Thank you for thinking of me. I made my debut last Saturday, quite by accident!

I had decided Friday that I was not going to show, but was going to go to attend anyway and was encouraged to come early so I could see just what all goes in when exhibiting and was told I could help. In my haste to leave (late as usual) Sat AM, I went out and quickly picked 5 blooms that I hoped to maybe get identified.

Upon arriving there with my NO ID blooms, I was directed to historic specialist Joe Hamm, who immediately identified 2 of them and asked if I was going to show them. He said they were nice blooms, and that I should enter them, and offered to help me...and so he did, and so I entered them.

Orange Phoenix (pre 1731) won a first place and n poeticus var poeticus won a second place.

I was so surprised and so pleased, since I had not planned to show. I met some wonderful folks there as well as seeing several daff folks I already new. It was a very laid back, friendly and fun show.

Next Thurs is the next show, and I hope to have some blooms to enter. I won't be afraid or hesitant this time, after last Saturday's experience.

Orange Phoenix (last years pic)
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and

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Sue

Wow! That's great! You are meant to show! Your flowers knew you were ready even if you didn't!

Here is the rather sad part. Last night I brought the blooms up from the basement that I had picked last Thurs (5 1/2 days ago) and they still looked quite good. Had I not been insecure about showing for the first time, I imagine a bloom or 2 might have won something if I had shown them...sigh

Here is a pic of the blooms I picked, but chose not to show. As you can see, they are still looking good in spite of not being fresh.

It's not a great pic, but I took it last night.
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Here is a vase of three that might have been a good entry too.
Spring Pride. I was practicing posing a vase of 3.
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Wow - very nice Sue. I love the daff totem pole :-) Alana

Very impressive Sue, is tomorrow the next show already? Best of luck.

I can't believe how good the flowers you cut held up over the 5 days. I need to remember to cut a few myself and take them inside to get the full effect..... once the weather warms enough to open up a few.

Ok here's a stupid question.... where do all those little vases come from!? Do you get them by the crateful or is there some kind of underground daff vase network?
Frank

Thanks! No the next (and last show for me) is April 16th. Most varieties are open now, and only a few left with buds that will likely open and be ready next Thurs, but I will take whatever I can.

Ok here's a stupid question.... where do all those little vases come from!?
I 'used to' collect vases...all sorts of them, even the more common Hoosier glass ones until I had vases on display in every room of the house. I finally boxed up 99.9% of them and only keep a few (20 maybe) handy for cut blooms. 2 of the blooms in the pic are in green Little Kings beer bottles. One of my favorite things to use for blooms is a tall blue booze (of some sort) bottle. It is my favorite container for a couple of pink peony blooms.

Do you get them by the crateful or is there some kind of underground daff vase network?
I did learn last Sat though that a lot of the folks who 'show' buy plastic test tubes and trays to hold the test tubes to transport their prized blooms to the shows. I might check into those before next spring.

I need to remember to cut a few myself and take them inside to get the full effect
Yes, you do. How else are you best going to enjoy so many of them?

Here is a vase of blooms that were not show worthy, but I got pics of the individual blooms for my records on them anyway. Excuse me if I posted this pic here somewhere earlier. The huge yellow/orange is Fortissimo (I think) I got from you Frank.

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Sue

Ooooooooo! I like!
The vase of blooms looks great, Spring Pride really shows up well in that bunch. When I look at the picture of three blooms they don't seem to be as impressive... I might have to drop some hints on that one when fall rolls around (not that I'm anywhere close to wanting to think about fall)yuck.

I'd like to take credit for the Fortissimo but I think it's from someone else since mine are still a little sparse. It will still be another week or two before they open here in the tundra!

I might have to drop some hints on that one when fall rolls around
Consider them yours BF! I owe you big time with all you shared with me.

I'd like to take credit for the Fortissimo but I think it's from someone else since mine are still a little sparse.
hmmm...must have paddlehike_va to thank then for that one. Boy my records stink!

Sue

Very nice Sue. You didn't get Fortissimo from me, but you did get Spring Pride from me. That was the one that I ended up substituting for Chromocolor at the last minute. Mine has not bloomed yet, I sure hope it looks as nice as the your daff totem pole.

As you and I have discussed, I am doing my first show tomorrow. I picked up a used wine box that I am hoping can be retrofitted to carry used water bottles of daffodil specimens. I also picked up some plastic flower picks from the florist which I will stick into a piece of packing styrofoam. If it works, I will send pics later today. I hope I can get it all done before it starts raining!

This morning I have a strong and handsome man taking me bulb rustling.

Oh, and please save me some eggs and bacon. I am taking my NOID which is similar to the show hoping for an ID. I am thinking it is butter and eggs. Do you have butter and eggs?

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Kathy

You didn't get Fortissimo from me,
Well what a conundrum! I know it is new as it is in a new bed made in 2008. hmmm....I wonder if Kato's is a bit sparse because he sent me too many...Maybe? I'll have to try and find my trade records in the trade pile heap...sigh.

but you did get Spring Pride from me.
Not funny, but I traded for that one and already had it! Now I have a nice established clump in one bed, and now the start of another 'clump; in another bed. Did I mention my daff records stink?

Kathy, might you have handy the varieties we traded last year? If so, would you mind dropping me an email with what we both sent one another.

As you and I have discussed, I am doing my first show tomorrow.
Are you excited, scared/fearful, apprehensive, insecure? I talked to an exhibitor last Sat who said that when she initially started to show, it made her absolutely 'sick' with emotions, to the point of getting an upset stomach. Can you believe that?

I also picked up some plastic flower picks from the florist which I will stick into a piece of packing styrofoam. If it works, I will send pics later today.
hmmmm....well I'm wondering just what you are doing with picks and foam, and look forward to your pic.

I hope I can get it all done before it starts raining!
You mean you don't have your blooms picked, clocked, groomed, posed, and waiting? That should have been done at least by yesterday and then put into a cool holding place. GF, who is coaching you? Did they not tell you that?

My local daff friend (grows over 1500 varieties) picked hers 3 days before the last show and then stored them in a cool place.(cool breezeway)

I hope you have several daffs to enter without being overwhelmed. Bear in mind that they need not be perfect blooms to enter them. In browsing the many entries, I saw that there were numerous ones that were not totally cleaned, not clocked, cup imperfections, minor tears, mittens, etc.

Good luck! I look forward to hearing how it all went.

Sue

heh heh. Sue I suspect you might have moved those fortissimo bulbs from some other bed. I barely remember you showing me a photo last year of them blooming in your garden... you weren't sure if that's what they were and we compared pictures (I think).
I can't remember an anniversary but when it comes to plants.....

But on the other hand what I planted in my own garden as actea looks ready to bloom -way before it should- I'm worried it's something else (which doesn't bother me all that much), but I think I sent you a couple bulbs last fall... so you might want to check yours!

But on the other hand what I planted in my own garden as actea looks ready to bloom -way before it should- I'm worried it's something else (which doesn't bother me all that much), but I think I sent you a couple bulbs last fall... so you might want to check yours!
LMAO!!!!...The Actaea I got from you is a mixed clump. There is one Actaea bloom for sure though, so all is well. The ones that are wrong look like 2w-y...I just picked a 'not Actaea' bloom and will try to post a pic later.

I've got a vase of blooms in the fridge and another in the basement, waiting for their turn to get photographed.

Sue...

hmmmmmmmm. I wonder if the missing Amor bulbs have shown up!? I had a nice patch that went missing during the move, I suspect these bulbs are them.
Also the clump I have labeled as Fortissimo only has one flower stem coming up now, the rest of the clump looks like it will be a late bloomer (ah ha - the missing actea?)

Wow. I don't know where my foolproof method went wrong. Just because I dug the bulbs in near dark the night before the closing... and wrapped them in newspaper to seperate them.... and left them to die down for 4 weeks in plastic shopping bags on the side of the house....
Just because the newspaper was starting to decay by the time I got around to seperating and cleaning them.....and I couldn't quite make out all the names I wrote.... I just can't see where things got mixed up.

I'll have to think on this for a while. Sometimes gardening just seems so much easier in the books than in real life.

Here is a link that might be useful: last year's Amor pic

I just compared my Amor to the pictures on daffseek. That photo looks more orange and is listed as 3w-yyo which doesn't describe my flower.... I'll have to see how it compares to the 3 new amor bulbs I bought last fall when it looked like mine were left behind at the old house.

Well I didn't have time to get back to this post until now, but I did want to report in that I won a second place ribbon in the show. Sorbet took second in the split corona class. I had taken more, but the staging area was so crowded it was impossible to be efficient with the preparation.

I think the lady said there were a little over 2500 entries in the show from 59 exhibitors. I never noticed one single flaw in any of the flowers. I ended up entering two collections and two single flowers. The winners of the collections get either a pewter trophy or $20 voucher for the Bulb Order List.

I did get confirmation that Butter and Eggs is Butter and Eggs (Golden Phoenix). And ID on three of the specimens I rustled on Friday as Spellbinder, Colleen Bawn, and Canasta.

Oh and the lady who normally gives the coaching class did not give it this year so I was a true newbie when I arrived. People were too busy with their own preparation, so I was pretty much on my own. But I achieved my objective to learn more about the process. And winning a ribbon was just the icing on the cake.

I didn't take a picture (yet) of my transportation contraption, but it did work.

Happy Easter

Kathy