News & Updates:

In recent years the classes for specimen blooms have come to comprise a smaller proportion of the show. This is due partly to a reduction in their total and partly to an increase in the numbers of other classes. Executive bodies of rose societies have recognized the tremendous popularity of the rose for use in decorative work. Individuality in arrangements has been sought and awards are made for arrangement rather than for well-grown flowers. In most cases the exhibitor need not grow the roses used, and so little credit should be given for their quality. In fact, good blooms make good arrangement easier, and so the exhibitor with poor flowers is doubly skilful if a pleasing effect can be produced. Judges are too often unwittingly swayed by good blooms. Visitors to rose shows expect more than a monotony of stiff dome-shaped masses of perfect flowers, each set at an equal distance from its neighbour. They want, and are now seeing, new, light, and varied compositions. Very few floral arrangements are viewed from all angles in our homes, a fact that should be remembered when schedules are being drafted.

The exhibits that create greatest interest at rose shows are the floral art classes and the better-class specimen blooms, representing, respectively, roses in use, and roses grown tc perfection.