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Stunning plants trap top prize at flower show
HARROGATE SPRING FLOWER SHOW
A SPECTACULAR display of carnivorous plants won the Best in Show award for Matthew Soper at this year's Harrogate Spring Flower Show.
"I've been coming here 11 years and this is the first time I have won the top prize," he said. "The show here is of the highest national standard and I really didn't expect it."
Southampton-based Hampshire Carnivorous Plants can truthfully say its display is not only eye-catching but fly-catching with its colourful pitcher plants, monkey cups and bladderworts.
"We won Best in Show at Tatton Park last year but this is really something special because I have so many good customers in the North," said Mr Soper.
"They really seem to appeal to people round here and because they are foliage they are tougher than they look when it comes to buying them and taking them home."
There were 31 Premier Awards to the horticultural trade entries this year compared with 24 last year, indicating the high standard.
The innovative display competition in the flower halls, introduced at the Great Yorkshire showground last year, was this time on the holiday theme "Wish You Were Here" and was won by Cath's Garden Plants, from Cumbria, with "Wainwright's Lake District".
Cath Sanderson and her husband Bob had even brought water from Windermere to add authenticity to their display while regular customers had supplied them with old pairs of walking boots to add to their colourful plant exhibit.
Sunshine brought out the visitors in their droves, happy to forget the credit crunch, and there was plenty for them to see including more than 1000 blooms in the daffodil show.
"It's a really good quality show," said Chris Bone, secretary of the Northern Group of the Daffodil Society.
The Grand Champion Bloom was shown for the second year in succession by Colin Gilman, from Norwich, with his Sheelagh Rowan variety.
"I had planned to enter it in the 12 blooms class but when I got here – because of the heat in the car from the sun travelling here – a lot of the others had wilted, so this is a real bonus," he said.
The Tulip Championship of Great Britain went to Ken Bacon, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, for his three vases of nine tulips, which included two new varieties called Forgotten Dreams and Marit.
Janet Hayton, from Acomb Flower Guild in York, won the Best in Show (Flower Arranging) for her rich interpretation in the "Feast for the Eye" class while Jane Burns, from Holme and District Flower Club, won the Jeannie Watson Trophy for Best Use of Colour with her entry in "Jewels, Minerals and Gems".
The guest club invited to the show this year was Northallerton and District Flower Club, celebrating its 45th year, with a display on "Our Town" including County Hall and the Battle of the Standard.
The Best in Show (Floristry) award went to Melanie Garbutt, of Passion Flowers, Upton, whose entry in "Working Together" was described by the judge as "fantastic".
The show runs until Sunday.
Results
BEST IN SHOW: Hampshire Carnivorous Plants, West End, Southampton.
PREMIER: Alpine Garden Society, Pershore; Brian and Pearl Sulman, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds; Cath's Garden Plants, Heaves, Kendal; D'Arcy and Everest, St Ives, Huntingdon; Derbyshire Bonsai, Chesterfield; Devine Nurseries,Hollym, Withernsea; Dibleys Nurseries, Ruthin; Drointon Nurseries, Norton Conyers, Ripon; Edrom Nursery, Coldingham, Eyemouth; Fernatix, Stoke Ash, Eye; Fir Trees Pelargonium Nursery, Stokesley; Green Garden Herbs, Carlton, Selby; Grow with Joe, North Rigton, Leeds; Harts Nursery, Oakhanger, Crewe; Hippopottering Nursery, East Lund, Haxey, Doncaster; Hoyland Plant Centre, Hoyland, Barnsley; Jacques Amand International, Clamp Hill, Stanmore; Kevock Garden, Lasswade; National Auricula and Primula Society; Park Green Nurseries, Wetheringsett; Philip Tivey and Son, Syston, Leicester; Pinewood Bonsai, Formby, Liverpool; Plantagogo.com, Englesea Brook, Crewe; Quality Daffodils, Falmouth; Southfield Nurseries, Morton, Bourne; Thompson and Morgan, Brecon; Triffids, Oakhill, Radstock; W and S Lockyer, Riddlesdown, Purley; W S Warmenhoven; Walkers Bulbs @ Taylors, Holbeach, Spalding; White Cottage Alpines, Sigglesthorne, Hull.
GOLD: Avon Bulbs, South Petherton; Craig House Cacti, West Bromwich; David Stead Orchids, Shadwell, Leeds; Dibleys Nurseries, Ruthin; Fuchsiavale Nurseries, Torton, Kidderminster; Green End Farm Nursery, Bradfield, Sheffield; H W Hyde and Son, Ruscombe, Reading; Hartside Nursery Garden, Alston; High Park Nurseries, Southport; Hooksgreen Herbs, Stone; Jacques Amand International, Clamp Hill, Stanmore; Mickfield Hostas, Mickfield, Stowmarket; Miniature Bulbs and Choice Bulbs, Knaresborough; Norfield Nurseries, Colnbrook, Slough; Oak Tree Nursery, Barlow, Selby; Packhorse Farm Nursery, Matlock; Penhow Nurseries, St Brides, Netherwent, Caldicot; Potash Nursery, Beckton, Stowmarket; Pottertons Nursery/Peter Orme Landscapes, Nettleton, Caistor; Primrose Bank, Kexby, York; Priorswood Clematis, Ware; R V Roger, Pickering; Reginald Kaye, Silverdale, Carnforth; Roualeyn Nursery, Trefriw, Conwy; Slack Top Nurseries, Slack Top, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge; Southern Skies Nurseries, York; Stonecrop Herbs, East Lound, Haxey, Doncaster; Taylors Clematis, Sutton Askern, Doncaster; The Plant Lovers, Spilsby; Waterside Nursery, Sharnford, Hinckley.
SILVER GILT: Barnsdale Gardens, Exton, Oakham; Basia's Garden Plants, Sutton, Ely; Brownthwaite Hardy Plants, Kirkby, Carnforth; Cairnsmore Nursery, Castle Douglas; Eversley Nursery, Hesketh Bank, Preston; Fibrex Nurseries, Pebworth; Graeme and Pauline Iddon Hardy Plants, Hesketh Bank, Preston; Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants, Freefolk Priors, Whitchurch; Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries, Tanfield Lea; Morton Nurseries, Ranby, Retford; NCCPG; North of England Bonsai, Darlington; Oska Copperfield Nursery, Birstall, Leicester; Tweeds Nursery, Southwell; Two Plants, Hollym, Withernsea; W and S Lockyer, Riddlesdown, Purley.
SILVER: Brookfield Plants, Ashford; C and K Jones, Tarvin Sands, Chester; Choice Landscapes, West Walton, Wisbech; Dark Star Plants, Osmotherley, Northallerton; Glen's Garden, Burton Pidsea, Hull; Harptree Nursery, Bath; Hillview Hardy Plants, Worfield, Bridgnorth; J E Ridding, Bude; Laneside Alpine and Hardy Orchid Nursery, Garstang, Preston; Larchfield Trees, Wolston, Coventry; Laurence Hobbs Orchids, Crawley Down; Mary Green, Hornby, Lancaster; Reed's Nursery, Market Rasen; Rougham Hall Nurseries, Rougham, Bury St Edmunds; Swines Meadow Farm Nursery, Peterborough; Taylors Hebes, Sutton Askern; Topiary by Design, Thorpe Bassett, Malton.
BRONZE: Goldenfields Nursery, Tarvin Sands, Chester; R V Roger, Pickering; Victorian Violas, Lincoln; Woottens Plants, Halesworth.
Students provide a lesson in gardening
GREEN-FINGERED students who built gardens from scratch in the College Garden Design section had the visitors talking at this year's Harrogate Spring Flower Show.
"We've had a lot of reaction with people asking lots of questions because they want to copy ideas," said Richard Easton, course tutor at Craven College, Skipton, one of three colleges to win a gold award.
Seven colleges entered and were given details of an imaginary family to design a garden for, in the case of the Craven students their Equilibrium Garden was for Keith and Li-Ming, busy professionals who practise tai chi and enjoy gardening.
The design team of students taking the National Award in Garden Design, decided to create a cool restful garden with a loose interpretation of Far Eastern influences.
Bishop Burton College also picked up a gold award with The Jetty designed by Darren Bird, Andrew Cawthorn and Alan Turner, for Barbara and George, a couple in their late 60s who are keen ramblers while George enjoys birdwatching.
There was an African influence for the students of Leeds City College, formerly Park Lane College, in Leeds whose "outdoor room" for fictional accountant James and his wife Susan was inspired by their last holiday, a wildlife safari in Kenya.
The other colleges who took part were Askham Bryan College, York (silver gilt); Nottingham Trent University (silver gilt); Derby College (silver) and Finchale Training College, Durham (silver).
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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