Alpines for the Enthusiast: AGS Loughborough Autumn Show

Loughborough autumn show and a resurrection of the blog! I'll be generous with images, short on words as that's the only way this is going to happen, In general it's the pictures you want to see too! Apologies where exhibitor's plants are missing too!

Here's the Farrer medal plant - Sternbergia sicula, courtesy of Bob and Rannveig Wallis.

Closely contested by the best Cyclamen - this mighty exhibit of Cyclamen graecum subsp anatolicum from Martyn Denny,

A couple of Certificates of merit.... Firstly Colchicum alpinum (Jim Mcgregor)

Secondly, Oxalis perdicaria 'Citrino' (Keith and Rachel Lever)

Another impressive Sternbergia sicula (Ian Robertson)

Aruncus aethusifolius - how about that for Autumn colour!

A splash of silver from Lupinus lepidus.

And a silver orientated 'arrangement' (Anne Vale)

Autumn show means Autumn Gentians and these three were my pick of the bunch....

Utterly adorable - Gentiana farreri 'Silken Star group' (Keith and Rachel Lever) whichever way you look at it?

A Gentiana sino ornata hybrid (Anne Vale)

And Gentiana 'Braemar' (David Boyd)

Autumn shows also mean berries (or fruits cones etc...) The trophy for best best pan in cone seed or fruit or autumn coloured foliage went to this mouthwatering (hmm not sure I'd eat the berries though?) pan of Gaultheria crassa 'John Saxton' (Keith and Rachel Lever)

Then there's Gaultheria mucronata 'Mother of Pearl'

And how about this Aussie 'bowl of oranges' from Harry Roberts? Ground cover believe it or not!

Nertera granadensis 'Astrid'

A trio of Crocus... Starting with Crocus goulimyi.

Crocus kotschyanus.

And the mouth watering blooms of Crocus mathewii

Colchicums aplenty including the sumptuous goblets of Colchicum speciosum album

Cleaning up on the prizes in the Novice section was this Colchicum autumnale album for Andrew ward (best plant and best bulbous plant)

And how about this gorgeous pink Colchicum cupanii ssp glossophyllum

Petrocosmea are popular plants nowadays and here's a trio to whet your appetite?

Petrocosmea aff lodioides

Petrocosmea forrestii

Petrocosmea minor

Plenty of Cyclamen of course and despite the smallest of flowers, Cyclamen intaminatum can pack a punch when covered like this (Robert Amos)

The beauty of Cyclamen graecum is often in the foliage and the densely flowers pans can obscure the beauty of the leaves (goodness me, isn't that terrible). Here's some good examples of the variation!