The top chrysanthemum show performers
A round up of the National Chrysanthemum Society’s Late Show held earlier this month
The National Chrysanthemum Society Late Show was held at Staffordshire County Showground on the first weekend of November. With the weather this year meaning the growing season ran a bit later, there were fewer blooms than usual, but nevertheless, there were some terrific entries.
The Incurve Championship was the talking point of the show as there were very good entries across the board. Norman Stevenson
won the Championship with two vases of ‘Kay Woolman’, ‘Harry Woolman’, yellow ‘Kay Woolman’ and primrose ‘Kay Woolman’ and this vase was also awarded best vase of incurves in the show. This exhibit was also awarded the Bentley Trophy for the exhibit of most merit in the show. Somerset grower Harry Godden was second in the championship but he won all the other incurve classes in the show, including the Ted Whitock Memorial Trophy
for three vases of five blooms with primrose ‘John Hughes’, ‘Harry Woolman’ and ‘Bryony Wade’. The fantasy classes were also keenly contested, with Dave and Val Thorrington from Plymouth retaining the Amber Way
Salver with a lovely colourful entry of ‘Pink Splendour’, salmon ‘Salhouse Joy’, primrose ‘Chesapeake’, ‘Salhouse Joy’, ‘Senkyo Karyu’, ‘Senkyo Jonetsu’ and ‘Lava’. I really love the
bicolour on ‘Lava’ and even if you only grow them for cut flowers you’ll love this one.
Brian Sidebottom from Leeds couldn't make the five varieties needed for the championship class but he won the nine bloom class with ‘Evan’s Dream’, ‘Salhouse Joy’, ‘Capella’ and ‘Pink Splendour’. He also won the six
and three bloom classes and one of his ‘Evan’s Dream’ was best fantasy bloom. In the decorative section, Lincolnshire grower Bill Croft won the championship, pipping Garden News writer John Peace, but
John had the consolation of having the best
vase of large reflexed with his vase of ‘Riley’s Dynasty’. John won the Derek Bircumshaw
Trophy for five vases from three different sections. John had ‘Billy Bell’ (an intermediate usually seen in early shows and he stopped these on June 5 to get them for November 1), primrose ‘Olwen’, ‘Riley’s Dynasty’ (reflexed), ‘Bryony Wade’ and its white sport (incurve).
The H Shoesmith Trophy calls for a vase of decoratives and a vase of incurves, and it’s always well contested. This year it was won by Steve Travis from Stamford, Lincolnshire, with ‘Mancetta Symbol’ and the incurved ‘Kay Woolman’.
The large singles championship was won by Phil Hall of Newark on Trent with four vases of the ‘Woolman's Glory’ family and one of ‘Titanic’.
The individual champion was John Marshall from High Wycombe. This class calls for five separate sections. His vases were cerise ‘Patricia Millar’ (reflexed), ‘Roy Coupland’ (intermediate) ‘Silver Gigantic’ (large exhibition), ‘Bryony Wade’ (incurve) and primrose ‘Kath Stephenson’ (single) - this vase was also best medium
single. John has been entering this class for the past 16 years and won it seven times.
The medium exhibition championship was won by our ex-chairman and current president Roger Brownbridge. This calls for 18 blooms and I was one of the judges of this class. We picked out a wonderful bloom of ‘Billy Nevill’ as our nomination for best bloom and it came right down to the last two, only to be pipped by Dave Arnull’s ‘Lundy’. Congratulations to Roger, who has been awarded the society’s top award of an Associate of Honour.
The spray championship was won by Michael Higgins from Bridgwater, Somerset, with vases of ‘Ryski’, ‘Rynoon’ and ‘Roscene’. The ‘Roscene’ was best
double spray and a vase of cream ‘Ryski’
was best vase of single sprays.
Swansea Chrysanthemum Society retained the Unique Challenge Trophy with vases of ‘Pauline White’, golden ‘Woolman’s Glory’, cerise ‘Patricia Millar’, and three large exhibition types: ‘Gigantic’, ‘Bronze Gigantic’ and amber ‘Harry Gee’.
The Centenary Trophy for 18 large exhibition blooms was won by myself. I used ‘Louisiana’, yellow ‘Duke of Kent’, ‘Peggy Anne’, ‘Silver Gigantic’, ‘Jessie Habgood’, yellow ‘Phil Houghton’, golden ‘Phil Houghton’, salmon ‘Harry Gee’, ‘Amber Gigantic’, and ‘Phil Houghton’. This was my 25th win in this class. I also won the
six bloom class. The three bloom Richardson Trophy went to Howard Minns from Liverpool.