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Tomatoes 2008
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Tips for a Beginner on Entering a Rose Show By Ginny and Al Troyer Welcome to the world of roses! So, you want to enter a Rose show but don't have a clue as to what you should do first. You have these gorgeous roses but how do you get them from the garden to the show? Once you get to the show, what do you do? Questions, questions, questions! We have put together some guidelines for a beginner which we hope will be helpful. Long time exhibitors tend to get carried away with the hardware (tools) they bring to the show and the grooming that is done in the prep room. However, all of this can be accomplished with a few tools and simple grooming. Don't let other exhibitors intimidate you. Remember, every last one of them was a novice at some point. BE PREPARED The Garden Center will have entry tags and schedules so pick them up several days ahead of the rose show so you can be familiar with both. If you have questions at this point call a Rose Society member. We will be more than happy to help you. On the day of the show come early with some tools for grooming. The prep room opens at 7:00 A.M. If you have questions about where to go and what to do first, just ask someone that looks like they know what they are doing. We are friendly and willing to help. LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT ROSE IN MY GARDEN 1. Look for a well formed bloom that is not too tight but not fully open. The center should have a spiral if it is a hybrid tea, floribunda, or mini. Old Garden roses do not have that spiral. Singles (single ring of petals) do not have spirals either. 2. Cut bloom with as long a stem as possible. Try to find a good bloom on a straight stem. 3. DO NOT CUT ANY OF THE LEAVES OFF! 4. Cut during cool time of day- early morning or evening, and immediately place in warm water. 5. Recut stems under water (to prevent air bubbles in stem) and store in a cool place. GROOMING TOOLS TO BRING TO SHOW
GROOMING 1. Clean leaves with pantyhose and water- no foreign matter is allowed on leaves except water. 2. Trim off burned or brown areas of leaves to make them look a bit more pleasing. 3. Sometimes leaves may need to be taken off but try not to snip off any that will make a hole in the over all look of the stem. Remember that leaves help to anchor the stem in the vase. Do not take thorns off for the same reason. 4. If you are entering in fully open class you may need to use tweezers to pluck out the little petaloids (small petals that did not fully form). You see those around the stamens. 5. If there is mildew you may need to clean the stem as well as the leaves. 6. Clean off any aphids or other live critters you may see. You can use camel hair brush or just blow them off. Judges do not like to see livestock! 7. Use wedges (Styrofoam or saran wrap) to anchor rose in sturdy, upright position in vase. The wedging material cannot be above the lip of the vase. 8. You want your rose to stand tall in the vase but look at the balance and proportion of the bloom to the stem. You don't want a small bloom and a very tall stem. You may need to use clippers to shorten the stem. Cut at an angle. ENTERING 1. When you have groomed your roses you need to fill out the entry tags. If you did not pick them up ahead of time you will find them in the prep area. Schedules and rubber bands will also be there for your use. Attach the tags to the vase with a rubber band. 2. There are entry tags for 3. Long time exhibitors generally fill these out ahead of time, especially
their name, Section, and Class numbers. 4. When you look at the entry tag: 5. Be sure everything has been spelled correctly. If not, your rose could be disqualified. 6. Be sure to place your tag on the vase with a rubber band, if appropriate. 7. When your roses have been groomed and tagged take them to the
Classification table. 8. Now go and clean up your things, have a cup of coffee and WAIT FOR YOUR FIRST BLUE RIBBON. GOOD LUCK! Frequently asked Questions 1. WHAT DO JUDGES LOOK FOR? 2. WHAT ARE SIDEBUDS? These are small beginning buds on the stem and need to be pinched off if entry is listed as one bloom. 3. WHAT IS A SPRAY? Must be 2 open blooms but no limit on the number after two. 4.What is CLASSIFICATION? These people make sure entry tags have been filled out correctly, and roses appear to be what you named them. 5. WHAT IS PLACEMENT? These people place all the roses after they go to Classification. They are placed on tables in alphabetical order by Class and Section. 6. WHAT ARE CLERKS? They accompany the Judges and place ribbons on tags after judges have made their decisions. 7. WHAT IS CHALLENGE CLASS? This is a special section in a rose show and has a theme or title for each class- such as Winner's Showcase (This is 3 one bloom American Rose Society winners placed in 3 different vases.) these should be your best entries. You place your own entry on Challenge Table. ROSE SHOW ETIQUETTE Generally, the only people that should be on the Show floor are Placement, the Show Chairman, and those placing Challenge Class entries and arrangements. Wandering around the Show floor while the Placement people are working is not authorized. NEVER touch another exhibitor's bloom. I We hope these tips will be helpful to you in understanding what a rose show is and how it works. GROOMING is the key to Blue Ribbon roses. Don't be afraid to ask questions as that is how you learn. We have all been there. Call Ginny or Al at 299-9590 if you think of something we did not cover. Come join the world of exhibiting and have fun. |