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All
those lovely old irises you couldn't bear to take out of your garden,
the nice new ones you've been adding over the years, the gorgeous ones
you couldn't resist adding just last summer..... they're getting ready
to bloom! And the care
you've put into them this spring alone will pay off handsomely on the
show bench, if you can bear to cut a few of those stalks for the show. Iris
shows in general are to educate the public as to what's out there, what
makes a quality iris, and what's good showmanship.
They can be organized with each color as a separate class, or
each cultivar (iris of the same name) as a separate class.
Colors are pretty hard to define absolutely, so KCIS has for many
years gone with cultivar-based horticultural exhibits.
All cultivars of one type (SDB, TB, PCN, etc) are grouped
together in their own section, and all cultivars of the same name (e.g.,
TUB O' BUTTER) form a single class within the section. So
already we know two things about exhibiting irises:
we have to know the type and the name of any iris we choose to
enter in the show. Here are
two more: entries in the
incorrect section, or with
incorrect names (even spelling!) cannot
be judged. So if you're at
all worried about that beauty you want to show, be sure to check it with
the Classifications chairperson (Fran Hawk at the Early Show) before you
put it out on the tables. If
it's just plain unknown to you, bring it to display on the Hospitality
Table - someone may recognize it, and everyone will enjoy it. Equipment
you will need •
bottles,
buckets, and/or boxes to contain and keep the irises as still as
possible between home and show. •
a sharp knife
and scissors to cut stalks and trim foliage as needed. •
small
paintbrush to flick off any remaining inhabitants. •
cotton balls to
clean off webs and
fingerprints. •
a pen and a
name/address inking stamp or labels to fill out entry tags. The
club will provide on show morning •
show schedules •
entry tags and
rubber bands if you didn't get them at the last meeting. •
appropriate
(required) containers for exhibits •
Styrofoam
peanuts for wedging loose stalks firmly into the containers •
turkey basters
for filling show containers with water •
water •
paper towels
just in case. In
selecting and cutting stalks, either the night before or the morning of
the show, select erect stalks with good branching; and select stalks
with well-displayed blooms in good condition. Don't cut anything YOU
didn't grow, at least this year. Cut stalks horizontally, at ground
level, because a decaying stump left on a rhizome harbors disease; and
an iris doesn't balance well on a slanted cut, and looks wrong to judges
with a shorter stalk than usual. Put some kind of IDENTIFIER on each
stalk BEFORE YOU CUT ANOTHER. Gently remove insects and spent blooms. Remember that a stalk without an open bloom can't be judged. If you cut your stalks the night before, store them in cold water in a cold dark place to keep them as is, or in (very) warm water in a warm, brightly‑lit area to speed their development. In either case, store them UPRIGHT. Blooms will turn toward a light source, so be careful. Transporting entries to the show: Choose
containers for the stalks, and carriers for the containers, to keep the
stalks relatively still, and far enough from each other and everything
else, to minimize damage. Many
people use wine bottles in their cardboard cases, or old milk bottles in
their wooden cases (the club has some for sale‑‑call Dwayne
Booth); some folks have constructed their own custom setups with chicken
wire, etc. Whatever
system you use, be very careful putting things into your vehicle and
taking them out. Stalks are
often longer than we think, and doorframes and windshields inconveniently
close! And allow extra time,
in case you need to drive a little slower than usual with that load of
"children". At
the show The
preparation area has worktables, water buckets, boxes full of containers
for the exhibits, piles of entry tags and supplies as promised.
If you haven't yet registered as an exhibitor, you can do so here
and get your exhibitor number (goes on each of your entry tags!). •
Get a container
of the appropriate size (they vary) for each of your exhibits •
Fill out an entry
tag (both halves!) for each of your exhibits if you haven't yet.
Rubber-band each tag onto a container the right size for its iris. •
PARTIALLY fill
each container with water (use the baster). •
Insert irises.
Wedge stalks into the containers as needed to keep the desired
aspect of the stalk faced the same way as the entry tag. •
Finish grooming
each entry. Yes, you CAN (and
should) remove spent blooms, so that their absence isn't obvious and their
presence isn't ugly. Yes, you
CAN trim off damaged or diseased areas of remaining leaves; follow the
general contour of the leaf when scissoring.
Be sure to get rid of all the livestock (the paintbrush tip works
well for this), and to wipe off (with the cotton ball) any fingerprints
you may have left. Judges DO
look at that little stuff. Whether
you or the show help places your entries, try to leave enough time before
the judging at 10:00am to be sure all your entries are where they should
be and looking as you intended. It's
YOUR work, from planting to placing on the table,
that's being judged and may or may not win Queen of Show! Be sure to
come back late Sunday afternoon to pick up your babies and your ribbons,
too, or ask a friend to do it for you. If you don't want them, let us
know; we recycle...... Contributed
to the KCIS Newsletter May, 1998 Check out the KCIS Special Events site for some photos of our members in action!
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