Flower Shows
The great interest in thepractice of gardening throughout the countryhas made flower shows, both large and small,familiar events in many of the towns and citiesthroughout the land. Today’s public is eager forthem, both as an outlet for exhibiting plantmaterial and for attending them as a means ofincreasing their knowledge.
The sophisticated flower shows of today, withtheir elaborate gardens and costly staging forspectacular displays and flower arrangements,are a far cry from the early exhibitions. Usually,these grew naturally in cities and communitieswhere there was interest in sharing the produceof the garden. Cut flowers were displayed insimple containers, often bottles, and pottedplants lined up on tables without thought totheir artistic appearance.
Today, the purpose of an horticulturalexhibit or show is to inspire and educate. Thishas always been the purpose behind flowcrshows, but more so today when the need isgreater. Setting up a flower show is a cooperateventure, combining the skills, knowledge, andenthusiasm of several individuals.
Since gardening is an enjoyable hobby, itpromotes a spirit of fun. It motivates a healthyspirit of competition, the same as in sports.Exhibitors and the visiting public learn a greatdeal and develop a keener appreciation of thebeauty in the foliage and flowering plants whichgo to make beautiful gardens. In small com-munities, flower shows become affairs in whicha large number of citizens participate. Often,those who know nothing about horticultureadopt it as a favorite pastime.
A flower show need not be large, as thosestaged in New York, Boston, Philadelphia,Cleveland and other cities. It can be held atany time of year by any organization. It can beexpansive as to include gardens and all kinds ofplants or it can be limited to a single flower, as orchids, camellias, African violets, roses,daffodils, tulips or irises. Some of the mostsuccessful shows are those held in winter or thevery early spring in the colder regions of thecountry, when it is uplifting to view the beautyof flowers when snow and below-freezingtemperatures prevail outdoors.
A flower show can be held in any number ofplaces. Larger societies have their own building,with one or more large exhibition halls. Theseare usually ideal since they provide facilities forstoring equipment and proper lighting, butother buildings can prove equally satisfactory.School auditoriums, country clubs, lecture halls,and hotels all work out well. Business firms areoften eager to cooperate, and many shows areheld in banks and department stores wherebackgrounds are attractive so that staging costsare kept at a minimum. This is one way ofhelping to promote business, and because oftheir central location, attendance is usuallyhigh.
The place where the show is to be held shouldoffer certain basic needs. It should be largeenough for the kind of show to be staged, withsufficient space for supplies and equipment. Itmust be easily reached, by public transportationin the case of cities. Ample parking, preferablyfree, is not to be overlooked for this often playsa major role in determining the show’s success.The hall, or halls, ought to be well ventilated,clean and attractive, properly lighted by day andnight, and heated in winter, although preferablyon the cool side for the sake of the flowers. Nodetail involving comfort and smooth operatingshould be overlooked.
If the show is to be large, allow space for aspectacular exhibit, usually centered around thetheme. Most of the space should be devoted todisplays by nurserymen, florists, garden dubsand plant societies. Set aside some area forcommercial booths, where the public may makepurchases and find out about the latest insprays and garden equipment. This often provesa popular section of the show, but it should notbe overdone. If so, it detracts and the moodbecomes commercial rather than aesthetic andeducational. The public will also complain.Commercial exhibitors should be selectedwith care. They should be reliable, and if any-thing goes wrong with a product, they ought tosatisfy the customer. A neat, artistic, well-displayed booth adds much to the show, andstrict enforcement should keep the majorexhibits, and the commercial exhibitors as well,restricted to plants and horticultural productsrelated to their growing or display. Too manyshows these days are falling into the gadgetcategory, offering goods that arc wholly un-related to any phase of gardening.
Sometimes, small shows are held in privatehomes, often in conjunction with a garden tour.There may be tables of pot plants and individualhorticultural specimens, but emphasis is onflower arrangements and other decorations inhallways, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens,bedrooms, dens and even bathrooms. These arepopular with the public. Such shows are spon-sored by garden clubs and prove to be goodmoney-makers.
In sponsoring this kind of show, differentkinds of problems arise. Include sufficienthomes, but not too many. The idea is to see themall comfortably in a morning or afternoon. Incase of bad weather, try to sell as many tickets aspossible beforehand. Print literature that givesthe background of each house, with directionsfor getting from one place to another. For this,arrows on poles, trees, or buildings are needed,but well-informed hostesses can help the visitors.Each room should have at least one hostess toanswer questions and watch belongings. Lookinto the traffic situation, and for this localpolice will cooperate. Extremely popular inprivate homes are Christmas shows, that maycombine a sale with a workshop in a heatedbarn or “rumpus” room. If possible, it is wise toserve tea, coffee and light refreshments. Theyadd a little more to the cost, but this attractionwill be profitable.
Once a garden club or some other horticul-tural group has decided to sponsor a flowershow, the first step is to decide where and whenit will be held. Determine the kind of show it willbe, and outline its purposes. When these basicshave been stated, the next and most importantphase is to select committees. There will beseveral of these: Staging, hospitality, publicity,and others as well as the important task ofselecting a competent general chairman andsecretary. Then make up a schedule of classes,being specific about each, including prizes.Distinguish between exhibitors that are pro-fessional or amateur. For a show to be success-ful, no matter how small, there must be a seriesof rules and regulations. Apportioning responsi-bility evenly is a matter not to be overlooked.Choose committee members from as manybackgrounds as possible, seeking those withsome experience.
The most important committee member is thegeneral chairman. This is the position that ismost difficult to fill, yet is the one that requiresthe most careful consideration. The generalchairman is the guiding light, the personresponsible for selling floor space to horti-cultural and trade exhibitors. He will receivesome praise for his efforts, but he will also takethe blame when something goes wrong. Most ofall, he should be a person of tact, able to smooth the ruffled feelings of many a disgruntled ex-hibitor. Some flower-show experience is neededfor this position, at least as a committee head.Laying out the plan of the show is his task,except in the case of large shows where theservices of a landscape architect may be em-ployed. The general chairman will handle thebudget and supervise the various committeesunder him.
The position of secretary is second inimportance. His job is to handle all the paperwork—to send out schedule and entry cards, toreceive and record entries, to write letters, topurchase supplies, such as envelopes, stamps,dips and make certain they are on hand in theshow office, and to order ribbons and otherprizes. He will handle most of the telephone callsand run the office during show time. Experiencehelps, but with a good and competent generalchairman, the various tasks of the secretary arereadily learned.
The schedule committee has a major functionto perform. Members of this group shouldpossess a sound knowledge of plants andunderstand how to work up a schedule that isinteresting, varied and appealing to the public.A schedule should contain such needed informa-tion as name and dates of the show, the theme,hours, location and telephone. Facilities forparking can also be added, as well as otherpertinent bits of information. The committee isempowered to enforce all its rules strictly.Exceptions only lead to demands for others.Latecomers can be allowed to enter, althoughthey do not qualify to compete. The scheduleshould indicate the kind of entry, the number ofplants or blooms, size of the collection, and thetime of removal. In the flower-arrangementclasses, sizes of niches, heights of arrangements,and color of containers and other details shouldbe given.
Once the exhibition hall has been selected, it istime for the staging chairman to get to work. Ifhe has not had experience in this capacitypreviously, at least he ought to know some-thing about flower-show staging and manage-ment and have a definite feeling for design. Insome cases, he may have to work with unions,for these arc becoming more and more part ofthe picture, especially in our large-city, majorflower shows.
Much careful planning should go into thisaspect of the flower show. Large exhibits, asgardens with structures, terraces and pools andfountains, are staged on the ground, but cutflowers and pot plants rest on tables. These canbe of various sizes, but not more than 5 ft. wideif plants arc to be viewed from one side. Sometables arc set up for various classes, chieflyflower arrangements for dining room tables. Suitable material is needed for the backgroundin order to show the plants effectively. Blackand dark green cloth, so much a part of thescene in flower shows in years past, is nowbeing replaced by softer, lighter colors indifferent kinds of materials, many of whichemphasize texture.
It is up to the staging chairman to plan andarrange for storage space for flowers andmaterials. He works with movers, carpenters,electricians, and sees to it that walls and floorsof the building, especially if rented, arc notdamaged. He handles the vases for cut flowers.For best effects, keep to the same kind of con-tainers, varying only in size. Appropriatevases, attractive in appearance and color, domuch to add to the show The staging chair-man sees to it that all exhibits can be seeneasily. He keeps away from large posts and,where possible, dresses them up with bark andbranches to depict trees. He handles the matterof partitions that will separate one exhibitorfrom the other.
Ina small show, the secretary will take care ofmailing and receiving entries, but in a large onean entries chairman will be needed. It is alwaysbest to have the exhibitors return their entries inadvance. The entries chairman will file them,and when each exhibit is ready for judging, hewill make certain that the card is filled andplaced face down in order to cover the name.This chairman will also arrange for cards foreach exhibitor to remove his plants and belong-ings after the show has closed. This requirescareful supervision to avoid stealing or breakageby unauthorized persons. Exhibitors, includingtrade exhibitors, will need cards so they canenter and leave the show as often as needed.The importance of an able judge’s committeecannot be emphasized enough. Goodwill caneasily be destroyed by judges who are notproperly qualified to judge a garden, a bouquetof roses or a flower arrangement.
In addition to choosing judges who knowplants and have a feeling for design and color,the committee has the task of entertaining them.For small shows, invitations should go out amonth in advance, but for large shows severalmonths is better. In case of drop-outs, have afile of additional judges who can be reached thelast minute. With garden dubs, judges areavailable from neighboring or distant clubs, andno effort should be spared to get the bestpossible. A judge should be objective and un-biased and take this responsibility seriously,considering the invitation an honor. As a rule,judges arc not paid, but their transportation andmeals are usually covered. For large shows,professionals may receive monetary recompense.A prize committee is essential if a flower show is to function properly. Standardized are theribbon awards, blue for 1st, red for znd, andwhite for 3rd. A green ribbon or a seal can begiven as an award for a special class, whichdoes not compete with the others. Specialexhibits, however, may be judged for the tri-color or purple ribbon for the exhibit con-sidered the most distinctive in the show.
There are medals for exhibits by nurserymen,florists and other commercial entries. Gold isthe highest, silver comes second and bronze isthird. Other kinds of prizes and awards areoffered, these depending on the show and whatit has established. They may be bowls, cups andother kinds of trophies. Often a sweepstakeprize goes to the exhibitor with the greatestnumber of points. In large shows, these majorawards are given by a special committee ofjudges, which decides where each of thesecoveted prizes will go. These major awardsusually specify their purpose: to the mostbeautiful exhibit in the show, to the flowerarrangement with the highest number of points,to a commercial entry that is considered themost meritorious, etc.
Every flower show, no matter how small, willneed a publicity chairman. Without this vitalperson and his committee members, the showwill hardly make the grade. Publicity by word ofmouth is never enough to draw scores ofvisitors. Appropriate posters are excellentmeans by which the public is informed about theshow. They can be made by professional artists,or skilled persons within the show committeecan come up with startling ideas. Sometimesschool children can be asked to compete for aprize-winning poster.
The main purpose of the publicity chairmanis to contact newspaper editors and send ingood, clear copy that includes all essentials,such as place, time, cost and dates. With largemetropolitan newspapers, he will have to workdirectly with garden or society editors. Asidefrom releases, he may have to write exclusivestories about particular growers, arrangers, orcommittee heads whose roles are prominent.The publicity chairman will have to arrangefor the taking of photographs. He will receivethe press and the newspaper photographers andassist them in their needs. Often they will wantto bring in models for a special feature. Publicityof this nature is important before the showopens on opening day, but more should comewhile the show is in progress. This often becomesdifficult when a flower show continues for aweek or longer, but an imaginative and energeticchairman will come with new ideas and think ofdifferent angles to sustain publicity during thisperiod.
Not only newspapers, including the weeklies, but television and radio must be brought intoplay. The chairman will contact televisionpersonalities who conduct popular programsand arrange for interviews or presentations.Top flower arrangers may demonstrate how toput together a spring bouquet or one ofchrysanthemums. Posters, schedules, pot plants,photographs and transparencies of former, andeven present, flower shows, even garden toolsand equipment are but a few props that willhelp to put the television show over.
Radio can do equally as much for the show.There are many who listen to the radio whilethey work at home or in places of business.Thousands listen to their car radios while theydrive, and spot announcements about theshow, paid or courtesy, help as constant re-minders. Interviews are likewise conducted onradio. On occasion they may be taped in theshow and run at a later hour, but has again,they may be live, with such sounds as bubblingwater in the background. Flower-show exhibi-tors, shy about appearing on television, will notmind a radio interview.
In addition to contacts with newspapers,television and radio, the publicity chairman willhandle the matter of free passes to persons whohave offered their services and time. The handingout of free passes creates good feeling amongthese persons who are spreading the news of theshow in various ways.
As awards and prizes are announced, thepublicity chairman should send them outimmediately to the newspapers in short, clearlywritten releases. In large cities, individualreleases should go to the local papers which arealways certain to print the information. And agood publicity chairman will keep copies of hisreleases, for future reference, and clippings ofthe various articles and photographs that haveappeared. They may be kept on file or in a largescrapbook.
Small shows may not require an hospitalitycommittee, but wherever possible this is aworthwhile one to establish. Members of thisgroup will handle refreshments, if they are to beserved, as is the case in small affairs. They willlook after the needs of the judges, and arrangefor their transportation and lunches. If there isan information booth (highly recommendedwhere possible) hostesses will answer questionsabout the show. If they are experts in horti-culture, they can give out general gardeninginformation as well. This is always a drawingattraction, and it is up to the publicity chairmanto publicize it. Hostesses should know theshow winners and be able to give this informa-tion when it is requested. They should also takein memberships if the show is sponsored by aplant society or a garden club.
There may be other minor committees,depending on needs. With growing interest inconservation, a conservation committee maywell be included. If the matter of handlingtickets is confusing, a special committee can beassigned to the job. In many shows, schoolchildren are urged to participate, and a specialcommittee, perhaps comprised of a few teachers,can work with the youngsters.
Running a flower show is a major effort thatcalls for the combined skills and the fullcooperation of many individuals. Much will belearned through experience, and there will bepitfalls, but many of these can be avoided bycareful planning beforehand. Visiting flowershows and talking with experienced committeeheads are helpful.
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