Catforth Daffodil Show 23rd March 2013

No show will run well without its behind the scenes dream team, some of whom are seen here. Providing help and refreshment for exhibitors and the public, these are some of the unsung heroes who make Catforth a great show. 

Tom Alty seen here putting the finishing tweaks to his exhibit in Class 1. Several exhibitors were unable to attend because of the snow but the show still made well over £200.00 for Cancer Research UK thanks to Tom's efforts and those of Andrew Clarke and others. 

Given the late season and the weather there was a good display for the public to see.

Class 3 produced the best bloom, the Rapture in the centre of the right hand vase. It was close. There was another Rapture in the local classes almost as good.Peter Walker won this and other classes with some very clean flowers.

Only two entries in Class 2 and the big ones were much better than the little ones on this occasion.

Very nice Gold Velvet in class 3.

Enormous blooms of Demmo in Class 4. How it is classified as a division 2 I will never know.

Nice clean Trecarra in Division 3.

The art work by local pupils was extremely good. Some of them were only four years old, but their work already showed good control and imagination.

Class 17 showed the beauty of different cyclamineus types.

I was fortunate enough to steward for Judge Ian Tyler who gave every exhibit a good examination and was a fund of knowledge and expertise.I can really recommend stewarding as a great way to learn a lot more about your flowers, their likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses.

A New Year: Daffodils

   2012 was exceptional in terms of the poor light we had to endure. Many of my new gladiolus seedlings did not flower in their second year as the light was so poor, so for 2013 I will (hopefully) be flowering those and the next batch which will mean space will be at a premium. You can flower 200s and prims in pots (preferably five to a ten litre pot and pro rata for other pots), but try it with 300s, 400s and 500s and you'll get very short flower heads. So one's seedlings for these last three sizes have to go out in the ground in beds.

   The joy of showing and gardening in general is that there is always next year and we can try something different. The trick is not to change too much at one time because if there is any improvement you won't know which thing you changed caused it, if any. One of my changes for 2013 involves growing more small and miniature daffs for shows. Since Derek Roscow passed away there aren't many growers in Lancashire who are planting miniatures, so the classes need some supporting.

Though the Bartop Show run so well by Keith and Margaret Capper finished in 2012, there will be a new show over at Chorley which Tom Alty and Andrew Clarke have instigated. Locals will thus have Catforth, Chorley, Ramsbottom, Tottington and Colne to go at besides Harrogate and the Pie Eaters if there are blooms left by then. I had a text from Tom the other day to tell me that Catforth is only 12 weeks away. Let's hope we all have plenty of flowers on time.

Catforth Show 22nd September

At Catforth today I judged the flowers section. This show has returned after a gap of a year when the hall was being refurbished. The three poms above were very close to being the best exhibit: the top right was just a shade smaller than the other two but it was a very good exhibit of 'Moor Place.' 

This 'Dion' was the best single spike in the gladioli.

These three 'Of Singular Beauty' won the three spike class and gained the best exhibit for Andrew Clarke.

This mixed vase was also in contention for the best exhibit.

Pot plant classes can be a nightmare for judges and this one presented me with some difficulty as all four exhibits were well grown. In the end, the fuchsia was let down by the odd marked flower and some old leaves that had been left in the pot. The cacti were of very good quality.

The vegetables were good considering the time of year and these onions were well presented.

A really white cauliflower won a good class. The veg judge, Bob Ainsworth, thought the shallots and tomatoes were also noteworthy.

An enjoyable show which deserves the support of growers from the North-West. As usual the hospitality was second to none and the organisation by Tom Alty and Mr and Mrs Andrew Clarke was faultless.

Harrogate Autumn Show

One of the most encouraging things about this year's show was the high standard of entries in the Novices' Section. Simon Wilson won the three spike class with an excellent vase of 'Cream Perfection' (above).

Trevor Fawcett had a new prim called 'Clare' at the show. As can be seen from the above photo, the spikes had a top more suited to a 200. The buds should be separated at the top of a prim spike. In this respect Marina (also bred by Trevor) had the best prim form at the show. Nigel Coe also had some nice Apricot Perfection on display. The unseparated top is a problem I too have encountered in breeding prims. The judges either didn't notice it or were more impressed by the sight of a new 'prim'. Or maybe both.

Nigel had a field day winning grand Champion with 'Midnight Rose' grown from cormlets planted two years ago, evidence that stock propagated by the exhibitor can win as well as bought in corms.

Nigel also had best 500 with this 'Of Singular Beauty', a well grown example unlike many of the dumpy ones one sees at shows. There were some 260 odd spikes of gladioli which is good for Harrogate. The ravages of the poor season  were in evidence in that many entries were short on buds, lacking stretch and looking a bit on the thin side. All credit to people who got spikes to the show. I  had planted for the early shows and had nothing of any consequence left to show.

The onion record went yet again to Peter Glazebrook at an astonishing weight of 18lb 1oz. I know he was toying with the idea of growing onions hydroponically but don't know if this is what happened with this one.
He also had the heaviest potato, beetroot and parsnip at the show amongst other wins.

It was a change not to exhibit at Harrogate but to wander around as one of the punters. I picked up my daffodil orders and got some more watering equipment for my next experiment in the greenhouse. It was also great to chat with old friends at the show: Gill Hazell from Great Western Gladiolus, Fay Seabrook, Graham Davies,  Ivor Mace, Peter Forrow, Graham Anderson and his Dad, and many other fine exhibitors. Terry Braithwaite gave me some useful advice on growing miniature daffs. I supported the NDS by buying a box of 1000 labels as they are the only society that sells them in bulk.  I was especially pleased for Nigel who had an awful year last year and now has his ground sorted out and is producing the very best glads.   A good trip.

Tottington Show 8th September

Best Exhibit was this basket of mixed varieties

Floret Box of Blue Topaz

Peggy Roseby

Floret Box of Flevo Frost and Flevo Ocean

Ben Venuto

Flevo Frost

Floret Box of Prim Seedlings

Sunset Fire

2 x Susie Plum and a Seedling

 The dahlia classes were full this time but the glads could have had more entries. Andrew Clarke had the best spike with Of Singular Beauty and the second best exhibit and BGS Bronze Medal for 2 Careless. I had a BGS Silver Medal and best exhibit for the basket. The judge omitted to award certain trophies like last year so we will have to remind whoever does it next year to read the schedule.

Chipping Show 2nd September

Pat and Mervyn King,  fellow conspirators.

Chris Nightingale, an excellent all-rounder from Bolton

Serena, two vases of two very evenly balanced, very clean specimens by Andrew Clarke for the best floral exhibit in the show.

Andrew's Emir beating Pat's Cream Perfection and Terry Morris's Peppermint Delight

Pat's Flevo Boogie, beating Jim Moore and myself and others in the two 200s

My rather lop-sided basket of Lemon Drop and Karla.

Flavour of the month seems to be this 500 size Dutch seedling 00-180-02 although there are some reservations about the bottom floret's attachment. 

Chris's winning basket of dahlias.

Impressive giant dahlias

The sumptuous beauty of 'Marston George'

Vegetables to make even the most seasoned grower weep in admiration.

You needed to be Vin Throup to win the oninions or Ian Sutherland to win the dahlias. It's always like a mini Harrogate and undoubtedly the best one day show for miles around. Other shows could learn a lot from Chipping. Exhibitors receive free bacon or sausage butties and tea or coffee throughout the staging period. I'll be going to other shows where exhibitors are charged for refreshments or not even offered anything. I had two firsts and a third for thirty odd quid plus a medal. Someone won an expensive garden bench. The top growers had Securicor vans waiting...

The BGS National at Moor Green, Notts

Annabelle Katy from New Zealand

Considering the season we've been having, the National was quite a good show. Grand Champion was Shalimar, with Pink Elegance, a 500 seedling, another 300  seedling, and Farah winning the overall categories. 

Magma

A mixed basket from Phil Orley

My own glads were very poor so I took some newer ones for people to see the different colours. Blue Topaz is enormous but only has a short head and its attachment could be better. Flevo Ocean is one of these 200s that has a very primmy look to it apart from the top of the spike. Might be good for breeding blue prims. Flevo Spirit is like a lot of the newer Dutch 300s, a bit loose in the placement and not easily dressed for show. It was the only entry in the 3 x 300s which is not a strongly supported class these days. A few years ago there were classes for six of every size at the National but things have changed.

Blue Topaz from Russia

Flevo Ocean from Holland

Flevo Spirit from Holland

A view of one side

The other side including the Court of Honour

It has been one of those seasons for me (some would say it's always like that) when I haven't really had a good flower to stage and have had to make do with very average spikes that have been too young or too marked to be of any consequence. No matter. At least I've managed to attend a few shows and enjoy the social side of things.