PASSION FOR PLANTS  INCORPORATING THE SECOND WISLEY TRIP

As promised I am about to give you the account of my contribution to this excellent series about peoples passion for plants. You remember I'd been up to Wisley earlier and been luckily enough for the President and Council to except four varieties  for trial starting in the Spring of 2008. Anyone who knows me would never doubt that my enthusiasm in so intense it's annoying, I know it, but do you think I can keep it under raps? Not a chance, oh I try, but as soon as I start talking dahlias, off I go barging my way through any conversation. It is most noticeable on the phone, Irene is continually saying "Let them speak" the only time that I can remember being speechless was when we went to take half a dozen Charlie Dimmock dahlia plants to the lady who's name they bare. She was at a garden function, and was talking two or three times during the day at various establishments. After one of those talks we caught up with her on a traders stand, and eventually managed to catch her eye. I think all I said was "How do you do" and all the stuff I'd had a mind to say went out of the window. I suppose celebrities make me nervous, after all they're professionals, she was very nice don't get me wrong, but the cat had my tongue.  So while I waited for the first set of BBC crew personnel to arrive I was like a dog on hot coals. It was a good day, no wind, and quite sunny, and the bees were starting early. Then up the side way came this guy who looked good enough to be in a episode of Dallas, well Neighbours any how. He introduced himself as Johnny Keeling, followed by a camera man. I was sure Johnny was destined to become a director even the name seemed right. We got on well, and during the first hour or so he told me this was going to be just a insight on what I was about. I told him I was pleased to be helping, and carried on doing what ever I was told. They were just getting a snapshot of yours truly, and eventually having got what they came for they left for Wisley. A few weeks went by and I received a phone call from BBC Television Bristol this time it was a lady called Claire Martin who was another director, and she was wondering if she could bring a crew  the following Monday as they'd liked what they had so far, and wanted to add to it, but this time to do some serious stuff in view of it being use in a series called Passion for Plants. I agreed, but already my stomach was in a knot realising it was going to be some hectic week because two days after I was hoping to take four more varieties for the joint committee to have a gander at. Strangely enough the date for the Executive Committee to meet at Wisley had been changed from the 4th of September to the 6th, had it been to accommodate BBC Bristol? Your guess is as good as mine.

When the director Claire Martin ended her telephone call I told Irene, and we made a cup of tea, always a good idea. Fortunately the weather remained fine and I was able to get the garden up together that week-end, and by the time the Claire and crew from BBC Bristol arrive on the following Monday all was "Ship shape and Bristol fashion" (I couldn't resist it) The camera man was the same as before, and seemed to be the soundman as well this time. The director Claire was a very petite lady, but every ounce was charged with dynamite, Annie Oakley had nothing on this girl. Very soon I grasped the way this television lark worked, it was like a question and answering game, with Claire asking the questions, and me answering to this imaginary person just over her left shoulder. I knew instinctively this young lady was in the right job, every time I answered, her expression willed me to deliver, and by the time Irene had made a cuppa and bought out the cream cakes we'd brought from Sainsbury's the day before I felt less like an extra, and decided this acting lark was better than work, but just as tiring. Now at this point I hadn't realised that the day I'd be taking more flowers to Wisley Claire and her crew would be there also, and she wanted to get some shots of me next to the varieties I'd been lucky enough to get growing on Portsmouth Field, the field it's self is massive, and is mapped out like a large patchwork quilt with various species vying for honours. The dahlia patch is one of the biggest, and my favourite spot. To make matters worse who'd be there as well but the joint committee of the RHS and NDS, and this was pretty daunting considering I knew quite a few of them, and those I didn't know possibly knew me. I thought at that stage the best policy was to forget it until nearer the event.

Right the big day arrived, and weather wise it was just the opposite to the last time we travelled to Wisley, bright sunshine and hardly any wind, just what the doctor ordered. As I put the four varieties into the car I was grateful I'd filled the tank up the previous day, and as we were much earlier I felt at ease with the World, and looking forward to a glorious day out at Wisley. I won't bore you with the ins and out's of our journey except to say the car was performing equally well without the spray, and so was I.  It's said that the more you do a journey the quicker it seems to take, and this is probably because you're more relaxed, but in this case I was doing none of the work, our Mike was. Very soon we drove off the motorway and into the quiet lane leading to Wisley a minute or two before eleven, and passing both the entrance and exit found ourselves bumping along the concrete service road to the admin buildings, as I hurried out of the car I felt my chest tighten, thinking of the activities to come.

I knew I had to go to the desk to tell them I'd arrived, but knowing we were in plenty of time it was far easy this time. Being such a glorious day after letting them know we made our way to the exhibiting hall with four varieties, and this time accompanied by my dear wife Irene .

The standard varieties were a miniature decorative called My Neddy after what my dear mum used to refer to my dad as, and a small or medium semi-cactus named Mayan Swan both illustrated above. The miniature is one of the best I've bred, lease that's what I've been told a certain Andrew Aspital (and the only way I can remember how to spell his name is to think of Hospital and knock off the H and O, and substitute an A) He's the current miniature Champion of the Kent Dahlia Society, and I'm lucky enough for him to want to try it next year, he's had one or two other varieties of mine, but this time he asked me. The other two are both small, although I'm certain the ball dahlia Mexico Million will pump up to a medium if less is grown on it. The other variety was Mr. Cool is definitely a small, but this year I grew it as a miniature a big mistake as it lost a bit of petal with a double stop.  Photo.

We reached the building where the joint committee was going to meet and assess stuff bought in by breeders, and sure enough Sharon McDonald had left the forms and vases. I didn't take long to set them up on the tables because I already set them up in my garage the day before, the next decision was how to display them. I plumped for the two reds on the outside, and the white and creamy yellow to the centre. My Neddy was my best vase so I put this nearest to the door, as these would be seen by the judges as they entered the exhibition room. As I moved the cases that the blooms travelled in out of the way, a lady entered and proceeded to ask me if this was were we bought blooms for the committee to see, and then went on to say she had grown the biggest dahlia that has ever been seen. I asked her had she bought it with her, and she said her husband was not far behind her carrying it. She went on to say she'd purchased the variety in France as a bargain package of three, and they were all huge, but this was the biggest. No sooner had she finished speaking than the poor man with this enormous bloom walked through the door. It was big alright, I would hazard a guess of sixteen inches across, and a little under thirteen deep. She carried on to say she wanted to name it after the great opera singer Pavarotti, as he'd died the day before. I didn't tell her that it was quite possible this phenomenon probably had a name all ready, and was also registered by a breeder somewhere in the Netherlands. As she excitedly told us more about her exploits growing this giant I couldn't help noticing her poor husband trying to off load the weighty flower, the trouble was the vase they had it in was no match for it girth, and know matter where he tried to prop it, this massive flower was trying to bury it's head on the exhibition room floor. I suggested he propped it against the corner of the wall, and he and the flower were grateful. She was still talking excitedly when we wished her well, and headed for the trial grounds on Portsmouth Field.

I stood on the steps looking down on the various trails that were spread across the whole area, the same thought always crosses my mind "Heaven in a garden" How could you not be inspired? This place was surely the bees knees of gardening. We made our way to the dahlia trials I wondered how many people were involved in this set up. I'm not talking about the countless gardeners that look after it, but people such as myself who had a hand in bringing it to life, and I didn't stop there, what about the massive amount of work the admin staff do, and the countless judges who called to inspect the exhibits. This last thought bought me back to reality as in the distance I could see the joint committee doing what the joint committee do, examining and passing their votes on each and every dahlia in the trials. It was fascinating to see first one set of hands go up, and then another.

To their left was the crew of BBC Bristol, and as soon as I reached them I was introduced to the sound man and the camera lady. Of course I went and put my foot in it and said `Oh a camera lady!' as if this is really unusual, but like always I got over it with a bit of cockney charm. The director Claire Martin explain what we were going to do first as I saw the committee coming ever nearer. I might add we were at that time standing right opposite a dahlia called Mayan Blood and a few plants away was another  with the same prefix called Mayan Pearl both were double orchid, and both had been bred by yours truly. Before I had chance to say any more I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned to see a fella who I knew from various NDS publications as the Chairman of the trials committee John Wheatley. "I'm afraid you can't stay here Ken, we are about to judge your exhibits" I smiled, and obliged him by moving to the end of the trial beds with the BBC crew from Bristol.

While we were unable to do our stint with the orchids dahlias Claire suggested I went back to the steps leading to this magical place, and they did a shot of me entering Portsmouth Field as if I'd just arrived. Before I left to go back to where I started, the camera lady gave me a gismo that I could use to enable me to take direction from her from a distance. She said keep it out of shot while filming or until I heard her voice, it was getting technical now, well for a ol' fella like me. We did the shot several times, I felt a right berk, especially with whole of the NDS & RHS joint committee seeing all, but of course they were to busy seeing to the judging to be concerned about me and sooner than I thought, I was told to report back to base, and was relieved to be out of the limelight. By the time I reached the crew the joint committee had turned the corner, and  were a few varieties down on the other side of the trial beds. I was now told we were going to take a few more shots, which meant the question and answer game again and again. At this stage I hoped for a good editor because this is the a good story comes to life, and so far whether here, or back home in Bournemouth everything seemed so disjointed. By the time we'd reached Charlie Dimmock, the dahlia I hasten to add most of the Executive Committee had left, I assumed to have a well earned rest, and refreshments laid on by the RHS catering staff. We were having a laugh now as the filming one of my favourite raisings was taking place, and my fifteen minutes of fame was coming to an end or so I thought. Know sooner had we finished than a fella with a camera caught my eye, and explain he'd like to take a couple of snaps for this months RHS magazine, I posed and hoped the crew were also smiling.

			At this stage I was given an ultimatum, go to lunch or finish the project back at the exhibition room where I'd left my exhibits. I told Claire we might as well get it finished, and phoned Mike my son-in-law to carry on doing what they were doing, and I wouldn't be long. I was praying the committee were finished, but no such luck, and as I opened the door they were in full swing, every one stared as if I was something from Mars, but thank God Graham Carey gave me a wink.  I could hear the meeting going on in the background as Claire explained just what we were about to do next, talk about feel a dipstick. As a rule people don't worry me in the least, but at times like this with a couple of dozen men trapped in the same room as me while I was trying to give the impression that I knew what I was doing, and of course twelve of these men were great dahlia men. I prayed the ground would open and cover my embarrassment.
			So here was the plot, I was supposed to pretend it was morning having just arrived, and was setting up My Neddy, and if it had been any other variety I'd have refused to participate, but I knew this guy was going through to spend the next three year from 2008 growing at this beautiful place. With the camera lady almost knocking Graham Carey off his chair, and Claire Martin looking it to my eyes begging me to put in the performance of a life time I wished the minutes away.

 It didn't stop there, I now had to imagine I was being presented with the registration document of Mayan Blood, why they picked this particular variety I'll never know. Sharon McDonald the trials recorder held it out for me to acknowledge, I smiled thanking her, and even this had to be done twice, the however the BBC get an episode of East Enders out in time beats me. By the time I left that room I felt like I'd just dried myself after having a shower on a sweltering hot day, you know the feeling. The director Claire thanked me for my patience, and I expected to be seeing the others for a bite to eat, but evidently the very last shots were still to be taken with me coming out of the administration buildings just in front of the long lily pool, and all as if I'd just arrived. Talk about back to front, but once again it's all down to the editor, so watch out for her or his name. I phoned our Mike for them all to meet me by Wisley waters explaining the situation.

Last act, and I was famished. When I'd arrived earlier this morning every one of my blooms were secured with pipe cleaners to the slim wooden supports at the top of my carrying cases, and now I had to rein act the scene which Id done naturally hours earlier. Tell you what it took some doing, this time the blooms were held in place by cello tape the pipe cleaners were left in the other box, I prayed the sun wouldn't catch the shine of the tape.  The countless times I walked down those steps from the administration building before we could get it right was incredible, the trouble was the punters, because by now the place was buzzing. Then we had to wait for a lady to place an electric protection wire round an unusually display of lettuce. I kid you not this was situated in a large bed on the left as you walk down to the water evidently all sorts of critters have a nibble if this isn't done. Finally the last take was in the bag, and we wished each other the best of luck. Claire promised a copy of the series when it was completed, and I promised I'd send her mum and dad a few plants of Mayan Pearl the following Spring, evidently it is their favourite dahlia of the past couple of years in the trials.

I do hope you enjoy the series especially those that I'm featured in, after all it's only a bit of fun, but of course to the crew and I we hope what we contributed was the best.  For those of you who missed the series there is a way for seeing it on your computers because our lovely granddaughter Kim placed it on You Tube. It is in three parts, and for all of those interested it shouldn't pose to much of a problem.  Passion for Plants.  Now to get this lot on to the live site.

See you at the trials.

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