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The AGS Spring Show in Caerleon.

18 comments


I think Bjs adequately covered the Show in his blog but I wanted to share the photos I took. I enjoyed it very much and saw a standard of plants I can only dream of attaining. I liked the way this exhibitor labelled his exhibit. I was able to see it clearly.

I thought this iris looked familiar with that distinctive green stripe down the back and found mine have been blooming while I was on holiday.

Who could resist these crocus

Bjs showed two of a group of three wild orchids. I thought they were stunning too, especially this pink/red one.

The tallest one had the smallest flowers. I thought I would show it as it was cut off in Bjs’s photo.

I know Pcw has a real soft spot for these


This strange green Freesia viridis I had never seen or heard of before. I googled it and find it may well release its scent at night.

Corydalis are lovely and the two below were beautiful.

I loved this Eranthis, pity the labelling was not as good as in my first photo. One is not allowed to touch exhibits and getting photos is hard enough without having to take a second one of the name.


I think this is a Fritillaria stenanthera. I think a better developed one was shown at the Harlow Show (blog by Pcw)


It was fitting that there was a good sprinkling of plants with Scottish connections. The Scots Rugby players were down in Cardiff that day. Arduaine is an NTS garden on the west coast of Scotland.

The Galanthus ‘Sophie North’ was much in evidence with pots of it in several classes. Other visitors I spoke to were very enthusiastic about it and were frustrated that it is difficult to get a hold of. I spoke to Dr Evelyn Stevens who found it in her garden shortly after the tragic Dunblane massacre and named it for the daughter of a family friend. She was delighted to hear that it is being well received and that the children and their teacher are not forgotten.

The last photo is of another Galanthus new to me. I checked it out on the ’Judy’s Snowdrops’ website and could not decide if it could be ‘Trumpolute’ which is an elwesii x plicatus ‘Trym. I would be pleased to know what it is exactly.

I was very good and only spent a few pounds buying a couple of second hand books on Androsace and Saxifrages. I also bought this mini Erythronium ’Margaret Mathew’. At only 15-20cms tall it should do well in my new rockery. The label described it as a lovely woodland plant with beautifully marbled foliage. Loose spikes of pendant, reflexed creamy white flowers in spring and dormant from June/July. I am delighted with it.

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Comments

bjs
Bjs
 

Lovely blog Sheila shows many from a totally different angle to how i take them which makes it even more Interesting.
Just had a look in my book at Trym does not look quite right bit a problem as there are a number of seedlings from it in circulation now .
I sent you an e mail when I new you were back on line see if you can open it I had several tries at doing it.
B

6 Mar, 2016

 

I have just looked at the show photos posted in the AGS website but cannot see this particular pot of Galanthus. I had hoped I might see the name but it does not get a mention. There is one named 'Greenfinch' but it does not have the pebbles on top. I'm not a member of the AGS so presumably will not be able to ask. I wish I had paid more attention to it and got the label. I found the name 'Trumpolute' under single hybrids in Judy's Snowdrops. It is very attractive so no doubt we will see it again. Don Peace from Yarm swept the boards. It was he who had entered six pots of Sophie North. Evelyn Stevens knew he had the bulbs and was delighted to hear how well they are regarded.
I looked but cannot find any emails from you.

6 Mar, 2016

bjs
Bjs
 

Sheila
i also checked the AGS picture I have some quite clear pictures in front of me and would not like to guess could be any of the Tryme seedlings or tryme itself.
Will try again with the video it is one Rhys sent it to Amy yesterday and worked OK.

6 Mar, 2016

 

Being almost totally ignorant of alpines I could only gasp at the beauty of these, all so well grown and presented. Great photos too - you must both have had a wonderful day. How lovely the snowdrops in the last pic are too.

6 Mar, 2016

 

Thankyou for sharing your day, so many to choose from it would be difficult to choose a favourite, I keep changing my mind each time I look at them.....

6 Mar, 2016

 

Great video Bjs. We are delighted with the progress Rhys continues to make. The venue was easy to find and not too far from the motorway Steragram and the people were very welcoming. Good news, the primulas I promised you last year which then disappeared have come back and are flowering at the moment. I think they probably need splitting and moving to a better site so I will send them when I get a chance. When it comes to alpines I am not very well informed which probably explains why Bjs said I take photos from a different perspective. He knows what he is looking at, I am trying to learn by looking more closely at some plants or looking at the overall shape of others. There are so many hybrid Galanthus that I struggle to see the differences in some of them. I would love to know what the mystery one is. Bjs gave me a show schedule so it might be worth getting in touch with the club to see if anyone can id it. Linclass it is like being let loose in a sweet shop. Its like being asked if you have a favourite child - the one at the forefront at the time is the one that gets all the attention. Fortunately as the year continues new favourites will push these aside but it is always nice to have a record to look back on.

7 Mar, 2016

bjs
Bjs
 

Shelia
I like to see things different to how I do them, my photos tend to be full on your picture of the Orchid is a good example you see what the complete plant looks like.
Pleased you were able to see Rhys his progress seems to have accelerated in the last few months.

7 Mar, 2016

 

S'gran I agree as that is what happens as the seasons pass, that is the beauty of now having our goy pages to catalogue what we have, I tend to add such blogs as this one to my favs especially if members have named the plants etc, I am useless at remembering the names so always appreciate the effort members have taken when doing a blog and its always easy to check them out when looking for info....

7 Mar, 2016

 

Bjs I was surprised to see the Primula 'Arduaine' with moss around the pot. The other one has just soil. I would imagine the moss might rot the plant. Will the grower take that off when he gets his plant home? Both plants were very similar and it must be hard to decide which is best. The labelling is one thing I do have an issue with. As you can see in the second photo it is not totally obvious which plant we are looking at but the first one is clearly identified although both labels look and are mounted in the same way. As Linclass has pointed out the way to encourage others to look at plants is by Id'ing them in the first place. I noted the talk of spelling exhibits correctly on your blog. That is something else exhibitors should be careful of. I would think there may be deductions if the spelling is not correct. Having helped set up the SRGC exhibit at Gardening Scotland I know the effort that goes in to finding the correct spelling. We had a computer which we used to check every name being placed on each plant in the exhibit before we printed off the labels.
We were delighted to see how much progress Rhys has been making. He looks such a happy wee boy. I'm sure having a wee sister to encourage him will help him a lot as she will be there for him always. Sibling support is just as important as sibling rivalry and it is sometimes hard to see the dividing line. I know from my own children and grandchildren that the younger one absorbs a lot as they learn to share experiences with each other. It is great to see them develop bonds but still be totally different form each other.

8 Mar, 2016

 

Many lovely and unusual plants. I wouldn't mind having some of them lol :)

8 Mar, 2016

 

How fantastic....some smashing photos.
I love that wild orchid

11 Mar, 2016

 

I am not sure where you are in Essex Paulspatch but the AGS do shows at Loughborough and Harlow. You have missed the Spring shows there but Loughborough will have another show in the autumn. They are well worth a visit.

11 Mar, 2016

 

Harlow is probably about 50/60 miles away, I think.

11 Mar, 2016

 

Oh dear Loughborough will probably be twice that then.

11 Mar, 2016

 

More than that. Loughborough's Leicestershire, I believe so a long long way from here.

13 Mar, 2016

 

Not such good news Paulspatch.Try googling the AGS events page you might find something closer to you.

13 Mar, 2016

 

It would appear there is a group in Rawreth in essex...only 5 or 6 miles from me but no shows, it would seem. Just a lecture on Primroses next month..ha ha.

14 Mar, 2016

 

That sounds promising. If you go along you will then find access to all the knowledge accrued by the members you meet. They will know of places to visit or more local nurseries which specialise in the plants which are of interest to you. The group will probably go on garden visits etc which would not be open to non members. Most groups allow visitors to sample their meetings before you need to commit to becoming member. The AGS is a nationwide society so you will have access to all that is offered.
If you go in to the Rawreth group website you will find a lot more than the meeting you have mentioned. The one in March will have a very interesting speaker and he will probably bring some plants along which you will not find elsewhere. In fact if you go on to Pottertons website you will be able to choose plants which he will bring along on the evening cutting out the need to pay postage.

14 Mar, 2016

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