SHOW TIME AGAIN
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Preparation for the spring show always involves a lot of planning and hard work, and this year was no exception. As usual all of my good plants were long past their best by the end of March and the show is date was the April 8th. Murphy's law came into force and deemed that every plant that I had pampered for the show for months was not suitably presentable on the day. Alternatives had to be found in a hurry to prevent the show secretary from taking a heart attack when the entries do not add up.
A beautifulParaquilegia Anemonoides that had bloomed for weeks before could only manage six flowers at ShowTime and had to stay in bed. Snguinaria canadensis flora Pleno that did so well last year and stayed open for the duration of the show refused to open a single bud this year. Part of the original plant that is still out in the scree bed bloomed beautifully, but not the one that I had carefully cosseted in a pot. Maybe it is trying to tell me something!
Fritillaries that were long gone by show time last year were just showing buds. Androsaces that had filler their pots with flowers for two weeks started to fade two days before I had to make my decisions. I think they knew I was watching them and did not fancy a three hundred-mile drive.
Dozens of Lewesias sat side by side in the alpine house and refused to open a single flower. As I prowled around pulling out the odd strand of grey hair, a few plants did present themselves. Primula Pubescens pink ice that was filling a 35cm. Pan seemed content to remain in pristine condition for another few days, fingers crossed.
Anemonella thalictrioides double white form was content to hold on to its flowers and fill a 19cm pot. A large pan of Gentiana acaulis was sporting lots of large flower buds that were not open, but I reckoned that they would open with the heat of the show hall, so it was included. Primula magellanica while very small had a nice round head of white flowers so that was added to the list. A Marginata Primula by the name of Adrian Evans was also looking promising, as was a couple of hybrid Lewesias.
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