Double celebration for couple as display captures major flower show honours

THERE was double celebration for exhibitors Vicky and Richard Fox at this year's Harrogate Spring Flower Show as they won the innovative display competition with their Phantom of the Opera theme and picking up a Premier award for their heucharas plants.

The couple have been married for 30 years this August but Vicky was proudly able to use her wedding dress as part of their entry in the competition on the theme It's Show Time, along with a striking mask specially made for them.

Mr Fox, who runs Plantagogo.com in Crewe., said: "Harrogate pioneered displays having a theme and lots of other shows are picking up on it now because the public like it.

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"It is hard work because it does take a bit of thinking about and can cost a lot of money if you go over the top. The secret is not to spend too much by using what you have and making sure the plants still display well."

Second place in the innovative display went to Grow with Joe for Oliver, third Harts Nursery with Bombay Dreams , fourth, Park Green Nurseries for Carousel and fifth Stonecrop Herbs for Mamma Mia.

The judges gave 24 Premier awards in the horticultural trades section at the show compared with 31 last year, 28 gold compared with 30 in 2009, 23 silver gilt compared with 16 last year, 17 silver the same as last year and five bronze compared with four last year. Best in Show went to Edrom Nursery, Berwickshire.

Meanwhile, there is certainly a host of golden daffodils to be seen at this year's Harrogate Spring Flower Show – more than 1300 blooms alone in the Daffodil Society's annual show. Because flowering was delayed by the cold weather, the classes run by the Northern Group attracted a bumper entry from 56 different exhibitors.

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Best bloom in the show and the winner of the Northern Group Championship was Roger Braithwaite from Nottingham.

The Tulip Championship of Great Britain went to Teresa Clements from Harrogate with her three vases containing nine tulips of different varieties. She is secretary of the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society.

In the floral art marquee the Best in Show award went to Sheila Rodgers from the Pennine Borders Club with her arrangement in the class titled Masquerade, while Best use of Colour was awarded to Susan Wareing from the Ulverston Club for her arrangement in the class As Evening Falls.

Six colleges fought it out for the hotly contested Best College trophy in the Floristry section with Askham Bryan College obtaining only a couple of points more than their nearest rivals East Durham College.

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Both colleges achieved a gold award with their entries which had to be based on a chosen poem, Askham Bryan selected A Special World by Sheelagh Lennon and East Durham, Fire and Ice by Robert Frost.

Six colleges also competed in the College Garden Design competition for a chosen BBC presenter. Gold awards went to Craven Cottage, Skipton; Derby College, Finchale Training College, Durham and Leeds

City College, while Bishop Burton and Askham Bryan were awarded Silver Gilt.

The show continues at the Great Yorkshire Showground until tomorrow.

Results

Premier Awards

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Brian & Pearl Sulman, Bury St Edmunds; Cath's Garden Plants, Kendal; Craig House Cacti, West Bromwich; David Stead Orchids, Shadwell; Derbyshire Bonsai, Chesterfield; Devine Nurseries, Hollym; Fernatix, Eye; Grow with Joe, Leeds; HW Hyde & Son, Reading; Premier Hampshire Carnivorous Plants, West End; Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants, Whitchurch; Harts Nursery, Oakhanger; Matthewman Sweetpeas, Thorpe Audlin; North of England Bonsai, Darlington; Park Green Nurseries, Wetheringsett; Penhow Nurseries, Caldicot; Philip Tivey & Son, Leicester; Pinewood Bonsai, Formby; Plantagogo.com, Crewe; Roualeyn Nursery, Conwy; Rougham Hall Nurseries, Bury St Edmunds; Southfield Nurseries, Bourne; Walkers Bulbs@Taylors, Spalding; Waterside Nursery, Sharnford;

Gold awards

Brownthwaite Hardy Plants Ltd, Carnforth; Chrysanthemums Direct, Knutsford; Dark Star Plants, Northallerton; Dibleys Nurseries, Ruthin; Drointon Nurseries, Ripon; Eversley Nursery, Preston; Fir Trees Pelargonium Nursery, Middlesbrough; Green End Farm Nursery, Bradfield, Sheffield; Hartside Nursery Garden, Alston; Hippopottering Nursery, Haxey, Doncaster; Jacques Amand International Ltd, Stanmore; John Ridding, Bude; Just Airplants, Reading; National Auricula & Primula Society (N Section), Silsden; Norfield Nurseries, Slough; Oska Copperfield Nursery, Leicester; Packhorse Farm Nursery, Matlock; Primrose Bank, Kexby; RV Roger Ltd, Pickering; Slack Top Nurseries, Hebden Bridge; Stonecrop Herbs, Doncaster; Taylors Clematis, Doncaster; Thompson & Morgan, Brecon; Triffids, Oakhill; W & S Lockyer, Surrey.

Silver Gilt

Brookfield Plants, Ashford; C & K Jones, Tarvin; Cairnsmore Nursery, Castle Douglas; Fibrex Nurseries Ltd, Pebworth; Graeme & Pauline Iddon Hardy Plants, Preston; Green Garden Herbs, Aldeburgh; Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries, Stanley; High Park Nurseries, Southport; Hoyland Plant Centre, Barnsley; Larchfield Trees, Coventry; Mary Green, Lancaster; Mickfield Hostas, Stowmarket; Morton Nurseries Ltd, Retford; Oak Tree Nursery, Barlow; Potash Nursery, Suffolk; Pottertons Nursery, Caistor; Priorswood Clematis, Ware; Reginald Kaye Ltd, Carnforth; The Old Walled Garden, Stratford-on-Avon; Topiary by Design, Malton; Tweeds Nursery, Southwell; Two Plants, Withernsea; White Cottage Alpines, Sigglesthorne, Hull.

Silver

Avon Bulbs Ltd, South Petherton; Barnsdale Gardens, Oakham; CC Plants, Perth; Choice Bulbs, Sunderland; Choice Landscapes, West Walton; D'Arcy & Everest, Huntingdon; Fuchsiavale Nurseries, Kidderminster; G Kirby, Leeds; Glen's Garden, Hull; Hillview Hardy Plants, Bridgnorth; Hooksgreen Herbs Ltd, Stone; Laneside Hardy Orchid Nursery, Preston; Laurence Hobbs Orchids Ltd, Crawley Down; Miniature Bulbs, Knaresborough; Plant Heritage, Long Marston; Southern Skies@Primrose Bank, York; The Plant Lovers, Spilsby;

Bronze

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Basia's Garden Plants, Ely; Mandy Plants, Wilmslow; Proudplants, Carlisle; Taylors Hebes, Sutton Askern; Westonbirt Plants, Carshalton. Landscape category: Island Gardens, Strensall – gold; Yorkshire Garden Designer of York – silver gilt.

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