A bunch of eight sweet pea stems sent by post from East Sussex gardener Richard Baron scooped the £250 first prize in the General Postal Class in Mr Fothergill’s national competition held at Capel Manor College, Enfield, north London on Saturday, 18 July 2015. The event attracted postal entries from as far afield as Tyne and Wear, Co Tyrone, Somerset and Yorkshire. Miss L Smith of Burton on Trent and Janice Sharkey of Glasgow were second and third respectively, winning £150 and £100.
Mr Fothergill’s competition co-ordinator Pim Dickson, who also devised the postal method using a two-litre plastic soft drinks bottle to ensure safe transit of blooms, said he was delighted at the good condition in which they all arrived.
There was also a class for on-the-day entrants, who staged their exhibits during the morning, with similar levels of prize money. First prize was awarded to Alec Cave of Derby, with second prize going to Bill Jones and third prize to Derek Florin.
The Junior section of the competition was won by students of Access Group 2 from Capel Manor College. In second place was Bollington St John’s C of E Primary School from Macclesfield, with Montbelle Primary School of New Eltham in third.
The judges for the competition were John Fothergill of Mr Fothergill’s, gardening writer Peter Seabrook MBE and Stephen Dowbiggin OBE, principal of Capel Manor College. Entries were judged on their overall appeal.
