Events

Early Spring Show

Spring was definitely in the air at the show. Although it was bitterly cold outside the displays that greeted the visitors certainly had a wonderful warming effect.

There was plenty to see including the Early Daffodil and Camellia competitions which were both fully supported with exhibits.

Nursery displays featuring rare and unusual New Zealand and Tasmanian plants, primulas, camellias, masses of spring bulbs, alpines, shrubs and bamboos and grasses among others. Three Gold Medals were awarded including one to Southcombe Gardens for an interesting educational display of willows.

Part of the Burncoose Nurseries stand featuring Corylopsis pauciflora, Camellia japonica 'Firebird' and Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Aurea'.

	Part of the Potash Nursery stand featuring primulas in a riot of colours.
	Part of the Southcombe Gardens educational display of willows.

Exhibiting for the first time at an RHS London Flower Show, The Dorset Blueberry Company introduced a new blueberry cultivar on its display of blueberries and cranberries. The new northern high bush blueberry 'Legacy' is an easy to grow cultivar that is perfect for people without much space, or knowledge of fruit growing. 'Legacy' has purple winter foliage and can be grown happily in a tub or garden, so it has excellent ornamental potential, as well as being a heavy cropper.

The March RHS London Flower Show also saw RHS advisors piloting practical demonstration sessions. The demos were about propagation techniques, and on Wednesday Jennifer Trehane from The Dorset Blueberry Company showed visitors how to prune and plant blueberries.

Here are the winning results

Gold

Burncoose Nurseries: Trees, shrubs & other ornamental plants
Potash Nursery: Primroses
Southcombe Gardens: Educational willow display

Silver-Gilt Flora

Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery: Trees & shrubs
Dibleys Nurseries: Foliage begonias, gesneriads & other houseplants
Harveys Garden Plants: Shade & woodland plants, other shrubs & trees
Trehane Camellia Nursery: Camellias & pieris
Wilford Bulb Co Ltd: Lilies
Somerset Postal Flowers: Temperate & tropical floral arrangements

Silver Flora

Avon Bulbs Ltd: Narcissi & tulips
The Botanic Nursery: Lime tolerant spring flowering woody plants & perennials
County Park Nursery: New Zealand & Tasmanian collection including new introductions & cultivars
Foxgrove Plants: Early spring perennials
Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants: Spring flowering herbaceous perennials
W E Th Ingwersen Ltd: Spring flowering rock garden & other hardy plants
P W Plants: Hardy bamboos & associated plants
Pembroke Farm Nursery: Cacti & succulents
Rougham Hall Nurseries: A spring garden
Brian & Pearl Sulman: Scented-leaf pelargoniums
Three Counties Nurseries: Hose-in-hose polyanthus

Bronze Flora

Choice Landscapes: Pines & spring bulbs
Coghurst Camellias: Camellias in bud & flower
D'Arcy & Everest Ltd: Alpine troughs
Dorset Blueberry Company: Bluberries & cranberries in winter colours
Loder Plants: Camellias & rhododendrons
Pennard Plants: Phormiums, grasses & other strap-leaved plants