The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
How to enter your plant (and win) at the Philadelphia Flower Show
The Philadelphia Flower Show began in 1829 as a way for members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to exhibit their most beautiful flowers, vegetables, fruits and plants. New varieties of plants were introduced to the American public with the goal of advancing botanical knowledge and in the spirit of goodnatured competition among exhibitors.
Today, everyone is invited to share — and show off — their gardening skills at the Flower Show. It’s easy to be part of the nation’s longestrunning and largest horticultural event. And the coveted blue ribbon is within any gardener’s reach.
When Elsa Efran, PHS competitive classes data specialist, began working as a volunteer at the Flower Show in the 1980s, about 180 exhibitors brought 1,500 entries to the show. The competition has grown. Last year, more than 500 exhibitors entered 5,300 plants in the Hamilton Horticourt. The 2019 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, “Flower Power!”, will be held March 2 to 10 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. For information and updates, visit theflowershow.com.
The Horticourt carries on the spirit of that first Flower Show. But now, it is where first-timers with one or two plants grown on a windowsill or patio compete with seasoned veterans who may bring several hundred entries from their greenhouses.
Flower Show beginners can enter other areas, such as the Arrangements, Jewelry or Pressed Plants classes — classes are judging categories — but the Horticourt offers the most opportunities for first-time entrants, Elsa says. There are “novice classes” where beginners compete with others who have never won a blue ribbon before.
Elsa suggests that newer entrants consider entering the flowering bulb classes.
Forcing amaryllis bulbs is a great way to get children involved in the show, notes Jill Braid, a Flower Show volunteer for 15 years. “It’s a visually exciting flower, and it’s easy to learn how to grow.”
Toward the end of this summer, PHS will announce the Flower Show Challenge Plants, another avenue for beginners to enter the show. All exhibitors start with the same plant, which may be purchased at the PHS Members Plant Dividend in September or at PHS Meadowbrook Farm in Abington Township. The best examples of the mature plants win the ribbons in March.
“Many novices enter cacti and succulents because they are easy to maintain, they look good and they don’t get the sort of bugs other plants attract,” Elsa says. But they are also among the most competitive classes because there are so many entries. Begonias and orchids are also growing in popularity among new competitors.
The entries are judged on a variety of criteria:
• A healthy, vigorous appearance, with no signs of pests or disease;
• Aesthetic appeal;
• Quality and quantity of blooms or fruit, if appropriate to the class;
• Size of plant and foliage characteristic of a mature plant;
• Difficulty in growing, requiring specialized conditions or care;
• And rarity of the species.
Elsa adds that the pot containing the plant must be in good condition, too, noting that glazed or decorative pots are not acceptable. Stick to terra cotta.
“What you should be looking at is the plant, not the pot,” she says.
Complete instructions, explanations and entry forms can be found in the Exhibitor’s Guide, available in the fall at theflowershow.com/get-involved/ exhibit-at-the-flower-show. Entering online is easy, Elsa says. Competitors can create their own account and use it as a personal log during the growing process.
Do beginners really have a chance to win? “Absolutely,” Elsa says. This year, 45 new exhibitors captured blue ribbons.
One of them was Grace Edelstein, of Cinnaminson, N.J., a longtime visitor to the Flower Show who decided to enter one of her gardenia plants this year.
“Everyone at PHS was very helpful” with the entry process, Grace says.
When she arrived at the show with her gardenia and saw the thousands of other beautiful plants being wheeled and carried into the Horticourt, “I wanted to turn around and walk back to my vehicle.” But she didn’t. When she learned she had won a blue ribbon, “I didn’t believe it!”
Grace plans on entering the Philadelphia Flower Show again next year.