Cleveland AGS Show 2025

Tradition again returned for this show being held on Easter Saturday at Hurworth, near Darlington. Disappointingly few exhibitors in the Intermediate Section and none in the Novice Section. However, 30 exhibitors brought their plants for the Open Section.

Primula ‘Kusum Krishna’, exhibited by Heather Barraclough, was the best plant and best pan of Primulaceae in the Intermediate Section, winning the R A Hodgson Trophy and North Riding Trophy, respectively, whilst Andrew Ward won the Ryan Trophy for the Intermediate Section aggregate.

Looking around the show a plant exhibited by Alan Newton caught my attention, with woolly foliage and large white flowers, Tanacetum leontopodium, an impressive Edelweiss when kept in character, found in the Pamir Mountains between Central and Southern Asia.

A further plant from Asia, this time Korea and North East China, Mukdenia rossii ‘Shishiba’, an uncharacteristic member of the Saxifrage family, was exhibited by Tommy Anderson. The sole species in the genus Mukdenia, it grows best in part shade, and in late summer the foliage turns a rich claret red before falling.

Moving further east into Japan, and found in only one location, Primula sorachiana is described as a low-level form of Primula yuparensis, flowering in pink to light purple or white, Excellent for a trough this plant  was grown from seed and shown by Mike Dale.

Mark Childerhouse is now well known as an excellent cultivator of Saxifragaceae and other cushion forming plants. In the large pan class for Saxifragaceae, Mark exhibited Saxifraga rosacea, a plant originally found by Dr Stan Woodell, on the Aran Islands, Western Ireland. Dr Woodell studied at Oxford University with Professor John Richards who gave me this information and informed me this plant has also subsequently been found in Northern Scotland, Wales and Picos de Europa, Spain. Saxifraga rosacea has reddish foliage hence its botanical name.

Himalayan saxifrages are reputedly hard to grow well. Mark exhibited Saxifraga micans, forming a cushion with white flowers, lightly tinged pink and grown from a collection of plant material collected many years ago in the Dolpo Region, Nepal.

Recent shows have seen many purple flowered Pleione on the show benches, so it was nice to see as a change, a single yellow flowered Pleione, shown by Alan Newton. Pleione ‘Shantung Ducat’, is considered one of the best yellow hybrids, originally raised by D. Harberd in the 1970s.

Androsace villosa type plants are nearly always a feature at our shows in mid-April.

Don Peace exhibited Androsace villosa var taurica, receiving a Certificate of Merit and John Dixon exhibited The Farrer Medal plant, Androsace villosa GFS73. These initials and numbers indicate the plant was grown from plant material collected by George Smith (In the Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria).

In the class for plants new in cultivation Alan Furness exhibited Anistome flexuosa, an alpine umbellifer from Southern Stewart Islands, New Zealand, grown from seed set on 12/1/2021.

Growing around the 1800m level, the male and female plants differ with male plants forming short and compact stems.

Mathiola scapifera, shown by John Bunn, is an alpine Stock with fragrant flowers found in the Atlas Mountains, North Africa. Forming tight growth in nature but often looser in cultivation, it’s considered difficult to grow, requiring alpine house protection with limited winter watering.

Primula frondosa is often sold as Primula farinosa. Brian Burrow exhibited several pans of the genuine plant grown from seed. Brian keeps his plants in saucers of water as in the wild they grow in very damp areas.

Reporter: Chris Lilley
Photographer: Don Peace