Cornwall Spring Flower Show at Boconnoc House

It may have been April Fool’s Day but for those of us lucky to have been at The Cornwall Garden Society’s Spring Flower Show on this sparkling sunny Sunday it was a rare treat; Saturday and Sunday made up one of those only too rare, brilliant sunny spring weekends, a touch of frost in the early morning air and Boconnoc Gardens in the full flush of their spring plumage.

This year’s show was the best yet, with the gamble taken on extending the space in the stable yard, for the competitive classes more than paying off. I doubt the high standard of the entrants in all classes could have been matched let alone exceeded anywhere, nationally or internationally; unsurprisingly Caerhays Castle Gardens triumphed with its Magnolias winning both the George Johnstone Perpetual Trophy and the Treve Holman Memorial Cup but in the Camellia section the honours were evenly shared with the Duchy of Cornwall Nurseries, Mrs C Petherick, Mount Edgcumbe and Mrs J Cook of Falmouth all winning cups.

The Floral Art Exhibit caused a sensation with its intriguingly contrived class entitled ‘Coiffeur’ a series of polystyrene heads topped with the most amazing plant based ‘hairstyles’; the extended ‘sculpture in the garden’ added a new dimension, but I confess that my favourite piece of sculpture was the St Mellion Cof E School’s waste sculpture, worthy of a place in the Tate Modern, made out of old plastic milk bottles and entitled ‘Milk Maids’. This year’s botanical art exhibition was beautifully displayed and of a very high standard, as a result of which many of the pictures were sold.

In the Trade Stand Prize list ‘Large Gold’ went to Ron Scamp’s more than large golden display of stunning daffodils, with the Eden Project’s cool and magical grey, white and purple garden, complete with pool and floating candles taking the Gold. ‘Down to Earth’ won the Gold in the Sundries category, this show was to have been their last, however, I am delighted to report that they enjoyed themselves so much that they’ve decided to come back next year. Their view of the show was I am sure shared by many of the more than six thousand visitors who came to the show; the happy family atmosphere, the delicious food (widely available), the warm sunshine and wonderful stands meant that many families used it as an opportunity to spend the whole day outside, the large gardens and surrounding area providing the perfect relaxed and uncrowded setting for ad hoc picnicking with the strains of the brass bands adding to the festive feel and the whole event making for a wonderful start to the spring holiday period.

Next year’s show will take place on Saturday and Sunday the 4^th and 5^th of April, for details please contact the Show Director, Sally Jane Coode 01726 882 488

Release written by: Deborah Hinton, Press and Publicity, Cornwall Garden Society

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