Report and pictures from the National Chrysanthemum Society Late Flowering Show
Country’s best growers manage to put on an impressive display at the National Chrysanthemum Society 2017 Late Flowering Show
The National Chrysanthemum Society 2017 Late Flowering Show held at the County Showground in Stafford recently was well supported in all sections. From talking to the exhibitors, it was evident the weather has varied from region to region, but from the standard of exhibits, everyone managed to deal with it. Ian Moss, from Prescot in Merseyside, told me that from mid-August to midSeptember he never watered his plants at all and, as he uses soluble feeds, his plants were not fed for over a month. Even so, he still managed to win the 18 Bloom Championship for Medium Exhibition. Ian’s winners were: four ‘Lundy’, four ‘Billie Nevill’, three ‘James Bryant’, two ‘Trident’, one yellow ‘Lundy’, one ‘Cherry Keith Luxford’, one ‘Majestic’, one ‘Cossack’ and one ‘Woking Rose’. One of Ian’s ‘Lundy’ blooms was judged Best Medium Exhibition in Show. Terry Wombell, from Elsecarr, near Barnsley, came out on top in the 12 Blooms of Medium Exhibition with an excellent exhibit containing some superb blooms of the ‘Majestic’ family that came close to a best vase. Dave Thorrington, from Plymouth, specialises in growing Fantasies. He said the warm nights were his biggest problem this year, with blooms racing out and some varieties cut down before the show. He still managed a clean sweep of the Fantasy classes though. His winning varieties in the Championship Class were four ‘Salhouse Joy’, two of its salmon sport, two ‘Chesapeake’ and two of its primrose sport, two ‘Lava’, two ‘Goshu Penta’ and one ‘Capella’.
Barry Cundiff, from Macclefield, Cheshire, told me the high humidity worried him most of all. Some days, he said, he had the ventilators open because it was warm, but had the dehumidifier running because the humidity was so high. Barry managed to take the Championship for Large Exhibition. His entry included four ‘Peggy Ann’, one of which was Best Large Exhibition In Show, four ‘Silver Gigantic’, one ‘Golden Gigantic’, one ‘Bronze Gigantic’, one ‘Lancashire Lad’, one ‘Jessie Habgood’, one yellow ‘Duke of Kent’ and one ‘William Sydney’. I was second in this class.
The 12 Bloom Class was won by Michael Potts, from Cheslyn Hay in the Midlands. Mick had two ‘Pink Duke’, one ‘Jessie Habgood’, one ‘Gigantic’, three of its bronze sports, one of its silver sports, two of its golden sports and two of its amber sports.
Andy Wickham, from Peterborough, found it just too hot in the greenhouse in the month leading up to the show. Andy showed two primrose ‘Jessie Habgood’ and one each of ‘Silver Gigantic’, ‘Duke of Kent’, its pink, yellow and cream sports, ‘Elizabeth Shoesmith’ and ‘Phil Houghton’,
to win the Luxford Trophy for 9 blooms.
The Bentley Trophy for the exhibit of most merit went to Barry and Daphne
Hogg, from Doncaster. Their five vases of Incurves came out on top in a very competitive class and for only the fifth time, Incurves won the society’s top trophy. It was also the first time for a northern grower to win the Bentley Trophy with Incurves. The hot Lincolnshire weather didn’t stop Bill Croft, from Bassingham, winning four trophies with his Decoratives. Bill specialises in Intermediate blooms and this year, for the first time, he used Medwyn’s Complete Base Fertiliser with trace elements until the plants came into bud and then changed over to Medwyn’s Complete High Nitrogen Base Fertiliser with trace elements. It certainly paid off with a championship win and a best vase. Bill won two further trophies using the same varieties. His winning vases were ‘William Florentine’ and its bronze sport, ‘Denise Oatridge’, ‘Roy Coupland’, and the best vase of Large Intermediate in show ‘Mancetta Symbol’. Fellow Garden News writer John Peace was second in this class. Philip Hall, of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, only started growing chrysanthemums five years ago. Last year, on his first visit to the National show, he managed to win the 3 vase Large Singles, this year he moved up to the 5 vase championship and won it, he also won the 3 vase class, too. To top it off, his vase of ‘Golden Woolman’s Glory’ also got Best Vase of Large Singles. It just goes to show, if you’re keen to learn, you can reach the top pretty quickly.
The Individual Grower Trophy calls for 5 vases from separate sections. John
Marshall, from High Wycombe, came out on top in a very competitive class. He had Large Exhibition silver ‘Gigantic’, Reflexed ‘Patricia Millar Cerise’, Intermediate ‘William Florentine’, Anemone ‘Jill Anderton’ and Incurve ‘Yellow John Hughes’. John said his season was not straightforward with wet weather through August and September and high humidity throughout the flowering phase. Swansea Chrysanthemum Society retained both the Unique and Francis Parry trophies. Their Unique entry contained Intermediate ‘William Florentine’, Incurve ‘Yellow Fairweather’, Reflexed ‘Patricia Millar Cerise’, Large Single ‘Woolman’s Glory’, Large Exhibition ‘Jessie Habgood’, ‘Primrose Jessie Habgood’ and ‘Gigantic’.