Summer Show 2012 - Quality not Quantity!

With this year’s erratic weather, it’s quite a triumph to have anything to show at all and members should be congratulated on their entries, which were certainly of good quality – there just weren’t as many as usual ….. The torrential rain of the previous week had ruined many flowers and most vegetables were not growing too well, with lack of warmth and poor light levels.

For me the 2012 miracles were the stunning delphiniums (shown by Jim Stockwell and Brian Fitzgerald among others) which had withstood the wind and rain. Ann Higgins had also managed to produce perfect sweet peas to win the Lemmy cup. Soft fruit had done surprisingly well, with Ian Cooper’s redcurrants winning the Fruit Cup. Rita Pickett won a number of fuchsia classes including the British Fuchsia Society award for the best exhibit, a pot of ‘Lambada’ covered in flowers. Michael Elliott won the Royal Horticultural Society Banksian medal having successfully shown a range of vegetables, including splendid onions.

A new class, clematis blooms floating in a bowl, was popular, with Brian Fitzgerald’s lavender and deep purple combination proving a winner. Another new class which first appeared in the Spring Show – garden flowers in a jam jar – attracted more entries this time and looks as though it will be here to stay. Floral art entries were few but there were four for the Thornberry Trophy for an all round arrangement incorporating flowers and foliage. This was awarded to Sue Stockwell for her attractive arrangement with grasses. Julie Hewitt’s brilliant ‘take’ on the theme of ‘Take Five’ complete with vintage Dave Brubeck records was the best floral art exhibit.

Entries were down for cookery too – surely not due to the weather? – but the judge decided Sue Stockwell’s pineapple upside down cake was best in show. Excellent children’s entries included those in the miniature allotments class. First prize winner Liam Jolly’s had a very realistic shed, Emily Sutlow had growing veg in hers and Matt Watson – whose rows of ‘veg’ were fruit and herbs - won the cup for best exhibit from a junior not winning a first prize in this or a previous show.
Rosemary Humphreys

A list of all the cup and award winners is below.

The Lemmey Cup (For the Best Vase of Sweet Peas) - Ann Higgins
The Savill Cup (The most points In Section A – ‘Open Classes’) - Jim Stockwell
The Don Booker Fuchsia Cup (The Best Exhibit in Class 188) - Rita Pickett
The Gilbert Cup (The Best Exhibit in Class 195) - Julie Hewitt
The Thornberry Trophy (Best Exhibit by a Female Entrant In Class 207) - Sue Stockwell
The R.H.S. Banksian Medal (Competitor Who Wins Most Prize Money In Horticultural Classes Of Show) - Michael Elliott
The Filmer Cup (Best Exhibit in The Flower Arranging Classes) - Julie Hewitt
The Fruit Cup (Best Dish of Fruit) - Ian Cooper
The Blue Riband Of The British Fuchsia Society (For the Best Fuchsia Exhibit) - Rita Pickett
The Heart And Soul And Perri Winkle Shield (Most points in Junior Section 10 Years and under) - Liam Jolly and Emily Sutlow jointly
The L.H.S. Junior Cup - Matt Watson

Best In Show:
Vegetable Michael Elliott
Pot Plant Martin Higgins
Cookery Sue Stockwell
Handicraft Sue Stockwell