Tottington Spring Show 13th April 2013

This show has a good daffodil schedule and an investment in more vases meant that we were well provided for. Free grub would help but not all shows are as good as Catforth. There were some six exhibitors in all but the bulk of the exhibits were supplied by the three musketeers in the first photo: Porthos, the young D'Artagnan and Aramis of course. We didn't have bucketfuls of flowers as we can have at this time of year as the season has been so difficult and good quality blooms were at a premium. There were 53 exhibits and 100 blooms on show. Normally, we would double that at this time of the season. 

In Class 1 the Walter Lea Cup, Best Exhibit and Best Bloom went to Keith Capper for his six which were Misty Glen, Banker (best bloom) Quantum, Dust Up, Abstruse and Detector. We hope Keith will do well at Warwick next weekend with flowers of similar quality to these.

The Tom Scholes Memorial tray for the most firsts in daffodils went to Aramis, a.k.a. Tom Alty seen here with his diploma awarded for three Crowndale. Tom can always be relied upon to stage winning flowers.

I managed a diploma for these three Mission Bells

Class 2 was closely contested by Andrew Clarke and myself and I just squeaked in to win the Miniature Championship with Pacific Coast, Pixies' Sister and Sabrosa.

Close-up of Pacific Coast

Pixies' Sister

In Class 4 Tom started his series of wins with these five Pink Silk.

Tom's Pink Silk were much bigger than my five Goldfinger, showing that it is not often a good idea to grow for a second year in a pot. The central flower was nice but the others too small.

In the three Div 2s it was Tom again with his 'Tideford' (that isn't) beating Andrew's Sportsman.

Three Division 1s had to be Pink Silk this time and Tom again snaffled the pink card.

The single bloom classes were not heavily supported. Here Tom's Misty Glen won over Andrew's Sportsman and my Sealing wax.

The single Division 1 again went to Tom with his stunning Kingham, a really good flower that kept fresh for over a week.

Tom's excellent Trecarra had the edge on my Doctor Hugh  in the Division 3 class. This Doctor Hugh kept its size despite being grown for a second year in a pot.

The 'anything except 1-4 and 6' class was mysteriously won by Tom even though I staged the judge's favourite Mondragon. There is no pleasing some people.

The three Div 6s was a nice class with Andrew's Trena, a very good exhibition flower, beating my Chickadee and Crofty.

Trena did it again for the young D'Artagnan in the single bloom Div 6, beating even Rapture. I had a lot of Division 6s and put four entries in and to my surprise the shortest and fattest Cotinga got a third.

In the three miniatures, one cultivar class, Andrew beat me yet again with his Tete a tete coming first over my Pacific Coast.

Here is Andrew with a fine vase of Trena.

The single miniature was won by Andrew with Mite, a very good cultivar.

We don't have a show this weekend locally and don't have flowers to take the National apart, so our next show is Harrogate in ten days' time. Our entries may not win everything in sight but we will fill the classes with honest flowers, we will certainly have, thanks to Tom,  the best home made food and soup in the showground and in years to come people will say: 'The Three Musketeers were here.'  And Mrs D'Artagnan of course.