Mid West (Tewkesbury) AGS show

Plant images from Mid West (Tewkesbury) Show where the big talking point of the day was the heat (topping 30'C!!)!  The very wise decision for an 'early finish', I think met with unanimous approval!

Lots of interesting plants in the show,over 360 of them in fact!  A general view of the show....

Helichrysum plumaceus was voted the best plant in show and Farrer medal for show secretary Eric Jarrett

And here's Eric!

Campanula asperuloides, shown by Paul and Gill Ranson was a worthy Certificate of Merit winner

Both 6 pan AGS medal classes were won by Cecilia Coller who not surprisingly took the Hilliard Cup for the most 1st prize points in the open section!  Here's Class 1....

following by the small 19cm pan class

The Frank Badrick memorial trophy, a three pan bulbous class distinct class, was won by Bob and Rannveig Wallis.

Note the amazing flowers of Calochortus clavatus subsp recurvifolius - crying out for a close up image!

The weirdest plant (Glebelands trophy) was awarded to Saxifraga fortunei 'Mt Nachi', shown by Lee and Julie Martin

Three more Certificates of Merit were awarded, Alan Newton staged a plant labelled Ledebouriana cooperi. Ian and Maggie Young via the discussion forum pointed out this name was incorrect, although opinion divided as to what! Either L.ovalifolia or L. sandersonii??  

Asyneuma pulvinatum, an amazing cushion from Eric Jarrett

And 'South Africa' specialist George Elder's Androcymbium striatum

George also showed Pelargonium auritum ssp carneum, seen in close up here

Silene acaulis 'Mt Snowdon' was judged the best plant in the Novice section winning the Wessex water trophy

Alstroemeria hookeri is one of best diminutive species of the genus and this well coloured clone was staged by Lee andf Julie Martin

Campanulas were as usual at a Summer show, present in good numbers and here's a few representative, ever popular species.

Campanula fragilis shown by Cecilia Coller

Campanula hercegovina nana shown by Ivor Betteridge

Campanula rotundifolia subsp arctica 'Mt Jutenheimen' (now that needs a big label!) shown by Martin Rogerson

Campanula Maie Blyth shown by Ian Sharpe

And finally, Campanula Blithe Spirit shown by Dot Sample

Nice to see a couple of Primulaceae putting in an aqppearance!

Cyclamen purpurascens shown by Alan and Janet Cook

Primula tibetica shown by Lionel Clarkson

This excellent Teucrium ackermannii was also grown by Lionel

Two North American gems shown by Graham Nicholls in the seed raised 'three pan' class

Gilia caespitosa

Epilobium rigidum

How about this sumptuous pan of Ourisia 'Cliftonville Roset' 

Or Ourisia microphylla alba, both shown by Eric

Part of a well established pan of Sarmienta repens grown by Cecilia Coller

And the superb dwarf Tritelia laxa 'Dexter' also from Cecilia

What a fantastic range of high summer flowering plants!!

Blackpool AGS Show

A general view of the show as show secretary Lionel Clarkson surveys the scene....

Let judging commence!  A picture of concentration :-)

Cyclamen alpinum forma leucanthum

Best in Show and worthy winner of a Forrest medal was this pan of  Cyclamen alpinum forma leucanthum grown by Dave Riley. A wonderful flat topped floriferous achievement!

The Duncan Lowe award went to Robert Rolfe, his Fritillaria aurea was judged the best exhibit in a 19cm pot.

Stella and David Rankin won the Narcissus Salver with this fine panful of Narcissus jacetanus.

The 'smallest' trophy winner on view.... Androsace ochotensis.... from Geoff Rollinson

Voted the best foliage plant (Kirby cup) Helichrysum pagophilum exhibited by Frank and Barbara Hoyle

A well established pan of Callianthemum kernerianum shown by Lionel Clarkson

Primulas were much in evidence as ever. A superb large pan of this slow growing 'favourite' - Primula 'Joan Hughes', grown by Martin Rogerson and worthy Certificate of Merit winner!

Brian Burrow brought a lovely range of seed raised P. allionii. Primula allionii BB 01/5/1 was particularly eye-catching.

And Primula allionii x marginata BB 08 25 4 from Brian, as dark a hybrid as they come!

Quite a number of petiolarid Primulas were on show, including  Primula 'Arduaine' grown by Don Peace.

 A tastefully top dressed pan of  Primula sessilis, exhibited by Margaret and Henry Taylor

Primula nana x sessilis - Another fine pan from the Taylors

One of Alan Oatway's red sticker plants - Primula 'Tantallon' -  helping him to achieve the Novice section aggregate

A large long tom ensured this showy Iris rosenbachiana 'Harangon' stood head and shoulders above other exhibits. The judges were impressed too and ensured Sam Sutherland received a certificate of merit.

Iris aucheri 'Olof'  A closer look at the flowers of this former 'Shooting Star' with the darkest of dark purple flowers - exhibited  by Fred and Pat Bundy.

Another fine pan from Ivor Betteridge - Iris svetlanae

A nice potful of Iris reticulata 'White Caucasus' from Robert Rolfe

The cold weather meant snowdrops were still very much in evidence. Don Peace would normally have taken  Galanthus plicatus 'Sophie North' to South Wales a month earlier in a 'normal' year.

Another fine potful - Galanthus ikariae, from Don Peace

John Richards brought a couple of pans of Galanthus. This ebay money spinner Galanthus woronowii 'Elizabeth Harrison' is rather attractive and the only known 'yellow' representative of this species.

Another new diminutive 'spiky' Galanthus nivalis 'Mini Muffin' exhibited by John Richards

A close up of Galanthus 'Penelope Ann' shown by Pat and Fred Bundy

A couple of Crocus fine crocus specimens. Plenty of flower power with Crocus kosaninii grown by Alan Furness

 Crocus cvijicii was one of open section aggregate winner Ivor Betteridge's excellent range of plants

Les brown's eye-catching specimen of Corydalis integra

Diane Clement's pan of Colchicum szovitsii - opening pale pink.

One of the most popular genera on the nursery stands was Hepatica. Hepatica japonica 'Orihime'  nd the following plant were from Della Kerr's lovely three pan exhibit.

 Hepatica japonica 'Shirayuki' Lovely low growing plants covered in double flowers.

Derek Pickard ensured some of the 'older' established Dionysia species, such as Dionysia lamingtonii were still being grown to a high standard

Along with the relatively new introductions like Dionysia termeana, again from Derek

Dionysia 'Tess' exhibited by Tony Stanley, who took the Intermediate section aggregate

Not a bad assembly given recent weather conditions!