Showing Hints

1. Fresh cut flower specimens should be immersed in warm water immediately.  A sharp knife will make a clean cut.

2. Cut flowers prefer water that is room temperature or warmer.  To keep flowers fresh, change the water daily.

3. To ensure that you flowers will be exhibited at their best, cut the flowers the day before the show and condition them overnight or for at least 6 hours.  Cut more than one just in case.

4. Judges are looking for specimens that are fresh and free from blemishes, bruises, dirt and insects.

5. Uniformity is important.  All cultivars in an exhibit should be as nearly alike as possible in size, form and colour unless specified otherwise.

6. Never bring a sick plant to a show.

7. Place flowers in clean containers.  Blooms should not touch one another.

8. Blooms should not rest on the rim of the container.

9. Groom all plants before showing.  This includes cleaning the pot, washing the leaves, removing diseased or damaged leaves, and checking for insects.

10. A rose spray is 2 or more blooms on a single stem.

11. A specimen bloom is one bloom on one stem.  No buds or side shoots are allowed.

12. A rose should have 3 to 5 leaves on the stem for a hybrid tea, floribunda or grandiflora.  A miniature rose should have 2 or 3 leaves.

13. One stem means just that—one stem.