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"The
Show Experience"
Ramblings About An African Violet
Show
by
Fred Hill
Fred
serves as an Advanced Judge for AVSA
‘Fool’s Gold’ Best in Show
by Fred Hill
’Fool’s
Gold’ (5245) 04/09/83 (C. Phillips) Single blue. Variegated medium green,
pointed, clackamus. Semiminiature
"The
Show Experience"
Ramblings About An African Violet Show
What’s it like to do an African Violet show? I can
only speak from a number of experiences I have had with groups who annually have
a show and sale..
The show starts months ahead of time. Depending on the group a chairman
is named. The committee chairs are determined and the
theme is
chosen. The schedule is written usually with the previous shows in mind.
The biggest changes come in the Design section where the designs are
chosen to illustrate the theme of the show. Once the schedule is decided it is
sent off to AVSA for approval by the Schedule Approver along with a
request for the SSA award sheets and rosettes if wanted. All of this preparation
is done months ahead of the date of the show.
Plants are grown, groomed and coaxed into bloom
using a schedule of disbudding and fertilization all in hopes of winning a blue
ribbon or possibly a major award. Plants have been set aside in hopes that they
will be at their best so they can be entered into one of the many
classes. The best plants are generally chosen to enter into the collection
classes. Other plants are selected for entry into specific classes such
as standards, miniatures, semiminiatures, trailers and species.
by Fred Hill
Saintpaulia
grandifolia #299 (S 7a) 1958 (B. Burtt) Single dark blue-violet, one or more
per peduncle, very floriferous. Light to medium green, elliptical, very thin,
crinkled, long flexible petiole. Usually single crown. Large
The final week arrives before the show and there is a frenzy of activity.
The group meets at the show site the day before entries are to be brought
in to set up and cover tables. Most of the shows I have entered into have had
their entries brought in during the afternoon or evening. Therefore the plants
which are to be entered are to be packed in the morning of the entry
date. Boxes have been prepared with excelsior or plastic peanut packing to
cushion the delicate leaves of the plants. The plants are loaded into boxes
carefully with some sort of collar or ring to protect the leaves from damage.
All plants are loaded into the car or truck and transported to the show site
along with additional supplies for last minute grooming. (Additional
soil, tweezers, brushes for dusting off plants and clean pots for slip potting
if needed are just some of the last minute things).
Arriving at the show room plant boxes are opened and the exhibitor
presents his or her entry sheet to the classification chairman. The
chairman will check each plant for any possible disease or fault and then
pass it on to the entries chairman. Entries will enter the plant into the show
book and write out the exhibitor’s entry card. (Until recently, all this was
done by hand but since the advent of the entries program much of the work has
been computerized) When all the plants have been entered the day before
judging a final check is made by the show chairman and entries to see
that all tallies up correctly. The group can take a final breather before the
judges arrive the following morning.
by Fred Hill
Ness’
Crinkle Blue (8136) 01/19/95 (D. Ness) Double dark blue star/thin white
edge. Dark green, quilted, serrated/red back. Semiminiature
The day of the judging usually begins early. Members who are involved
with the show arrive and do a final check to see that all is in readiness. Clerks
have been assigned to each panel of judges and will help with any request. Ribbons
will be placed on the tables that correspond to the award given by the judges.
When all plants have been judged according to their individual merits,
a final judging of the best is made for the top awards. From this group
the Best in Show, Second Best, Third Best and all the other awards that have been selected for the judges to give are made. The top
plants are then placed on the court of honor and the rosettes are
placed with them. Shortly after lunch the judges meet to score the show using
the rules set down by AVSA for the SSA.
by Fred Hill
Persian
Prince (8266) 07/28/95 (S. Sorano) Semidouble medium blue pansy. Medium
green, ovate, scalloped girl foliage. Miniature
The judging complete, the public is admitted to
view
the show and hopefully buy all the plants on the sale table. Members are
there to sell leaves, plants, plantlets and supplies if their ways and means
table is available. During the show members volunteer their time to greet
and educate the public. This may be in the nature of selling plants,
demonstrating a technique of potting a leaf or plant or even standing guard over
the plants to see they are not damaged.
Usually by the end of the show all parties who have participated are exhausted
and anxious to pack it in. All members are expected to help with cleanup and to
retrieve their plants. The plants must be repacked and transported back
home. Once home the work is not ended. I generally strip the plants of
all blossoms, remove a few rows of leaves and spray them with some sort of
insecticide. The plants are isolated in a separate area if possible for a
month so nothing is transmitted to the specimens left at home. Then the job of
repotting and preparing for the next show begins all over again.
AVSA
Photographs on this page copyright Fred Hill