Presenting plants at shows

[Helen Johnstone]

I know many alpines are top-dressed with grit but what do people use for ferns or woodland plants?  Grit doesnt seem appropriate, would bark be appropriate for a show?

[David Nicholson]

Moss looks good

[Helen Johnstone]

hmm, dont think I have any moss.  The sort of moss they sell for hanging baskets?

[Peter Maguire]

I regularly use bark for ferns and woodland plants, it looks fine as long as the pieces are small enough to look 'in scale' when in a pot.
The moss for hanging baskets looks ok with Pleiones, but there will be none of those around now. 

[Lesley Cox]

I agree completely with Peter. Moss, preferably green (living) spaghnum moss for pleiones or some other orchids but for such as ferns, trilliums, anything from a woodsy situation I would use fine-crushed pine bark, the only kind of bark we get here commercially. The dark brown colour and dampness of it look very good with those kinds of plants. Green spaghnum or something close to it can often be found for the gathering in areas under trees or at the edges of woodland. Just keep an eye out at the appropriate time and gather what you need. I find it grows on my benches and even in some pots so there's usually plenty around for my needs.

[Rodger Whitlock]

I top dress show entries of woodland plants with partially decayed litter from underneath trees, made up of needles, cone scales, and leaves depending on the tree. Gently crush the litter between your hands if it's too coarse.

[Helen Johnstone]

Thank you all for your advice.  The show is tomorrow morning and I have only just decided to enter so not much time for sourcing stuff as also have to go to work.  Have located decaying bark chips in border so I will crush those up and hope for the best 

[Lesley Cox]

Good luck at the Show Helen. Let's know how you get on.

[Helen Johnstone]

Will do but dont hold your breath

[Tim Ingram]

Helen - I remember you saying on the AGS Discussion pages that mentoring could be good for new members; it seems to have worked well via this Forum! I think having similar practical discussions about growing plants at the Shows themselves could be brilliant; the example at the Summer Show South was very interesting. I could imagine doing something like this on planting a trough (now I have actually got on and done this!), based on the descriptions on the AGS website, and also on seed sowing which is such an important part of growing. Some exhibitors could give 'master classes' on their particular specialities (we quite often have talks on these but I never remember seeing anything at a Show - but I have only visited those in the south). Even the judges could discuss the plants and how they see them, as Ray Drew does at his local Group meetings, so effectively. I think this might begin to make the Shows a little less intimidating for many newcomers, and provide an introduction to the plants which can otherwise seem very 'special' even to those of us who know they are! The trough demonstrations at the Czech Conference were a wonderful example of how this works. So once you've built your bulb frame and have lots of burgeoning pots...

[Maggi Young]

A note about sharing and finding info:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10750.msg281294#msg281294 

[Helen Johnstone]

Helen - I remember you saying on the AGS Discussion pages that mentoring could be good for new members; it seems to have worked well via this Forum! I think having similar practical discussions about growing plants at the Shows themselves could be brilliant; the example at the Summer Show South was very interesting. I could imagine doing something like this on planting a trough (now I have actually got on and done this!), based on the descriptions on the AGS website, and also on seed sowing which is such an important part of growing. Some exhibitors could give 'master classes' on their particular specialities (we quite often have talks on these but I never remember seeing anything at a Show - but I have only visited those in the south). Even the judges could discuss the plants and how they see them, as Ray Drew does at his local Group meetings, so effectively. I think this might begin to make the Shows a little less intimidating for many newcomers, and provide an introduction to the plants which can otherwise seem very 'special' even to those of us who know they are! The trough demonstrations at the Czech Conference were a wonderful example of how this works. So once you've built your bulb frame and have lots of burgeoning pots...

There are practical demonstrations at the AGS conference in November although I'm not sure what on but they should be interesting

[Maggi Young]

It may be of interest to those who can access the meeting that  on 29th August, the  Essex AGS Group meeting will feature :  Preparing Show Plants by  Doug Joyce & Ray Drew 

Venue is the New Village Hall, Church Road, Rawreth, Wickford Essex. SS11 8SH

[Lesley Cox]

I haven't read right through this thread so maybe have missed things but yes, an excellent idea to have demos of prep for shows, especially if the demonstrator may use the show plants to illustrate what is good but what is not good too. Would the exhibitors mind having their non-winning entries "pulled to pieces" as it were (metaphorically, of course)?

We haven't done this here so far as I recall, certainly not at OAGG shows, but we and NZAGS and especially the Iris Society do have workshops a month or so before the shows to explain what to look for, what to avoid and learn the tricks of producing a judge-worthy plant or stem (in the case of irises). These workshops are invaluable and teach not only what to do a day or two ahead of the show but how to achieve the best results through good culture through the year so their effects are quite wide-spreading. The Iris Society has registered judges of course, as it probably does in all countries where there is an Iris Society while the alpine groups just take advantage of their more skilled and experienced older members, often those who have retired from showing.

[fermi de Sousa]

At the FC HS SHows when I steward for the Rock Garden Section we always encourage the judge to "think outloud" so that we can learn what they are looking for in a prize winning entry. It's very helpful, especially when most of the stewards also enter plants in the SHow and also for explaining the judges decisions to other exhibitors.
cheers
fermi