Life must be filled up

Show time again. It seems we’ve only just had the spring show and here we are at the late summer/early autumn one. I love to see all the fruit and veg. at this show. Sadly, there were dark mutterings that this may be the last summer show we stage, as the shows lose so much money. At least three people asked me where my entries were: *guilt*.
( bonus pics )

Showed my face at the Autumn Flower Show yesterday. These tomatoes caught my fancy; a pity the grower didn’t name the variety (they really were almost black). They were unplaced as judges don’t like anything unusual. This is the kind of thing they like: traditional.



I know the garden these came from and it’s quite small, so even more of an achievement. The autumn show should be about chrysanthemums, dahlias and vegetables. As usual I thought I had nothing to enter, then realised I have a pots and pots of geraniums and could easily have entered the class for ‘Pelargoniums, three stems in a vase’ (and won)! Silly me. It was nice to see everyone and the prizes were presented by a very sprightly ninety-year-old Michael Medwin.

Managed to make an appearance at the flower show this afternoon. My only contribution was to donate some plants for sale. I do like the Love Lies Bleeding in the vase above. I couldn't have filled a vase from my garden, except with hydrangeas. It’s been a difficult summer for the growers. Some of our best competitors were engaged elsewhere, there were some sad looking entries and fewer visitors than usual. I’d be really sorry if we didn’t keep having the shows, though. I’d have photographed the winning (only) entry in the ‘heaviest marrow’ class but it looked like something out of Dr Who and might have reminded some people of the giant slugs infesting their gardens.
( mystery plant )

Yet again I've failed to enter anything in our show and have to admire those who have done. I did my bit by turning up and by buying some plants. The photos are all of prize-winning exhibits.
Here's 'Sexy Rexy'; what a pretty little rose.



My favourite colour for chrysanthemums.



Aren't zinnias fun? I've never been able to grow them.

Today our Horticultural Society held its Spring Show and to my shame I didn't enter anything this year. Whether spring is late or early, mild or cold, your true grower always delivers the goods. These are the people who grow to show and their expertise and industry are an example to us all. The rest of us walk round the garden with a copy of the schedule and wonder what we could possibly enter in order to show willing.

Daffodils are always the main feature at a spring show of this kind and the serried ranks are impressive:



The gorgeous smell of them hit as soon as you walked into the hall. I was very taken with a cyclamineus daffodil called 'Tracey', which several experts were showing. It is very pale with strongly reflexed petals.

The pot plant classes are always impressive and I think this particular Clivia must already have a record number of prizes,



it's been brought out so often. Splendid, though. Now I'm feeling inspired to study the schedule for the summer show (in September!) to see if I might possibly have anything in flower for it.