Contents
of the Winter 2012 Northants News
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The
National Show
Trevor
Wray
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I
was really looking forward to the National. This year I had my entry form
submitted in time, (you might remember I forgot and didn’t meet the deadline
four years ago). There was some choice in some of the classes but the contending
plants had all been carefully groomed for some weeks. (naturally they had all
been carefully grown
for some years!) When it came to the actual decision several plants shortlisted
for 90mm classes turned out to be 92mm. Two millimetres might not matter but
this was the National! And several plants were in dirty or old pots; there was a
frenzy of repotting into brand new pots and the plants were treated to new
topdressing. I was quite pleased with the result and carefully packed two heavy
crates with my entries.
The
journey to the show was nearly uneventful; a return for my forgotten sandwiches
and water (that last turned out to be essential), and a one junction overshoot
on the A14 got me there with half an hour to spare.
I
was greeted by stewards in the car park and directed to the unloading point.
Several stewards greeted me and offered help to unload my car. Thanks, I
didn’t need help, but the offer was appreciated.
It
didn’t take long to stage my plants, which was lucky as I was one of the last
exhibitors. Old labels in the pots marked clearly with the class number helped
me avoid confusion and a dreaded NAS comment.
Now
to enjoy the show…
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I
volunteered to help with plant photography. Taking a good plant picture is
fairly easy with a studio setup – table, backcloth, tripod and
especially sunlight. At the National the artificial light has an awful
colour cast but helped by Jean, my steward, (thanks), we duly completed
the task and the images seem OK. Time now to really enjoy the show…
It
seemed logical to work round all the exhibits. Yes, I knew I could start
with those that most interested me and especially the classes I had
entered, but I knew that I would just miss out on parts of the show. So I
started at class 1 and looked at all 134 of them. I took more pictures of
those that interested me.
Class
1 for Ariocarpus had some immaculate and very old plants. Richard
Bleay’s winner was perfect, could this standard be repeated in all the
classes? Well, actually no, and I wished I had entered some of the cactus
classes. But not the Mammillarias! Class 21 for one Mammillaria had the
usual perfect bombycinas weighing a ton. A pair of them achieved only, (I
say ‘only’!), ‘Highly Commended’.
Left:
Richard
Bleay’s superb Ariocarpus
retusus won
first prize in Class 1 |
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I
came to Gillian Evison’s superb Uebelmannia
pectinifera.
(Left) It won its class but appeared not to be ‘Best Cactus’ in the
Show this time. You remember this won the accolade four years ago and the
picture was on the Schedule cover. What could be better? I soon found it -
a vast Opuntia
clavarioides.
(Right) I have mixed feelings about Uebelmannias; they
seem to grow quite quickly with heat, but undoubtedly this Opuntia was the
better plant.
Then
a surprise – my little Sulcorebutia
rauschii
crest had won a first in a class for cristates. I had only entered it as
an afterthought; it is difficult to make an impression in the cactus
classes. So the little grafted blob I bought around four years ago at
Explorers had repaid the investment. Actually in the cristate classes
there were many plants I found attractive even though I am not especially
a fan of these plants.
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Above:
Uebelmannia
pectinifera grown
by Gillian Evison won class 44 for one plant from the Melocactus Group.
You can see that the plant feels really miffed now we have shown it a
picture taken when it was the Best Cactus in the 2008 National. It was
pipped by the plant opposite.
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Above:
Opuntia
clavarioides,
the Best Cactus in the Show and awarded a RHS Gold Medal as well. |
Class
55 for One Cactus was one of those with poor support. And surprise, the two
entries were both Mammillaria
plumosa. Memo to
self, I must have one cactus in my collection good enough to get a third here,
but not M.
plumosa, (too
boring!).
Then
we came to the plants that interest me more. A neat plant in miniature-tree
bonsai style labelled Tylecodon
buchholzianus
took first in Class 73 for the Adromischus Subgroup. I grow many of these at
home but this was a form to covet, smothered in red flowers. Tylecodon generally
lose all their leaves in summer but this still had a few. By contrast a leafless
plant of Tylecodon
striatus took
third and appeared to be completely dormant. However wispy stalks trailed away
and over other exhibits to terminate in dull green-brown flowers. So strictly
speaking, ‘growing’, I suppose.
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Giant
plants of Cotyledon
orbiculatum
(in the nice ‘oophylla’ form) and Pachyphytum
oviferum
impressed me in the next few classes and then there was the next surprise.
Next to that Pachyphytum was the best (other) Succulent in the Show. A
plant of Echeveria
tolimanensis.
A superb, large, branching plant of this slow growing species again
exhibited by that ace grower Gillian Evison. But ‘Best Succulent’?
This is an easy plant to grow, (though leaves are just a little reluctant
to root). I keep sales plants in a cold greenhouse and have never lost
any. I am sure there were more worthy plants but never mind. It makes a
good story and I will double the price of my propagated Tollys.
Incidentally if you want a branching plant like the exhibit, propagate
this from leaves. Rooted leaves often produce several plantlets. I tease
these apart to make more natural single heads but left they will make a
cluster. |
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Above:
Best succulent in the Show? The judges awarded this fine plant of Echeveria
tolimanensis the
accolade, so who wants to argue? |
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Next
to interest me were plants from the Othonna Group. Many Senecios exhibited
here seemed to be pruned to fit. Obviously if you want a compact plant
this seems to be the way but very unnatural. I especially liked John
Betteley’s third place Othonna
euphorbioides
and put it on my wish list. When I got home I found I had it already! But
it has a very long way to grow from my one inch sprig to the stature of
John's plant. Our Tina had a ‘First’ in the limited pot class for her
curious Senecio
saginata, a
sort of upper-class S.
articulata.
Well done, Tina! |
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Above:
An attractive, compact shrub of Othonna
euphorbioides grown by John Betteley. |
Above:
Brian
Fearn’s winning exhibit in Class 97 for a container display of Lithops.
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Then
I had a nice surprise, I had won three firsts in the Lithops classes. Thanks
Judges! It was especially pleasing because these plants had been grown by me from seed sown around thirty years ago. Prize money to spend on more
plants – though not enough to give up my day job, (oh that’s right, I have).
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I
think that one of the most instructive aspects of the Show are the
‘Schematic’ and ‘Collection’ classes. Our Kelvin also reported
that he enjoyed these. These are supported by growers who specialise and
it is an opportunity for them to display aspects of their dedication and
educate us. Perhaps this is what we should be growing! Outstanding for me
were the 26 Haworthias (left) displayed by Stirling (and Mrs) Baker to illustrate
colour and texture variations in the genus. Each plant was a little gem. I
took individual pictures of a great many plants in this display. Although
not in these classes, Brian Fearn’s collection of well grown Lithops in
a pan in Class 97 (above) was also a good illustration of the variation to be
found in this genus. These classes require quite a lot of skill and even
extra labour to support and we should be thankful that some growers make
this effort.
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Above:
Superb Haworthias won Class 129 for a thematic display.
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Above:
Winning Astrophytums in Class 130 for a collection from one group. |
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Cactus
or Succulent? Some cristates at the National.
Try
your skill to identify whether these plants above are cacti or
succulents... Give in?
The two left ones are both Euphorbias, Left:
E.
caducifolia,
normally a 10
ft shrub in W. Pakistan and Second
Euphorbia
obesa, the
normal head is a bit of a give-away.
The two right are both cacti. Third
Copiapoa
tenuissima and
on the Right:
Lophophora
williamsii.
You
can click the images for more. |
Strange
thing was that though I thought I had seen and photographed all the interesting
plants, when I looked on the BCSS Forum there were masses of pictures of great
plants I don’t seem to have seen. Search Google for ‘BCSS Forum’ to see
for yourself.
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Two
rare plants at the National.
Left:
Pseudolithos
cubiforme.
Right:
Pseudolithos
migiurtinus.
These are from Somalia and tricky to grow. We see them on the showbench on
a regular basis but where are the plants that won in 2008 and 2004?
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Pseudolithos
cubiforme |
Pseudolithos
migiurtinus |
So
to the sales. Some of us only go to Nationals to buy plants, there is a vast
array, but I have too many already. But you have to look, (don’t you?).
Because of the lack of space at home my purchases were modest. (Yet) another Adromischus,
a tiny Anacampseros
that won’t challenge me for space, and a plant called Pachyphytum
oviferum rosea.
This looks like a rose coloured form of the well-known ‘sugar almonds’ and I
suspect a hybrid, but time and some flowers will tell. Strangely Kelvin didn’t
buy many either; a Melocactus,
a Stetsonia
and a Blossfeldia.
At least that won’t take much room!
A
brisk trade was in process and all the traders seemed well pleased. There was a
stall selling the ingredients for specialist composts for those who like to
indulge their plants, (and are rich). Akadama, Kanuma, Kiru and Ezo Pumice were
there for all those magic potions. Don’t ask me, but I know what pumice is.
Nurserymen from all over Europe had their plant prices in Euros which apparently
makes them cheap at the moment. The Czechs were doing a brisk trade in bare-root
rarities. Southfields had some lovely specimen plants if these are your desire.
They also had plants of Echeveria
‘Compton Carousel’ still on my want list and still too expensive; no
discount at the National!
Eventually
time was called, prizes were awarded and it was time to collect our plants and
leave. I have a very positive feeling about this show. The organisation seemed
first class and I could not fault it. Perhaps the show room was too hot but that
is just the humidity of an English summer and I will soon forget that. I will
remember those superb plants, the sales and the company and friends I met.
Kelvin thought that though the general standard was lower he really enjoyed
meeting his friends from round the country.
Roll
on 2016 and maybe I might win another first in a cactus class. Or maybe not!
You
can see some more of the National Show here...
A
Strange One at the Show (Is Pygmaeocereus ever allowed in the
Cereus Group?)
A
Roaring Trade at the National (A quick look round the trade
stands at the Show)
Bigger
is Best! (A baby Boojum comes first)
Final
report from the Show (That will be it for another four years.)
Trev
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Right:
Too good to be true
is this plant of Pediocactus
despainii.
I have never seen a cluster of this species in habitat (yet!) and it is
just so robust and healthy. So we ask the question, as I am sure the
Judges did, ‘is it grafted?’
You
can’t see the stock but my thinking is that if it is too good to be
true, it’s grafted. A week later I met the grower; a delicate question,
‘Yes, of course it’s grafted.’
Still
a lovely looking, rare and difficult plant to enjoy. I bet flowering time
is a treat too.
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Pediocactus
despainii |
