The End of 2005, the Start of 2006
The first brief Show Report for the 2005 season appeared on the website in February and opened with the phrase: "The remarkable range and quality of alpines on show". This referred to the South Wales Show, but it could have applied equally well to any one of the subsequent 24 shows at venues all round the country. Over 11,500 pots were displayed by our exhibitors over the course of the season giving AGS members and visitors an unequalled opportunity to see beautifully grown alpine plants, some common but beautifully grown, some rare or unusual, and some unique.
Some of the exhibitors have a fiercely competitive streak, which benefits us all as it leads to the development of their growing skill to the point where they stage, for our enjoyment, plant after plant grown to perfection. They also contribute to the conservation of difficult apines or those that are now rare in the wild. However the vast majority of exhibitors simply love growing Alpines, showing off plants they are proud of and, especially, talking about them to other exhibitors. For the exhibitors, a show is a tremendous social occasion - a day spent with a large number of friends and acquaintances all of whom share a common interest in Alpine plants. If you have not yet exhibited a plant at one of our shows, there is still time to make 2006 the season when you start. Showing in the beginners’ Section couldn’t be easier and the Show Secretary will be happy to talk you through the process.
The reports describe some of the best plants that appeared at shows during the 2005 season. If you want to see more pictures, you can go to the Show Results Section of the AGS website at www.alpinegardensociety.net where the full results from each show are available together with a picture gallery of many of the plants exhibited. The 2006 season is already under way and you can see brief reports and picture galleries of the Shows on the website as they happen.