Did you ever stop to examine a flower show entry decked with a blue ribbon and say, “I don’t see how anyone could have given that first prize? Just look, this other entry is a big one.”
Onlookers may never understand all the rules of flower show judging, but they may come a little closer if they abandon the notion that size counts more than anything else.
Yes, it is considered important in judging exhibition chrysanthemums, but secondary in the case of other common fall flowers.
A judge may take off points for excessive size. An exhibition flower should be a little larger than the type, as evidence of good care and cub tore.
Judging Exhibition Flowers
But in types of flowers grown especially for their diminutive size – miniature dahlias and gladiolus, pompon dahlias, and button chrysanthemums—preference is given to flowers that are smaller than the type. Miniatures must not be confused with dwarf types, however.
In judging most of our fall flowers, color, form, and lasting quality count about 2/3 of the total score.
The other 1/3 of the score includes stern, size, foliage, fragrance, and the number of buds and flowers to tile spike or stem, as in the case of gladiolus, snapdragon, pompon chrysanthemums, hardy phlox, and ageratum.
Color
Color is more important than size; small or medium-sized flowers of a desired color can be massed to obtain the amount of color wanted. You know how vivid a border of small-flowered petunias can be. A judge usually allows from 20% to 25% percent for color.
The National Chrysanthemum Society suggests allowing 40% percent for color in single and pompon chrysanthemums, while the African Violet Society suggests allowing only 10 percent for color in African violets.
Color must be true to variety. Points may be taken off for color deviation, even when the deviation is lovelier than the standard.
The most common variations in the fall are a tinge of magenta in pink coloring and a purplish tinge in red coloring. The cold nights of fall tend to bring out any latent blue tones in flowers.
Color defects may include a lack of brilliance, a muddy or streaky effect, spotting due to water, fading, bleaching, or sunburn. However, a few defects take off more than a couple of points each.
Penalizing flowers more heavily for evidence of greater neglect, a judge may take off more points for muddy color than for sunburned color because the former indicates longer neglect.
A judge may also take off points for blended colors or lack of even markings in such flowers as two-toned gaillardias, heleniums, snapdragons, and pansies. There should be a clear line of demarcation between the colors of exhibition flowers unless the schedule states a different standard.
The form usually counts from 20 to 45 percent. This is especially important in judging large double chrysanthemums grown one to a stem, pompon chrysanthemums, and China asters.
Composites and Spike Flowers
In addition to roses (the judging of which was discussed by R. C. Allen in the June FLOWER GROWER), the flowers entered in fall flower shows belong chiefly to two groups composites and spike flowers.
The composites include chrysanthemums and dahlias. China asters, hardy asters, zinnias, marigolds, calendulas, various daisies, cosmos, coreopsis, sunflowers, geraniums, rudbeckias, anthemis, and stokesia.
The spike types include gladiolus and snapdragons. lupine, crotalaria and physostegia. Good form for composites and spike flowers is based on two different standards.
Single Composites
Form counts only about half as much in judging single composites as in judging double composites. With a few exceptions, the ideal form for a single composite is a circular flower with a circular center.
Ray florets should all be of the same length, same width. same shape and equally spaced, with smooth and even margins. A judge usually takes off points for edges or tips which are rough, notched, or fringed.
As with all exhibition flowers, each should be at its loveliest stage when judged. Most judges feel that a single dahlia or chrysanthemum or any other single composite is at its loveliest when all the tiny disc florets are wide-open, and the ray florets show no sign of fading.
This stage lasts only a short while, and a flower that was perfect when the judges saw it may be a discredit to the class by the time the public sees it.
However, a judge must judge the flower as it is when he sees it. not as he knows it Will be a few minutes or hours later. A judge may take off points for disc florets that are beginning to fade and still much too tightly closed.
For double chrysanthemums, dahlias, marigolds, and other double composites, the form includes depth and fullness. This explains why form counts nearly twice as much in doubles as in singles.
Ideal Depth
The most widely accepted ideal depth for a double composite is one which equals the radius of the first row of ray florets. A well-grown double composite of exhibition type may be a half-globe or a globe, depending upon fullness and habit of growth.
Too great depth is a fault; many judges take off more points for a flower with an overly high center than for one that is not deep enough.
Division of Types
Double dahlias and other composites are divided into formal and informal types; these should be kept separate in show classes. In the formal class, ray florets should be arranged in rows or circles.
In a formal decorative dahlia such as Jersey Beauty, for example, there should be at least four recognizable rows of ray florets surrounding the center. The outer rays should recurve slightly, while the inner rays should tend to cup.
All rays in a given row or circle should be uniform in length, width, shape, and spacing. Often the ray florets must be of a particular pattern. In straight cactus dahlias, for example, ray florets must be quilled for half or more of their length; points may be taken off for flat florets.
In spoon-type chrysanthemums, the regularity of the pattern of the ray florets counts most heavily.
Disc florets should not show in most double composites. although they should be obvious in single and some semi-double dahlias, chrysanthemums, asters, and other composites.
The centers of double dahlias, chrysanthemums, and other composites should be well-developed but not open. A judge may take off points for undeveloped tight centers and for too nearly open centers.
Judging Sprays
Types of chrysanthemums such as the button, pompon, Korean, and cushion chrysanthemums are entered in shows as sprays instead of as flowers are grown one to the stem.
Other flowers entered as sprays include coreopsis, cosmos, fall asters, and golden glow.
Exhibitors often bring in a miscellaneous assortment, whether the schedule calls for a spray, a stem, or a branch. A committee should pass on such entries and direct any trimming necessary.
All such spray entries should represent a similar part of the plant so that all can be judged on the same basis.
In judging sprays, a judge allows about half the total score for the general effect, the number of flowers and buds, placement and spacing of flowers and buds—whether crowded, well-spaced, or too scattered—gracefulness of the spray, the strength of the stem and the general cultural perfection.
The other half of the score is a rating of the separate flowers, their color, form, lasting quality, size, and fragrance.
Judging Spikes
The ideal spike flower has the greatest possible number of open flowers, including the first, on an erect stem straight to the very tip.
With wide varieties of gladiolus, a judge may permit the removal of the first or the first and second florets, although up to 5 percent may be taken off for the lack of the first flowers.
Many judges disqualify a spike if it has faded flowers, seedpods, or, in the case of gladiolus, if it has had more than two florets removed. Removal of a drooping stem tip to give the effect of straightness in any spike flower may disqualify it if the judge detects it.
With all spike types, the number of flowers and buds is more important than the size of the individual flowers. One of the gladiolus societies allows only 2 points for the size of individual flowers.
Lasting Quality
Lasting quality is of primary importance in judging almost any kind of flower. This depends somewhat upon variety but more upon how the flower was grown and how it was conditioned for the show.
Only actual growing experience can train the eye of the judge to the lasting quality of a flower, but he looks for thickness and firmness of petals and foliage and texture. Some flower show committees allow judges to handle flowers to ascertain their lasting quality.
Usually, judges are allowed to handle containers, turning and tilting them to study stems or to look closely at petal texture. Ideal containers are clear glass laboratory tubes in various sizes. Such tubes can be placed in individual holders or tiered racks.
Next time you go to a flower show, remember these standards. If you find a class for, say, Yellow Supreme marigolds or Mme.
Chiang Kai-shek pompon chrysanthemums, where all entries in the class are of the same variety, you can easily compare the different entries as to color, form, size, stem, foliage, fragrance, and lasting quality.
From this comparison, you will be able to get at least a general idea of what it takes to win a blue ribbon. And you won’t be so hard on the judges!
44659 by Maud R. Jacobs