Highly-scented display at Rustington rose and sweet pea show

Show secretary Alison Valentini said: “The sweet pea classes were well supported, with many blooms worthy of gracing the show bench at the National Sweet Pea Society show.

“Roses, too, have been blooming steadily with the fine sunny weather, along with flowering shrubs and early fuchsias, giving the judges plenty to peruse over.

“Early vegetables and fruit classes had slightly less entries, with their usual harvest time being delayed slightly by the prolonged cold spring this year.

“As always, the photography classes gave good competition, demonstrating that you don’t have to be a gardener to exhibit at Rustington shows.

“It was lovely to see so many visitors to the show, enjoying the fine weather, beautiful floral displays and rounded off nicely with a baker’s delight of home-made cakes.”

Cup winners were:

Alasdair MacCulloch, RHA Sweet Pea Cup for most points in sweet pea classes, Dave Sanders Memorial Cup for best exhibit sweet peas, National Sweet Pea Society Bronze Medal for best vase of sweet peas, RHA Glass Goblet for best exhibit in horticultural classes and Tom Lloyd Memorial Plate for best yellow rose.

Julie MacCulloch, J.F. Passmore Cup for best pot plant, Wally Barnes Cup for most points in flowers, vegetables and fruit.

David Stubbings, RHA Rose Cup for most points in rose classes.

Nick Hockey, Eric Norrell Rose Cup for best rose exhibit and best exhibit in classes for growers of less than 50 sweet pea plants.

Margaret Maroney, certificate for most points in vegetable classes.

Sylvia Hesling, certificate for best floral exhibit.

Alison Valentini, certificate for best vegetable exhibit.

Kathy Oldfield, certificate for most points in fruit classes.

Other first prize winners were Barry Bezants, Julie Churcher, Christine Fry, Jeffrey Haine, Valerie Narayanaswamy, Mavis Potten, Jayne Pumphrey, Jenny Starns and Claudio Valentini.