Showing Plants at the Fair
© Linda Mazar
One of the joys of the end of the growing season is participating in the local fair. My family generally exhibits in the county fair that is held in August. It is a lot of fun to compete for ribbons and the small cash prizes.Some years we bring home quite a number of ribbons. My son is so proud of his collection of ribbons and I know that when my daughter gets older, she will enjoy it as well. Here are some of our tips on how to have a good showing at the fair and have fun too.
First, be informed of the rules and what the judges are expecting. Most fairs publish a fair manual listing all the Divisions and Sections of competition. For example, it might list Horticulture: Flowers: Annuals - for Children under age 16. Lot I. Marigolds - Small (3 stems), Large (3 stems). And then it will list the other flowers included as well.
This part of the book shows what flowers are judged in the children's area. There are usually no rules against children showing in the adult categories which often have many more flower varieties, so if your child is growing some of the flowers listed in the adult listing, they can likely show them as well, but ask at the fair office first. Once you know what flowers are judged, you can plan to grow them for the fair next year. Be sure to plant plenty of them so that you will have a lot of blooms to choose from when selecting the ones to take in.
Once you have decided what to grow, do whatever you can to have the plants grow well. Add plenty of compost and aged manure to the flowerbeds this autumn so it will be full of nutrients for growing season. Plant healthy seedlings and water appropriately so that the flowers will grow well. Deadhead the blooms when they fade so that the plant will keep producing more flowers for show time. And keep an eye out for diseases and pests. Also if more fertilizer is needed, consider adding some so that the foliage will be nice and green and the flowers bigger. It is best to use a natural fertilizer if possible. You can find these are the garden centers near you.
If your plants are growing well and it is the day before or the day of presenting your entries to the fair, you will need to know how to choose the best blooms. This is very important, as the judges have to decide which flowers are the best. Look for fresh blossoms (not ones that have been blooming for a while already) that have good color. Look for ones that are consistent with the variety you are growing. The photo on the seed packets as this is usually taken of the best of bunch and makes a good reference when choosing. Try to find flowers that look perfect, no bug holes, no bugs either (gets you disqualified), healthy green foliage, appropriate-sized blossoms for the variety, fresh-looking petals, and (this often gets forgotten by new exhibitors) the flowers must all be the same color! Even if you are growing a variety of colors such as Zinnia "Lilliput" mixed, you must choose blooms that are all the same color from that mixture. And make sure that they are all the same intensity of color (no fading). Careful choice will earn more points and make it more likely that you will place.
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