Participating in the 2010 Chicago Flower & Garden Show's Horticulture Competition is fun, easy and rewarding. If you are considering participating for the first time, there are many resources offered to help you through the process of entering as a first time participant
(a.k.a. "exhibitor"). Please take a moment to read through the rules and information provided in this handbook. It doesn't take a lifetime of experience to grow a well tended plant. The Chicago Flower & Garden Show also provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with
other indoor and outdoor gardeners of all experience levels.
Horticulture Competition Rules & Information
Horticulture Competition Standards provided by the Chicago Horticultural Society in partnership with the Illinois Orchid Society, Bromeliad Society of Greater Chicago and the Illinois African Violet Society.
- Anyone can enter the Chicago Flower & Garden Show Horticulture Competition. You do not have to be a member of any garden club or horticultural organization. Anyone entering ages 12 or younger qualify for all awards as well as the Youth Competition Award.
- Plants entered in the Horticulture Competition must be of Show quality in form and condition, free of pests and diseases (grooming hints are listed in downloadable instructions).
- Entries must be in your possession as of January 1, 2010.
- Unlimited entries are permitted in all classes, except the Window Box competition.
- We encourage you to pre-enter the Show because it will speed up your entry process -- nomenclature (the name of the plant) can be verified and your official entry card can be prepared in advance. The entry form deadline is Monday, February 15, 2010. Incentive pre-points are awarded for meeting the pre-entry deadline which is used to determine sweepstakes awards.
There are three ways to pre-enter.
- Submit via e-mail to: hortcomp@chicagoflower.com
- Fax: 773-523-6598
- Mail: Chicago Flower & Garden Show, Horticulture Competition, 2221 W 43rd Street, Chicago, IL 60609
- Correct identification of every entry is required. Please make every effort to submit botanical names on your entry forms so they can be verified by the Nomenclature Committee. Photocopies are acceptable. Illegible forms will be disqualified. A list of internet references can be found in downloadable packet.
- Passing of Horticulture entries will take place on two days:
- Wednesday, March 3, 2010, from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., and Thursday, March 4, 2010.
- Judging location is at Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, Rooms 202, 203, 205 and 206.
Exhibits must be 'passed' before they can be officially entered in the Horticulture Competition. Passers check to make sure that exhibits are of Show quality in form and condition, are properly groomed (see Hort Hints for more grooming suggestions), are pest and disease free, are in appropriate containers, meet the specifications for the classes in which they are entered, and are identified with the correct botanical name.
- You may groom and/or water your entries only before they have been passed. Once the entries have been passed, they will be watered by a professional watering crew. Supplemental watering and grooming (e.g., removal of dead or damaged flowers or leaves) may be performed at the discretion of the Horticulture Committee. On entry days, you may submit any special instructions on a watering instructions form available from the Horticulture Committee.
- Pots/containers must be no greater than 24" in diameter (approximately) and weigh less than 75 lbs. No saucers or mats. To avoid transplanting, double potting (also known as over-potting) is permitted, using a top dressing to cover the seam. The Exhibitor's name should be marked on the bottom of the container.
- Strongly recommended -- simple unglazed, unpainted terra-cotta clay pots.
- Acceptable (and recommended for heavy or hard-to-move plants) -- Terra-cotta-colored plastic pots, dark green rigid plastic pots or wooden tubs.
- Not acceptable -- white, brightly colored, or highly glazed ceramic pots, fiber pots or ridged containers (including black or green nursery 'production' pots).
- Water or electrical hookups are not permitted for any exhibits.
- Accessories are not permitted unless noted in the class description.
- Nothing may be removed from exhibits during the Show (March 6-14) except with the approval of the Management or at specific times, such as the official end of the Show.
- No boxes or other removal containers are permitted in the Exhibition Hall until 6:15 p.m. on Sunday , March 14, 2010. Nothing may be dismantled before 6:30 p.m. All persons exhibiting will meet in room 205 and will receive a floor pass. If your entries require more than one person to remove each person will need a floor pass.
- Wild-collected plants of endangered and threatened species as well as invasive plant species for the Chicagoland area are strictly forbidden in the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to make sure these plants are not on exhibit. Endangered or threatened species are designated on the United States List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. A current list is available at: http://www.plants.usda.gov. Chicagoland invasive plant species can be found at: http://www.chicagobotanic.org/research/conservation/invasive/chicago.
Horticulture Hints: Grooming
A well-groomed plant has been properly pruned to be free of dead and damaged leaves and flower, and have a uniform shape. If supports are needed, they should be inconspicuous. The flowers and leaves are clean. The pot is clean (no stains, streaks, crusts, chips, or other blemishes). Top dressing must be limited to natural materials in brown, black, gray or tan; no bright colors are permitted.
You may transfer a plant from a dirty pot into a clean pot of the same size for the Show. Double-potting (also known as over-potting) is permitted as long as mulch covers the underlying pot and the diameter of the new pot does not exceed the size restrictions.
Remember: space and time for grooming at the Show is extremely limited. All major grooming should be done at home. Only last minute tweaking is advisable at entry time.
Houseplants
The 2010 Horticulture Competition celebrates plants that are successfully grown indoors. The following is a list of major plant groups that are included in the Horticulture Competition.
- Bromeliads - encompass a large plant family of approximately 3,000 species and are a popular choice for indoor gardening because they have attractive foliage and flowers that last a long time, require little care, and are drought resistant. The pineapple is an example of a bromeliad.
- Cacti & Succulents - the term succulent applies in botany to a group of plants with thick and fleshy stems or leaves that are designed to retain water and minimize evaporation. (All cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti)
- Ferns - Ferns are a very ancient family of plants: early fern fossils predate the beginning of the Mesozoic era, 360 million years ago. Many species make excellent indoor house plants.
- Flowering Plants - this broad category covers indoor plants that are grown successfully indoors, that flower and do not fall within the other categories.
- Gesneriads - include not only the humble houseplant African Violet (Saintpaulia) but also 2,000+ other species and thousands of hybrids, many of which make interesting indoor houseplants. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are considered tropical and sub-tropical plants.
- Non-Flowering Plants - this broad category includes plants that are grown successfully indoors, that are grown primarily for their attractive foliage and do not fall within the other categories.
- Orchids - belong to the most diverse family of plants known to man. Their popularity as house plants has skyrocketed in recent years. Each type has its own special needs but growing orchids successfully can be accomplished with just a little homework.
Window Box Guidelines
A collection of culturally compatible rooted plants, including any combination of annuals, perennials, biennials, herbs, mosses or woody plants, in a window box with an inner measurement of 48" x 12" x 12".
The window itself will measure approx 28" x 46" and the overall wall will measure approx 8x 8.
Exhibitors may use organic materials as part of their design (e.g., pebbles, gravel, sand, beans, grains, bark, etc.) as well as man-made accessories. Judging will be based on 50% horticultural quality, 40% artistic merit and 10% statement of intent.
Each window box entered must have a statement of intent. The statement of intent provides the Exhibitor the opportunity to explain the purpose of the design and any symbolic component as well as cultural choices. Each Exhibitor must submit a statement of intent that should be no longer than 300 words and be submitted in a typed format.
- One entry per Exhibitor.
- Please submit registration prior to Monday, February 15, 2010. No entries will be accepted after this date.
Photography Competition
- A limit of one entry per person is permitted in each class.
- Photographs must include some plant material.
- Photographs may be in color, black & white or sepia-toned.
- The Photography Committee reserves the right to subdivide each class.
- Photos must be mounted on 18" x 24" foam core.
- All photos must have plain white mats to serve as a frame for the photo.
- Photo sizes may vary within the mats, but may not exceed 12" x 18".
- Entries may be submitted by mail to: Chicago Flower & Garden Show Photo Competition, 2221 W. 43rd Street, Chicago, IL 60609. Postmark deadline is Tuesday, February 16, 2010. They may also be dropped off at 2221 W. 43rd Street, Chicago, IL 60609, no later than Wednesday, February 17, 2010.
- Registration/Entry Forms (including Artist Statement) must be completed and submitted with each photograph.
- Awards and judges' comments may be picked up at the Flower & Garden Show Office (Room 207) on or after Wednesday, March 10, through Friday, March 12, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Judges comments can also be received by providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your entry.
They will be mailed after Wednesday, March 31, 2010.
- Photographs dominant plant material should be identified by genus, e.g., Asclepias (Milkweed).
- Photographs become the property of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. By entering you give full release for use of the photo by Chicago Flower & Garden Show (owned by Chicago Running & Special Events Management Inc.).
|
