THE 2005 NATIONAL AT SHEPTON MALLET

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE NDS WEB MASTER RICHARD COOK

WORDS WITH HELP FROM DAVE BATES GARDEN NEWS & THE WINTER BULLETIN OF THE NDS

	The "A. T. Barnes " Perpetual Challenge Trophy.

Magnificent, what a shame flowers as beautiful as these can't have a dark background instead of other flowers.

	The "Vivienne Dale Memorial" Challenge Cup.		The "Terry Clarke" Perpetual Challenge Cup.

I promise you that isn't me trying to get noticed beside the vase of Charlie Two, while the Terry Clarke exhibit was being taken. I've got a feeling it's a chap taking a photograph of the winner of the "Jaldec" Perpetual Challenge Trophy.

	The view from the balcony.		Monkland's Society winning exhibit  from Scotland.

Pity the Monkland's exhibit had to be bunched up so much would have looked spectacular given a bit more room, at first I thought it was where the stewards had moved the vases after judging, but there wasn't much room to stage it. Well done Scotland, but we're not done yet, lets hope next year the Vagabond Society can wipe the smile of your  faces.

	The "JALDEC" Perpetual Challenge Trophy.		The Weston Trophy.

I love to win the "Jaldec" Challenge Trophy, all you've got to do is get a belting good seedling, not much to ask.

	Give us a name someone!		Bryn Terfel.  (A Welsh name I think)

	Shep's Memory. I think I'm right in saying this is yet another sport out of Taratahi Ruby.

Shep's Memory was every where, but this particular shot was taken from a three vase Championship exhibit, if anyone could tell me the grower, and his credentials I'd be grateful. What it seems to have that neither the original or Gwyneth or Charlie Dimmock has, is a smaller flower, where ever I saw it appeared just that bit smaller, they weren't cut young either. I know Charlie's not a sport, although one of the best breeders we've got seemed to think it was. At the Southport show back in August Jack Gott and Les Jackson were admiring a vase of Charlie Dimmock, lease I think they were admiring it, well I hope they were, because the judges had given it a red ticket. Anyway Les Jackson ups and says, "I don't know how that can be called Charlie Dimmock" after all it's a sport of Taratahi Ruby. Jack soon put him right, and told him the parentage was Taratahi Ruby and Yvonne. I'm beginning to think that water lily flowered dahlias  are some of the hardest dahlias to breed, apart from the giants. Anyone after good stock of Shep's Memory can get it at Rycroft Dahlias £2-50 a plant, £12-50 a tuber Including postage.

Saying that Gwyneth can be purchased from Station House Nursery's by emailing them sion@eurodahlia.com and good ol' Charlie Dimmock is still available from Halls of Heddon, I hope, just send an email to Dave Hall  enquiry@hallsofheddon.co.uk Saying all this, anyone seen the dahlia called Pat Howden? It looks a belter from the photographs.

I'm having trouble making a link to both Halls, and Station House. Have to send them an email and ask for there web address, I've copied it from the address bar when I've entered their sites, but it just don't wanna play. I'm practically certain that it's because their web sites are run under a different programme than either Rycroft or mine, which are FrontPage. I think that is the answer. For now I've given you both nurseries email addresses, so as you can get their catalogues. As soon as I receive any more news on the National at Shepton Mallet I'll complete my report.

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