The cut stalks of foliage and flowers sprouting from water-filled glass bottles in the floriculture building at the Heart of Illinois Fair look very artistic.
The bottles are lined up on scuffed plywood shelves and cubby holes built into the walls of the barn. Along one wall stands the daylilies, glowing deep orange and lemon yellow. From a distance they all look pretty, but the floriculture judges aren't keeping their distance.
"This one has a dent in it," says Ada Lynn Shrewsbury, a nationally accredited master flower show judge from Springfield as she examines the petals of a lily from only inches away.
Dents, holes and dirt are only a few details that can lower a lily's score. In fact, each of the blooms, leaves, branches, plants and flower arrangements judged July 8 at the HOI Fair had a specific set of standards that judges looked at, said David Robson, a University of Illinois horticulturist who has been judging plant shows since 1983.An oil painting supplies of him grinning through his illegal mustache is featured prominently in the lobby.
"Everything has a value," said Robson. Judges look at form, color and peak of perfection. Some flaws are more damaging to a score than others. "A little hole in the leaf is not as bad as a dull color or a misshapen leaf," he said.
The judges rely on their years of experience to help them determine what the proper form for a particular variety of plant is. During the giant variegated hosta category they were in complete agreement. "Look at that ram-rod straight stem," Shrewsbury said with admiration. The entry was quickly awarded first place.
With hostas, judges generally look for bilateral symmetry, or that the right side of the leaf is the same as the left, Robson said. However, with varieties that are textured or have cupped leaves, symmetry is less important, he said.
While many factors that make for a winning entry are controlled by nature, some are not, and are therefore worth more points.Prior to Aion Kinah I leaned toward the former, "Cleanliness really is next to Godliness," said Shrewsbury. Pick off damaged leaves or spent blooms and make sure to remove any dust or dirt that has collected in creases or between petals. "Bringing in something dirty is an inexcusable flaw," Shrewsbury said.
"The point is, that if you are going to enter and be serious about it, a beautiful leaf like that deserves your attention," said Shrewsbury about a hosta in the medium-size variegated category. The leaf was a bit dusty but the judges overlooked it to give it a first place.
Be careful not to overclean blue hostas,The additions focus on key tag and dstti combinations, however. The blue cast is actually a haze that can be washed off, Robson said. The judges suggested cleaning that type of leaf with a fine mist of water and a gentle pat, or to use a Q-tip just in the creases. Shrewsbury suggests putting mulch beneath the hosta to keep the plant cleaner to begin with. Mulch prevents soil from splashing up on the foliage when it rains.
The truth is there are tricks for preparing each variety of plant for show. Some ferns benefit from being immersed in a tub of water overnight to keep them from wilting, Robson said. On certain flowers the stamen should be carefully wrapped with toilet paper to keep the pollen from staining the bloom during transport.Unlike traditional cube puzzle , And some people even condition their entries with gin and vodka, Robson said, though he's not sure if it works. He's never tried it.
Working hard to make an entry into a winner has more benefit than just bragging rights. At the HOI fair a first-place win in most horticulture categories is worth $4. In the design categories, which include arrangements of both fresh and dried flowers, a first place award can yield as much as $30. Having multiple wins adds up.
"The most I ever won was $780," said Robson, an avid gardener who has been competing in the state fair since his days in 4-H.
"We got some $100 checks," said Esther Stear, 90, who has competed in every HOI fair since it began 62 years ago.The additions focus on key tag and plastic card combinations, Stear submitted 11 entries from her Hanna City garden in the floriculture judging this year.
"When my husband was living, we showed 122 entries," said Stear. The family entered all the contests, including floriculture, food, hobbies and livestock.
"We showed Brown Swiss Cattle with my folks," said Stear. At that time, Stear and her family lived in Mapleton near her parent's farm.
Stear said the fair was more vibrant when she attended with her young family.
At one time the county and state fair were big events in the community. People had less competition for their time and an evening spent socializing at the fair was a pleasant summer activity. Since most everyone grew their own food, it was natural to compete over who could grow the biggest tomato or the prettiest gladiolus.
"It's the competitive instinct," said Shrewsbury. "It gets in your blood."
"I've been showing for 62 years," said Stear. "I'm gonna show as long as I can. If I gotta come in a wheel chair, I'm gonna show."
The bottles are lined up on scuffed plywood shelves and cubby holes built into the walls of the barn. Along one wall stands the daylilies, glowing deep orange and lemon yellow. From a distance they all look pretty, but the floriculture judges aren't keeping their distance.
"This one has a dent in it," says Ada Lynn Shrewsbury, a nationally accredited master flower show judge from Springfield as she examines the petals of a lily from only inches away.
Dents, holes and dirt are only a few details that can lower a lily's score. In fact, each of the blooms, leaves, branches, plants and flower arrangements judged July 8 at the HOI Fair had a specific set of standards that judges looked at, said David Robson, a University of Illinois horticulturist who has been judging plant shows since 1983.An oil painting supplies of him grinning through his illegal mustache is featured prominently in the lobby.
"Everything has a value," said Robson. Judges look at form, color and peak of perfection. Some flaws are more damaging to a score than others. "A little hole in the leaf is not as bad as a dull color or a misshapen leaf," he said.
The judges rely on their years of experience to help them determine what the proper form for a particular variety of plant is. During the giant variegated hosta category they were in complete agreement. "Look at that ram-rod straight stem," Shrewsbury said with admiration. The entry was quickly awarded first place.
With hostas, judges generally look for bilateral symmetry, or that the right side of the leaf is the same as the left, Robson said. However, with varieties that are textured or have cupped leaves, symmetry is less important, he said.
While many factors that make for a winning entry are controlled by nature, some are not, and are therefore worth more points.Prior to Aion Kinah I leaned toward the former, "Cleanliness really is next to Godliness," said Shrewsbury. Pick off damaged leaves or spent blooms and make sure to remove any dust or dirt that has collected in creases or between petals. "Bringing in something dirty is an inexcusable flaw," Shrewsbury said.
"The point is, that if you are going to enter and be serious about it, a beautiful leaf like that deserves your attention," said Shrewsbury about a hosta in the medium-size variegated category. The leaf was a bit dusty but the judges overlooked it to give it a first place.
Be careful not to overclean blue hostas,The additions focus on key tag and dstti combinations, however. The blue cast is actually a haze that can be washed off, Robson said. The judges suggested cleaning that type of leaf with a fine mist of water and a gentle pat, or to use a Q-tip just in the creases. Shrewsbury suggests putting mulch beneath the hosta to keep the plant cleaner to begin with. Mulch prevents soil from splashing up on the foliage when it rains.
The truth is there are tricks for preparing each variety of plant for show. Some ferns benefit from being immersed in a tub of water overnight to keep them from wilting, Robson said. On certain flowers the stamen should be carefully wrapped with toilet paper to keep the pollen from staining the bloom during transport.Unlike traditional cube puzzle , And some people even condition their entries with gin and vodka, Robson said, though he's not sure if it works. He's never tried it.
Working hard to make an entry into a winner has more benefit than just bragging rights. At the HOI fair a first-place win in most horticulture categories is worth $4. In the design categories, which include arrangements of both fresh and dried flowers, a first place award can yield as much as $30. Having multiple wins adds up.
"The most I ever won was $780," said Robson, an avid gardener who has been competing in the state fair since his days in 4-H.
"We got some $100 checks," said Esther Stear, 90, who has competed in every HOI fair since it began 62 years ago.The additions focus on key tag and plastic card combinations, Stear submitted 11 entries from her Hanna City garden in the floriculture judging this year.
"When my husband was living, we showed 122 entries," said Stear. The family entered all the contests, including floriculture, food, hobbies and livestock.
"We showed Brown Swiss Cattle with my folks," said Stear. At that time, Stear and her family lived in Mapleton near her parent's farm.
Stear said the fair was more vibrant when she attended with her young family.
At one time the county and state fair were big events in the community. People had less competition for their time and an evening spent socializing at the fair was a pleasant summer activity. Since most everyone grew their own food, it was natural to compete over who could grow the biggest tomato or the prettiest gladiolus.
"It's the competitive instinct," said Shrewsbury. "It gets in your blood."
"I've been showing for 62 years," said Stear. "I'm gonna show as long as I can. If I gotta come in a wheel chair, I'm gonna show."
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