TIPS
FOR EXHIBITING AT A FLOWER SHOWTIPS
FOR EXHIBITING AT A FLOWER SHOW
“What A Judge Looks For”
As an accredited Ohio Association of Garden Clubs judge I am asked many
times what I look for when I judge a horticulture or artistic flower show.
With the Knox County Fair coming up soon I will try to answer that
question with some tips for entering the Fair’s Horticulture Show, July 23,
which is open to all amateur growers not just garden club members.
All amateur growers are encouraged to enter!
The first thing I look for when starting to judge horticulture or
artistic classes is has the exhibitor followed the schedule.
The schedule is the law or rules of the show. A show is only as good as its schedule.
The schedule is also the first thing an exhibitor should study at length
before planning or entering exhibits. If
something is confusing or is there is something you don’t understand ask the
show chairman or show committee. Don’t
guess at what is meant on the schedule.
I will be at the fair, eager and willing to help you and answer
questions.
In horticulture the schedule will say a cultivar (exhibit) is to be well
groomed. As I start to look at
horticulture cultivars this is one of the first things I notice. Is the cultivar clean? Is
all dirt and pesticides washed away? You
wouldn’t come to the fair with a dirty face so your best exhibit shouldn’t
either!
Is the cultivar free of disease or pests?
An exhibit should not be brought to a show showing any type of disease or
have any insects crawling on it. This
is especially important if you are showing houseplants or container grown
plants. The disease or pests can
quickly spread to other exhibits. Disease
is one reason for an exhibit being disqualified by the judge and removed from
the show.
Are there dead pieces of leaves or flowers attached to the cultivar?
Could the cultivar be improved in some way?
A good exhibitor takes the time to remove all old flowers and dead
leaves. Leaves or petals can
be carefully trimmed a little to remove all brown edges.
This should be done so a judge can’t notice it.
The most important rule in a horticulture show for many cultivars is “Has
the cultivar been disbudded?” Disbudding
is removing the side bud or shoot from round form flowers such as roses,
zinnias, marigolds, dahlias, daisies, etc.
Don’t just pinch out the bud, remove whole side shoot to the main stem
carefully by pinching or using a small pair of scissors.
Disbudding should be neat and in many cases done a day or days prior to
the show depending on the cultivar.
Many cultivars are shown as sprays.
This is confusing for many exhibitors.
A spray is a single main stem with blooms or florets borne on pedicals or
lateral branches, led by a terminal bloom, which blooms first.
I always tell the exhibitor to look at the stem for a Y.
This indicates there are two sprays – one on each side of the main
stem. Each spray should have as many blooms and buds as
possible. The old center or
terminal flower should be removed if past its prime.
Examples of flowers shown as sprays are marigolds, petunias, phlox, etc.
Another problem I find is the exhibitor not labeling or writing the
variety name of the cultivar on the entry tag.
In many shows this keeps the exhibitor from winning a ribbon. Keep all labels of the plants in your garden.
Label in the garden and/or keep a chart of your plantings.
Don’t just make up a name or look in a catalog and pick something out
that is similar. Know what you
grow. Labeling means giving the
variety of cultivar not just zinnias but what variety of zinnia – Border
Beauty Zinnia, Oklahoma Zinnia, Big Tetra Zinnia, etc.
Be sure to exhibit correct number of cultivars according to the schedule.
The schedule will indicate whether one, two, three, four, etc. blooms,
spikes, sprays are to be shown. If
exhibiting more than one, all cultivars should look exactly alike as to
maturity, color, form, size, etc. They
should look like identical twins, triplets, etc.
Winning a ribbon in horticulture does not mean just growing the best
flower or plant but skill in grooming and preparing your exhibit. Planning ahead, studying the schedule, and learning how
a flower or plant is judged helps you win!
Oral judging of the Knox County Fair Horticulture Show is open to
all at 1:00 PM on Monday, July 23. Hearing the judges’ comments helps us all to learn.
I am looking forward to seeing you at the Knox County Fair!
Ohio
Association of Garden Clubs Accredited Judge
OAGC
First Vice President
Member
of New Shoots and Tan and Toil Garden Clubs
