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THE DELPHINIUM SOCIETY'S LATE SHOW, 2005

This Show was held at the Hillside Events Centre of the Royal Horticultural Society's Garden at Wisley, Surrey on 2nd / 3rd July 2005.

Delphiniums from our garden at "Summerfield" were entered in a number of classes in the Show.

CONTENTS

For this report, the Show Classes are separated into the groups:-

CLASSES 1 - 6; Flower colour not specified .

CLASSES 7 - 13; Flowers of a specific colour

CLASS 14 - 25; Un-named cultivars (seedlings), Florets and classes for Novice exhibitors

Click on the appropriate section IN THIS LIST for pictures of some prize-winning entries.

INTRODUCTION

After a period of slow growth until May, delphiniums in our garden were very backward and there were no blooms that could be cut for the Society's Main Show two weeks earlier. While most growers in south east England had few blooms left suitable for the Late Show we were fortunate to have flowers in good condition and staged blooms in several classes. Several growers from the Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Group of the Society made the journey south to Wisley and added to the number of blooms exhibited.

THE SHOW

This account is mainly based on visiting the Show on the second day, when some flowers had dropped petals or looked tired. Most pictures were taken using flash to overcome the lighting conditions in the Hall.

CLASSES 1 - 6 Flower Colour not specified

Class 1: Three spikes. The winning exhibit was from Roy Redman, whose well matched set of blooms include two spikes of 'Min' and a nice 'Gillian Dallas. The Second Prize was awarded to the only other entry, which was from the Secretary of the Northern Group, Lewis Cain, who staged blooms of his own pink cultivar, 'Royal Ascot'.
Class 2: Two spikes, light excluding white. The only entry was from Roy Redman, who again staged a nicely matched pair of blooms, this time using the cultivar 'Gemma' seen on the left below

Class 3: Two spikes, dark. No pictures, but Roy Redman's blooms of 'Mighty Atom' won First Prize.

Class 4: Two spikes, one dark, one light excluding white. Roy Redman again staged two nice blooms seen in the right hand picture below, using 'Cassius' for the dark flower with the late-flowering pale blue, 'Skyline', to gain the First Prize.
Class5: One spike, light, excluding white.

The first prize went to David Bassett's light pink seedling with a white eye, with Roy Redman's bloom of 'Ann Woodfield', seen on the left in the picture, being placed second. A greeny-blue seedling from Douglas Pounds was placed third.

Class 6: One spike, dark. No pictures

Roy Redman won another First Prize for a large bloom of 'Cassius', with a deep dusky pink from David Bassett placed Second and Terry Blissett's cranberry pink placed Third.
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CLASSES 7 - 13 Flowers of a Specific Colour

Class7: Two spikes, white or cream. No picture.

Terry Blissett's two small blooms of a cream flower were given a Second Prize.

Class 8: One spike, white or cream.

David Bassett's white with a black eye, seen on the right, won First Prize. A white delphinium with an attractive fawn eye from Douglas Pounds was Second.
Class 9: Two spikes, any blue cultivar or cultivars.

Only two entries but Douglas Pounds had another success winning First Prize for the well-matched pair of dark blues seen on the right.

Class 10: One spike, blue. No picture.

First prize went to Gordon West for a nice seedling with deep blue flowers set off by a white eye.
Class 11: Two spikes, any pink cultivar or cultivars. Five entries in this class.

First Prize went to evenly matched blooms of a seedling from David Bassett with large pale pink florets having a white eye. Second prize went to Roy Redman for two nice blooms of 'Shottesbrooke Lady'. It must have been difficult for the Judges to decide between these two entries. The Third Prize went to Stan Ellison for blooms of 'Royal Flush' and a Fourth Prize went to Gordon West for blooms of the deep pink seen on the right of the right hand picture.
Class 12: One spike, pink. Eight entries.

The First Prize card went to Fred Hirst, a member of theNorthern Group from Leeds, who showed a huge bloom of 'Clifford Lass' (second from right). Douglas Pounds' bloom of dark pink 'Lucia Sahin' seen at the centre of the picture won Second Prize, and another member of the Northern Group, Gordon West, won Third Prize for a very nice dark pink seedling (seen at the left) raised from Delphinium Society seed.

Class 13: One spike, any cultivar and six florets of the cultivar.

First prize went to the right hand bloom of 'Alison Claire' staged by the raiser of this cultivar, Grahame Case. Second Prize went to the left hand bloom of 'Mighty Atom' from Fred Hirst. Third Prize went to the immense spike of 'Nicholas Woodfield' staged by Lewis Cain, Secretary of the Northern Group.

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CLASSES 14 - 25 Seedlings, Florets and Novices

Class 14: Two spikes, seedlings, any cultivar or cultivars. Five entries.

A pale pink seedling with a dark eye closely resembling 'Summerfield Diana' (the seed parent) and a tapered blue with a dark eye (centre of the left hand picture below) won the First Prize for David Bassett. The white and purple seedlings on the left from Douglas Pounds won Second Prize, while the pair of very dark purple blooms from Keith Boxall won Third Prize.

Class 15: One spike, seedling excluding white or pink. Six entries.

First prize here also went to David Bassett for a deep lavender flower with white eye (right hand picture below). The pale greeny blue with dark eye on the left won Second Prize for Douglas Pounds, and Keith Boxall's very dark purple won Third Prize.
Class 16: One spike, seedling, white. Four entries.

A small but neat bloom of a white with black eye from David Bassett (left-hand picture) won First Prize. Another white with black eye from Douglas Pounds was Second (right-hand picture). An eyeless white from Gordon West was Third.
Class 17: One spike, seedling, pink. Four entries.

David Bassett won First Prize for another neat dark-eyed pink seedling with 'Summerfield Diana' as seed parent (seen on the right of the picture). This bloom was also judged to be the Best Spike in the Show. Gordon West won Second Prize with the dark-eyed pink seen at the centre and Douglas Pounds won Third Prize.
Class 18: One spike, multi-coloured or double.

It is difficult for the exhibitor todecide whether a bloom will qualify as being 'multi-coloured'. First Prize went to Gordon West for the dark-eyed blue/lavender on the left, Second Prize to David Bassett's pink-tinged blue. Third Prize went to Lewis Cain's interestingly patterned flower in deep purple shades.
Class 19: Six florets, all the same cultivar. Seven entries

First Prize went to florets of pink cultivar 'Lucia Sahin' from Douglas Pounds, seen on the left below. It was interesting to see an entry of white florets sent by Joyce Bott of Durham.

Class 20 Six florets, not less than two cultivars. Seven entries.

First prize went to Gordon West, David Bassett was second and Third Prize went to the attractive set of florets from Grahame Case seen on the right below.
Class 21: Three spikes, any cultivar or cultivars, in one vase, height not more than 93cm measured from the staging table.

The First Prize went to a vase (second from left in picture below) with a white seedling and two blues from David Bassett. Second Prize was awarded to Mark Lyman. Third Prize went to Joyce Bott for three interesting blooms that had dropped to pieces by Sunday afternoon, although it was still possible to see that one was a bright blue with an attractive light brown eye, as seen in the right hand picture.

NOVICES

Philip Ledgard of the Northern Group was the only entrant in the novice classes. He staged good blooms of a white with a dark eye to gain First prize cards for Class 22: Two spikes and Class 23: One spike, light.

He used a purple seedling for Class 24: One spike, dark and staged a set of florets from Chelsea Star for Class 25: Six Florets, any cultivar(s).
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As well as the flowers on the Show Benches, nice floral arrangements filled the empty spaces on the staging benches. Visitors were tempted to buy cuttings and seedlings raised byGordon West from Society Seed. Delphinium seeds & cultivation leaflets could be purchased from the desk at the front entrance. Visitors could also sign up as Members of the Delphinium Society. Society Members at the desk, or in the hall, were always happy to talk delphiniums and give advice to the steady stream of visitors passing through the Show.

All exhibitors know the crucial role that the Show Secretary, John Tombleson played in taking entries, setting out benches and sorting out the problems that arose. Special thanks are due to John now, as this was his last Show as Show Secretary. He deserves the gratitude of all exhibitors at the Delphinium Society's Shows over many years. We are especially grateful for John's tolerance of the hours that it usually takes for the staging of our own exhibits.

In addition, the Show could not have been so successful without the cooperation of the Staff of the Royal Horticultural Society's Garden, who we thank.

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