Ever wonder what standards judges use at the Rose Show? The frame of reference is a point scoring system that is used used as a guideline by all judges. This point system consists of of the following:
Form - 25 points
Color - 20 points
Stem and Foliage - 20 points
Substance - 15 points
Balance and Proportion - 10 points
Size - 10 points
Judges don't actually point score every specimen in the Show, but they do apply this scoring system subconsciously to every judging situation. Next month we wil focus on the most important characteristic - the Flower Form.
Certain rose varieties are more likely to have the characteristics that the judges are looking for. This is why you typically see many of the same roses winning at the Show. For example, the miniature rose, Fairhope, has won Mini Queen more than any other miniature rose for the past few years. When you are first attempting to exhibit, grow some of these roses, as they will make it easier for you to succeed. The ARS provides the listing of most successful varieties on a regular basis and can be found in the monthly magazine of the American Rose Society, the American Rose, as well as the Rose Exhibitors' Forum which is published quarterly by the ARS.
The Milwaukee Rose Society will have two rose shows in 2007. Below is information about them. They were both spectacular and each unique in their own right.
Saturday, June 23, 2007. Boerner Botanical Gardens will again be the site of our major rose show of the season. It is held in the lower level Multimedia Room that is inside Boerner's Visitor and Convention Center. You are invited to see and perhaps even enter a few of your own roses from your garden! Here you will have an opportunity to see how a beautiful rose can be displayed in a vase by itself or in a floral arrangement. If you think you might like to enter some of your own roses into the rose show, please know that you are more than welcome! By April 1st, we should have the Show Schedule posted here for you to download.
Sunday, August 5, 2007. The Wisconsin State Fair Rose Show is, as always, a great way to introduce the public to roses and exactly what roses look like in their exhibition form. Although the Show is held on a Sunday, the Show is open to the public for viewing through Wednesday. During this time, our Consulting Rosarians and other volunteers man the Show area and answer a ton of questions, aka "Ask the Rose Doctor". The public really loves the fragrance of the roses and to see them up close. Each year, it is a rose show our members love and the State Fair visitors also seem to enjoy likewise!
From the February 2005 Rose Scents
The Form of the Bloom
As mentioned last month, the form of the bloom is the most important asset of a rose specimen in the rose show and its value of 25 points is the highest of all elements. It refers to the shape of the bloom, and its symmetry. Hybrid Tea Form (Exhibition Form) is defined as a high pointed center with the petals unfurling in a symmetrical, spiral form. The greater the number of petals, the farther open the bloom should be - but the center must remain tight - with the outer row of petals horizontal to the table. One will often see exhibitors using Q-Tips, knitting needles, small paintbrushes, etc., to move the petals to exact form. It is also acceptable to remove faulty petals, or to trim a petal with a sharp scissors, as long as the result is undetectable to the judges. On the other hand, nothing may be added to "improve" a specimen under penalty of disqualification.
From the February 2005 Rose Scents
Ever wonder how some folks have all those perfect roses that bloom just for the Show? In talking with Bob Woodworth, he indicated that he cuts his roses up to eight full days before the Show. "It is important to walk in the garden every day" says Bob. "You need to cut the roses at the right time - and that will vary depending on the bloom and petal count." "It takes practice to learn when the rose bloom is at the correct stage of openness to cut it", says Bob.
Certain classes in the rose show require the one-bloom-per-stem specimen to be without side buds. For judging purposes, a side bud is defined as growth emanating from a leaf axil, having sufficient maturity to display the formation of a stem, with or without a flower bud. Failure to remove side buds will lead to disqualification of your entry. Disbudding is the practice of removal of emergent flower buds to allow maximum development of the remaining buds. While you can wait until the day of the show to remove the unwanted side buds, removal at that point will often leave a scar that may detract from your entry. You should begin your disbudding in the garden approximately 24 days prior to the show. The best practice requires daily trips through the garden to identify this unwanted growth. When the growth is immature and the wood is soft, disbudding can be cleanly accomplished by pushing the unwanted growth from the leaf axil with your forefinger and thumb. If the growth is more mature, more effort is required and the disbudding will be less clean and more likely to scar.
From the March 2005 Rose Scents
Ever wonder how to keep track of all the varieties you are entering into the show? Jan tells us that when she cuts her roses for the show, she writes the name of the rose and the variety (HT, FL, GR etc) on a tag and ties it to the stem of the bloom. “In the past, on occasion, when I have forgotten to do this, I get to the show and am so busy prepping, I cannot remember the name of a particular rose” says Jan. Jan also reminds us to be sure to remove the tag before entering your rose as the additional tag would lead to disqualification of your entry.
If you have ever entered a rose show, you know how busy things can get that morning when you are grooming your roses. Jan suggests "picking up the entry tags before hand, affixing name and address stickers, and writing the name of the entry, prior to the day of the show". Then on the morning of the show, all you'll need to do is to add the section and class on the entry tag; this is a real timesaver if you are entering a lot of roses. We will have instructions on the completion of entry tags at a meeting prior to the show, along with the entry tags themselves.
A spray is defined as more than one bloom on a single stem. In judging sprays, the judge is looking at: 1) the overall shape and configuration of the spray, and 2) the form of the individual florets. The ideal spray should be symmetric from both the top and side views and there should be no gaps or irregular spaces between florets. Individual florets should be in a form that is typical of the variety, with all florets ideally at the same stage of development. The more florets, the more magnificent the spray. Exhibitors will often remove the terminal bud early in a spray development, for this floret typically blooms larger and earlier than the rest of the blooms in the spray. If you wait until late in the spray development to remove the terminal bud, you will often be left with a hole in the middle of the spray.
Grooming your blooms is a talent that takes practice and can make the difference in winning. The objective of grooming is to "help" the bloom exhibit that perfect exhibition form. Judy recommends practicing grooming in your garden with roses still on the bush. This will allow you to practice without cutting valuable canes that promote future growth and vigor. Play with the bloom to make it more appealing - try to open the bloom more with a Q-Tip to achieve that perfect exhibition form. You will find that blooms with different petal counts and petal shapes react differently, and the only way to learn is by practicing.
Rose in a bowl is a popular challenge class, where a bowl with damaged or diseased leaves or short stems can be used for a successful entry. The points that judges would typically give to stems, foliage, balance and proportion are devoted to the overall appearance of the entry. The bloom must be at the appropriate degree of openness for the variety. Choose a bowl that has a simple design and does not detract attention from the bloom. The size of the bowl is also important and should not be too big or too small for the rose. The bloom must be floating. The bowl and water should be clean without any floating debris. HINT: You might find it is easier to carry the bowl to the table in one hand and your bloom in the other. Set the bowl on the table, wipe off excess water from above the water level, and gently place your bloom on the surface of the water so it is floating lightly in the middle of the bowl.
From the July 2005 Rose Scents
Ever wonder how some exhibitors get their leaves to be so nice and shiny? A trick I learned years ago from Bob Woodworth was to shine the leaves using a soft pad that is used for paint edgers. You can find these refillable pads at the local hardware store; one package will probably last you the entire summer. A few simple strokes will brighten up those leaves and really make a difference!
Shrub roses are becoming more popular to grow and really provide incredible displays at our rose shows. Because of the vast diversity of form, color, substance and all other judging characteristics, shrubs are judged in the same manner as species and Old Garden Roses (OGR). When hybrid tea form is typical of the variety, these standards are applied. In the Shrub class, as with the OGR, stem on stem is allowed. Whether a specimen exhibits one or multiple stems, the primary consideration is the overall appearance. If multiple stems create a distraction, points will be deducted. Not more than one branch of a previous year's growth may be included.
