Budding competition

By Bethany J. Royer Piqua Daily Call Originally published 8/15/2 1!

PIQUA - A sign proclaiming "judging in progress, no entry" greeted those entering the horticultural building at the Miami County fairgrounds uesday afternoon! As the tables and displays laden "ith e#erything from singular roses and sunflo"ers, to herbs of e#ery #ariety and large dahlias in one corner of the enclosure "ere under the seasoned eye of $oris %ager, master judge for the &'() *hio Association of +arden Clubs ,*A+C- .lo"er /ho"! Under direction of the Miami County Council of +arden Clubs, %ager0s mission "as to use her mi1ture of e1perience and e1pertise to determine first, second, and third place ribbon "inners along "ith the co#eted 2est of /ho" "inners for those entered in this year0s theme of /ports and 3eisure! 4ibbons "ere to be presented in the categories of traditional, modern, miniature, distinction, and junior artistic design! Along "ith %ager and esteemed garden club members, Marian Moec5el, co-chair of the sho", "as on hand to pro#ide behind-the-scenes information to the popular e#ent, specifically the judging methods! he latter based upon *A+C rules pro#ided to all entrants in the flo"er sho", a ma5e-up of long-time garden club members and the public! " hat0s "hat the judges are going to use to judge it ,flo"ers-," e1plained Moec5el of the *A+C rules "hile discussing similar e#ents area club members ta5e part in such as state le#el competitions and designer learning opportunities through their *A+C membership! +i#en there0s a challenge in judging flo"ers, especially "hen entries may consist of t"o or more in the same class - roses, annuals, perennials, herbs, hostas, grasses, and other foliage - follo"ing the *A+C is imperati#e! "6ou0#e got to follo" the rules, "hat you learned in your boo5," says %ager of the Miami County .air .lo"er /ho" /chedule and 4ules boo5! %o"e#er, "hen it comes to finding a "inner, sometimes it boils do"n to a particular flo"er or display that pops! *r as %ager stated, "/omething just loo5s at you and - that0s it!" 7udges ha#e to be dedicated to the process, %ager began careful deliberations o#er the entries at ('89: a!m! that morning and did not finish until "ell after ( p!m! Mean"hile, attendants in the audience, aforementioned area garden club members and public-at-large entrants, those #ery indi#iduals "ho too5 time to follo" the e1tensi#e rules of specific arrangement si;es and design-space dimensions, along "ith no artificial plant materials and more, patiently "aited for the results! %ager noted there "ere <uite a fe" herbs entered this year, an area she finds personally challenging as she does not gro" #ery many #arieties - or use - herbs!

/he does enjoy dahlias and roses, but is <uic5 to emphasi;e, "=e can0t pic5 out "hat "e li5e!" In the end, at the close of another flo"er sho" e#ent, the &'() 2est of /ho" "inners for the *hio Association of +arden Clubs ,*A+C- .lo"er /ho" of the Miami County Council of +arden Clubs included8 Matthe" %erron, 4! /mith, 2ill Mc>inney, /andy .isher, Pat /mith and Marian Moec5el! .or those "ho ha#e an interest in flo"er sho" competitions but ha#e not ta5en the ne1t step, %ager ad#ises the best place to start is to join a local garden club! 3oo5 for Moec5el and %ager as judges at ne1t "ee50s +reat $ar5e County .air flo"er sho"!