Another enjoyable evening was had at our 48th annual Spring Show on Monday 20 April. While entries were a little down on last year, probably due to weather variations and unavoidable absences, we still viewed 69 submissions across 14 classes. Indeed our judge for the evening, RHS judging veteran John Hughes, commented on the consistently high quality of entries.
John proved a fair, interesting, decisive and informative judge, explaining his assessments and offering tips on showing plants to their best advantage. Thank you John! Thanks is due also to all who organised, set up, prepared the flags / certificates and did the raffle and refreshments.
On Christmas Eve 2025, after enjoying a treat of delicious coffee and mince pies, we were shown Karen S’s very stunning red-veined Abutilon, growing extremely happily in the shade, on the north-facing side of the garden. Covered in glowing, pendulous, lantern-like flowers amongst its dark-green foliage , the shrub lit up the garden during those dark, December days.
This very healthy shrub with maple-like leaves, had been cut back hard some time ago and had grown very quickly. It was a cutting from Margaret T’s garden two or three years ago. Its growth was very impressive indeed. But before that, the cuttings originally came from North London some years ago, from a plant-lover’s garden. One Abutilon in this garden was seen growing happily as a tall shrub/small tree beneath a mature tree, thus receiving a fair amount of shade and protection, which I think is necessary, as Abutilon species originated from tropical and subtropical regions of South America.
Abutilons have a long-flowering period in London, in bloom from early-to-mid summer and again in early winter. Karen’s shrub is still flowering now in January, but the prolonged cold snap earlier this month has, naturally, affected it – not as upright as it was but still continuing to bloom, although the flower colour is no longer quite as vivid. Let’s hope it warms up and recovers quickly. I know how it feels!
This year’s Autumn Show will be held a month earlier than usual, on Monday 18 August, at 7.30pm in the Old Library at Charlton House. Please note that due to the earlier date, the Potato competition will be judged as part of the Show Table at September’s meeting.
Here’s a reminder of last year’s efforts!
The classes you can enter this year are shown below, please have a go at as many as you like!
A good time was had by all at our 47th annual Spring Show on Monday 14 April. A great turn out of members and several entries for each class – including a magnificent 18 Narcissus ‘Pipit’ pots!
In total there were over 90 entries in 14 classes – well done everyone. Thanks is due to all those who organised, set up, judged, prepared the flags / certificates and did the raffle and refreshments.
We welcomed horticulturalist Joe Woodcock to judge the classes* and he was full of praise for each and every entry. Joe interspersed his judgments with interesting facts, tips and growing advice on everything from the merits of deadheading to an explanation of the source-sink theory.
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 