Wow, Buford, I'm impressed, beautiful roses! This should certainly give you incentive to continue your efforts!

Congratulations! You did great!

Looks like you had a good show with a good turn out! That's wonderful.

So, what did you think of the experience? Was it what you expected? Did you clerk? Enquiring minds want to know!

Congrats!!

Buford, thanks for posting - those pics. made me happy.

You did great! Did you have fun?
What did you take that didn't win, but was there for folks to see?

Jeri

Congratulations. All your roses are lovely.

You did great! Did you have fun?
What did you take that didn't win, but was there for folks to see?

Jeri

Congratulations, buford. I'm with Strawberry; seeing your roses and prizes made me happy too! Gean

I took a dozen roses. This was one of those shows where almost all roses received a ribbon unless they were disqualified or really not good.

My Mr. Lincoln was in the Classic HT class but only got a 3rd place. I also had a Reve d'Or in the climbers, but it receved a 3rd (I don't think it was open enough). I did an arrangement at the last minute, my mentor helped me and gave me two of her roses, but apparently I didn't label it correctly so it didn't get a ribbon.

Honestly, the entry of the Prince in the Fragrance category was a last minute decision. The rose didn't want to open so I just said, what the heck, it's pretty fragrant, what do I have to lose. I think the fact that it was up against about 5 Fragrant Clouds and one JPP (that honestly smelled like cat pee to me) and The Prince has a different scent all together is why it won.

So I guess the lesson is, just enter everything, know your categories and make sure you label stuff correctly. The judges I was clerking for wanted to disqualify a rose because it was labeled 'Abe Darby' instead of Abraham Darby.

The clerking was fun. The judges I was with weren't too talky about why they were picking certain roses. There was another group that I was able to watch while my judges were picking their best HT. They were doing the OGRs, which I had 2 roses in, so I was evesdropping :). The one judge really loved my Lady Hillingdon, and let the other judge know that the nodding was normal. These were the same judges that picked The Prince and the woman judge said she loves the Prince and it's scent, so maybe that worked in my favor.

I also spoke a lot to the photo judge and she told me that the backgrounds in my pictures were distracting otherwise they may have won. I guess most people take pictures especially for the show and use backdrops. I just took pictures that I had that I thought were good and entered them.

I am still mystified about all the categories, but it makes a bit more sense now. I'm excited about entering again. I don't think I'll grow roses just to show. Those HTs are nice, but not really my cup of tea. I'll just continue to grow roses I like and enter them in the OGR or Shrub categories and see how I do.

The prep room was amazing. I had no idea what went into showing. I received a lot of help, mostly from my mentor but also other exhibitors. When I entered Tamora, it had a side bud and I asked if I should remove it and most said it was distracting, so I did. I think that was a good move.

I have to say that minis are fabulous, so perfect and so tiny! there was one really tiny one 'Midget' that everyone was going gaga over. And to see the people in the room put them together was amazing. Then to see the judges have to decide between them. It's hard because they are all so good, one could lose out just because the centers weren't perfect or uniform or just because another one was a slightly bit better. One of the people from my Rose Society won the King for mini's and was so excited. It was great to see.

I missed that there were photos entered too, but a couple of ways to deal with the busy backgrounds:

Look for anything white in the background and pick a different angle or move the camera to get it out of the image. White attracts the eye and will draw you to the background and away from the subject

If you have an slr, use the smaller number apertures, they will blur the background.

If you have a point and shoot style camera, see if the camera will allow you to focus using the "Person icon = portrait" mode (that will blur backgrounds) Getting really close with the "Flower = macro" setting might help as well. or last stand back and zoom (if the camera has a lens zoom not digital zoom) and use the "running man = sports" mode (that will take a really fast shutter image which should open the lens aperture up extra wide or the little numbers)

Check out all the images and see which one throws the background in to softer images ("bokeh")

Also, next time, put your Reve d'Or in the old rose classes. I don't have its date handy, but if it's pre 1867, it goes for Dowager Queen of Show. It's not a "Climber"". It's a Noisettte. :-)

In that class, it could win.

Jeri

Thank you for the great report! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself. Rose shows just seem to get such a bad rap lately and they really are a lot of fun for me. I don't have an "exhibition rose" garden either but I still enjoy entering the roses I love. You just keep on growing AND showing those old roses you love! That's what it's all about really. Sharing ALL the many kinds of beautiful roses there are.

I had to laugh about your The Prince because I did the same thing with my Double Delight that won best fragrance this spring. It was a nice bloom but suffered from the double center that DD is notorious for so I put it in fragrance and won, lol! I nearly put it in my End of Trail bouquet.

Yes! You win the blue ribbon for getting the point on the first try! Take roses! All your roses! Enter everything you've got and don't try and judge them yourself. You never know what the judges will see in them that you didn't (we're always our hardest critics) and you never know what will win and what won't. Leave that to the judges. We've been trying to stress that for a long time at our society. Just enter it all and wait and see what happens!

Sorry that the judges weren't as vocal. I have learned a lot about showing by listening to the judges while I clerked. Maybe next show the judges will be more talkative.

We never have a photo class in our shows but I really wish we did. I use the macro setting with full zoom on my photos to get that blurred out background. If your camera will do that give it a try.

Now that you have a show under your belt and you have the schedule keep studying it and you'll figure out the classes. The main classes are pretty much standard at most of the shows except for a few things here and there that are regional.

Yes, the prep room is usually a zoo but I'm glad to hear that the other exhibitors were helpful. That's always been my experience too. Exhibitors aren't the ogres they're made out to be, lol.

I know you love your OGRs, and they are really lovely, but give a few minis a try too. You can put them in pots around the yard and they're really fun to grow and very happy to bloom all season long. You know there are several that have an OGR like form. I think you might like them!

Great job, Bet. Wasn't it fun? I've only clerked once and never competed, so I'm happy for you. Obviously, from your photos it wasn't beginner's luck!

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Congratulations, your roses look wonderful. I always go to the Camellia show and my sister says "yours are just as good" but seeing all the people working on their entries scares me a little. Everyone has a big box of stuff and are working away shining leaves, etc. I love the results but I wouldn't have a clue how to begin.

Thanks for letting us know how everything turned out. It sounds very interesting, and by next time you'll know much more of what to expect. You did really well!

Ingrid

Buford, Congrats. So glad you had fun and won some stuff.

Thanks for sharing what happened.

Congratulations Bet! Glad that you did so well, and that you had fun clerking! Beautiful flowers!!!

Had a good day Sat. at the show. Got to meet and shoot the breeze with Buford. He had some good roses. The quality was VERY good for this show. I only brought 11 roses,so I was finished putting everything in early. Did placement the rest of the morning and then clerked. Had a good afternoon watching the public and giving advice where needed. I was a little surprised Buford liked the mini's and minifloras. Maybe he can be hooked on some of them. I'll find out what he likes in a mini. Picked up 2 trophy's for the day. Dowger Queen with Souv. de la Malmaison and Miniflora King with Show Stopper. Next year I'll know how and when to cut back for fall shows. My garden will be in full bloom in another week or so. Any way, Buford had a great day for his 1st show. He was all smiles.