Show Rules Hints & Tips for Exhibitors

Show Rules and Hints and Tips for our Exhibitors

SHOW RULES

The Spring, Rose and Sweet Pea and Summer Shows are open, excepting resident only classes.
Exhibits for all shows must be staged between 9.00 and 10.50 on the morning of the show, after which time the Hall will be closed except to judges and officials.
(a) All exhibits must have been grown by, or made by, the Exhibitor and (b) Pot plants must have been owned and tended by the Exhibitor for a minimum of 6 months. Floral art is exempt from this rule.
Entry forms with entry fees of 25p per class for the Spring and Summer Shows must be delivered, in an envelope, by mid-day on the Thursday preceding the show to The Flower Shop, High Street, Burwash. Subscription of £2.00 may also be enclosed. The Rose and Sweet Pea Show entries, together with craft entries are accepted at the Hall on the morning of the show.
Only one exhibit may be entered In any class of a show, per Exhibitor
Prize Money: 1st - £2.00, 2nd - £1.50, 3rd - £1.00 unless otherwise stated.
Points towards trophies: 1st – 3 Points, 2nd – 2 Points, 3rd – 1 Point.
Presentation of trophies will be at 3.45pm on the day of the show after which the raffle will be drawn and all exhibits removed.
In all cases, the Judges’ decision is final. Objections to be in writing to the Chairman before 3.00pm with a fee of 50p.
All trophies to be returned to the Chairman (Mount House, High Street, Burwash) before the next show.
Society vases only to be used, except In Floral Art Classes.
The Committee reserve the right to inspect any competitor’s garden.

HINTS FOR EXHIBITORS IN THE FLOWER AND VEGETABLE CLASSES

COMPETITORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE NOT EXHIBITED BEFORE, MAY FIND THESE EXPLANATORY NOTES HELPFUL IN THE SELECTION AND PRESENTATION OF THEIR EXHIBITS.

Give careful attention to proper staging (presentation) of exhibits. Society vases, where their use is required, are made available on the day of the show.

Whenever possible, an exhibit of a plant, flower, vegetable or fruit should be named as this adds greatly to the gardening interest of the show. No penalty will be attached to unnamed exhibits.

All flower exhibits should be presented with a leaf from the plant.

Any enquiries prior to the show should be addressed to the Chairman or Vice Chairman.

On the day of the show, stewards will be on hand to help anyone who has difficulty in finding a class location or interpreting a class description.

PRESENTATION

Flowers should be in good condition, i.e. at their most perfect stage and as fresh and free from damage due to weather, pests and diseases as possible.

Blooms should be so placed in the container that each one can be seen easily by the judge, and not arranged as if in a flower arrangement class.

To anchor the stems in the vase, use wet moss, oasis, kitchen paper etc, which should not come above the rim of the container.

A vase is higher than its width and a bowl is wider than its height. A container can be any receptacle that holds flowers.

In floral art classes please be aware of the height, width and depth restrictions.

NOTE: IN ALL FLOWER CLASSES, IF THE DESCRIPTION IS FOR A SINGLE BLOOM ALL SIDE BUDS SHOULD BE REMOVED.

In judging the merits of vegetables, consideration is given to:

CONDITION: cleanliness, freshness, tenderness and freedom from coarseness and blemish.

SIZE: size increase must be accompanied by culinary quality.

UNIFORMITY: in size, shape and colour

DEFINITIONS

Cultivars: The term ‘cultivar’ in place of the more general term ‘variety’ is being increasingly accepted by gardeners in accordance with RHS recommendations. A ‘cultivar’ (a cultivated plant) is a plant variant or selection, produced by man in cultivation, the characteristics of which are maintained by controlled seed or vegetative production, e.g. “Gardeners Delight” is a cultivar of the Lycopersicum esculentum – tomato.

Variety: A ‘variety’ is the botanical term for a naturally occurring variant of a species, i.e. Geranium sanguineum var. stratum

Kind: The term ‘kind’ is used in the classification of fruit and vegetables for show purposes, e.g. parsnips, carrots and cabbages are ‘kinds’ of vegetables, while apples, plums and gooseberries are ‘kinds’ of fruit.

Show Schedule Divisions of Daffodils2.pn

INFORMATION ON DAHLIA CLASSIFICATION

To enable exhibitors to enter the correct class, please use the following classification rules.

Cactus Types

Incurved Cactus - Petals rolled for their full length, with tips of the petals curving toward the centre of the flower.

Semi Cactus - Petals flat at the base, with less than half of the petals rolled or quilled

Decorative Types

Formal Decorative - Flat petals with an even, regular placement throughout the flower

Informal decorative - generally flat petals, sometimes slightly rolled at the tip, but with irregular arrangement of formation

HOME PRODUCE - Advice on presentation

Read the schedule carefully to make sure you exhibit the correct size and numbers of items.
Plain white paper plates should be used for presenting items except bread, which should be on a board and rolls in a basket. Doilies may be used for sweet items.
Savoury tarts, quiches and flans should be removed from their baking tins.
Fluted cutters should be used for sweet items e.g. jam tarts/fruit scones and plain cutters for savouries e.g. cheese scones/oatcakes.
A small garnish can improve the look of an item.
All preserves should be presented in sterilised jars and sterilised plain lids and labelled with the variety and full date it was made. [Jars and lids with trade names are not acceptable as they contravene the Trade Description Act].
When potting, jars should be filled to the brim to allow for shrinkage when cold. Lids or waxed discs (shiny side down) should be applied while preserve is hot. If using cellophane lids, these should be applied when the jars are cold.
Wax discs and cellophane can be used for fruit curds as they have a short shelf life (3-4 weeks).
Vinegar preserves must be covered with non-corrosive lids and indicate pungency of contents (Hot/mild/spicy etc.) on the label. The flavours of pickles and chutneys develop as they mature. Items should be at least 2 months old before exhibiting.

Show Schedule Divisions of Daffodils1.pn