for Friday...

Not symmetrical, blossoms drooping, marred leaves. :-(

Beautiful plant, beautiful flowers.

I think she is beautiful! But I know nothing about "show worthy" requirements. Irina will!

You have a row of baby leaves and you have some tired leaves outside. If you would remove them 2-3 weeks ago - the plant would rearrange itself - but now you will get gaps. Regarding the tired leaves- I do not think you can remove them - but take a tissue paper - and cover each offending leaf separately. If will tell you if you can or cannot remove it. Gaps are up to -3 points each. So better let them be.

Is it Anna Kreek? Enter this thing in a vintage category. It can even be best in class.

This is blue, but not the show winner. Judges can be more or less lenient - so I would expect it to be somewhere in 90-93 count. Brain farts happen to judges depending on the weather and arthritis - so if it will be raining - you can get 89.

Quite Show Worthy.

I.

If nothing else, I'm happy to hear it passes the muster for a virtual GW show! So that makes me happy. Thanks so much for your critique!

The above is Harmony's Cripple Creek, Irina. GTS mentions last minute repotting for underpotted plants, but I'm afraid to risk ruining the blossoms or foliage if I tried that. So that would be more deductions. How many off for underpotting? So that'd take it down to red, right?

Oh no, just checked and I don't see it in FC2. Would that be a problem entering it into the show? So it's named but not registered? If this one does not qualify for showing I have one other plant I could enter, maybe two depending on this...

Here's a very imperfect windowsill-grown Harbor Blue I wasn't planning on entering cause the symmetry looks so bad. It has lost some leaves and a few other leaves don't look so hot. What is your take on it? Should I leave it home?

(One good thing I'm happy about is that I timed the disbudding so it's at its max bloom right now! Not very prolific by most grower's standards but quite an accomplishment for me!) :-)

I do have two other very floriferous violets, but the leaves are twisted and very chaotic, and the bonnets are lopsided. I was going to leave them home. Just to be sure, those would be no go, right?

I don't mind not taking any of these for a few reasons: I have 3 entries for the Design categories. Car space is very limited. One less plant I have to worry about with bringing home pests from the show. However, due to a series of serious, unfortunate circumstances, so few people are entering plants this year.

Do people bother entering plants if they know they're only reds or whites?

Setup and registration is tomorrow so I appreciate your help. I'm not stressed, just a lot of unknowns with not knowing how to do this, what I should expect, and what the judges expect, along with having a lot to think about and dealing with the logistics of transport. Whew! It tires me just to think about this!

On top of all that, I have to find time to get my nails done...

...points off for grooming. ;-)

"Do people bother entering plants if they know they're only reds or whites?"

I can't answer this in regards to AV shows, but back when I was a member of an orchid society, I entered plants on a number of occasions which I knew likely wouldn't be anything more than a display filler. I entered them to help out the society (and by extension the show itself) as well as just to share a flower that I personally enjoyed. Actually getting awarded was really just a nice surprise when it happened. My personal view is that if everyone only entered plants they were confident would get ribboned, there would be very few plants at the shows.

Whatever you decide, thanks for sharing. IMHO, Harbor Blue is a beautiful classic and could be in the vintage category.

Nice advice from Paul.

Dee, my club has a similar issue, with few entries.

Can't wait to see the designs! But do keep them top secret for now!

Joanne

Tomorrow's the big day! We are putting on such a nice show! I have posted the details of the show so if you're in the Central Florida area please visit us!

Please take photos and videos! Have a wonderful show!

Thanks for the help everyone and especially for the nudge from Paul and Irina to enter those plants that I would have left home. I won blue ribbons on all my entries as Irina predicted, and then some! So pleased, and surprised!

Hope to get more pictures taken tomorrow, but here's one of my Cristabel I'm especially proud of. They even found a place for it on the 'showcase' table (at the front of room after judging).

The one to the left of it, grown by another grower, won Best in Show, Rolling Pink Cloudburst, a beautiful Trailer!

I got to clerk for the Judges, and learned so much! Overall, I consider my first show to be a great experience!

Wow! Congratulations!!! You are awesome and so is this forum! Joanne

Congratulations!

Another pic -- This was part of a larger design that comparably didn't quite measure up to par. I have to find new homes for my other container gardens I put together, but this one I must find room somewhere so I can keep. IMHO -- too cute!

This was taken just before planting the violet, which was done at the last minute to keep it fresh.

Congrats, m'dear!

That display is adorable. OoC, in what way did it not meet show standards?

Thank you. Paul, the Interpretive Designs are written up with very specific requirements. With those it is more a matter of meeting the design requirements rather than show standards. For example, one Natural Design did not get judged because the grower used a gesnariad instead of a violet in the arrangement. My entry for Shipwreaked Dreams did get judged though I think I misunderstood the term 'interacting containers' from the description. I also missed the mark on balance and colors. I chalk it up to inexperience, but nonetheless, I won a ribbon for best Novice Design!

Someone told me I might have won something more if I had used the shell arrangement alone and competed that as a dish garden.

Too bad you didn't get the opportunity to ask the judges for input. Sounds like you could have used clarification -- for future reference -- as to what was meant by 'interacting containers'.

When all is said and done, even the ribbons are irrelevant. All that really matters is ... Did you have fun? (Both in the creation and participation.) Sounds like you did. :-)

You gave it your all!

Congratulations!

Paul, yes I had fun! But truth be told, this has made it funner...

:-D

Now it's back to business as usual in my life with AVs.