Encouragingly, there was a relatively strong Novice Section. The pick of this was not one plant but a collection. Phillip Webdale exhibited a delightful miniature garden that included, inter alia, several Saxifraga and Sempervivum.

Most points in the Novice Section, though, went to show secretary Peter Lyle.

It is always good to see individuals who are only able to exhibit at their local national show meeting with success, and so I was always pleased to see Diane Blyth triumphing once again with her six vases of Daphnes in the cut flowers class.

Ordinarily at a show, it is a flowering species that represents the standout plants. Today, though, it was the ferns. Two Certificates of Merit were awarded to these woodland plants, both exhibited by Don Peace. One of these will be familiar to regular readers of these reports, as Myriopteris yatskievychiana has won numerous accolades this year. The judges were in two minds about awarding this plant a Certificate. Not because there was debate over its worth, but because some were of the view that perhaps there are only so many times a plant should receive one! The decision fell to judging coordinator, Diane Clement, who voted (correctly, in my view) in favour, as Don had kept the plant in remarkable condition throughout the different phases of its annual growth cycle.

The second fern to receive a Certificate of Merit was Pyrrosia drakeana, a plant that can be found growing high in the Chinese mountains. Don had two of these on the show bench; both went up for consideration; and the judges ended up asking Don which he thought the best!

All these plants meant that the judges were spoilt for choice when it came to the Barbara Tingey Trophy for best fern, eventually opting for Don’s (yes, him again!) Woodsia polystichoides. Another Asian native, this plant performs just as well in the garden as it does in a pot and provided that it is kept well-watered, seems to tolerate more sun than most ferns.

Not content with all these prizes, Don also went home with a third Certificate of Merit, this time for Cypripedium parviflorum ssp parviflorum. All these awards resulted in Don achieving his 40^th(!) Gold Bar (awarded for every 50 firsts in the open section) and, unsurprisingly, the Norfolk Trophy for most points in the Open Section.

There was much debate over the cacti that were exhibited by Steve Clements. Again there was no doubting the quality of the plants – his three large Rebutia were some of the best I have seen at an AGS show – but this time the discussion was over their suitability. When it comes to alpines for shows, a key criterion is their hardiness, i.e. can they survive a typical British winter? For certain species, Rebutia and other cacti being notable examples, there seems to be a growing mismatch between what horticultural websites say the hardiness is and growers’ own experiences. This is a challenge that will perhaps become more frequent for our judges in the age of climate change.

Inverse to cacti, there is no doubting the place of Androsace on the show bench but at this show at least, they are not as common as they once were. This is a great shame because they are one of the most diverse species of alpines. I recall at previous East Anglia shows Alan Newton exhibiting three A. vandellii, a white-flowering cushion, that he grew vertically in slates that were placed in a half-broken pot. In contrast, Martin Rogerson’s A. studiosorum ‘Conwy Jewel’ is more mat-forming and produces bright pink carousels of flowers.

Allium is another genus that shows remarkable diversity and it is the globular species on display in Norfolk that particularly appeal to me. Andrew Ward’s Allium karataviense ‘Ivory Queen’ was perhaps the best on the day, and contributed to his award for most points in the Intermediate Section.

Two plants on the show bench were reminiscent of the Society’s medal-winning displays at Chelsea. The first was Paris quadrifolia exhibited by Neil Hubbard, a plant that can be found in woodlands throughout temperate regions, including in the UK.

Second, was Michael Sullivan’s Saxifraga ‘Southside Red’. Another of the Southsides – Southside Seedling – was the centrepiece of our 2025 Chelsea exhibit and had a claim to be one of the most photographed plants in the pavilion! It surprised many visitors to know that these plants will happily grow in the garden as long as, like all alpines, they have very well-drained soil.

AGS shows can be long days but it is always worth arriving early not only so that you can get the pick of the plants on the nursery stalls, but also observe the exhibitors umming and ahhing over their staging. Diane Clement had a moment of trepidation when she removed the supporting canes from her eye-catching Paeonia peregrina, which had been raised from seed sown in 2018.

Far less nerve-wracking but infinitely more tedious was the meticulous task undertaken by Martin Rogerson of removing fading flowers from his Lewisia cotyledon. In my experience, as soon as you think you are done you spot another one!

Lewisias are excellent plants for people who are new to showing. As long as the centre of the plant is kept free from water, they are very easy to grow and can usually be found in flower throughout the spring show season. Also underscoring the value of easier alpines for exhibitors, are East Anglia’s final Certificate of Merit and Farrer Medal for Best in Show, both of which went to Gemma Hayes. The former was awarded to Oreocharis speciosa x aurantiaca, while the latter went to Rhodiola saxifragoides. May seems to be peak time for Crassulaceae and the Rhodiola was undoubtedly a worthy winner. It was also the first of what I am sure will be many of the Society’s premier show awards for Gemma.

Reporter: Rob Amos
Photographer: Jon Evans