On 6th March this year, with much rejoicing, the Ulster Show returned to its usual venue at Greenmount College, Antrim. The facilities here are ideal for a show and the campus is a delight with its display of spring flowers, shrubs and trees. Being at Greenmount this year was particularly serendipitous as it is the 85th Ulster Group Show and show secretary, Pat Crossley, was anxious that this impressive anniversary was marked by a good show.  It was indeed an excellent one with well-filled benches of good plants, a large number of visitors and busy plant stalls.

Director of Shows, Martin Rogerson, as well as overseeing proceedings with his usual aplomb also exhibited and did the recording.

Both Irish shows have recently shown a notable uptick in the number of entries in the Novice Section and the trend continued on this occasion with a healthy twenty-nine entries, due at least in part to the initiative taken by the show secretary of the Dublin group to actively encourage members to exhibit. There has been a marked improvement also in the quality of the exhibits.

One first timer, Barbara Kelso (Greenisland), won the Diamond Jubilee Award for the best pan of Ericaceae in the section with Erica x darleyensis ‘Kramer’s Rote’.

Áine Máire Ni Mhurchú (Dublin) won the C. H. Hammer Trophy for the best plant in flower in the Novice Section with a very nice Tulipa cretica ‘Hilde’, and also received the Malcolmson Cup for winning the Section aggregate, continuing her success in last year’s shows.

The improvements in the number and quality of plants in the Novice Section is a very welcome development as we need new exhibitors to compensate for the loss of veterans elsewhere. In this context I would like to mention the late lamented Liam Byrne (Dublin), the most prolific Irish exhibitor, who died last year. Liam will be missed greatly and both shows will be the poorer for his loss.

The Betty Hill Trophy for the best plant in the Intermediate Section went to Montalto Estate (Ballynahinch) for a well flowered Gentiana acaulis ‘Belvedere’.

For the best bulbous plant in the section, Triona Corcoran (Dalkey) won the award for her nice pot of Tulipa clusiana ‘Lady Jane’. Triona also won the J. A. E. Hill Trophy for winning the Section aggregate.

The Open Section with 101 entries looked very well. Unusually for Ulster there was a dearth of ericaceous plants on the benches so the award for the best Ericaceae was not awarded, nor was the award for the best plant from Australasia due to their being no candidates.

I was very taken by Martin Rogerson’s superb exhibit of three large pans of sempervivums each one of which was a red sticker plant. In retrospect I feel all three should have been considered for Certificates of Merit as it is no small achievement to produce three plants of such high quality. We tend to consider these plants as ‘easy’, and they are, but far from easy to achieve the standard of Martin’s exhibit.

Another exhibitor I would like to single out is Dave Hardy (Dromore) who on his first outing at an AGS show had to face the Open Section. Dave is the proprietor, with his wife Jules, of Esker Farm Daffodils and will, I’m sure, feature prominently at future shows. His entry in Class 12 of 3 pots of bulbous plants was impressive and won the class.

Trilliums were a very strong presence. Gordon Finch (Belfast) showed a very fine plant of T. chloropetalum with very dark, almost black flowers which was awarded a Certificate of Merit. Gordon is a passionate plantsman and will, I predict, feature strongly among the award winners at future shows.

The same could be said of Jamie Chambers (Sandycove) whose very good potful of Pleione ‘Tongariro’ also won a Certificate of Merit.

Gordon Toner is the Ulster group’s strongest exhibitor and always puts on a great show in both Ulster and Dublin. He was awarded the Phebe Anderson Trophy for his exhibit of three plants grown from seed, Class 65. His fine specimen of Trillium grandiflorum deservedly won the Garratt Cup for one pan rock plant grown from seed.

Paddy Smith (Navan) got the Cowan Trophy for his Gentiana acaulis (Class 7) and the SRGC Quaich for the best plant in a pot not exceeding 19cm, with Narcissus rupicola, grown from seed.

Gavin Moore (Dublin) received a Certificate of Merit and the Frank Walsh Cup (best bulbous) for his excellent exhibit of Trillium chloropetalum ‘Bob Gordon’; the Festival of Britain Trophy for his three pans rock plants, distinct genera, and the Cooke Cup for most first prize points in the Open Section.

I received a Certificate of Merit for my yellow flowered Anenome trullifolia, and, to my great surprise, the Farrer Medal for Ranunculus montanus ‘Molten Gold’. Surprised, because it was up against Gavin’s Trillium which I was certain would get the top award. I’m not complaining.

So it was a most successful 85th Anniversary Show and a tribute to Pat and her team for ensuring that everything ran smoothly. We now look forward to the Dublin Show on 27th April.

Reporter Billy Moore
Photographer Heather Smith