Hi there everyone

I'm sorry it has taken a while to get these images up; I have been rather busy since getting home from the Loughborough show, helping with a display at Wisley.

In contrast to last week at Harlow, it seemed like I was up against time from the moment I arrived at Loughborough. There was a wonderful display of plants, and I made a long list of personal selections to photograph, but in the event barely got past the award plants and those needed for the official show report.

Last year at this event, I amd my camera got soaking wet doing the photography outside the show hall in a steady drizzle; this year I asked the show secretaries if somewhere with more clement weather conditions could be provided, and they obliged wonderfully by booking a music room with two north-east facing windows. On the down side, this meant a healthy stagger down the corridor with the heavier pots, dodging visitors to the show who seemed almost inebriated as they exited the plant sales area, overwhelmed with treasured purchases.

With so many plants, judging seemed to run on a long time, and that combined with the distance between show and photography studio has meant that I have less than half as many images to share with you than at Harlow.

Dionysia Bernd Wetzel
After the difficulties of the first two shows, it was good to see the dionysia growers reaching their usual heights. Paul and Gill Ranson managed to produce a fine large six pan exhibit for class one. Doug Joyce took the full entry in situ, but here is one of its members, Dionysia Bernd Wetzel (tapetodes x aretioides H9401).

Dionysia Tess
Bob Fenwick's plant of Tess was still in fine condition, and this week was awarded a Certificate of Merit, despite being runner-up in its class.

Dionysia termeana
Finally, the Farrer medal went to Eric Jarrett, who had a great day, with this plant of Dionysia termeana.

Trillium nivale
Eric Jarrett also won the American Trophy (for the best plant from the Americas), with this lovely pan of Trillium nivale.

Primula allionii Lepus
The Richard Regan Trophy for the best plant in a 19cm pot went to Geoff Rollinson for this plant of Primula allionii Lepus. This was just one (sadly the only one I photographed) of an array of perfect primulas Geoff produced at the show; Nigel Fuller and Brian Burrow, whose own plants were excellent, hardly got a look-in.

Cyclamen pseudibericum
One of the best cyclamen on the display had come down from the north with Ian Kidman; it seemed to have survived the journey pretty well.

Corydalis nudicaulis
This is the plant which pipped Bob Fenwick's Tess; a lovely pan of corydalis exhibited by Peter Taggart and also awarded a Certificate of Merit.

Saxifraga Allendale Grace
Finally, the saxifrages have started to appear on the show bench. This was the best of them; a perfect blackcurrant mousse of a plant from Tommy Anderson, winner of a Certificate of Merit and the Saxifrage Group Salver, and given the difficulty with which we lugged its 10in+ full pot down the corridor, the photographer's award for the heaviest plant. It was much larger than it looks. Pots like this aren't too bad to carry once they are up at shoulder height, but getting them up there, and safely back down again is another matter.

Saxifraga oppositifolia alba
A very familiar plant, but one seldom seem on the show bench, at least in this condition, exhibited by Trevor Harding.

Saxifraga lowndesii TJR854-05
Fortunately, not all the pots were so heavy; this pretty little sax was exhibited Eric Jarrett.

Santolina elegans
A lovely silver cushion from Eric Jarrett.

Callianthemum anemonoides
This was exhibited by our Northumberland diarist, John Richards. I am posting two views, as the second gives a hint of the colour behind the petals. On Sunday, at Wisley, I saw a form that was positively pink; I'll post that later in the week if I get time.

Ranunculus calandrinioides
One for Cliff. Runner-up to the Callianthemum was this ranunculus exhibited by Trevor Harding.

Cymbidium erythraeum
There were several plants of Cymbidium goeringii on the benches, but just one of this one, from the Himalayas and China, exhibited by Brian and Jo Walker. A fascinating plant I haven't seen before, but tall and difficult to photograph with its long waving stem; I was pleased by the results.

Ophrys bertolonii
By constrast, in the same class was this exquisite tiny orchid exhibited by Barry Tattersall, quite possibly the most coveted plant at the show.

Chiondoxa albescens
Bob and Rannveig Wallis won the open section aggregate with a wide array of bulbs, including this charming potful. To demonstrate her versatility, Rannveig also won the new Art and Craft Trophy for the best piece of artwork (painting, drawing or needlework) for a lovely painting of Arum creticum (no photograph - show photographer fails again - I will try to get it at Kent !).

Hyacinthus litwinovii
Also from Bob and Rannveig Wallis; one of those plants which doesn't seem to have a best side to be photographed from.

Tulipa dasystemon
Cecilia Coller doesn't always excel in the early shows (too many dionysias and primulas about), but she did well at this one. This is one of her pans of bulbs.

Ipheion sellowianum
Another of Cecilia's plants; this was the first one I photographed after judging had finished, before the flowers had a chance to shut again, as they tend to do later in the day.

Fritillaria tubiformis
I don't know why it is, but show reporters often seem to choose tricky plants to photograph in preference to their more graceful companions. This fritillary, exhibited by George Young, was second to Geoff Rollinson's Fritillaria alburyana, a taller and more elegant subject. It is always an awkward plant to capture; I'm sorry if the photo doesn't do it justice.

Tulbaghia simmleri
This was the plant I chose to do my test shots at the beginning of the day, Tulbaghia simmleri exhibited by Sam and Mavis Lloyd. It may not have caught the judges' eye, but it was one I liked and have never photographed before.

x Chionoscilla allenii Fra Angelico
Don Peace produced this lovely pot of the intergeneric hybrid. It is a plant I grow, but not like this - my bulbs tend to have two or three flowers to a stem, not this wonderful display. Maybe more cow dung needed !

Narcissus cyclamineus
Clare Oates often has a large pan of Narcissus cyclamineus for this show, and this year was no exception. Once again, the judges and public were wowed, and Clare won the Narcissus Salver.

Narcissus Mitzy
In the class for a small pan of a garden hybrid, there was a most unlikely winner, which had to be photographed, primarily because I was the exhibitor. This resulted in great delight and some most unseemly gloating, but it is likely to be my only first of the year, so I had to make the most of it.

Narcissus triandrus Isabella
More charming, to my eye at least, and definitely, for me, more difficult to grow are the many hybrids involving N. triandrus, this one exhibited by Mike Chadwick.

Narcissus x. incurvicervicus
The natural hybrid between N. fernandesii and N. triandrus, exhibited by Anne Wright

Narcissus triandrus x. cyclamineus Andy
This lovely seedling was the result of a cross made by Anne Wright, and sown in 2002.

Narcissus rupicola x. triandrus
Finally, this charming little plant is again a cross made by Anne Wright, clearly a lady of great patience and determination, as the seed was sown in 1990.

My thanks to everyone involved in organising such an enjoyable show, particularly Eric and Doreen who always make you feel so welcome, to Lesley for producing a lovely lunch, and, last but not least, to show reporter John Richards, who most considerately chose predominantly small plants to be the subject of his discussion.