Events

RHS London October Flower Show

All images Tim Sandall/Toplinc Imaging

Crowds arrived early to enjoy the show at its freshest on Tuesday morning.

October sunshine and a decided nip in the early morning air gave this week's show a distinctly seasonal atmosphere. Autumn colours abounded, not only among the commercial nursery exhibits but among the various amateur competitions.
Private entries were well up on last year's autumn show with so many gardeners wanting to compete with samples of perennials and woody plants that the organisers were embarrassed for space. Despite the crush, every entrant was provided with a place and the competition, when viewed en masse, made a dramatic spectacle!

Hybrid nerines, monkshood, dahlias and perennial asters were among the many entries from home gardeners.

Contrasting with the warm tints of turning leaves and ripening berries were magnificent displays of cool, blue autumn gentians, interesting selections of autumn-flowering bulbs and perennials and some fascinating alpines.

One of the most interesting hardy plants on display on the Ingwersen's stand was Oxalis massoniana, a beautiful wild South African species named after Francis Masson, a Kew plant hunter who sailed to Cape Town with Captain Cook in 1772.

Among gold medal winners, Robinsons' display of vegetables was the most spectacular. As well as exhibiting such favourites as tomatoes, garlic and gourds, the collection also contained several varieties of ornamental chili peppers.

The most interesting and diverse exhibit of gentians was staged by Hartside Nursery, who received a Gold Medal, but Edrom Nurseries (also Gold) had the edge on gentian flower power. Among fresh ferns and newly fallen leaves, these Asian perennials have surpassing beauty.

Chirita tamiana - a small species from Vietnam that is ideal for pot culture.

Streptocarpus buffs will have been delighted with Dibleys exhibit of the genus Chirita. Closely related to Streptocarpus - and to gloxinias and African violets - chiritas come from Asia and enjoy warm, humid conditions with uniform light levels. They were awarded a Silver Gilt Medal in the Lindley Class, for their educational exhibit.

Judges pore over exhibits of tree fruit.

The show was run in both halls, with the Lindley dedicated to some mouthwatering displays of tree fruit, grapes and vegetables. The Royal Horticultural Society's gardens at Wisley and at Hyde Hall staged interesting collections of edible crops. Amateur exhibits, particularly of vegetables, were so numerous this year that judging continued past opening time and public entry was delayed. Fortunately, Lawrence Hall was able to open bang on time, as usual, so that visitors could enjoy the wealth of colours and fragrances there, before transferring to the edible part of the show.

Here are the winning results.

Gold

Burncoose Nurseries: Trees, shrubs & other ornamental plants
M C Dickerson / Choice Ornamental Plant Nursery: Japanese maples with underplanting of foliage plants
Edrom Nurseries: Autumn-flowering gentians in many varieties & colours
Gerald Edwards: Top fruit
Hartside Nursery Garden: Autumn-flowering gentians, hardy ferns & plants for foliage effect
Long Acre Plants: Ferns & woodland perennials
W Robinson & Sons: Vegetables including mammoth varieties

Silver-Gilt Flora

Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery: Rare trees & shrubs
Potash Nursery: Cyclamen
Rougham Hall Nurseries: Asters
Sadlers Gardens: Restios
Robin Savill The Clematis Specialist: Clematis
Trevena Cross Nurseries: Exotic & Southern hemisphere plants

Silver-Gilt Lindley

Dibleys Nurseries: Species & hybrid Chirita & other gesneriads

Silver Flora

The Botanic Nursery: Evergreens in a garden setting
Peter Christian-Lau: Landscape & penjing bonsai in the Chinese style
Devine Nurseries: Gladioli
Foxgrove Plants: Grass specimens in terracotta pots
Mary Green: Autumn foliage combined with late flowering hardy perennials & ferns
Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants: Autumn-flowering herbaceous perennials
Hippopottering Nursery: Acers
P W Plants: Bamboo, grasses & other hardy plants
Wilford Bulb Co Ltd: Asiatic & oriental lilies

Silver Knightian

Highdown Nursery: Thymes

Bronze Flora

Garden of Japan: Unusual Japanese maples & bonsai
W E Th Ingwersen Ltd: Autumn-flowering & foliage plants

Photographic Awards

Gold

Derek Harris: Floral botanical portraits
Chris Perrett: Photographs of carnivorous plants

Silver-Gilt Grenfell

Jo Cound: Tropical water lilies
Eric Crichton: Photographs of Australian flora

Bronze Grenfell

Sabine Graefin Grote: Flowers in sunlight
Carolyne Locher: Flowers: colour, shape & form
Tom Peck: Photographs of blooms in close up


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