AGS/SRGC Hexham Show Report

On a wet, cloudy October morning exhibitors and judges from the AGS and SRGC gathered once again at the Auction Mart in Hexham to celebrate the many plants that are at their best in autumn. Displaying perhaps fewer entries than last year, the show benches still had plenty to keep the judges busy, and the visitors interested later in the day. Autumn-flowering gentians, cyclamen and crocuses were on show together with a good assortment of multicoloured foliage plants, shrubs, hardy cacti and ferns. Lots to see, photograph and learn about.

The Newcastle Trophy for the best plant in the Intermediate and Novice Sections went for a second year running to Michael Wilson (Wakefield), this time for a pan of Saxifraga x lhommei ‘Cecil Davies’. During the 2023 show season Michael won 26 firsts and his first Silver Bar at the Cleveland Show.

A beautifully grown potful of Crocus speciosus subsp. xantholaimos gave David Millward the chance to take home the Patricia Furness Vase for the best plant in the Open, Intermediate and Novice sections small pan classes, excluding Cyclamen. This taxon comes from northern Turkey, where it has a very narrow distribution near the Black Sea coast, on the Dranaz Pass in the Sinop Province. Here it grows in open rocky places at altitudes of about 1200m. The fragrant, light purple flowers bloom in September and October.

Other crocuses on show at Hexham were the Greek endemic Crocus goulimyi and Romanian Crocus banaticus. The latter species and its white-flowered selection ‘Snowdrift’ were included in a 6 pan exhibit by Alan Newton (Ponteland). Crocus banaticus is named after Banat, a historical province in south-western Romania, where it grows in moist meadows and open woodland.

Alan Furness won two Certificates of Merit for his seed grown Raoulia eximea and Raoulia bryoides. Both these slow-growing species were shown in long-toms, planted between small slabs of slate which created miniature crevice gardens. These do not only create the right environment for plants to grow in but also look very ornamental.

The Ewesley Salver for the best Cyclamen in a pan not exceeding 19 cm went to Derek Pickard of Stockton-on-Tees for his Cyclamen graecum.

While this species is one of the most diverse in terms of foliage, especially when it comes to plants seen in the wild, Cyclamen mirable has the most colourful leaves in the genus. This was perfectly illustrated by a specimen exhibited by Don Peace. The previous week, at Loughborough, this plant won a first prize in class 64, here at Hexham it was awarded the Millennium Trophy for the best foliage plant. A well-deserved accolade!

Another plant that made it to both shows due to the dedication of expert bulb growers Bob and Rannveig Wallis was Pterostylis coccina. When it comes to showing plants, a week can make a tremendous difference. The same specimen that was awarded a Certificate of Merit at Loughborough won the Forrest Medal, Best Plant in Show, here at Hexham. This being a Joint AGS/SRGC show, SRGC judging rules applied this time. The Wallises have been trying to grow this other-wordly-looking Australian orchid for several seasons now. According to Bob, this is the second year when the plants have bloomed so profusely. The secret is keeping the pots in a slightly moist sand-plunge during their dormancy, over summer, at the sunny end of a shady greenhouse. The bulbils are planted in a mixture of sterilized loam, perlite and home-made leafmould. Repotting takes place every two years, in June. The plants are occasionally fertilized with a half-strength solution of Tomorite. Last winter, while the top growth was damaged by frosts, some bulbils survived below zero temperatures for over a week.

As your reporter has a particular interest in this genus, I must mention petrocosmeas on display at Hexham (eight pans in several different classes). These Asian Gesneriads are now a familiar sight at AGS shows when in flower in autumn, but also in spring when they are displayed as foliage plants. The Chinese vernacular name is Stone Butterflies, which alludes to the fact that most species grow on moss-covered rocks, on limestone and tufa. They all form neat rosettes, covered by a multitude of blue flowers, reminiscent of African Violets.

Alan Newton had two forms of Petrocosmea rotundifolia, one with large flowers displaying a prominent white throat. The species used to be known as P. minor in cultivation, but that name was misapplied.

The only specimen in Class 90 (1 pan non-bulbous plant grown from seed by the exhibitor) was a two year old Rosularia elymaitica. Seldom seen in cultivation, this monocarpic Rosularia has been grown by George Young since 2005 by saving seeds after each flowering. The initial batch of seed came from a Vojtěch Holubec collection from the Zagros Mountains, Iran where it grows on limestone cliffs at around 1800m.

Despite the weather, there were many visitors throughout the day, keeping the eight nurseries that were present very busy and hopefully, very happy.

Show Reporter: Razvan Chisu
Show Photographer: Peter Maguire