Events
RHS London january Flower Show
All images Tim Sandall/Toplinc Imaging
A breath of spring
Spring was in the air at Westminster on 21 and 22 January. The first RHS Flower Show of 2033 kicked off with a small but select number of exhibits with plant ranging from primitive South African restios - they look like a blend of marestail, rush and reed - to such old favourites as snowdrops, primroses and even very early narcissus.
Three Gold Medals were awarded, for conifers, bamboos and exotic plants from the Southern Hemisphere, all of which added interest to the more usual collections of European winter plants.
This show also contained an exhibition of botanical art where no fewer than four Gold Medals were awarded. Christina Brodie delighted the judges with her Somerset Roadside studies in Gouache and watercolour; Brigitte Daniel exhibited watercolours of fungi and Elaine Musgrave hung studies of Dendrobium species.
The most enchanting of all the paintings were those of Keiko Yoshida whose theme was Spring flowers of Rubun Island - a series of accurate illustrations executed with perfect understanding of the subject and portrayed with great sensitivity.
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Aloe mutabilis, a decorative species which, though not fully frost hardy, will withstand surprisingly cold temperatures. It was featured on the Gold Medal winning exhibit staged by Trevena Cross Nurseries |
| A display of fresh, healthy conifers won Lincluden on of the three Gold Medals awarded at the Society's first show in 2003. The subtle variation of hue, and attractive arrangement helped the judges to reach their decision |
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Evergreen plants with colourful and characterful foliage and sculptural shape are doubly valuable in winter. Several nurseries exhibited phormiums, South African restios, bamboos and other grasses. This was part of the Trevena Cross exhibit |
| Avon bulbs staged a tempting display of early spring bulbs |
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A superb white buttercup from the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, Ranunculus calandrinioides was exhibited by veteran alpinists, W E Th Ingwersen. Although fully hardy, this plant is best grown in an alpine house, where the thin petals are undamaged by rain |
Broadleigh Gardens brought a breath of spring to the show with a collection
of snowdrops, aconites, cyclamen and other early flowering bulbs |
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Here are the winning results.
Gold
Lincluden Nursery: Conifers
P W Plants: Hardy bamboos & assorted plants
Trevena Cross Nurseries: Southern hemispheric plants
Silver-Gilt Flora
Broadleigh Gardens: Snowdrops, cyclamen & other early flowering bulbs
Dibleys Nurseries: Begonias & gesneriads
Fibrex Nurseries: Hederas, hardy ferns & pelargoniums
Long Acre Plants: Ferns & woodland perennials
Pazuzu Extreme Flora: Orchids, bromeliads & carnivorous plants
Silver-Gilt Grenfell
Somerset Postal Flowers: Free-style contemporary & traditional tropical & temperate plants
Silver Flora
Avon Bulbs: Galanthus & early flowering hellebores
W E Th Ingwersen: Conifers
Potash Nursery: Primroses
Rougham Hall Nurseries: Antirrhinum
Rushfields of Ledbury: Plants of winter interest
Southcombe Gardens: Willows, grasses & phormiums
Topiary Arts: Topiary
Trehane Nursery: Early spring flowering camellias & pieris
Wilford Bulb Company: Display of lilium for gardens & homes
Bronze Flora
Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery: Rare trees & shrubs
The Botanic Nursery: Evergreen hardy shrubs & winter stems
Foxgrove Plants: Ornamental grasses
Pennard Plants: Shrubs & bamboos for stem & foliage colour
Sadlers Gardens: Winter interest plants
Art awards
Gold
Christina Brodie: Paintings in watercolour & gouache from a Somerset roadside location
Brigitte Daniel: Watercolour paintings of various fungi
Elaine Musgrave: Pictures of Dendrobium species in watercolour & graphite
Keiko Yoshida: Pictures of spring flowers of Rubun Island in watercolour & pencil
Silver-Gilt Grenfell
Margaret Brooker: Watercolour paintings of fruit
Jenifer Brooke-Smith: Watercolour paintings of clematis and iris
Mrs A Bryce: Watercolour paintings of trees of the Caribbean
Joanna Craig-McFeely: Magnolias in watercolour on vellum
Peggy Dawe: Watercolour paintings of clematis
Angela Faulkner: Watercolour paintings of orchids
Mayumi Hashi: Watercolour paintings of orchids
Judyth Pickles: Watercolour paintings of the genus Pleione
Silver Grenfell
Joan Lavigueur Geyer: Watercolour paintings of nature shrubs & trees from Southeastern America
Liz MacRae: Watercolour paintings of carnivorous plants
Ms Sylvia Oliver-Smith: Watercolour paintings of hellebores
Sally Pinhey: Watercolour paintings of wine grapes
Daphne Remington: Watercolour paintings of hellebores
Bronze Grenfell
Cecilia Hall: Watercolour paintings of Charlemousky apple
Mrs A E James: Watercolour paintings of zantedeschia lilies
Penny Oatley: Watercolour paintings of Helleborus orientalis
The next RHS London Flower Show is 18 - 19 February 2003, at the Lawrence Hall, Westminster.
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