On the Thursday before the Exeter Show I drove to Plymouth and back to fetch my eldest son from university, dropping off the artistic section entries en route, so they could be put up on Friday night (thanks Val). 190 miles each way.  So at 6am on the Saturday morning, beautiful though the journey was, I felt as though I knew not only where the speed cameras were, but every fallen tree from the winter gales, and every badger corpse, for we have reached the time of year when they wander onto the roads, to be decimated by oncoming HGVs.  

Despite wearing a jumper and keeping the car as cool as I could, the Erythronium hendersonii flowers, still in bud the previous evening, had opened and turned to crumpled tissue paper by the time I arrived.  I don't think I will show it again; it seems impossible to get it onto the bench in good condition without an ice-box in the car.  Fortunately, since returning home to my shade frame, the flowers have recovered, and I must remember to cross-pollinate it tomorrow.

Once again I spent most of the morning accompanying the artistic judges, so it was already quite late by the time I started the photography, and I was quite focused on capturing the award plants rather than general views of the show.  Fortunately (or unfortunately), this was quite a small show, with a number of major exhibitors missing for a variety of different reasons, and I was able to finish comfortably, before the show closed.  Plenty of time to be creative, and find the angles which turn the most awkward plants into silk purses.

Saxifraga Allendale Chick

The Dartington Trophy for the aggregate in the Novice section went to Duncan Bennett, a local exhibitor who seems to be something of a saxifrage specialist.

Saxifraga georgei

Also exhibited by Duncan Bennett

Narcissus Xit

Duncan Bennett's entries weren't all saxifrages; this pan of narcissus won the Otter Trophy for the best plant in the Novice Section.

Tulipa cretica

Moving up to the Intermediate Section, there were a number of attractive bulbs exhibited by Pauline Carless, a relatively new exhibitor (I think she got her Bronze medal last year) I haven't spoken to before; I enjoyed a short chat with her and her husband.

Erythronium oregonum

Pauline Carless also brought this attractive erythronium. There was some debate about whether it was actually E. oregonum, or perhaps E. californicum or a hybrid - the flowers were very large, and rather yellower than one would expect from E. oregonum.  Whatever, it was a very nice plant.

Tropaeolum azureum hybrid

This tropaeolum seedling was exhibited by Dick Fulcher.  I would have liked to meet him and talk to him about it.  The red buds open orange and fade to cream, rather like the seedling I posted photos of here last year, but the flower shape has clear similarities with T. azureum.  

Sadly, when I repotted my seedlings, to separate the different tubers which had all bloomed different colours, the largest of the five tubers, which I suspect was the one with the red/orange/cream flowers, had collapsed, leaving an empty shell.  I hope that one day, another seedling will come for me the same colour.

Hepatica Millstream Merlin

Also in the Intermediate Section, Audrey Dart showed this familiar blue hepatica.  I first saw it at this show years ago, exhibited by Robin White.

Primula Lindum First Kiss

Peter Summers won the Dartmoor Trophy for the Intermediate Section aggregate.  His entries included a number of good primulas, including this from the Thompsons' stable.

Primula Aire Mist

Peter Summers also won the Cornwall Trophy for the best plant in the Intermediate Section with this Primula Aire Mist.

Babiana pygmaea

George Elder exhibited this South African bulb in the new and rare section.  He was delighted that it had deigned to bloom; it is tricky to get it to flower.  And what a lovely form, with these huge primrose yellow flowers with dark centres.  Probably my favourite plant of the show (or maybe that was the Tropaeolum).

Epimedium wushanense Spiny leaved form

Also in the new and rare section was this epimedium from Julian and Sarah Sutton.  I always like epimediums, but this was exceptional, with the clumps of cream and yellow flowers set off by the deep red spiny new leaves.

Petrocosmea iodiodes

From the foliage classes, a beautiful petrocosmea rosette from Mavis and Sam Lloyd.

Fritillaria tubiformis

Every year about this time, sometimes here, sometimes at London, Peter Erskine exhibits his pan of this French fritillaria.  It always flowers at soil level, one of its charms, but one which makes it difficult to photograph.  This year, Peter was awarded a Certificate of Merit for the exhibit.

Fritillaria yuminensis

Also from Peter Erskine was this pot of my favourite fritillaria.  I photographed a different pot last week at Kent, but that didn't stop me doing it again.

Veitch Trophy

George Elder won the Veitch Trophy for 3 small pans of bulbous plants.  I don't mean to belittle his achievement, because the judges are always careful to maintain absolute quality standards, but this year his was the only entry in a class that is usually hotly contested.

Geissorhiza inaequalis

George Elder's three-pan exhibit contained this (South African) geissorhiza, grown from seed sown in 2005.  Very pretty.

Daphne Lawrence Crocker

Graham Nicholls won the class for a small flowering shrub with this daphne.

Draba longisiliqua x ossetica

In the small pan Brassicaceae class, there were two different instances of a chance hybrid between Draba longisiliqua and D. ossetica.  This one was raised and exhibited by Eric Jarrett; the other had much smaller flowers of the same sort of shade, but rather more of them.

Dionysia MK99310-27 F2 ex Emmely

Alan and Janet Cook exhibited this pretty dionysia hybrid.

Dionysia bryoides JM-MK9707-138

However, the best of the small dionysia was this pan of D. bryoides from Paul and Gill Ranson, which won the East Devon Trophy for the best plant in a 19cm pot.

Primula hybrid Tony

The best of the small pan primulas was this pan of Tony, exhibited by Cyril Dart.

Primula hybrid Lismore Jewel

Close behind was Lismore Jewel, exhibited by Dot Sample; I can't get the colour quite right, it is so vivid in the flesh.

Primula Purple Emperor

Eric Jarrett was awarded a Certificate of Merit for this primula, a clone which is renowned for being difficult to maintain.

Dionysia haussknechtii

Paul and Gill Ranson won the Exeter Trophy for the aggregate of points in the Primulaceae classes; this is one of the many dionysias which helped them achieve that.

Paeonia cambessedesii

A paeony from Mavis and Sam Lloyd - P. cambessedesii is so beautiful - always a joy to photograph.

Cassiope Muirhead

Barry Starling won the Bill Tubbs trophy for the best pan of Ericaceae with this cassiope.

Fritillaria graeca ssp thessala

Cyril Dart was given a Certificate of Merit, and was a close runner-up for the Farrer medal, with this lovely pan of fritillarias.

Scilla peruviana Paul Voelcker

Now for a plant which is more unusual on the show bench.  Julian and Sarah Sutton exhibited this scilla, at first sight a crowded tangle which I saw as a challenge.  By changing angle I was able to get a picture which better reflects the appeal of the plant.

Draba longisiliqua

Eric Jarrett exhibited this big draba.  Not an easy plant to carry around, as the two broken flower heads demonstrate.

Dionysia Adrastea

Not only did the bootful of dionysias win the Primulaceae aggregate for Paul and Gill Ranson; they won the Peter Edwards Memorial Trophy for the Open Section aggregate as well; this is one of three large dionysias which won their class.

Primula x meridiana Miniera

Lee and Julie Martin won the class for three large pans of Primulaceae with a cyclamen / dionysia / primula combination, featuring this nice pan of P. Miniera.

Primula Gordon

Alan and Janet Cook exhibited a nice large pan of Primula marginata Gordon.

Primula Janet Aldritch

The Primula Gordon was beaten by this lovely pan of P. Janet Aldritch exhibited by Dot Sample, who won a Certificate of Merit for it.  This hybrid was raised in the 90s by my stepfather David Philbey, so he was delighted to see it doing so well in the hands of other exhibitors.

Narcissus obesus Lee Martin

Finally we come to the large pan class for 3 pans of rock plants.  This was won by Lee and Julie Martin with a threesome including the pan of Narcissus obesus Lee Martin which was overlooked the previous week at Kent.  This week justice was done, and the narcissus was awarded the Farrer medal.

My thanks to Jon and Kana Webster and their team for all their help and for organising such a fine show; I hope they made a huge profit and attracted lots of new members to the society.  I also hope that the dip in exhibitor numbers proves to be an unfortunate blip, and the show will continue to flourish at this new venue.
Thanks also to Howard and Sally Wills for organising the artistic section so capably; it is always a great relief for me when I arrive at a show and find that all the pictures are already up on the boards.

Thank you Fermi.

I agree that George's plant is not typical.  When I talked to him, he said that his material had come from Silverhill, but our conversation was interrupted and I didn't get to hear the end of the story.  When I looked on the Pacific Bulb Society website whilst preparing the report, two of the three plants photographed resembled yours, but the third looks very much like George's.  I don't suppose that tells us much, except that plants like this have been seen before, which your account also confirms. 

It will be interesting to see what George thinks about this - I think the hybrid suggestion seems quite plausible. 

Babiana pygmaea query

George Elder sent me some more information about the babiana:

"Have just seen the comment about my Babiana pygmaea on the AGS website. The plant exhibited was grown from corms supplied by Rachel Saunders of Silverhill seeds. At the same time I received Silverhill seed and this has flowered for the first time this year and looks rather different – taller with smaller flowers and the central dark patch is less well-defined – it also flowers about 3-4 weeks earlier. I suspect it may possibly be a hybrid. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo.

"Not sure whether this helps much in deciding my Exeter plant is a hybrid or not."

Thank you George - it is a lovely plant; congratulations on getting it to flower.

Babiana pygmaea

More from George:

Here is a picture of my plant taken last year – clearly the genuine species. Not sure why it was so different at Exeter – perhaps the tepals retracted in the hot conditions in the hall?