Cheshire Group of the NCCPG Show New Plant Collections

New National Plant Collections® making their debut in the ‘Garden of Plant Collections’ within the Plant Societies Marquee include Heliotropium held by Mrs Shirley Palmer from Nottingham; Begonia rex (cvs) held by Shirley and Terry Tasker from Southport who will be introducing a new variety, Begonia rex ‘Lazy River’; Salvia from Rodbaston College, Staffordshire and New Proposed National Plant Collections®: Blechnum from Dr. Richard Hayward from North Wales; Ixia from Ingrid Millington and Canna from her daughter Sarah.

Sarah’s father John Millington’s National Plant Collection®: Acanthus is showing two new varieties Acanthus eminens and Acanthus pubescens, grown from seed collected by him in Kenya.

HRH The Prince of Wales gave permission for his National Plant Collection®: Hosta (Large leaved) to be shown at last year’s RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park. He was so pleased with the result that this year His Royal Highness is sending trees from his National Plant Collection®: Fagus to Tatton as well as Hosta to enhance the Cheshire Group’s display.

In the Group’s ‘Garden of Plant Collections’ – featuring again at the show – is an eclectic mix of plants split into three sections. The first section contains the National Plant Collections® Sarracenia from Paul and Jackie Gardner of Hereford; Adiantum, held by Sam Youd of Tatton Park; Blechnum; Passiflora (cvs) from Jane Lindsay in Tickenham under-planted with Hebe (Nigel Hutchinson) and the National Plant Collection®: Fagus under-planted with Streptocarpus (Gareth Dibley) and Terry Baker’s Digitalis.

The second section holds National Plant Collections®: Agapanthus (Dick Fulcher); Euphorbia (Don Witton); and Begonia rex at one end leading in to the National Plant Collections®: Acanthus; Ixia; Brunnera (Tim Saville); Canna; Stachys and Balotta (Sally Williams) and Salvia.

The third section has the National Plant Collections®: of Astrantia (Bob Taylor); Euonymus (Anthony and Susan Norman) and Penstemon (Shirley Reynolds) and Alan and Jane Simpson’s National Plant Collection® Osteopermum planted in complementary colours with Heliotropium.

The Cheshire Group won a Gold medal at the Show in 2004 and a Silver Gilt Lindley medal in 2005.

Details of all the collections are in the NCCPG Directory available from NCCPG, The Stable Courtyard, Wisley Garden, Woking, surrey, GU23 6QP, Tel: 01483 211 465
e-mail: [email protected], or local NCCPG Groups. For more information about the Cheshire Group, contact Roger Holland on [email protected]