the Saxifragaceae, especially Saxifrages featured quite heavily at the show and it was a plant of Saxifraga ‘Bohemian Paradise’ which beat a whole host of other almost-worthy exhibits to the East Devon Trophy, awarded to the best plant in a pot not exceeding 19cm, shown by Duncan Bennett, a well-known exponent of the genus. With a parentage of S. cinerea x S. columnaris, something special should have been expected. Created by Karl Lang in 2009 this plant is notable for its huge soft pink flowers over a tight dark, grey/green cushion. Duncan grows this, and other similar plants in a mix of 50/50 sharp grit and JI No1, kept under glass with the occasional weak, high Potash feed, given monthly.

Another family well-represented at this show is the Primulaceae, for which the Peter Edwards Memorial Trophy is awarded for the most First Prize points awarded in Primulaceae classes; this challenges the maths of the judging co-ordinator, especially when a tie for first place points calls for a re-count to include second places. After the abacus was put away, it had been calculated that the award had been won by Paul and Gill Ranson from Chippenham.

The violet family will be familiar to most if not everybody reading this report but it may not be so well known that it harbours a number of somewhat tricky to cultivate members amongst its legion, Viola spathulata is one such example. Native to the Elburz mountains of Iran, clinging to almost vertical cliff faces, pushing it roots deep into cracks where it finds purchase and moisture; this alone tells you that it’s going to be quite demanding in cultivation. Add to this it’s almost magnetic attraction for greenfly and you have the ‘perfect storm’ to deal with.

The plant shown by Dot Sample, receiving a Certificate of Merit, showed no evidence of greenfly damage or the ever-present danger of over watering which too often accompanies this plant. Grown in a mix of sharp grit, pumice and JI No3. Repotting is only done when flowering seems to diminish, otherwise weak feeds of Maxicrop or Miraclegrow are administered on an ad hoc basis.

Calanthe discolor x tricarinata exhibited by Ian Robertson

The Graham Lovell Trophy is awarded to the best pan of Orchidaceae at the show and is named in honour of a sadly departed local member known for his prowess with the family. The show often hosts a myriad of Pleiones to choose from but the exhibit of Calanthe discolor x tricarinata stood out from the other offerings. The pristine yellow and rose-coloured flowers were immaculate, as was the foliage; all too often, nasty black ‘spots’ appear on both. Grown by Ian Robertson, the plant shown was cultivated in a sharp-draining mix of bark, perlite and composted soil, which is repotted very infrequently. It stands on capillary matting which is never allowed to dry out and fed with ¼ strength Tomorite when thought necessary.

The last of the Certificates of Merit went to a plant of Narcissus triandrus x fernandesii, shown by Rannveig and Bob Wallis, a chance seedling from a concolorous form of N. triandrus was found to be both generous in multiplication and extremely attractive. The plant was shown unnamed but I am reliably informed that it will be called ‘Llaeth’ (pronounced Clyth) which means milk in Welsh, fitting for the colouration of the flowers.  Rannveig and Bob were also awarded the Veitch Trophy for three pans of bulbous plants and an AGS medal for Class 51 – 6 pans rock plant, (not more than 2 of any one genus) which helped contribute to the Exeter Trophy for the Open Section aggregate.

The premier award at any show is the Farrer Medal, awarded to the best plant in the show that has attained the required standard – no problem with the qualifier here as John Dixon’s exquisite plant of Dionysia esfandiarii SLIZE259 fit the bill perfectly. Presented as if plucked from nature, with the cushion set on a coarse outcrop, with the cushion following the contours of the rock. This large plant had a good number of flowers (the species can be shy flowering) of the typical violet/pink, relatively large flowers, originating from material collected in 1988 in the Zagros mountains of Iran.

Finishing on a somewhat sad note, this is the last South West Show to be held under the stewardship of Kana and Jonathan Webster at RHS Rosemoor. They have, since 2017, brought Alpine plants to the general gardening public visiting the gardens. An easily assumed misconception is that a team of RHS employees put the show together, with Jon supervising from a distance but that is far from the case. Kana and Jon put the tables up, covered them and set out the show, all with an ever-diminishing band of local members, so much thanks should follow them into a well-earned retirement from the Show Secretary ranks. The show will relocate, under new stewardship next season.

Reporter: Ray Drew
Photographer: Jon Evans