May Update

Most things are now planted or sown. Because of previous calamities with chrysanthemums being ripped to shreds by winds or hammered by the heavy rains up here on the moors, I've planted these earlies in a small tunnel. the space on the left has been sown with zinnias as I'm hoping to exhibit these at Southport. 

Outside glads beds are almost all seedlings this year. The trouble when you have lots of seedlings is keeping them all labelled properly as you can see from all the canes. These are mostly 400s and 500s but there are two or three new 300s that I have about ten each of, besides what I'm bulking up in trays and pots.

In this bed pictured below the left hand side is full of 3/4/500 size seedlings that haven't yet flowered whilst the shorter space on the right, below some flowered out daffodils, contains new prim and 200 crosses that should flower this year plus some that I have bulked up.

This bed below has all my other prims on the left-hand side and my 400s and 500s on the right-hand side.

I have a lot of border carnations in pots now, most of which I have bred myself and they are almost all clove-scented.

These are trays of glads -small corms at about twelve to the tray. A couple of pots of flowered daffs at the front. Larger pots of smalls and cormlets on the floor.

These are my PFs which I hope to exhibit at some shows this year. I stopped growing them for a while as I was so keen on the borders but there aren't many border shows so I decided to grow some PFs again. This is only a 10 by 8 greenhouse so I will have to keep on top of the spraying to avoid the red spider mite.

In the larger greenhouse, yet more pots of cormlets of my most recent selected seedling glads.

And more again. Note the beverage facility.

Outside, at the back of this greenhouse I have some pots of new maiden prims that should flower for the first time this year plus yet more borders.

elsewhere there are yet more pots of cormlets:

and even more on this outdoor staging.

Finally, yet more on the other side of the 10 by 8 greenhouse.

My sweet peas are very late this year so I'm going to be using them for the September shows maybe. I haven't even sorted out the trench yet. All those other pots and trays took up a lot of time earlier in the year.

Ramsbottom Spring Show

The next day, Sunday 9th April, I was off to Ramsbottom for another show. With the same flowers, but in slightly different order, I managed to win the Championship three vases of three (see below). 

I was lucky enough to win the six class (note the leaves Andrew!)

The one Division 4 came my way with a Bala.

There were only two entries in the threesomes class and of course I was second.

The Loch Alsh and Loch Assynt did well

and the Bell Rock came second.

My two entries in the three Div 4s came first and second. Seagrave above

and Bala.

I got a third with these  Trecarra which have yet to get me a first anywhere as they are a bit rough.

There were some nice baskets

and some nice Pacific Rim from Ken Ellis.

Here are a few close-ups of some of the better blooms.

Not the biggest entry I've ever seen at Ramsbottom as the season has been an early one and some had flowered out but a fair show of daffodils. Jim Foote deservedly got the medal for the most points. Well done, Jim. I think he had something like 12 firsts to my nine.

Colne Daffodil and Spring Flower Show 8th April 2017

A week after Tottington, we had two shows in one weekend, one at Colne on the Saturday and one at Ramsbottom on the Sunday.

In the big class I staged mine (on the left here) a bit too high. The middle one of the back three did not not have a circular corona and the front right double was a bit bendy. The judge, Ian Tyler, advised me not just stick them in oasis as they tend to wang about a bit. He preferred the use of moss but of course one has to get hold of the stuff. I don't like using the real thing though there is some sort of dried alternative which I may experiment with a try dyeing it green as it's a straw colour when bought. So I didn't repeat my last year's entries where I won a lot. It was Andrew 'D'Artagnan' Clark who won the lion's share of the trophies thist time. Tom Alty, who had not been to Tottington, was a bit disappointed in the quality of his blooms, though he still won here and there. So in the first class it was Andre first, Porthos (myself) second and Dianne Mason third.

Class 2 calls for six stems shown in beer bottles. The three musketeers filled this class with D'Artagnan first, me second and Aramis (Tom) third.

Class 3 is for 5 blooms of one variety (cultivar) from any division. There were eight entries here. A bit disappointed that there weren't enough bases to go round. My Bell Rock (top left) won the day. This is a small but nicely formed Division 1 that Aramis had recommended to me. Dianne was second and D'Artagnan third.

Above is a better shot of the Bell Rock.

Class 4 is for three blooms from Divisions 1,2 and 3. I got a second here and I think Andrew was first.

Another shot of Class 4.

When it comes to the standard three bloom and one bloom classes there are always very good entries, though none of the big hitters had three Division 1s. These tend to flower earlier than the other divisions and there weren't many about this year by this time. In the three Div 2s above I managed a second in a big entry.

I was first in the three Division 3s. I have been very impressed with some of the Loch varieties and this was one that I did well with last year here as well, called Loch Assynt. I also like Loch Alsh. A similar spelling is one called Loth Lorian or Lorien which I find always has some sort of problem with 'mittens' or nicks on the edge of the petal. 

Another shot of my three Loch Assynt.

In the three doubles or Division 4s I was third with Bala or maybe Seagrave. Crowndale won which was no surprise.

Here's the three winning Crowndale.

And my three.

In the three Division 5-12 the 11bs didn't win but what looked like a Division 7 did.

In the single bloom classes I didn't get anything except a third in the specimen class. I'd used up all my best stuff in the big classes.

Above is another single bloom class.

There's always a good orchids section in the show.

And some nice tulips,

Bonsai

and more orchids.

A good range of orchids in fact.

In a good range of colours.

Aramis and Porthos seated with the victorious D'Artagnan behind.

And here he is with the trophies that I had last year. Well done, Andrew!