1. Please do enter. Two comments frequently overheard at shows:
"I thought only experts could enter." Not so. Both the June Show and the Fall Show are open to all comers, unless they earn a major part of their income from horticulture or flower arranging. The main purposes are to take part, to have fun and to learn.
"I have better (or bigger) tomatoes than that at home." Then bring them in -- judges don't make housecalls.
By the way, bigger is not necessarily better. Anyone can grow a 30- inch zucchini, but it will be woody and tasteless, and will not win a First Prize.
2. Plants are best cut in the early morning, before the sun desiccates them. Take a bucket of lukewarm water into the garden. All cut flowers, whether for shows or just for the home, should be "hardened", otherwise they won't last long. In many cases this means picking them the day before, and standing them up to their necks in lukewarm water in a dull place for 12 to 24 hours (also recutting the stems under water).
Flowers with milky sap should have their cut ends carefully flamed to seal the sap.
Those with hollow stems should be turned upside down and the stems filled with water. The stems should then be sealed with modelling clay (plasticene).
3. Flowers whose leaves are attached near the top should be exhibited with leaves. (So this does not apply to daffodils.) In many shows the leaves must be attached; in Kingston our custom is to permit separate leaves, but they must be arranged in the vase to look natural. In many classes, 15 or 20% of the points are for foliage.
4. Vegetables have their own customs. For example, carrots are displayed with leaves cut to about an inch. Root vegetables have mud removed by gentle washing, but they must not be scrubbed or polished. Onions may have a couple of outer layers removed to make them look cleaner but they should not be heavily peeled. Tomatoes normally have the calyx left on. The booklet referred to below gives more information.
By the way, it normal for the judge to cut one specimen in each entry. He/she wants to see if a cucumber has few seeds (best), or a carrot has only a small woody inner core, and so on.
5. In classes where more than one specimen is called for, uniformity of size and colour is one of the most important factors in judging.
6. Especially in floral design classes, be careful with flowers like evening primrose or four-o'clocks, which open and close depending on light conditions. They may look good in the garden, but close up when placed on the show table.
7. In the case of pot plants, proper grooming helps to put your plant in show condition. Dead and damaged flowers and leaves should be removed, and some pruning/trimming might be done, keeping the overall look of the plant in mind. Foliage must not be oiled or shined, but dust should be removed. If supports are needed, they should be inconspicuous. The look of the pot contributes to the overall presentation. Pots should be an appropriate size for its plant.
8. We do not yet include classes for aphids and lily-beetles. Please leave these and any other animals at home. Your fellow competitors may not be happy if they take home livestock on their potted plants.
9. Please read the show schedule carefully. If the class says 3 stalks, 2 or 4 will be disqualified. Please make sure to put entries in the right classes, and to attach tags.
Careful reading is especially important for floral designs. All the designs in our shows are "interpretive", that is to say, you are expected to interpret the setter's twisted mind or warped sense of humour expressed in the titles.
Note also the rules at the start of the schedule. One of these says that each competitor may place only one entry in each class; and that if two people share a garden, only one may enter a class. These rules apply to monthly competitions also.
10. The Bible for flower shows in Ontario is "Ontario Judging and Exhibit Standards for Horticulture and Floral Design", produced by the OHA and the Garden Clubs of Ontario, publication 34. Use only the latest edition (2003). Our committee usually has a few copies for sale.