Southport 16th August

Having failed to get to three shows on the first weekend of the season through lack of flowers, it was a relief to take a few to Southport, though I had nothing that could be called better than average. The weather forecast got it badly wrong, forecasting storms on Tuesday. So I cut on Tuesday and we had a heatwave. Come Wednesday morning, six of my Dixon had gone over with at least one floret gone on the bottom. Similar fate for Euodie and one of the Golden Fringed. Worse was to come as some went over at the show which is always irritating.

In the end I couldn't go into as many classes as I wanted and just put in a few poor entries, I somehow managed a second and a third but didn't really deserve anything. Entries were down on previous years, but at least those exhibiting put on a show for the public. The season is so late that many growers were unable to compete.

Peter Forrow from Chesterfield had a field day with eight firsts, possibly a Southport record. I was very pleased for him and delighted that he was able to include in four of his winning exhibits some glads that I had bred and sent to him two years ago. In their first year with him they didn't do very well but this year from larger corms they produced good results.

                                                           

Michelle Nouvelle

In the six class, Peter included two of my new primulinus Michelle Nouvelle which were very clean, well grown and proved popular with those growers and judges present. . The colour is a difficult one to define, a sort of dusky pink. Nigel Coe who does the list of cultivars for the BGS, decided in the end that it was actually a smokey despite not having any brown in it.

Susie Plum

In the single prim class there were seven entries, including Inchkeith bred by Keith Brand and several Little Jude bred by Trevor Fawcett. Peter took first place with Susie Plum, another new one bred by me, which he had grown very well and was just right at judging time.

I was delighted with these results but even more pleased when in the three prims class Peter used three of my new ones to win the class.

Kathryn, Sally's Orange 2, Susie Plum

These results by someone else growing your corms are very satisfying. Peter went on to win almost everything in sight and deservedly so. He showed one of the best Sophie I have seen for a while and some nice Snazzy plus his favourite Lady Penelope. A great achievement in a season where many growers have yet to put a flower on the show bench. If you breed flowers, one of the obvious tricks is to get them out to people who can grow them really well.  Surround yourself with champions of your cause.