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• See also the National Garden Club Handbook for Flower Shows 

• See Clerking Guidelines

 

Members and Provisionals are encouraged to enter Horticulture specimens at monthly Horticulture Competitions. Points accumulate toward The President's Award for Horticulture. Horticulture Committee Members are available to consult.

 

RULES

1. The NGC Exhibiting Policies are printed in the NGC Handbook for Flower Shows, Chapter 6 "Exhibiting in the Horticulture Division."​

2. In order to receive a top award, the exhibitor must identify their entry by its binomial name or currently acceptable scientific designation. Consult the NGC Handbook for Flower Shows, Chapter 6.

3. Entry cards are to be filled out in waterproof black/blue ink or pencil in advance if possible. Refer to the NGC Handbook for Flower Shows, p. 57 for a correctly filled out entry card. Address labels may be used for exhibitor information. Entry cards are available from Horticulture Chairs, Heidi Muschick and Susan Straten, and at registration.

4. Cut specimens should not have foliage below the water line, except for gladiolas.

5. If a plant is considered a flowering plant, it should be exhibited as a flowering specimen.

6. Specimens with a class designation in the schedule may not be entered in the "Any other worthy named specimen" class.

7. The Horticulture Classification Chair and/or the Horticulture Committee Chairs are free to subdivide classes by color, form, size, cultivar, variety, or other distinguishing characteristics.

8. The Scale of Points for Horticulture is located in Chapter 14, pp. 129-130 of the NGC Handbook for Flower Shows.

9. All plant material must be fresh and have been grown by the exhibitor. Plant material must be in its natural state and may not be altered by application of oil, commercial shine products, etc. that change the natural appearance. No wiring of specimens is permitted. Only foliage and/or flowers naturally grown and still attached to the specimen are permitted. Unattached foliage is never included with a cut bloom specimen.

10. All plant material must have been in the possession of the exhibitor the appropriate number of days: annuals, perennials, vegetables, fruits, and houseplants (container-grown plants) for 90 days; arboreal for 6 months; combination plantings except troughs for 6 weeks growing together, troughs for 6 months growing together.

11. All entries should be labeled by genus, specific epithet and/or variety, or patented trademark name. Common name additionally may be given.

12. The Horticulture Committee will provide containers and wedging material for cut specimens.

13. Pre-registration with Susan Straten (suestraten@gmail.com) is required via email or phone by Thursday prior to competition date.

14. Exhibitor may make more than one entry per class if each entry is a different species, variety, cultivar, type, or color.

15. All entries must first be passed by Classification then exhibits will be placed by the Placement Committee with the exception of Collections and Displays.

16. Specimens may be placed between 8:00am and 9:15am on the day of the competition. Judging will begin promptly at 10am. Specimens arriving late will not be judged.

17. Specimens must be picked up no later than 30 minutes after the end of the program meeting, approximately 3:00pm.

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