Hello,
Nice pics!
Thanks for posting them.
We're back, very tired. Chelsea was both exhilerating and exhausting. Of course, we're a little disappointed we didn't get Gold but as one exhibitor pointed out, out of 220 exhibitors, about 215 think they should have won Gold, and the standards are incredibly high. This display was far, far, better in every respect than our first one at a London RHS show for which we did get Gold.
We got the judges back to tell us what it was they found wrong (usual procedure so exhibitors can learn about their mistakes). Turns out they had absolutely no criticisms of the Nepenthes themselves but hated the palms as backing plants, particularly the big one on the rear LHS that obscures the climbing stem of N. maxima. Gold is a very narrow band indeed, so Silver Gilt for a first try will do. The judges unfortunately (with one exception) had little or no experience with CPs - luck of the draw - and would have been judging on artistic merit alone.
Dead right we had problems with the weather! The RHS put us right next to a door facing the wind (they've promised not to ever do that again!). Whilst we were setting up, an icy cold wind was howling (LITERALLY howling) across the display knocking plants over - they are all bare rooted in plastic bags, sometimes just propped up with pots. The N. bicals and N. amps with many leaves croaked the first night. However, we came prepared with a complete set of duplicate plants except for the N. lowii and N. trusmadiensis. Five days later was the hottest May day on record for over 60 years.
Michael, the N. lowii is safely back home with us and the other plants are all either sold or donated to Royal Botatanic Gardens Kew. The N. x trusmadiensis sold for 1,000 pounds, over $1,800. Guess that might make it the most expensive Nep ever?
Really nice plant though.
More photos will be put up on our website, perhaps tomorrow.