Many thousands of gardening enthusiasts defied the wild weather to attend the Cornwall Garden Society’s (CGS) 2023 Spring Flower Show at The Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge at the weekend with visitors, exhibitors, traders and organisers declaring the event a success.  

This uniquely Cornish celebration of spring welcomed experienced horticulturists and green-fingered enthusiasts alike from Lamorna to Looe, as well as from further afield.

 The exhibition halls were vivid with vibrant spring colour as show-goers admired Cornwall’s finest flora, beautiful blooms and spectacular shrubs in the competitive classes, with 158 categories for ornamental trees and shrubs; magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons, and daffodils; herbaceous, rhizomatous and bulbous species, pot plants, alpines and floral art, and 39 coveted trophies for the taking. 

Breathtaking displays of dazzling daffodils by R&A Scamp and Majestic Michelia from the Caerhays Estate wowed the crowds as did the National Trust’s showcase of the incredible range of flowers and foliage that can be grown in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.  

From locally-grown flora and sub-tropical species to vintage tools and vegepods, the Plant Pavilion and Horticultural Heaven offered much to tempt Cornwall’s gardeners, many of whom left laden with plants from Master Growers and National Collections®. 

The Artisan Area also proved popular with its array of contemporary crafts and original artwork, ranging from fused glass art to floral textiles and pressed seaweed postcards to hand-poured soy wax candles. 

Speakers’ Corner inspired, engaged and informed with its programme of panel discussions, talks, demonstrations and Gardeners’ Questions, with local luminaries and national experts sharing their horticultural knowledge and conversations about growing our own food and rewilding our gardens. 

“This year’s show, which attracted more than 5,500 visitors across the weekend, was better than ever with the competitive classes not only being supported by the great estates and well-known growers of Cornwall but by plenty of enthusiastic exhibitors with less extensive outdoor spaces,” said show director, Dickie Trant. 

“Traders have been stalwart in their support after some challenging weather but were rewarded with sunshine on Sunday, and their immediate feedback was that business had been brisk. 

“The panel discussions were terrifically informative and generated plenty of engagement from the audience as did Gardeners’ Questions.  

“Having delivered three successful Spring Flower Shows and managed the transition of the event to the Royal Cornwall Showground, this is my final year as show director. I leave the event in the very capable hands of horticulturist, Mark Holman, who now succeeds me and I wish him every success with his plans to develop the Show for the future.”

Show chairman and CGS president Andrew Leslie added: “There was a lively buzz about the show throughout the weekend and it was wonderful to see so many people catching up with old friends, making new ones and enjoying the atmosphere of this special occasion.

“This wonderful show simply couldn’t take place without the large number of competitors who submit horticultural entries, which makes this one of the great events in Cornwall.”

The event was sponsored by Cornish Lithium, Goonvean Holdings and the Cornwall Community Foundation.

The next Spring Flower Show will be on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 2024.”

CORNWALL GARDEN SOCIETY 2023 SPRING FLOWER SHOW – WINNERS OF THE COMPETITIVE CLASSES

Section A – TREES AND SHRUBS

1 The Rosemary Cobbald-Sawle Cup - Best Exhibit in Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Class 1, Section A -Trewithen Gardens (Truro)

2 The Louis Reid Cup Most Points in Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Classes 2-8, Section A Lord Falmouth (Truro)

3 The Moira Reid Memorial Trophy Best Exhibit of Variegated Foliage in Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Class 8, Section A - Trewithen Gardens (Truro)

4 The R K Harrison Trophy Best Exhibit in Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Novice Classes 9 and 10, Section A -Michele Richards (Fowey)

Section B – MAGNOLIAS

5 The George Johnstone Perpetual TrophyMost Points in Magnolias, Classes 11-14, Section B  -       

Caerhays Castle Garden (St Austell)

6 The Treve Holman Memorial Cup Best Exhibit in Magnolias, Classes 11-14, Section B - Caerhays Castle Garden (St Austell)

7 The Patience Barnes Challenge Cup Best Exhibit in Magnolias, Novice Classes 15 and 16, Section B - Tim Smith (Launceston)

Section C – CAMELLIAS

8 The Norman Colville Bowl Best Exhibit in Camellias, Class 17, Section C (12 different specimen Camellia blooms) - Trewithen Gardens (Truro)

9 The Viscountess Boyd of Merton Cup Best Exhibit in Camellias, Class 39, Section C - Trewithen Gardens (Truro) 

10 The Camellia Cup Most Points in Camellias, Classes 17-37 and 39-41, Section C - Porthpean Gardens (St Austell)

11 The Coode Camellia Cup Best Exhibit in Camellias, Class 18, Section C (6 specimen Camellia blooms) -

Botallick (Looe)

12 The Mount Edgcumbe Cup Best Exhibit in Camellias, Novice Classes 38 and 42, Section C Sarah Stanley (St Columb Major)

Section D – RHODODENDRONS

13 The Mrs Charles Williams Rhododendron Cup Most Points in Rhododendrons, Classes 43-54 and 56-62, Section D - Botallick (Looe)

14 The E J P Magor Memorial Cup Best Vase or Exhibit in Rhododendrons, Classes 43-54 and 56-62, Section D - Botallick (Looe)

15 The Elmgate Cup Best Exhibit in Rhododendrons, Novice Classes 55 and 63, Section D - Jess Farrant (Lanhydrock)

16 The Abiss Memorial Trophy Best Vase in Section A, B, C and D - Tamsin Sowerby (Par)

Section F – HERBACEOUS, RHIZOMATOUS AND BULBOUS PLANTS

17 The Mulock Cup Most Points in Herbaceous, Rhizomatous & Other Bulbous Plants, Classes 103-121, Section F  - Mrs G Lim (Par)

18 The Norman Knibbs Memorial Trophy Best Exhibit in Herbaceous, Novice Classes 122-123, Section F -

Michele Richards (Fowey)

Section G – POT PLANTS

19 Pat’s Indoor Plant Trophy Best Exhibit in Pot Plants, Classes 124-137, Section G - Mrs G Lim (Par)

20 The Hodgson Challenge Cup Most Points in Pot Plants, Classes 124-137, Section G - Trevor Wiltshire (Wadebridge)

Section H – ALPINES

21 The Cornwall Alpine Garden Society Trophy Best Exhibit in Alpines, Classes 139-149, Section H - Mrs G Lim (Par)

22 The Bristol & West Trophy Most Outstanding Vase or Growing Plant in Daffodils, Herbaceous, Rhizomatous & Other Bulbous Plants, Pot Plants and Alpines, Sections E, F, G and H - Emma Dunne (Modbury)

Section E – DAFFODILS

23 The T.B.W.A Cup Best Exhibit in Daffodils, Novice Classes 100, 101 and 102, Section E - Suzy Gilchrist (Fowey)

24 The Andrew Leslie Trophy Winner of Daffodils, Class 64, Section E - Marie Bersey (Looe)

25 The Charles Le Grice Cup Most Points in Daffodils, Classes 66-94 (even numbers, three stem), Section E - Donald Bostock (Looe) 

26 The John Levitt Memorial Cup Most Points in Daffodils, Classes 69-95 (odd numbers, single bloom), Section E - Shirley Cardus (Mylor)

27 The Edward Pedlar Cup Best Exhibit in Daffodils (except Class 65, which is the third leg of The Daffodil Society’s South West Competition), Section E - Donald Bostock (Looe)

28 The Alec Gray Perpetual Memorial Cup Most Points in Daffodils, Classes 67, 96, 97 and 98, Section E -

Danny Glew (St Austell)

29 The Rosemary White Cup Best Heritage Daffodil in Class 99, Section E - Emma Dunne (Modbury)

30 The Secrett Cup Most Points in Daffodils, Classes 64-99, Section E - Marie Bersey (Looe)

31 The Daffodil Society Medal Best Bloom in Daffodils, Class 65, Section E - Shirley Cardus (Mylor)

 32 The Banksian Medal Granted by the RHS for Most Points in Horticultural Classes (winners from past two years not eligible) Mrs G Lim (Par)

Section I – FLORAL ART 

33 The Margaret Shepherd Cup Best Exhibit by a WI Member in Floral Art, Section I - Helen Hunt

34 - The Kitson Cup Most Points in Floral Art Classes 151-158, Section I - Pat Knight (Pelynt)

35 The Baseden Trophy Best Exhibit (two pieces) in Floral Art Class 150, Section I - Christine Harrington (Callington)

36 The H & M Libby Memorial Cup Best Exhibit in Floral Art Novice Classes 151-158, Section I - Megan Stratton (Truro)

37 Constance Spry Memorial Cup Best Exhibit in Floral Art Class 156, Section I - Pat Knight (Pelynt)

38 The Cornwall Theatre of Flowers Trophy Best Exhibit in Floral Art Classes 151-158, Section I - Fiona Hammond (Bodmin)

TRADE CLASSES

39 The Banham Cup Best Plant Display - Burncoose Nurseries (Gwennap)

40 The Kilmarth Trophy Best Newcomer in Trade - Exhibits Langleaves (Bude)

 41 The Bickford-Smith Trophy Best Trade Exhibit (winners from previous two years not eligible) (2019 – Penberth Plants. 2022 – R Scamp) - Eden Project (Bodelva)