PICTURES: Rustington rose and sweet pea show

Jeffrey Haine with some of his cup-winning sweet peas

Over the two weeks before Saturday’s show at The Woodlands Centre, sunshine and high temperatures, followed by high winds, really affected the blooms.

Show secretary Alison Valentini said: “The hot weather, while beautiful for holidaymakers, brought all the flowers into full bloom with amazing rapidity. Sadly, they died off with equal speed.

“I am sure the gardeners were wilting with the heat as much as the plants were.

Sylvia Hesling with her flower arrangement, which won best floral art exhibit

“Finally, two days before the show, the weather returned to its usual blustery self, battering the blooms almost into submission.”

Despite fears they would have nothing to show, the exhibitors filled the centre with scent and a magnificent display of roses and sweet peas.

Other flower classes were well supported, too, as were the fruit, vegetable and photography classes.

Alison added: “It was lovely to see a steady stream of visitors coming into the hall to see the show, some regulars but also many new faces enjoying the display, sales, and home-made cakes.”

Alasdair MacCulloch won with the Eric Norrell Rose Cup for best rose exhibit

Cup winners were:-

Jeffrey Haine, RHA Sweet Pea Cup for most points in sweet pea classes, Dave Sanders Memorial Cup for best sweet pea exhibit, National Sweet Pea Society Bronze Medal for best vase of sweet peas and RHA glass goblet for best exhibit in the horticultural classes.

Barry Bezants, J.F. Passmore Cup for best pot plant, Wally Barnes Cup for most points in flowers, vegetable and fruit classes, certificate for most points in vegetable classes.

Alasdair MacCulloch, RHA Rose Cup for most points in rose classes and Eric Norrell Rose Cup for best rose exhibit.

Julie Churcher, Tom Lloyd Memorial Plate for best yellow rose.

Sylvia Hesling, certificate for best floral art exhibit.

Alison Valentini, certificate for best vegetable exhibit.

David Donovan, certificate for most points in fruit classes.

Fred Spanton, best exhibit in classes for growers of less than 50 sweet pea plants.

Other first prize winners were:-

Anne Adams, Christine Fry, Julie MacCulloch, Kathy Oldfield, Mavis Potten, Carol Spanton, Jayne Pumphrey, Claudio Valentini, Roger Parsons and David Stubbings.