If you’ve been following the posts on this site, you already know that our little club planned to host an AHS-accredited Exhibition Show on July 6th, 2014, and we pulled it off! With the help of many, CIDS hosted their first show in a handful of years, and it was a success.

After a rushed morning of setup, grooming, classification, and placement, we waited while the judges studied each bloom to find the diamonds among the jewels. After they were finished, we opened the doors to a waiting crowd, and the results were unveiled. It was a whirl-wind day for all of the first-time participants, but it went off without a hitch.

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Setup

Our venue was booked all weekend long, so we were only able to get in to setup the room first thing in the morning. The staff at the venue (Thank you, Steve!) even showed up early to open the doors for the setup crew to get tables up and arranged throughout the space. The crew then turned to the kitchen to fill the wine bottles – which were used as vases – with a bit of water in preparation for the entries that would soon fill them.

Entries and Classification

Each flower was carefully transported, and, after a bit of grooming, they were each identified and submitted to classification. This process determines which section each flower will be placed into for judging. There are 10 sections and two special awards sections in each show. The 148 submitted blooms filled all but one section, and we were thrilled to have so many on display.

Judging

The judges are taken into the room with the entries, accompanied by clerks who assist with the handling of pants, placing of ribbons, and answering questions that the judges may have. The classification team is also on-hand to look up any registrations for which the judges need clarification or further information. The judging can take quite a while, as each flower is judged on it’s own merit before being compared to others in it’s section for the final awards. Eventually, one winner from each section was selected and moved to the head table.

Once on the head table, the judges once again evaluate each section winner to find the bloom that will be awarded Best In Show.

While the judges were doing their part, our club had a table full of off-scape blooms on display for our guests to view in the lobby. These were not judged by the AHS judges, but instead were up for judging by the visitors to our show. We allowed each guest to vote for their favorite off-scape bloom, which led to a winner of this popularity contest.

Tabulation and Awards

After the judges have finished, they submit ballots to the tabulation team to be counted and summarized. The tabulation team uses these ballots to find out which bloom is to be awarded Best In Show. Other awards, such as Achievement Award and Sweepstakes, were also tabulated at this time.

At our show, we were able to quickly determine the Best In Show winning bloom, as well as the Sweepstakes winner for the show. We placed these awards and then opened the show to the public, while the judges took a quick break before evaluating the submissions for Ophelia Taylor and Achievement Award. Once they completed this judging, the tabulations team reviewed the final ballots to determine whether or not awards would be given in these sections.

The Show

After the doors opened, a large group of guests eagerly filed in to view all of the different blooms on display. Many Ooos and Aaahs could be heard throughout the room. Members of CIDS mingled with the other guests to help explain the various parts of the show and answered other questions from the guests.

The Results

Here are the final results, by section, with the final awards at the end.

• Section 1 – Registered EXTRA LARGE Flowers – 7″ or more in diameter: h. “Banana Cream Beauty “, entered by Nikki Schmith
• Section 2 – Registered LARGE Flowers – between 4.” and 7″ in diameter: h. “Worth It All”, entered by Lori Doolin
• Section 3 – Registered SMALL Flowers – between 3″ and 4.5″ in diameter: h. “Snowy Eyes”, entered by Theresa Roth
• Section 4 – Registered MINIATURE Flowers – less than 3″ in diameter: h. “Lil’ Black Buds”, entered by Nikki Schmith
• Section 5 – Registered Double, Polymerous, or Multiform Flowers: h. “Piccadilly Circus”, entered by Jacob Braun
• Section 6 – Registered Spider Flowers – as listed with AHS: h. “Creature of the Night”, entered by Charlene Collin
• Section 7 – Registered Unusual Form Flowers: h. “Rosy Lights”, entered by Deb Miller
• Section 8 – Youth Exhibits, Registered Flowers, entered by Youth: No entries were submitted.
• Section 9 – Regional Popularity Poll Flowers – as listed in regional publications: One entry was submitted, but did not qualify for the award.
• Section 10 – Seedlings – not yet registered with AHS: Entered by Eric Schmidt
• AHS Achievement Medal: One entry was submitted, but did not qualify for the award.
• Ophelia Taylor Horticulture Award: One entry was submitted, but did not qualify for the award.
• Best in Show: h. “Lil’ Black Buds”, entered by Nikki Schmith
• Sweepstakes – the participant who wins the most blue ribbons in the show: Nikki Schmith

Thank you!

A big thank you from CIDS to all who participated in any way!

In the end, the blooms were collected and placed in a can for compost. This beautiful bouquet was heading to the heap!