Staging Daffodils For The Show Bench

This article is scheduled for publication the week of the Washington Daffodil Society Show, so I hope I will remember at the show all the pointers that I make here. Stagging is the critical aspect of showing as it is the final step that is taken before the judges review the exhibits.

Staging Area After entering the staging area and finding a place to work with your flowers, check for resources. The staging area should contain all the resources needed to prepare your daffodils, except for the flowers themselves, which you brought. Find the entry cards, name tags and holders, boxwood or yew (green matter for wedging the daffodils into the test tubes), and the necessary test tube blocks to stage your flowers. If this is the first time, ask questions of the pages and other persons there. An experienced person is in the staging area at all times to help.

Show Blocks Daffodils are shown in wooden blocks with test tubes inserted. Selecting the blocks for staging is very important. If you are to enter miniatures, special blocks are available for that purpose. They are very small and are to only be used for miniatures, that are usually smaller versions of those blocks used for standard daffodils.

Standard daffodils will have the larger blocks designed for specific purpose. Single test tubes in a 2X4 block will be used to display single stems (flowers). Displays of three stems are contained in larger test tubes, and in some shows, are contained in specially designed vases for that purpose.

Collections The collections will be in larger blocks of 5 and 6 test tubes on the 2X4 in a straight line. The straight line of 5 test tubes is used for collections of 10 and 15. Some blocks of five used exclusively for collections of 5 will have 3 test tubes behind, and 2 forward. It depends upon the show, and what is available. Block of 6 are sometimes used for the collection of 24; these are straight blocks with 6 test tubes.

Start by collecting resources and a few of the blocks that will be needed to show the flowers. I put in a large amount of collections from 5 to 24 stems, therefore, I start with the larger blocks. Do not get so many blocks that you have no room to work - just get the ones that you want to start with and go back for others later as the work area may be restricted in size. Fill up the test tubes to the top with water, cut the stems 1/4 inch, and insert the flowers, one to a test tube (the exception is the 3 stem exhibits - where all 3 go into one test tube or vase). The water will spill over, but at least you know you have enough water.

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