2014 Show Report
The report of our shows in 2014.
Our 2014 Show Report
Held over the Summer Bank Holiday weekend at Trelissick Gardens near Truro by kind invitation of The National Trust, the main show of The Cornish Dahlia Society helped to raise the profile of the Dahlia with the gardening public. We were delighted to have 541 votes cast by the public for the best bowl of Dahlias, won by our hard working Show Secretary Pat Knight.
Trelissick: Pictured from left to right: Roy Knight, David Jasper, Steve Clarke, Craig Hardman, John Colling, Jayne Greenway, Pete Greenway, John Patrick and Pat Knight.
The visitors were amazed at the vast range of sizes and shapes of our favourite flower, from the precise detail of the Pompon to the rather rugged flamboyant Giant Decorative.
Dr. Mike Bryant’s display of Collerette seedlings again raising much interest.
Our very good friend from across the Tamar, John Patrick took the major honours winning The Cornish Open Championship and the N.D.S. Silver Medal with “Sir Alf Ramsey”, “Charlie 2”, “Hillcrest Candy” and “Deborah’s Kiwi”. John also won the Bronze medal with his Miniature Cactus Trophy winning entry of “Weston Pirate” and “Ryecroft Pixie” beating National champion Peter Greenway into second place.
The Pixie also won best vase in show, the trophy class for small flowered Dahlias with the S.D. “Gateshead Festival” Min D. “Barbarry Pip” S. C. “Deborah’s Kiwi” which won the best small cactus trophy.
Peter Greenway who, due to health issues at the start of the year even thought, he may not be able to show, won the closely contested Pompon trophy class with “Willo’s Violet”, “Frank Holmes” and “Moor Place”. He was “over the moon” to win the class for 9 cultivars one bloom of each with 9 blooms all carrying the “Josudi” prefix being :- “Sunburst” “Polaris” “Saturn” “Neptune” “Orion” “Telstar” “Pegasus” ” Princess” and “1306”.
Not to be outdone, Jane Greenway won best exhibit in the specimen bloom classes with the home raised sport “Josudi Carol”.
We are very grateful to Peter and Jane for flying the flag for Cornish Dahlias across England, having shown at Trelissick Bank Holiday weekend, followed by Wincanton in Somerset the next Saturday, having to miss the mini show to cut for the “national” and then into Devon the following weekend. The Northern National at Harrogate followed.
The most successful Cornish exhibitor was Vice President Roy Knight winning seven trophies, The Ball trophy with Blyton Softer Gleam and Mary’s Jomanda and The Waterlily trophy with Pam Howden and Kernow Redruth. Roy won most points in the members classes and best vases of fimbriated Dahlias “Purple Gem”, Small Decorative “Barbarry Drum” Small semi-cactus “Oakwood Goldcrest” and best Pompon “Glenbank Honeycomb”.
Mike Bryant won the Collerette trophy with two more of his seedlings, they still keep coming getting better and more interesting each year.
The Novice classes were dominated by the society’s Treasurer John Colling winning, the Best Exhibit trophy with a very competitive vase of “Jomanda” and also staging some promising vases of other classifications. John also won the Most Points trophy in the novice class.
The society Chairman David Jasper collected the trophies for Giant/Large Dec “Kenora Wildfire”, Med. Dec “Charlie 2”, Small Dec “Kernow sen Morwenna” Min. Dec “Marston George”, “Barbarry Pip” and “Kernow sen Lorraine”. The Med Cactus trophy with a seedling and Most points in the specimen bloom classes found their way to the “chair”.
Our thanks to The National Trust for their continued support it is much appreciated allowing us access to their property and visitors. Thanks also to Pat Knight and Mike Bryant and the management and staff at Trelissick for “setting up” on Friday morning and all committee and members for all their hard work on the three days of the show.
Thanks to Pat for a fantastic display in the entrance hallway at Trelissick with the “dahlia ice cream cone” and the “dahlia in a picture frame”
Lorraine enjoying her pasty in the staff canteen !
Back row: Terry Stephens, David Lumb, Pat Knight and David Jasper. Front row: Peter Burks (General Manager Trelawney), Tegn Boden and Roy Knight
The society’s mini show was held at Trelawney @ Wadebridge Garden Centre and again the number of visitors were fascinated by the range of sizes and formations of the Dahlia.
Terry Stephens staged the best exhibit with Kenora Challenger, his son in-law David Lumb had the runner-up with Marston George. Roy Knight won most points with David Jasper as runner-up. Show Secretary Pat Knight won the bowl class voted for by the public.
We were pleased to welcome Adrian Full and Luke Wilson from across the other side of the Tamar to one of our shows for the first time. Luke won the Beginners class with a nice selection of Dahlias and Adrian came second and they won various other prizes across the show. It will be great to see them at our main show next year.
Thanks go to Pat Knight, Simon Nute and John Colling for setting up the staging and to all the committee who cleared up after the show. A special thank you to the Management and staff at Trelawney for all help and making us feel so welcome. I am happy to report we will be holding the shows at the same locations next year.
Congratulations to all the exhibitors. We hope to see a few “new faces” next year. Everyone on the committee will be very happy to give any help and advice regarding suitable varieties, growing and staging so please don’t hesitate to ask.
Show Photos
