The politics in the cactus and succulent section at the Royal Easter Show is a prickly issue this year. Kim Hamilton, who has produced the champion cactus, the champion succulent and the best exhibition, agrees. The conflict between commercial and amateur has been simmering in other sections of the show, the most obvious being the bread sections where Bakers Delight franchises are regular winners. The show's horticulture co-ordinator, Mrs Cheryl Ryan, said not many commercial growers exhibited, and it remained the realm of the home gardener. When they come here they are just a little bit nervous, a little bit edgy, and we have got to be very careful with them, because you have got to realise this is a really big thing for them.
Cactus growers have an obvious advantage over the cut flower exhibitors.
No bloom lasts 25 years, which is the rough age of Ms Hamilton's champion astrophytum ornatum. Her secret is water once a fortnight, and feed slow release fertiliser. Vast sections of the pavilion exhibits are turned over daily. Old-fashioned flowers such as dahlias and roses warrant five judging days of new blooms. They are the biggest of our classes.