A repeat Farrer performance for this plant (after a two year wait). Alan Furness coaxed a wonderful show of the soft pink nodding flowers amid perfect tufts of foliage.
A good example of an easy garden plant which given a little care and attention in a pot can be transformed into a show bench winner! Nicely marbled leaves and bright pink flowers.
A recent introduction from the Greek islands and very welcome too. Minor differences in foliage and the flowers seem to separate this newcomer from the otherwise similar F conica.
A tall Frit but giving a most pleasing effect from the flowers and foliage, the uppermost leaves forming tendrils. There can be up to eight of these gorgeous flowers on stems to 40cm tall.
I know just how difficult this species can be to overwinter successfully so this healthy exhibit was a welcome sight. The softly wooly rosettes persist through the wiinter (if you've got the water regime right) and pink flowers are borne on 5cm or so stems.
The curved narrow foliage is distinctive for this species from the Tien Shan and Pamir Alai mountains. One of the latest junos in the season and not unduly difficult given care with overhead water
Oncocyclus Iris come into their own during April. The widespread Iris iberica has several subsp and with this almost black signal patch and heavily veined flowers is I. iberica ssp lycotis
Endemic to Crete/Karpathos and beautifully presented. A shade lover with foliage reminiscent of but less striking than C repandum.
This species has a wide distribution in nature and this selection was made from seed collected in Israel. Can be quite tolerant of colder temperatures but usually responds to som warmth with a good show of flowers.
A new hybrid which I'd never seen before and very nice too. The marriage of D strictus with D freynii appears to be a very useful one as this exhibit clearly shows.
This tuberous rooted climber has recently been introduced by Flores and Watson (F&W 8681). Inhabiting arid mountain slopes in Chile, it will certainly need care with watering.
From the USA and what a superb foliage plant. The leaves well marbled in brown. The flowers whilst attractive have a somewhat unpleasant odour.
Seen in close up here, the purple marked ovary is a key feature of this attactive Trillium from Kamtschatica and Northern japan. The flowers are held on stems to 40cm or so..
Green flowers are frequently uninteresting but I reckon this gives a superb foliage effect. The sepals and petals are brightened up by the attactive anthers
Benthamiellas have featured well in this years reports and here is the latest! A neat cushion former, seen here with yellow tubular flowers (they can be white). Common in nature but certainly few and far between in cultivation.
Yet another six pan from Ian Kidman with this excellent combination: Dianthus microlepis Rivendell, Draba acaulis, Rhodothamnus chamaecistus, Primula allionii 'Snowcap', Androsace vandellii and Primula obtusifolia.
