Shropshire Magazine

Show-goers admire an impressive display of gladioli.

Shirley Tart looks forward to the county town’s annual showcase for all things floriferous — and a great deal more besides

Set in the county town’s fabulous Quarry with its secret centre — the Dingle — Shrewsbury Flower Show is not only a world wonder but it becomes more impressive, year after year.When so many of these expensive spectaculars are hitting hard times, it’s great that our own August attraction still flourishes.

And this year’s programme is encouragement enough for us to carry on supporting. Along with its fine horticultural heritage — this year’s president is expert florist, judge and demonstrator Howard Franklin — it is also all-round family entertainment; from horses to hurdy-gurdy, military music to TV cooks, children’s entertainment to trade stands. Plus the amazing fireworks which keep showgoers gazing skywards until the very last minute.

But at the heart of it all are the flowers, the fruit, the veg, the bees and honey, in our rural county, all things which talk of countryside and centuries of sowing, growing and harvesting.

There is something deeply evocative about all of that. We love it and for visitors from towns and cities, such a slice of living, breathing, growing life is magnetic.

Many exhibitors are as much a part of the world’s longest-running show — the first one was in 1875 — as its organisers, the Shropshire Horticultural Society.

Others are newcomers attracted by the enduring success and appeal. Like the girls at Adcote School, for example.

About five years ago, led by geography and PE teacher (but also keen gardener) Louise Hudson, the school started a gardening club and thought about doing something at the show.

Chris Beardshaw with Adcote’s Deborah Hammond, Cara Bryan, Rose Galliers and Bryony Milliken in 2006. Front: Teacher Louise Hudson.

Heyday

One man was in a very good position to help with ideas. Aubrey Kirkham was a school governor at Adcote and is a former chairman of the Horticultural Society with which he has been involved for many years — back to the flourishing heyday of his gardening father-in-law, the late Percy Thrower.

So Aubrey suggested that the school create an outdoor garden at the show as an ideal public-relations exercise. They did, and it was.

TV gardener Chris Beardshaw was judging, was impressed by their passion and skill and invited them to help him with a garden at Malvern Show.

Louise recalls: “We said ‘yes’ of course. The horticultural society helped us buy polytunnels and we grew about 2,000 vegetables in pots to take to Malvern and work with Chris.”

And the garden got an RHS Gold.

The girls and the gardens went from strength to strength. They have won two Golds, and last year took a Silver Gilt. Louise says: “Two years ago we got Gold for our Darwin Garden and the Gardening Club at school has also grown with all the interest. Some of our own veg is used in the school as well.”

This year, the youngsters helping with the show garden are mostly aged between six and 12.

At the other end of the exhibitor spectrum, Rhona Owen from Harlescott, Shrewsbury, is marking her 39th ‘showing’ year.

Her garden and busy allotment are simply her way of life. At more or less any time of the day, she’ll be found dead-heading, feeding, pruning, watering, urging beloved plants to come along now, grow nicely. And, of course, they do.

Rhona is egged on, supported and encouraged by husband and gardening partner, Allen, so there is no intolerance here. They are both dedicated to growing and showing.

She says: “When I was a child, my uncle did a lot of showing and I trailed around with him and learned quite a lot. Then in 1971 my father was killed in a road accident and I immersed myself in gardening. The first show I did was the Flower Show and I got a third for pansies.”

She and Allen have been wed for 25 years, surely a marriage made in the garden.

Rhona and Allen Owen at Wem Farmers’ Market. This will be Rhona’s 39th year exhibiting.

Preparation

“My husband always does a competitive stand of potatoes and wins regularly. He mainly does veg, I do flowers and fruit but we do have a big garden and the allotment,” she says. And preparation really is everything; Rhona reckons she probably does 30 hours a week caring for and preparing her show-stoppers.

“For instance I might pick 50 sweet peas to find the 10 best. Whatever needs doing, you just do, whether it’s getting up at 6am or watering late at night. My husband and I help each other. He does about 30 varieties of potatoes and I wash them all which takes me about two days so that he can choose the best. We don’t have potatoes for tea on those nights,” she says drily.

Worth it, though, when Allen walks away with the Potato Cup.

His wife has many fruit awards and for five years has created a spectacular stand of flowers, fruit and veg, but nobody else challenged her and this year, the class has gone!

Rhona is secretary of Harlescott Allotments and runs Wem Farmers’ Market. She says: “It was run by the council and was going to close because it cost too much to run but I refused to accept that. I used to have a small stall so I did a business plan . . . now my husband and myself and another friend run it ourselves.”

Phew, Rhona!

More or less what Peter Road-Night says. He has been secretary of the horticultural society for 25 years and one of the first people he thinks of at the mention of long-time exhibitors, is Rhona Owen.

She and Allen are just great growers and plantspeople. In one recent year they entered eight summer shows and took home 11 cups.

No wonder Shrewsbury Flower Show loves them.

Looking at the wider, 2010 picture, Peter is cautiously upbeat. “I don’t want to appear too confident because people might just be booking earlier. But we are 40 per cent up on advance tickets sales, which is good news.

“I think part of the appeal is that we try to make it a real family show with something for everyone. This time we have the Household Cavalry Musical Ride, the first time for a number of years we have had a really major ring attraction,” he says.

Oldest

The Cavalry’s Mounted Regiment is drawn from The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, two of the oldest Regiments in the British Army, dating back to the 1600s and the Sovereign’s personal bodyguard ever since. Each year the Regiment takes part in state ceremonials like The Queen’s Birthday Parade and the State Opening of Parliament.

The cooking-loving Hairy Bikers who are such a success on TV, have three cookery demonstrations each show day — a dash of hilarity also on the menu?

And it is also a Flower Show first for Shropshire WI members. Their main competitive showcase has been at the old West Mid Show. Now, the whole lot is being transferred to the Flower Show, sharing a marquee with Floral Art.

Talking of big tents, Peter says: “We are changing the Quarry Marquee to one clear span, 30 metres by 95 metres, which brings back the big show ‘wow’ factor.”

Just a dash of Flower Show flavour, then, as the two-day spectacular promises to be another fabulous affair.

The Hairy Bikers, Si King and Dave Myers bring their brand of culinary humour to the 2010 show.